Memories of the Future (Episode)

"Yes... We were led by our memories--all for this moment."

- Grisha Jaeger explains to Frieda Reiss how the Attack Titan is guided by the memories of its future inheritors

Memories of the Future (未来の記憶) is the 20th episode of the 4th season and the 79th episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by.

Overview
Zeke and Eren Jaeger travel through their father Grisha's memories as Zeke attempts to show Eren that Grisha only cared about him as a tool. However, he instead sees Grisha giving Eren freedom that Zeke never had as a child. Eren's determination and willingness to fight for his freedom are things he has always had on his own. When Grisha reacts to their presence in his memories, Zeke is surprised that Grisha has not forgotten about him.

The day Wall Maria falls, they see Grisha confront Frieda Reiss in the underground chapel. Due to the vow to renounce war, she refuses to save the people of Wall Maria and insists the Eldians atone for their ancestors' crimes by accepting the world's hatred of them. Grisha reveals that he was led here by future memories he received through the Attack Titan. He plans to kill her to obtain the Founding Titan and end the royal bloodline, but falters because he does not want to murder children. Eren intervenes, and using the fact Grisha can hear him through his future memories, convinces Grisha to go ahead with the attack. Following the massacre, Grisha apologizes to Zeke, saying he was a terrible father, and asks him to stop Eren.

Summary
Inside Grisha Jaeger's memories, Eren and Zeke watch their father pick up a crying baby Eren. Zeke notes that Grisha looks happy for a man who has lost his previous family and friends, and is resentful of that fact. He is showing this to Eren in hopes that Eren will understand that his father has brainwashed him into thinking the way he does now.

Zeke takes Eren a little further into his father's memories and shows how Grisha uses his profession as a doctor to get close to people in power in order to track down the king and the Founding Titan. This places his family at great risk should he ever be discovered, and Eren reaches the conclusion that Zeke expects; that Grisha would throw away his family in order to restore Eldia. Though Eren says he is no longer brainwashed, Zeke says there is no rush and continues to take him through their father's memories.

They watch how Grisha conducts his investigation, which eventually leads him to the church built above the underground chapel. Both of them are shocked by how quickly Grisha finds it, since he will not take the Founding Titan until the day Wall Maria falls, but this is a much younger Grisha and the Eren in his memories is still a toddler. Grisha locates the trap door leading to the cavern below, but apprehensively closes it and leaves the church. He returns home and hugs Eren. Zeke is stunned to learn that Grisha delayed the completion of his mission out of love for his second son.

In the Jaeger family basement, Zeke and Eren continue to observe Grisha, who has fallen asleep at his desk. Eren is standing behind Grisha and Zeke is in front of the desk, looking at his father's bookshelf. Zeke supposes that Grisha has learned from his past mistakes with him, but insists that Eren is still moving exactly the way Grisha would want him to. Eren notices a photograph by the sleeping Grisha and sees it is the one of Grisha and his first family.

Grisha stirs, mumbling an apology to Zeke, and opens his eyes. Suddenly, he stands up and looks directly at Zeke in confusion. He asks if that is really him. Grisha looks to either side of him, still confused, and then slumps back into his chair. He tells himself that the bearded man he sees could not possibly be Zeke and that this must be a dream. Eren opens the door behind him and tells Zeke they should go on to the next memory.

By the time they get to memories when Eren is nine years old, Zeke admits that Eren does not appear to have been brainwashed by Grisha, and was allowed to grow as he wished. Because of this, Zeke does not understand why Eren betrayed him. Eren was forced to inherit a Titan and despite knowing nothing, followed Grisha's plans anyway. Zeke asks what Eren is planning to do with the Founding Titan.

As they come to the memory where Grisha discovers Eren has rescued Mikasa Ackermann by killing her kidnappers, Eren tells Zeke that he mistakenly assumes that the two of them are the same. Rather than letting someone steal his freedom, he will steal theirs first. It was not something his father taught him, but something he was born with. He is not going to be the weak little brother Zeke was hoping for. Eren sees Zeke as a man unable to move past his dead father's dream, but Zeke says he is grateful, because he can now save the world from Eldia. Zeke walks away, ready to move on, but Eren stops to look at his younger self, who has wrapped his scarf around Mikasa.

In another memory, as Grisha medically examines a child, Zeke says he can carry out the euthanization plan at any time, since he is already connected to the Founder, but before he saves the world, he wants to save Eren.

They return to the basement and Zeke stands behind Grisha, watching him write the message he will leave behind for Eren, saying that humanity outside the Walls has not perished. Grisha puts the photo of his first family in his journal and locks it away in his desk drawer. As he lifts the key, he looks straight ahead of him and stares. Eren is directly in front of him.

In the ground floor of the Jaeger home, a younger Eren and Mikasa come in with firewood. They put it away as Carla Jaeger cooks and Grisha sits at the table. As the family eats, the children learn that Grisha will be away for a couple days and Mikasa reveals Eren wants to join the Scout Regiment. Rather than being upset like Carla, Grisha asks Eren why he wants to go out there. Eren says he wants to know what the outside world is like rather than being ignorant, and he does not want the lives of those who died exploring to have been for nothing. Understanding, Grisha says when he returns he will show Eren the secret in the basement that he has been keeping, but as he speaks he is not looking at the younger Eren, but at the one from the present day.

As Grisha leaves home, he is haunted by a terrible vision. The day Wall Maria falls he returns to the underground chapel where the Reiss family is gathered. Grisha announces that he is an Eldian and Subject of Ymir who has come from outside the Walls. He begs the current king to stop the Titans from attacking before his family and everyone else is eaten.

Though pained, the vow to renounce war asserts itself on Frieda and she coldly states that they must not escape their sins. The Power of the Titans, especially the Founder's power, must not fall into other people's hands or a hell like that of the Great Titan War could happen again. In order to save the world, they need to accept their sins and welcome their destruction. Zeke realizes that he and Frieda are on the same page, but also that she and her family will be killed by Grisha. He remembers that Eren said he was disgusted by this memory and turns to ask if that was a lie, only to be shocked by the intensity on Eren's face.

Undeterred, Grisha pleads for his family, since his house is near where the Wall broke. He argues that the people she is leaving to die do not know anything of their ancestors' sins because the king has erased those memories, so how can that be atonement? Frieda says nothing they do can be enough repentance, so her focus is preventing any deaths of those outside the Walls. If they remain ignorant and accept the world's hatred, only Eldians will need to die.

Grisha is horrified and turns to look over his right shoulder where Eren is smoldering with rage. Not noticing this, Frieda continues to say that arguing with her is pointless and even if he took the Founding Titan from her he could not use it. Grisha knows this. Each of the Nine Titans has a special trait, and the Attack Titan has never bowed to anyone. He believes that is because the Attack Titan is intended to fight against the king's self-righteousness. The Attack Titan can catch glimpses into the memories of its future inheritors, and through them, know the future. Those memories are what led him here today.

Frieda has never heard of that before, and Grisha is aware. He also knows that the vow to renounce war is preventing her from using the full power of the Founding Titan, so he is going to eat the Founding Titan and end the royal bloodline. The future has already been decided.

Grisha takes out a scalpel to stab himself and the Reiss family scatters, but he sees the panicking children and the implement drops from his grasp. Groaning, he falls to his knees and says he cannot kill children. He is a doctor and he is supposed to save lives. Zeke is shocked, because this is not what happens and the past cannot change.

Meanwhile, the Reiss family urges Frieda to transform and kill him. Reluctant, she musters her courage and prepares to bite her hand.

Eren looks down on Grisha and tells him to stand. He asks if Grisha has forgotten what he came here to do; to avenge the deaths of his sister, his first wife, and his comrades. Grisha needs to keep moving forward. After all, he is the one who started this story.

Grisha picks up the scalpel and stabs himself with a scream. The Reiss family dies. These details had been revealed to Eren when he had kissed Historia Reiss's hand after the Battle of Shiganshina District.

Zeke is aghast at Eren's manipulation of Grisha through their shared memories and Grisha flees the destroyed chapel. He exits his Titan and staggers away, carrying a syringe of Titan spinal fluid with him and horrified by what he has done. Grisha falls to his knees and shouts that he killed all of them except for the father, just as Eren wanted. He asks if Eren is happy, and if this will really save Eldia. Grisha wishes Eren had shown him everything, but he only knows about the Wall falling and the day it happens, and not if Carla is safe.

Grisha, still looking at the ground, suspects that Zeke is near and asks if he is there. He tells Zeke that things will not go his way, and that Eren will get what he wants. Grisha knows what the next stage of Eren's plan is, and it is terrible. He looks up, and to his surprise, he sees Zeke standing in front of him. Sobbing, Grisha apologizes for being an awful father and tells Zeke that he loves him. He embraces a startled Zeke and tells him he wishes he had spent more time with him. Moved, Zeke tears up and calls him "Father."

Grisha asks Zeke to stop Eren, but as he does, Zeke sees Eren standing behind Grisha, staring intently at him. Suddenly, Zeke is knocked off his feet and they are back in the Paths. Though Eren is chained, he looks calmly down on Zeke.

The Coordinate
''The place where all "Paths" intersect. There, time is both instant and infinite.''

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