Fans of Attack On Titan have learned to accept the unexpected demise of their favorite characters. The show grew in popularity within the anime community for both its horror and its action-packed plot line. Though because of how intense the world of Attack on Titan was, many fans grew to understand that their favorite characters would always be in danger of losing their lives.

Although sad, the anime itself rewarded its audience through courageous and inspirational characters. If you wish to remember these characters and how their deaths impacted us when we witnessed them for the first time, here are some of the saddest deaths in the world of AoT anime.

Updated by Stefania Ikeda-Stavridi on the 6th of December 2023: With Attack On Titan finally coming to a conclusion, we have updated our list to include the newest and last impactful deaths of the series. We have also rearranged the rankings, as more information about the deaths and their impacts on main characters was revealed.

**This article contains SPOILERS FOR The ATTACK ON TITAN anime!**

20 Carla Jaeger

Eaten By The Smiling Titan

• Set The Stage For Eren’s Pure Hatred Against The Titans
• Eren’s Intervention To Save Bertholdt

Carla Jaeger was only alive in the show for about an episode, but her death was the most impactful in the whole series. Eren’s story would never have started without her demise, which caused our beloved protagonist to become who he was destined to be.

Carla’s death is at the bottom of the list because the audience barely got to know her as a character. However, seeing a mother being ripped apart in front of her children is anything but happy. Her fleeting presence takes on profound significance after Eren’s revelation; he sent the titan towards his mother’s location in order to safely acquire the power of the colossal titan in the future.

19 Marco Bodt

Killed By Reiner, Bertholdt, And Annie

• His Death Pushed Jean To Join The Scout Regiment
• Unfortunate Timing That Led Reiner, Bertholdt, And Annie To A Horrible Decision

Marco Bodt was one of the first well-known characters to die within the Attack on Titan universe. Because he had more time than Carla Jaeger herself, he is seated in nineteenth place on our list.

Marco was mysteriously found dead by his best friend Jean after Cadet Corp was forced into battle. Though later on, it was discovered that Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie were the true cause of his death. Marco had overheard them plotting to take over the walls, which caused the trio to remove his gear and feed him to a Titan.

18 Marcel Galliard

Eaten By Ymir

• Ymir Gained The Jaw Titan Power
• Sacrificed Himself To Save Reiner

Marcel Galliard’s death was a significant moment in the story with far-reaching consequences. When Ymir consumed Marcel, she not only regained her humanity but also gained the powerful Jaw Titan, whose powers she used multiple times to save her comrades.

Marcel’s death had, of course, a deep impact on his comrades – Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner. The trio even considered abandoning their mission, but Reiner urged them to continue, as he could not let his friend’s sacrifice go to waste. As Marcel does not get much screentime, and his death is only shown through flashbacks, his demise does not rank higher.

17 Petra Ral

Killed By The Female Titan

• Her Death Awoke Eren’s Wrath And Pushed Him To Fight The Female Titan
• Huge Impact On Levi

Petra Ral was a sweet and caring character that won over many fans within the first season. She was part of the Levi squad, and because of that, she was one of the first characters to grow close to Eren. She was the most talented at using the ODM gear, and had the highest titan kill count of 58 titans.

Her death was emotional; however, it was not as emotional as others on the list, leaving her in eighteenth place. She was killed by the female Titan in front of Eren, which caused him to transform into his Titan form and attack Annie out of pure rage.

16 Ymir

Eaten By Porco

• The Jaw Titan Powers Were Transferred To Porco
• Historia Lost Her One And Only Friend

Ymir was a somber character that many fans grew to love as her storyline was slowly introduced. She was the only friend of Historia Reiss, and on her deathbed, she wrote to her friend before being fed to Porco Galliard.

After she had written the letter to Historia, the Queen of Paradis was seen mourning the loss. Her death was animated swiftly, and we didn’t get to see much of Ymir before her death, which, of course, made her death heart-wrenching but not as impactful as it could have been.

15 Kenny Ackermann

Injured By Rod’s Transformation

• Gives Levi The Titan Injection
• Reveals He’s Levi’s Uncle

Like in the anime Chainsaw Man, many characters within Attack on Titan have strange personalities — Kenny Ackermann is one of them. After the character was revealed to be Levi’s Uncle, the audience was forced to watch the man die in front of his nephew.

His death was impactful on Levi’s storyline, and because his character was so important to the knowledge of the Reiss family, his death sits at fifteenth on the list. Levi himself received the closure he needed, even if the last words from Kenny were unexpected and quick.

14 Bertholdt Hoover

Eaten By Armin

• His Death Haunted Everyone, Mainly Annie And Reiner
• Armin Gained The Powers Of The Colossal Titan

Although Bertholdt’s death was applauded by some since he was behind the initial attack on Wall Maria as the Colossal Titan and was also trying to kill the scouts in a devastating attack, you can’t help but feel sad at his death. Bertholdt Hoover was always more vulnerable than the other warriors and by the end of Season Three, he had grown to be more assertive and dominant.

He did end up falling to the scouts and Eren though, but only after killing most of them. And then there came a time when the scouts had to decide who would get the Colossal titan’s power. Levi eventually decided on Armin and right before Armin chomped on Bertholdt, he regained consciousness begging for his life in a cry of desperate fear that shook his friends to the core along with everyone watching.

13 Isy And Furlan

Killed By Titans

• Levi Became A Man Without Regrets
• Levi Lost His Most Loyal Friends

Sitting in the middle of the list are the deaths of Levi’s self-made family: Isabel Magnolia and Furlan Church. Because the OVA was set in the past, the audience already knew of their demise. However, seeing Levi in so much pain after their deaths was excruciating for viewers.

Isabel and Furlan were both killed by Titans because Levi wasn’t there to protect them. This was the moment that made Levi into what he is now in the anime — a man without regrets.

12 Mike Zacharias

Eaten By Titans

• Loss Of Humanity’s Second Best Soldier
• One Of Attack On Titan’s Most Brutal Deaths

We had seen humanity’s best soldier in action, Captain Levi, and Mike Zacharias was considered the second best, so you would expect him to be as amazing as Levi. However, after the mysterious attack on Wall Rose, he was at the forefront and did a good job until the Beast Titan showed up.

His mistake was initially assuming the Beast Titan was an abnormal titan and not a shifter, and that was a devastating miscalculation on his part. He was disposed of fairly easily and ended up dying a gruesome death while paralyzed with fear. The anime exemplifies the brutality of the scene and the hopelessness of his situation.

11 Hannes

Killed By The Smiling Titan

• Eren, Mikasa, And Armin Lost Yet Another Important Person
• His Death Shaped Eren’s Future

After Carla’s death, Hannes was the one who checked in on Eren, Mikasa, and Armin the most. Since the man had known the three since they were kids, he held a special bond with the trio.

Hannes died trying to redeem himself after he was unable to save Eren’s mother. His death was brutal and unsatisfying since he failed to prove himself a second time. Also, he was killed by the same Titan that killed Eren’s mother. Though his death was emotional, the deaths below were more shocking for the audience.

10 Faye Yeager

Killed By Guards And Torn Apart By Dogs

• Fueled Grisha’s Hate For The Marley Governemnt
• Eren Witnessed Her Death Through Kruger’s Memories

The worst and saddest deaths to witness are always about those who can’t protect themselves. At least with soldiers, they go in knowing that they would probably die in battle, but Faye Yeager was an innocent child and only wanted to see the blimps because of her and Grisha’s fascination.

However, after they were both caught, Faye was ruthlessly murdered by the guards because of their hate for the Eldians. Her death was brutal, and she was torn apart by dogs showing just how dark Attack on Titan can get. This eventually leads to Grisha hating the Marley government and the events of the anime.

9 The Survey Corps Recruits

Eaten By Titans And Crushed By Rocks

• Floch Was The Only Survivor
• Levi Failed On Killing The Beast Titan

Perhaps the bloodiest set of deaths in Attack on Titan is the slaughter of the Survey Corps Recruits. All the recruits were newly enlisted and looked forward to being part of humanity’s biggest mission yet which was to retake Wall Maria.

They were unfortunately ambushed by the warrior candidates and were pelted by rocks crushed and thrown by the Beast Titan. They all had hopeful lives but died on a suicide charge along with their commander. Only one of the recruits survived the massacre, Floch, who eventually became a villain depending on how you interpret the events of the anime.

8 Erwin Smith

Succumbed To His Injuries

• Armin Was Allowed To Live
• Armin Got The Power Of The Colossal Titan

Erwin Smith died after leading the majority of the Survey Corps to their deaths. In the scene before his death, Levi initiates the Commander’s final decision by pushing him to put his life on the line for his dreams. He tells Erwin to lead the recruits to hell, prompting the decision that fans were forced to watch.

Levi, in the end, was forced to choose between saving Erwin and Armin, which had to be a split-second decision. Though after seeing Eren and Mikasa in desperate tears and listening to Erwin accepting his fate, Levi made the decision to revive Armin, and finally let his friend rest.

7 Ramzi & Halil

Killed By The Rumbling

• Most Gruesome Deaths
• Eren Apologised To The Children In Advence For Their Horrible Future

Ramzi and Halil are possibly the least deserving deaths on this list, and the competition is tough. In Season Four, they’re shown to be victims of poverty and are forced to pickpocket to make ends meet and save up enough to leave Marley with their families.

The dream is cut short by the reality of Eren’s rumbling showing the devastation wrought by his plan and his not caring about innocence beyond the walls of Paradis. All they wanted to do was follow their dreams, but unfortunately, their lives were cut short by the brutality of the rumbling.

6 Grisha Yeager

Eaten By Eren

• Eren Inherits The Attack Titan
• The Story Begins

From the series’s outset, fans eagerly speculated about the secrets in Eren’s basement and his father’s fate. In a revelation-packed flashback, Grisha Yeager’s harrowing demise is revealed. Facing the imminent end of his life, Grisha, spurred by grief, leads Eren into the woods, injecting him with the titan serum. After transforming into a pure titan, Eren eats his own father.

Either due to the death of his wife or the ending of his own life, Grisha boldly bequeaths the future to Eren, bestowing upon him the Attack Titan power and the key to the basement. All these events take place after the fall of Wall Maria, and set the stage for the Rumbling.

5 Dot Pixis

Turned Into A Titan And Killed By Armin

• Armin Gives A Proper Eulogy Before Killing Pixis
• One Of The Many Unfortunate to Have Drank Zeke’s WIne

Dot Pixis was a loyal and reliable character throughout the series, and met a memorable end. He and many other soldiers made the mistake of drinking wine laced with Zeke’s spinal fluid, and, in a chilling turn of events, were turned into titans. Zeke’s escape from Levi and his scream prompted everyone’s transformation, and had them unwittingly playing into his strategic plan.

When people started turning into titans, chaos ensured, and Armin noticed Pixis standing among a titan horde. After spotting his old commander, Armin gives him a eulogy, thanking him, and giving him a quick death.

4 Mikasa Ackermann

Died Of Old Age

• Finally Reunited With Eren
• End Of Eren And Mikasa’s Story

Mikasa’s bittersweet ending resonates with Eren’s final wishes. In accordance with his directive, she lives a long and free life, unknowingly fulfilling his deeper desire – to always remember and love only him. In her later years, Mikasa passes away peacefully and chooses to be buried next to Eren’s grave under their tree.

During the end credits, she is shown being buried with her precious red scarf, symbolizing that she never forgot her love for Eren. Her death brings a poignant closure to the enduring love story between these two central characters.

3 Sasha Braus

Shot By Gabi

• Eren Laughs At Her Death Engulfed By Pain And Desperation
• Big Impact On Everyone, Especially Niccolo, Who Tries To Kill Gabi

Because she was with Eren and the 104 Cadet Corp since the beginning, the death of the much-loved character, Sasha Braus, was unexpected. Sasha was a background character that slowly found a place in the hearts of the audience.

She died after the first raid on Marley, after everyone was celebrating their victory. Sasha was shot by Gabi in front of her two best friends, Connie and Jean. She died shortly after on the aircraft she was stationed in, making her demise both quick and shocking to everyone watching. Her last words were true to her character, as she wished to have some meat.

2 Hange Zoe

Burned To Death After Fighting Against The Colossal Titans

• Bought Time For Her Group
• Sacrificed Herself For World Peace

Sitting at number one on the list, Hange’s death was both horrific and inspirational for the Attack on Titan community. The Commander of the survey Corp died after sacrificing herself to the rumbling. She died so that the remaining Survey Corp members could survive and have the slightest chance to take down Eren and stop the rumbling.

She sacrificed herself for the innocent people in Marley and the rest of the world burning into ashes after she had taken out multiple Colossal Rumbling-causing titans.

1 Eren Yeager

Killed By Mikasa

Eren Yeager’s grand scheme unfolds in a carefully orchestrated narrative that culminates in his own death. Despite fervent attempts by friends and comrades to dissuade him, Eren remains unwavering in his commitment to the Rumbling. Recognizing the inevitable, Mikasa and Levi finally step forward, delivering a poignant resolution.

Levi destroys Eren’s titan mouth, allowing Mikasa to enter his mouth, and behead him. In his final moments, Mikasa holds his head in her arms and gives him a final kiss. This act not only concludes the Rumbling but also brings an end to the era of titans. Eren’s intricate plan, spanning from the series’ inception, converges on this poignant moment. After his death, it’s up to his comrades to bring peace to Paradis.