The World Inside the Walls & The Fall of Humanity
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) is not just an action anime.
It is a story about fear, survival, lies, freedom, history, and the cost of truth.
1. The World of Attack on Titan: Humanity Trapped Like Livestock
At the start of the story, humanity believes it is on the brink of extinction.
For over 100 years, humans have lived behind three massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures called Titans.
The Three Walls
- Wall Maria – the outermost wall
- Wall Rose – the middle wall
- Wall Sina – the innermost wall (where royalty and elites live)
Each wall is over 50 meters tall, built to keep Titans out.
Inside the walls:
- People live ordinary lives
- Cities, farms, schools, and markets exist
- Most citizens believe Titans cannot breach the walls
This false sense of safety is the foundation of the tragedy.
2. Titans: Humanity’s Nightmare
Titans are described as:
- gigantic humanoid beings
- ranging from 3 to 15 meters tall (initially believed)
- unintelligent and mindless
- obsessed with eating humans
Key horrifying traits:
- They don’t eat animals
- They don’t need food to survive
- They kill humans for unknown reasons
The only way to kill a Titan: ➡️ Cut the nape of the neck
This single weakness keeps humanity alive.
3. The Military Branches: Humanity’s Desperate Defense
Humanity created three military divisions:
1. Garrison Regiment
- Protects the walls
- Operates cannons
- Guards cities
2. Military Police
- Maintains order inside Wall Sina
- Protects nobles and royalty
- Lives safely away from Titans
3. Scout Regiment (Survey Corps)
- Ventures outside the walls
- Fights Titans directly
- Suffers the highest death rate
Most people mock the Scouts as suicidal fools.
But they are the only ones seeking the truth.
4. Eren Yeager: A Boy Who Hated the Walls
Eren Yeager is born in Shiganshina District, a town located directly next to Wall Maria.
From a young age:
- Eren hates the walls
- He feels trapped
- He dreams of seeing the world beyond
Eren believes:
“If we’re born into this world, we deserve to be free.”
His closest companions:
- Mikasa Ackerman – fiercely protective, emotionally quiet
- Armin Arlert – intelligent, physically weak, curious about the outside world
Armin’s books about the outside world ignite Eren’s obsession with freedom.
5. The Day Everything Changed: The Fall of Wall Maria
In the year 845, disaster strikes.
A Titan unlike any seen before appears:
- Over 60 meters tall
- Skinless, exposing muscle
- Later called the Colossal Titan
It kicks a hole in Wall Maria.
Immediately after:
- A second abnormal Titan appears
- This one is armored and smashes the gate
- Known later as the Armored Titan
Titans flood into Shiganshina.
Humanity’s worst fear becomes reality.
6. Carla Yeager’s Death: The Birth of Hatred
As Titans invade:
- Eren’s mother, Carla Yeager, is trapped under rubble
- Eren and Mikasa try to save her
- A Titan grabs and eats her in front of Eren
This moment defines the entire story.
Eren screams:
“I’ll kill every Titan… every last one of them.”
This vow becomes the engine of Attack on Titan.
7. Humanity Retreats: The Great Loss
Wall Maria is abandoned.
Consequences:
- 250,000 refugees forced into Wall Rose
- Massive food shortages
- The government sends refugees on a “reclamation mission”
This mission is a death sentence. Most die.
The truth:
- The ruling class sacrifices lives to reduce population
- Human life becomes expendable
This is the first hint that the enemy is not just Titans.
8. Training to Kill Titans: The 104th Cadet Corps
Eren, Mikasa, and Armin join the military.
They train for three years.
Key recruits introduced:
- Jean Kirstein – realistic, conflicted leader
- Connie Springer – kind but confused
- Sasha Blouse – lighthearted, food-obsessed
- Reiner Braun – dependable, big brother figure
- Bertholdt Hoover – quiet, anxious
- Annie Leonhart – cold, distant, skilled fighter
They learn to use: ➡️ Omni-Directional Mobility Gear (ODM Gear)
This allows soldiers to:
- Fly through cities
- Hook onto buildings
- Slice Titans’ necks at high speed
Training is brutal.
Many die before ever seeing a Titan.
9. The First Real Battle: Trost District
Shortly after graduation, disaster strikes again.
The Colossal Titan appears at Trost District, inside Wall Rose.
Panic spreads.
This time:
- Humanity cannot retreat further
- If Wall Rose falls, humanity is finished
Young soldiers face real Titans for the first time.
Most freeze in fear.
10. Eren’s Death… or So It Seems
During battle:
- Eren saves Armin from a Titan
- Eren is swallowed alive
Everyone believes Eren is dead.
This moment shocks viewers and sets Attack on Titan apart:
- The main character appears to die
- Hope vanishes instantly
But the story is only beginning.
11. The Titan That Fights Titans
Suddenly, a new Titan appears.
This Titan:
- Attacks other Titans
- Protects humans
- Shows intelligence
It is revealed to be: ➡️ Eren Yeager himself
Eren has transformed into a Titan.
This revelation changes everything.
12. Humanity’s First Question: Enemy or Weapon?
Eren is captured by the military.
Key questions arise:
- Is Eren human?
- Is he a monster?
- Can he be trusted?
- Is he the key to victory?
Different factions want:
- to execute him
- to experiment on him
- to use him as a weapon
Only Levi Ackerman intervenes.
13. Levi Ackerman: Humanity’s Strongest Soldier
Levi:
- Easily defeats Eren in combat
- Proves Eren can be controlled
- Takes responsibility for him
Eren joins the Scout Regiment under Levi.
This marks the start of the true story.
14. Themes Introduced in Part 1
By this point, Attack on Titan has already established:
- freedom vs safety
- fear vs truth
- sacrifice vs survival
- lies told by authority
- hatred born from trauma
And most importantly:
The enemy might not only be Titans.
15. Eren Joins the Scouts: Hope Mixed with Fear
After proving he can control his Titan powers (to some extent), Eren is officially placed under the Scout Regiment, led by:
- Commander Erwin Smith
- Captain Levi Ackerman
The Scouts see Eren as:
- a weapon
- a research subject
- a risk
- and possibly humanity’s salvation
Eren’s ability to transform is still unstable:
- He sometimes loses control
- His Titan acts on instinct
- His stamina is limited
Still, he represents the first real advantage humanity has ever had.
16. Commander Erwin Smith: The Man Who Chases Truth
Erwin Smith is different from other leaders.
He is willing to:
- sacrifice soldiers
- send people to their deaths
- make cruel decisions
But his true goal is not victory.
His goal is: ➡️ The truth of the world
Erwin suspects:
- the government is lying
- Titans may come from humans
- history has been altered
Every mission is designed not just to fight Titans, but to expose secrets.
17. The 57th Expedition: A Trap Is Set
The Scouts launch the 57th Expedition Outside the Walls.
Publicly:
- it looks like another failed recon mission
Secretly:
- it is a trap
Erwin believes there is a Titan Shifter hiding among the soldiers.
Only a few people know the plan.
18. The Female Titan Appears
During the expedition, a new Titan attacks.
This Titan is:
- female-shaped
- intelligent
- fast
- skilled in combat
- capable of hardening its body
- able to scream and control other Titans
She directly targets Eren.
This proves:
➡️ Titans can think
➡️ Titans can plan
➡️ Titans can communicate
Humanity is no longer facing mindless monsters.
19. Levi Squad’s Death: The Cost of Trust
Levi assigns Eren to an elite squad:
- Petra
- Oluo
- Eld
- Gunther
They trust Eren to follow orders and not transform.
The Female Titan massacres them one by one.
Eren hesitates. Everyone dies.
This moment shatters Eren psychologically.
Key lesson:
Sometimes trust gets people killed.
This trauma shapes Eren’s future choices.
20. Capture Attempt and Escape
The Scouts manage to trap the Female Titan using:
- wire anchors
- forest terrain
- coordinated attacks
But she:
- escapes
- kills dozens
- reaches the walls
Her goal remains clear: ➡️ Capture Eren.
21. Stohess District: Titans Inside the Walls
The Female Titan infiltrates Stohess District, inside Wall Sina.
This is a terrifying revelation:
- Titans can operate inside humanity’s safest zone
- The Military Police are powerless
- Civilians die in huge numbers
Eren is forced to fight her.
The battle destroys:
- buildings
- streets
- innocent lives
This shows the true cost of using Titans as weapons.
22. Annie Leonhart Is Revealed
The Female Titan is unmasked.
She is: ➡️ Annie Leonhart, one of Eren’s fellow trainees.
This confirms the unthinkable:
Titans are humans.
Annie explains little. She:
- apologizes
- shows regret
- claims she has no choice
Before she can be questioned, she:
- encases herself in crystal
- becomes unreachable
The truth remains incomplete.
23. The Wall Itself Is Alive
After the battle, a shocking discovery is made.
Inside the walls: ➡️ There are Titans embedded within them.
The walls are not just stone. They are made of hardened Titans.
This changes everything:
- The walls are alive
- Humanity is protected by Titans
- Someone knew this secret
The question becomes:
Who built the walls… and why?
24. Religion, Control, and Secrets
A religious group known as the Wall Cult appears.
They:
- worship the walls
- oppose revealing secrets
- fear sunlight touching the wall Titans
This suggests:
- the truth could cause catastrophe
- the government hides knowledge intentionally
Faith is being used to suppress truth.
25. Ymir and the First Hint of Ancient Power
During a later mission, Ymir reveals she can transform into a Titan.
This adds another layer:
- more Titan shifters exist
- powers can be transferred
- Titan abilities vary
Ymir hints at:
- an ancient history
- a figure named Ymir
- a connection between Titans and a forgotten past
The story’s mythology begins to surface.
26. The Most Shocking Betrayal: Reiner and Bertholdt
In one of anime’s most legendary scenes, Reiner casually reveals:
“I’m the Armored Titan. Bertholdt is the Colossal Titan.”
No dramatic music. No buildup. Just cold truth.
They were:
- Eren’s friends
- fellow soldiers
- trusted comrades
They caused:
- the fall of Wall Maria
- Carla Yeager’s death
- humanity’s suffering
The enemy was never outside alone.
27. The Reality of the World Begins to Break
Reiner and Bertholdt’s confession confirms:
- Titan powers are inherited
- Warriors are sent from outside the walls
- Humanity’s enemy has motives
But their reasons remain unclear.
They don’t enjoy killing. They seem traumatized.
This introduces a disturbing idea:
What if the enemy is also a victim?
28. Themes Deepened in Part 2
By this stage, Attack on Titan explores:
- betrayal by loved ones
- truth hidden by authority
- war trauma
- moral ambiguity
- identity crisis
- manipulation of belief
The story stops being black-and-white.
End of Part 1
Part 2 will cover:
- the uprising arc
- overthrowing the fake king
- Historia’s destiny
- the truth about the royal family
- Eren’s evolving ideology
- the basement reveal
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