Attack on Titan Episode 45: Outside the Walls of Orvud District

The Scouts pursue the Anti-Personnel Control Squad through the Underground Chapel, but encounter a net dropped by the Interior Police. On the other side, the Anti-Personnel Squad prepares for a final stand. A bright light from a Titan transformation then shines from the back of the cavern, drawing the attention of both Scouts and MPs.

Rod Reiss's transformation into a gargantuan Titan begins to cause the cavern to collapse, as it is too large to stand upright. Levi orders Armin and Moblit to take the wounded Hange to safety. Further inside the cavern, the partially restrained Eren urges Historia to escape and let her father eat him, believing the Founding Titan would then return to its rightful place. Historia refuses to leave him, stating she cannot accept someone saying they are not needed and wants to rescue him.

Historia manages to open the locks around Eren's ankles but is blown back by a blast of hot air from her father's Titan. Mikasa catches her before she hits the wall, and the rest of Squad Levi arrives. Levi asks for the keys, and he, Jean, and Conny work to free Eren. Eren protests that they should leave him, but Jean tells him to be quiet. They pull Eren free just as part of the ceiling collapses onto the platform where Eren was chained.

Kenny swings away from the rising Titan, realizing Rod did not know much about Titans. Traute calls out to him, and Kenny, horrified that his squad has come further into the cavern, shouts for them to get out.

Squad Levi finds themselves pressed against the cavern walls with no clear exit. Eren stares at Rod's Titan in shock, as it was supposed to eat him. He considers transforming but realizes his Titan could not survive the cavern's collapse. Eren apologizes, calling himself useless. Jean disagrees, pointing out Eren has never accomplished anything alone. Conny adds that collectively, they have been through worse.

The group plans their escape using omni-directional mobility gear, carrying both Eren and Historia. Eren doubts it is possible, but Historia refuses to do nothing. Levi tells Eren he needs to make a choice, reminding him of a previous choice he made regarding trusting his original squad. Chagrined, Eren grabs a bottle labeled "Armor" from the ground and charges at Rod's Titan. He breaks it between his teeth, hoping he is allowed to believe in himself.

When Eren transforms, pillars of crystal rise from the ground around his Titan, reinforcing the cavern's structural integrity. Levi orders his squad to get underneath Eren. The Anti-Personnel Control Squad is less fortunate; Traute and another soldier are struck by debris. Rod's Titan finally rises to its feet, breaking open the ceiling above it.

Outside, Armin and Moblit hurry away with Hange as the ground around them collapses and the surface chapel sinks. The rest of the Scout Regiment, led by Erwin, arrives to see the mammoth Titan crawl out of the ground and drag itself away on all fours. They estimate it is twice the size of the Colossal Titan.

Inside the cavern, Jean and Mikasa break Eren out of his Titan, which has completely turned into crystal. Once freed, Eren looks at the remains of his Titan in shock as Levi calls the effect "hardening." Even after cutting Eren out, his Titan has not disappeared. Eren credits the bottle for the effect, but Levi points out that Eren devised the means to save them by stabilizing the cavern. Levi suspects the Walls were originally made this way and that they can now plug the hole in Wall Maria.

Conny and Sasha descend through a hole in the ceiling, announcing they have secured an exit route. Armin and Moblit help everyone out, and Eren sees the destruction caused by Rod's Titan for the first time, leaving a trail of scorched earth.

One of the Scouts reports to Erwin that the Titan is behaving like an Abnormal and they cannot get close to it. Another announces that they have made contact with Squad Levi and succeeded in rescuing Eren and Historia. Levi informs Erwin that Hange is their only casualty, though she is conscious and bleeding in a wagon. He also tells Erwin that the Titan is Rod Reiss. Erwin decides they will head for Orvud District, as that is the Titan's likely destination.

On their way, Hange listens to Eren and Historia recount what happened in the cavern and the restrictions on using the Founding Titan. Hange wonders if this is the First King's idea of peace. Eren says they still have the option of letting Rod Reiss eat him and return to being human. Levi acknowledges that if they do that and capture Rod immediately, they might have a chance to undo the First King's brainwashing. Historia, however, reminds them of their other option.

Historia states that with the Founding Titan taken from the Reiss family, they have an unprecedented chance to change things for humanity. She believes Eren's father was trying to save humanity and took the Founding Titan and murdered the Reiss family because he had no other choice. Eren remembers that when his father injected him, he told him he would have to learn to control his ability to save everyone. Mikasa adds there must be another way to save humanity, which is why his father left him the key to the basement.

Hange agrees with this plan but asks Historia if she is alright with what it means, as they will have to kill her father. They cannot allow such a large Titan to roam free or restrain it. Historia thinks about it and then apologizes to Eren, saying she did consider becoming a Titan and eating him, not to save humanity but because she wanted to believe in her father. However, she now realizes it is time to say goodbye.

It is still the middle of the night when the Scouts arrive in Orvud. As they prepare for a strategy meeting, Levi informs Historia that under Erwin's orders, she is to become the new Queen. He explains that though the coup d'état was successful, the general public will not follow the military, so they need a story about how the true heir took power back from a fake. The rest of the squad protests, not wanting Historia forced into another role, but Historia agrees. She says it is up to her to decide whether or not she was forced into this, and she will do it under one condition.

When Historia attends the meeting, she arrives geared for combat and takes her place among the rest of Squad Levi. Mikasa tells her she can punch Levi after she becomes Queen.

A Garrison soldier confirms that the Titan is approaching them from the southwest and will arrive by dawn. Carsten asks Erwin for his plan, and to his dismay, Erwin announces that they will not be evacuating the civilians and that they must stay where they are.