Attack on Titan Episode 53: Perfect Game

The Colossal Titan scoops up houses in Shiganshina District and throws them into the air, where they break apart and scatter as flaming debris. Mikasa realizes that the Colossal Titan's actions indicate he doesn't know their exact location. Conny and Sasha press Armin for orders, but Armin, recalling his misjudgment of the Colossal Titan's intentions, freezes and asks Jean to take command.

Jean, visibly distressed, orders everyone to ride on top of Eren's Titan to conserve gas and head to the river. He tells Eren that they will eventually need to get the Colossal Titan's attention but for now, Eren must remain hidden. Jean then tells Armin that despite his understanding of the situation, he lacks a plan, and Armin still needs to devise one.

Outside Shiganshina, a soldier named Dirk informs Levi that all the smaller Titans attacking their forces have been eliminated, except for those at the front line. However, the Beast Titan remains far out of reach, with no buildings nearby for the Scout Regiment to use. They note that the Beast Titan shows no intention of moving and call him a coward. As Dirk's squad leaves to eliminate the remaining smaller Titans, Levi looks at the smoke rising from Shiganshina and wonders about the explosion and the fate of Hange and the other soldiers.

As Levi considers rejoining his squad, chunks of stone fly past him. He turns to see the front line of buildings being shredded and Scouts being wiped out by debris. The Beast Titan expresses disappointment in his throw and has the Cart Titan deposit boulders nearby. He picks up a boulder, crushes it, calls the first throw a warm-up, and prepares for another.

On the Wall above Shiganshina, Erwin spots the incoming projectiles and warns the remaining soldiers to take cover. Levi manages to find shelter between buildings, but most of the Scouts are not as fortunate, and the air fills with a bloody mist as waves of Scouts are torn apart. Levi finds the recruits guarding the horses and orders them to retreat up to the Wall as the bombardment continues.

Erwin joins them on the Wall and informs Levi that the front line of houses has been completely destroyed by the Beast Titan's throws. He states that it's only a matter of time before the Beast Titan levels the rest, leaving the Scouts with no cover. They cannot go to the other side of the Wall because the Colossal Titan is approaching, and scaling the Wall would mean abandoning the horses.

Erwin realizes that the Beast Titan had directed the smaller Titans to group the Scouts in one location, making them easier targets. He doesn't know the status of Hange's and Levi's squads, but due to the bombardment, the only Scouts remaining on their side of the gate are the recruits, Levi, and Erwin. The recruits panic as debris from the rock bombardment strikes above their heads, and Levi asks Erwin if he has a plan.

Inside Shiganshina District, Jean directs Eren to get the Colossal Titan's attention and draw him away from the Wall. Eren roars, and the Colossal Titan pauses momentarily before resuming his march towards the Wall. Seeing that they are being ignored, Jean has Eren chase after the Colossal Titan. Sasha reminds them that their omni-directional mobility gear is useless due to the Colossal Titan's steam emissions. As they approach, Mikasa asks for Conny's Thunder Spear so she can attack while the rest of the squad distracts the Colossal Titan. Jean tells Armin to stay back and observe the battle to find a way to defeat him.

The squad scatters, and Eren, enraged at seeing the Colossal Titan up close, grabs onto its foot to try and push it back. He initially seems successful, but then the Colossal Titan pulls its leg back further into a kick that launches Eren to the top of Wall Maria. Below him, on the other side of the Wall, Levi and Erwin realize that Eren is still alive and must have been thrown there by the Colossal Titan.

Mikasa is horrified that Eren is not moving, but Jean tells her to focus on the Colossal Titan, as Eren is not dead yet. Jean acknowledges that their current predicament is a result of rushing in without a plan, but stresses that if they don't turn things around, they and humanity are doomed. He gathers the rest of the squad and orders them to attack. Since the Colossal Titan doesn't know about the Thunder Spears, Jean has Conny and Sasha assist him in distracting the Colossal Titan, hoping Mikasa can land a critical blow on its nape. However, the Colossal Titan notices Mikasa before she attacks and emits a blast of steam, keeping the squad at bay and blowing away the Thunder Spears, which explode behind Mikasa.

The squad lands on the buildings below. Conny coughs from inhaling steam, and Mikasa bleeds from shrapnel from the Thunder Spears. She asks Armin if he has devised a counterattack, but to his distress, he has not. Worse, the squad sees that the Armored Titan has recovered and is rejoining the fight.

Meanwhile, Levi suggests that if Erwin has no counterattack, the Scouts should prepare to flee. Erwin could wake up Eren and escape with as many soldiers as Eren's Titan can carry, ensuring at least a few survivors.

Among the recruits, Marlo yells at Floch for letting a horse get away, but Floch has a nervous breakdown. He questions the importance of horses when so many more talented soldiers have died, believing no one will ride these horses home. Floch had joined the Scouts knowing Titans could reach humanity even inside the Walls, wanting to be a brave soldier who protected people, but he never imagined being sent to his death could be so meaningless.

Ignoring the declining morale among the recruits, Levi suggests they use the recruits and any remaining members of Hange's squad as a distraction by having them ride away on horses while Erwin and Eren's group escapes. Levi says he would stay behind to draw away the Beast Titan. Erwin counters that Levi wouldn't be able to get close to it, and Levi agrees that's likely true. However, he states that if Erwin and Eren return home, humanity still has hope, which is the best they can ask for. Realistically, Levi doesn't expect any of them to survive.

Erwin reluctantly reveals that he has a plan, but it will require him and all the recruits to sacrifice their lives. As Levi had said, they are all likely to die, so Erwin will stake their deaths on the chance of victory. Given the recruits' mental state, they won't volunteer to die if Erwin isn't leading the vanguard. This means Erwin himself will be the first to die, without ever learning what is in the basement. He slumps against a nearby wall and confesses to Levi that everything he has done has been in anticipation of this day, when he could check if his father's theories were correct. Now the answers are finally within reach, but he feels the burden of all the soldiers who died before them, expecting others to carry on in their place.

He asks if his dream was a childish delusion. Levi kneels before him, saying that Erwin has fought well and that the Scouts have only come this far because of him, but now Levi will make the choice. Levi tells Erwin to give up on his dream and lead their recruits into hell. In return, Levi will take down the Beast Titan. Erwin appears surprised but smiles and nods.

The recruits react poorly to their final mission. Floch states that whether they die fighting or disobeying orders, it means nothing. To Floch's horror, Erwin agrees. He explains that no matter their dreams or who they are, they all die the same way when shredded by rocks, but that doesn't mean their lives are without meaning. Just as they give meaning to the lives of the soldiers before them, they will entrust the meaning of their own lives to those who follow in their place.

The Beast Titan prepares another bombardment but is surprised to see the Scouts riding toward him on their horses. He claims he didn't think they would go down without a fight but hadn't expected a suicide charge. Erwin and the Scouts make themselves ideal targets for the Beast Titan's attention. As the Beast Titan prepares another barrage, the Scouts fire signal flares to reduce his accuracy. While his comrades act as a decoy, Levi approaches the Beast Titan by using the larger Titans standing around it. Since they are positioned in a semicircle with the Beast Titan in the middle, they serve as a path for him to attack using his omni-directional mobility gear.

As Erwin rallies his soldiers, the Beast Titan's bombardment strikes them, decapitating one of the recruits. A rock tears into Erwin's horse, and another hits Erwin himself in the abdomen, causing him to fall from his saddle.