Attack on Titanhas beautifully and tragically touched the hearts of fans. The hit series has exposed viewers to the most gruesome deaths that have traumatically devastated them, elevating the beauty and uniqueness of the series in terms of storytelling. From kids eating their mother to Titans devouring anything in front of them,Attack on Titanshowcases some ofthe most unforgettable and heartbreaking moments ever seen in anime.
Each death is a reminder of the harsh realities of their world, making fans deeply empathize with the characters and their struggles. However, what makes the iconic series remarkably devastating is that it doesn’t shy away from portraying the brutal consequences of war and survival, leaving an emotional impact that not only lingers long after the series has ended but even the worst deaths that fans have witnessed in the history of anime.
10Hange Zoe’s Burns of Sacrifice
Her Last Attempt to Express Her Admiration for the Titans
Hange Zoe’s death was emotionally heroic, a touching and heartbreaking finale moment inAttack on Titan.Hange chose to sacrifice herself by holding off as many Colossal Titans as possible to allow Mikasa, Jean, Levi, and their allies to escape. Her bold move embodied the courage and selflessness evident throughout the series. Facing an inevitable end, Hange bravely confronted the Titans head-on, buying her comrades more time.
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As she battled fiercely, flames engulfed her, burning her alive. Despite the excruciating pain she could have felt,Hange maintained her composure, even expressing admiration for the Titans in her final moments. Her death was devastating, given her brilliant contributions and courageous leadership that earned the respect of her fellow soldiers and the love of her fans. Hange’s sacrifice highlighted the immense cost of freedom, making her loss one of the series' most unforgettable moments.
9Gross Skinned to Death by Comrade D
A Karmic Death for a Marleyan Sergeant
The Marleyan Sergeant Major, Gross, had it coming most cruelly. Gross’s death is one of the most haunting moments inAttack on Titan. His villainous ploys as part of the Marley Public Security caused the lives of innocents to be turned into Titans, including Comrade D, a former Restorationist, who was charged with treason.The Titan began by skinning Gross' face alive, slowly peeling away his flesh before devouring him. This torturous demise was agonizing to witness—where the audience might have imagined the feeling of it.
Gross' death showed that the consequences of one’s actions can easily come back to haunt them.
Despite his questionable actions,Gross’s death was a chilling reminder of how merciless Titans can beand how the consequences of one’s actions can easily come back to haunt them. The slow pace of his consumption ensured he felt every bit of pain. His screams echoed as he faced the gruesome reality of his fate. Watching this might have left fans realizingAttack on Titanis not a series that avoids gruesome revenge plots.
8Carla Yeager’s Death Sets the Tone for Attack on Titan
The Smiling Titan’s Unconscious Revenge
Carla Yeager was a loving and caring mother and wife. She was sweet and affectionate, especially to Eren and Mikasa. Her tragic death left a lasting emotional scar.This scene set the tone forAttack on Titan, showing fans the unexpected cruelty and torturous feeling of beloved characters dying. Killed by the Smiling Titan—later revealed as Dina Fritz, Grisha’s first wife—Carla’s death was more than a physical tragedy; it was an emotional blow that shaped Eren’s relentless drive for vengeance in the beginning.
The titan crushed her body under its immense weight, rendering her unable to escape.Then, it lifted her into its mouth and bit her in half. The terror in her eyes, her futile screams, and the helplessness of Eren and Mikasa, as they watched, made the scene unforgettable. Carla’s was the first death to be featured in the series that brutally highlighted the personal cost of humanity in their war with the Titans.
7Porco Galliard’s Sacrifice
Porco Died so that Falco May Live
Porco’s death was both heroic and heartbreaking, making it one of the most tragic moments inAttack on Titan. Porco was already gravely injured when his death came at the hands of a Titan. He chose to sacrifice himself to save Falco, allowing himself to be devoured by the young warrior who became a titan. Despite his wounds,Porco faced his end without a scream, maintaining his dignity even in such a gruesome moment.
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Watching the Titan slowly sink its teeth into him, eating him piece by piece, was unbearable.The way the Titan bit into him only made his death more excruciating for viewers, especially those who had grown to love the character. Porco’s bravery and selflessness, despite his horrific death, make his sacrifice one of the most memorable yet tragic moments in the series.
6Ilse Langnar’s Bravery to Document the Talking Titan
Her Writing Aided Hange Zoe’s Research About Titans
Ilse Langnar’s death is one of the most surprising and haunting inAttack on Titan. After her entire squad was massacred, she found herself alone in the wilderness, where she encountered a peculiar Titan that ultimately caused her death. The titan didn’t devour her immediately—it appeared to recognize herand even attempted to speak, a unique and yet-unexplained occurrence in the series. Instead of succumbing to fear,Ilse courageously documented the encounter. Her curiosity was trying its best to overpower her terror.
However, her frustration led her to scream and question the titan. In a chilling twist, the Titan suddenly bit her head off, ending her life abruptly. The suddenness of her death was jarring, but the thought of her terror as the Titan’s jaws closed around her remains horrifying. Ilse’s courage to write until her final moments, captured in her notebook, is unforgettable. Her fate serves asa chilling reminder of the Titans’ unpredictable and merciless nature.
5Nanaba Torned Off by Multiple Titans
Her Death Was Witnessed by Her Fellow Soldiers
This death is a testament to howAttack on Titanspares no character from unimaginable horror, even a veteran member of the Survey Corps, Nanaba. Despite how calm Nanaba was as a soldier,she couldn’t hide the fear and pain of being eaten alive by Titans.Her one arm was ripped off by a Titan, leaving her unable to defend herself. What followed was even worse—multiple Titans fought over her, trying to pull at her remaining limbs with brutal force. Her bones were undoubtedly broken in the struggle.
The chaos ended when one titan finally captured and bit her, consuming her in a horrifying gulp. This fate emphasized how a single moment of weakness could lead to utter devastation.Her skills weren’t enough to defend herself against mindlessly gruesome giants. Nanaba’s death was not just physically brutal but also traumatizing for her fellow Survey Corps members who were there to witness it.
4The Wasted Potential of Marco Bott
Dying Before the Friends He Trusted
Marco Bott was one of the characters who had great potential, but was all wasted after being betrayed and left to be eaten by a titan. Reiner, Bertholdt, andAnnierestrained Marco, leaving him to be devoured by a Titan. As he screamed for help, the Titan began eating him alive. The slow pace at which Marco was consumed—starting from one side of his body—made the scene agonizing to watch.
His death is a tragic reminder of how trust can be easily shattered in the ruthless world ofAttack on Titan.
Half of his body was gone by the time his screams ceased.What made his death even more painful was the cold detachment of his former comradesas they watched him suffer. Marco’s demise wasn’t just physically gruesome—it was a tragic reminder of how trust and innocence are shattered in the ruthless world ofAttack on Titan. And that the act of betrayal is seen as a necessity for survival.
3Mike Zacharias Dies One of the Most Painful Deaths
His Abilities as a Survey Corps' Leader Wasn’t Enough to Save Him
The death of Mike Zacharias, the leader of the Survey Corps' Squad Mike, was wrenching in a way thathe felt extreme pain before meeting his demise. Mike’s death terrifyingly displays how even skilled soldiers can easily fall. His end came at the hands of multiple Titans. It began with his leg being bitten off, leaving him immobilized and in agony. Simply imagining the pain he felt while his legs were bitten off is too much. Desperate to survive, but unable to escape, he was subjected to further torment as the Titans went after him. They ripped him apart and, like most victims, they devoured him piece by piece.
Adding to the horror, one titan cruelly pulled out chunks of his hair, which was another senseless act by the Titans that underscored the trauma that the audience might have gained from his death at the same time the severity of Titans when it comes to killing. Despite his strength and bravery, Mike was overwhelmed with unimaginable pain. His death highlights that no one is safe in the face of the Titans’ relentless hunger.
2Grisha’s Sister Wasn’t Killed by a Titan
The Death That Showed Humanity’s Wickedness
The death of Grisha Yeager’s sister, Faye, remains one of the most disturbing moments inAttack on Titan. The innocent girl’s death showed that cruelty is even worse when humans are blinded by anger and hate. As punishment for straying into a Marleyan territory, she was fed to the vicious dogs of the Marleyan guards—a fate as horrifying as being devoured by Titans.The anime refrains from showing the full extent of her suffering, but it’s easy to imagine the agony she endured as the dogs tore apart her small body.
It shows that it’s not only the Titans that people must fear, but also their fellow humans.
The thought of her being slowly bitten, her screams echoing as her life was taken away, is unbearable. Even more so for her brother, Grisha. Faye’s death proves the cruelty of the Marleyan authorities and the deep-rooted hatred that fueled their inhumane actions. This scene left a lasting impression, not just for its brutality, but for the heartbreaking loss of an innocent child. It shows that it’s not only the Titans that people must fear but also their fellow humans, who are willing to go to great lengths for their own desires.
1The Death of Kaya’s Mom Reminds the Agony of Helplessness
Enduring the Pain to Save Her Daughter
The death of Kaya’s mom may have been a brief moment in the series, but it left a haunting impression. Her death emphasized the excruciating fear and helplessness that come with facing Titans. If skilled Survey Corps members often couldn’t escape their deaths, what chance did a paralyzed woman have to defend herself or run away?Her tragic ending underscored the vulnerability of ordinary people against Titans, a feeling that resonates throughout the series.
Kaya’s mom could only watch as aTitanapproached her. She screamed until her voice gave out, leaving her to silently endure her final moments as the Titan devoured her slowly, piece by piece, prolonging her suffering. Though Sasha saved Kaya, she couldn’t prevent the Titan from consuming her mother. The brutality of this scene also highlights the emotional toll such losses have on survivors.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titanis a globally successful manga and anime franchise created by Hajime Isayama. The story is set in a world where humanity lives inside walled cities, threatened by giant humanoid creatures called Titans. The series follows Eren Yeager and his friends as they fight to uncover the truth about the Titans and the world. First serialized in 2009, the franchise has expanded into anime series, films, video games, novels, and live-action adaptations.
