Titans: Attack on Titan chapter 137 - Review

With a great deal of action and time for muted reflection alike, February's instalment of Attack on Titan offers plenty to unpack within its 45 pages. We jump straight back in where chapter 136 left off, with two of the franchises' greatest minds finally sitting down to have a long-needed discussion. The opening pages follow Zeke's point-of-view as he offers Armin an explanation for the beginning of life itself, very much reflective of our own scientific understandings. The panel recounting the Cambrian Explosion is particularly profound, with what appears to be a Hallucigenia at its centre; an organism aesthetically similar to both the Eren Yeager's Founding Titan form, as well as the "source of all living matter" that Ymir Fritz is depicted as having made contact with.

Attack on Titan volume 33 cover (cropped).

As we return to a very sombre Zeke (making great progress with his sandcastle), he professes that his transcended time spent within the Paths has led him to understand that the the purpose of life is to multiply and thrive. This immediately contradicts Zeke's euthanasia plan to sterilise the Subjects of Ymir and bring an eventual end to the ethnic group. Indeed, Zeke's entire creed has been shattered, Eren's betrayal has broken him, and he is no longer the confident and assured man we first knew him to be.

Chapter 137 shows us that following his exploration through Grisha's memories, Zeke feels no attachment to the world. He is completely disillusioned to the prospect of hope, and this is what makes him Armin's perfect counterpart. Chapter 137 excels in offering one of Attack on Titan's most powerful emotional beats to-date, when Zeke questions Armin's determination to stop the Rumbling and save the world, despite how fleeting life itself may be. Armin confesses he finds reason to live in the smallest, most trivial of moments: exploring nature, investing himself in a book, spending time with his friends, racing Eren and Mikasa as children. That last and most precious of these moments was a particularly impactful reveal, and once again showed fans just how much foreshadowing can be found within the opening and ending themes for Attack on Titan's anime adaptation. Imagery of the Shinganshina trio as children is heavy within the season 3 Part 1 opening, Red Swan. Now, more so than ever, the final shots of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin running playfully through the streets of their hometown hit a striking emotional cord, reminding fans of the state of their bond and just how much these protagonists have been through.

Always a master with words, Armin's dialogue reignites a sense of purpose within Zeke. When the young Commander uncovers a single leaf in the sands of the Paths (symbolic of his childhood memories), Zeke instead sees a symbol of what is most important to him, "something incredibly precious": a baseball. The thematic symbolism of the baseball and throwing-and-catching is recurrent across a wide variety of media forms, and is most-often intrinsically linked to the relationship between father and son. This such relationship- and indeed, a lack there-of- has been central to Zeke's character since his introduction. Reminded of the loving and supportive father figure he found in Tom Ksaver, Zeke's moment of realisation that he too has such seemingly insignificant yet cherished reasons for wanting to live, acts as the spark of hope that turns the tide of Attack on Titan's final battle.

Appearing in the Paths before the pair are the lost souls of former shifters, and with this Isayama offers some well-realised closure for both Zeke and Armin. It was particularly gratifying to see Armin console with Bertolt, who has- since his death- been a recurring silent figure that has plagued the guilt-ridden Armin. Zeke and Armin are able to work together to persuade the shifters in the Paths to help in their efforts of stopping the Rumbling.

Perhaps even more pressing however, is how Armin's time spent within the Paths allows him to begin to learn the enigmatic desires of Ymir Fritz from Zeke. Indeed, the Paths have previously been divulged as a plain in which all Eldian subjects are connected to one another; yet only now do we begin to understand why. Heartbreaking is the realisation that for 2000 years, Ymir Fritz has been a lonely soul, desperate for connection. In a time of upmost crisis- a slave hunted for sport- by making contact with the mysterious entity, Ymir was able to fashion a stronger body (the first Titan) to combat the fear she felt. Yet even after accomplishing this, she was still incarcerated by the will of King Fritz, her body and power used and abused. Following her assassination, while Ymir may have left the human world, her soul continued to live on eternally within the Paths. Zeke admits he spent an age trying to understand, even after her physical body had been consumed, why Ymir would continue to subject herself to the King's tyrannical orders?

The answer: she too felt attachment to the living world. Quite simply, Ymir believed in love, and wished to be loved herself. Isayama reflects this within a single panel, one we have seen once before (chapter 122), of Ymir watching from afar at a wedding ceremony taking place. While it is yet to be entirely confirmed, from the pieces of the puzzle that this latest chapter offers, we can begin to understand that the Paths and the connection between all Eldians is the result of Ymir's desire for love and human contact. Eren seems to have realised this, having cradled Ymir in his arms and acknowledged her pain. Whether or not Ymir truly wishes for the destruction of the world is questionable, or if- much like Eren- she simply wishes to be free of it, free of the burden she carries, and free of the pain it has caused her. Ymir Fritz still remains the largest enigma of Attack on Titan. With two chapters remaining, it shall be interesting to see how- if at all- Isayama chooses to close her story. Or if- much like the mythology and many interpretations that surround her- her story is to never be entirely understood.

Meanwhile, still caught in the thick of battling Titans from ages past, the aid of their fallen allies comes at just the right time for the Alliance. Pieck and Annie's brief reunions with the Galliard brothers and Bertolt were also particularly bittersweet, and have no-doubt left readers itching to see more of some of the franchises' most iconic and sorely missed characters. The sudden support grants the Alliance time to accomplish all three of their immediate goals. Yet while some have critiqued the chapter of being rushed in this regard, having seen the team at their emotional and physical limit for the past two chapters (at the very least), it feels like the ideal time to wrap up this epic-scale battle.

With the threat of the hoard of Titans kept at brief bay, three core narrative beats happen in quick succession. The first: Zeke emerges from the founder- filled with a new-found sense of peace- and gracefully accepts death at the hands of his arch-rival, Levi. Zeke's sudden death was indeed somewhat of a shock, especially considering how last month's chapter had focused on Levi finally letting go of his rage-filled desire to fulfil his final promise to Erwin. Yet for the very reasons already discussed, Zeke's death felt timely and satisfying. He died ultimately finding some simple beauty in the world he had always despised. Whether killing Zeke will provide Levi any sort of satisfaction is doubtful, particularly considering the captain's sombre expression. Though regardless, Levi and the late Hanji's hypothesis had been correct: Zeke's death halts the Rumbling in its tracks.

With the Colossal Titans at a stand-still, the pivotal offence occurs. Jean makes a break for the Founding Titan's neck and tearfully detonates the explosives with one final call back to his early nickname for Eren: Suicidal Blockhead. For all their boyish fighting, Jean's belief in Eren and the heartache he has expressed in loosing his friend to the horror of the Rumbling makes his role in this strike a worthy one. Following this- as the brute defensive strength he is- Reiner holds off the spine-like entity from reattaching itself to the Founding head, seemingly willing to sacrifice his life in the process.

As the rest of Alliance flee the carcass, Armin and Reiner remain, and in the chapter's final pages, the nuclear blast of the Colossal Titan is triggered. Whether Reiner's hardened armour will once more be enough to protect him from the blast is left to be seen. Though with a final farewell to Eren, and supported by Bertolt, Kruger, Grisha, and Ksaver in what is a visually stunning panel; Armin strikes the final blow. It is certainly going to be a long month to see whether or not the Alliance's relentless efforts have been enough. There is time yet for a final spanner to be thrown into the works, and readers still cannot be sure what cards Isayama has left up his sleeve...

Overall, in spite of its break-neck action pacing, chapter 137 once again expertly communicates how naturally in-sync the Alliance have become. They play to each others' strengths, and support one another through their weaknesses. Particularly touching was seeing Levi shelter Gabi as she takes aim at the Okapi Titan. Jean's rescuing of Pieck when he realises she has reached her limit was a second chapter highlight, and has resultantly caused a lot of hype surrounding their potential as a future couple.

Chapter 137 is a masterclass in balancing high-stakes action and tender conversation, both equally as imperative to Attack on Titan's rich narrative. The chapter has unsurprisingly been a divisive one, as is often the case following the death of a fan-favourite character. However, with no obvious direction to be taken following the climax of this month's instalment, the anxious anticipation surrounding Attack on Titan's penultimate chapter is mighty. The stakes couldn't be higher, we're finally closing in on a conclusion. It's been a long and emotional road, but what can be said is that chapter 137 is perhaps one of the most imperative and stand-out entires of the entire series.