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This article is about the 73rd episode of the Attack on Titan anime. For the manga chapter of the same name, see Savagery (Chapter).


Quote1 Did you think I wouldn't kill my comrades if they turned into Titans? You don't have a damn clue how many comrades we've killed! Quote2
— Levi's path thus far

Savagery (暴悪 Bōaku?) is the 14th episode of the 4th season and the 73rd episode overall of the Attack on Titan anime, produced by MAPPA.

Overview

While Gabi sits nervously, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin sit down to talk. Armin questions Eren over attacking Liberio. Eren declares that he chose to do so of his own free will, though Mikasa disagrees, believing that he is being manipulated. Angered, he begins chastising the two for lacking freedom: Armin for being manipulated by Bertholdt's memories, and Mikasa for her Ackermann heritage. Speaking in disgust, Eren tells Mikasa that he has always hated her. Armin and Eren begin a fist fight, though the former is quickly beaten.

Elsewhere, Levi is informed about Zachary's death, and tells the courier to let Pyxis know of his plan to have Zeke eaten. As Levi is lost in his thoughts, Zeke darts off and lets out a scream. Levi's comrades fall from the surrounding trees, transformed into Titans. Levi is hesitant, but he soon steels himself to sacrifice the horde and begins ripping through them. He later catches up to Zeke and forces him to become the Beast Titan; however, Levi takes advantage of the Titan Forest to defeat him. Zeke's unconscious body is dragged out of the forest.

Summary

Eren reveals his cut palm

Eren reveals his cut palm

Mikasa and Armin sit with Gabi at a table, who asks them why they protected her after she killed Sasha and knocked a guard unconscious with a rock; she asks Falco to be taken as a prisoner and for them to kill her. Armin muses that her ideology reminds him of Eren, who unexpectedly appears in the doorway. He silently raises his right hand, showing his palm has been sliced open and bleeding.

Eren tells Armin and Mikasa that he wants to talk in a quiet setting and that Eldia's problems can be solved without any conflict; he does however request that they have their hands on the table at all times. Armin questions Eren if Zeke and Yelena were the reason behind him launching an attack on Marley all by himself. Eren merely replies that he is free and did it of his own free will.

Mikasa claims that he is being controlled and recalls how he saved her from the kidnappers who killed her parents. Ignoring this, Eren claims that he learned a lot from Zeke while in Marley and asks Armin if he is still visiting Annie. He adds that if memories play a role in forming who a person is, that means part of Bertholdt's memories have become part of Armin too. He condemns Armin of being soft and useless in contrast to his former self who used his judgment to lead them to the right answer.

Eren talks with Armin and Mikasa

Eren talks with Armin and Mikasa

When Mikasa interjects, Eren claims that during his time in Marley he even learned about the Ackermanns. He explains by the Eldian empire's experimentations with the subjects of Ymir, an accidental byproduct, the Ackermann clan, came into existence who were capable of partly manifesting the strength of a Titan, in human form. As the Ackermann clan was designed to protect Eldia's king, an Ackermann awakens their instincts once they recognize an individual as their host.

When Eren ordered Mikasa to "fight" in the cabin, all the necessary conditions were fulfilled and her instincts were awakened. This heightened her physical abilities, which was fueled by the experiences of the past Ackermanns, all because she accepted Eren as her host.

Finally, he claims that Ackermanns find themselves fighting their true self at times, which can manifest as severe headaches. Armin sees Mikasa is too shocked to react and tells Eren to stop; ignoring him, Eren reminds them that he hates only two things in the world: anyone not content with truly being free and obedient cattle. Calling her both, he vehemently tells Mikasa that he has hated her since he was a kid.

File:Armin punches Eren's face.png

Armin punches Eren

As Mikasa starts to cry, Armin lunges over to attack Eren, only to be stopped by Mikasa and slammed against the table: both are horrified by this and Eren merely repeats that it is due to Mikasa's lineage. Armin punches Eren in the face and is sent into a shelf. After Eren beats him and mentions he would never last in a fight, he orders all of them to be taken and travels with them to Shiganshina District.

In the Forest of Giant Trees, Levi meets with several members of the Scout Regiment up in the trees and learns about both the death of Zachary and of Pyxis's plan. He internally fights himself for having saved Eren so many times and his many friends and comrades have been killed over nothing. He tells the two Survey Corpsmen they will capture a Jaegerists and transfer Zeke's power to them until Historia is ready. Levi orders them to go inform Pyxis and descends from the tree.

Levi watches his soldiers turn into Titans

Levi watches his soldiers turn into Titans

Barely looking up, Zeke asks if there is any wine left at the camp. Levi replies there is not, prompting Zeke to bemusedly state Levi comes up with the worst punishments. Levi walks away and grimly steels himself to kill Zeke, confident that he will not get away with the numerous Scouts in the trees. Composing himself, Levi internally tells Erwin that he will finally be able to fulfill the vow he made all those years ago when he notices Zeke running into the forest. Suddenly, Zeke lets out a piercing scream; horrified, Levi can only look as the numerous Scouts above him begin to fall out of the trees and transform into Titans.

A numbing sensation ripples through several officers of the military due to Zeke's scream. It is powerful enough to cause Pyxis to drop his cup in bewilderment. Those affected are in both the Garrison and the Military Police Regiment. In a carriage driven by the Jaegerists, Falco wakes up, saying that he feels like electricity shot through his body. Hange realizes from his words that Nicolo's suspicion about the wine is correct and that Zeke must have used his power.

In the forest, Zeke leaves Levi behind to face the combined might of the Scouts who have been transformed into Titans. He taunts Levi and asks him if he would truly cut apart his own men when they have done nothing wrong. Levi realizes that Zeke's spinal fluid must have been in the wine, which his soldiers had been all too happy to drink. He also pieces together that what Zeke had told them about people becoming numb on coming into contact with his spinal fluid is also a lie.

Levi is forced to make a choice

Levi is forced to make a choice

The former soldiers move more quickly and intelligently than ordinary Titans, which Levi theorizes is probably because of Zeke's influence, and he is initially taken back by their quickness and increased ferocity. Forced to fight his subordinates in order to survive, Levi ponders if his subordinates are aware of their actions, as he is surrounded by them in mid-air.

As he departs, Zeke laments their present circumstances, which cannot be properly called a battle or a war. He states to be disappointed that he and Levi never learned to trust each other, but chalks it up to them coming from different worlds and that Levi does not truly understand what it means to have the world preparing to attack Paradis Island. Zeke lets one of the Titans carry him away as he considers how his half-brother Eren Jaeger is the only person who is capable of understanding him. He wonders if Eren remembers where the two of them are supposed to meet.

Zeke hurls projectiles at Levi

Zeke hurls projectiles at Levi

However, before he can escape the forest, a bloodied and angry Levi catches up to him, now armed with Thunder Spears. Zeke uses one of his remaining Titans to attack him, but Levi slices through it. In horror to have to face Levi again, Zeke bites his hand to transform into the Beast Titan and tears apart his last remaining Titan to use pieces of its skull as ammunition to throw at Levi. Noticing that there are no more Titans around, Zeke asks Levi if he really killed all of his own men.

Levi leaps through the trees, cutting down branches far above the Beast Titan's head to use as diversion. He says that all Zeke needed to do was sit back and read, and asks him what made him think that he would not kill his own men. Levi supposes that Zeke simply has no idea how many friends the Scout Regiment has had to kill just to get where they are now. He fires his Thunder Spears into the Beast Titan's nape, severely wounding Zeke and blowing him out of his Titan entirely. Levi grabs Zeke's broken body by the head and drags him away, saying that he will not kill him yet.

In Shiganshina District, Keith Sadies prepares the 109th Cadet Corps for a practice defense against invading Titans. However, some of the trainees find this a useless exercise given that their enemies are no longer Titans, but other humans from outside the Walls. One of them whispers to his companions that they should be training to use guns and form an Eldian army. The trainee feels that their instructor is stuck in the past. Another trainee adds that their best chance is for the Jaegerists to seize power. He feels that they should want a leader willing to make cold-hearted decisions.

Floch addresses the cadets

Floch addresses the cadets

Their training exercise is then interrupted by the arrival of Floch and the Jaegerists, who are also leading a captive Hange with them. Floch points his gun at the group and says that they will now be following his orders. Keith tries to take him to task, but Floch fires a warning shot near his foot to shut him up. Floch explains that this has nothing to do with Keith personally, but calls on the Cadet Corps to join the Jaegerists. He asks them if they are willing to save Eldia and join them with Eren as their leader.

A few step forward and salute, pledging their hearts to Eldia. Floch then orders them to beat Keith until he can no longer stand, as proof of their resolve, since Keith represents the old order the Jaegerists are trying to get rid of. Anyone who does not participate will be sent to jail. Horrified, Hange tries to get him to stop, but Keith says to let it go, as he claims that the trainees will be no match for him. A short while later, Keith lies battered on the ground and Floch congratulates the Cadet Corps on a good job. He then tells Hange to lead them to Zeke, but notices that Hange is not paying attention to him.

Elsewhere, the members of the Scouts who were detained at the restaurant are waiting in prison. Inside a building with elegant windows, Eren takes a look outside.

Zeke wakes up to find himself lying gravely injured in a wagon with Levi sitting on a bench beside him. Levi tells him not to move and informs Zeke that the Thunder Spear impaled in his stomach is tied to a detonator around his neck. One wrong move and he will be blown in half. Zeke looks over his own body and vomits, and Levi almost pities him as he draws his blades.

Zeke recalls playing catch with Xaver

Zeke recalls playing catch with Xaver

He cuts off half of Zeke's foot and when Zeke screams, Levi tells him to shut up as he cuts off more chunks of his legs. Levi explains that he has to do this otherwise Zeke will turn into a Titan. In agony, Zeke asks about his now missing glasses and where they might be. Levi is unsympathetic and tells him that he no longer needs them.

As he falls unconscious, Zeke remembers when he was a boy playing catch with another Eldian, Tom Xaver. He asked Zeke if he was going to become a pitcher when he grew up. Zeke replied that he had a mission to do.

Currently Publicly Available Information

ACPAI73

Spinal Fluid Wine

A red wine produced in Marley with Zeke "Wonderboy" Jaeger's spinal fluid mixed in. After consuming Zeke's spinal fluid and hearing his "scream," Subjects of Ymir will turn into Pure Titans who obey his orders. The wine and Titans have proven to be a cheap and effective weapon to conquer enemy nations.

Characters in order of appearance

Cast

Japanese

Trivia

  • This episode originally aired on NHK General TV on March 15, 2021, but the airing was interrupted and subsequently delayed a week due to news coverage of an earthquake in Wakayama.[1]

References

  1. "Attack on Titan Episode 73 Release Delayed by Earthquake in Japan". EpicStream. Retrieved on March 14, 2021.

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