Smile: Assault on Stohess, Part 1

Smile (微笑み) is the twenty-third episode of the Attack on Titan anime. It was produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G.

Overview
In the Stohess District of Wall Sheena, the Military Police are ordered to escort the Survey Corps convoy once they enter the capital. To Marlowe's disgust, the Military Police are shown to be lazy and corrupt. He reveals he joined the Military Police so he could reform it to become a better organization. Once the convoy has entered Stohess, Armin calls out to Annie from the alleyway. He tells her their plan to help Eren escape the capital. When she questions him for more details he reveals the one riding in the convoy is actually Jean in disguise. She refuses at first but after Armin begs again, revealing that Eren may be killed, she finally agrees.

Armin then leads the group to an underground tunnel. However, Annie refuses to enter as she has noticed Armin's strange behavior and the hidden Survey Corps members watching her. Armin finally reveals he suspects Annie is the Female Titan, since the Vertical Equipment she had after Sonny and Bean were killed is Marco's, and the Female Titan didn't kill him during the last expedition. Eren and Armin beg Annie to prove them wrong by following them, but knowing her identity is exposed, she laughs sadistically and transforms using the hidden blade in her ring.

Summary
Annie has a dream of being trained by her father before waking up in her room. In the Stohess District of Wall Sheena, the Military Police are ordered to escort the Survey Corps convoy once they enter the capital. The Military Police are shown to be lazy and corrupt which one of Annie's colleagues, Hitch, reveals she joined the police for that reason. Another colleague, Marlowe, is disgusted, revealing he joined the police so he could reform it to become a better organization which Annie respects since he reminds her of Eren. As they begin marching out, they see their commanding officers selling Military Police equipment to the black market. Marlowe tries to stop them and threaten to tell on them, but fails inevitably and receives a beat down. He is rescued by Annie and Hitch. After letting their commanding officers go, they continue to head to Stohess.

After the convoy has entered Stohess, Annie is secretly called by Armin in the alleyways. Armin asks for her help as he is helping Eren escape the capital as the one riding in the convoy is actually Jean in disguise. She refuses at first but after Armin begs again, believing she is a good person, she finally agrees, but puts on a ring before following him. Annie, Mikasa, Eren and Armin begin their journey to escape the capital. Soon, they reach an underground tunnel and Armin leads the way into the underground tunnel. However, Annie refuses to enter. Eren and Armin tries to get Annie to follow them, but Annie starts to get curious as she states that there are no civilians around, and she notices that Armin was behaving and looking at her strangely as nearby hidden Survey Corps members disguised as civilians watch over them.

Armin finally reveals his suspicion that Annie is the Female Titan since the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment she had presented to check for unauthorized usage after Sonny and Bean were killed was Marco's. Annie asks why Armin didn't stop her then and Armin replies that he didn't want to believe it. Armin also wonders why she did not kill him during the last expedition, saying led them to asking her to follow them into their trap. Eren and Armin beg Annie to prove them wrong by following them.

Mikasa believes that they had failed to take her underground. She takes out her swords, preparing to fight the Female Titan once again. Annie, knowing her identity is exposed, laughs sadistically and admits to the group that Armin has won his bet drawing her out and exposing her identity. Afterwards, she said that her bet has just begun and tries to transform. Armin shoots a signal flare and the hidden Corps members jump out and rush her, trying to prevent her from transforming. They tackle her limbs from different directions, and gagged her to prevent her from biting herself. Despite the Corps' attempts to stop her, she succeeds in transforming using the blade hidden in her ring, allowing her to transform into a Titan, confirming her true identity and killing the men that were restraining her. Mikasa was fast enough to see her strategy, and dragged Eren and Armin underground in order to protect them from the transformation. The entire district watches as a tower of light and dust rises in the city.

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