Attack on Titan's finale sparked one of the most polarizing debates in modern anime history. While some fans love and praise the ending for its ambitious ideas and shocking twists, others hate it and call it a disastrous conclusion that fumbled an amazing story. The conversation often centers around whether the ideas presented in the ending of Eren being a “slave” to fate, Mikasa’s heroism, and the complex morality of the characters hold merit.

However, I feel that this debate misses the mark completely. The problem is not the concepts themselves but their execution. Ideas that might have worked in theory were rendered ineffective by clunky dialogue, rushed pacing, and questionable narrative choices. After watching the Attack on Titan finale, I found it had many missteps that overshadowed its potentially interesting ideas.

Eren and Mikasa's Relationship in Attack on Titan Becomes a Big Issue

How The Key Emotional Plot Point Was Completely Undermined

Eren's feelings for Mikasa were set up as a key emotional point in the story's ending. In theory, this could have been a powerful revelation, recontextualizing their interactions and adding depth to Eren’s tragic arc. Instead, the execution turned it into an awkward spectacle. Rather than giving viewers the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters, Eren’s confession devolved into a bizarre monologue about Mikasa’s hypothetical future relationships.

Lines like, “I want her to think about me and no one else for the rest of her life,” came off as juvenile and detracted from the gravity of the moment. Instead of exploring his internal conflict, the scene leaned on melodrama, reducing Eren to a caricature of possessiveness. This failure also affected Mikasa's role as the one who ultimately ended Eren's life.

While her killing blow was framed as an act of love and resolve, the lack of meaningful buildup diminished its impact. If the series had done a deeper exploration of her and Eren's shared history and looked more into Eren's evolving perspective on both her and the world, it could have made the ending more emotional and satisfying. Instead, the scene felt hollow, like a missed opportunity to ground the story's emotional moments and stakes.

Ymir's Love for King Fritz in Attack on Titan Was Underdeveloped

An Interesting Concept That Fell Flat

The revelation that Ymir's subservience to Karl Fritz stemmed from love was one of the most controversial twists. On paper, the idea of love as a binding force, even in the face of abuse, is provocative. But the series handled this shocking development in such a short time and with little attention to detail. “The Founder Ymir was in love with Karl Fritz,” was delivered as a simple line of exposition, devoid of context or emotional depth.

This abrupt revelation demanded more exploration to justify its place in the story. It left viewers like myself with questions like why did Ymir's feelings persist for 2,000 years? How did they shape the Titan curse? Without answers, the twist felt contrived and took away from the weight of Ymir's liberation.

The lack of detail and emotion also extended to Mikasa's role in breaking Ymir's curse. While the act symbolized freedom through love and sacrifice, it was overshadowed by the underdeveloped portrayal of Ymir’s character. If her tragic backstory and motivations had been more fully realized, the resolution could have carried the emotional resonance it aimed for.

Attack on Titan's Key Themes and Character Arcs

The Themes Are Incredibly Thought-Provoking, But the Finale Did Not Execute Them Well

Attack on Titan's themes of freedom, morality, and the cost of war are ambitious and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, the finale’s flawed execution diluted these ideas, leaving the story's grand plans, in my opinion, feeling extremely shallow compared to the series' start. Take Armin’s conversation with Eren. The notion of expressing both condemnation and gratitude is extremely complex, and it matches the morally gray tone of the series overall.

However, lines like, “Thank you. You became a mass murderer for our sake,” came across as clunky at best and morally tone-deaf at worst. Rather than offering clarity, the dialogue muddled the intended message, reducing a huge emotional moment to a frustrating and almost cringy one.

Similarly, the climactic battle against the Rumbling Titans suffered because it was incoherent at times. Characters like Jean and Connie were given dramatic farewells, only to be conveniently revived shortly after. The alliance’s miraculous survival against overwhelming odds strained credibility, taking away from the tension, stakes, Attack on Titan. These moments of plot and character armor all undermined the impact of the story's climax.

Beyond individual scenes, the rushed pacing of the finale compounded its issues. Plot threads were hastily resolved, leaving little room for reflection or thematic development. Falco’s sudden ability to fly, Yelena’s disappearance, and the alliance’s improbable success all pointed to a story that prioritized shock value over substance. The finale easily could have, and absolutely should have, been another full season with time to flesh out all the plot points and twists.

Ideas Without Execution Are Meaningless

Attack on Titan Could Have Had One of the Best Anime Endings if it Had Gotten Its Execution Right

All of that being said, the end of Attack on Titan was not inherently bad because of its ideas and I did very much enjoy it. Many of its concepts, like Eren's tragic downfall, Ymir's liberation, and the exploration of freedom and love, could have made for an even better ending than the one it got. What ultimately doomed the finale was its inability to execute these ideas with the care and depth they deserved.

Great storytelling is much more than just presenting ideas; it is about weaving them into a story with the emotion and thoughtfulness they deserve. Attack on Titan's finale failed at this because it merely presented the ideas, leaving its ambitious and excellent concepts stranded in a sea of poor dialogue, rushed pacing, and unresolved questions. For fans like myself, this realization was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was necessary to understand why the series ended the way it did.

Despite all of this, Attack on Titan will always remain one of my favorite anime and one of the most influential anime in recent history, celebrated for its ability to deliver plot twists and start discussions. But its ending is proof that even the most interesting ideas and the best stories cannot overcome flawed execution.