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Most Important Deaths In Attack On Titan

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1 month ago

October 25, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

The deaths of key characters in Attack on Titan play a critical role in the story and are not used for shock value.
Characters like Grisha, Sasha, and Kenny all meet impactful fates that move the narrative forward in significant ways.
From Zeke’s demise to Ymir’s sacrifice, deaths serve as turning points in the series, shaping the world and characters.

There are many shonen anime series that have become quite legendary in their own right, but not many of them boast the same level of love and care that has been put into Attack on Titan. The series started as what seemed like a battle against Titans, only for it to do a complete 180 and reveal humans as the biggest plague around.

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Watching Eren, Armin, and Mikasa grow into their own throughout the series is quite amazing to witness, making for a great time indeed as viewers get to see how the world and story of Attack on Titan develop over time. Given how tragic the series is, it’s only a given that a lot of important people have died throughout the series. Here are some of the most impactful deaths that have ever happened in Attack on Titan.

Updated on October 25, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Attack on Titan is one of the most popular anime around, wowing fans with its impressive writing, bleak world, and characters that will remain fresh in the minds of fans long after they’re finished experiencing this masterpiece. No one is safe in this series, and death can welcome anyone who gets stuck in a bad spot, regardless of whether it’s their fault or not. These deaths play a critical role in the story for many reasons, and it’s impressive that Attack on Titan manages to add some meaning to every demise instead of using them for shock value.

Warning: Spoilers ahead, proceed with caution.

1 *Mike Zacharias

Died In: Beast Titan (Season 2, Episode 1)

The revelation that the Beast Titan can speak shocks him before his brutal death

The Beast Titan’s reveal is one of the most unnerving moments in the series, building a ton of intrigue and making fans wonder what this behemoth brings to the table. His ability to throw stones is shocking enough as is, but what makes the introduction of this Titan extremely chilling happens when Mike Zacharias stumbles into a bad situation.

Despite being rather calm and collected for most of the series, hearing the Beast Titan speak to him is what breaks his hope once and for all. Zeke is unamused at the terror of this human and tells the other Pure Titans to devour him in one of the most brutal deaths in the series. The intrigue in Attack on Titan is built up slowly, and nowhere is this more apparent than when Zeke shows his intelligence in such a state.

2 Frieda Reiss

Died In: Sin (Season 3, Episode 6)

Grisha eats her to gain the power of the Founding Titan

Despite being a character that fans only witness in flashbacks and posthumous mentions, it’s impressive to see the power Frieda holds over the story. A member of the royal family who was supposed to be the next inheritor of the Founding Titan, everything changes for the future of Eldians when Frieda is ambushed by Grisha so that her powers can be stolen.

For the longest time, it’s assumed that Grisha was just acting of his own accord at this moment, but it isn’t until way later in the story that the truth is revealed. Eren spoke to his father from the future and goaded him into acquiring the powers of the Founding Titan to keep his plan in motion. It’s a shocking moment that makes this death one of the biggest turning points in Attack on Titan.

3 Ymir

Death Mentioned In: Midnight Train (Season 4, Episode 2)

Wilfully allows herself to be eaten to transfer the power of the Jaw Titan to Porco

Before the name Ymir was associated with the one who discovered the power of the Titans, it was used to refer to Christa’s closest friend, who had hidden a dark truth within her for the longest time. After being turned into a Titan, Ymir’s mindless form ran into the inexperienced owner of the Jaw Titan form, Marcel Galliard. This allowed her to regain her human form and blend in with the residents of Paradis Island.

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After revealing the power of the Jaw to Reiner and Bertholdt, their priority became to retrieve this Titan power and bring it back to Marley. Eventually, after living on borrowed time, Ymir lets herself be eaten by Marcel’s brother so that the power can return to the hands of the people who oppressed Paradis Island for the longest time.

4 Zeke Jaeger

Died In: THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2

Zeke Jaeger (Attack On Titan): The Beastly Beast Titan

His death marks the beginning of the end, with Eren finally being placed on the back foot in the battle for Heaven and Earth

Zeke is one of the most intriguing figures in Attack on Titan. After fighting against the Survey Corps for the longest time, he teams up with Eren for his nefarious purposes. His heinous actions lead to a rivalry with Levi that culminates in one of the best moments in the series.

After accepting his demise and admitting the fault of his actions, a dedicated Levi wastes no time in beheading the villain. It was a moment a long time in the making, with the veteran member of the Survey Corps finally getting his revenge on Zeke.

5 Eren Jaeger

Died In: THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2

His death marks the end of the Rumbling, with humanity finally able to restart with the power of the Titans gone for good

Eren is one of the greatest characters in any shonen series to date. He seemed like a run-of-the-mill shonen protagonist for the longest time, only to perform one of the greatest swerves in anime history in the fourth and final season.

After initiating the Rumbling and killing numerous innocents, it’s hard to justify Eren’s actions. However, his ability to see into the future meant that he made all the calculations before going down this extreme route. Unfortunately, nothing can explain away the act of genocide, but fans were still left with many mixed feelings when Mikasa finally beheaded Eren and ended his reign of tyranny once and for all.

6 Udo & Zofia

Died In: The War Hammer Titan (Season 4, Episode 6)

Zofia and Udo's death in Attack on Titan

The deaths of Gabi’s friends push her over the edge, causing her to kill Sasha and be captured by the Eldians of Paradis Island, along with Falco

It might be cheating to include two people on this list, but the deaths of both Udo and Zofia accomplished one single purpose. It stoked the flames of rebellion within Gabi, which led to her carrying out many rash and impulsive decisions.

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Her hatred for the Island Demons led to her shooting Sasha in cold blood, before being captured and brought back to Paradis Island. This led to a series of events that finally made her open her eyes and understand just how needless this conflict was.

7 Lara Tybur

Died In: Assault (Season 4, Episode 7)

Lara Tybur the Warhammer Titan from Attack on Titan

The War Hammer Titan is ingested by Eren after he breaks her crystal casing using the Jaw Titan’s mouth

The inheritor of the War Hammer Titan was a powerful foe that Eren had to deal with during his assault on Liberio. She was a tough cookie to crack, with the crystal surrounding her being a pain to crack.

However, Eren managed to grab the Jaw Titan and use his powerful bite to break her shell open. This led to Eren ingesting her remains and gaining the power of the War Hammer Titan for himself.

8 Porco Galliard

Died In: Two Brothers (Season 4, Episode 19)

Porco sacrifices himself to save Falco after he’s turned into a Titan by Zeke, giving him the Jaw Titan in the process

Porco was the younger Galliard sibling who inherited the powers of the Jaw Titan after Ymir’s years were up. He was a worthy successor of this Titan but sustained massive injuries during the fight against Eren and Zeke.

Realizing that his wounds were too severe to be healed, Porco decided to sacrifice himself and save Falco. It was a noble moment of redemption for a character who had been oppressed by the people around him time and time again.

9 Ymir Fritz

Died In: From You, 2,000 Years Ago (Season 4, Episode 21)

Her death led to the creation of the Nine Titans and her eternal servitude to the will of King Fritz

The original power of the Titans was held by none other than Ymir Fritz herself. Unfortunately, this supposed deity turned out to be nothing more than a person with no free will of her own.

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She was used by the King of Eldia time and time again, before sacrificing herself for this despicable figure. Ultimately, her death was what led to the creation of the Nine Titans and immortalized her presence in the Paths.

10 Faye Yeager

Died In: That Day (Season 3, Episode 20)

The brutal torture and murder of Faye at the hands of the Marleyans sparked the fire of revenge in Grisha’s soul

The death of Grisha’s younger sister was what led this man to become a rebel and fight against Marley. Both siblings headed out of their internment zone to see a blimp, only to be caught by Marleyan officials.

While Grisha still survived this encounter, Faye was used as entertainment by Marleyan officials, who chased her down with a pack of rabid dogs. It was a harrowing moment that showed just how horribly the Eldians were treated by Marley.

11 Dina Fritz

Died In: Scream (Season 2, Episode 12)

Turned into a mindless Titan after being outed by her son, with her final demise coming at the hands of Eren, who unwittingly activated the coordinate after making physical contact with her body

A member of royalty who wanted to rise against the injustices of Marley, it’s a shame how Dina was sold out by her child. Of course, the fact that she raised her child to be a tool instead of loving was her fault.

However, her transformation into a Pure Titan sparked a chain of events that led to Eren hating all Titans with a vengeance. Even before her death, making contact with her allowed Eren to channel the power of the Founding Titan and uncover the secret to defeating the forces that plagued humanity once and for all.

12 Carla Yeager

Died In: To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 1 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Compelled Eren to join the Survey Corps and fight back against the Titans

Eren’s mother was one of the sweetest people on the show by a country mile. She didn’t deserve what happened to her, with the first episode ending in her demise.

She’s been a constant source of motivation for Eren throughout the series. Of course, the latest revelations have made it pretty clear that Carla’s death was just a small consequence of the large-scale conspiracy that had been taking place in Paradis Island for quite some time.

13 Grisha Yeager

Died In: Sin (Season 3, Episode 6)

Gave the powers of the Attack and Founder Titan to Eren

Grisha is one of the most important characters in the events of Attack on Titan. His history of being from Marley and how he tried to start an uprising against the nation came from an understandable place, although he lost himself along the way.

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After starting a new life in Paradis, he took over the power of the Founding Titan and gave it to Eren. Even in death, his impact is felt throughout the series, and for good reason.

14 Marco Bott

Died In: Descent (Season 3, Episode 15)

One of the many deaths that slowly pushed Reiner over the edge

Jean was a rather selfish military recruit who only wanted to secure an easy life in the Military Police. However, a massive event in Attack on Titan changed his mindset for good.

Marco was one of Jean’s closest friends who unfortunately overheard Reiner and Bertholdt’s plans and had to be sacrificed. The brutal manner of his death made it clear to Jean that he needed to fight against the Titans for the sake of humanity instead of settling for an easy life.

15 Hannes

Died In: Scream (Season 2, Episode 12)

His heroic sacrifice to save Eren and Mikasa fills Eren full of rage, letting him unwittingly activate the Coordinate’s powers

Hannes is one of the most likable characters in the entire show. He might not have given the greatest first impression, but it’s after the attack on Shiganshina that he redeemed his character.

Unfortunately, he met his end while trying to save Eren and Mikasa from the Titan that ate Carla Yeager. It was a sad moment that triggered a moment of rage in Eren and made him unwittingly use the power of the Founding Titan on Dina Fritz’ Pure Titan form.

16 Rod Reiss

Died In: Ruler Of The Walls (Season 3, Episode 9)

Ended the tyrannical reign of the royal family and let the people know the truth

The Royal Family was nothing more than a huge sham that had forced Paradis into ignorance for the longest time. At the head of this was Rod Reiss, the head of the Royal Family who tried to bring the power of the Founding Titan back into their fold once again.

However, he failed and transformed into a massive Titan in a desperate bid to get the Founding Titan’s powers back. He met his end at the hand of his daughter, who ascended to the throne after being recognized as Historia Reiss.

17 Kenny Ackerman

Died In: Friends (Season 3, Episode 10)

Gave Levi a vial of valuable Titan spinal fluid and answered some of his questions, shedding light on the legacy of the Ackermanns

Kenny Ackerman was a mysterious character who had played a major role in Levi’s history. The Anti-Personnel ODM Gear that he and his crew used ended up making an appearance again during the battle in Marley.

After Rod Reiss turned into a massive titan, Kenny was fatally injured by falling debris. Before his demise, he gave the Pure Titan formula to Levi, which played a critical role in saving Armin’s life.

18 Bertholdt Hoover

Died In: Midnight Sun (Season 3, Episode 18)

Is forced into a situation where he’s eaten by Armin, letting the strategist survive while giving him the powers of the Colossal Titan

Bertholdt was a soft-spoken man who was one of the Marleyan Warriors tasked with getting the Founding Titan and its powers back. His betrayal of the Survey Corps was quite hard to fathom, making him a target who had to be captured to understand the motive of the enemy once and for all.

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However, after Armin and Erwin edged closer to their demise, it was decided that he would be sacrificed to let one of them survive. Bertholdt might’ve died a painful death, but it was ultimately for the greater good.

19 Erwin Smith

Died In: Midnight Sun (Season 3, Episode 18)

Went on a suicidal charge to distract the Beast Titan

In a bid to help Levi capture the Beast Titan, Erwin decided to lead the Survey Corps on a suicide mission to charge the Beast Titan and become a target of their projectiles. It was a bold move that ultimately paid off.

Unfortunately, Erwin paid for this move with his life, when a rock struck him in the abdomen. While Levi could’ve brought Erwin back to life, he rescinded from doing so after realizing just how much of a hellish life he had lived and how he finally escaped it with his death.

20 Sasha Braus

Died In: Assassin’s Bullet (Season 4, Episode 8)

Killed by Gabi in a fit of rage, sparking a chain of events that makes the naive girl finally understand that everything she was fed by the Marleyans was propaganda

Sasha’s death is easily one of the most frustrating and saddening moments in the entire show. The fact that it led to the entire fanbase uniting against Gabi is a testament to how beloved this character was.

However, Sasha’s death did uncover just how stupid the entire hate between the Eldians and Marleyans was. It also uncovered just how detached Eren had become, with the protagonist letting out a soulless laugh after learning of her demise.