With the second part of the final season of Attack on Titan in full swing, we can finally draw a complete timeline of the complicated events that take place in the series.
As of the most recent episode of season 4, our anti-hero, Eren, survives his decapitation and his half-brother, Zeke, obtains the power of the Founding Titan.
But how did we reach here? And what happens next? Let’s go back to the manga to find out.
The Complete Timeline of Attack on Titan
- Key:
“B1” – Before Year 1 of the AoT calendar system
“c” – Historical events that do not have exact dates
1. B1 1003: The Original Founding Titan
Once upon a time, there was a savage tribe composed of people called the Eldians. The Fritz clan were the rulers of the Eldians, who raided and captured slaves from opposing communities.
One of these slaves was a girl called Ymir who got into some trouble opening a pig enclosure. She runs away to escape Fritz’s men, and encounters the Devil of All Earth – the source of all living matter.
She makes a contract with him and gains the Power of the Titans, becoming the original Founding Titan, and the progenitor of the Eldian race as we know it.
2. B1 990: The 9 Titans And The Paths
When Ymir dies to save Emperor Fritz, she discovers the Paths, which are the invisible channels that connect the Titans and the Subjects of Ymir.
Ymir’s soul is split into 9 Titans; the Founding Titan can be inherited by descendants of the Royal Blood since the Emperor feeds Ymir’s corpse to his 3 daughters, and the other 8 by lesser Eldian houses or families.
The Titans are capable of regeneration but are destined to die at 13, just like she did. This is the Curse of Ymir.
3. B1 370: Eldia vs. Marley – The Fall Of Lago, Monte, And Valle
The Eldians begin their process of ethnic cleansing using the power of the Titans. Hundred and thousands of the Marleyans are killed.
4. c. B1 240: The Plague
When the epidemic strikes, half the world’s population was wiped off; it affects everyone except the Empire of Eldia, due to the power of the Founding Titan.
5. Early 700s: the Allies of Eldia
After a huge time-skip, we see that Eldia has allied with Hizuru, the shogun of which is the ancestor of the Ackermans. The Ackerman clan was actually created through human experimentation of Titan biology.
Due to their enhanced abilities, they became the monarch’s right-hand, capable of awakening their powers to protect members of the Royal Blood. (This is where Eren gets his theory that Mikasa is only devoted to him because of her inherited Ackerman gene.)
6. c. 743: The Great Titan War
The 145th Eldian monarch, Karl Fritz, has inherited the Founding Titan. He’s basically a good guy, who starts reflecting on Eldia’s bloody history of genocide.
He makes a deal with the Tybur Family, the house of Eldia possessing the War Hammer Titan, to end Eldia’s cruel reign.
The Tybur family gets down to business by fabricating myths. They spread the story of a Marleyan martyr called Helos to incite the Marleyans to fight against the Titans.
Fritz retreats with a few of his followers to the island of Paradis, the last of Eldian territory. The Marleyans gain control of 6 of the 9 Titans – the Colossus, the Armored, the Female, the Beast, the Cart, and the Jaw Titans.
Since Tybur sides with the Marleyans, they also have the War Hammer Titan. With the power of 7 Titans, the Marleyans win the war.
To protect the remaining Eldians, Fritz uses the Founding Titan to create 3 concentric walls named after the first Emperor’s daughters – Maria, Rose, and Sheena.
He tells the Marleyans that if the surviving Eldians are not left alone, the millions of Titans standing dormant within the walls – the Wall Titans – would destroy the planet. (This is the Rumbling that Eren and Zeke initiate later.)
Fritz also wipes the memories of the Subjects of Ymir but some clans that didn’t share the Eldian bloodline, like the Ackermans, still remember history and turn against Fritz.
Fritz and the royal family go under hiding and live as the Reiss family, but still retains the Founding Titan. He also takes a vow that prohibits any future inheritor of the Founding Titan to go against his pacifist will of renouncing war.
Meanwhile, the Marleyans spread the propaganda that the source of all evil was Ymir and that it was because of her that they had suffered genocide.
The remaining Eldians grow ashamed of their past and become indebted to the Marleyans for showing them mercy. They become devout followers of Marley.
Anyone showing disobedience are threatened to be transformed into Pure Titans and being sent to Paradis.
7. c. 750-780: Founding of the Titan Biology Research Society in Marley
The Marleyans discover the Paths and name the Founding Titan as the Coordinate of these Paths.
8. c. 780: The “new” Ymir
In a cult of Ymir Fritz, a homeless Eldian girl is bestowed the name of Ymir Fritz and becomes a figure of worship.
9. c. 785: Transformation of the cult into Pure Titans
This cult is discovered by the Public Security Authorities of Marley and are turned to Pure Titans and exiled to the border of Paradis. The “new” Ymir loses her humanity for a total of 60 years.
10. 806: The Entry of the Yeagers
Grisha Yeager is born in the Eldian camp of Liberio. 3 years later, his sister, Faye, is born.
11. c. 816: Eldia gets a new ruler
Rod and Uri Reiss’ father comes into possession of the Founding Titan and becomes the new monarch of Eldia.
12. 817: The death of Faye
Grisha and Faye wander outside their internment zone without their Eldian armbands. Eren Kruger, a Marleyan officer, physically apprehends Grisha and Faye is fed to another officer’s dogs.
Grisha’s father is forced to tell him about the Eldian propaganda and ethnic cleansing that lasted 1700 years and wiped off entire bloodlines.
Grisha takes a stand and says that people should not be punished for the sins of their ancestors.
13. 819: Eren Kruger inherits the Attack Titan
14. 824: The Eldian Restorationists
Grisha learns how his sister truly died and joins the Eldian Restorationists, a radical group in Liberio that plans to overthrow the Marleyans using the power of the Founding Titan.
He also gleans the true Eldian history from a spy called The Owl, inside Marley.
15. 825: The birth of Zeke Yeager
Grisha has married the last member of the Fritz’ – Dina Fritz. They give birth to Zeke.
16. c. 829: The new Founding Titan
Uri Reiss eats his father and becomes the new monarch of Eldia. Kenny Ackerman joins Uri’s First Interior Squad and becomes his right-hand man after a failed assassination attempt on him.
17. c. 830-832: the Marley Warriors
The Marley government trains select Eldian children to harness the power of the 7 Titans. They eventually become the Marley Warriors. Zeke joins them as a double agent.
He turns his own parents in to gain the trust of the Marleyans and his mother is turned into a Pure Titan and sent to Paradis.
Eren Kruger reveals himself to be the Owl. He is also the inheritor of the Attack Titan. Grisha eats Kruger at his behest, and inherits this power to reach the Walls of Shiganshina District.
Here, Keith Shadis from the Survey Corps finds him in a state of amnesia and teaches him what life within the walls is like.
18. 835: The birth of Eren Yeager
Grisha marries Carla from Shiganshina and they give birth to Eren. This is also around the time that Mikasa, Armin, Florian, Historia, Reiner, Abel, Annie, and Sasha are born.
19. 842-843: The next Titan Hosts
Frieda Reiss eats Uri and gains control of the Founding Titan, becoming the new monarch of Eldia. It’s also at this time, that Zeke inherits the power of the Beast Titan from Tom Ksaver.
From the Warriors, Annie Leonhart becomes the Female Titan, Reiner Braun the Armored Titan, Bertolt Hoover the Colossus Titan, Marcel Galliard the Jaw Titan, and Pieck the Cart Titan.
The Warriors with their acquired powers are sent to war against rebellion countries of Marley, swiftly crushing the opposing forces.
20. 844: Mikasa is taken in by the Yeagers
This is when Mikasa is abducted by human traffickers and her parents are killed. Eren finds her and the Yeager family takes her in.
Zeke’s Beast Titan takes over the capital enemy nation in Marley in a single night.
21. 845: The Paradis Island Operation, the Fall of Wall Maria, and the beginning of Chapter 1
The Warriors are sent to Paradis to take over the Founding Titan. On the way, Marcel is eaten by Ymir, who had been turned into a Titan years ago.
She regains her humanity – and also the Jaw Titan. Bertolt aka the Colossus Titan breaks the Wall Maria and allows Titans to storm into the Shiganishina district.
Dina Fritz as a Pure Titan, eats Grisha’s second wife, Carla. Grisha battles Frieda Reiss and defeats her, taking over the Founding Titan. Later, Eren eats Grisha, and inherits both, the Founding Titan, as well as the Attack Titan.
Before these events transpired, Eren sees the memories of the future through the power of the Attack Titan and thinks it to be a dream. He declares his intention of joining the Survey Corps.
It is the Founding Titan’s power from the future, that commands Dina to eat Carla. Eren sets his own path in stone.
Eren and Zeke also appear from the future as the Founding and Attack Titans using Paths, and manipulate Grisha into transforming into the Attack Titan and overpowering Frieda in the first place.
All the events that take place in the first chapter set the stage for the Rumbling in the final chapters.
22. 847-848: The 104th Training Corps
Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie discover the truth of the false monarchy that acted as the face of the royal government. They enlist in the Training Corps to gets access to the real royal family.
Meanwhile, our protagonists have graduated to form the 104th Training Corps. Annie becomes Eren’s trainer in the Corps.
Kenny Ackerman creates the Anti-Personnel Control Squad to oppose the Survey Corps. His ultimate goal, though, is to gain control of the Founding Titan.
23. 849: The scream of the Beast Titan
Zeke discovers that if he injects his spinal fluid into Eldians, he can transform them into Titans and also control them.
24. 850: The Battle of Trost
Bertolt, as the Colossus Titan, breaks the outer gate of Trost, and causes a Titan invasion for the first time in 5 years.
Eren gets eaten but activates his Attack Titan and resurfaces, gaining control of the situation, but killing the Pure Titans.
This is the first time that mankind has won against the Titans within the walls, giving them a ray of hope.
Eren is questioned by the Military about his father’s basement and he declares that all he wants to do is join the Scouts as a member of Levi’s squad. He tests and practices his Titan shifting abilities here over the next month.
25. 850: The 57th Expedition Outside the Walls
The Survey Corps undertakes the 57th Expedition to plot a course from Karanes District to Shiganshina District, but Annie, in her Female Titan form, sabotages the mission.
Eren fights the Female Titan and later, the Corps begin to suspect that Annie is the Female Titan.
During the Stohess district raid, Eren’s Attack Titan and Annie’s Female Titan engage in combat causing widescale destruction. To evade capture, Annie crystalizes herself.
Just when everyone thinks things are under control, Zeke, in his Beast Titan form, breaches Wall Rose, turning residents into Titans.
The Survey Corps also find out that Reiner and Bertolt came from the same place Annie did and suspect them to be in league with her.
Ymir and Eren as the Jaw and Attack Titan respectively, are captured by Bertolt and Reiner’s Colossal and Armored Titans.
Eren is rescued but Dina Fritz’ Titan, i.e., the Smiling Titan emerges and Eren attempts to punch her for killing his mother. Due to the physical contact, Eren’s dormant Founding Titan is awakened.
He gains control of the Titans and orders them to kill Dina’s Titan. Meanwhile, Bertolt and Reiner escape with Ymir, and Ymir reveals that she wishes to return the Jaw Titan back to them.
Refugees from Wall Rose retrieve to underground shelters inside Wall Sheena until Wall Rose is confirmed safe from Titans.
Special members from the 104th Training Corps are assigned to safeguard Eren and Historia. Eren continues to experiment with his Titan form, and one day, after waking up from a Titan shift-induced sleep, he receives memory flashes of Frieda Reiss, Historia’s half-sister.
Historia is revealed to be part of the Reiss family and Erwin organizes a plan to find Rod Reiss to Historia can be crowned as the queen of the Walls.
Levi finds out that Dimo Reeves is in league with the First Interior Squad, which is a subdivision of the Military; Dimo agrees to help the Survey Corps’ cause.
Kenny kills Dimo and takes custody of Eren and Historia. The Survey Corps is framed for Dino’s murder and Levi and Kenny’s squads battle in the streets of Stohess.
The next day, Squad Levi overwhelms the forces of the First Interior Squad, and the truth behind Dimo’s murder is revealed in an article in the newspaper.
Meanwhile, the nobles and King Fritz are dethroned and it’s discovered that the nobles are immune to the Founding Titan.
At the same time, at the Reiss chapel, Rod Reiss, Historia’s father, manipulates her to place their hands on Eren’s back; this triggers all his memories, including those of Grisha’s final hours.
Rod urges Historia to kill Eren and reclaim the Founding Titan but she refuses, and instead, frees Eren. Rod transforms into a Pure Titan after licking the Titan serum off the floor.
He is at least twice the size of the Colossal Titan, but Historia, with the help of Eren, Squad Levi, and the Garrison, manages to kill her father.
Kenny is on the brink of death, and finally reveals to Levi that he is his uncle. He gives him the Titan serum he had stolen from Rod Reiss.
26. 850: Historia is crowned as the Queen of Humanity
After Historia becomes queen, the Military replaces the nobles and the Survey Corps creates technology to wipe out the Titans, such as the Thunderspears and the Executioner from Hell. Eren uses the latter to clear Titans from Wall Maria.
Zeke arrives in Shiganshina and meets Bertolt and Reiner. They decided to lie in wait for the Survey Corps so they can retrieve the Founding Titan.
27. 850: The Battle of Shiganshina
The Warriors of Marley fight with the Survey Corps. Eren, Reiner, Bertolt, and Zeke battle in their Titan forms. The Warriors are decapitated, and Bertolt is killed. Pieck arrives and him, Zeke, and Reiner flee the district.
![[Attack on Titan] -- Battle for Shiganshina Begins](https://www.epicdope.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FlzCscKl0laI%2F0.jpg)
Levi gives the Titan serum he got from Kenny to Armin, who eats Bertolt. Erwin dies.
Eren, Mikasa, Levi, and Hange finally investigate the Yeager basement where they find 3 books detailing Grisha’s past in Marley. The Survey Corps learn the history of the world beyond the Walls.
Eren gains visions of his father’s memories and learns that the Smiling Titan was his father’s first wife.
The survivors from the Corps are taken to be honored by Queen Hisoria. When Eren touches Historia’s hand, he becomes connected to the Paths and receives all the memories of past holders of the Founding Titan, including his father.
He also sees the future of the Rumbling and how everything must happen so it can happen, that is, how the future influences the past so the future can take place.
He also sees that the Eren of the future (from the year 854) influences his father to complete certain tasks that will put the Rumbling into effect.
Towards the end of 850, Ymir is eaten by Porco, the brother of Marcel, who inherits the Jaw Titan.
28. 851-854: Marley Mid-East War
Eren tells Historia that the only way to put an end to the cycle of revenge born from hate is to wipe out everybody who is not from Paradise.
He is powerless against the course of events and eventually abandons the Scouts and enlists as an Eldian soldier for Marley.
At Fort Slava, Zeke and Reiner in their Titan form completely destroy the Mid-East fleet and win. The Mid East Allied Forces sign a peace treaty with the Marleyans, who had emerged victorious after the war.
Zeke suggests to the commander to reignite the Paradis Island Operation so they could gain complete control of the Titans and establish Marley as a dominant nation once again.
Eren, cuts off his leg and gauges out his eye to infiltrate the Marleyan Military using Eren Kruger’s identity.
29. 854: The Raid on Liberio
Willy Tybur reveals the Eren is the Founding Titan and is the biggest threat to world peace. Eren transforms into the Attack Titan and kills him, while Lara Tybur becomes the War Hammer Titan and overpowers Eren.
The Survey Corps and the other Titans join the battle. Levi takes down Zeke, and Jean neutralizes Pieck. The Survey Corps escape from Liberio and Zeke is put under house arrest by Levi.
The rest of the world forms a Global Military Alliance against Paradis. Eren is arrested for insubordination but a month later, escapes using his Titan powers.
Eren meets with Mikasa and Armin where he tells them that they are mere slaves and the discussion gets heated. Eren gets both of them thrown into prison.
The Yeagerists, who are the rebels from the Paradis military along with civilians, want to reunite Eren and Zeke and help activate the Rumbling. They give everyone who consumed Zeke’s spinal fluid black armbands.
Yelena visits the soldiers and explains Zeke’s euthanasia plan to grant salvation to the Eldians. This would entail obliterating all the Eldians in Marley as well as Paradis using the powers of the Founding Titan, and render them infertile so the race itself dies out.
30. 854: the Surprise Raid of Paradis/Marley’s revenge for Liberio
Marley attacks Paradis, and Zeke arrives in his Beast Titan form at Shiganshina. Porco attacks Eren in his Jaw Titan form when him, Pieck, and Gabi are on the roof.
The Marleyans attack from the air with their paratroopers and the prisoners are let out so they can aid in protecting Eren.
Zeke destroys all of the Marleyan airships but is finally brought down by general Theo Magath, who’s mounted on the Cart Titan’s back.
Eren in his Titan form rushes towards Zeke when he is decapitated by Gabi. Zeke catches his head before Eren dies and transport them to the Paths Realm. This is when things are fully explained – to us and to Eren.
He tells him about Ymir Fritz who lives in this realm, and how she has the ability to control all the Titans and every one of their descendants.
Unfortunately, she to is a slave, without a will of her own, since she has to obey the ones with the Royal Blood, whom she thinks are her masters.
This is also where Eren reveals to Zeke that he never intended to follow his euthanasia plan and tries to access the full power of the Founding Titan through Ymir but to no avail.
It is Zeke that has the power, and he uses this power to access their father Grisha’s memories, through Eren’s Attack Titan.
Zeke realizes that Grisha hadn’t brought Eren up to brainwash him and instead, it was in fact Eren that influenced his father to kill the Reiss family. Grisha is able to converse with Zeke and tells him to stop Eren.
The moment of realization: the past and the future was always meant to have happened the way that it did, the moment when Eren touched Historia’s hand 4 years ago.
Eren actually saw the actions of his future self and could thus follow in his future footsteps.
Eren gleans Ymir’s past and sees through her memories that she leads a life of fear, slavery, and torture. He asks her for the strength to destroy the world beyond Paradis and promises her freedom. Ymir gives Eren the full power of the Founding Titan.
In the real world, the Devil/Creature/Source of All Living Matter fuses with Eren and he becomes a Titan so massive and powerful that he looms over the entire city. And thus begins the Rumbling.
31. 854: The Rumbling
Eren telepathically tells all the subjects of Ymir and citizens of Eldia that he is going to conduct a mass genocide and kill everyone who isn’t Eldian.
Chaos ensues and Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Gabi, Falco, and Annie decide to stop the Rumbling. Reiner, Keith, Pieck, Magath, Hange, Jean, and Levi join this group and strategize a way to take Eren down.
The Global Alliance and the other nations outside Paradis are retreating as Eren and the Wall Titans continue to destroy Marley.
32. 854: The Battle of Heaven and Earth
As the Rumbling progresses, Historia goes into labor.
Eren transports the Alliance to the Paths Realm and tells them that he will not stop the Rumbling and that the only way to win is to kill him.
He promises them that they will still retain their free will, and that whatever they decide will happen.
On the flying boat, Falco can access memories of a former Beast Titan who had the ability to fly. Since he had ingested Zeke’s spinal fluid his Jaw Titan now has some characteristics of the Beast Titan. He takes flight with Annie and Gabi riding atop him
Eren reveals the ability to evoke dead Titans and summons Zeke’s Beast Titan from the past. Fort Salta is completely shattered.
All the other resurrected Titans overpower the Alliance but Armin and Zeke from the Paths Realm manage to reawaken the predecessors and ask them the lend their strength to fight the Founding Titan.
Levi decapitates Zeke and this stops the Rumbling. Jean detonates the explosives wrapped around the Founding Titan’s neck and the head is blown off; but the Creature tries to pull the body back together.
Armin emerges as the Colossal Titan and the Rumbling ends. But Eren is not dead yet.
The Founding Titan ejects a gas capable of converting people into Titans. Most of the Alliance are converted into Pure Titans.
Mikasa dreams of an alternate universe where she and Eren abandon everything and live happily ever after. But she wakes up to reality and knows what she must do.
She flies into the mouth of the Founding Titan, where Eren’s head hangs from its spine. She kisses him goodbye and severs his head, while Ymir watches.
She’s freed and all Titans disappear. Every Eldian affected by the Founding Titan’s memory manipulation, gain back their memories.
We are shown Armin’s heartbreaking conversation with Eren as his memories come back, how Eren explains why he had to do what he had to do, and that Mikasa had to give up her love like Ymir for the greater good.
Eren reveals his true feelings for Mikasa and entrusts Armin to save humanity.
This leads to plenty of tears and goodbyes. Mikasa also sees the spirit of Ymir Fritz before she’s finally put to rest.
The Eldians and the Marleyans realize that the Titans no longer exist, or will exist in the future.
33. c. 857: In the New World without Titans
3 years go by, and we see that Historia is living happily with her husband and child. 80% of the world’s population has been destroyed by the Rumbling and survivors begin peace negotiations between the two nations.
Mikasa buries Eren’s head beneath the tree they used to sit under. Years pass by and war breaks out again. Eldia is crushed but the tree miraculously remains.
It grows tall through the centuries, eventually resembling the tree that Ymir Fritz fell upon as a girl, the place she encountered the Devil.
34. About Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. Kodansha publishes it in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.
The manga began serialization on September 9th, 2009, and ended on April 9, 2021. It has been compiled into 34 volumes.
Attack on Titan follows humanity settled within three concentric walls to protect themselves from the terrifying titans that prey on them. Eren Yeager is a young boy that believes that a caged life is similar to that of cattle and aspires to go beyond the walls one day, just like his heroes, the Survey Corps. The emergence of a deadly Titan unleashes chaos.
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