Attack on Titan Episode 87: The Dawn of Humanity

The group traveling to Odiha discusses Eren, with Mikasa wondering if he has always been the way he is now. She recalls the Scout Regiment's first arrival in Marley, disguised as ordinary citizens. They were amazed by the city outside the Walls. Onyankopon greeted them, offering to take them to Kiyomi Azumabito's place. Hange, Conny, and Sasha were distracted by a car, which they had never seen before. Mikasa asked Eren to stay close, but he seemed distant. Armin also tried to engage Eren, remarking on being in the outside world, to which Eren distractedly agreed they were on the other side of the sea.

The group struggled to blend in, but Hange found it amusing, noting they wouldn't be seen as "island devils." The younger Scouts tried ice cream, and Mikasa offered some to Eren, who recognized it from his father's memories, noting that Eldians in the internment zone rarely get to eat it. A pickpocket stole Sasha's purse but was caught by Levi. The boy was clearly an immigrant and unwelcome, with passersby suggesting harsh punishments like throwing him into the sea or smashing his hand. Sasha defended the boy, saying she got her money back, but the mob wanted to make an example of him, speculating he could be a Subject of Ymir. Levi took the boy, telling the crowd he never called him a thief, only that the purse wasn't his, claiming it belonged to the boy's older sister, Sasha. Hange and Sasha played along, but the crowd didn't believe them, so Levi and the others fled. They stopped at the city's outskirts, where the boy slipped away, waving goodbye, having taken Levi's money.

When they arrived at Kiyomi's estate, she apologized for their experience. She explained that as blood testing improved, more Subjects of Ymir were being found, and other nations' fear of Eldians would make it difficult for the Scouts to establish friendly relations. Armin insisted they must try, stating that if they gave up on peace, they would have to accept a proposal to sacrifice Historia and her children to deter the world with the threat of the rumbling. Hange agreed, mentioning a Subjects of Ymir Protection Group holding a forum the next day. They planned to observe them as potential allies for Paradis Island, acknowledging the difficulty and danger. At this point, Mikasa noticed Eren had left the room.

Eren, with a tear on his face, looked at a migrant camp under the night sky. Mikasa found him, warning him he was their enemy's primary target, then saw the pickpocket waving up from the camp. When she asked what happened, Eren cryptically replied, "nothing yet." He described the camp as a place for people who lost their homes to war, comparing their situation to that of the islanders, whose lives changed and everything was taken from them. Eren then asked Mikasa why she cared about him so much, if it was because he saved her or because they were family. Mikasa became flustered as Eren pressed, asking what he was to her, and she stammered that they were family. An elderly man from the camp invited them for a drink, and the rest of their companions joined them. The entire group went to the camp, and despite the language barrier, they enjoyed the food, drink, and company. Hange, Levi, and Onyankopon later found them largely passed out in the main tent.

The next day, the Scouts attended the forum. The speaker announced their plan to aid refugee Subjects of Ymir, portraying them as victims of forced interbreeding, but also directed hate towards Paradis Island, calling the island their true enemy to applause. Eren left the group at this moment. Mikasa, in the present, refers to this as the day Eren left them. His subsequent letters stated he would trust in a specific plan. Mikasa wondered if there was another choice or if everything was predetermined, and how things might have changed if she had given Eren a different answer.

Elsewhere, Eren pondered where it all began. He recalled meeting with Yelena and hearing about a euthanasia plan. He also told Floch Forster they should pretend to go along with that plan, but his real intention was to destroy the world and all their enemies. Eren then spoke with Historia, warning her that the Military Police were pushing to turn her into a Titan to eat someone, but Historia was prepared to accept it if it was the best chance for the island's survival. Eren, however, declared he was not fine with it. Historia opposed Eren's plan to use the rumbling on the rest of the world, comparing their deaths to his mother's. Eren agreed about the senselessness but stated it was the only way to end the cycle of revenge and hate. When Historia said she couldn't live with herself if she didn't try to stop him, Eren offered to erase her memories once he had control of the Founder. Historia then asked about the possibility of her having a child.

In Marley, Eren met with someone and asked about Mikasa's headaches. The other person had never heard of any illnesses specific to the Ackermanns and didn't believe there was proof they were driven to protect a host, suggesting Mikasa's devotion was simply because she liked him. When asked what he would say to her, Eren replied he only had four years left to live, but even after he was gone, he wanted his friends to live happy lives.

In the present, the Global Allied Fleet on the northern coast of Marley prepared to meet an army of Wall Titans crossing the sea. They fired at the swimming Titans, but their forces were insufficient. As the Titans swam under their ships, their body steam charred the crews before they hurled the ships into the air, defeating the fleet. Another line of defense, artillery on the shore, greeted the Wall Titans as they emerged from the sea, but it was also ineffective. Soldiers abandoned their posts and fled. As they ran, some turned to see an even larger Titan following the Wall Titans, declaring that the Attack Titan had come. As Eren marched into Marley, he remembered his mother's death and his vow to keep pushing forward until he destroyed every last one of his enemies in the world. Meanwhile, the Wall Titans made landfall and began their destruction on the Marleyan continent.