‘Attack On Titan’ Season 4 Review: A Bittersweet Conclusion

This article contains minor spoilers for all of “Attack on Titan.”

On April 7, 2013, WIT Studio released the first episode of the anime adaptation of Hajime Isayama’s hit manga “Attack on Titan.” Immediately, the show enchanted fans around the world with a thrilling action adventure driven by compelling character arcs, eye-popping animation, and intricately crafted and deeply mysterious world-building. A decade after its inception on the small screen, the final episode of “Attack on Titan” closes the chapter on a story over 10 years in the making.

“Attack on Titan” tells the story of Eren Jaeger, a child living in the walled city of a civilization whose existence is threatened by titans, massive humanoid beasts who feed off humans in the day and mysteriously vanish at night. After titans destroy his hometown and eat his mother, Eren vows to vanquish all titans. However, his motivations are challenged as the series progresses and the conflict becomes more and more complicated. After the second and third seasons introduce the viewer to the existence of intelligent titans and further revelations about the source of the conflict and how it can be faced, the fourth season of “Attack on Titan” begins with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, along with the rest of the survey corps, declaring war on its enemy country Marley, as the political complexities of the wider war-torn world are introduced to the audience.

Thus, we arrive at the finale of “Attack on Titan,” an 85-minute apotheosis of 10 years of world-building and character work. Though a masterclass in animation and action delivering on many fronts, the finale is severely held back by breakneck pacing, selective character focus, and stylistic choices that one could argue would have been avoided with a more deliberate exploration of the nuances that made the series so compelling in the first place.

The finale is a string of groundbreaking revelations, one after another with no space for breathing room. This high-speed narrative jeopardizes the gravity of the story, as there is not sufficient time for the characters and the viewer to react and absorb all these plot twists. For example, the finale’s reveal of the origin of titans and the history of Paradis felt particularly overwhelming. Moreover, the titan battles, which are typically lauded as some of the most impressive scenes in the show, all felt a few beats short. As such, a more gradual pace could have allowed for these moments to be given the weight they deserved.

Similarly, this resulted in many of the character arcs feeling rushed or underdeveloped. With much of the screen time reserved for Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, the jarringly fast pacing left little room for the beloved cast of side characters to receive satisfying conclusions. The fan favorite duo of Connie and Jean, for example, felt sidelined throughout the final, and their storylines felt unfinished.

Additionally, the studio’s stylistic choices for the finale have been questionable. Though intended to enhance the grim atmosphere the show is known for, the bleak, grittiness of the visuals detracted from the clarity of the animation. The CGI was also questionable; many of the scenes involving the beast titan looked extremely clunky and out of place, for example.

Despite the things holding it back, however, the finale still shines as an excellent conclusion to the cultural juggernaut that is “Attack on Titan.” Underpinning its success are the satisfying conclusions given to the big three protagonists, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Eren’s decision is a natural extension of his experiences thus far, and Mikasa and Armin have similarly human and satisfying responses. The finale, at least for these characters, does an excellent job at concluding their character arcs with emotional resonance.

The finale deserves praise for challenging its audience with the weightier concepts of freedom, morality, and the consequences of war. Though it stumbles every now and then — particularly with the poorly executed Nazi allegory that is the subjugation of the Eldian race, in season four — the show does a great job at reflecting on how difficult it can be to identify good and evil to tackle heavier ideas of cycles of hatred, moral relativism, and the relationship between monstrosity and human nature.

Despite certain things holding it back, the visuals of the finale were generally great. Scenes of survey corps members maneuvering around in high-flying ODM gear combat are fluid and beautifully animated. The industry standard in animation for many, “Attack on Titan” concludes its final action scene with a breathtaking spectacle.

Though the finale of “Attack on Titan” struggles in many aspects, it more than succeeds in providing an entertaining, spectacular, and thematically rich conclusion to a saga that has left an indelible mark on the anime landscape.