Here’s everything you need to know about episode 80 of Attack on Titan, the fifth episode of the second half of The Final Season, “From You, 2,000 Years Ago.”
Previous episode synopsis
Eren and Zeke traveled through the memories of their father and former Attack Titan, Grisha Jeager. Zeke’s goal was to convince Eren that Grisha brainwashed him and the euthanasia plan was actually the correct path, not Eldian nationalism. They viewed a lot of memories, including when Grisha attacked Frieda Reiss and the royal family, eating her to obtain the Founding Titan and killing all but Rod Reiss. Eren, in his current form, was shown influencing Grisha to go through with the killings to the shock and horror of Zeke.
After, Grisha told Zeke that Eren would get what he wants, then looked up to see Zeke was standing there – even though it was a memory of Grisha’s. Grisha hugged Zeke, apologizing for being a terrible father and to stop Eren at all costs. The episode ended with Eren forcibly removing their shared link and bringing them both back to the Coordinate.
Grisha had revealed to Frieda before killing her that the Attack Titan can see the memories of its future inheritors, which is how Eren was able to influence Grisha from the future. The episode’s title was “Memories of the Future.”
“From You, 2,000 Years Ago” synopsis
The episode opened with scenes of the fight between Grisha and Frieda, Grisha overpowering the inexperienced Frieda before eating her and gaining the Founding. He then smashed four of the Reiss family before crushing another in his hand. It then played the last bits of previous episode up until the forcible extrication from Grisha’s memories.
Eren coldly states to Zeke that the latter still hasn’t seen the day when Eren “ate the old man.” Zeke, in shock, asks Eren if he was the one who pushed Grisha to fight the King of the Walls and the entire world. He wonders aloud that if the Attack Titan truly has the power to transcend time, then it’s possible for Eren to have shown selective memories to Grisha that best suit Eren’s goals, thus influencing the past from the future.
Zeke further surmises that Grisha began to wane in his restorationist effort because he was able to see the future that even if he took the Founding, he wouldn’t have been able to use the power because of his lack of royal blood. Still, he says that Grisha took the Founding for Eren anyway, so Eren must have shown him something further, beyond what Zeke was shown.
Eren thanks Zeke, saying by taking Eren into Grisha’s memories, now what he wants will happen. Zeke horrifically recalls Grisha’s words to him that only Eren will get what he wants. Eren said he saw that memory four years ago, that he saw his own future through his father’s eyes; it was shown that he saw those memories when he kissed the hand of Historia Reiss.
Zeke then yells to Ymir to take away the ability to reproduce from all Subjects of Ymir. Ymir turns away from the two brothers and begins walking toward the Coordinate. Eren begins fighting against the chains to reach her as Zeke says Grisha told him to stop Eren. Zeke says he doesn’t know what future he saw through their father’s memory as he wasn’t able to see everything, just like how Eren wasn’t able to see his inability to use the power of the Founding at the Coordinate.
He calls Eren as powerless as ever. Eren yells and breaks free of the chains by severing his thumbs. He runs at Ymir as Zeke says it’s pointless because once she starts moving, she won’t stop. Eren reaches for Ymir as the opening credits play.
They show Historia reading alongside her sister, Frieda, as Frieda tells her she’s learning to read so quickly. Historia asks what it means to be ladylike, with Frieda responding like the girl in the book, which seemed to show Ymir and the first Titan. Frieda says she (Ymir) is a kind girl who’s always thinking of others as they show Ymir, looking like her form in the Coordinate, walking through a village. The village is then sacked and razed, people killed and enslaved by the future King Fritz and his forces.
Ymir is then shown observing a wedding, most likely of King Fritz from 2,000 years ago. Then, Fritz asks the slaves who is the one setting some pigs free and if they don’t tell him, he’ll take an eye from each of them because, “slaves don’t need two eyes.” They all – mostly adults – point to the young Ymir. She looks around at all of the adults, emptiness in their eyes, then prostrates herself to the King. He sets her “free,” but it’s really just a hunt as she is shown running from mounted soldiers, an arrow stuck in her back.
Ymir tumbles and rolls down a hill after being shot in the leg. Bleeding and battered, she enters the hollow of a gigantic tree to escape her pursuers. Inside, she slips and falls, descending into a body of water. She nearly drowns until a glowing tapeworm looking thing approaches her, triggering the first Titan transformation.
Fritz is then shown congratulating “my slave, Ymir” for building roads, cultivating the wilds, and bridging the mountains. As such, his tribe of Eldia expanded. He “rewards” her with his “seed,” impregnating her. Ymir in Titan form is shown leading the Eldian army to victory of Marley, then pregnant, then giving birth to a child. She is then shown as a Titan defeating an army dressed like Spartans.
She is shown with a second child as the city is built around her after more successes. She is then shown with three children as Fritz is being readied for a ceremony. Soldiers are shown kneeling, but then one grabs a spear and throws it at King Fritz; the soldier is impaled by several spears just after throwing at the King. Ymir steps in front, sacrificing herself to protect Fritz as it goes right through her heart. She looks back at Fritz, who is shocked.
He tells her to get up, saying he knows a spear like that won’t kill her, commanding “my slave, Ymir.” She succumbs, ending up at the Coordinate. Fritz is then shown having Ymir’s body chopped into pieces so that Maria, Rose, and Shina – her three daughters – can inherit her power. Fritz, on his deathbed, tells his daughters to pass on the power of Ymir and it should never stop, that they should have their descendants eat the spines to gain power. Ymir is shown going back and forth with a bucket of water in the Coordinate, molding together the body of Colossal Titans as Fritz says that his Titans shall rule for eternity.
Eren suddenly yells enough, that he’s going to put an end to this world as he embraces Ymir. He asks for her help, saying she isn’t a slave nor a god, but merely a human. He says she doesn’t have to obey anyone and that she can decide. He asks her if she wants to stay there for eternity or end it all as Zeke asks Eren what he’s doing and to stop. Zeke then runs for Ymir asking her to obey him.
Eren asks Ymir if she was the one who led him there. He says she’s been waiting for so long, 2,000 years for someone; Zeke yells that he’s of royal blood. Ymir suddenly has life again in her eyes as she grits her teeth in anger, tears forming in her eyes.
Suddenly, the spinal cord that triggered Ymir’s initial Titanification is shown extending from Eren’s severed head. He regains consciousness and triggers his transformation, now with the full power of the Founding. The walls begin to crumble as the hardening of the many Colossal Titans that made up the walls were undone by Eren’s command, thus initiating the Rumbling.
The mid-episode infographic was on the spinal cord, the source of all living matter.
Mikasa wonders what happened and what that gigantic Titan form is (Eren’s new form) as Armin realizes that Eren won, activating the Rumbling. He has to yell it over and over as the sound of the Rumbling is too much for Mikasa to hear even right next to him. Armin then says this is odd as all Wall Maria is also disintegrating, saying the walls around Shinganshina should be more than enough to trample Marley.
Suddenly, Eren – using the full power of the Founding – talks to all Subjects of Ymir through their minds. All of the Subjects are shown at the Coordinate, including the ones in Marley. He says he undid the hardening of the walls because he wants to protect where he was born and raised. He says there are those who wish to see all Subjects of Ymir killed, not just on Paradis, but he won’t let that happen. The episode ends with him saying the Wall Titans will trample the land until all lives existing there are eliminated.
What is the source of all living matter?
The “glowing centipede” as Gabi will describe it is known as the source of all living matter and the cause of the first Titanification. As shown with the tree that Ymir entered, while it may not have been the progenitor of all life, it has a great impact on organic life as it caused the tree to grow immensely both in height and width compared to everything else in the area.
This power to basically increase the size of organic matter formed into the Eldians’ ability to become Titans. It is theorized that when fused with Ymir’s fear of death and pain, Titans became essentially indestructible with a path to a “deathless existence.”
While generally static in nature, it was shown to be active in its actions twice in the episode: when saving Ymir from drowning and when Ymir granted the power of the Founding to Eren as it reattached his head to his body. Essentially, without destroying the source of all living matter, Titans will still continue to roam the land.
How was the Rumbling activated?
Eren used the power of the Founding Titan to undo the forced hardening of the Colossal Titans that made up the walls around Shinganshina – an outcrop faced closet to the outside world – and Wall Maria. Only the Founding can undo the hardening, and even though Eren doesn’t have royal blood, he was able to use the Founding because Ymir granted him the power and the source of all living matter transferred to him.
Originally, the Rumbling was supposed to wipe out 80 percent of humanity. However, Eren’s intention is to now kill off anyone that opposes him or threatens Eldians.
What does the ending mean for the next episode?
The preview for the episode, “Meltdown” or “Thaw,” shows the surviving humans on Paradis Island fighting off Titans. Those who were just enemies find themselves having to team together to survive and stop an even greater threat than each other: Eren Jeager.