Shingeki no Kyojin - The Final Season - Episode 74 - 10 Second Anime

Zeke replays memories of his youth in Marley as Levi holds him captive.

#74 – “Sole Salvation”

Hmm.

Shingeki no Kyojin offered up nice retroactive continuity in Zeke’s flashback. When last we saw the boy Zeke informing on his parents as Eldian Restorationists, it only appeared that he did so due to his grandparents’ influence. I had guessed that young Zeke gained a reward by joining the Warrior program afterward.

Here, we found out that he was already in the Warrior program and doing poorly, much to the disappointment of Grisha and Dina. As Restorationists, they hoped to have one of their number gain a Titan Power and Zeke was their best hope. That didn’t work out.

The more interesting thing we heard was the reemergence of The Owl, who was prominent in Grisha Jaeger’s memories as a mole within the Marley forces and a director of the Restorationists’ resistance operations. What happened to them? Wouldn’t they have contacted Zeke after Ksaver became his adoptive father? Or did Zeke make a permanent break with the Restorationists after he devised his euthanasia plan?

The Owl’s story sounds more important because the last time we saw Eren Kruger, he gave Grisha the Attacking Titan on Paradis. The memories down that side of the Titans within Eren make me think Eren’s still a free agent instead of on Zeke’s side, especially if he remembers Zeke fingering Grisha and Dina, which turned Dina into the Titan that killed his mother on Paradis.

Heh.

Shingeki no Kyojin will have an extended flashback episode for Zeke. Finally giving up his secrets before someone eats him up. The Marleyan discrimination against Eldians never let up. Zeke was in the Warrior Candidate program, obviously, but he sucked at it. He should have washed out. The Beast Titan belongs to Tom Ksaver. His glasses look familiar.

Har. Grisha and Dina called their resistance meetings “social dance club” events. Zeke’s grandparents teach him the “official” version of Eldian history. Zeke did not impress Magath in his youth. Tom Ksaver the Beast Titan played baseball catch with him, which explains all that pitching stuff Zeke does now. Ksaver wasn’t a fighter. He spent his time researching Titan powers. Zeke used all his memories to help his military career after he inherited his powers.

Zeke is part of The Owl’s plans for a Restorationist to gain a Titan Power. Zeke isn’t doing enough for the mole to influence the selection process without giving himself away. Grisha gave up on Zeke after watching him suck air on the training ground.

Ksaver is a subversive as well, but he just wants to research Titans. He says the Founder Ymir touched “something” and all the Eldians’ history with Titans started after that. Uh oh. Ksaver told Zeke to rat out his parents! That’s how Zeke gained recognition to become a Warrior. Zeke replaced his father Grisha with Ksaver.

Ha. There’s the current generation of Warriors. Annie was such a loner. Ksaver gave Zeke the inspiration for his euthanasia plan by telling him the story of how the Founding Titan changed Eldian biology to stop a plague. If the Founding Titan can do that, why not sterilize them so Eldians die from zero percent birthrate.

Zeke quickly moved through finding Eren and meeting him in Marley. Zeke has royal blood through Dina, which is why he can use the Coordinate Power with his Titan. Now he can access the Founding Titan through Eren, but only if Eren trusts him. That’s the big question. Eren once vowed that he would kill every Titan. Zeke thinks he has an ally for his Eldian euthanasia plan.

Back to the present. Zeke hopes Ksaver’s memories can find a way to use a Titan power to heal him after he explodes while escaping from Levi.

Next time, the season hiatus episode.