broke down Wall Maria and changed the lives of Eren, Armin, and Mikasa forever, and they've come much closer to understanding where the Titans came from and what their endgame is -- though they still have ways to go before they can actually defeat them.
one more season. So, what can anime fans expect before the show reaches its end?
A Time Skip
Fans of the Attack on Titan manga know that the story jumps several years into the future following the recent fight at Shinganshina District. From the looks of it, the fourth season of the anime will be sticking to this script. The trailer shows an older-looking Eren, as well as Reiner with a beard, so it seems the time skip is definitely happening -- and that means the events that follow will likely be the same, too.
Given that season four has a lot to cram into just 20-something more episodes, it makes sense the anime would include the manga's time jump. Otherwise, the level of progress the Survey Corps has made just wouldn't add up.
A Change Of Perspective
Along with the time skip, Attack on Titan's manga shifts to Marley temporarily, giving readers the perspective of Reiner and his comrades. The trailer for season four hints that fans will meet Reiner's friends, family, and successor in the episodes. Basically, they can expect to understand those living in Marley a bit better before the anime ends.
Given that there's a lot of manga to fit into one short season of anime, it's unclear if season four will spend as much time in Marley as the manga does. Still, the trailer confirms that viewers will meet the Eldians living there and catch up with Reiner when he returns home.
New Characters
Given the shift in perspective, fans can expect to meet new characters during season four of Attack on Titan, something the trailer has already teased. Reiner's cousin, Gabi, and her friends are probably the most notable new faces that will the fray during the last season. These kids are living in Marley's Eldian internment zone, and they're training to become the next generation of Titan warriors.
It'll be interesting to see how this younger generation plays into the anime's conclusion, and whether or not they'll wind up with a better world than the one Eren and Reiner were born into.
A Bigger World
Speaking of the Attack on Titan world, the end of the third season opened things up considerably, introducing fans to the concept of Marley and Eldia, and also showing Eren and his friends going further beyond the walls than they ever had before.
Manga readers know that this is just the beginning of this world's expansion, and if the anime follows in the source material's footsteps, the setting is about to get even larger as viewers head into the final episodes. It's going to be quite a lot to take in.
All-Out War
When the next arc of Attack on Titan picks up, Eldia and Marley are fully at war, and several battles have taken place over the course of the time skip. It's not just Survey Corps missions to keep Eren away from Bertolt and Reiner anymore; things have advanced, and technology has improved as well.
Fans heading into season four can expect the characters to be hardened and prepared to fight a war when we see them again. They can also anticipate a far less helpless Eldia. With the Scouts and Historia leading the way, the civilization behind the walls has progressed enough that it'll make a formidable enemy for Marley when the final battle arrives.
Major Character Deaths
With a war fully underway -- and the big conclusion approaching -- fans can anticipate a few major character deaths before Attack on Titan season four is through. The manga, which hasn't officially ended just yet, has already taken a few fan-favorite faces away in recent chapters, and it's unlikely the anime will deviate from such major plot points.
On top of that, there's a strong possibility a few more tragedies will unfold before the manga officially ends. After all, it's hard to imagine a story like Attack on Titan ending without some huge losses, isn't it?
More Bloodthirsty Eren
Those who have read the Attack on Titan manga know that Eren goes down a much darker path following the events of season three, and there's no reason to think the anime will diverge from this. The series has never shied away from the characters' darker sides, and if anything, both the manga and anime have been building to Eren becoming obsessively focused on vengeance.
Of course, it's possible the final chapters of the manga will throw a curveball and attempt to redeem some of the things Eren does. Even so, fans can expect a major turn before Eren gets there. And it's very possible he'll end the series an anti-hero or villain.
Return Of A Major Player
Anyone who thought Attack on Titan had forgotten about Annie Leonhart will be pleasantly surprised to learn that, no, the manga and anime didn't just drop that storyline completely. In fact, the manga has returned to Annie being held in the ice, and a brief shot of Armin kneeling in front of her frozen form in the season four trailer confirms that the anime will do the same.
This is good news for fans of this story because it shows that the writers aren't just leaving plot points open. They're planning on tying up loose ends during the season, and that makes it more likely fans will get a satisfying conclusion to this story.
More Details About The Titans
With a focus on Marley, Annie's return, and Reiner's reflection, it seems obvious fans will learn more about the Titans and Titan Shifters heading into the last season of the show. The third-season finale already dropped some huge reveals on viewers, especially when it comes to the origin of the Titans -- a development that was darker than anyone anticipated.
Although the final season has to wrap things up, it's going to have to dig into the history surrounding the Titans a bit more. If the story follows the manga, fans are also going to meet one last Titan Shifter.
Action-Packed Conclusion
Given that the Attack on Titan manga is still going, it's possible that, although the trailer suggests the story is sticking to its major beats, the ending could be different than what Hajime Isayama has planned. Regardless of how true to the manga the actual ending of the anime is, however, one thing is certain: The final season is going to be packed with action and suspense, and it's likely to deliver a satisfying conclusion no matter how many liberties it takes. (When has this anime failed us before?)
More than anything else, fans should prepare for an intense and potentially tragic climax to this dystopian story. It's going to be a wild ride.
