This article is about the eighth arc of the Attack on Titan anime. For the manga arc, see Royal Government arc.
|
The subject of this article has no official name. It is a fan-given name as substitute for lack thereof, and should not be considered as part of the Attack on Titan universe. |
Royal Government arc (王政編 Ōsei-hen?) is the eighth story arc of the Attack on Titan anime.
Introduction
The situation inside the Walls becomes critical after the murder of Pastor Nick and a subsequent attempt to kidnap Eren Jaeger and Historia Reiss. Knowing that the monarchy's actions greatly endanger humankind, Erwin Smith begins his plan - the plan to overthrow the government and make Historia the new queen.
Episodes
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Smoke Signal ( |
July 23, 2018 | |
 In a cabin in Wall Rose, the top ten and Armin are surprised by their inclusion into Squad Levi. Eren is made to run some tests in Titan form, but fails to harden his body. Hange brings news of Pastor Nick's death at the hands of the interior MP's. The Scouts then flee to Trost after hearing from Erwin.
The government is opposing the Scout Regiment, demanding custody of Eren and Historia. Levi runs a decoy strategy so Jean and Armin are abducted instead of the targets. Mikasa subdues the kidnappers as Levi watches Eren's hearse. While looking on, Levi is ambushed by an old adversary and his team. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | Pain (痛み Itami?) |
July 30, 2018 | |
 Levi fights his way out of Kenny's ambush, whose subordinates have taken control of the carriage holding Eren and Historia. He is joined by the rest of his squad in an attempt to rescue Eren and Historia, but they are eventually forced to retreat.
Afterwards, Levi convinces Dimo Reeves to work for the Scout Regiment. Reeves lures two Interior Squad members into a trap set by Levi's squad, and they reveal under interrogation that the Reiss family is the true royal family. Kenny kills Dimo Reeves for his betrayal, while Rod Reiss reunites with his daughter, Historia. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Old Story (昔話 Mukashibanashi?) |
August 6, 2018 | |
 Historia recounts the circumstances of how she grew up on a farm as an unwanted child with a distant mother. She saw her father, Rod Reiss, for the first time when he came to see her after Wall Maria fell, but men in black coats intervened before he could take her away. Rod had them spare Historia under the condition that she live a quiet life far away under the name "Christa Lenz." In the present day, Rod apologizes for that and informs Historia that she has royal blood and is the only person who can save humanity.
Meanwhile, Erwin meets Pyxis and discusses the overthrow of the government. When Hange arrives, they inform Erwin about Historia's royal lineage, and he tells Pyxis his plan to expose the puppet government and install Historia as the new queen. As dawn breaks, Erwin is called outside by the First Interior Squad to account for the murder of Dimo Reeves. He names Hange as his successor before he leaves and shortly thereafter, he and the Scout Regiment are placed under arrest. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Trust (信頼 Shinrai?) |
August 13, 2018 | |
 Hitch Dreyse and Marlo Freudenberg are caught by Squad Levi and agree to help them bypass a Military Police checkpoint. Meanwhile, Hange Zoë rescues Flegel Reeves and with his help they are able to publicly expose the cover-up used by the Interior Squad to accuse the Scout Regiment of murdering Dimo Reeves.
In Capital Mitras, Gerald interrogates Erwin Smith, but does not learn what the Scout Regiment knows. Nile Dawk arrives to tell Erwin about his audience with the King, and how they will announce his sentence then. Erwin warns him that he left something up to Dot Pyxis and when it happens, it will be up to Nile and "them" to decide. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Reply (回答 Kaitō?) |
August 20, 2018 | |
 Erwin Smith defends the necessity of the Scout Regiment to the King and assembled nobles. Without the Scouts to fight against the Titans, humanity could face a civil war if the Walls were ever breached again, since there would not be enough food to feed both the people of Wall Sina and Wall Rose. However, his justifications fall on deaf ears and the nobles call for his execution.
Before Erwin can be taken away, Anka Rheinberger announces that Wall Rose has been breached, forcing the nobles to confront the scenario Erwin just spoke of. Though Dot Pyxis calls for an evacuation of the civilians in Wall Rose, the nobles override his order and demand that the gates to Wall Sina be closed. Nile Dawk refuses, and Premier Dhalis Zachary arrives in time to agree. With all branches of the military turned against the Royal Government, they enact a coup d'état and the nobility is arrested. Despite their success though, Erwin expresses misgivings about the new path humanity has taken. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Sin (罪 Tsumi?) |
August 27, 2018 | |
Eren Jaeger learns the history of how he obtained his Titan and how five years ago his father, Grisha Jaeger, slaughtered most of the Reiss family in order to obtain their power, which was held by Frieda Reiss, the elder half-sister of Historia Reiss. Meanwhile, the military learns that certain bloodlines are immune to the "Scream" that can alter humanity's memories and that if they do not rescue Eren they may soon forget their coup d'état ever happened. Squad Levi arrives at the rural chapel above the underground one where Eren is being held. They prepare to attack while the Anti-Personnel Control Squad waits for them below. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | Wish (願い Negai?) |
September 3, 2018 | |
 Levi Ackermann, Hange Zoë, and their squad members battle against Kenny Ackermann and the Anti-Personnel Control Squad in the crystal caverns of the Underground Chapel. Hange is grievously injured by Traute Carven, but overall the Scouts are successful enough to push their enemies back to their final defensive post.
Meanwhile, Rod Reiss pressures his daughter Historia into using a syringe to transform into a Titan so she can eat Eren Jaeger and reclaim the Founding Titan his father had stolen from her sister Frieda. However, Historia realizes that inheriting the Founding Titan will not save anyone because even if her sister had the power to eradicate all the Titans, there is something about inheriting the power that prevents people from using it. She chooses to shatter the syringe and works to free Eren, but her father laps up the remaining fluid and transforms into a Titan. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Outside the Walls of Orvud District (オルブド区外壁 Orubudo-ku Gaiheki?) |
September 10, 2018 | |
 Rod Reiss transforms into a Titan so large that it begins to destroy the cavern in the Underground Chapel as it tries to stand. Historia Reiss refuses to abandon Eren Jaeger and get to safety, and Squad Levi arrives in time to help free him. However, the size and heat emanating from the Titan is so great that escape looks nearly impossible. Eren wallows in despair, but his friends refuse to give up, causing him to take a chance and use a bottle labeled "Armor" that he spots on the ground. Ingesting its contents allow him to use a new hardening ability with his Titan that stabilizes the cavern around his comrades so they can survive.
Squad Levi meets up with Erwin Smith and the rest of the Scout Regiment outside. Rod's Titan is twice the size of the Colossal Titan and they cannot fight it conventionally. They rush to Orvud District where they will make a stand. While there, Levi Ackermann informs Historia that she is to become Queen after this to ensure the success of their coup d'état. She agrees, under one condition. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Ruler of the Walls (壁の王 Kabe no Ō?) |
September 17, 2018 | |
 The Orvud District Garrison prepares a defense against the gargantuan Titan form of Rod Reiss, but their cannons are ineffective and the Scout Regiment prepares a back-up strategy. They build a giant sack out of rope and netting, and stuff it full of barrels of gunpowder. Hange also prepares two carts loaded with gunpowder and equipped with ODM triggers to reel them into their targets when fired.
When the Titan reaches the Wall it plants its hands on top and pulls itself upright, scattering the Garrison, which falls back. Its face has been scraped away by the ground while it was dragging itself. The Scouts take over the Wall's defense and shoot the gunpowder-laden carts into the Titan's hands, which explode, causing it to lose its grip. The Titan slumps over the Wall and Eren charges forward in his Titan form to shove the sack of gunpowder into its gaping mouth. This causes the Titan to explode and Historia Reiss slices the chunk of Titan flesh containing the nape, thus killing her father. She lands in the city below to the shock of the nearby citizens who ask if she is the one who saved them. Historia rises and declares herself the true ruler of the Walls. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | Friends (友人 Yūjin?) |
September 24, 2018 | |
 Years ago, Kenny Ackermann forged a lasting friendship with Uri Reiss, even though circumstances should have led to one killing the other. As Uri's confidant, Kenny became a part of the government, relieving the persecution of the Ackermann family and allowing him to look after the son of his deceased sister, Kuchel. Though Kenny was taken by Uri's sense of compassion, he found himself unable to understand what would allow a person to be that way, leading him to desire that power for himself and create the Anti-Personnel Control Squad to obtain it.
Now dying, following the collapse of the Underground Chapel, Kenny tells an inquiring Levi how he is related to his mother and why he eventually left him behind. Kenny gives Levi a syringe he stole from Rod Reiss and passes away. Elsewhere in Capital Mitras, Historia Reiss is crowned as the new Queen. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | Bystander (傍観者 Bōkansha?) |
October 8, 2018 | |
 Two months have passed since Historia Reiss's coronation. She has started a farm to take care of the orphans and the needy. The military has also been overhauled. They now have a new weapon that allows them to kill Titans without risking the lives of soldiers and new recruits have joined the Scout Regiment. At Jean Kirschtein's prompting, Eren Jaeger tries to remember the Scout who appeared in his father's memory and realizes that it is Commandant Keith Sadies of the Cadet Corps.
Eren, his squad, Levi, and Hange visit Keith and hear his story of how he discovered Grisha Jaeger outside of Wall Maria twenty years ago. The two became friends, and Grisha inspired Keith to think he was special. However, Keith suffered many failures, both in his personal life and as an officer, and came to realize he was not special at all. He was with Grisha the night Wall Maria fell, and carried Eren out of the woods after Grisha had taken him there. Keith hoped that Eren would avoid becoming like his father, but even though he sabotaged Eren's training gear when he was a cadet, Eren would not give up. As Eren leaves in the present day, Keith realizes he could not change anything. | |||
| Picture | Number | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Night of the Battle to Retake the Wall (奪還作戦の夜 Dakkan Sakusen no Yoru?) |
October 15, 2018 | |
 Erwin Smith and the Scout Regiment officers prepare for the operation to retake Wall Maria, suspecting that the truth of their world lies in the Jaeger family basement. Levi Ackermann tries to convince Erwin to remain behind due to the fact he is now handicapped by the loss of his arm, but Erwin refuses.
The night before the operation, the Scouts have a party for all the soldiers in the mess hall where they are treated to a rare meal containing meat. This turns the soldiers rowdy. Sasha Braus needs to be restrained and Eren Jaeger gets into a fight with Jean Kirschtein. After the fight is broken up and the soldiers are told to go to bed, Eren shares his renewed optimism with Armin Arlelt and Mikasa Ackermann. The following day at sunset, the Scouts are sent off from Trost District by a cheering crowd. | |||