Attack on titan (Anime)

Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人 Shingeki no Kyojin?, lit. Advancing Giant(s)) is an anime series based on the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama. It was produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G for the first three seasons, and by MAPPA for the fourth. The first season began airing in Japan on April 7, 2013 on Mainichi Broadcasting System. Funimation licensed the series for an English release and home video, and also streams the series on its website along with Crunchyroll. The series is also streamed by AnimeLab in Australia and New Zealand.

The highly anticipated second season premiered on April 1, 2017. A third season was announced at the end of the second season's last episode, and released on July 23rd, 2018. After airing 12 episodes, Season 3 was put on hiatus and resumed on April 29, 2019.

When the final episode of the third season aired on July 1, 2019, it was announced that the fourth season of the anime series was scheduled to air on NHK General during the fall 2020 anime season. The fourth season is being listed as Attack on Titan: The Final Season.

Plot
Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous Walls that protect them from Titans; gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. The story centers around Eren Jaeger, his adoptive sister Mikasa Ackermann, and their childhood friend Armin Arlelt, whose lives are changed forever after the appearance of a Colossal Titan which brings about the destruction of their home town and the death of Eren's mother. Vowing revenge and to reclaim the world from the Titans, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin join the Scout Regiment, an elite group of soldiers who fight Titans outside the Walls.

Episodes

 * Main article: List of Attack on Titan episodes

Season 1
Season 1 was released on April 7, 2013 in Japan, and on May 3, 2014 in English.

In episodes 1-13.5, the opening theme song is "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" (紅蓮の弓矢 Guren no Yumiya?, lit. "Crimson Bow and Arrow") by Linked Horizon and the ending theme song is "Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai" (美しき残酷な世界?, lit. "A Beautiful Cruel World") by Yōko Hikasa.

In the episodes 14-25, the opening theme song is "Die Flügel der Freiheit" (自由の翼 Jiyū no Tsubasa?, lit. "The Wings of Freedom") by Linked Horizon and the ending theme song is "great escape" by Cinema Staff.

Episode 25 of the anime premiered on September 28th, 2013 and was screened in multiple Japanese theaters.

Season 2
Season 2 was released on April 1, 2017 in Japan, and on April 22, 2017 in English.

In episodes 26-37, the opening theme song is "Opfert eure Herzen!" (心臓を捧げよ! Shinzō o Sasageyo!?, lit. Sacrifice Your Hearts!) by Linked Horizon and the ending theme song is "Yuugure no Tori" (夕暮れの鳥 Yūgure no Tori?, lit. The Bird at Dusk) by Shinsei Kamattechan.

During the opening of the first compilation movie on November 21, 2014, director Tetsurō Araki confirmed that a second season was planned and set for a 2016 release. However, on May 8, 2016, Selecta Visión, official distributor of the anime in Spain, revealed that the season had been delayed to 2017, according to information received from Kodansha.

On July 3, during the Attack on Titan: Junior High Reading & Live Event, it was confirmed that the season was re-scheduled for a release during the Spring 2017 anime season that starts in April. A letter by Hajime Isayama was read aloud at the event, where the mangaka acknowledged that it had been a long time since the release of the first season, but hoped that the fans still looked forward to it. A key visual featuring Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the Colossal and Armored Titans was shown to attendees. It was also revealed that Masashi Koizuka will be the new director, with first season's director Tetsurō Araki serving now as chief director. Finally, an official website for the season was unveiled. Funimation has acquired the rights to Attack on Titan Season 2.

Season 3
On June 17th, 2017, Attack on Titan Season 3 was briefly confirmed via video implying it would cover the events from Volumes 13 - 22.

On April 27th, 2018, the first trailer was unveiled confirming the season for a release date on July 23rd, 2018. Funimation has acquired the rights to Season 3, and announced that the first episode would premiere alongside showings of Attack on Titan: Roar of Awakening, in theaters across the USA and Canada, on July 10th and 11th, 2018.

On October 14, 2018, it was reported by the official website that Season 3 would go on hiatus until it returned on April 29, 2019.

Season 4
On July 1, 2019, Attack on Titan Season 4 was confirmed via a video that featured art identical to the cover of manga Volume 27. The video also described the fourth season as being the "final season" of the entire anime series.

On May 29, 2020, a trailer was released for the season, revealing that the animation studio had changed from Wit to MAPPA and that Araki and Koizuka had been replaced as chief director and director by Jun Shishido and Yūichirō Hayashi, respectively.

On September 22, 2020, Funimation confirmed that they had acquired the rights to Attack on Titan: The Final Season. On September 23, NHK announced that The Final Season will begin airing on December 7, 2020.