The third season of Attack on Titan is almost here, and the early IMAX viewing promised a complex plot in the coming episodes.
Attack on Titan fans waited years for the show’s second season to air. Luckily, the creators completed the third season far quicker than we could’ve hoped for. When Funimation released the official trailer, confirming its July release date, it became clear that fans’ complaints did not go unheard.
And with the excitement building, Funimation gave fans something extra to look forward to. On July 10 and 11, IMAX theaters around the globe hosted a special event to kick off the third season of the show. During a two and a half hour screening, fans were able to watch a shortened version of the second season on the big screen. Fans also got to view the first episode of the third season a little bit early.
Entitled “Smoke Signal,” the new episode promises a complex storyline for Attack on Titan‘s third season. While season two focused primarily on revealing and fighting the Armored and Colossal titans, the third season shows our heroes fighting enemies on multiple fronts.
Not only will the Scout Regiment be facing the usual man-eating giants, but they’ll also be forced to fight their own government. It’s clear that the interior has been hiding things from its citizens, and they’re willing to go to unnerving lengths to keep their secrets hidden.
Confrontation between the Scouts and military police
“Smoke Signal” opens with the Scouts in hiding. The military police demand that they hand over Eren and Historia, but Erwin refuses to give them that kind of power. Instead, Levi takes the group to a house in the country where Hange and Eren work on his attempts to harden his titan form. It’s their only hope of refilling the opening in Wall Maria.
To gain insight into the Interior’s motives, the Scouts disguise Jean and Armin as Eren and Historia. They hand them over to the military police, waiting on the outskirts to see what the soldiers will do. Hired thugs wind up kidnapping them, an attempt to draw the blame away from the Interior.
Of course, Levi and his squad remain in a position to rescue the pair. Unfortunately, the military police plan for an intrusion. The episode ends with the Scouts under attack, an assault led by someone Levi clearly has a history with: Kenny. Fans of the manga will recognize him as Levi’s former guardian, a dangerous serial killer with an aptitude for fighting.
It seems that the battle with the Interior will last into the next few episodes, halting the Scouts’ mission to seal the wall and pursue their Titan enemies. But with 24 episodes this season, they’ll likely have time for those missions, too. We can only hope they all come out unscathed.
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The third season of Attack on Titan officially begins on July 22.