Attack On Titan: What Is 'The Rumbling' - And How Many People Did It Kill?
Though the scale of violence and bloodshed in "Attack on Titan" was pretty much off the charts from the beginning of the series, nothing could prepare fans for the absolute carnage of The Rumbling in The Final Season. An event that saw men, women, and children crushed horribly beneath the feet of hundreds of thousands of Colossal Titans, the stakes couldn't have been higher in the series' final episodes.
Still, those anime fans who haven't yet taken the dip on "Attack on Titan" or who aren't caught up yet might be wondering what the hubbub is all about. So, what exactly is The Rumbling? Well, the humans of Paradis had lived in a series of walled-off cities for much of the series, and at the end of Season 1, it's revealed that they're full of sleeping Colossal Titans.
The Rumbling occurs when Eren (Yuki Kaji/Bryce Papenbrook) gains the power of The Founding Titan and the ability to command every titan in the world as a result. What he does with this newfound power is begin a genocidal death march that is set to wipe out all of humanity outside of Paradis. While Eren is eventually stopped by an allied group of his friends and enemies, The Rumbling is a devastating event that likely leaves over a billion of people dead.
The Rumbling is pure carnage brought on by a former hero
As Eren confirms to Armin (Marina Inoue/Jessie James Grelle) himself in their final conversation, his actions have directly caused the deaths of roughly 80% of the world's population. Considering he begins "Attack on Titan" as the series' protagonist, this might be the greatest heel turn of any hero in television history.
Like Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) in "Dune," Eren can see the past and the future of countless timelines depending on what decision he makes. In the end, he decides that The Rumbling would prevent any nation from ever retaliating against Paradis. Thus, he thinks that as horrible as it is, this is the best of all of the possible outcomes. Meanwhile, his conflicted feelings and immense guilt allow his friends to kill him at last, finally halting the marching wall of death.
This grim ending, which sees Eren's longtime friends Mikasa (Yui Ishikawa/Trina Nishimura) and Armin dealing the final blows that kill him, is loaded with gravitas and even leaves a bit of room for fans to understand Eren's point of view and why he chose to do what he did. Though there is no redemption arc for an act of evil this horrifying and relentless, fans of "Attack on Titan" do at least come to understand Eren's last act by the end of The Final Season.