Top 10 Times Attack on Titan Went Too Far

Top 10 Times Attack on Titan Went Too Far

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Times Attack on Titan Went Too Far. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most brutal moments where this anime crossed the line. So, be warned, there are some colossal spoilers ahead. Did we miss any gruesome scenes? Let us know in the comments below!

#10: Attack of the Titan

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He may turn into a Titan, but Eren Yeager was the undisputed hope for humanity. Emphasis on “was.” The introduction of Marley, and the battles that took place there, severely muddied Eren’s noble quest for vengeance. Sure, he still fought for what he believed in, but it’s a lot harder to justify the bloodshed when it’s from innocent civilians. Not that Eren seemed to care too much about the Marleyan population. The Warhammer Titan appeared to be the only thing on his mind, all his victims be damned. In fact, by killing so many in the name of his own ideals, Eren became no different from the very Titans he once swore to defeat.

#9: Death in the Family

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Grisha Yeager’s story is defined by suffering and vengeance. The catch is that it isn’t just his own. After being caught outside the walls as children, Grisha admirably accepted the punishment for both him and his sister. What he didn’t realize was that, by sending Faye back with a soldier, he was subjecting her to a much worse fate. No matter how much Grisha got roughed up, unlike Faye, he still made it home alive. Even in a show with man-eating monsters, watching an innocent girl be thrown to the dogs has got to be one the most stomach-churning deaths out there. No wonder Grisha has a bone to pick with the Marleyans.

The Scouts are out, Titans are swarming Trost, and the military is completely overwhelmed. But, thankfully, there’s a fresh batch of new recruits ready to kick some Titan tail. So, after a rousing monologue from Eren, the team swoops into battle ready to save the day - only to immediately be torn to shreds. To be fair, the show needed a few grisly setpieces to sell the Titans’ menace. But, offing an entire squad of hopeful rookies gets the point across a bit too well. Especially considering this massacre comes just a few episodes into the first season, the insane death tally can feel like a bit much.

Years ago, Hannes was unable to save Carla Yeager from the Titans. So, in the present day, he resolved himself to rescue her son, instead. On paper, seeing Hannes face his demons should be heartwarming. But it’s hard to think of it that way when it comes in the form of such a bloody demise. In the end, Hannes’ sacrifice only buys Eren and Mikasa a few more moments of peace. And, worst of all, Eren spends all that time trying and failing to activate his Titan powers. So, while Hannes’ death is as admirable as it comes, the only thing it really accomplishes is giving Eren yet another person to fight for.

#6: Childhood Nightmare

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At a very young age, Mikasa learned that the scariest villains of all aren’t the Titans. It’s the people who look just like her. So, after seeing her slice-and-dice monsters as a teenager, it’s deeply tragic to realize Mikasa was a meek, normal child growing up. But, with both her and Eren’s lives in the balance, she had no choice but to pick up a knife. The direction and voice acting completely sell the weight of this choice, and most importantly, how integral it is to Mikasa’s character. After all, it’s only because she fought for herself back then that she can do the same now. That doesn’t make it any less brutal, though.

Death on the battlefield is an unfortunately common fate for soldiers on the front lines. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Marco didn’t die at the hands of the Titans alone. Instead, his only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. After overhearing the truth about Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie, they’re left with no choice but to serve him up as the Titans’ next meal. His screams of terror are so haunting that even the undercover spies can’t help but feel a little bit remorseful. Although, perhaps the most disturbing part of the whole thing is that Marco died without ever truly knowing why his comrades killed him.

It’s poetic that the only way to inherit a Titan’s powers is to eat them the way they eat everyone else. And yet, somehow, Fritz found a way to make that fate even more horrifying. When the original Ymir gave up her life to save him, the King decided their children should carry on her legacy - and her powers. Without getting into the gory details, let’s just say it’s a small mercy the anime doesn’t linger on it for too long. The grotesque sound effects get the point across plenty well, anyways. In the end, it’s a gross understatement to say Ymir’s children took after her in more ways than one.

#3: Beast Mode

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In order to protect his squad, Mike Zacharius successfully fended off an entire gang of Titans all on his own. If it weren't the presence of a certain beastly variant, he might’ve even survived, too. Unfortunately, the shock of hearing a Titan speak left him too stunned to fight back. And, by the time he gathered his courage, the other monsters were already upon him. The fact that the Beast Titan specifically stole his gear just makes Mike’s dismemberment feel particularly barbaric. He wasn’t even given a chance to fight back. In his final moments, all he could do was scream, wait, and pray.

“Attack on Titan” isn’t shy about killing off characters. But, even compared to the mountain of bodies that came before, none of them hit quite as deep as Sasha’s abrupt end. The potato-stealing heroine remained optimistic and hungry through some of the series’ darkest moments. So, after everything she’d been through, killing her off with an unceremonious sniper shot felt unnecessarily cruel. Sasha deserved to go out fighting. Or, at the very least, gotten to stuff her face full in a last meal. But, since her final words were about meat, there’s solace in the fact that Sasha was still Sasha until the very end.

#1: End of the Reiss Family Tree

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The only crime Frieda Reiss and her siblings committed was being born into the wrong family. Sadly, in Grisha’s eyes, their very existence is punishable by death. So, playing judge, jury, and executioner, he personally enforced their sentence. No matter Grisha’s motive, his appalling lack of mercy to even women and children make it impossible to ever view him, or “Attack on Titan,” the same. If anything, this bloodbath only brings up some serious concerns about Grisha’s ideals. Like, if this is the cost of his new world, how is it any better than the one they’re currently in? Sadly this all could've been avoided if not for Eren pushing his father into committing the act.