At last, it is here. The beloved anime series is back and it has come back stronger than ever. Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2 episode 1 (or 17, depending on how you decide to count) ‘Judgement,' premiered yesterday, January 9, and fans could not be any more excited for the final stretch to what has been, since the beginning, an insanely wild ride. And, as per usual when it comes to anime series, a new season means new opening and ending sequences and Attack on Titan surely did not fail to deliver in that regard either.
Even when it premiered back in 2013, Attack on Titan won fans over with its opening themes. There is not a single true Attack on Titan fan who dared to skip the awesomeness that was ‘Guren No Yumiya’ – a song by the Japanese musical group Linked Horizon – or failed to shout ‘Jaeger!’ in sync with the lyrics. The new episode has brought us yet another glorious introduction to the show this time, and for the first time, accompanied by a heavy metal song.
The visuals are certainly sensational. The opening starts in a way that is reminiscent of Season 2’s opening theme ‘Shinzou wo Sasageyo’ – also by Linked Horizon – wherein the characters are all getting ready and putting their clothes and gear on. However, one heartbreaking difference is that in Season 2’s opening, Mikasa is putting on the red scarf Eren gave her when they were children, but now, we can see Mikasa taking it off, for the first time since we have met her.
It has to also be mentioned how appropriate the lyrics and the song’s title are: ‘The Rumbling’. Even if you have not watched last night’s episode, you must know from The Final Season Part 1 how big of a deal the Rumbling is and how Eren and Zeke’s whole plan is dependent on its execution. Well, in the opening sequence we actually get to see snippets of the Rumbling in motion, this takes the form of hundreds of colossal titans marching over the land and presumably crushing everything in their path.
The whole opening hinges on the contrast between the distant past, the past and the present. By that we mean the time in which Armin, Eren and Mikasa were children, the time of the past 3 Seasons, or what we know chronologically to be about four years prior, and finally, the present. Most characters we have ever met in the show are featured in this opening, even deceased ones, like Berthold. Or, others who have not gotten any spotlight for the past couple of seasons and are likely going to be making a comeback, like Annie.
Eren is surely resolute in his convictions and ready to fight, but for what? To find out fans must keep an eye out for new Season 4 episodes that come out every Sunday. You can watch the new episodes as well as previous seasons by purchasing a subscription on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu or Adult Swim. Watch the new opening and ending sequences below: