The hit anime seriesAttack on Titanis finally coming to an end this year, and it only took a decade to get to this point. Recently,Season 4: Part 3 (Part 1)aired — yes, you read that right — and the final act will drop later this year. As things stand, Eren Yeager has started The Rumbling and has taken thousands of colossal titans on a march around the world to wipe out all life outside the walls of Eldia. The mass extinction event has already claimed millions of lives, so it’s a race against time to stop it.
With only one episode left in the series, it’s a good time to look back on the show’s best characters. Not everyone got to make it to this point, and some may not live to see the end of the series.Attack on Titanhas some of the greatest characters in anime. Here are the ten best of the series.
10Mikasa Ackerman
Mikasa Ackermanis, without a doubt, one of the fiercest warriors inAttack on Titan. She’s brave, loyal, and can fight on a level that could give Levi a challenge. Like many characters in the show/Manga, Mikasa comes from a dark background. Her parents were murdered before her eyes, and she almost died herself until Eren saved her. It’s because of this that she dedicated her life to protecting Eren.
However, this form of loyalty often comes off as toxic, which may be why some consider her to be one of thethe worst-written characters. Mikasa is more than willing to die if it ensures his safety, and it’s even put her at odds with the rest of the Survey Corp. Her resolve and loyalty are put to the ultimate test when Eren turns his back on his friends to initiate The Rumbling, but Mikasa comes out of the ordeal stronger than ever.
Related:Attack on Titan: Character Guide and Descriptions
9Hange Zoe
Hange Zoeis a beacon of hope character in the Survey Corp, although she can be a bit scary at times. The mad scientist character is instrumental in fighting the titans and dedicates herself to studying them, even risking her life to learn ways to defeat them. On top of that, she’s one of the few people who believed Eren had a place in the Survey Corp when all others would have rather seen him dead.
Hange is a capable leader and friend to the recruits and helps Eren in figuring out how to control his titan abilities. Despite her cooky disposition, she’s always been loyal to her comrades. Her final act, and one of the most emotional scenes in the entire series was holding off the approaching Colossal Titans to buy her allies time to escape.
8Erwin Smith
In the earliestepisodes ofAttack on Titan, fans aren’t given much time to get to know the already-established Survey Corp members because the show focuses more on Eren and his friends. The time spent getting to knowCommander Erwin Smithwasn’t long, but he left his mark. He was a fantastic leader and one that all members of the Corp were proud to follow. He wasn’t afraid to do anything he asked his men to do, even if it meant riding out to certain death.
Erwin’s bravery and loyalty to those who followed him was his greatest strength, but it was his greatest flaw as well, and ultimately lead to his demise. Regardless, even if he knew the results would be the same, he would gladly do it again.
7Armin Arlert
At the start of the series,Arminisn’t anyone’s idea of a soldier, let alone a leader. He was timid, he whined, and he had confidence issues. Despite this, there was no beating his superior intellect. Even Erwin Smith took notice of his tactical prowess and puts his faith in him, leading to key victories for their allies.
When talking about growth and development across the series, no one can leave out Armin. Loyal and optimistic, he isn’t afraid to lay down his life for his comrades. With traits such as these, he’s more than earned the power of the Colossal Titan. He doesn’t waste the power as he contributes to the final efforts to end the war in the last season.
6Sasha Braus
Most people in war are forever hardened, becoming someone different in the process.Sasha Brausis a rare exception. She may not have ever been one to lead the charge, but in her way, she was a beacon of hope for those around her. Sasha maintains her humanity and optimism throughout the series. She was always a source of levity and optimism among her ever-so-serious squadron, breaking tense moments with meat-based humor.
It was wise to make her a source of light in such a dark series becauseAttack on Titantends to be a tense show. However, Sasha also had her moments to be serious, showing that she was more than just comedic relief. It was all the more shocking and heartbreaking when she met her sad and sudden end at the start of season four. But even in death, she went out a martyr.
5Gabi Braun
Gabi Braunreceived a fair bit of hate in the first part ofAttack on Titan’sfinal season, and it’s somewhat understandable. She did kill one of the show’s most loved characters, after all. However, it’s not fair to judge her. Like most characters in the show, she is simply a victim of the circumstances of the war.
What Gabi is able to accomplish in her short time on the show is nothing short of incredible. She’s an excellent marksman at such a young age and was almost successful in killing Eren before he could start The Rumbling, severing his head from his body with one well-placed shot. With skills like that, she’s a valuable member of the combined resistance against the one-time hero.
Related:Is Attack on Titan Over, and Should It Be?
4Jean Kirstein
Jean Kirsteinwasn’t the most likable at the start ofAttack on Titan. He was cocky and arrogant and would have sooner taken the easy way out. So, how is it that Jean became one of the series' best characters? As it turned out, he convinced many to join the Survey Corp, and he survives to the end while watching his comrades die, becoming hardened into a good leader in the process.
Jean may be annoying at times, but he never gives up. He fearlessly protects his comrades and stands for what he believes in. It’s always amazing when characters such as him get to have a journey that makes them into a highlight, and fans are more than happy that Jean got to make it to the final season. Now they just need to hope he survives the assault on Eren.
3Levi Ackerman
What can’t be said aboutLevi Ackerman? The stoic Captain of the Survey Corp isn’t even the main character ofAttack on Titan,and yet he managed to steal most of the fanbase for himself. Levi’s skill with ODM gear is unmatched as he spins through the air like a lethal spinning top, being able to dispatch the most dangerous of titans with ease. There may not beanyone that Levi can’t beatfor that matter. The only one who even comes close to matching his skill is Mikasa.
Levi commands a lot of respect in his position, even when covered in bandages and near-mute in this most recent installment to the final season. And despite his stoic demeanor, he wasn’t always so strong. Like many characters, Levi has seen his share of loss. He watched his mother die as a boy, and in the Survey Corp, he’s lost many comrades. Loss has made him into the warrior he is, and he’ll continue to fight until the war is done.
2Eren Yeager
As the protagonist of the series,Erenis everything one wants in a hero. He’s brave, loyal, and fiercely determined to win the war against the titans at all costs. Like most characters. He’s motivated by the losses he’s sustained in the war, primarily that of his mother. He’s not the most likable character at the start of the series, given that he was keen to judge others for their lack of action despite his lack of experience, and he was essentially a walking ball of rage. However, he mellowed out throughout the show and a journey that would ultimately lead him to be the biggest threat to humanity.
As controversial as it is, Eren’s story is riveting, going from the angry boy who wanted to save his home to the martyr who was willing to burn the world down. Not many other shows are brave enough to attempt this turn, and even fewer can pull it off so well. Eren’s story will end later this year, and fans wait with bated breath to see how the epic saga of Attack of Titan finally comes to a close.
1Reiner Braun
Here’s a character who could have a strong case as beingAttack on Titan’s true hero.Reinerstarted as an ally, and a perfect foil for Eren at the start of the series, up until his true motives became known. Many fans tend to find parallels between the two as well. They’re both formidable in titan form, they’re both fiercely loyal to their countries, and they both commit questionable acts for the sake of their homes.
Reiner gains a significant amount of depth throughout the series that helps the fans understand him and his motives better as he provides a look at the other side of the war, showing that there is good and evil on both sides. However, he proves himself to be stronger-willed than Eren when he shows he’s willing to put aside his people’s history to work with the Eldians and the remains ofthe Warrior Unitto stop The Rumbling.
