This week’s episode of “Attack on Titan” already starts exceptionally strong with the name of the episode, “From You, 2,000 Years Ago,” which reflects the first episode, “To You, in 2000 Years: The Fall of Shiganshina.” The writers never fail to make every narrative loop beautifully done, but they outdid themselves with the conclusion of the titan background in this jam-packed episode.
The juxtaposition between the Eren Yeager we met at the very beginning and the Eren we know now makes the episode completely stand out from the rest. No other series has sewn every piece of the story together with no frays or flaws to be seen. The plotline taking over 10 years to consume makes the series worth watching and exceeds the expectations viewers have waited for.
In this episode, Eren is back in the Paths with Ymir, and Zeke gives her the final order of stopping the Eldian people from reproducing more titans. As Ymir walks to the coordinates, Eren violently sacrifices his thumbs to break free from the chains. Eren runs over to Ymir to stop her from carrying out Zeke’s commands, even though Zeke’s royal blood is supposed to make it impossible for her to stop.
We then see the epic credit scene and the main character of last season, Historia, reading a book with her sister Frieda. Historia asks her sister what it means to be “ladylike,” and we see Frieda point to what looked like Ymir in the book. We begin to see Ymir’s depressing development as a child.
Ymir’s village was seized and burned by a ruthless King Fritz and his army. Later on, we see the king ask who set the pigs free, and if they don’t tell, he will take one of their eyes. Everyone points at young Ymir, and she is designated “free.”
Except, being “free” meant being hunted down by his men. As Ymir tries to escape the men, bloody and weak, she goes inside a giant tree more extensive than the ones in the forest. She makes contact with a centipede-like creature that turns her into the first titan.
Ymir comes into contact with a creature that is the creator of all living things.
Photo courtesy of MAPPA
Ymir was then a slave to the king and had no dialogue throughout the episode. In an attempt to save him one last time, she sacrifices herself to a villager trying to kill the king. In the infographic between the scene, we see the vile creature as the “source of all living matter.”
After Ymir’s death, we see a haunting scene of cannibalism as the king’s daughters are forced to eat her chopped-up flesh. The daughters, Maria, Rose and Sina, are named the walls of Shiganshina after gaining the titan power. Ymir then finds herself as a child in the Paths, building the titans with the sand.
Now in the present, Eren is yelling at Ymir. The emotional manipulation behind this is heavy but understandable. Ymir had no say behind her actions or control over her powers. The entire Eldian race was built upon her acting on orders from the king. We finally see her eyes light up as Eren gives her a monologue of finally being in control.
Audiences finally see Ymir’s eyes after Eren emotionally manipulates her into giving him the Founding Titan powers.
Photo courtesy of MAPPA
Next, we see the extravagantly done transformation of Eren turning into the Founding Titan. The massive spinal structure, the walls of Shiganshina collapsing and colossal titans are marching behind Eren. It was then that Armin and Mikasa finally saw Eren as the true villain.
As gory and violent as this episode is, the eeriest part is when Eren uses the Founding Titan powers to hauntingly tell the Eldian people his true plan — to kill everyone besides his people.
Find out what happens next week on Hulu at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
