Attack on Titan: Final Season, Part 1 – The Ultimate Recap

Attack on Titan has won the best anime of the year in the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2022. With its mind-blowing storyline, unforgettable characters and morally grey themes, Shingeki no Kyojin remains undefeatable when it comes to serving peak anime fiction.

With the new episodes of Final Season Part 3 currently airing for the otakus, we thought of giving the AOT noobs a quick summary of the Final Season Part 1. We will start with an overall, highly-summarized version of the recap before delving deeper into each episode.

Final Season Part 1: Eldia VS Marley War Arc

Isayama nailed the Attack on Titan story by adding the Eldia Vs. Marley War Arc in Final Season Part 1. The story follows Marley’s dominance over its enemies using child warriors, pure titans, and titan shifters. Marley uses the Eldian race by mistreating and manipulating them to become honorary Marleyan by proving themselves on the battlefield. This arc shows how Paradis and Marley are the same and how many innocent people suffer from this war of ideology and race.

On the other hand, the Season showcases Eren’s epic disguises as an s former Eldian-Marleyan soldier living in Marley, where he manipulates Falco to get to Reiner and successfully calls Survey Corp to the Marleyan Land. Eren then gains the War Hammer Titan from Lara Tyber, killing her brother Willy Tyber. Final Season’s Part 1 also shows the inception of multiple movements, such as Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, Yeagrists, Survey Corp, and Eldian Restoration, along with Zeke’s ultimate plan of Euthanization.

Episodic Recap

Now that we’ve seen what happens in Part 1 through the major story beats, it’s time to take a deeper dive. For Otakus who would like to have an in-depth episodic recap of Attack on Titan Final Season Part 1, make sure to read till the end to find some of the most exciting story arcs in the Final Season:

Episode 1 (The Other Side of The Sea)

The final season’s opening showcases some random kids on the battlefield against the Middle East. Later we learn that years have passed after the events of season 3 and that the Middle East has declared war against Marley.

Marley sends child soldiers, basically Eldians, to sabotage the Middle East defence to bring them down with their Titan Shifters. We are introduced to a new flock of warrior candidates, Falco and Gabi, in the line to inherit the Beast and Armour titans.

Gabi takes blows at an Armored Train with the help of anti-vehicle grenades and allows “Porco Gallier” & “Pieck Finger“, the new Jaws and Cart Titans, to defeat the Middle Eastern Forces. Marley later uses zeppelins to drop Eldians injected with Zeke’s spine fluid on the Middle Eastern forces as a “Pure Titan” weapon. This kills hundreds of soldiers and gives Marley a winning against its enemies on the battleground.

Episode 2 (Midnight Train)

Episode 2 starts with a meeting between Zeke and the top-ranked Marleyan officials to discuss their missions further. From there, Zeke presents them with his plan to retake the Founding Titan from Eren Yeager. Something extremely important to sustain Marleyan Dominance amid the threats of “Anti Titan” Technology prevailing in neighboring states. 

Over the past 3 years, all ships sent to Paradis have all taken down by the survey corps. As two of the nine titans are controlled by Eren, The Marleyan government agrees to put their faith in Zeke’s plans. On the other hand, this episode sheds light on life within the internment zone and how the warrior candidates are selected to fight for Marley against their own people.

Gabi is praised by many due to her bravery on the battleground. At the same time, Falco shares his feeling with Reiner that he doesn’t want Gabi to inherit the Armour Titan for her own safety. Reiner confronts Falco and encourages him to do his best to inherit the Armour Titan.

Later, Gabi tells her war stories to her family. At the same time, Reiner shares his time on Paradis Island as a nightmare, prompting horror on his family’s faces and on other listens. The next day, Marley uses the Tyber family, an elite family and the home of “War Hammer Titan“, against Survey Corp and Paradis Island.

Episode 3 (The Door of Hope)

Episode 3 gives a sneak peek into the past of Reiner, where he tries his best to become an honorary warrior candidate and how he was treated horribly by people around him. He then inherits the Armour Titan defeating Porco Gallier, who later becomes the Jaws Titan. He and his team members, Annie, Marcel, and Bertholdt are sent by Magath to Paradis Island to retake the Founding and the Attack Titan from Grisha Yeager.

As they reach the Paradis Island, during their mission, Marcel loses his life by accident when a pure titan (Ymir) eats him alive. After this accident, Annie suggests her team members to return to Marley, But Reiner takes this failure as a motivation to push his mission forward without Marcel.

The team later infiltrate the walls and Survey Corps as a way to spot the founding titan and retake the Attack Titan from Grisha Yeager. Recalling his dreadful past, Reiner tries to commit suicide but stops after he realizes that Falco is outside the window. He dedicates his remaining life to Falco and other warrior candidates. Falco is then revealed to be meeting with a former Eldian soldier. Who, in reality, turns out to be Eren Yeager infiltrating Marley under the disguise of a former Eldian soldier named Kruger.

Eren Yeager under his disguise requests Falco to deliver a letter outside the Internment Zone. The next scene from there showcases a meeting between Eren and his grandfather, revealing Mr. Yeager going through serious mental health issues and is not in his right mind.

Episode 4 (From One Hand to Another)

In Episode for, the commander of Marleyan Forces, Mr. Magath, meets the head of the Tyber family, Willy Tyber. We see them agreeing to an alliance that hopefully ends the Marley Vs Eldia War. Willy Tyber then gives a speech and tries to give his guests the best time by putting a play on the History of Marley. During the play, Falco brings Reiner to the basement to meet “Kruger” (Eren). Reiner realizes who Kruger is and is forced to sit down and talk with him due to a dire state.

On the other, Willy Tyber and his family showcase how a made-up character “Helos” played a vital role in ending the tyranny of King Fritz. However, in reality, both Fritz and Tyber’s family made a deal that if peace is unable to keep by Marely, the wall titans will be realized. We see Pieck Finger and Porco are led by Yelena and trapped in a pit hole.

Episode 5 (Declaration of War)

Willy Tyber announces war has started, and it’s all because of an Eldian man, “Eren Yeager”. He tries to convince people that Eren is behind all the disputes and crimes happening against the Eldian race and that he is a threat to humanity. Willy Tyber declares Eren Yeager a devil who openly opposes the deal between King Fritz and Tybers to restore peace.

While in the basement, Eren tells Reiner and Falco how Paradis and Marley are identical. Eren tries to tell Reiner that they are identical but have different upbringings. Reiner then begs Eren not to take drastic measures to harm the people he cares for.

Reiner begs forgiveness for what he has done to Eren and requests he kills him instead of the people close to him. But nothing matters to Eren now, as he has come way too far in attaining what he wants. Eren transforms into Attack titan, killing hundreds of innocent people along with Willy Tyber.

Episode 6 (The War Hammer Titan)

Willy Tyber knew all about the threats his declaration of war poses and how he could lose his life. He planned with Magath that he would become a martyr. On the other hand, Eren kills several Marleyan Generals and Sofia by flying debris.

Later Udo is crushed to death by people running away from the founding titan. Both Gabi and Falco recover Udo and takes him to the hospital, where he is declared dead. Enraged by this, Gabi returns to the horrific site to find more Eldian soldiers who died because of Eren.

While Eren continues his attacks, Lara Tyber transforms into the War hammer Titan. Still, she is quickly attacked by Eren only to get the upper hand on him. Lara showcases her incredible war hammer titan powers by creating objects and using hardening powers to defeat her enemies.

During this battle, Peick and Porco are rescued by the Pit hole by Pieck’s Cart Titan Infantry. Lara Tyber gives a tough time to Eren, and when going for the final blow, Mikasa, along with the Survey Corps, arrives to bail out their teammate.

The Survey Corps used a thunder spear and their 300 gears, immediately threatening the Marleyan forces. Eren figures out how Lara controls her Titan and detaches her from her Titan form. Lara then transforms into a crystal, like Annie with her Hardening Abilities.

Episode 7 (Assault)

As all this happens, the Beast Titan arrives and starts fighting the invading Paradis forces. On the other hand, Riener attempts to save Falco by creating a safe pod-like structure and goes into a coma. Falco returns to Magath and Gabi, only to find himself in chaos.

Armin uses a boat and transforms into his Colossal Titan form for the first time, killing hundreds of people with his nuclear transformation. His transformation destroys the Marleyan Navy cutting the support of Marleyan forces.

Seizing this opportunity, Levi takes down the Beast Titan, enabling Sasha and Jean to take down the Cart Titan. However, Falco comes and saves Pieck from dying. Porco tries to attack the Survey Corps zeppelin, only to get attacked by the Survey Corps members and later used as a nutcracker by Eren.

Episode 8 (Assassin’s Bullet)

Eren uses Porco to shatter the hardening of Lara Tyber and swallow her, gaining the abilities of War Hammer Titan. Gabi and Falco cry for Reiner to save them from Eren, only to bring Reiner back from his induced Coma like state.

Eren then chooses to escape, leaving the fight unfinished. Gabi still chases the zeppelin to seek revenge and shoots Sasha. This leads to the capture of both Falco and Gabi by the Survey Corps.

Episode 9 (Brave Volunteers)

Three years before the current fight between Marley and Paradis, Marley sent several ships which were captured by the Survey Corps. This showcase that many within the Marley forces are Anti Marlyan Volunteers. Both Onyankopon and Yelena are one of them. Yelena is a supporter of Zeke and finds support in him. She is a firm believer in Anti Marleyan Movement.

Episode 10 (A Sound Argument)

Kiyomi comes to negotiate with the people of Paradis Island at the recommendation of Zeke, and we get to know about Miaksa’s Crest. Later, Kiyomi suggests a test of Rumbling and Zeke’s beast titan, which continues to pass down to Royal Blood every thirteen years, making Historia the first in line.

Episode 11 (Deceiver)

Gabi and Falco run from the prison cell and reach a village where they meet a young girl named Kaya. They keep their real identities hidden. Kaya and Gabi discuss Eldia and their past sins and how Marley is exploiting the Eldians.

Episode 12 (Guides) & Episode 13 (Children of Forests)

Yelena meets Eren and discusses their mission against Marley. Her team meets are seen not to have any clue of what she was planning. Armin and Hitch meet Zacery, and they witness that Zacary was murdered by the Yeagrists.

The new group of Yeagrists takes Eren as their sole leader and frees him from the prison. In the forest, we get to know Zeke elaborates on how Marley made a new weapon by mixing his spinal fluid in the gas to transform people into pure titans. He did this exam scene and mixed his spin fluid in the wine given to the Paradis forces. Later Falco accidentally consumes the spin fluid wine generating a new fear in Gabi.

Episode 14 (Savagery) & Episode 15 (Sole Salvation)

Eren confronts Armin that he has feelings for Annie because every titan shifter carries the memories of the previous candidate. After a brief fight between the friends, Eren takes them to Shingashina, where he plans to meet Zeke to put his plan forward.

While all this happens, Levi is fighting all the pure titans whom Zeke transformed and takes over Zeke in the forest. Zeke then uses a thunder spear to blow Levi and his cart. This leads us to his past and how he was mistreated by his parents. Zeke then reports his parents, who ran an Eldian restoration campaign, and how he planned to euthanize the Eldian race to set the world free from the Eldian curse.

Episode 16 (Above & Below)

Eren and Peick come face to face while Porco tries to take over Eren. On the other hand, Reiner is seen in the skies of Paradis Island along with the Marleyan forces to rescue Gabi, Falco and his teammates. This leads us to the ending of Attack on Titan Final Season Part 1 on a cliffhanger.

Bottom Line

Season 4 is by far the highest-grossing season of Attack on Titan due to the intense drama and storyline. The Final seasons showcase that the technologically advanced nation of Marley is the main antagonists in the anime and how they have threatened the Eldian race for hundreds of years. With the bittersweet story arc, the heartwarming characters, and some unforgettable moments, Season 4 Part 1 is an excellent arc to watch, especially if you are new to the anime sphere and looking for peak anime fiction.

If you want to catch up on Part 2 of the season as well, make sure to check out our similarly-detailed recap on it before Part 3 airs!