What Changes Did The AOT Anime Finale Make?

Attack on Titan‘s finale was a big deal both for the anime and manga when it was originally released in 2021. Considering the original manga’s ending was quite controversial, fans were restless to see how the anime might change or fix that ending, especially given how closely AOT‘s mangaka, Hajime Isayama, has been known to work with the team at adapting the material.

The anime’s final episode begins at the very end of Attack on Titan Volume 33, leading into the final chapter. While the anime has always followed the manga faithfully, there are still some parts that have been added or adjusted to better tell the story that Hajime Isayama always wanted to tell. In that sense, the anime could be viewed as Isayama’s definitive vision for the series, with the changes made to the show from the manga indicating how his view of the story changed in retrospect after it was fully completed in manga form.

Updated by Brett Cardaro, Feb 27, 2024: Attack On Titan’s anime may be firmly in the rearview, but that hasn’t stopped fans from talking about and speculating on the series’ infamously controversial ending. A major talking point regarding the finale is how the anime changes the manga’s ending, either for better or worse. In order to better help facilitate those discussions, this article has been updated to include more information about the changes between the manga and the anime’s epic finale.

10 The Destruction Caused By The Titans Is Embellished Upon

Manga Chapter 135: “The Battle of Heaven and Earth”

There is an anime-only scene that further depicts the destruction that the Rumbling causes to humanity across the globe. While this was more or less implied through dialogue and some scenes in the manga, the anime is much more in-depth with an additional scene dedicated to showing the Titans trampling on monuments, cities, and people.

It’s a gruesome scene, but powerful in expressing the true terror that Eren has committed. When considering the scene that it’s leading up to with Zeke and Armin meeting in the Paths, this added destruction only provides greater context to the horrors occurring apart from the battle on Eren’s back.

9 Armin Can’t Handle The True Extent Of Eren’s Evil

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

In the manga, Eren and Armin have a brief exchange that was changed in the anime to result in interesting consequences. Armin inquires as to how he and the others are supposed to defend Paradis from further retaliation after the dust settles. Eren responds that Marley won’t be able to retaliate immediately because “the Rumbling will kill eighty percent of humanity.”

In the anime, this detail isn’t revealed until slightly later, and Armin acts much more shocked and angry at the reveal. It’s ultimately a good change that is more in line with Armin’s personality. Though Armin is understanding and caring, he also has a strong sense of justice, this change in the anime serves to demonstrate better than the manga did.

8 Eren’s Likability In The Anime

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

In the manga, it’s perhaps harder to tell just how pathetic Eren is than it is in animation. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that his extended crying scenes and inability to react as Armin berates him make Eren look a bit more childish and weak in the anime adaptation.

That ultimately makes sense though, considering how Eren expresses his inability to differentiate the future from the past at this point due to Ymir’s influence. Eren is quite literally a man-child, and that immaturity is at odds with his overwhelming power and influence on the fate of the world. The true show of this change is when Eren admits to Armin that he’s just “a garden variety idiot who got his hands on power.”

7 The Group’s Safety In Paradis Was Left Up In The Air

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

After the Rumbling is stopped, the story skips ahead to a moment where Armin, Annie, and the others are on a boat to Paradis to lead a peace discussion. They talk about how they’re likely to be sunk in the water before they even get there, but that it’s still worth it to try either way.

In the manga, however, the group gives a bit more of a reason as to why they think they’ll be safe. Namely, that they’re under Historia’s protection. Removing this line does add more of a sense of danger to their decision in the anime – whether it’s actually necessary could be debated.

6 The Orders Of Some Scenes Were Altered

Manga Chapter 135: “The Battle of Heaven and Earth”

While the anime adaptation is very close to the manga, it’s not a scene-for-scene copy. Some scenes are added to, while others have the entire sequence of events altered.

Changes such as these often serve to add a sense of emotion to powerful moments, or simply to break up some of the more dialogue-heavy segments to continue the intense action that is characteristic of the final battle between Armin and Mikasa’s group and the Attack Titan. For example, a brief exchange of Marleyan soldiers recognizing the Scouts fighting on Eren’s back occurs slightly later in the anime than it does in the manga, which helps with the pacing of the scene overall.

5 The Action Was Greatly Expanded On

Manga Chapters 135 – 139

As in all great anime adaptations, most of the action sequences from the manga were expanded on and embellished. The most iconic shots from the manga were still largely retained to deliver the same emotion of the original, but the details were definitely shown and fleshed out much more fully.

Notable among these are Levi’s action scenes, which the anime has always done a great job of translating into animation. Similarly, the final one-on-one fight between Eren and Armin was lengthened, making it all the more emotional in the process.

4 Levi And The Others Rebuild After The War

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

At the end of the manga, Levi, Falco, and Gabbi are shown walking together in a bustling city in an undisclosed place. Falco and Gabbi push Levi through the city in a wheelchair, and the dialogue during the scene seems to indicate that perhaps this could be a future version of Paradis, though that’s not entirely certain.

In the anime, however, this was changed to display a scene of Levi handing out supplies to children while Gabbi and Falco are shown working together on a farm. This gives things more of a sense that the people are still working hard to rebuild after everything they went through, and that’s going to take time.

3 Eren And Armin’s Final Words

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

Some of the biggest changes made between AOT‘s manga and the anime come during Armin and Eren’s pivotal scene following Eren’s death. Perhaps the biggest change occurs at the end of the sequence after Eren reveals the extent of the devastation he caused. In the manga, the sequence is much shorter, but in the anime, Eren and Armin take time to flesh out the feelings and motivations behind the entire situation.

Not only does the dynamic between the two change in this scene, but even the scenery itself is jarringly different. The two stand together in a river of blood, as Eren laments about how much of an idiot he’s been. In the end, though, Armin still tells Eren, “we did this,” in acknowledgment of the part that he also played in the war.

2 Historia’s Perspective Switch

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

In the original manga ending, Historia’s monologue seems to hint at a much darker and more nihilistic tone than the anime does. She declares that “this fight will not end until either Eldia or the world disappears. That is what Eren said, and perhaps he was right.”

This is a far cry from the sentiment she expresses in the anime, in which she states “this isn’t the life he wished for us.” As small as this simple line change is, it has a profound impact on the closing narrative and what it expresses about the lessons the characters learned as survivors of the Rumbling.

1 The Future Of Paradis

Manga Chapter 139: “Toward the Tree on That Hill”

In the manga, the hint at a future society developing only to be destroyed in the future is shown, but not to quite the same extent as in the anime. This version shows an extremely futuristic society far beyond what was shown in the manga.

Additionally, a boy and his dog are both shown visiting the great tree at the end of the manga, though whether he actually ventures within it is only hinted at. In the anime however, he is directly shown walking into the opening at the base of the tree, finally confirming the fears that fans had for the two years since the manga’s initial ending. In short, this is a definitive confirmation that the cycle of the Titan is truly destined to repeat.