Attack on Titan Episode 59: The Other Side of the Wall

The military discusses the contents of Grisha Jaeger's journals. The Military Police Regiment largely opposes sharing this information with the general population of the Walls. However, Dot Pyxis argues that withholding the truth would make them no different from the previous Kings, who kept the populace docile and ignorant. Queen Historia Reiss decides they will announce the truth, believing they are simply returning memories that King Reiss had taken away. She states that all the people of the Walls will share the same fate and should unite.

As the news spreads, Hange Zoë and Levi Ackermann meet with reporters Roy and Peaure. Peaure expresses concern about a potential invasion by an enemy seeking their land and resources, suggesting that the attack began five years prior with the arrival of the Colossal Titan. Roy questions the credibility of the Scout Regiment's information, but Hange finds it consistent with their existing knowledge. Roy reports that public reactions are varied, with some accepting the truth, others rejecting it, and some believing it to be a conspiracy, leading to chaos within the Walls. Hange acknowledges the situation but states it is the Scouts' duty to report their findings, leaving it to the taxpayers to decide what to do, which she believes is an improvement over the previous King's methods. Roy finds this admirable, embarrassing Hange. Levi suggests Roy write a positive article about them next time. Roy then wonders what will become of them now that the rest of the world views them as they once viewed Titans.

At a military ceremony, Hitch Dreyse greets several surviving Scouts, calling them heroes. Jean Kirschtein attempts to comfort Hitch about Marlo Freudenberg, saying he was brave until the end, and encourages Floch Forster to corroborate. Floch acknowledges Marlo's inspirational final moments but suspects Marlo regretted his choices. Upset, Hitch leaves. Jean admonishes Floch for his insensitive remarks, but Floch defends himself, stating someone needs to tell the truth. He compares it to the choice between saving Erwin Smith and Armin Arlelt, telling Armin that he believes the commander should have been saved, a sentiment he claims is shared by many who read the Scouts' report.

Eren Jaeger defends Armin, asking Floch what he knows about him. Floch responds that he doesn't know Armin and isn't his childhood friend, but believes Armin was saved only because Eren, Mikasa Ackermann, and Levi allowed their feelings to interfere. Eren confronts Floch, telling him to be quiet, but Floch refuses, accusing Eren of always believing he is right. Mikasa tries to calm Eren, but Floch praises Mikasa for acting more maturely than Eren because she eventually backed down, which shocks Mikasa and causes her to withdraw. Jean separates Eren and Floch, asking them not to argue at a funeral. Conny Springer tries to de-escalate the situation, but Floch points out that while Jean and Conny didn't act against their superiors, they also did nothing to stop Eren and Mikasa, a realization that shocks them both. Floch questions why they are receiving medals and who the funeral is truly for. He wants the Scouts to tell the truth before more recruits like him are enlisted, stating that while he may be expendable, he has a right to speak his mind and decide if the cause is worth dying for.

Armin quietly agrees with Floch that Erwin should have lived. Eren tries to cheer Armin by talking about what lies beyond the Walls: the sea, fiery water, and lands of ice. He begins to say that beyond the Walls is freedom but stops abruptly as memories of his father, including what happened to Fay, surface. Levi then tells his squad to line up.

The nine surviving Scouts kneel before Historia, who presents each with a medal. As she does, Eren wonders if what they found in the basement was hope or despair. He feels he could sacrifice his own life but not Historia's, and he doesn't know what to do or who to talk to. After Historia places his medal, Eren kisses her hand, triggering another of his father's memories. He sees the Reiss family in the Underground Chapel as Grisha announces he is an Eldian from outside the Walls. Grisha pleads with the King of the Walls to kill the Titans before he loses his wife and children and the rest of the people of the Walls are killed. Eren recoils from the memory, and Historia and the other Scouts notice his distress.

Time passes. By winter, the giant sledge crushing Titans outside Trost District falls silent. In spring, the military announces that Titans inside Wall Maria have been eradicated, and a year after the attack on Trost, refugees are allowed to return home. Six years after the first appearance of the Colossal Titan, the Scout Regiment is finally able to explore the land outside Wall Maria.

As Hange suspected, most Titans had moved inside Wall Maria, leaving the land outside largely clear. However, a signal flare goes up, alerting the regiment. They find a largely immobile Titan, its limbs too large for significant movement. They observe the depression it made, with grass and shoots growing in its slow path. Eren approaches it without fear and touches its head, stating it was a fellow patriot shipped to paradise. He tells them to continue, as they are close. Floch remarks that they should kill the Titan.

The Scouts leave the Titan unharmed and follow its trail to the sandy dunes from Grisha's memory. There, they see the wall where the Restorationists were pushed off and transformed into Titans. Hange leads them around it to an overlook with a view of the sea, a vast body of water stretching to the horizon, stunning everyone. They go down to the shore. Armin spots a seashell. Conny splashes Sasha Braus, while Jean complains about the saltiness. Hange is amazed the entire sea is saltwater and spots something Levi warns them away from, suspecting it might be poisonous. Mikasa smiles as she stands in the surf.

Delighted, Armin tells Eren that the sea is just as he described, a salt lake that merchants could spend their lives harvesting. Armin's dreams about the outside world were not unfounded. Eren, however, is pensive. He recalls believing that beyond the Wall lay freedom. Now, having explored beyond the Walls and seen his father's memories, Eren can only think of the enemies awaiting them. Eren points into the distance and wearily asks if, by killing all their enemies on the far side of the ocean, they will finally be free.