There are dozens of moments that are crucial to the Attack on Titan narrative — like the discovery that the Walls are made of Titans and the political upheavals that rock Paradis. Further, the distinctions between heroes and villains blur into ambiguity as the show progresses, but their original motivations don't exactly change all that much.

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As such, each major character in Attack on Titan has been around long enough to make their mark. While they all have several scenes in which they shine brightly, there is always going to be a single moment that encapsulates their personality as well as their impact on the plot more than any other.

Eren Jaeger — Simultaneously Converses His All His Friends

Attack on Titan's Eren and Mikasa

Eren has been involved in every critical stage of the story, from manifesting the Attack Titan to laying waste to the city of Liberio in Marley. Regardless, Eren's ruthless assault against humanity is belied by his incalculable grief at having to commit genocide, something that he shares with his friends (within the safety of the Coordinate).

In order to explain everything to those he cherishes, Eren has a series of conversations with Jean, Reiner, Conny, Annie, Mikasa, and Armin. This simple moment revises Eren's friends' opinions of him, and his dying wish is fulfilled.

Mikasa Ackermann — Overcoming Her Love To Save The World

Mikasa kissing Eren in Attack on Titan

Mikasa is originally known for one thing: her need to protect Eren at all costs, even if it means sacrificing everything else. Eren dislikes the notion of being treated as a child, but he soon grows to understand the various factors behind Mikasa's determination.

However, to save everyone else from Eren, she must discard her love for him (and kill him in cold blood), the very thought of which repulses her. Mikasa manages to do it at the end, though, proving that one man's life is not worth those of billions, even if that man happens to be close to Mikasa's heart.

Annie Leonhart — Strategizes A Risky Escape (That Works Flawlessly)

Annie Leonhart on Attack on Titan

Annie, as the Female Titan, plays her part rather well, launching multiple attempts to kidnap Eren and transport him to Marley, all of which ultimately fail. This isn't because of her own errors in judgment as much as it is because she fails to foresee and work around Armin's deductive capabilities.

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After the Female Titan is captured by Erwin's "Special Target Restraining Weapon", she doesn't waste time in mounting her defenses, AKA skin hardening. Annie then roars out an invitation directed at all the Pure Titans within earshot, who immediately start eating her. Taking big risks is what the Warriors are trained for; Annie's performance in this scene is truly admirable.

Armin Arlert — Sacrifices His Life To Capture The Colossus Titan

split image of Armin's colossal titan in Attack on Titan and armin in human form looking towards camera

Armin is flexible, deceptively cunning, and one of the most intelligent characters in Attack on Titan, which is why the Scouts are able to bring down the Colossus Titan without experiencing significant casualties. He convinces Eren to go along with his plan, but is ultimately burned to a crisp (fully aware of the dire consequences of his strategy).

Thankfully, he returns as the new Colossus Titan and survives beyond the conclusion of the series, but it's important to remember that Armin would have happily died at that very moment if he had known that his gambit to defeat Bertholdt had succeeded.

Erwin Smith — Rides Into The Maw Of Inevitable Death

 Erwin Smith with glowing eyes in Attack on Titan

Erwin is an indefatigable machine — barking commands at his juniors while being eaten by a Titan is an excellent example of his tirelessness. The Commander of the Scout Regiment is not one to back down no matter how bleak the situation, and, more importantly, how badly he might be affected by his own decisions.

Erwin Smith's shining moment occurs when he launches a full-scale charge at Zeke's Beast Titan as a feint for Levi's stealth attack; unfortunately, it's also his last one. He doesn't let the fear of inevitable death bog him down, though.

Reiner Braun — Keeps The Source Of All Living Matter At Bay

Attack on Titan — Reiner vs Shining Centipede

Reiner is a simple man; the only problem is that he's constantly embroiled in complex politics that he doesn't (care to) understand. He joins the Marleyan Warriors to keep his Eldian family safe from bigotry, desiring nothing more than to retrieve Eren so he can go back home.

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Sadly, this doesn't work out as planned, but he does pull through in the penultimate chapter of the manga. After the Shining Centipede is forcibly separated from the Founder's form, Reiner gallantly keeps the entity away from the battle between Armin and Eren, an endeavor that is critical in the story's climax.

Levi Ackermann — Eviscerates The Beast Titan

Levi Ackermann and Beast Titan on Attack on Titan

Levi is often called "humanity's strongest soldier", but the true extent of his powers remains unknown until he takes on the Beast Titan (arguably the most dangerous among the Nine).

In fact, this battle is ridiculously one-sided in favor of the Scout captain, as Levi hacks and slashes his opponent into shreds, not to mention carving Zeke out of the Beast's corpse like he's violently dissecting a frog. Pieck rescues Zeke in the nick of time, but Levi has pretty much legitimized his epithet by this point.

Historia Reiss — Kills Her Father In His Titan Form

Historia attacking Rod Reiss in Attack On Titan

Historia's father Rod Reiss transforms himself into a gigantic Titan and crawls towards Orvud district, leaving the Scout and Garrison Regiments to formulate a foolproof tactic to take him down. Eren's Attack Titan manages to blow the upper half of Rod's Titan into pieces, leaving his allies to chop every single fragment to avoid Rod from returning.

However, it is Historia Reiss who eventually finds the piece containing her father's body and heroically finishes him off. This scene is extra symbolic because she declares herself to be the Queen of the Walls immediately after her father's death.

Gabi Braun — Shoots Sasha Braun Without Warning

Gabi shooting Sasha in Attack On Titan

While upsetting to everyone in the Scouts (as well as the audience), Sasha's death at Gabi's hands is significant for two reasons — the Scouts lose their seemingly unbreakable trust in Eren, and it ensures that her killer is forced to acknowledge the gravity of her actions.

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Gabi's hotheadedness can be compared to Eren's in that they both refuse to see beyond their tempers, but assassinating Sasha starts a chain reaction that changes Gabi's goal permanently. She later switches sides to the Scouts and assists them in defeating Eren, but her character begins its transformation right before the assassination scene.

Sasha Braus — The Nonconforming Potato Girl

Sasha eating a potato on Attack on Titan

Sasha is quite the maverick, especially in situations where she's expected to submit to authority or face severe penalties for disobedience. During the course of her military training, she somehow musters the gall to pilfer a single cooked potato and actually starts eating it.

When her bizarre behavior is put on the spot by Keith Shadis, she happily offers him a portion of her meal, perhaps hoping to alleviate her insubordination. It obviously doesn't work, and the scene cements Sasha as an individualist from the very beginning. More importantly, though, she is an eminently likable character, which is not something that can be said for everyone.

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