War for Paradis arc

Hange admits that they had found no solution, and questions Eren for acting alone. Eren reacts violently, explaining Hange has no power over him or Zeke, before grabbing Hange's collar, asking her what she can do. At the graveyard, Niccolo, Jean, Connie, and Mikasa talk about Sasha before meeting with her family. The Anti-Marleyan Volunteers give Titan injections to Pixis, though he has them arrested due to the current uncertainty around them. Zeke is taken to a Forest of Giant Trees to be held captive. Gabi fakes a seizure, and knocks out the investigating guard, before escaping the prison with Falco. Reiner awakes, wondering where the two children are, and Historia sits outside in a rocking chair, visibly pregnant, when a man implores her to go indoors.

Last year, while building a train track, Hange brings news that Hizuru had been unable to open up a diplomatic path. They regret other nations' unwillingness to see them in a positive light, and Mikasa suggests they should meet them face to face. Later on the train, Eren brings up the topic of finding a candidate for his Titan powers. The former 104th volunteer themselves, but Eren refuses, saying they are too special to him. In the present, Mikasa says Eren is moving forward for their sake, but the others disagree, Jean saying he put them at risk and Armin explaining they may need to have him eaten if he can not be trusted. Gabi and Falco rest by a stream, and fight over Gabi taking off her armband. They meet another young girl and before Gabi can attack her, are convinced to go to her house. In Marley, Magath briefs the Warriors of Zeke's likely betrayal. He explains that the world has banded together to form a global military alliance that will destroy Paradis Island in six months. Reiner Braun, however, believes Marley should attack immediately, to go against Zeke's expectations.

Meanwhile, Hange Zoë deals with insubordination from a number of Survey Corps soldiers who leaked sensitive information to the press. Dot Pixis believes they might have been compromised by Yelena since there was a change in Floch Forster while he was assigned to keeping an eye on her. Hange is disturbed that she finds herself in the same position that Djel Sannes had warned her about years ago. On Hange's orders, Mikasa Ackerman locks up Louise, who had become a soldier because she was inspired by Mikasa's rescue of her in the Battle of Trost District. Louise asks if Mikasa became a soldier because she was in turned saved by Eren Yeager, but Mikasa tells her to keep her mouth closed.

Mikasa joins up with Armin to request permission to visit Eren from Zackly. He denies them, due to believing Eren is under Zeke's control. Shortly after leaving, an explosion occurs in Zackly's office, killing the Commander-in-Chief and three others. Later that night, the military branches meet to discuss the developments, when a soldier rushes in and tells them that Eren had escaped. On a mountain path, Eren assembles with his Survey Corps followers, who had orchestrated Zackly's assassination. Eren tells the group that they are to locate Zeke. The next morning, while the Corps ride out, Pieck sits reading a paper, having successfully infiltrated the Walls.

Hange takes the remaining members of the 104th with her to investigate a restaurant after noting the line of work taken up by many of the Marleyan prisoners of war. The Blouse family arrives at that same restaurant, where Niccolo now works. Midway through their meal, Falco Grice and Gabi Braun reveal their identities to him, as Gabi tries to warn him of the upcoming Marleyan invasion. However, she admits to killing Sasha Blouse, causing Niccolo to attack her in grief. Falco protects her, taking the blow of a wine bottle that breaks over his head. Sasha's father manages to talk everyone down, realizing that both sides have lost people they cared about. Defeated, Niccolo asks Hange to wash out the unconscious Falco's mouth, because he suspects the wine has Zeke's spinal fluid in it.

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 Bertolt Hoover's memories, and Mikasa for her Ackerman heritage. He explains that the Ackermans were designed to protect Eldia's Kings, and as a result, the family instinctively protects one they recognize as their host. 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 Ackerman is informed about Darius Zackly's death, and tells the courier to let Pixis 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.

Floch Forster and the Yeagerists bring Hange along with them to Keith Shadis, in order to seize control of the Training Corps. Through a speech and threats of imprisonment to those who do not comply, Floch convinces the trainees to join their cause and beat Shadis up for representing the old system that will lead to Eldia's defeat. On a wagon, Zeke wakes up to find himself trapped with a Thunder Spear in his stomach connected with a wire to his neck. Levi begins to chop Zeke's feet to prevent him from turning into a Titan. In intense agony, Zeke asks where his glasses are, beginning to have a memory of Tom Ksaver as he slips back into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Yelena has Dot Pixis and other dissenting members of the military assembled in Shiganshina District. Eren goes to meet with the imprisoned Gabi Braun, to have her send out a distress call to Marley in exchange for saving Falco Grice. However, a disguised Pieck stabs the prison guard and pulls a pistol out, pointing it at Eren.

Eren accepts Pieck's offer, and the latter takes Eren and Yelena to the roof of the prison. However, it turns out to be a ruse to lure Eren outside so Porco Galliard can attempt to eat him. Galliard is unable to do more than sever Eren's legs though, before Eren transforms into his Titan. Overhead, an airship fleet led by Theo Magath appears and identifies the smoke signal from Pieck and Galliard, announcing that they have located the Founding Titan.

Reiner and Galliard have a hard time subduing Eren, who manages to keep them at bay using the War Hammer Titan's abilities. Eventually, the tide turns with Pieck and Magath coming to their aid with the Cart Titan's artillery. Just after Reiner unsuccessfully attempts to bite Eren's nape, he is struck by debris from the Wall thrown by Zeke's Beast Titan, who tells Eren to leave the rest in his hands.

However, this does not stop Zeke from using his scream to transform Falco and all the affected members of the Eldian military into Titans. Falco's Titan attacks Reiner Braun on Zeke's orders, buying Eren time to get free. Reiner believes it would be all right to allow Falco to inherit his Armored Titan, but Galliard emerges from his Titan and sacrifices himself instead. Eren escapes from Reiner, but is then shot by a tearful Gabi Braun.

However, Zeke is not bound by the vow to renounce war, and Ymir only responds to someone of royal blood. Eren is just a key so Zeke can unlock the Founding Titan's power. Though disappointed in Eren, Zeke chooses to blame their father Grisha for brainwashing him and resolves to save Eren by forcing him to witness their father's memories. Contrary to Zeke's expectations though, he discovers that Grisha was willing to set aside his mission to retake the Founder in favor of staying with his family. Not only that, but Zeke learns that Grisha never stopped thinking about him.

The connection breaks between Zeke and Eren in the present, and Zeke is shocked that Eren manipulated the stealing of the Founding Titan, which was only possible because Zeke took him into Grisha's memories. However, he realizes that Eren cannot see everything, because he did not know that he would be unable to command the Founder inside the paths, so he commands Ymir to remove the ability for all Subjects of Ymir to reproduce.

In the present, Eren Yeager calls out to Ymir, saying that she does not have to be a slave and obey Zeke's orders. She has the ability to choose. He believes she is the one who led him here, and that she has been waiting for 2,000 years. Though Zeke tries to stop them, Ymir hears Eren and lifts her head in tears. Outside of the paths, Wall Maria shatters, revealing the multitude of Colossus Titans inside.

Back in the present, Eren has unleashed all of the Titans of the Walls. Armin Arlert realizes it is far more than needed if Eren's only intent is repelling the current invasion. Mikasa Ackerman wonders if Eren has always been this way and they never noticed, or if there was something different they could have done or she could have said to avoid coming to this moment. Using the power of the Founding Titan, Eren announces his intention to kill everyone in the outside world in order to protect the people of Paradis.

Meanwhile, Connie Springer abducts Falco to feed to his mother to make her human again, leaving Jean Kirstein, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert to handle the newly formed Pure Titans, which have moved on to killing Eldian soldiers after they finished with the Marleyan ones. With assistance from a newly freed Keith Shadis they succeed in gathering all the Pure Titans together at the top of the fort in the middle of town and annihilating them with Thunder Spears. Floch Forster returns to restrain Yelena and the other Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. Inside the fort, Armin meets up with Gabi, who lets him know that the Founding Titan undid the hardening on the Armored Titan at the same time as the Walls came down. Armin realizes that this means Annie Leonhart is now free as well.

In Shiganshina District, others deal with the aftermath of the battle. Keith Shadis tries to convince the trainees to side with the Yeagerists until they have the opportunity to rise up, Armin Arlert leaves with Gabi Braun in hopes of saving Falco Grice from being fed to Connie Springer's mother, and Floch Forster has the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers imprisoned so they can contemplate whether or not to help the Eldians of Paradis Island. Outside the city, Pieck and Theo Magath are approached by Hange Zoë.