Guides (Episode)

"We can't do a thing about enemies in our midst. Even if we flushed them out, who knows how much blood it would cost? We don't have time to waste on such folly. Our decisions made soldiers turn their backs on us."

- Dot Pyxis discusses the Jaegerists

Guides (導く者) is the 12th episode of the 4th season and the 71st episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by.

Overview
Yelena admits to Dot Pyxis that ten months ago, she secretly met with Eren Jaeger, requesting that he apply pressure on the military to act. She suspected that left to their own devices, the military would debate and put matters off until it was too late. Not even the other Anti-Marleyan Volunteers were aware. Onyankopon tells Hange Zoë that Yelena was the one who organized them, and friends who doubted them tended to die "accidental" deaths.

At headquarters, Dhalis Zachary is killed by a bomb placed by Jaegerists hidden in the military. Around a hundred soldiers openly defect in support of Eren, many of them from the Scout Regiment. Knowing that Eren's followers want to connect him with his brother Zeke, Pyxis tightens security to use Zeke's location as a bargaining chip. Hange believes that Zeke planned for this eventuality, so they want to look into Yelena's placement of Marleyan prisoners in certain lines of work.

Summary
Underground, in Annie Leonhart's holding chamber, Hitch Dreyse calls out Armin Arlelt for trying to touch Annie's crystal, much to his chagrin. He tries to explain that Titan memories can transfer via touch and pleads for Hitch not to ban his visits. With a smile she says she has no intention of doing so.

After the two of them leave Annie's chamber, Hitch hands Armin a newspaper where he reads the headline claiming that the military is clinging to power by detaining Eren Jaeger. The military is losing the public's trust by not providing answers. As they enter the courtyard at military headquarters, they see protesters outside the compound, calling for Eren's freedom.

A member of the Military Police calls Hitch away to help control the crowd as Mikasa Ackermann runs up to Armin. As she leads him away, they notice a few Scout Regiment recruits at headquarters and speculate what they could be doing here.

Elsewhere, Dot Pyxis sits down with Yelena and she admits that she did meet Eren on the day of the railway celebration. She kept quiet about it because she felt the people of Paradis were ignorant of the world and if they argued about it and put it off, it would be too late. Yelena claims that Eren felt a similar urgency, but she did not specifically tell Eren to infiltrate Marley. She merely wanted someone to apply pressure to the administration.

Though Pyxis is suspicious that she would risk a secret meeting for a request that broad, she insists there was nothing else to it. But after reflecting, she admits that Eren inflicted severe damage to Marley just as they hoped. She tells Pyxis they are witnessing history changing before their eyes. Yelena confirms that she met Eren primarily out of curiosity and that the other Anti-Marleyan Volunteers are unaware of it. She agrees that she deceived everyone, but claims she did it for the sake of Eldia.

Pyxis says he would like to believe her as Anka Rheinberger sits down to take notes. He asks for details about Yelena's meeting with Eren and if she knows how to tell a good lie, noting that it should have elements of the truth mixed in.

Meanwhile, Hange Zoë and Onyankopon play a game of cards. Onyankopan is appalled by the suspicion levied against the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers after the three years they spent helping Paradis. Hange apologizes and tells Onyankopan about Yelena's secret meeting with Eren. Onyankopan confesses he did not know anything about it, and Hange surmised as much, but notices that Onyankopon does not deny Yelena's behavior either. They ask Onyankopan to tell them what he knows about her.

Onyankopan explains that Yelena was the one to organize the volunteers and at first it did not go well, but eventually she proved her loyalty to Zeke Jaeger and the rest of the group, but there were "accidental" deaths and friends that doubted them died. Hange finds it strange that Onyankopan makes Yelena sound merciless towards Marleyans, but at the same time she pressed Paradis to give the captured Marleyans certain rights. Mind made, Hange tells Onyankopan to come with them.

At headquarters, Mikasa and Armin meet with Dhalis Zachary, who denies them the opportunity to meet with Eren on account of the ongoing investigation into Eren's raid on Liberio. The military does not know the full extent of who was involved and Eren has not been forthcoming with information. They currently believe that Eren is being manipulated by Zeke.

Mikasa begins to ask what will happen to Eren when she notices a peculiar chair in Zachary's office. He dismisses her curiosity and tells her he had some recruits bring it in since there was nowhere else to store it. After looking at the chair, Armin returns to the previous conversation and suggests that if Eren is not talking, he and Mikasa might be able to help, but Zachary says the situation is too delicate and denies them again.

As the two of them leave, Armin suspects that the military has given up on Eren and if true, they may be selecting someone else to be the next Founding Titan. Mikasa says she will go back to listen at the door, where Zachary is now meeting with a few MPs, but Armin stops her.

A moment later, Zachary's office explodes, hurling the body of the premier out into the courtyard where it lands in front of the Military Police and protestors outside. Both Mikasa and Armin are unharmed, and run down to the courtyard where they meet up with Hitch. Zachary's death invigorates the protestors, who begin shouting the Scouts' slogan "Give your hearts!"

At the briefing following Zachary's death, Roeg concludes a bomb was placed in the special chair that was delivered to the premier and the culprit is unknown. Hange says that the volunteers are on house arrest, barring Onyankopan who was with them, clearing the group as suspects.

Armin brings up the Scout recruits he and Mikasa saw at headquarters, recalling that Zachary had said recruits brought the chair. Nile Dawk adds that he heard that it was the Scouts that leaked the information about Eren's arrest.

The door to the meeting room flies open as an MP reports that Eren has escaped from his cell. Nile mobilizes the Military Police to go find him as Mikasa reels in shock.

Outside, Eren meets with Floch Forster and a small crowd of his supporters. Floch says there are more of them hiding in the military, including those who killed Zachary. He says Eren is the only one who can save the Eldian Empire. Eren tells the group to find out where Zeke is being kept.

The next day, the military reconvenes along with Kiyomi Azumabito. Roughly a hundred soldiers and guards disappeared from the prison and are thought to have defected with Eren's escape. Nile decides to call the group the "Jaegerists." Hange believes their goal is to reunite Eren and Zeke and then reform the military with Eren as its head. The Jaegerists were provoked by the rest of the military scheming to take the Founder away from Eren without telling the Scouts.

Nile counters that they knew what would happen if they did, and many of the Jaegerists come from the Scouts themselves. Hange admits that is their fault, but resigning now would be irresponsible and there could be more Jaegerists in hiding. Roeg is still distrustful though, and argues for detaining the Scouts as a whole.

Pyxis arrives and puts an end to the argument. He asks who is aware of Zeke's location, and Hange replies that it is only themselves, Levi Ackermann, the 30 soldiers with him, and three soldiers who deliver supplies. Pyxis orders Hange to bring the three supply soldiers here before asking Nile about Historia Reiss's residence. Nile says only a few soldiers know its location, but he will check on it. Pyxis believes Eren will try reaching both of them, so protecting the two is the military's top priority.

With Zachary's death, Armin says that Pyxis is the only one who can lead them. He asks what they should do. After a moment's thought, Pyxis lifts his hands and suggests surrendering to Eren. He elaborates, saying that their hands are tied while they have potential traitors in the military. Flushing them out would be costly and they do not have the time. He does not plan for a complete submission, but to use Zeke's location to negotiate with the Jaegerists. In order for this to work, they need to overlook Zachary's murder, and he does not think Zachary would mind.

As the meeting breaks up, Pyxis apologizes that Kiyomi had to see that. He suggests she wait at the port until this is over, for her own safety. She agrees and asks Mikasa to come to her ship if anything happens. Mikasa appreciates the concern, but considers herself Eldian and wants the place she was born to have a future. When Kiyomi tries framing her as the sole reason for her visit, Mikasa points out that Kiyomi also wants Paradis Island's resources. Kiyomi reluctantly agrees, saying that her family will lose power without them, but they still believe in the pride of their clan and wish to protect Mikasa.

The Scouts gather outside, discussing mixed feelings about their current circumstances. Hange suspects that Zeke and Yelena are prepared for this situation and likely took precautions, so they need to figure out Zeke's intentions before they come to light. They are going to start by looking into the Marleyan prisoners who obtained jobs through Yelena.

Meanwhile, the Braus family along with Falco Grice and Gabi Braun arrive at the restaurant where Nicolo works.

New Eldian Empire
''A new name for Eldia used by those on Paradis who are sympathetic to Eren Jaeger's actions. They have rallied around Eren and the name, causing disorder on the island, which is currently divided on whether to attack other nations or not.''

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