The Hunters (Episode)

"If it means getting back to those plain, ordinary days, I'll do whatever I have to. No matter how long it takes to get there."

- Hannes yearns for better days

The Hunters (迫う者) is the 8th episode of the 2nd season and the 33rd episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G.

Overview
Facing defeat at the hands of the Colossal Titan, Eren is taken away by Reiner and Bertholdt. Word is sent to Commander Pyxis in Trost of the situation in Wall Rose, and Commander Erwin gathers Scout Regiment and Military Police reinforcements to assist in the crisis.

At Wall Rose, Hannes comforts Mikasa and Armin, choosing to join them when the time comes to rescue Eren. When Erwin's reinforcements arrive, Hange theorizes on the traitors' new location, and the Scouts and MPs embark on a search for Eren and head for a forest of giant trees.

Summary
In the last moments of their struggle, Eren gains the upper hand over Reiner. Suddenly, the Armored Titan lets out a roar, and above on Wall Rose the Colossal Titan begins to topple over. A soldier cries out to the Scouts below, but they cannot react in time as Bertholdt's Titan comes crashing down on Eren and Reiner, exploding in a ferocious burst of steam. Sasha shields Armin from the wind as the rest of the Scouts at the base of Wall Rose are hit head-on by the storm, pushing them all away. The soldiers atop the Wall are unable to assist, held back by the mighty winds. The Armored Titan, able to withstand the wind, pins Eren's Titan to the ground and bites him out of the nape. Once the storm settles, Bertholdt emerges from his Titan, equipped with new ODM gear and carrying an unconscious Ymir. He grapples onto Reiner's shoulder as the warriors make their escape. Unable to pursue, Armin cries out for Eren.

At Trost District, an inebriated Dot Pyxis sleeps atop Wall Rose. His assistant wakes him up, scolding him for his recklessness, and informs him that few Titans were spotted after their advance upon the defensive lines ceased. Pyxis expects that Hannes' advance team, likely doubling back after running into either a breach in the Wall or the advance team from Krolva, will be arriving with news soon. However, the presence of a breach would likely alter the situation. Commander Erwin Smith arrives atop the Wall, and Pyxis congratulates him on catching one of the spies. Pyxis is pleased at the thought of what the higher-ups in the interior must be thinking after receiving news of such infiltrators. Erwin agrees, pointing out how the Military Police Regiment has joined them in their mission to end the crisis.

In the city streets, the Scouts discuss the surprisingly low amount of Titans found within Wall Rose. Jean nonetheless worries for his friends. The MPs nearby grow complacent towards the state of the emergency, and Levi sarcastically apologizes for the lack of Titans. He offers to have the MPs assist the Scout Regiment in a future exterior scouting mission, but the policemen claim their interior work keeps them busy. Suddenly, a Scout announces the arrival of the Garrison advance team.

The soldiers gather to hear the news from Hannes' messenger, who informs them that no breach was found in Wall Rose. He tells the others that after running into Section Commander Hange's squad, three of the recruits from the 104th Cadet Corps were in fact Titans. Jean is in disbelief that even more of his comrades were Titans, but Erwin presses the messenger to continue his report. He informs them of the battle which occurred against the Colossal and Armored Titans, but he says that by the time the Garrison joined the fight it was already over.

Back at Wall Rose, Armin watches over Mikasa who had fallen unconscious after the battle. Hannes regrets the outcome of the situation, with many of the Scouts who had witnessed Eren's battle now heavily injured from the Colossal Titan's explosion. He asks for Mikasa's condition, and Armin speculates that she may have suffered a concussion. Hannes leaves Armin to gather some rations.

Five years ago in Shiganshina, Armin informed Mikasa that Eren had gotten into a fight with a trio of bullies who had stolen Armin's bread. Eren confronted the bullies, starting a fight in the marketplace while the drunken Garrison soldiers watched in amusement. Mikasa arrived soon afterwards and joined the fight while a vendor owner began a fight with Hannes and the other soldiers for their lazy inaction. Both fights continued for a short time until a Military Police officer broke everyone up. The bullies fled after seeing the authorities arrive, and Eren chased after them despite Armin's insistence that it was not worth the trouble. Unable to pursue, Mikasa cried out for Eren.

Atop Wall Rose, Mikasa wakes up and surveys the aftermath of the battle. She immediately questions Armin about Eren's fate. Armin informs her that Eren and Ymir were taken away by Reiner and Bertholdt, and five hours have passed since the Titans' battle ended. Mikasa is shocked to hear that no one is pursuing them, but Armin shows her that they must wait for lifts to bring their horses over the Wall, and additionally all of the Scout Regiment officers were heavily injured by Bertholdt's Titan, meaning reinforcements are needed. Mikasa's head begins to ache, but she insists that it is from her concussion. She recalls how she and Levi were able to rescue Eren from the Female Titan some days ago, but hope for Eren's rescue is now bleak since five hours have passed. Putting on her scarf, Mikasa wonders why Eren always ends up far from his friends. Armin believes that it is natural, but Mikasa expresses her desire to simply be close to him.

Hannes returns with some rations, giving some to Armin and Mikasa before he begins to eat one. Mikasa and Armin leave their rations unopened. Hannes remarks that they are often the ones to get Eren out of the situations he finds himself in, whether it is neighborhood bullies or Titans. Hannes recalls that Eren has always charged head-on into his fights, regardless of how outnumbered he was. However, while Hannes had never seen Eren win a fight, he never saw him give up when beaten. He insists that succumbing to his fate without putting up a fight would be against Eren's personality, and that he will be fine on his own until they can arrive to help.

Hannes grows nostalgic for the days he used to share with the others before the fall, days which he believes Eren would consider a false peace. Desiring to return to those peaceful days, Hannes agrees to join Mikasa and Armin in their mission to rescue Eren from the traitors. Their hopes restored, Mikasa and Armin begin eating their rations to regain their strength.

Shortly afterwards, Commander Erwin arrives at the scene with the necessarily lifts and reinforcements from the Scout Regiment and Military Police. Armin insists that Christa should not endanger herself in the rescue mission, but she is determined to see that Ymir is brought back. Conny also decides to join the mission, refusing to believe that Reiner and Bertholdt are traitors until he hears it from their own mouths. Moblit meets with Erwin and informs him of their condition when Hange, still grievously injured, suddenly grabs his leg and calls for a map.

Once all the able-bodied soldiers are gathered, Hange proposes the most favorable plan of action. Speculating that the Titan warriors will need to recover their strength and wait until nightfall to travel beyond Wall Maria, Hange believes that they are resting in a forest of giant trees in the southwestern lands of Wall Maria.

As Hange speculated, Eren wakes up in a forest of giant trees, his arms missing. Ymir is awake nearby and recovering her own missing limbs. On an adjacent tree, Reiner and Bertholdt watch their captives. Descending from Wall Rose, the allied soldiers of the military ride for the forest of giant trees, determined to rescue Eren before nightfall.

Field Rations
''An extremely nutritious ration utilized by the Scout Regiment. High calorie crackers and canned food are staple rations which can quickly provide soldiers with the necessary energy for their operations without the need for a fire.''

The flavor has been refined so that the taste isn't bad.