Retrospective (Episode)

"Ignoring my conscience, I ordered around children to serve the country's interests, and commanded them to destroy the wall. But I finally realized: If those kids can live normal lives... ...how happy that would make me."

- Theo Magath to Keith Sadies as they prepare to sink the Marleyan cruiser

Retrospective (懐古) is the 27th episode of the 4th season and the 86th episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by.

Overview
Upon learning that the Azumabito mechanics need a minimum of half a day in order to prepare the flying boat for take off, Theo Magath agrees to Kiyomi Azumbabito's suggestion that they escape the port on the Azumabito ship and tow the flying boat with them to Odiha in Marley where her family has a hangar. Though Liberio will be lost to the delay, Odiha is far enough away that they should arrive before the rumbling.

Hange Zoë and Magath's combined forces manage to repel the Jaegerists long enough for everyone to board the ship, though they are briefly delayed by the rampage of Falco Grice's first transformation as the Jaw Titan. After seeing everyone on board, Magath orders Onyankopon to set sail while he stays behind. Together with Keith Sadies, Magath boards a captured Marleyan cruiser capable of catching up to the Azumabito ship. He and Keith exchange words of mutual respect before blowing up the ship's magazine and sinking the cruiser.

Summary
Armin Arlelt watches Daz's body sink into the sea after being shot by Conny Springer. As Conny comes to grips from having killed Samuel Linke-Jackson as well, the battle between the Jaegerists and the Female and Armored Titans rages on throughout the port.

From their shelter, partially below ground, Hange Zoë learns for the first time from one of the Azumabito mechanics that it normally takes them a full day to prepare the flying boat for flight. With the right equipment they could get it down to half a day, but aside from the enormity of asking the Titans to buy time for half a day, Hange knows that in half a day the Wall Titans could cover 600 kilometers from the coast. That would mean doom for Liberio. Theo Magath also recognizes that even if they get the flying boat into the air, they still need to find Eren Jaeger, which will take even more time.

Hearing this, Kiyomi Azumabito has a suggestion. She proposes going to the coastal city of Odiha in Marley where the Azumabito family owns a hangar. They could leave the port immediately, towing the flying boat behind them to Odiha, and service the boat there. Kiyomi believes they can arrive there before the rumbling does, but cannot guarantee it will last more than half a day. Magath agrees to the plan, since it will otherwise remain impossible to use the flying boat, and urges the engineers to get their ship ready in fifteen minutes for the sake of their country and the rest of the world. Hange then runs out to inform Mikasa Ackermann of their plans and Jean Kirschtein goes to retrieve those of their group who are waiting outside the port.

Having gotten the message, Mikasa then notifies Annie Leonhart and Reiner Braun of the change in plans and informs them to protect the Azamabitos. Floch Forster spots Kiyomi and the mechanics making a dash to the ship and tries to have them killed, but is stopped by Mikasa and Hange. Annie and Reiner use their Titans' bodies to block the Jaegerists' many attempts to kill the Azumabitos, and after Annie's Female Titan loses an arm, Reiner takes multiple Thunder Spears to the face in order to protect her. Floch figures out that the group intends to service the flying boat on the mainland, and urges the Jaegerists to sink the Azumabito ship.

Further away from the fighting, the non-combatant group of Yelena, Onyankopon, Levi Ackermann, Gabi Braun, and Falco Grice has assembled riding Pieck Finger's Cart Titan. Seeing how much the two Titans are struggling, Falco suggests fighting with his new power as the Jaw Titan. Pieck tells him it is a bad idea and that the first transformation never goes well. She says that instead she will join the battle after getting all of them to the ship.

Falco is disappointed and wishes Porco Galliard was around instead, since he would not sit around worrying about what to do. Mind made up, Falco jumps off Pieck's back and runs towards the battle. Gabi calls after him, but Pieck lifts her Titan's head to tip her out of sight and tells her that she needs to get them to the ship.

Meanwhile, Magath urges the mechanics on board and sees Conny helping an injured Armin walk. Conny leaves Armin in Magath's care while he draws his blades to defend the ship. Pieck then arrives with her passengers and informs Magath about Falco.

As Onyankonpon and the mechanics shovel in coal to start up the ship, Hange spots a train with Jaegerist reinforcements heading towards the port, but it is bombed before it can pull in, to the shock of everyone at the port. With his reinforcements gone, Floch is stunned but tells his soldiers to keep fighting.

Elsewhere, Jean finds Falco, who is busy scraping his bloody hand with a nail in an attempt to transform. Jean tells Falco to get on the ship and Falco initially agrees, but then he sees the Female and Armored Titans who are being subdued by Thunder Spears. Jean leaves to join Conny and Mikasa in defending them, and Pieck joins the fight as well. Falco then charges into the chaos and transforms into the Jaw Titan.

The Jaegerists break ranks in the mayhem and the Scouts realize this is their chance to head for the ship. Seeing the direction the battle is heading, Floch barrels through the Scouts, and past both the Jaw and Cart Titans, in order to aim a Thunder Spear at the Azumabito ship in desperation. However, just before he pulls the trigger, he is shot by Gabi from the deck of the ship, sending his spear off target into the water. Floch himself also lands in the water and sinks below the surface.

The tide of battle turns against the Jaegerists and the ship's horn sounds as Onyankopon shouts that they are ready to leave. Falco, however, is out of control, even though there are no longer any enemies for him to fight. He attacks Pieck, pinning her Cart Titan beneath him. Understanding what is happening, Magath runs over with a blade and calls for Pieck to hold Falco still. While she does, Magath precisely cuts open the Jaw Titan's nape and pulls Falco out of his Titan, subduing it.

Now that the battle is over, the motley group heads for the ship, former enemies leaning on each other along the way. Magath hands an unconscious Falco over to Onyankopon and tells him to leave immediately. He intends to stay behind to hold the rear.

As the ship leaves, Magath runs through the port, eyeing a captured Marleyan cruiser. A couple of surviving Jaegerists spot him and open fire, but are cut down by Keith Sadies, who reveals he was the one who took out the train of reinforcements. When Keith asks why he is still here, Magath explains that he wants to destroy the cruiser in order to prevent any pursuit. Keith agrees to give him a hand.

The two of them make it down into the belly of the ship where Magath prepares to light the gunpowder stored in the ship's magazine and suggests this is Keith's last chance to leave. Keith, standing guard at the door, declines, saying that he has been looking for a good time to die. The two men talk about the young people who have been in their charge and how they inspired them. Though Magath refuses to take any credit given what he had put the Warriors through, Keith thinks the children would be proud of him.

By now, the Jaegerists have found them and begin pounding on the door. Magath thanks Keith and the two men exchange their names. Then Magath ignites the gunpowder. The Marleyan cruiser explodes and begins to sink, killing them and all the Jaegerists onboard.

On the departing ship, those on the deck observe the explosion, and are sad about Magath's sacrifice. Inside, Hange informs Annie and Reiner that their journey will take them to Odiha, and not Liberio, which they will not be able to save in time. Annie collapses, saying that now her reason for fighting is gone and she wants to leave the ship. Hange tries to mitigate this, telling Annie that Magath understood this as well, but still gave his life so they could continue and save others. Dispirited, Annie asks Mikasa one more time whether she could kill Eren, or if she could stand by and watch if Annie tried to do the same. Mikasa is silent, and Annie admits that she is tired of all the violence and does not want to keep fighting her and the other Scouts, not even Eren.

Enemies and Allies
''When Titans were the greatest threat, Titans were the enemy. When countries were the greatest threat, countries were the enemy. For as long as people hold firm to different beliefs, there will always be an enemy.''

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