What Needs to be Done Now: Eve of the Counterattack, Part 3

"All of you here are hereby accepted as new members of the Scout Regiment! This is a genuine salute! Give your hearts!"

- Erwin welcomes the new recruits

What Needs to be Done Now: Eve of the Counterattack, Part 3 (今、何をすべきか ―反撃前夜③―) is the 16th episode of the 1st season and the 16th episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by and.

Overview
After the 104th cadets are investigated concerning the deaths of Sawney and Beane, they are presented with the choice of which regiment they will join. Commander Erwin, informing the cadets of the Scout Regiment's upcoming mission, urges for them to join their cause, and many cadets become official Scouts.

Eren later reunites with his friends and learns of Marco's death. One month later, the Scouts set out from Calaneth District on the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission.

Summary
With the two test subjects killed, the soldiers are being investigated for an unauthorized use of omni-directional mobility gear. A soldier cannot believe that one can get punished for killing Titans, but another one says that they were valuable test subjects for them after all. They point out that they were all tired and the cadets are being targeted. Armin says that in reality, this was a blow to mankind. Conny states that he kind of understands the motives of the culprit, stating that he never wants to see a Titan again despite initially wanting to join Scout Regiment. He then remembers the night of the battle when Eren decided that he was going to join the Scout Regiment as well.

Conny then asks Annie for her opinion, but she just tells him to decide on his own. Further discussing the matter, Annie praises Armin for his bravery, with Armin telling her that she is nice after all. At the Scout Regiment HQ, Eld and Gunther mention that the culprit has not been found and then wonder whether there are any cadets that want to join their division. They question Eren about this, however, he just replies that there were some who wanted to join, but he is not sure about now. Levi then arrives and all four head on a patrol.

Elsewhere, the soldiers are waiting while Jean, Conny, Armin and Sasha further ponder about their decision. A soldier then tells them to line up. Later, Erwin Smith stands before them in order to have the soldiers join his branch. He explains about the future mission of the regiment and even reveals the information about the basement of Eren's old house, much to Armin's surprise who wonders if Erwin has some hidden motive. However, Erwin also tells them about the grim future of a Scout Regiment soldier - in the last 4 years, 60% have died. He ends his speech and then dismisses those who want to join other divisions and as many people begin leaving, Jean, Sasha and Conny state that they already saw how Titans eat people, but in the end, they stay and along with Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir, Christa and other soldiers salute, as Erwin praises them for overcoming their fears.

The new members then begin their training, however, it consists mostly of remembering Erwin's long-range scouting formation. Eren also learns of this strategy and him and the rest of Levi's squad then wonder if Erwin has any other plans that he has not revealed to the soldiers. Later, as Eren finishes cleaning, he notices Armin and Mikasa and heads to them to greet them, with Mikasa questioning whether Eren was tortured and then stating that she will take revenge on Levi. Eren then meets up with the rest of his friends and is shocked to see that Jean is among the Scouts, but not as much as when he finds out that Marco is dead. The former cadets then don their new uniforms, with Eren watching them in awe as he thinks about Marco.

Eren then questions if they are joining the operation as well, with Mikasa confirming it. Jean then begins asking Eren about his Titan powers, wanting to know if it is true that he tried to kill Mikasa. Despite Mikasa's reluctance and attempts to defend his actions, Eren confirms this and also the fact that he cannot fully control his powers. Seeing how bleak the situation is, Jean states that he wants to know what he is dying for, but in the end, he decides to count on Eren. Some time later, the bell starts ringing as a sign of the gate opening and the beginning of the 57th expedition, as Erwin leads the soldiers outside the Wall.

Selecting a Branch
After three years of training, a ceremony is held in which cadets choose among the Garrison Regiment, Scout Regiment, or Military Police Regiment.

''However, only the top ten can enter the Military Police, so the choice is limited to the Scout Regiment or the Garrison. Most select the Garrison.''

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