Midnight Sun (Episode)

"There are people I want to bring back, too. Hundreds of them. I've had to say farewell since the day I joined the Scouts. ... But... You know, don't you? No matter who it is, there comes a day to say farewell."

- Hange Zoë consoling a distraught Mikasa Ackermann

Midnight Sun (白夜) is the 18th episode of the 3rd season and the 55th episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by and.

Overview
Zeke tells Eren Jaeger that someday he will come back to rescue him. Eren then realizes that Zeke strongly resembles his father, Grisha. Levi Ackermann arrives to pursue Zeke with Eren's remaining weapons, when Eren suddenly realizes that Armin Arlelt is breathing. Eren asks Levi for the Titan injection so they can save Armin by having him eat the incapacitated Bertholdt Hoover. However, Floch arrives with a dying Erwin Smith and request that the injection be used on Erwin.

After losing Reiner Braun to the Cart Titan, Hange Zoë and the rest of Levi Squad arrive to find Eren and Mikasa Ackermann struggling with Levi for the injection, either with words or by force. Hange eventually manages to talk down Mikasa and Levi has everyone clear out so he can use the injection on Erwin. However, when Erwin begins muttering a childhood memory, Levi decides it would be kinder to let him pass on. He gives the injection to Armin who eats Bertholdt and emerges from his Pure Titan as his friends gather around.

Summary
Eren Jaeger stands momentarily speechless over the burned body of his childhood friend, Armin Arlelt. He realizes he should have known what would happen, but had no choice but to rely on him. Eren hears the weight of a Titan landing in the distance, and turns around in time to see the Cart Titan, carrying Zeke on its back.

The Cart Titan gallops across the rooftops to reach Eren, who swears and holds the unconscious Bertholdt Hoover hostage by placing his blade at the Warrior's throat. As the Cart Titan stops, Eren gets a better look at Zeke and sees that he has marks around his face that show he can turn into a Titan. He realizes that he is probably the Beast Titan.

Zeke looks at Eren in shock and asks if he is Eren Jaeger. He says Eren looks nothing like his father and tells him that he knows what Eren is going through. They are both victims of Grisha Jaeger. As Zeke tells Eren that he has been brainwashed by his father, Eren realizes that Zeke resembles Grisha.

However, Zeke looks up with consternation when he sees that Levi Ackermann has survived his battle with the remaining Titans and has climbed to the top of Wall Maria. Being in no shape to fight him again, Zeke calls their fight a draw and apologizes to the unconscious Bertholdt, saying that it is the end for him. The Cart Titan turns to leave and Zeke tells Eren that one day he will be coming back to rescue him.

Levi lands on the rooftop near Eren after using the last of his gas. He demands the rest of Eren's blades and gas so he can pursue Zeke. Eren begins to comply when he hears Armin gasp for breath.

Elsewhere in Shiganshina District, Hange Zoë asks a conscious, but dismembered, Reiner Braun about a metal case that was in his chest pocket. He tells her that it is a letter from Ymir to Christa. Hange agrees, but only after they inspect it. She would like to ask him more questions, but draws her blade, feeling that he is not inclined to talk. Reiner does not disagree.

But when Hange begins to cut Reiner's throat, Jean Kirschtein asks her to wait, because it is possible they might be able to steal his power. Prior to beginning the operation Erwin Smith had laid out guidelines for the use of the Scout Regiment's one syringe of Titan injection, with the expectation that they could possibly take the Beast, Armored, or Colossal Titan's powers. Not only could the Scouts gain information regarding Titan powers, but they could revive a soldier on the brink of death.

However, Hange does not feel that all the conditions have been met. Levi has the injection, but they do not know his status and she is not certain they have the time to find out. Even if she cuts off Reiner's head, she is not certain that will actually kill him. Jean argues though, that this is not like her. He asks how they are supposed to beat the Titans if they back down because they lack the knowledge. Hange considers and asks Mikasa Ackermann to meet up with Eren and Armin to check out their situation, then to refill her gas and retrieve the injection from Levi. If she cannot, then she is to fire a signal flare as a signal to end Reiner.

Mikasa arrives to find Eren bent over Armin, encouraging his friend to breathe. Eren asks Levi for the syringe so they can have Armin eat Bertholdt. Levi agrees and pulls out the case with the injection. Seeing this, Mikasa fires a signal flare as directed, but before Hange can kill Reiner, the Cart Titan gallops up behind her. Jean quickly fires his omni-directional mobility gear and pulls her out of the way before the Cart Titan can eat her.

Hange gets back up in time to see that the Cart Titan has picked up Reiner in its mouth and it begins to run away. Jean curses and blames himself for intervening when Hange was about to kill Reiner, but she reminds him that ultimately she made the call. She decides that they should regroup with the others.

As Levi is about to hand Eren the Titan injection, Floch climbs up on the rooftop, carrying Erwin on his back. Erwin is severely wounded, but still alive, and Floch has been looking for Levi in hopes that the injection could save him. Levi goes to inspect Erwin and confirms that he is still breathing, so he decides that Erwin will receive the injection. Eren disagrees, reminding Levi that he had already agreed to use it on Armin.

Noting that Mikasa looks similarly upset with his judgment, Levi asks them if they understand what they are doing. Erwin is the Commander of the Scouts. He tells them to stay out of his way, but Eren grabs at Levi's hand with the Titan injection. Eren tries arguing with him, but Levi strikes him with his fist. Outraged, Mikasa lunges at Levi and realizing that he has been weakened from his previous battles, she is certain she can take the injection from him.

Both Levi and Floch appeal to her sense of reason and the need to save Erwin so they can use his talents to save humanity. Though Eren is barely able to speak, he counters that it would be no different if they lose Armin. Armin discovered Annie Leonhart's identity as the Female Titan, he was the one who helped them find Reiner earlier this same day, and it was thanks to Armin that they defeated the Colossal Titan. Eren believes that Armin will be the one who will save them, not Erwin or even Eren himself.

Mikasa renews her efforts to take the injection from Levi, but Floch stands up to her, saying that she is not the only one who has had it rough. Floch lets her know that all of the Scouts on the other side of the Wall are dead. Erwin was the only one who believed there might be a way for a few people to make it out alive. When Floch found Erwin, he thought about killing him, but that would have been too easy. He wants Erwin to endure more of this hell. It takes a devil to fight the Titans, and Floch believes he was spared when he should have died so that he could bring Erwin back.

Floch tries to take the injection and Mikasa moves to intercept him, but Hange grabs her first and manages to pull her away. The rest of the squad has arrived now, and is able to see the choice that must be made. Levi gets up and opens the injection case. Mikasa screams and Hange reminds her of how much they need Erwin and that she knows what it is like to lose people. She is only here now because Moblit Berner had died pushing her into a well to escape the Colossal Titan's transformation blast.

Though Mikasa reluctantly gives up, Eren does not, and pulls at Levi's leg to tell him about Armin's dream to look at the sea. Levi glances at Armin's body and then gives the order for everyone to clear out so he can have Erwin eat Bertholdt. The group relocates, Floch taking Eren so he cannot intervene, and leaving Levi behind.

Levi drags Bertholdt's torso into position as he thinks about Erwin and Armin's respective dreams, and how they whine like children. He takes Erwin's arm and prepares to give him the injection when Erwin suddenly lifts it out of his grip and raises his hand like he is in a classroom. Erwin mutters, asking how they know there are no more humans outside the Wall. Levi regards him with surprise and remembers how he asked Erwin to give up on his dreams, and how his uncle Kenny Ackermann had spoken about how people could only keep going if they were drunk on something.

Bertholdt wakes in time to see a small blond Titan looming over him. He struggles and notices his former friends watching from several rooftops away. Bertholdt cries out for help, but they go unanswered and the Titan closes its jaws around him.

Floch asks Levi why he changed his mind as Levi and Hange sit beside Erwin's body. Levi explains that Erwin only became a devil because that was what was needed of him. He had been set free, but they were about to drag him back, and Levi decided it was time to let him rest. Levi apologizes to Erwin that he was not able to kill the Beast Titan, so he will have to wait. Hange inspects Erwin and lets Levi know that he has passed away.

Behind them, the blond Titan collapses to the ground. Eren, Mikasa and the other 104th cadets surround it as Armin Arlelt emerges from the Titan, unharmed.

Injection Conditions
''Not only can Titan powers and much-needed information be stolen by using the injection, but it also allows the revival of someone who is critically wounded. The ideal candidate would be someone near death that is already close to an incapacitated enemy with Titan powers.''

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