Sunset (Episode)

"That man was... my father. He thought of me as his own daughter. I have a father waiting for my return."

- Annie Leonhart tells Hitch Dreyse what changed her outlook on life

Sunset (夕焼け) is the 23rd episode of the 4th season and the 82nd episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by.

Overview
Hitch Dreyse unexpectedly reunites with Annie Leonhart and helps her escape the ruins of Trost District following the collapse of the Walls and the march of the Wall Titans. Annie explains the complex feelings that brought her this far and how the one thing she wants to do now is reunite with her father. Leonhart, however, has problems of his own as he and the other Eldians in Liberio's internment zone try convincing the guards of the imminent rumbling to no avail.

Meanwhile, Armin Arlelt and Gabi Braun try catching up with Conny Springer before he can sacrifice Falco Grice to make his mother human again. Floch solidifies his control over what remains of Paradis Island's military, explaining that Eren Jaeger confided his plans to him ten months ago. Outside Shiganshina District, Hange Zoë approaches Pieck Finger and Theo Magath to talk.

Summary
The Military Police are busy rescuing survivors in Trost District following the collapse of the Walls and the march of the Wall Titans. Hitch Dreyse tends to an injured woman who laments the destruction of her house which was destroyed due to the rumbling. Nearby, people argue over whether Eren Jaeger's actions are justified given that people have been killed by the falling Walls. Another MP notices the trouble brewing and Hitch agrees that the two sides are going to clash.

Hitch goes to organize riot gear for the Military Police when she spots damp footsteps coming out from the basement. She follows them to a room where she is ambushed by Annie Leonhart who threatens to cut her throat. Hitch throws her though and comments on how weak Annie is compared to how she used to be. Only then does Annie realize she attacked her former roommate.

While calling for help Hitch realizes that Annie is injured and Annie threatens to transform into the Female Titan if Hitch does not do as she asks, but Hitch says that she is too weak to do so. Annie suggests they will not know until she tries, leaving Hitch in a quandary over whether to call her bluff.

She ultimately does not, and takes Annie to the stables so she can leave town. Hitch says that this way she will no longer have to look at Annie's face in the basement, and Annie in turn says that she will no longer have to listen to Hitch rant about the men she has seen, revealing that Annie has been conscious while inside her crystal, though she describes it as more of being in a far away dream. Annie asks if Eren is serious about destroying the world.

The two ride out on a single horse and Annie marvels at the sight of the Wall Titans marching. Hitch turns Annie's attention to the ground below, where the Titans have trampled the town around them. She tells her friend that the only meaningful job she has had as a soldier has been picking up bodies and debris, cleaning up after people like her and Eren. Now that she can answer, Hitch asks Annie how she feels seeing all the bodies crushed in pursuit of her mission. Annie realizes that the Warriors were callous and tells Hitch how they were praised for killing outsiders, civilians and soldiers alike, but says that saving the world never mattered to her.

Annie explains how she was abandoned by her birth parents and adopted by a foreign Eldian who wanted a child to become a Warrior and earn a better life for himself. He trained her in martial arts and according to her, her only value to him was as a potential Warrior. When she grew older she became strong enough to defeat him, and in repayment for the brutal training she beat him so badly he would not be able to walk straight anymore. Despite this, he was happy and told her that now she would be able to kill even without a weapon. Because of her upbringing, Annie found herself uncaring about whether people lived or died, including herself.

But before she left for Paradis Island, the man who adopted her fell to his knees and apologized for everything he put her through. He said the things he taught her were wrong and pleaded for her to come back. Annie says she knows now that a father is waiting for her and that there are others who also have people who are important to them. The things she has done are unforgiveable, but she would do them all over again if it meant going back to her father. Hitch thanks Annie for confiding in her, but given present circumstances, all Annie is going to find is rubble and a corpse.

In Liberio, the Eldians in the internment zone try explaining the coming rumbling and their shared dream to the Marleyan guards at the gate. The guards are concerned, but skeptical, claiming that the Eldians are using it as an excuse to escape. Leonhart points out that Eldians in all internment camps will be saying the same thing, but the guards refuse to listen. They point their weapons and prepare to arrest the gathered Eldians. One of them kicks an already kneeling Leonhart, and he remembers his request for Annie to come back and her subsequent promise to do so. He turns to fight the guard.

Back in Shiganshina District, Surma warns Keith Sadies that the fort is being taken over by the Jaegerists and he should escape. However, Keith refuses, saying that the military he had known is already dead and there is no longer a place for him. He foresees the Jaegerists gaining control of the island, and people like him will be purged. Surma and the other cadets insist on protecting him after what he has done for them, but Keith refuses, telling them to do what the Jaegerists tell them to do so that one day they might be able to have the fight they want.

Elsewhere, Armin Arlelt prepares to chase after Conny Springer even though Mikasa Ackermann does not think he will get to Ragako in time. Armin, however, feels that he has to do everything in his power to try, even if he ultimately fails. It is the only way to earn Gabi Braun's trust and through her they will be able to reach Reiner Braun and the Cart Titan. As long as the Nine Titans exist, they run the risk of another war over the Titans and their power. He is tense and exhausted, but if he has a chance to prevent that, he will, even if it means telling Conny that it is better his mother remains as a Titan.

As he prepares to leave, Mikasa asks him what she should do, and he tells her to go help Jean Kirschtein and to think of how on her own. When she asks what to do about Eren though, Armin hits his breaking point and snaps. He has no idea what they can possibly do about him, and it is not helped by the fact they do not know if Hange Zoë and Levi Ackermann are alive or if Floch Forster will point a gun at them. The military has fallen apart and everything is in chaos. He tries to explain that there is so much going on that he cannot afford to think about Eren right now.

But seeing that Mikasa has been hurt by his words, he apologizes and says that Erwin Smith would not have snapped at her. Armin believes that he was the wrong person to have been saved and having said that, he leaves. Mikasa turns around after his departure and notices that her scarf is no longer where she left it.

As Armin and Nicolo prepare horses, Artur Braus tries comforting Gabi, telling her that even if it was for his mother, Conny would hesitate to sacrifice Falco Grice's life. Kaya tells her to take care as she rides off with Armin.

On one of the fort's upper floors, Floch shoots the hand of one of the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers and tells Jean that he is helping the man understand their situation when Jean protests. Floch is unwilling to tolerate backtalk. When Jean asks who made him king, Floch announces to everyone present that Eren explained his plan to him ten months ago. He has always known that Eren intended to manipulate Zeke Jaeger in order to obtain the power of the Founding Titan and Floch formed the Jaegerists to help him with that. He tells the gathered Volunteers that they have lost both their leader and the military who backed them, and soon their homelands will be destroyed as well, but if any of them wish to aid the new Eldian Empire, they will be welcomed as fellow Eldians.

When the man he previously shot announces that he would never join him, Floch kills him and tells the other Volunteers that pride is not worth dying for. He suggests that living in submission would be better than that, and then has the remaining Volunteers locked up so they can think about it.

Just then, Mikasa arrives and asks a shaken Jean what happened. Floch answers for him, and says that he is working on Eren's behalf. While Eren is solving problems outside the island, Floch is handling the ones within it. He tells the two of them that after surviving the hell of four years before, freedom is finally in their grasp. They will no longer have to fight and can live as they want. He appeals to Jean's old dream of living in the interior as part of the Military Police, and tells him he could do that now and as a hero, but Jean breaks out of his stupor on hearing Floch's description of his old self and notices Onyankopon giving him a look. Mikasa asks Floch what happened to Hange and Levi, and Floch claims they were killed by Zeke.

As the sun sets, Falco tells Conny that he appreciates his help, but does not understand why they are going north. Conny says it is safer than the south and he is taking Falco to a hospital for his amnesia. He claims that he found Falco by himself and doing this is a soldier's duty, which reminds Conny of how he tried to become a soldier his family would be proud of. He knows he can no longer save the rest of his family, but it is still possible to save his mother. Oblivious, Falco thanks Conny for being helpful even as he thinks about how he has to get back to the south since he does not remember what happened to Gabi and his brother Colt Grice before he passed out. He also has the uneasy feeling that he has met Conny before.

Outside Shiganshina District, Pieck Finger remarks that it looks like the airships are heading back to Marley. She suspects they have been left for dead, but Theo Magath believes the airships are making the right call, heading home to warn the motherland. Pieck asks if there is any way to stop this now, and Magath begins to say that there is not, when Hange approaches them, scaring Pieck into nearly devouring Hange with her Cart Titan.

She stops short though as Hange protests they are unarmed. Seeing they are still concerned, Hange gestures to the makeshift cart nearby and tells Magath and Pieck not to worry. The fellow in the litter there is harmless and too stubborn to die.

The Rumbling
''Used as a bogus threat by the 145th King Fritz to bring peace to Paradis Island for the past 100 years. Due to the vow renouncing war, the rumbling and its millions of Colossal Titans could not be put into motion until now. Following the collapse of Paradis Island's three Walls, the march of the Colossal Titans flattens everything in their path. Now that the rumbling is underway, destruction of the world is not far off.''

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