Attack On Titan Best Arcs: All arcs Ranked From Worst To Best

Attack on Titan is one of the top-notch Manga ever created. In the following article, I will be ranking the arcs in the Manga from best to worst.

Warning: Manga Spoilers Ahead

9- 104th Training Corps Arc / Humanity’s Comeback Arc :

Episodes : 3-4

Chapters: 15-19

After seeing the Titans’ cruelty, Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackermann, and Armin decide to join the 104th Cadet Corps and complete military training. They get to meet the other cadets and start to comprehend what it’s like to be a soldier there. The cadets learn about Eren’s past and dreams after a bruising introduction to their commandant Keith Sadies. Eren later has trouble training with ODM gear, but with the help of his allies, he can overcome his difficulties.

This arc isn’t crazy as the other AoT arcs. It is just a short training arc without any major plot movement. But it is good in what it intended to convey.

8. Fall Of Shiganshina Arc

Episodes: 1-2

Chapters: 1-2

Eren Jaeger, the protagonist, lives in the Shiganshina District and aspires to visit the outside world. One day, the 60-meter-tall Colossal Titan emerges out of nowhere near Wall Maria, destroying the Shiganshina district’s entrance. Titans of normal size rush into the district in droves, becoming a swarm. As the town descends into chaos, Eren and Mikasa return home to seek refuge, only to discover Carla Jaeger pinned beneath their collapsing house. She persuades them to abandon her and flee to safety.

Attack on Titan has one of the best introduction chapters of all time. The first two chapters set the tone for the rest of the series. It is a perfect start but still, the other arcs are just better so it takes the second last place.

7. Battle of Trost District Arc:

Episodes: 5-14

Chapters: 3-15

This arc starts after the training arc where the members of the 104th Training Corps graduate. In this arc, the members against Colossus Titan at Trost District. Eren learns of the Titan power inside him and he fights other titans. Later Armin convinces Pixis to allow Eren to close the hole in the wall. Eren closes the hole and his actions served as a hope for humanity.

This arc is great in setting up Eren as a Titan and gave good character moments for Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. This isn’t a crazy arc as the later arcs in the list but it is a solid arc.

6. Royal Government Arc

Episodes: 38-49

Chapters: 51-70

This arc shows the story after the assassination of Pastor Nick and a subsequent attempt to kidnap Eren Yeager and Historia Reiss. Kenny Ackerman manages to kidnap them and Levi tries to save them. Meanwhile, Erwin begins his own plan of overthrowing the monarchy and making Historia Reiss the new queen. Historia defeats Rod Reiss in his Titan form and becomes the Queen.

Politics are always a great conflict to have in a survival series. It depicts the realistic nature of humanity and this arc perfectly shows it. Also, Kenny Ackerman is a great character and his introduction also makes Levi better.

5. The Female Titan Arc

Episodes: 14-25

Chapters: 19-34

In this arc, Eren is assigned to the Levi squad as a member of the Survey Corps. During the expedition, Armin’s crew managed to capture an Abnormal Titan but Female Titan appears and kills everyone except Armin. Later Armin asks Annie to smuggle Eren out of the Capital and asks her to enter a tunnel which reveals her true identity as the Female Titan.

So far up until this point, there was no real antagonist as they were only fighting the Titans. This arc showed that fighting for humanity’s survival is much more complicated than simply defeating titans.

4. Clash of the Titans Arc:

Episodes: 26-37

Chapters: 35-50

In this arc, a group of Titans appears inside the wall signaling a possibility of a breach. Beast Titan is introduced and he leads a large army of Titans to fight members of the 104th Training Corps in Utgard Castle. Ymir reveals herself as a Titan and later both Reiner and Bertolt reveal themselves as the Armored and Colossal Titan. The fight ensues between them and Survey Corps but Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir eventually manage to escape.

This arc has one of the best reveals in anime of all time. The fans also get an idea of who are really the antagonists of the series and the answer isn’t quite simple.

3. Marley Arc

Episodes: 60-68

Chapters: 91-106

This arc depicts the story from the perspective of people in the Attack on Titan storyline who are deemed, villains. Eren and the island members become the aggressor in the story. It explores the life of Eldians in Marley, the inner conflicts of Reiner, and Eren’s infiltration of Marley. The novel also introduces several new characters, including Gabi, Falco, Zofia, Udo, and Colt, who are the prospective successors of Marley’s Titanic powers. Eren manages to successfully take the War Hammer Titan for himself.

The arc puts the Protagonists in a morally questionable position. Even someone like Amrin becomes responsible for the death of innocent people. And Eren transforms from being a cliche protagonist to a unique Main character regardless of whether one agrees with his actions or not. The change of Zeke’s role from a villain to an ally is also totally unexpected.

2. War for Paradis Arc

Episodes: 69 to cont

Chapters: 107-139

This arc is the final stretch of the series. Eren transforms into Founding Titan and starts Rumbling that will destroy the entire world. There is a formation of separate factions inside the Paradis Island itself which beliefs in Eden’s goals. While others try to stop Eren in his goal of eradicating humanity outside the island.

This arc is controversial, to say the least by having the protagonist commit genocide. The climax could have been better, it felt rushed and the character conclusion of many characters including Eren felt a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, this arc is a masterclass in storytelling and it takes a lot of courage to put a protagonist in such a state. This arc surely has some of the greatest Manga peaks I have experienced.

1. Return to Shiganshina Arc

Episodes: 50-59

Chapters: 71-90

This arc tells the story about the Survey Corps’s new expedition to Shiganshina to retake the lost territory. They had to fight Beast Titan, Colossal Titan, and the Armored Titan to retake the area. Erwin has to sacrifice himself for Levi to take on Beast Titan. Levi uses the Titan serum on Armin and Armin eats Colossal Titan to become the Colossal Titan himself.

The biggest part of the arc is probably the Eren’s Basement chapters. We get to learn about Grisha, Zeke, Eldian, Marley, etc and most of the answers about the world become clear. This arc is just perfect. The mystery reveals, the world-building, Erwin’s character conclusion, the fight between Zeke and Levi, and the satisfying conclusion of them seeing the Ocean finally. Everything about this arc is just perfect and the mystery reveals are some of the greatest Manga experiences.