The third episode of 'Attack on Titan' kicked off with an absolute bombshell.
The Colossal Titan struck again—kicking down the wall, then vanishing in a puff of steam.
It even seemed intelligent—knowing exactly where the wall's defenses were weakest, and taking out the artillery the moment it appeared.
This series of jaw-dropping moves stunned the audience.
What the hell?
This thing clearly wasn't the same as those dumb titans that only knew how to eat.
So… some titans might actually be smart?
Just the idea made the audience deeply uneasy.
These giants were already terrifying—huge, strong, insanely regenerative, and capable of surviving outdoors through photosynthesis. Eating humans was just instinct. They wouldn't even starve without doing it.
Other than the weakness at the nape of the neck, Jing Yu's titans were essentially the perfect biological weapon.
And now… if you add intelligence to that?
Humanity's done for.
"This is starting to feel seriously creepy."
"Okay, hear me out—what if the Colossal Titan is just a giant inflatable doll? The steam is just leaking air, and the outer layer turns to vapor too. That's why it vanishes so suddenly."
"An inflatable what now?!"
"Please do not derail the discussion like that in a serious plot discussion group. One more outburst and you're out."
🧱 With Wall Rose breached, countless titans poured in through the massive hole.
The visual contrast between these horrifying monsters and the helpless civilians—especially the Garrison Regiment soldiers trying to resist—was overwhelming, practically spilling out of the TV screen.
At first, the audience thought: Surely humanity's elite troops can handle this. With omni-directional mobility gear, they should be able to slice titans apart with ease.
But the truth?
It was a massacre.
The main trio was split up—Mikasa and Eren assigned to different tasks, with Armin staying alongside Eren.
The titans moved with terrifying speed, almost cat-like. One minute you're walking along a rooftop; the next, a titan leaps up and bites you mid-air.
Soldiers tried to use their gear to kite the titans—but these monsters had learned to grab the steel cables, yanking humans straight into their mouths.
Then it happened—
Thomas, one of Eren's closest friends, was grabbed and swallowed whole.
Eren's face twisted with rage. The background music flared.
He launched himself at the titan who ate Thomas—completely unhinged.
The audience lost it.
"Let's go, Eren!"
"Don't let them get away with this!"
"It's time to show us what being the main character really means!"
"Slice it open! Maybe Thomas can still be saved!"
"Come on, don't wimp out as Hans did!"
Everyone was ready for a shounen explosion—for Eren to unleash hidden power.
Then—
A five-meter-class titan leapt up and, mid-air, bit Eren's leg clean off at the knee.
His body slammed hard into a rooftop nearby.
The entire audience was dumbstruck.
Literally.
This… was the protagonist?
In Episode 3, he loses a leg?
Sure, some dramas in Great Zhou had disabled leads, but those were usually romance dramas about love and kindness.
But this was a battle series. How's a guy with one leg supposed to fight?
Wait… could it be that after three episodes, Eren isn't the main character?
"His leg's gone?"
"How are we supposed to keep watching now?!"
"What the hell?! These titans are too terrifying."
"Also, that stern-looking big-eyed titan—was that meant to be funny?"
"Episode 3, and the MC loses a leg. Damn, Old Theft, you're really something. I have no idea how you're going to explain this."
"I'm brain-dead right now. What even is the point of continuing? Watch Mikasa avenge Eren?"
But the shock wasn't over.
Eren, semi-conscious and bleeding, watched as more comrades were slaughtered. One girl had her lower half eaten, her upper body pounding the ground in agony, screaming in despair.
Then…
Armin—the timid, anxious boy often mocked by fans—was grabbed by a titan and halfway down its throat.
As he began to slide into the titan's esophagus, Eren suddenly remembered a childhood promise—that one day, he and Armin would see the ocean together.
Beyond the walls… across forests, deserts…
There was an endless blue world a thousand, ten thousand times bigger than the space within the Walls, Maria, Rose, and Sina.
Eren's eyes snapped open. The music exploded.
He grabbed the titan's upper jaw, braced his foot on its lower jaw, and pulled Armin out—yelling as he flung his childhood friend to safety.
"How can we die in a place like this?" he shouted, staring at Armin outside the titan's mouth.
Then—
The titan's jaws snapped shut.
Eren's severed hand dropped to the ground.
The rest of him?
Swallowed whole by a titan that looked eerily like Charles Darwin from a Great Zhou textbook.
Just like that, Eren was eaten—right in front of millions of viewers.
The fan chatroom went silent.
30 seconds…
1 minute…
Then people slowly started typing.
"So... the protagonist dies in Episode 3?"
"This is terrifying. I don't even know if I can keep watching. Is this a horror series?!"
"I legit got scared. That scene's gonna haunt my dreams."
"How is this even allowed on free TV? Thank goodness little kids are asleep. If they saw this, they'd have nightmares and miss school."
"Relax, it's Saturday night. No school tomorrow. And don't underestimate kids—my third grader was loving it. Said Eren was awesome. Died a hero. Said he's got backbone just like me."
"I'm in fourth grade. I also think Eren's the coolest."
"Honestly, Armin is weak. Physically and mentally. Eren's unlucky to have a friend like that. If he weren't so useless and frozen in fear, Eren wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself."
"Sigh… yeah. That pissed me off."
"Maybe Eren was never the MC. What if it's his dad? He disappeared years ago. Maybe now that Eren's dead, he'll return."
"Nah, it's Armin. He'll inherit Eren's will, go through some emotional growth, Mikasa will fall for him, and he'll live happily ever after."
"Are you serious…"
"Bro, if that happens, Armin is gonna get roasted. No way fans accept that. Eren dying for him would be pointless."
When Eren died, the viewership hit 11.89%, inching ever closer to 12%.
It was dark, oppressive, almost suffocating—but that only made the audience more obsessed.
Some did complain that the show was "falling apart" now that Eren was dead.
But even those people couldn't look away.
The rest of the episode focused on the Garrison Regiment and local forces trying to defend Wall Rose.
Armin mentally collapsed. The human defense line kept breaking.
We also saw:
Ymir, the freckled girl, showing terrifying composure in crisis
Historia (still called Christa in early plot), in a few key scenes
And dramatic shots of Reiner and Bertholdt
The story was already laying future groundwork—but most viewers didn't realize that yet.
"What's the point of developing side characters when the MC just died?"
More horror: the ugly desperation of civilians trying to flee.
And then—Mikasa.
Armed with her omni-directional mobility gear, she solo'd a 15-meter titan to protect a group of civilians—like she was cutting down chickens.
The power gap was staggering.
In this show, two characters clearly stood above all others in combat: Mikasa and Levi (and later, Levi's uncle, but he didn't leave much of an impression).
Watching Mikasa, the human powerhouse, finally cut loose—
"God, she's awesome."
"I thought the other soldiers were cool—but Mikasa's on a whole different level!"
"She's the actress with the eight-pack abs from the trailer, right? Love her."
"She's ten times better than Eren. She should be the protagonist."
"Mikasa is my goddess."
"I need all her merch. I'll pay for any info. DM me."
"She's giving me chills. Is it even possible to move like that? Even with VFX, it's too smooth—cable hooks the titan's neck, retraction, mid-air twist, then she slices through the nape and even chops out the spine!"
"I don't even know how to rate this show anymore. Eren's death made me tear up… now Mikasa's got me hyped again."
A flashback showed Mikasa and Eren as kidnapped children—how she killed someone, and found her resolve because of Eren.
It laid the foundation for her deep feelings toward him.
Why does someone so powerful care only about Eren?
Why does she feel like she's invincible as long as he's alive?
As Mikasa flew through the air with her gear, her beautiful, intense face set in grim resolve, her voiceover whispered:
"Only the strong are allowed to live.
This cruel world…
But in this world, there's still a place I can return to.
Eren… as long as you're here, I can do anything."
As the 'Attack on Titan' ending theme faded in, the audience's hearts were twisted in knots.
Everyone knew: Episode 4 was going to be painful.
From the looks of it, Old Scoundrel Jing Yu was setting up Mikasa as the new main character.
But if that's the case, how will she react when she learns Eren is dead?
Will she break down?
Shut down completely?
"Old Theft… he's a born master of heartbreak. Only Episode 3, and I already feel the despair."
"So Mikasa is the new protagonist now?"
"She's amazing, no doubt. But if this was always the plan, why did Old Theft bother with Eren's perspective for so long?"
"Genius creators always have their quirks. Remember that wuxia drama from a few years ago? Barely any runtime, and 30% of it followed some random middle-aged guy, only for the final twist to reveal the real MC was his son. People still loved it. If the story's good and the characters land, it doesn't matter. I'll be sad, but if Mikasa's the MC, I'm in."
Episode 3 closed with a viewership rating of 11.89%.
That's not just big—it's historic.
People in the TV industry didn't even know how to respond.
From Episode 1 to Episode 3, it had been all pain:
Eren's mom was killed in Episode 1.
He was a total rookie in training in Episode 2.
Episode 3? He was brave for five minutes… and died to save a friend.
His lofty dream of wiping out every titan? Completely unmatched by his power level.
And at this point in the plot, before the titan powers had even been explained, Eren looked like a completely powerless protagonist.
He had heart, sure. But no strength.
Great as a side character—maybe.
But for a main lead? Weakness was unacceptable.
Still… the side characters were strong.
So even those frustrated by Eren's death found themselves hooked.
Fan speculation exploded online.
Theories that Mikasa was the new lead were getting over 90% support. People said:
"If Mikasa's the protagonist now, I'm absolutely finishing this series."
But just as speculation peaked—
Jing Yu dropped a bomb on social media.
[Mikasa is not the protagonist!]
Five simple characters.
They shattered everyone's dreams.
Not Mikasa?
Then who?
Armin? No way. After his meltdown in Episode 3, fans hated him. No way Old Scoundrel would push him as the lead.
Reiner? Bertholdt? Doesn't feel like it either.
Jing Yu's post crushed fans' hopes—but also planted seeds of curiosity.
What the hell is this story going to do next?
If Eren's dead… and Mikasa's not rising…
And the other characters are too unpopular…
"Hear me out… what if this isn't a single-protagonist story? What if it's an ensemble cast?"
Some hardcore fans, deeply immersed in the 'Attack on Titan' world, raised this idea.
Jing Yu had past and present-world examples—like the Three Kingdoms dramas. No single lead. Just a sprawling tapestry of characters.
Maybe 'Attack on Titan' was going that route too.
Whatever the case, after Episode 3, the discussion exploded.
Blog posts, forums, chat groups—'Attack on Titan' was now a true phenomenon.