Small Blade: The Struggle for Trost, Part 3

The Small Blade is the seventh episode of the Attack on Titan anime. It is produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G. This episode marks the first appearance of the rogue titan as the surviving trainees try to break into the supply HQ and escape Trost.

Summary
The episode begins with the trainees in charge of supplying gas begging their officers to not leave the HQ. Without proper manpower, any titan attack would cut off soldiers on the front from resupplying runs and leave everyone vulnerable.

However, the officer says that he must leave to check on reinforcements, but the trainees imply that he simply wishes to go to the safer inner district. He grows angry at their implications and silences them under threat of treason.

The scene shifts to Mikasa who finds a large group of trainees who have not retreated yet. She notices they are focused on the supply HQ and realizes that it under attack and suppliers cannot leave the HQ.

Conny talks to a demoralized Jean as everyone has run low on gas and with the titan attack on the HQ, cannot resupply. Conny says they should all go to the HQ because they are out of options and to do nothing would attract titans to their current position.

However, Jean notes that the low numbers of trainees and lack of a capable leader among them would stop the formation of such a plan. Sasha offers to take point, but no one listens to her as they are traumatized or demoralized.

The only people who have not totally given in to despair are Annie, Reiner, Bertholdt, and Marco. Annie asks Reiner what to do, but Reiner says the time is not right and that they must group up first.

At that moment, Mikasa comes by looking for Eren. Annie directs her to Armin who upon hearing Mikasa, begins stressing about the fate that had befallen Eren. He lists the name of all who died in Squad 34 before crying.

Mikasa tells him they cannot afford to be emotional now and bringing Armin to his feet, goes to Marco and confirm that getting into the supply HQ will allow the trainees to escape.

As she is preparing to head for the HQ, the rest of the trainees tell her she cannot make it to the supply HQ. However, she brags that she is strong and can make it there without the needing the others. She calls them cowards and belittles them for giving up so soon.

When some try to complain and say she will die, Mikasa acknowledges the risk involved. However, she adds that if she wins, then she can live and leaves for the HQ.

As everyone is in stunned silence, Jean is heartened and rallies everyone to follow Mikasa's lead and the trainees leave with new determination.

Mikasa kills all the titans in the way, but Armin notices that she is using too much gas. He realizes she is suffering from losing Eren and by fighting, can relieve the pain.

Armin's prediction turns out to be true and as Mikasa crashes onto the street below, Armin and Conny leave to rescue her and Jean becomes the next vanguard.

Mikasa managed to fall onto a market tent and she thinks about how she has lost her family again with Eren's death. As she ponders what to do, a Titan begins walking toward her.

Meanwhile Jean and the rest of the group are on a roof closer to the HQ as they survey the situation. Multiple titans are blocking the path when they notice that a trainee who has run out of gas attracting the titans. Some people try to help him, but they are devoured as well.

Mikasa stows her blades away and reminisces about her time in the world. For all the ugliness in the world, she believes she had a good life, meeting Eren and submits to her fate. As the Titan reaches down to pick her up, Mikasa suddenly cuts off its finger and evades its grasp.

It continues to attack her, but she dodges all the blows instinctively and wonders what is keeping her from letting herself die. She turns to run down the street, but another titan appears from that direction, cornering her.

It is then that she remembers Eren's command to fight when they were children. She promises herself to never give up fighting again in order to retain her memories of Eren and prepares to take on the titans.

However, the second titan steps over Mikasa and punches out the jaw of the other titan. This rogue titan ignores Mikasa and with a savage war cry, pounds the first titan into the ground, giving Armin and Conny enough time to get Mikasa to the roofs.

They are all shocked at this new titan as they watch it dispatch another titan using elements of hand-to-hand combat. Focusing back onto the problem at hand, Armin trades his nearly full gas canister with Mikasa's and gives her his compliment of blades.

She realizes that in her own remorse at learning of Eren's death, she endangered the lives of the other trainees by having them follow her. Moreover, she gave up on life when they were counting on her.

He is about to leave himself behind with a single broken blade to commit suicide with when Mikasa takes the small blade and flings it off the roof, promising Armin that he will not be left behind.

The episode ends as Mikasa feels that the rogue titan is like the personification of mankind's anger toward the titans.