REVIEW: ‘Attack on Titan: The Last Attack’ Is A Great Ending That Took Too Long

Attack on Titan has been a renowned entertainment force in anime and manga for over ten years. From the series’ gripping storytelling to its morally complex characters, the series has attracted fans with a unique story that has stood out amongst other anime. The Last Attack is produced by MAPPA and directed by Jun Shishido and Yuichiro Hayashi. It is based on the renowned manga series by Hajime Isayama and published through Kodansha.

Attack on Titan: The Last Attack combines both specials from Attack on Titan: Final Season, THE FINAL CHAPTERS into one 145-minute feature film. In The Last Attack, Eren (Yūki Kaji) has set his catastrophic plan to annihilate the world into motion. As he makes his way to Marley, Eren, his army of titans decimates every living thing in their path. Eren’s deadly crusade forces his friends and comrades to take action against him if they hope to save what is left of the world beyond Paridis Island.

This movie should have existed from the beginning. Instead, fans endured an unnecessarily drawn-out finale stretched across two-plus years, with the anime dividing the ending into separate parts. The film could and should have been a seamless and emotionally charged conclusion from the beginning. Given how popular and beloved the series is to millions of fans, they would have waited another two years for this film. Instead, the film and series conclusion is frustratingly dragged out and milked for all it was worth, even after its first conclusion.

The Last Attack’s cinematic adaptation proves that this story was made to be a movie. The emotional payoff for the conclusion of Attack on Titan would have been more satisfying and worth waiting to watch as a film in a theater, mainly regarding the intense, fast-paced action scenes.

The scale of Attack on Titan gets amplified in its movie format.

The film’s cinematic format is beautiful, with its sound design and elevated animation helping to wrap audiences in the thrilling story. For example, the sound and visuals expertly capture the massive scale of destruction caused by Eren and the Rumbling Titans. Every step the Titans take wipes out any life beneath their feet; that gruesome detail is shown from various perspectives.

As far as the main plot goes, there is little to no difference between The Last Attack and The Final Chapters’ specials. Dedicated fans of the series may get the most enjoyment from watching this film if they want to rewatch the series finale as one complete piece. Although most of the film’s storyline does not drastically deviate or change, there is one new addition in the form of a surprise post-credits scene. Spoilers ahead for The Last Attack.

The post-credits scene reimagines teenage Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and other characters in cameoed appearances as reincarnations in the modern world. In the scene, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin have just seen the same movie as the audience and discuss their feelings on how the story ends. The character’s dialogue sounds very meta and carries a self-aware tone, making it clear that the creator, Hajime Isayama, pulled inspiration from his fans’ feelings toward his series’ conclusion.

The Last Attack transcends the restraints of the original story’s ending. 

This new addition to the film opens up possibilities and a few more questions to the lore. Even suggesting the idea of a sequel could potentially happen. The scenes also offer a more satisfying ending to Armin, Eren, and Mikasa’s stories, bringing a little more closure to their character arcs and the series.

This offers a fresh perspective on their bond and how it transcends the restraints of the original story’s ending. Thus, fans have a second chance to bid their beloved characters farewell on better terms. It is beautiful to see a version of these characters who endured so much pain, violence, and sacrifice to find peace and finally be together again in another life.

Attack on Titan: The Last Attack offers an engaging cinematic experience by presenting the original finale specials as one theatrical piece. However, for fans who have already seen the Final Chapters’ specials, it may not feel essential to watch in theaters after all this time. Ultimately, the film’s biggest flaw is how long it took to get in this format. Nonetheless, longtime fans may still appreciate revisiting the series’ tragic yet beautiful themes of freedom, sacrifice, and cycles of violence on the big screen. The best highlight of the film is the post-credits scene, which offers excellent emotional payoff.

Attack on Titan: The Last Attack comes to North American theaters on February 10.