Now that the final episode of Attack on Titan has aired, it’s natural for fans to reminisce over the wild and brutal ride showcased by Wit Studio and MAPPA over the last ten years, successfully bringing Hajime Isayama’s epic to life.
Throughout all four seasons of the anime, there’s never been a dull moment, but there are a number of high-octane, heartbreaking, and pivotal scenes that elevate a specific run, or make an episodic arc more memorable for its character development and exhilarating action sequences. Here is every Attack on Titan season ranked by narrative importance, battle grandeur, and emotional stakes.
~ Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Attack on Titan and a reference to suicide. ~
Attack On Titan
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- Release Date
- September 28, 2013
- Genres
- Action, Thriller
7 Season 4 Part 2
- 12 Episodes
- January 2022 – April 2022
Commencing our ranking is season 4 part 2, delivering the second bout of episodes from MAPPA’s debut run with Attack on Titan. Part 2 contained a lot of exposition highlighting Zeke and Eren’s euthanasia plan, which keeps those adrenaline-fueled moments to a minimum. This run came after the death of Sasha, Levi’s near-fatal explosion, and the punch-up between Eren and Armin that left fans a little dazed, therefore, this part sits at the bottom.
Memorable Moment: Beast Titan Scream
Season 4 part 2 did deliver a crucial moment for Paradis and the wine-drinkers, however, when Zeke decided to unleash his scream as the Beast Titan, which inevitably turned a number of civilians into pure titans, including Dot Pixis. This part also saw a wholesome moment between Hange and Levi when the former nursed the captain back to health.
6 Season 3 Part 1
- 12 Episodes
- July 2018 – October 2018
Following on from the season 2 finale, when we learned Zeke was manning the Beast Titan, season 3 part 1 continued the suspense by introducing the Reiss family as a diversion. Despite offering an important part of history in the titan’s evolution, Eren and Historia’s predicament against Rod Reiss in his cavern didn’t match the intensity of later villains, but his titan form was more memorable than season 4 part 2’s narrative.
Memorable Moment: Levi Vs. Kenny
Aside from the Reiss family, the first part of season 3 also delivered the thrilling showdown between Levi and Kenny Ackerman, displaying one of the best-animated sequences in the anime and offering Levi’s iconic “Kenny!” scream. We also got a bit of backstory for humanity’s strongest soldier, which fans were happy about.
5 Season 4 Part 1
- 16 Episodes
- December 2020 – March 2021
Season 4 part 1 was jarring at first, taking the story outside Paradis for the first time into the Marleyan war, introducing brand-new characters known to Reiner and Annie, and switching animation studio from Wit Studio to MAPPA which gave the overall tone and design of the anime a more mature, hard-edged style. The mystery of it all kept fans on the edge of their seats, which is why it left a lasting impression beating the Reiss conflict in season 3 part 1.
Memorable Moment: Tybur Event
Building towards the finale of season 4 part 1, the Tybur event, which saw a disturbed Eren transform into the Attack Titan during Willy’s speech, was a shocking moment that caused a number of casualties, delivered some serious development for Reiner, and returned the Devils of Paradis to our screens in a fantastic assault.
4 Season 2
- 12 Episodes
- April 2017 – June 2017
Season 2 was one of two runs that weren’t split into two parts, but it gave us countless bonding sessions with the 104th Cadet Corps, a haunting episode following Sasha in her hometown, and the fantastic Castle Utgard attack. We also received a lot of character development for Ymir, Reiner, and Bertholdt gearing towards a stunning reveal that remains a classic moment trumping the Tybur event.
Memorable Moment: Armored & Colossal Titan Reveal
After the devastation at Castle Utgard, Reiner has an attack of consciousness and is exhausted from hiding a terrible secret, revealing to Eren and the scouts that he is the Armored Titan and Bertholdt is the Colossal Titan – the ones responsible for devastating Shiganshina at the start of the anime. It’s a hair-raising moment paired with an excellent choice of music.
3 Season 3 Part 2
- 10 Episodes
- April 2019 – July 2019
After being taken away on Rod Reiss’ adventure, the story returns to the menace of the Beast Titan, who is still roaming around the wilderness of Paradis devastating as he goes. In addition to the Beastie Boy fiasco, season 3 part 2 also sees Eren, Mikasa, Hange, and Levi investigate Grisha Jaeger’s basement, discovering the confirmation of humans existing outside the walls, and this revelation just beats Reiner and Bertholdt’s titan reveal.
Memorable Moment: Erwin’s Suicide Charge
In a final stance against the Beast Titan, Survey Corps commander, Erwin Smith, decides to lead a suicide charge against the enemy, who is continuously throwing rubble in the direction of the scout fleet. The charge creates a distraction so that Levi can spiral in from the Beast Titan’s blind side to do some serious damage. Erwin’s rousing speech is one of the greatest moments in the anime.
2 Season 1
- 25 Episodes
- April 2013 – September 2013
Taking second place on our list is the complete first season, which effectively set the stakes of the show from the Fall of Shiganshina, introduced the anime’s powerful score, and set a number of mysteries in play to keep audiences hooked. Because of its overall narrative, character introduction, and unique action sequences, season 1 will forever be one of the best runs of anime and, as a whole, it beats season 3 part 2 to the punch.
Memorable Moment: Female Titan Forest Chase
Aside from the initial Shiganshina titan attack and the Battle of Trost, season 1 offered a thrilling chase between Squad Levi, Eren, and the Female Titan in the forest. The musical themes, heightened brutality, and overall enigma behind the Female Titan’s intent and identity were electrifying to watch play out.
1 Season 4 Part 3
- 2 Episodes
- March 2023 – November 2023
Taking the number one spot is season 4 part 3, which comprised the final two, feature-length episodes of the anime that are flawless. From the full terror of The Rumbling, to Hange’s sacrifice and the final assault against Eren’s Founding Titan, nothing in the anime quite matches the heightened emotion and breathtaking animation on show in the season finale and the beautiful ending to the story allows this run to shine brighter than other seasons.
Memorable Moment: Past Generation Titan Battle
It’s very difficult to pick just one moment from the final two episodes, with Eren’s downfall and Levi’s reunion with his fallen comrades on offer, but the battle scene pitting the scouts against past generations of titans on Eren’s skeletal Founding Titan form is riveting to watch and highly nerve-wracking with each character putting their lives on the line in every scene. This sequence is expertly animated and truly shows how far each character has evolved.
