Attack on Titan Part 2: Jiyuu no Tsubasa

Attack on Titan Part 2: Jiyuu no Tsubasa (「進撃の巨人」後編～自由の翼～) is the second recap movie, that compiles episodes 14-25 of the first TV anime; i.e., from the end of the first recap movie until the point where the first season of the anime ended. It was released on June 27, 2015 in theaters across Japan. It was rebroadcast on January 3, 2017 on MBS.

Overview
In the second recap movie, episodes 14-25 of the anime are retold, retelling three story arcs: the Eve of the Counterattack arc, The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission arc, and the Assault on Stohess arc.

Summary
In a world overrun by Titans, humankind has been forced to flee behind three concentric Walls in order to stay alive. However, the safety provided by these Walls was destroyed the day the Colossal Titan appeared, and breached Wall Maria. Eren Jaeger, a boy whose mother perished on that day, joined the military in order to take his revenge against the Titans who had stolen his freedom and destroyed his home. Five years later, the Colossal Titan appeared again, breaching Wall Rose. A fierce battle took place against the invading Titans in Trost District, during which it was discovered that Eren had the ability to transform himself into a Titan. Using his newfound power, Eren successfully plugged the hole in Wall Rose, and secured mankind's first victory against the Titans.

While training in the 104th Cadets Corps, Eren has a sparring match with Annie Leonhart, and is soundly defeated by her. Although he complains that she should go easier, Annie points out that he was not pulling any of his punches against her, despite the fact that she is weaker than him. Eren points out that she cannot be weak if she is able to defeat him, but Annie claims that her fighting techniques do not require power in order to subdue an opponent. She offers to teach Eren, before quickly subduing him and pinning him to the ground. Annie begins to lecture him on how to use his strength, before moving to avoid Reiner, who has just been thrown at her by Mikasa. Mikasa asks if Annie will teach her the moves too, as the entire 104th Corps gathers around to watch.

Awaking in his cell, Eren is perplexed as to why he is dreaming of this specific moment, and wonders what the rest of his friends are doing. Wondering how long he will be kept in confinement, Eren recalls Erwin's promise to free him. As he begins to doubt whether he will ever be freed, Eren is surprised by Hange Zoë, who arrives with Miche Zacharius to remove him from his cell. Hange introduces herself and Miche, and leads Eren to the courtroom where his trial will be held.

Military Commander-in-Chief Dhalis Zachary informs Eren that he will be the one leading the trial which will decide his fate. He then states that concealing Eren's existence has proven to be impossible and therefore, they have to make a public statement in order to avoid inside conflicts. Nile Dawk of the Military Police Brigade then presents their proposal, which is Eren's immediate execution, and Erwin states his intention to make Eren an official member of the Scout Regiment in order to use his power to reclaim Wall Maria. One of the merchants at the trial asks to seal all the gates, as the Colossal Titan will not be able to break through fortified places, but Minster Nick angrily insists that the Walls should not be touched.

As the argument between Nick and the merchant continues, Zachary quiets them down and asks Eren whether he still wants to continue to serve as a soldier of mankind, with Eren confirming that. However, Zachary notes that according to the report of Trost defense, after turning into a Titan, Eren attempted to attack Mikasa. Mikasa looks at Rico with an angered expression, however, the latter just says that she will not lie in her reports. Mikasa is then asked to confirm this, which she does after a short hesitation, shocking Eren. Nile then reveals to the court that, at an early age, Mikasa and Eren brutally killed three robbers, causing a commotion in the courtroom with this statement, Nile then questions whether it is fine to entrust the fate of mankind to such people.

As people in the room become afraid of the situation to the point when they also question whether Mikasa is human, Eren attempts to defend her and accuses them of making up statements that fit them. Even though he is not sure if it the right thing to speak his mind at the moment, Eren continues and states that they have not even seen a Titan with their own eyes. He then tells them that if they are cowards who do not want to fight, they should at least let him be the one to do it.

At that moment, Nile orders the soldier next to him to point his gun at Eren, but before anything happens, Eren finds himself being brutally kicked by Levi. Levi then continues beating him up, even knocking out a tooth, all much to Mikasa's anger. Levi then states that pain is the best lesson. Nile tries to stop him in fear that Eren may transform into a Titan. Levi, however, replies that he is the only one capable of stopping Eren and asks them whether they would be able to kill him. Erwin then raises his hand and proposes that they take Eren with them on an upcoming mission, with the result of the mission deciding whether Eren is a friend or a foe of humanity. Zachary accepts this and concludes the trial.

With Eren now being an official member of the Scout Regiment, he is escorted to their former HQ. Riding horses to get there, Oruo Bozad explains to Eren that it is in fact an old castle they remodeled. In the end, it ended up being useless for the Scout Regiment, but it will now serve as a hideout for Eren. Afterward, Oruo attempts to intimidate Eren, but thanks to his horse stepping on a rock, he bites his own tongue, much to Eren's surprise.

Now at the HQ, Petra Rall scolds Oruo for talking so much while riding a horse, but Oruo says that first impressions are important, thinking that Eren was scared, but Petra states that Eren was probably just surprised to see Oruo's silly action. She then tells him to stop imitating Levi. Nearby, Eren is watching all of this, knowing that they are the members of Levi's Special Operations Squad, the elite soldiers that will kill him if he goes berserk.

Eld Gin and Gunther Schultz then observe the castle, noticing that it has not been maintained at all while abandoned. Viewing dirt as a serious problem, Levi orders everyone to start cleaning up immediately. As Eren reports to Levi that the upper floor has been cleaned, he finds out that he will once again sleep in the basement, this being one of the rules decided by the higher-ups.

Elsewhere, Miche discusses the upcoming mission with Erwin. Erwin tells him that they have to quickly prove Eren's usefulness to the central, but Miche sees through this. Praising Miche for his 'smell', Erwin states that he will tell him everything when the time comes.

Eren is put inside a dried well to practice transforming into a Titan, with Hange saying that it may be able to hold him down if he loses control. Excited to see if studying Eren will yield any new information that the previously captured Titans Sawney and Beane have not, Hange gives Eren the signal to transform. However, when nothing happens, Hange and Levi find out that despite repeatedly biting himself, Eren was unable to transform.

Knowing that Eren losing his powers would hinder their plan to reclaim Wall Maria, Levi orders Eren to do something about it. However, the rest of the squad seems to be at ease, saying that Eren is more human than they thought. Feeling the pain of his unhealed wounds, Eren drops a teaspoon and just as he is about to pick it up, he suddenly transforms.

A shocked Eren then witnesses the squad facing him with fear and anger, only Levi tells everyone to calm down. Not listening, they keep bombarding Eren with questions until he tells them to be quiet and that is when Hange returns, extremely happy to be able to touch Eren's transformed arm. Eren then removes his arm from his Titan body, causing the Titan carcass to evaporate. While Hange is displeased, she notices the Titan hand is holding the teaspoon.

Hange shows the squad the teaspoon that Eren's Titan hand held and concludes that in order to transform, Eren must have a clear goal in mind, as he always had each time he previously transformed, as the teaspoon was not 'harmed' at all. Seeing this, the rest of squad realizes that Eren had transformed accidentally and faces their own self-inflicted punishment decided on earlier: They bite their own hands, much to the surprise of Eren and Hange. Petra then asks Eren to rely on them, as they will rely on Eren. Before their conversation can continue, Moblit bursts in, informing Hange that their test subjects Sawney and Beane have been killed.

Everyone rushes to the place just to find evaporating skeletons of two Titans, much to Hange's agony. Apparently, the culprit is a soldier who then used omni-directional mobility gear to escape, as Eld and Gunther note. Erwin then approaches Eren and asks him about what he can see there and who is the enemy. This leaves Eren confused, so Erwin apologizes for asking odd questions and leaves.

With the two test subjects killed, the soldiers are investigated for an unauthorized use of omni-directional mobility gear. A soldier cannot believe that one can get punished for killing Titans, but another one says that they were valuable for them after all. Armin says that in reality, this was a blow to mankind. Conny states that he kind of understands the motives of the culprit, stating that he never wants to see a Titan again despite initially wanting to join Scout Regiment. He then remembers Jean informing everyone that he intends to join the Scout Regiment, despite his fear of the Titans. Conny then asks Annie for her opinion, but she just tells him to decide on his own. Further discussing the matter, Annie praises Armin for his bravery, with Armin telling her that she is nice after all.

Later, Eren notices Armin and Mikasa among the new Scout Regiment recruits, and heads to them to greet them, with Mikasa questioning whether Eren was tortured and then stating that she will take revenge on Levi. Eren then meets up with the rest of his friends and is shocked to see that Jean is among the Scouts, but not as much as when he finds out that Marco is dead. The former cadets then don their new uniforms, with Eren watching them in awe as he thinks about Marco.

Jean then begins asking Eren about his Titan powers, wanting to know if it is true that he tried to kill Mikasa. Despite Mikasa's reluctance, Eren confirms this and also the fact that he cannot fully control his powers. Seeing how bleak the situation is, Jean states that he wants to know what he is dying for, but in the end, he decides to count on Eren. Some time later, the bell starts ringing as a sign of the gate opening and the beginning of the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, as Erwin leads the soldiers outside the Wall.

The Scout Regiment soldiers enter the area beyond the Walls, beginning the expedition. Shortly afterward, Miche notices a Titan with his keen smell and even though Hange is interested in it, the support squad rushes to deal with it in order to keep the Titan away from the main squad. As they engage the Titan, Sasha watches in fear, but her squad leader tells her to focus and just let the supporting squad deal with the situation.

Eren asks Oruo whether he thinks that the new recruits will be able to defeat Titans, but Oruo explains that the whole point is to avoid the Titans, he then bites his tongue again before finishing his sentence. As they leave the old town, Erwin orders everyone to enter the formation and Armin, Jean and Reiner part their ways. Everyone spreads out and Armin continues on his own. Trying to calm himself down as he reacts fearfully to every sound, Armin notices the first red signal flare from the far right of the formation, he then passes the signal to the inner formation by shooting a red flare, notifying everyone of a Titan's presence. Thanks to this, Erwin is able to lead the formation to its destination with minimum contact with the Titans. The technique may not always work as a Titan may go unnoticed and appear within the formation due to the landscape or obstacles in the area, as Sasha encounters a crawling Titan within the formation firsthand. The Titan rushes after her, she tries nervously to put a round into her flare gun but drops the round. As she is trying hard to escape from the Titan, her squad leader and a squad member catch up to her and manage to distract the Titan, the squad leader leads the Titan to a nearby tree and the Titan crashes into the tree eventually.

Meanwhile, as Armin keeps going he wonders why no red flare is seen for a while. Suddenly, he sees a black flare is fired into the sky, signalizing an abnormal class Titan. Armin then shoots a black flare, the abnormal Titan makes his way into the right flank of the formation. Not wanting to let the Titan reach Armin, Dieter Ness and Luke Cis, who are nearby Armin, successfully defeat the Titan with a fluid tactic. Armin praises them, but they immediately notice another Titan reaching them from behind. Concluding that it is a 14-meter abnormal class Titan, Dieter says that it is tough to have encountered two abnormal Titans in a row.

As Dieter and Luke prepare to attempt the same tactic, the mysterious Titan suddenly increases its speed and rushes through the two soldiers, much to their shock. The two quickly get into action, but ultimately fail as the Titan kills both of them effortlessly. Armin then watches in horror as the Titan rushes towards him while he tries hard to escape and fears that he will be killed. He realizes that this Titan is not an abnormal Titan, as it is showing signs of intelligence, he concludes that it is a human capable of shifting into a Titan like Eren. As the Titan leaps over Armin and stomps right in front of him, Armin wonders what is it they want from humanity. He then falls from the horse, he faces the ground and is overwhelmed by intense fear, with his hood covering the back of his head. The Female Titan gets close to Armin, removes his hood and takes a long look at his face, then leaves. Armin shivers, and is completely surprised that the Female Titan does not kill him and wonders if it was glancing at his face.

Armin is still confused about the sudden event, he is then approached by Reiner who tells him to get on a horse that he brought along in order to keep going and to survive. As Armin gets his calm back and prepares to fire a flare, Jean does the job for him and the three are then re-grouped. Armin then explains his theory about the Female Titan being a human to Reiner and Jean, claiming that usual Titans are concerned about devouring humans while the Female Titan aims to kill. He concludes that the Female Titan is possibly looking for someone, and it could be Eren that it is looking for. The three then find out that they all were given different information about Eren's position, making it obvious that it is meant to confuse the enemy. When Reiner questions about the correct position of Eren, Armin takes a guess, saying that Eren might be positioned in the rear of the formation, which is presumably the safest position. Jean then remarks that flares are not enough to relay the situation to others, so they should take the chance to stall the Female Titan, giving the rest of the formation enough time to retreat.

As Armin attracts the Female Titan's attention, Jean rushes forward using his omni-directional mobility gear, however, the Female Titan sees through it and evades Jean's attempt to hook to its left foot. It then goes on to knock Armin's horse with a waving motion, causing great injury to Armin as he falls with heavy momentum to the front and the omni-directional gear is detached from his body in the process. The Female Titan is seen squatting above Armin, Jean attempts to attack once again in order to save Armin, this time aiming the Female Titan's back, but he realizes the Female Titan is incomparably smarter than the normal Titans, he then quickly changes his aim and dodges the Female Titan's smash in the process, as Jean circles around it in mid air and coming back to its back again, the Female Titan is seen covering its nape, which prompts Jean to quickly realize that the Titan is not only strong and agile, but also intelligent enough to see through his attack. Jean worries that he is going to get killed as the Female Titan has gripped his omni-directional gear iron wire, as it attempts to smash Jean again, Armin yells out that Jean must "avenge the suicidal bastard," in reference to Eren, which causes the Female Titan to freeze momentarily.

Surprised as well as confused, Jean manages to escape and wonders if Armin's previous fall has severed his head as he continues to talk nonsense. He then notices Reiner rushing towards the Female Titan who attempts to reach the Female Titan's nape directly with his omni-directional gear. Reiner is convinced that it is possible to deal a deadly blow to the Female Titan's nape as Armin has successfully attracted its attention. The Female Titan watches as Reiner is getting closer to its nape and suddenly it grasps Reiner single-handedly. As Reiner struggles to escape from the tight grip, the Female Titan moves its thumb over Reiner's head and prepares to squeeze Reiner to death.

As it happens, blood splashes in all directions from the Female Titan's hand, leaving Armin and Jean completely horrified. To their relief, it turns out to be the Female Titan's blood as Reiner cuts through its hand and makes a great escape. Reiner quickly grabs the exhausted Armin and starts running away from the Female Titan. Jean notes that he totally forgot about how good Reiner can be as Mikasa's military prowess has overshadowed everyone else's abilities in her batch all these times. Reiner is delighted just as the Female Titan begins leaving, however, Armin notices that the Female Titan is heading towards the rear of the formation, which is where Eren was supposedly placed.

After the Female Titan leaves for Eren, Reiner asks Armin about his omni-directional mobility gear while tending his wounds. Armin replies that it seems to be working properly. Reiner then notes that they have only one horse, with Jean attempting to call his own. He thinks to himself about what they will do, knowing that someone will have to be left behind. Meanwhile, Armin seems to be spacing out, remembering his encounter with the Female Titan. Reiner then also says that they have to decide the one who will stay behind. Jean fires an emergency signal as a last hope and Armin proposes himself to be the one left behind and as is about to ask Reiner to deliver a message to Erwin, when Jean notices someone approaching.

They see Christa running towards them, leading two horses, one of them being Jean's horse. Reiner notes that Christa is a really nice person, unable to believe that the emergency signal actually worked. Christa notes that she is glad they are all alive as the three boys stare in awe, with Reiner even stating to himself that he wants to marry her. Afterwards, they head back to the formation, thinking that a retreat signal should be given soon. But, they are surprised to find out that the mission continues with a different course. They question this decision, but follow the order and fire the green signal as well.

Elsewhere, Levi and the rest of his squad see this too, with Oruo being the one to shoot the signal. Just as Eren thinks to himself that the operation seems to be going well, a soldier approaches them with a verbal message that the right side of the formation has been destroyed. Levi orders Petra to deliver this message further to the formation, with Eren wondering if Armin and the rest of his team mates are okay. At that moment, a signal of an abnormal Titan appears.

Meanwhile, the formation keeps heading east, contrary to the original plan. They eventually reach a Forest of Giant Trees. As Erwin goes into the forest, he orders that only the center of the formation should enter it. Sasha questions their course, but is told that they are going around the forest. Elsewhere, Jean also wonders about the plan as it is completely changed compared to their original mission. A senior soldier then orders them to stop and get rid of any Titans that attempt to enter the forest.

As they enter the forest, Eren points out that Squad Levi will have no way of knowing where the Abnormal pursuing them is coming from, and questions how they will be able to protect the Regiment's wagons. Levi calmly states that they will not be able to protect anyone in the forest. As they continue to move through the forest, Eld notices another black signal flare, and Levi orders everyone to draw their blades as the Female Titan appears. As they are being chased, Petra asks for a permission to use omni-directional mobility gear, but Levi silently watches as reinforcements arrive to engage with the Female Titan. However, they are easily killed, much to Eren's horror.

Eren decides that he must use his Titan abilities in order to fend off the Female Titan. Just as he is about to bite his hand, Petra notices it, insisting that Eren promised not to do it unless his life is in danger. However, Levi states that Eren is not wrong and he should do it if he wants to, knowing that nothing can stop him. Levi then presents Eren with a choice - either trust the squad and keep going or believe in himself and go back. Levi, however, states that nobody knows what one's choice will cause so Eren should pick the choice he will regret the least. Petra, once again, begs Eren to have faith in them, which prompts Eren to recall his promise to rely on his squad.

Levi yells that Eren is taking too long to decide. Despite of his inner chaos, Eren decides to keep going along with the squad and apologizes as he hears the screams of the dying soldier. The Female Titan begins accelerating and when it is about to catch up, they reach the location of the other soldiers. Erwin gives a signal to fire hundreds of grappling hooks at the Titan, successfully trapping it. While the squad continues on horses, Levi leaves, having Eld to lead the squad.

Jean hears the commotion from his position on the outskirts of the forest, and Armin shares his theory that Erwin led the Female Titan into the forest in order to capture it and the human that is piloting it.

Inside the forest, Eren also reaches a similar conclusion, but wonders why is it that not even the elite soldiers knew about the plan. This angers Petra and Oruo as Eren implies that Erwin does not trust them. However, Eld agrees with Eren and concludes that it is because Erwin knew of a spy among the soldiers.

At the same time, discussing the same issue, Armin tells Jean that Erwin simply made his choice - whether to sacrifice hundreds of soldiers or all the people inside the Walls. He states that only those who do not hesitate to make sacrifices are able to change something.

Standing atop the captive Female Titan's head, Levi sarcastically remarks that the person inside should just come out as they have no time to waste. He then begins threatening the Titan, stating that there is no way of escape and also asking whether it is okay to cut off the hands and legs of the person inside. Hearing this, the Female Titan lets out a loud screech that can be heard all the way to the forest outskirts, much to everyone's surprise.

Still taken aback, the soldiers wonder if it was the Titan's dying scream, when Miche tells Erwin that he can smell Titans coming from every direction. The first group of approaching Titans reaches the Female Titan. Realizing that they are going to devour the Female Titan, Erwin orders everyone to engage in combat with them. However, upon seeing that the Titans had the upper hand, Erwin signals a retreat. Knowing that he underestimated the enemy, Erwin then orders everyone to return into the formation. However, he orders Levi to refill his gas and blades beforehand.

The soldiers at the forest outskirts then notice the retreat signal, happy to finally be able to return home. Gunther Schultz also sees it, letting the rest of the squad know that they are going back. Wondering if they can finally see the person inside the Female Titan, Eren is told by Petra that it is all thanks to him as he decided to have faith in them back then. The group then notices a signal flare, thinking it was fired by Levi. However, upon witnessing their own signal flare, the mysterious person readies their blades and heads their direction. Meanwhile, Hange asks Erwin about his decision to have Levi resupply, claiming there is no time for it. Erwin explains that while they saw the Female Titan being eaten, the person inside it was not seen. Deducing based on Hange's previous hypothesis, Erwin states that there is a possibility that the culprit managed to escape using the attire of the Scout Regiment. At the same time, the person nears Eren and others. Just as Gunther notices that it is not Levi, he is attacked. Eren, going to check on him, is horrified to see Gunther's corpse hanging from his mobility gear, his nape having been sliced off.

Eren and the squad attempt to escape from the mysterious attacker. The attacker then transforms, and the squad finds themselves being pursued by the Female Titan yet again. This time, Eren wants to fight it, but he is ordered to escape while the rest of the squad takes care of it. After a moment of uncertainty, Eren decides to trust them and heads for the HQ. From afar, he watches as Petra and Oruo manage to slice through the Titan's eyes and together with Eld continue attacking its arms until they are able to reach its neck. Eren considers the reason for them being able to fight in complete sync to be the trust they have each other. Believing to have made the right choice, Eren looks forward, but then he remembers Levi's words and looks back once more to witness Eld rearing up to attack the Female Titan's neck muscles only to be suddenly caught by the Female Titan and bitten in half.

Witnessing Eld's death, Petra states that it should be impossible for the Titan to see again in such short time. She notices that the Female Titan prioritized one eye for faster healing. The Female Titan then sprints towards Petra as Oruo frantically tells her to regroup, but Petra is too shocked by Eld's death. She realizes her situation too late and can only stare as she is crushed against a tree by the Female Titan's foot. In a desperate last attempt, Oruo grapples on to the Titan's neck and swings at its nape, but his blades are shattered by the Titan's hardened skin before the Female Titan knocks him out the sky with a roundhouse kick, breaking his spine and ribs. Seeing this, Eren yells out in horror and anger, wanting to kill the Titan and transforms. His roar is heard by Mikasa and Levi and both of them rush to Eren's location.

Eren takes the initiative and attacks the Female Titan, with the Female Titan trying to avoid Eren and kicking Eren to keep distance, as her arms have not healed yet. At the same time, Levi looks at the bloody corpses of his squad's members. Meanwhile, the fight continues and Eren manages to throw his foe down and attacks from above only to destroy both of his hands. Eren then blames himself for not transforming into a Titan and preventing the deaths of his squadmates and others in the Scout Regiment before remembering that the Female Titan is the real cause and roars at it in anger. Eren promises that he will tear the Female Titan as his Titan body begins seizing up and twitching as he loses control, seemingly moving his mouth along with his thoughts. At that moment, the Female Titan's injuries finish healing, she breaks from his mount, kicks him in the stomach, sending him into a tree, and they resume combat. With Eren repeatedly swinging and missing, until the Female Titan delivers a hardened punch through Eren's mouth, tearing it. However, Eren takes advantage of this and uppercuts the Female Titan hard enough to launch her into the air.

Eren charges at the Female Titan only to ram into a tree, tiring him. He then turns around and raises his fist only to halt just before the Female Titan performs a hardened roundhouse kick to swiftly decapitate him. Eren's human form is then bitten out of his Titan carcass. Mikasa arrives just to see Eren getting devoured by the Female Titan. She quickly recuperates from what she just saw and begins chasing the Female Titan, repeatedly slashing all over its body in an attempt to get Eren back. However, her final strike is proven to be ineffective due to the Female Titan's hardening ability. At that moment, Mikasa gets grabbed by Levi who orders her to fall back and maintain a certain distance. He questions Eren's fate, knowing that he was bitten out of his Titan's neck, but Mikasa looks forward, angered by the thought of Eren being dead. Levi states their only goal is to save Eren and warns Mikasa not to try to kill the Female Titan. Even though Mikasa protests, Levi says that as long as it can harden its skin, it is impossible. He then orders Mikasa to be the bait while he attacks the Female Titan and rescues Eren.

Following the plan, Mikasa maneuvers in front of the Female Titan in order to distract it; however, it attempts to attack Levi, who slices up its entire arm and stabs both his swords into its eyes. He then flies up, equipping a new pair of swords and continues cutting up his foe. Mikasa watches his speed in awe as the Female Titan does not even have time to harden its skin. Levi continues attacking from every direction, until his target reveals the nape of its neck. In spite of Levi's orders, Mikasa aims to kill the Female Titan, however Levi has to defend her, twisting his ankle painfully in the process. He then cuts through the Female Titan's mouth and grabs an unconscious and saliva-covered Eren, ordering Mikasa to retreat while also chastising her for putting her love for Eren over her orders. After a short hesitation due to this comment, Mikasa follows him. Levi looks back and much to his surprise, he sees the Female Titan shedding tears.

The expedition finally reaches the Walls. As they walk through the town, the people notice the state of the expedition, claiming it to be another disaster and again rant about how the Scout Regiment is pointless. Eren hears their words and even though he attempts to get up and argue back again, Mikasa tells him to bear with it. Eren eventually stands upright, but when he does he notices two children watching in awe, praising the Scout Regiment soldiers for fighting in spite of all the losses, just as Eren and Mikasa once did. Erwin also faces the anger of people who question him and the purpose of the expedition. Seeing this, Eren breaks down crying, and Mikasa holds his hand. It is then revealed that while Erwin is summoned to the capital, Eren is to be handed over.

Annie has a dream of being trained by her father before waking up in her room. In the Stohess District of Wall Sina, the Military Police are ordered to escort the Scout Regiment convoy once they enter the capital.

After the convoy has entered Stohess, Annie is secretly called by Armin in the alleyways. Armin asks for her help as he is helping Eren escape the capital as the one riding in the convoy is actually Jean in disguise. She refuses at first but after Armin begs again, believing she is a good person, she finally agrees, but puts on a ring before following him. Annie, Mikasa, Eren and Armin begin their journey to escape the capital. Soon, they reach an underground tunnel and Armin leads the way into the underground tunnel. However, Annie refuses to enter. Eren and Armin try to get Annie to follow them, but Annie starts to get curious as she states that there are no civilians around, and she notices that Armin was behaving and looking at her strangely as nearby hidden Scout Regiment members disguised as civilians watch over them.

Armin finally reveals his suspicion that Annie is the Female Titan since the omni-directional mobility gear she had presented to check for unauthorized usage after Sawney and Beane were killed was Marco's. Annie asks why Armin did not stop her then and Armin replies that he did not want to believe it. Armin also wonders why she did not kill him during the last expedition, saying this is what led them to believe that she was the Female Titan. Eren and Armin beg Annie to prove them wrong by following them.

Mikasa believes that they had failed to take her underground. She takes out her swords, preparing to fight the Female Titan once again. Annie, knowing her identity is exposed, laughs sadistically and admits to the group that Armin has won his bet drawing her out and exposing her identity.

Afterward, she said that her bet has just begun and tries to transform. Armin shoots a signal flare and the hidden Scouts jump out and rush her, trying to prevent her from transforming. They tackle her limbs from different directions, and gagged her to prevent her from biting herself. Despite the Scouts' attempts to stop her, she succeeds in transforming using the blade hidden in her ring, allowing her to transform into a Titan, confirming her true identity and killing the men that were restraining her. Mikasa was fast enough to see her strategy, and dragged Eren and Armin underground in order to protect them from the transformation. The entire district watches as a tower of light and dust rises in the city.

As Eren witnesses Annie's true identity, he recalls when Erwin revealed that they have the last chance to capture the Female Titan and explains the upcoming operation in the Stohess District. Eren is horrified when he realizes who they are suggesting is the enemy.

Eren, Armin and Mikasa are forced to run from Annie in the tunnels as she reaches out to grab them. Armin says Annie knew the operation was a ploy from the start, and they review the plan to make Eren transform so he can fight the Female Titan. Up ahead they see two Scout Regiment members in the tunnel, one soldier asking if the plan was successful, to Armin's dismayful reply. They are suddenly stopped by Annie who stomps through the roof of the tunnel, killing the soldiers and forcing the group to withdraw. Eren begs to help them but Mikasa refuses, shocked at how Annie would let Eren die.

Eren bites on his finger attempting to transform, but fails for some reason. Mikasa suspects it may be due to Eren's disbelief that Annie is really the Female Titan, or other feelings that he may have for her. When Armin comes up with a plan to distract Annie, Eren returns back to when they discussed the identity of the Female Titan, with Erwin revealing their suspect as Annie. Armin gives multiple reasons in favor of Erwin's suspection, much to Eren's dismay. Back in the present, Armin and Mikasa leave the tunnels, with Mikasa stating that the world is a cruel place as a response to how Eren could not understand how they could fight Annie.

Annie kicks through the roof, crushing Eren amongst the rubble. Mikasa attacks Annie, but is temporarily incapacitated by debris from nearby buildings. As more Regiment soldiers attack, Armin tries to pull Eren out of the rubble of the tunnel. Jean abandons his disguise and goes to aid Armin, as Erwin prepares to help. Jean attempts to help Eren out, but Annie keeps on fighting the military, throwing more rubble around, some of which lands on Eren and traps him even more.

Armin sees Annie fighting off more Scout Regiment members and confronts her, attempting to distract her by saying that if she does not kill him now, her bet is meaningless. This gives Jean enough time to sneak up behind her and strike her neck, however she protects it, and Jean scurries away and calls Armin to follow him as they further lure Annie across Stohess.

Eren remembers Armin saying that someone who can not sacrifice anything can never change anything. Eren thinks that is why he failed, because he clung onto his companions and his ties with them. Eren remembers the deaths of his fellow soldiers as well as his mother, which further infuriates him as he pushes through the wood impaling him and says that he will kill Annie. At that moment Eren transforms, with the subsequent lightning bolt catching the attention of Nile and Erwin, who is still at gunpoint. The ground shakes as Eren's Titan sprints through the city. Annie is then caught off-guard when Eren surprises her with a solid punch to the face. Annie is knocked into a building, which is brought down and the people inside it are killed. As Annie runs away, Minister Nick crawls from the building's rubble, and is horrified to see that Annie is heading for Wall Sina.

Hange orders the soldiers to split and go from the other side. The chase continues, with many civilians dying, until Annie stops to face Eren directly. Eren recalls how Annie always seemed bored, thinking that everything was stupid, except for when she was showing off her martial arts skills. In spite of her never admitting that, Eren knows that she was lying about not caring about it. He wonders about her reason for killing all those people and charges forward, with Annie employing the ability to harden her skin as a means of defense and offense. However, Eren grabs her leg and throws her at a nearby building.

Eren continues to fight back and Annie recalls her father calling out to her. She roundhouse kicks Eren in the side of his head, knocking him into a building, but he has bitten into her hardened leg. Annie repeatedly strikes Eren with her hardened right fist until he is seemingly unable to move, remembering her father telling her that he is the only person on her side. As she is running away, Eren remembers his goal. He starts chasing Annie one more time, with his body burning due to excessive regeneration, and tackles her from behind. Seeing this, Hange stops Mikasa from approaching Eren as they do not know whether he still recognizes her. Eren grabs Annie's face, squeezing it tightly, causing blood to splatter on the surrounding buildings. Soldiers and Military Police watch in mixed emotional awe.

Annie fights off Eren and eventually attempts to escape by climbing the Wall. Eren's last attempt to catch her ends in vain as she manages to fend him off by sacrificing her lower right leg. She continues climbing and just when Armin thinks she will get over the Wall, Mikasa flies to her using the omni-directional mobility gear and cuts off the fingers on both of her hands. Stepping on her face, Mikasa tells Annie to fall, with the latter recalling her father one more time. In the memory, her father tells her he was wrong, being too late to ask for forgiveness. He tells her that even if the whole world is against her, he is always on her side, and to promise to return to him.

Annie falls to the ground and Eren pounces on her before she can get up. He then decapitates her and removes her right arm while losing his other arm in the process. Just as Eren claims that he will destroy the world, he bites out a chunk of meat from the Female Titan's neck, revealing Annie's real body. This worries Hange and others, thinking that Eren will eat Annie. However, upon seeing Annie crying, Eren stops himself. This gives Annie a chance to use her hardening ability, encasing herself in a crystal, which causes her Titan body to start merging with Eren's as well. At that moment, Levi appears, cutting Eren out of the Titan and scolding him for trying to eat an important witness.

Erwin is then questioned by a governor, who asks him about Erwin's reluctance to ask the Military Police for help from the start. Erwin states that with potential allies of the Female Titan inside the military, he had to limit the operation to those who were not involved. He apologizes for the destruction of Stohess, however, the governor does not accept a simply apology. Even though Erwin states that if the Female Titan escaped, the Walls would fall and more people would die, he confirms that they cannot get any information from Annie.

Some time later, Eren wakes up in his bed, having recovered from his injuries. He is aware of Annie being frozen, with Jean confirming that they got nothing from the operation. Unexpectedly, Armin states that Eren is the one who let that happen. After a short hesitation, Eren confirms that upon seeing Annie, he could not move. Armin and Jean are then called for a hearing and Eren confides to Mikasa about his feelings during the battle. Mikasa expresses herself to be happy that he returned alive. Outside, Jean and Armin discuss whether becoming a monster is the only way to beat the Titans. Armin puts his faith in Eren, but states that it will not be easy to overcome. At the hearing, Erwin states this to be the moment of humanity's attack on the Titans. As Annie is being kept deep underground, a group of the former 104th Cadet Corps' soldiers are nearing an unknown location, not knowing of the dangers awaiting them.

At the sight of Annie's defeat, Hange, Moblit, and the remaining Scouts notice, to their horror, the face of a Titan staring out through a hole in Wall Sina. As Hange stares at the face in awe, she is startled by the arrival of a breathless Nick, who orders that the Titan be covered immediately.

After covering the hole, Hange questions the Minister about the Wall Titan and he apathetically denies giving answers. Pushed to her breaking point, Hange grabs Nick by the collar and holds him over the edge of the Wall. She questions him about the church's shady requests in the past, suggesting that they know more of the Walls than one would expect. She reminds Nick of the purpose of the Scout Regiment and all they sacrificed is to get answers that the Church of the Walls must have known about all this time, but could afford to keep quiet. Nick challenges her to let him fall, saying that no matter the threat his church will not talk. After a moment, she throws Nick back onto the floor of the Wall, lightly commenting that she was only joking. As Moblit comes to her side, she asks Nick if the entire Wall is filled with Titans.

In his room, Eren wakes up from his rest.

Production information
This movie features two new theme songs. The first track is titled "theDOGS" and was released on July 1. The second is titled "Jiyuu no Daishou" (The Price of Freedom). It was confirmed that the ED of the film had newly-animated scenes which connected to the anime's second season.