So just a quick note before I start my review: The people on Paradis Island are viewed differently than the Eldians around the rest of the world. To the AoT anime-only stumbling upon this post – you are missing a lot of story context.
Read our previous episode review.
It may be hard given the static different factions in the fandom are generating to obscure any meaningful conversation…
(manga reader vs anime only) (EM vs the entire fandom) (Theorist vs ending defenders) (HopeChads vs Doomers) etc.
But try to form your own opinions, and hold out on set-in-stone reservations about Eren, the Yeagerist, and where the story is going for now.
Attack on Titan Episode 80 Explained
The way things are looking now, we actually may 100% get an anime original ending at the end of this season, in a part 3, or even in a movie – I guess we’ll know the verdict on March 27th during the AnimeJapan 2022 AoT panel.
So for my fellow AOE supporters, My fellow Yeagerist – My fellow EreHisu supporters who realize their relationship is the core of AoT story and makes sense thematically – let’s hold the line once more, and see what PATH this all leads us down.
Grisha Yeager Vs Frieda Reiss – Fight for the Founder
Starting out, we get the Frieda Reiss vs Grisha Yeager fight for the founding titan. Frieda, an inexperienced shifter, gets beaten easily enough – but what bothers me about this scene is Grisha’s eyes.
Grisha’s green eyes turn the same shade of purple Frieda’s eyes were, which to my understanding was a marker for the pacifist 145th Fritz King’s control.
Of course, we never get to see what color Eren’s eyes were after eating Grisha back in season one, but we know that even using his Founding titan now both in anime and manga all his eyes do are sparkle, while remaining the same color green.
Another thing that bothered me during this sequence was Grisha’s fighting style – which happened to be very similar to Eren’s.
Grisha sits on Frieda’s chest in what looks very reminiscent of Eren learning to wrestle/box from Annie, Reiner, and the warriors during their training days. Then, Grisha rips off Frieda’s arm – which we saw Eren do during his fight with Annie as the Female Titan in Season 2, and to Porco’s Jaw Titan during the Raid on Liberio.
If Grisha does get (selective) memories from the future – could this also be Eren’s influence instructing Grisha (another equally unexperienced titan shifter) to fight Frieda to ensure the successful secure of the founding titan?
What Memories Did Grisha Receive from Eren?
After the fight, we get the same flashback where Grisha finally speaks to Zeke, and tells him he loves him. After which, Grisha shares with Zeke that Eren showed him “terrible” memories of a future, but doesn’t elaborate any further.
Shortly after, Grisha returns to Shiganshina, meets with (unaware) child Eren, learns of Carla’s death, and immediately takes Eren to the mountains and turns him into a titan.
What Scenery Did Eren Even See As A Child?
In the AoT ‘Red Swan‘ opening, Child Eren sees pre-timeskip Survey Corps Eren standing in the clouds. The child version of himself tries to make contact, but is unable to and runs along out of frame.
Given the panel we got in manga chapter 131 with Child Eren’s now-infamous Freedom panel…I’d like to wager this is when manga Child Eren was in PATHs – during season 2 of the anime.
At first like many people, I thought “that scenery” was simply the aftermath of the Rumbling – where Eren achieved the full 100% and left the world trampled underfoot by the colossal titans. After reading a theory on Reddit, I changed my mind and would like to believe “that scenery” is the wonders shown in Armin’s book as a child.
So if that was the scenery from the manga timeline, what scenery does Eren see in the anime then?
I’d like to wager Child Eren sees an abandoned Paradis, as he does in the Final Season Part 2 ending “Akuma no Ko”. Which, also coincides with the season 2 “ Yuugure no Tori” ending that is also heavily drawn upon this episode concerning the Ymir Fritz backstory and the origins of titans in the SnK world.
Which if this is true…would explain Eren’s different reaction while talking about “that scenery” in manga PATHs vs anime PATHs.
And of course, we got the parallel of Eren ripping off his limbs when something concerning his growing family happens.
From SnK Ch 130 
The Historia and Frieda Book Flashback
The Historia and Frieda book flashback from season 2 was shown again – only we didn’t get the scene where Frieda erases Historia’s memories immediately afterward. The book features the girl Krista, who makes a pact with the devil of all earth for power.
Although I’m pretty sure Eren wiped Historia’s memories in the manga timeline to keep his plan a secret, I believe the anime will be different – especially when the two speak about Historia having a child.
For whatever reason, the anime also honed in on the various parallels between Historia and her ancestor, the founder Ymir Fritz. I don’t know if this is intentional to bait the audience, or a solid clue that we will indeed be getting an Anime Original Ending.
Either way, this episode showed a lot of potential for things yet to come.
I actually took notes while watching this the second time around, and have about a page and a half left that I still haven’t typed.
(Zeke and Fritz King parallels, all of the Ymir and Historia parallels, Floch in PATHs, the role of Hallucigenia Sparsa in this story…)
I may just throw this into another theory post, or analyze it another time.
Hopefully this wasn’t too abrupt of an ending! ☺
So, tell me your thoughts.
Do you think Eren fought so hard in PATHs because he wanted to save his family?
Was it necessary to show the Yeagerist Faction and Braus family in PATHs?
And…
Why was Historia the only person lucid in PATHs?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, we’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more weekly Attack on Titan the Final Season reviews and discussions!
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