Pride (Episode)

"I aided Eldia to save my homeland from Marley, but I was helping you, too! And what did that get me? My homeland will be crushed and my family massacred! ... Sucking up to you guys for life isn't worth it!"

- Onyankopon on why he would rather die

Pride (矜持) is the 24th episode of the 4th season and the 83rd episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by.

Overview
Hange Zoë and Levi Ackermann establish an agreement to work together with Theo Magath and Pieck Finger. Meanwhile, Armin Arlelt tries to save Falco Grice from Conny Springer's attempt to feed him to his mother's Titan in order to restore her humanity. Realizing that Armin means to sacrifice himself instead, Conny drops Falco to save Armin and the two reconcile with Conny resolving to save others and become a soldier his mother would be proud of.

Back in Shiganshina District, Floch Forster begins the execution proceedings for Yelena and Onyankopon, and reads out their crimes against the Eldian Empire. Onyankopon tries appealing to Jean Kirschtein for understanding, and Jean takes out a gun, firing four times. This turns out to be a signal and the Cart Titan charges in and escapes after snatching Jean and the captives in its mouth. At the same time the Jaegerist soldiers are distracted by the Cart Titan, Armin and his group escape out the other side of the fort, taking wagons of supplies with them.

Summary
A half day before, Hange Zoë discreetly kills a Jaegerist when he comes to look for his friend, in order to keep their hiding place with Levi Ackermann safe. Hange assures a motionless Levi that those were the last of their pursuers. As Hange sutures his face they speculate that the only reason he is not already dead from his wounds and escaped his unit being transformed into Titans is because he is an Ackermann.

Disheartened and unaware of changing circumstances, Hange sits and mulls over all their problems since the Jaegerists took over. Flashing back to Djel Sannes's words, Hange wonders if it is now their turn to be locked in a cell even though they thought they did the right thing. They half-heartedly suggest to Levi that they remain living isolated out in the woods, which is when Eren Jaeger informs Eldians across the world about his intentions.

Levi stirs following the announcement, and after making him lie down again, Hange briefs him on what he missed while unconscious. Levi laments losing Zeke Jaeger again, not having foreseen the man's readiness to die. Hange understands this means Levi has lost another chance to avenge Erwin Smith and begins to lay down their situation, but Levi asks them what would be left if they ran and hid. Besides, he knows Hange would not stop, and asks them about the makeshift litter they are crafting and if it is for him.

In the present, Levi and Hange talk with Theo Magath and Pieck Finger to discover that their two groups are similarly interested in tracking down Zeke. Hange believes he is being held by Eren and the Founding Titan to make use of his royal blood.

As Conny Springer and Falco Grice camp overnight in the woods, Conny tries to think of how best to feed Falco to his mother without accidentally causing Falco to learn about his new power. Guilt begins to eat at him as he realizes that Falco has been very well behaved and trusting around him despite Conny's suspicious behavior.

In the morning, they arrive in Ragako and Falco reveals that he saw Conny before when Gabi Braun killed Sasha Braus. After overhearing Conny muttering Sasha's name the previous night, Falco knows that Conny must have brought him here for a reason with full knowledge of who he was. Conny says he is not interested in revenge, because things like that happen in battle, and he draws back the curtains covering the house his mother's Titan is trapped inside. He reassures Falco that the Titan cannot move and makes an awkward suggestion that Falco join him in cleaning the Titan's teeth since this is an unusual opportunity.

Just then, Gabi and Armin Arlelt ride up with Gabi shouting for Falco to get away because Conny is going to feed him to the Titan. In response, Conny quickly takes Falco hostage with a blade at his throat. As Conny climbs the ladder beside his mother's Titan, Gabi tries to explain to Falco that he has the Jaw Titan now. As she fears for his life, Armin remembers his personal feeling of not living up to Erwin's legacy and charges in on his omni-directional mobility gear. He lands on the beam above the Titan's mouth and prepares to throw himself in. Realizing Armin is about to sacrifice himself to save Falco, Conny drops the boy and saves Armin.

As Gabi catches Falco up on the previous day, Conny wonders what Armin's backup plan would have been, and Armin says Conny's mother becoming human would have been the backup. Conny also knows that she would not want to have become the Colossal Titan. He feels as though he has let her down now, having almost killed a child and his friend, but he realizes that he still wants to be the kind of soldier she would be proud of and suggests that they go save some people.

In Shiganshina District, Mikasa Ackermann finds the mortally injured Louise in an infirmary. Louise asks if she came looking for her or for her scarf, which Louise is wearing around her neck. Mikasa makes it clear she is there for the scarf, to Louise's disappointment. Louise says she spoke to Eren about her and Eren wanted to have the scarf thrown away. On hearing this, Mikasa immediately requests her scarf back. As she leaves, Louise reminds her that she became a soldier after being inspired by Mikasa, and she does not regret any of it.

At the fort, Floch Forster rallies the Jaegerists with Jean Kirschtein standing solemnly behind him. A soldier asks Mikasa if she is going to join their group and she declines.

Outside, with the last of the Wall Titans having departed and rescue operations resolved, the city is festive with food and drink being made widely available in celebration. Armin, Conny, Gabi, and Falco take advantage of the opportunity to get food rather than immediately meeting up with Reiner Braun who Gabi expects will still be unconscious for a long time. While eating, they bump into Annie Leonhart who leaves Hitch Dreyse a note that she will be joining them.

At sunset, on top of the fort, Floch announces the executions of Yelena and Onyankopon for opposing the Eldian Empire. He details her crimes and asks Yelena if she has any last words. She drily asks if he is going to shoot already. Despite the jeers from the crowd, Floch declines to do so immediately and moves on to Onyankopon. Since Onyankopon did not know of the euthanization plan, Floch gives him another chance to avoid death by accepting the rule of the Eldian Empire.

Onyankopon cracks at this. Though he was trying to free his homeland from Marley, he genuinely wanted to help the Eldian people when he joined the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, and now because of it, his homeland will be crushed by the Rumbling and his family slain, leaving the xenophobes on the island as the only surviving people. Appealing to their generosity is not worth it. He tries to get the Jaegerists to understand how insane it is to massacre the entire world, but finds no sympathy. When he attempts to get through to Jean, Jean shoots his gun to cut him off and then fires three additional bullets in a steady rhythm.

However, Onyankonpon is still alive and Floch notices with irritation that all four of Jean's bullets have landed in the ground between Onyankopon and Yelena. When Floch asks what is going on, Jean deadpans that he missed.

Answering the signal, the Cart Titan barrels up the side of the fort and lunges through the group. Jean pushes Floch out of the way and is caught inside the Titan's jaws along with Yelena and Onyankopon. Floch initially buys the deception as the Cart Titan runs away, and shouts for someone to send Mikasa after the Titan, but then he realizes that he does not know where Mikasa is.

Inside the ground floor of the fort itself, Mikasa, Armin, Conny, and the rest of their group have loaded carts with supplies. With Pieck distracting everyone as the Cart Titan, they escape with their haul out the other side of the fort. As they leave, Annie notices that someone is watching them go.

Once outside the city, as they heave from being inside the Cart Titan's mouth, Onyankopon asks when they joined forces with Marley and Jean reveals it was only the night before. Onyankopon is surprised because Jean could have had a nice life with the Jaegerists, and Jean knows that, but if he did, a pile of bones would not leave him alone. Apart from them, Yelena wonders why she was spared, and Hange reveals that it was a request from the Marleyans to secure their cooperation.

Elsewhere, Reiner finally wakes and discovers his former comrades have found him, though Gabi and Falco assure them they are all allies now. Conny tells him that they are going to save the world.

Ragako Village
''A village that was deserted after being overrun by Titans. Upon their arrival, the Scouts discovered a single Titan with extremely small limbs which made it unable to move. Later, when Titans were being eradicated from the island, former Ragako resident Conny Springer requested for the village to become a "Titan Observation Zone" and be left as-is.''