Attack on Titan Final Season: Fandom Frenzy!

Attack on Titan’s final season didn’t just bring the story to a close—it fractured the fandom in ways few other anime ever have. This ranking might start arguments in every group chat, because the choices, deaths, and reveals in Attack on Titan: The Final Season made fans question everything they thought they knew about their favorite characters, the world, and the very meaning of who’s right or wrong.

Number 5: The Studio Change—WIT Studio to MAPPA

Attack on Titan’s animation studio switched from WIT Studio to MAPPA for the final season, with MAPPA taking control starting December 7, 2020. Jun Shishido served as chief unit director, and Yuichiro Hayashi was the director. Character designer Tomohiro Kishi replaced Kyōji Asano. The new team faced massive expectations, especially since WIT Studio had set the bar with fluid fight scenes and atmospheric visuals. Many fans argued that MAPPA’s darker, grittier art style fit the shift in story tone, while others criticized the increased use of CGI on Titans—especially the Colossal-like Wall Titans unleashed during the Rumbling—and pointed out a perceived drop in animation quality during intense action sequences. Online debates erupted with side-by-side GIFs, frame comparisons, and heated threads about whether MAPPA’s version captured the essence of what made Attack on Titan’s earlier seasons visually iconic.

Number 4: Gabi Braun—Hero, Villain, or Both?

Gabi Braun, introduced as a Marleyan Warrior candidate in the first episode of season four, became one of the most divisive characters in the franchise’s history. In episode 67, “Assassin’s Bullet,” Gabi climbs aboard the Scouts’ airship and shoots Sasha Blouse. Sasha’s death in that moment left viewers devastated and furious. Some fans saw Gabi as a necessary mirror to Eren—a child raised on propaganda, acting out of trauma and a desire to protect her own people. Others viewed her as irredeemable, citing her violence and unrepentant attitude for much of the story. The debate around Gabi’s arc only heated up as she and Falco Grice wrestled with whether the “devils” of Paradis were truly evil, especially after Gabi is taken in by Sasha’s family. Arguments still rage on whether Gabi’s actions are justified by her upbringing, or if she crossed a line that made her unworthy of redemption.

Number 3: The Jaegerists—Revolution or Terrorism?

By the middle of the final season, Paradis’s military fractures, and a pro-Eren faction led by Floch Forster dubs themselves the Jaegerists. This group’s rise, especially after the bombing that kills Premier Zachary in episode 71, ignites a civil war pitting former friends against each other. The Jaegerists champion Eren as the island’s only hope, forcibly conscript others, and execute dissenters. Fans debated whether the Jaegerists represented a legitimate revolution against corrupt leadership, or whether they were just another violent extremist group repeating the cycle of hatred that the show condemns. The Jaegerists’ takeover divides even core cast members, with Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert questioning their loyalty to Eren. The community split into pro- and anti-Jaegerist camps on social media—sometimes with real-world political undertones.

Number 2: Zeke’s Euthanization Plan—Mercy or Genocide?

Zeke Jaeger, Eren’s half-brother, reveals a plan to use the Founding Titan’s power to sterilize all Subjects of Ymir, effectively ending the Eldian bloodline over a generation. This “euthanization plan” shocks nearly every faction in the story. Hiroshi Seko took over series composition from Yasuko Kobayashi in the final season, centering major episodes around Zeke’s traumatic upbringing and his relationship with mentor Tom Xaver, who influenced Zeke’s belief in this plan as a form of mercy. Fans fiercely debated whether Zeke’s proposal constituted mercy—saving future Eldians from persecution and the curse of Titans—or whether it was genocide by another name. Even within the show, characters like Armin and Mikasa are forced to confront whether sacrificing future generations is ever justified. Message boards and fan forums filled with essays, moral arguments, and philosophical reckonings—was Zeke the ultimate villain, or a tragic antihero?

Number 1: Eren’s Decision and the Rumbling—Justified Retribution or Unforgivable Atrocity?

At the top of the list is Eren Jaeger’s decision to unleash the Rumbling, setting millions of Colossal-like Wall Titans in motion to destroy the world beyond Paradis. This event, which begins in episode 80, “From You, 2,000 Years Ago,” becomes the single most polarizing moment in Attack on Titan’s history. Eren’s transformation from misunderstood hero to the architect of global genocide shocked audiences. The mechanism is clear: by unlocking the Founding Titan’s power through a connection with Ymir Fritz in the Paths, Eren commands the Wall Titans to march and exterminate humanity outside the island. Eren broadcasts his intent telepathically to all Subjects of Ymir, declaring his intent to “exterminate all life beyond the island.” Fans immediately split into camps—one group argued that Eren’s actions, while horrifying, were the only way to guarantee Paradis’ survival in a world bent on its destruction. Others saw Eren as the ultimate villain, replicating the very cycle of violence the story had always aimed to critique. Message boards and social media blew up with “Yeagerist” hashtags, longform moral arguments, and even real-world analogies to cycles of war and revenge.

Eren’s decision is especially controversial because of its scope and consequences. The Rumbling leads to scenes of global destruction, with cities and entire armies crushed underfoot. The story never shies away from showing the horror, making it impossible for fans to ignore the cost. Some argue that Eren’s trauma, betrayal by Marley and the world, and the constant threat of annihilation left him no choice. Others counter that genocidal retribution, even under existential threat, is never justifiable.

The debate is also fueled by the reaction of the characters closest to Eren. Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, and even former enemies like Reiner and Annie are forced to form an alliance to stop him. The Alliance’s struggle to confront Eren, who was once their most loyal friend, becomes a focal point for fan arguments about loyalty, morality, and the price of survival.

The final season aired in multiple parts from December 7, 2020, to November 5, 2023.