Attack on Titan The Final Season Future Memories was a delight to review, as it’s a game-changer from here on out. Whether it has been the past or the present, the reality there’s just one; the future is set, and nothing you can do to stop it. Not even Eren. He’s letting events play out the way they’re supposed to. He claims to be “free”, but it is a possibility that he is just a slave to the Attack Titan? The tragedy of Eren Yeager is that he never achieves that freedom he searches for. As Grisha says in the episode, all of their memories ( I believe he referring to the Attack Titan) have brought them there, to that cave.
Enough of that though. As the opening starts, we see a baby Eren. Zeke is taking Eren back into Grisha’s past via. the Founding Titan in order to show Eren how his father brainwashed him. The audience is convinced this isn’t true, but Zeke keeps trying to reach his bother, the only family he has left. Then, something peculiar happens: Grisha, who is half asleep, can see Zeke. This is very important as we move on because informs everything that happens. Grisha chalks it up to a dream, but Zeke, and Eren for that matter are left shocked.
Eren tells his brother that what he is doing is pointless; Eren has been like this since birth. If someone tries to take away his freedom, he’ll take away theirs. Zeke had a horrified expression during the entire thing, and Eren states that he has always been this way, something Zeke can’t seem to accept. This is all taking place during the Ackerman home arc, where her mother and father were killed and Eren saved Mikasa. The scene ended with Eren looking at his younger self up until she says “its’ warm.”
Next up we have a tread to Shiganshina in a re-creation of one of the first panels of the Manga, where Eren returns home with firewood. This is just before the walls came down. They never show the WIT Grisha looking back at Eren, thankfully, as here it is incredibly obvious that he’s talking to Adult Eren. They then traverse to the cavern in season three, the home of the First King. In order to speak to Grisha, Frieda relinquishes control to the First King. He says Elda must perish because their sins are so great. Grish argues the people of the walls know nothing of the sins of their ancestors and cannot be held responsible, but the King refuses to listen. Just before he is about to transform into a Titan, he drops the knfe. He can’ tdo it. He’s a doctor, he saves lives, not takes them. Now Zeke is confused. Eren, like the devil on his shoulders, convinces to do it. For his comrades. For Dina. For Grice. For Krueger. We move forward to avenge them, even in death, even after death. This was good enough to persuade Grisha into facing the Finding Titan and ending it…or did he?
Grisha escapes the church only to find a grown up Zeke. He tells him how much loves him and how he was such a bad father. Fort the first time, we see him call Grisha “tousan.” Zeke then sees Eren in the background and was pushed back. Zeke appears terrified of Eren, who is cold an emotionless.
This is the best episode of Attack on Titan for me, not only did it adapt my favorite manga chapter but it was even more emotional than I could imagine. The music was fantastic. The voice acting was peak. No other show has been able to hit on more cylinders as Attack on Titan. Next episode has a lot to live up to after these last three episodes, and it does slow down the pace just a bit. Regardless if they finish this with a movie or a 3rd, cour; I honestly don’t care at this point. My favorite chapter was animated and it was perfection.