Episode 55, Midnight Sun

After last weeks action packed episode you would think that this one would get the blood pumping. It’s episodes like these that make Attack on Titan standout to me. The world of this series is dark and occasionally I forget how dire of an situation the scouts are in. This episode reminds us what’s at stake, humanity. I predicted the outcome of this episode in my previous review of episode 54. What I couldn’t predict is how we would get there. It was a heart wrenching conclusion.

Eren seems to accept that Armin has meet his death early in the episode. Zeke (The Beast Titan) arrives on the back of the Cart Titan, and recognizes Eren as the son of Grisha Jaeger. He claims that Eren “was brainwashed” by his father. Before he can elaborate he flees when Levi arrives. When he does he tells Eren that he will “save” him on day. My best hunch is that Zeke is related to both Eren and Grisha in some way. Levi lands and demands Eren give him his gear, then Armin gasp for air.

Meanwhile, Hange and the others try to no avail to interrogate Reiner. When Hange tries to cut the throat of Reiner, Jean tells her that because it’s “possible they might be able to steal his power.” Hange agrees and sends Mikasa to get the Titan injection. Of course when Mikasa arrives she sees Armin’s charred body. Eren quickly asks for the Titan injection to give Armin. Just as he does, Floch arrives with Erwin on his back. Erwin is still alive but barely, creating a conflict that was obvious but unexpected.

Understandably, Mikasa and Eren are obviously on Armin’s “side,” whereas Levi and Floch are on Erwin’s. What follows is a tense exchange where both side argue which of the two have done more for humanity and which one would do more in the future. Erwin clearly has done more for humanity in part due to his age. This of course also work against him when taking about the future. Armin is much younger so he couldn’t have done more that Erwin, but he can do more in the future. Regardless, Armin is the one that’s saved. Armin in Titan form grabs Bertholdt and consumes him becoming the Colossal Titan, while Erwin dies.

It will be interesting to see how Armin handles his new power. He’s not a fighter like Eren stated, but then again you really can’t fight with the Colossal Titan the way you can with other Titan forms. Also, will there be any lingering animosity in the scouts or is everything fine now that Armin was saved. The scouts as always have lost a lot, but they gained a new intelligent titan, maybe the most intelligent.