On Nov. 4, 2023, “Attack on Titan” ( AOT), one of the most popular anime series of all time, released the final episode to the series, bringing an end to the show that has been around for over 10 years. But was the final season of the anime everything fans hoped for? Or was it an underwhelming end to this beloved anime?

“Attack on Titan,” based on the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama, follows the life of a young boy named Eren Yeager, set in a world where humankind is on the brink of extinction and the last people are forced to live within gigantic walls to protect them from enormous human eating monsters called titans. Eren’s life is uprooted when a titan destroys his village, killing his mother and leaving him with nothing, setting him on a mission to wipe out the titans and restore humanity. 

 “Attack on Titan” debuted the first episode in 2013 and quickly grew in its viewership and fanbase, due to the show’s heavy themes of morality, death, and war, dealing with these heavy and thought-provoking subjects in an entertaining way. The show’s animation also played a huge role in its success, being very visually engaging to watch, causing “Attack on Titan” to appeal to a broad spectrum of people, and creating a community with a cult-like following.  

The final episode of “Attack On Titan” mirrored the popularity of the show. The last episode was 86 minutes, the longest runtime for an episode in the show’s history, which still found ways to shock and awe viewers.  The final episode wraps up many loose ends of the show explaining the origins of the Titans along with how all the characters are interconnected. One fan of the show, senior Jacob Ngo said, “I have watched this show since 5th grade, I thought the last episode was amazing, however, I will miss it.” 

Ultimately The last episode left fans satisfied, and contemplating the complex themes scattered throughout the series, as well as the price of freedom. The ending perfectly sums up the message of the show and leaves many viewers pondering the profound themes throughout the show, and how much this fictional story of Eren reflects our world and the lives many people live in it today.