Attack on Titan (2013–…): Season 4, Episode 15 - Sole Salvation - full transcript

Take a good look, Zeke.

That's Liberio, the place where we live.

Compared to the world,
it's as small as a birdcage.

And since the nation of
Marley won't let us leave,

we're going to have to
live there 'til we die.

Hey, Zeke. Wouldn't you like
to be free of that place

if it were possible?

Yeah. That'd be nice.

Oh, do we have visitors already?

Folks hardly ever
come up here this early.

I'll come back when you're finished.

It's okay. We were actually
just on our way out.

Ah. So you're Eldians.

Hey, what was that for?

We're allowed to be outside
of the walls right now,

we received permission!

I'm here to clean this tower
and rid it of filth.

That means removing trash and vermin.

You demons have tainted my workplace!

Understand? Your kind used to
massacre everyone they could!

You should be wiped out,
so why are you breeding?

Piss off, you devils!

Stay in your cage, you filth-bloods!

You even smell filthy!

Never forget how this feels, Zeke.

This is the outside world.

If you can't stand it as it is,

then you're gonna have to change it.

Zeke. We need you
to save everyone.

You want one of these
kids to become my successor?

Yes, we'll choose eventually.

One's lagging
behind the pack. Who is it?

It's Jaeger again.

All the other kids are competing
fiercely for the honor

of becoming Warriors
and Honorary Marleyans.

Jaeger doesn't look to be anywhere near

as driven as the rest.

Honestly, I have no idea
why he still bothers

to show up here at all.

So how's training going so far?

To be honest, it's tough.

Well, just keep trying.

If you work hard, then I'm sure
they'll make you a Warrior.

After all, you have a very special power

in your blood, Zeke.

And more importantly,

we know you'll stand out
because you're our son.

Father, Mother.
Thanks for watching Zeke.

Mm-hmm.

I knew you were coming,

so I baked your favorite pie again.

Really?

Your "social dance club" again?

Look. We're happy to watch Zeke,
but he misses his parents.

It's more than a dance club,

we're helping Liberio stay healthy.

He may be confused right now,

but someday Zeke will understand
everything we're doing.

This is the Tragedy of Lago.

It occurred 1,200 years ago.

After destroying Lago
in the course of a single day,

the Titans continued their advance,

going on to commit
the Devastation of Monte

and the Ravaging of Valle.

These atrocities led to
the deaths of hundreds

of thousands of Marleyans.

There were a few civilians
who managed to escape

from Lago and flee into the
surrounding countryside.

However, the Eldian Empire
had planted Titans

along the Marleyan's escape
routes, so as day broke,

the Titans awoke and the Marleyans were...

Yeah, I know. A lot of people
ended up dying, right?

Tell us, Zeke,
is your father teaching you

the true history of Eldia?

Yeah, he says that Eldians

did lots of horrible things to Marleyans.

And that we all have to atone
for the sins of our ancestors.

Do you really want to become a Warrior

and fight for Marley?

Yeah. I want to be a Warrior.

Well. You should
get to bed now.

Tell you what. Next time,

we can read the rest of the
book about the cat's house!

Sounds good to me!

Begin!

Aww!

You're awful at this, Dad!

Kick it harder. 'Kay?

Dad!

Yes, what is it?

Hey! I finished
training early today!

- -Do you think we could...
- -Oh, good.

That means the two of us can study more.

In summary, the Tragedy
of Lago never happened.

Nor did the Devastation of Monte
or the Ravaging of Valle.

They're all just stories
made up by Marley.

Marley wants you to believe
that the Eldian Empire

had cruel customs and a brutal culture.

But that can't be.

Because our great Founder
Ymir would have never

wished for that, right?
It's unthinkable.

Huh. Yes, that's exactly right.

You're starting to catch on, Zeke!

Yeah!

If you don't have the drive, then leave.

This country only has use for Warriors

who are prepared to devote
everything to their motherland.

Marley would never trust someone like you

with one of the Titans that our
soldiers have to depend on.

Hey! You, over there!

Mind taking a second to toss that back?

H-Hey! You've actually got
a pretty good arm, for a kid.

Uh...

Here!

Nice! You caught it.

I'm sick of throwing off the wall.

Can I interest you in sticking
around for a game of catch?

Your armband is red.

Does that mean you're a...

One of those Marleyan Warriors
that you aim to become.

But my Beast isn't much use in a war,

so I don't exactly live up to the title.

For the most part, I hang
around here playing catch.

The name's Tom Ksaver,

and I work as a researcher,
studying Titans.

Throw it! And while you're
at it, tell me your name!

Nice to meet you.
I'm Zeke Jaeger!

Your throw has some
serious heat behind it, Zeke.

You're a natural, really.

Hey! I'm home!
Guess what, Dad?

That's not what you told me!

Are you serious, Grice?

If Zeke isn't chosen to be a Warrior,

then the entire plan will fall apart!

I know that. But the Owl says

that they can only intervene
and get Zeke selected

as a Warrior if he has decent scores.

And right now, he doesn't.

Well, then what do we do?

A chance like this only
comes once in a century!

Hold on a second.

Zeke still has a chance
to come back, doesn't he?

Yeah. Yeah, it's possible at
least. If Zeke steps up and...

Um. I'm sorry, Dad.

Zeke! I know you can do this.

You must have what it takes.

After all, you're our son!

Could've sworn I said
that Marley had no use for you.

So why the hell did you come back?

T-To show my loyalty to Marley,

and to atone for the sins of Eldia!

Please allow me to take part
in open training, sir!

What are you doing, Jaeger?

Run, boy! Get moving!

Dammit! This is bullshit!

Don't talk like that!
We need to support him.

He's trying his best.
Can't you see that?

His best isn't enough!

He'll never become a Warrior like that!

You were a real mess the other day, huh?

I don't see what's funny about it.

They're just keeping me around

to run stupid errands for them now.

Whatever chance I had, it's gone.

Didn't seem like you really
wanted to be a Warrior.

Not from what I could see.

I had to become a
Marleyan Warrior. I needed to.

Thing is, I just wasn't good enough.

No big deal.

It'd be stupid to become a Warrior.

Not only would you shorten your lifespan,

you'd have to spend
your life killing people

in other countries for Marley.

Then why did you become a Warrior?

Because I wanted to find out
the secrets of the Titans.

Like I told you, I work as a researcher.

It's a mystery. They say
it all started when

the Founder Ymir touched
an unknown "something."

I wanted to look back 2,000
years and see what it was.

Enough that I was
willing to shorten my life

for the chance to look
through Titan memories.

To be honest with you,

that's why I'm useless
when it comes to fighting.

It's just, compared to
the mysteries of Titans,

hatred and war seem awfully trivial.

So yeah.

I don't think we're weak so much
as we're just disinclined

to 'play war' with the rest of them.

We're both decent people,
a real rarity in this world.

This is for the best.

Even if I can't leave
the Internment Zone,

I'll still be alive, at least.

We've finally pinned 'em down.

They call themselves the
"Eldian Restorationists."

It's a pretty large group.

Apparently, it was formed by

a traitor called the "Owl."

Our people are looking into
several leads as we speak.

It's just a matter of time now.

We'll get the proof we need.

Zeke? Is something wrong?

Why aren't you eating your supper?

M-My stomach hurts.

I'm sorry, but please.

Stop going out and
doing dangerous things.

Look. If you get caught,

we'll all be sent to
the Island of Devils.

First, they'll ship us to Paradise,

and then they'll make us Titans.

Have you somehow managed to learn nothing

from me after all this time?

Unless someone takes a stand,
our people will be doomed

to live pitiful lives trapped
in this tiny cage forever.

Yes, that's right.

We're fighting to create
a dignified future

for Eldian people everywhere,
including you, Zeke.

But would you still say that if you knew

that I could end up like Aunt Fay?

Damn it, Zeke!

You know the only reason
Fay isn't alive now

is because the world is such
a sick and twisted place.

We need to fight and
fix the world so that no one

will ever have to meet her fate again!

That's why we're fighting
to restore Eldia's strength!

That's why we're determined
to win our rights back!

You're kidding me!

Your parents are Restorationists?

They'll be caught.

You'll all be sent to Paradise!

Yeah.

Mr. Ksaver.

Thanks for playing
catch with me. I'm grateful.

Um...

Even when I'm a Titan,
I'll cherish those memories.

Well. Goodbye.

Report them.

You have to.
It's your only hope.

If you show your loyalty to Marley

by turning your parents
in to the authorities,

you and your grandparents should be safe.

No. I could never!

Zeke! Your parents
have been awful to you,

they've used you!

They never spared a thought
for how you felt.

They gave up on you.

The truth is, they never loved you!

Zeke, you've done nothing wrong.

You're a smart kid. A good kid.

Take it easy, Zeke, the next
one might knock me over!

Too much for
an old geezer to handle, huh?

Hey! I'm not that old,
you little...

Mr. Ksaver!

Though it's time I faced the
fact that my term's almost over.

Yeah.

I'll never actually get to grow old,

but I don't regret my life of research.

Think I can release all
my findings in one compilation.

Huh. What'd you figure out?

Most of my findings're about

the Founding Titan's power
over Subjects of Ymir. Like us.

Oh. You said that it could

rewrite people's memories, right?

Yeah, but that isn't all it can do.

I found out that it's also able to change

the anatomy of all of our bodies.

Around 600 years ago,
an epidemic swept the world,

causing a drastic decline
in its population.

But suddenly, the disease
vanished from the Eldian Empire.

Every last citizen was cured.

It was the King's doing.

With the Founding Titan's power,
he redesigned the bodies

of his subjects and made them immune.

We Eldians are extensions of
the Founding Titan's body.

We're all connected to it,
no matter where we go.

Scary, isn't it?

Then...

You should be wiped out,

so why are you breeding?

Would it be possible for
the Founder to make it so that

none of us can have children anymore?

If Subjects of Ymir stopped giving birth,

then Titans would be gone from this world

within the next hundred
years or so, right?

And if that happened,
then the world would be free

from fear and suffering
at the hands of Titans.

What's more.

If we Eldians hadn't been
born in the first place,

we wouldn't've had to suffer either!

Mr. Ksaver?

I never intended to tell you this,

but many years ago,
I had a wife and child.

In my foolish youth,

I'd removed my armband
and hidden my identity.

I concealed it even from
the woman I married.

The mother of my son.

You see, she was a proud Marleyan.

And well,

I knew that she would
find me out eventually,

but I never suspected
that when that day came,

she would slit our son's
throat and then her own.

I decided to become
a Warrior because I wanted

to kill myself in the
grandest way I could. But...

Over the last 13 years,

I ended up immersing myself
in Titan research,

getting to know you,
playing games of catch.

We had fun, right?

I looked for my dead son in you, Zeke.

I used my Titan powers
to run from my sins.

All the while wishing that I had
never been born to this world.

I'll inherit your Titan.

Not for Marley's sake,
but for the sake of the world.

I'll take the Founder, and I'll
use its power to save everyone.

I'll end our cursed race,

freeing the world from
its fear of Titans,

and freeing our people
from their suffering!

Listen. This is something

I've kept secret from Marley.

There's a way to break
the vow renouncing war.

And well, as luck would have it,

you're the one person
who can make use of it.

If a Titan who has royal blood
comes into contact

with the holder of the Founding Titan,

then the Founder's
full power can be drawn out.

However, that power
won't be yours to direct.

What its used for will be
up to the Founder's host.

Essentially, you're like
the key to a lock.

Which means you need the Founder
to be held by someone you trust.

Someone who can understand
our "euthanization" plan.

I know you'll find that someone.

And I promise.

I'll always watch over you, Zeke.

Don't worry,
I'll find them. Father.

Eren Jaeger?

Yes. Eren is definitely
in possession of the Founder.

On top of that, he says
there's vital information

in the basement of his old home.

The home he had to abandon
when Shiganshina fell.

Tell me. Did Eren tell you guys
anything about his family?

Such as who his father was?

He did. He said
his dad was missing,

but that he used to be a doctor.

Unbelievable!
So that father was alive?

Eren. We're both victims.

Your father has brainwashed you.

But someday,

I'll come back and save you!

You've changed.

Now you do look a bit like our father.

First of all, thanks for
agreeing to meet with me.

I'm glad we're getting to talk.

You spoke with Yelena,

which means you know where I stand.

The Eldian euthanization plan.

Do you support it or not?

Four years back, something happened

to open one of our Dad's memories to me.

I relived his memory of
the night he slaughtered

the royal family of the walls.

He crushed their little kids.

Smeared them like bugs.

I felt their bodies break.

If those kids had lived, the royal family

would've reclaimed the Founder.

And bound to the vow renouncing war,

humanity inside of
the walls would've lost

any chance of surviving.

The deaths of those children
are what allowed us to live.

Interesting. So does that
mean you agree with him?

Think he did the right thing?

No. Our old man was mistaken.

What's more, I think it'd be fair to say

that I'm just another mistake of his.

If the Eldians in this town
had never been born,

then none of them would
have to suffer and die

in the plan that you and I
are about to carry out.

This world was never our birthright.

It's a hell to be saved from.

I'll do it, Zeke.

When the moment comes.

I'll bring 2,000 years of
Titan domination to an end.

Until then, we both keep moving forward.

All right? Brother?

Yeah. Precisely.

It's settled, then.

Okay.

I want nothing more than
to shake your hand, Eren.

But, well, it's best if we don't
make physical contact yet.

So in lieu of that, I'll give you this.

Eren. We're gonna save everyone.

The only way to save us Eldians...

is to put us out of our misery.

That was your plan?
Mercy killings?

Well, you're about to die
inside a Titan's stinking mouth,

listening to the sound of your body

being chewed into tiny pieces.

I'd say that's a pretty merciful
way to kill you, right?

When you consider the way that
you stole my comrade's lives.

I stole nothing.
Actually, I saved them.

Them and the children
they would've borne.

Their deaths saved them
from this cruel world.

It looks like your legs
are starting to grow back.

Mr. Ksaver! I hope
you're still watching!

The futures they seek are incompatible,

so all they can do is clash.

They fight for their beliefs
in the place where it all began.

Shiganshina.

Next episode: "Above and Below."