Attack on Titan is mainly targeted towards shōnen. However, Isayama made one of the most unapologetic anime in existence. Compared to other light-hearted shōnen, Attack on Titan deals with complex and dark issues. There have been numerous disturbing scenes throughout the anime, and someone who watches this anime will indeed be left traumatized by the end of it. From visceral dismemberment to heavy gore, not only bloody scenes but even psychologically heavy moments will leave the audience feeling unsettled.
1. Eren Eats the War Hammer Titan
Eren’s character development in Attack of Titan has to be one of the greatest of all time. He went from being a joyous and cheerful boy to a cynical and heartless war criminal. To achieve his goal, he was willing to kill other humans. Eren brutally eats the Warhammer Titan, Lyra. Using the Jaw Titan’s powerful jaws to break apart Lyra’s crystal shell. He grabs Porco by his jaws smashes Lyra’s crystal into pieces, and drinks her remains. Fans were indeed not ready for this sudden ruthless Eren!
Also Read: Attack on Titan: 7 Cruelest Plot Twists That Made Fans Shudder Before Upcoming Series Finale
2. Levi Slaughters the Beast Titan
Levi becomes extremely aggressive after watching the Beast Titan mercilessly slaughter his fellow soldiers. Although Beast Titan is considered the strongest among all the Titans, Levi’s rage left the furry beast helpless. He hacks and slashes through the Titan like a hot knife on butter and finally gets his hand on Zeke. The running gag among the Attack in Titan was apparently correct, which is that the walls were created to protect the Titans from Levi!
3. Bertholdt Begs to Be Saved
Bertholdt is a character with bittersweet opinions from the fans. What he did was surely something unforgivable. After losing his fight with Eren, they keep him alive so that Armin can devour him and acquire the powers of the Colossal Titan. What disturbed the audience was the sheer gravity of his final moments. The words of help that left his mouth were chilling and unsettling. He could be seen calling out for help from his former comrades, who obviously rejected him. Watching the final moments of his death was gruesome in the least.
4. Hannes’ Death
Eren was captured by the Armored and Colossal Titans. During the operation to rescue him, Mikasa and Eren meet the titan that killed his mother. Hannes witnesses the entire scene. From the guilt of not being able to save the young kid’s mother, Hannes tries to kill off that Titan. Eren tries desperately to turn into a Titan to aid him, but after nearly biting off his own hand the realization dawns upon him. Hannes gets eaten up by the Titan, leaving Eren traumatized and cursing his own weakness.
5. The Deaths of Zofia & Udo
Situations can go from zero to a hundred really quickly in Attack on Titan. You can be enjoying your day one moment, and the next, you’re running away from a 15-foot naked human running after you. Eren kills the head of the Tybur family, but the aftermath of the event causes the deaths of several innocent people. Among such civilians was the Marleyan soldier Zofia. Being crushed under debris and witnessing the death of her comrade in a stampede, the scene was quite disturbing as it portrayed raw human reactions to life-threatening dangers.
6. Armin Gets Burned
Armin’s body gets burned beyond recognition. He helps Eren to defeat the Titan by acting as a decoy and going against it on his own. His resolve was firm, and with sheer dedication and courage, Armin tried to get the Titan in a fight with him utilizing the explosive scalding steam. In the process, he had to endure excruciating pain, and his body burned to a crisp.
7. Leaving Marco to Die
Jean discovers after the Battle for Trost that his friend Marco was among the several victims who died when the Titans invaded. Marco’s body was bitten in half, and the scene was already disturbing enough. The actual events which led to his death were exposed later in the series. It turns out that Reiner forces Annie to snatch Marco’s ODM gear and leave him there to be the Titan’s snack.
