Attack on Titan Loves Tragedy, And These 8 Depressing Deaths Prove As Much

Attack on Titanhas earned a reputation as one of the most depressing shonen animes, and rightfully so, because pivotal characters die at every turn. In a ruthless world where everyone is forced to fight for survival against man-eating Titans, few soldiers make it until the end, making death an unavoidable theme in the series.

Over 1 billion people died in Attack on Titan, many during the Rumbling, but a handful of deaths stand out as particularly gruesome and tear-jerking, sticking in fans' minds years after the manga's conclusion. These eight Attack on Titan deaths are unforgettably tragic, highlighting the fact that some of the series' best characters were killed way before their time.

8 Marco Bodt

Marco Was in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time, Cruelly Left for Dead by Past Friends

Marco was a valued member of the Survey Corps, but he was sadly betrayed by the very comrades he thought were his best friends. Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie were working undercover as spies for Marley and all secretly had Titan powers, so when Marco wandered up to them at the wrong moment during a private conversation, his unfortunate fate was sealed.

Although he swore not to reveal their disloyalty to anyone else, they left him out in the open without his ODM gear, where a Titan quickly consumed him as he begged for mercy. Marco's sheer terror makes his death scene one of Attack on Titan's most difficult to watch, as it was so undeserved. Marco was honest, kind, and committed to the cause of saving humanity, which inspired those around him, but he was removed from the story too soon, dying completely alone and fearful.

7 Carla Yeager

Eren Had To Watch His Own Mother’s Inescapable Death, as She Was Bitten in Half by a Towering Titan

The dismal tone of Attack on Titan was set from the very beginning, as Titans broke down the walls and infiltrated Eren's city on a murderous rampage within the first few episodes. The cataclysmic event, known as the Fall of Shiganshina, was the first Titan attack in 100 years, signifying the end of the relative peace within the walls that the Eldians had known for so long. In the minutes after the walls collapsed, every citizen fled for their lives, including Eren Yeager and his friends and family.

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin survived, but Eren's mother, Carla Yeager, became trapped under falling rubble and was unable to be freed. In one of the most horrific death scenes in the entire series, Eren was forced to watch helplessly as his own mother was bitten in two by a grinning Titan. Eren had a very close, loving bond with his mother throughout his childhood, so Carla's death rocked him to his core and only further strengthened his rage towards the Titans and his commitment to "kill them all" in her honor. Carla's sudden death is one of Attack on Titan's most hopeless, because although Eren saw it coming, there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

6 Faye Yeager

Faye Was Ripped Apart by Dogs for Wandering Outside the Internment Zone for Eldians

Eren Yeager's father, Grisha, had an incredibly troubling childhood, and one of the most traumatic situations he ever faced was the death of his younger sister, Faye Yeager, who he worked so hard to protect from the brutality of their world. One day, Faye and Grisha were innocently exploring their city and the blimps that flew overhead, unaware that they were about to stumble upon a deadly situation. When the two children left the internment zone accidentally, where Eldians were supposed to stay at all times, they were punished by vengeful Marleyan officers.

Although Grisha struggled in vain to prevent his sister from being harmed, his efforts were futile, and they were both subjected to physical violence that Faye did not survive. Faye's death may just be Attack on Titan's most twisted, because she suffered one of the most sickening fates imaginable and was torn apart by dogs while still alive. Her death could cause even the most emotionless person to shed tears, because she was only a child spending a day wandering her town with her brother, and she never deserved the senseless horrors she was forced to endure.

5 Bertholdt Hoover

Bertholdt Was Eaten Alive by a Former Friend Who Took On His Titan Powers

Bertholdt Hoover spent much of Attack on Titan working for the opposition, since he was a Marleyan in disguise. Eventually, he, Reiner, and Annie found themselves battling the Survey Corps organization they had once been members of. Out of the trio of spies, Bertholdt seemed to feel the most guilty for deceiving his friends, but his conscience was not enough to save him from a violent death.

When Armin and Erwin were on the brink of death after a fight, Levi injected Armin with Titan serum and Armin ate Bertholdt to take over his Titan powers, as Bertholdt tearfully pleaded for mercy. Despite his shortcomings, Bertholdt was genuinely fighting to protect himself and his loved ones like everyone else, making his particularly violent death one of Attack on Titan's most sad and also reflective of the horrors war brings.

4 Erwin Smith

When Levi Gave Armin the Titan Serum, it Caused Erwin to Tragically Die From His Injuries

Erwin Smith was a phenomenal Survey Corps Commander, but, like anyone, he was not without flaws. Often, he led his men on dangerous suicide missions with slim chances of success, and he lost his own life on one of these charges. While fighting the Beast Titan, he was pelted with stones that left him with serious injuries he could not recover from.

His death was particularly heartbreaking because a tremendous burden fell on Levi Ackerman, one of his closest friends. Levi had one vial of Titan serum to save one life, and had to choose between his friend, Erwin, or Survey Corps member, Armin. Seeing Armin's potential, he chose him, but had to say goodbye to one of his dearest friends as a result. Despite his sometimes questionable methods, Erwin was a dedicated soldier who sacrificed his life for his cause of protecting humanity, making his death tragic.

3 Sasha Braus

Sasha’s Senseless Death Fueled the Flames of the Conflict Between Marley and Eldia

Sasha Braus's death was one of the first major deaths within the Survey Corps 104th division, and it occurred in the blink of an eye. A Marleyan citizen, Gabi Braun, snuck her way onto the airship and shot Sasha in the back, killing her instantly. This action led Gabi to become one of Attack on Titan's most hated characters, but the issue is truly complex, because Gabi was simply retaliating against the Eldians who she had been taught were her enemy and had just caused havoc and bloodshed in her country.

There was no need for Sasha to die, and her friends like Jean, Connie, and Armin mourned the loss openly with impassioned sobs. Her demise reveals the futility of war, a theme mangaka Hajime Isayama embedded in the story of Attack on Titan, and how misunderstandings, like the conflict between Marley and Eldia, can lead to major losses, like Sasha's life. Sasha was not only friendly to everyone, but a talented soldier, so her death was an irreplaceable loss.

2 Hange Zoë

Hange Sacrificed Themselves Valiantly by Charging Into a Horde of Oncoming Titans

Hange Zoë, the 14th Commander of the Survey Corps, experienced a death that was both devastating and symbolic. Hange sacrificed their own life for humanity's sake in the bravest possible way. After the Yeagerists damaged the seaplane that the Alliance members were planning on escaping in, the vessel had to be fixed quickly. To make matters worse, Titans were stampeding closer and closer to the humans, and they were running out of time. In a desperate attempt to help their friends to safety, Hange risked their own survival by throwing themselves into a group of Titans and fighting with all their might.

Distressingly, they did not survive, scorched to death by the Titans' boiling steam, but Hange took even their own death in stride. Hange dedicated their entire life to studying Titans and was truly fascinated by them, so to see them up close was the fulfillment of their greatest dream. Their sacrifice was a crucial one, enabling their fellow soldiers to stop Eren's murderous plan, so Hange's death is one of Attack on Titan's most meaningful deaths, despite how miserable of a loss it was.

1 Eren Yeager

Eren’s Death Symbolized the End of the Titans’ Reign Over Humanity, but It Came at a Monumental Cost to Him

Attack on Titan's most tragic death was, of course, the death of its main character, Eren Yeager. From the first episode, Eren vowed to wipe out every Titan during his life, even if it killed him, and ironically, it did. Because of Eren's death, the Titans were all eradicated, so in a roundabout way, he did accomplish his dream, although it left him deceased. Eren became so fixated on his goal of freeing the Eldians on Paradis Island from a miserable existence living within the walls at the Titans' mercy, that he chose to use the Founding Titan to begin a Rumbling that would destroy everyone who was not Eldian.

Eren's friends disagreed with his ruthless plan, and since they could not reason with him, they stopped him with force. Mikasa sliced off Eren's head herself, in the most upsetting scene of Attack on Titan. From Armin's screams of anguish at seeing his best friend's severed head to Mikasa clutching the treasured red scarf Eren had gifted her and kissing his lips one final time, Eren's final scene is by far the most emotional death in Attack on Titan.

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