01x03 - A Dim Light Amid Despair - Humanity's Comeback (part 1)

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Unknown are the names of the flowers that have been trampled

Birds have fallen to the earth and long for the wind

Prayers won't solve anything

Only the will to fight can change the here and now!

O pigs who laugh at the resolve to walk over corpses to move forward

Livestock complacency? False prosperity?

Give us the freedom of dying, starving wolves!

The humiliation of being caged is what triggers us to fight back

We hunters slaughter prey beyond the castle walls,

consumed with surging bloodlust,

as our crimson bows and arrows pierce scarlet holes into the twilight

Hey, you!

Sir!

Who the hell are you?!

Armin Arlelt, from Shiganshina District!

I see! That's a ridiculous name!
Did your parents give it to you?!

My grandfather did, Sir!

Arlelt! Why are you here?!

To help humanity achieve victory!

That's wonderful to hear!
We can feed you to the Titans!

Third row, about face!

Who the hell are you?!

Sir! Thomas Wagner, from Trost District!

I can't hear you!

- Thomas Wagner...
- Can't hear you!

- Look at them go.
- Go practice in a barn!

You went through the same thing when you started as a cadet, didn't you?

It takes me back.

No! You're from a pigsty!
You're less than livestock!

Yes, Sir! I am less than livestock!

- No!
- But what's all that intimidation for?

It's a rite of passage.

We revert them to a blank slate through the use of self-denial, after which we mold them into proper soldiers.

- Change it at once! Why are you here?!
- This is one step in that process.

To devote myself to humankind!

Fourth row, about face!

There are some he's not talking to...

It's unnecessary for those who've already been through their rites of passage.

They most likely witnessed the hell that took place two years ago.

They have a different look on their faces.

Okay. Let's go.

Who the hell are you?!

Jean Kirschtein, from Trost District!

Why are you here?!

To join the m*llitary Police Regiment and live in the interior!

Oh. You wanna live in the interior, do you?

Yes!

Who said you could sit?!

If you can't handle this, you can forget about the m*llitary Police!

Who the hell are you?! Why are you here?!

Marco Bodt of Jinae, on the south side of Wall Rose!

I want to join the m*llitary Police Regiment and give life and limb to the king!

I see.

That's a fine goal, indeed. Go ahead and strive for it.

But, just so you know...

The king doesn't want your lousy life or limbs.

You're next! Who the hell are you?!

Conny Springer!

I'm from Ragako Village on the south side of Wall Rose!

You have it backwards, Conny Springer!

It was the first thing you were taught!

This salute expresses your resolve to give your heart to the people!

Is your heart on your right side?!

Hey, you.

What do you think you're doing?

I'm talking to you! Who the hell are you?!

Sasha Braus from Dauper Village, on the south side of Wall Rose!

Sasha Braus...

What is that you're holding in your right hand?

A steamed potato, Sir!

I found one in the cookhouse that was ready to eat, so I couldn't help myself!

You stole it?

Why?

Why did you decide to eat it now?

I felt it would be a waste to let it get cold, so I elected to eat it now.

No, I don't understand.

Why did you eat the potato?

Are you asking me why people eat potatoes, Sir?

Here's half of it for you.

Half...?

Whoa. He still has Potato Girl running.

Man, she's been at it for five solid hours.
She's really something.

Still, being told to run until she's on the verge of death didn't seem to bother her quite as much as being told she has to skip meals.

Dauper's a small hunting village in the mountains, isn't it?

What's that?

They're dropouts. They asked to work in the fields instead.

Whoa. It's only the first day, too...

That's just how it is. If you can't cut it here, you have to leave.

I can't believe anyone would want to pick up rocks and pull plants again...

Come to think of it, we haven't heard anything about where you're from.

I'm from Shiganshina, same as him.

Oh. That means...

You were there that day, weren't you?

H-Hey!

Did you see the Colossal Titan?!

Y-Yeah...

Yes, I saw it.

Really?!

How big is it?!

Enough to look over the wall.

What?! I heard it stepped over the wall!

Me too!

That's what they said in my village too!

No, it wasn't that big.

What did it look like?!

It had a huge mouth, and almost no skin.

What about the Armored Titan that broke Wall Maria?!

That's what people call it, but it looked like an ordinary Titan to me.

Th-Then, what are ordinary Titans like?!

Let's spare him the questions, everyone.

I'm sure there are things he doesn't want to remember.

Sorry for asking...

It's not like that!

Titans aren't actually that big of a deal!

Once we've mastered omni-directional mobility gear, they'll be nothing to us!

We finally get to train as soldiers.

I was just overcome with emotion, that's all.

I'm going to join the Scout Regiment and drive the Titans out of this world!

I'm gonna slaughter them!

Whoa, what are you, crazy?

Did you just say you're gonna join the Scout Regiment?

Yeah, that's right.

Aren't you the one who wants to join the m*llitary Police and live the easy life?

I'm all about being honest, you see.

It's much nicer than being, say, a loser who acts tough but is actually scared shitless.

Are you talking about me?!

S-Stop...!

Come on, now.

It makes no difference to me.

Look, I'm sorry.

I don't mean to dismiss your ideas.

Let's be friends.

Yeah, I'm sorry, too.

H-Hey, you!

Uhh, err, umm...

I've just never seen anyone who looks like you before...

S-Sorry!

You have very pretty black hair.

Thanks.

It's no big deal. Get off my back.

You never think things through when you get worked up.

That again?

Anyway, don't you think your hair's too long?

It could cause an accident during ODM training, you know.

All right. I'll cut it.

But how short should I make it?

H-Hey! Don't mess with other people's clothes!

What did you wipe on me?!

My trust in others...

Finally... done...

This is...!

Bread!

It's not much, but I saved it for you.

Oh, but...

You really ought to drink some water first.

- Are you God?!
- Huh?!

- Are you?!
- Uhh...!

God!

Hey. What are you two doing?

Umm, she's been running non-stop all this time, so...

So you're trying to do something "nice," huh?

Huh?!

Did you do it for Potato Girl's sake?

Was what you gained worth the effort it took?

Well, whatever.

Let's just get her to her bed now.

Are you trying to be nice, too?

I'm doing this so that she'll owe me.

Her stupidity will come in very handy.

We'll begin by determining your aptitude!

If you can't do this, you're not even fit to be bait!

You'll be sent off to the fields!

These are only just the bare fundamentals.

Still, you can determine a person's knack for omni-mobility at this stage.

Observe.

Completely steady.

She knows exactly what to do and how to do it.

That's what aptitude is all about.

It looks like we have many talented cadets this year.

Umm, what about him?

Now that's the very definition of aptitude.

Some people might have plenty of motivation...

...yet turn out to be less-than-capable.

What are you doing, Eren Jaeger?!

Straighten yourself up!

What the...?!

How do I work this thing?!

This can't be for real...

Just follow the basics and you'll be able to do it.

Don't think about being fancy or anything.

Focus on your front and back balance, then slowly place your weight into the belts on your waist and feet.

You can do it if you stay calm.
Even I did it, after all.

All right. I feel like I've got it this time.

Lift me up, Armin.

Hey, Daz.

Isn't he the one who said he was gonna slaughter all the Titans yesterday?

I guess it's off to the fields for him tomorrow.

Yeah, we can't afford to feed the useless.

Eren!

There's no point worrying about it.

You can just learn to do it tomorrow.

I'm pathetic...

There's no way I can wipe them out like this...

You should just forget about that altogether.

What?!

I'm saying you should give up trying to be a soldier.

Fighting isn't about simply throwing your life away.

Hey, now! I saw what happened that day!

Do you really think you can just convince me to quit?!

Still, it doesn't matter how determined you are.

Huh? Why not?!

Because you don't get to decide if you're fit to be a soldier or not.

- I'm not saying you should return...
- Let's go, Armin.

- ...to the fields by yourself.
- Y-Yeah.

You don't need to worry.

Because when you go, I'll go with you.

So, umm... What you're saying is...

...that I can have that?

The trick to posture control?

Sorry, but I'm gifted. All I can tell you is to "feel" it.

If anything, I'd like to hear your trick for staying sane after putting on such a pathetic spectacle.

C'mon, guys! I'm begging you here!

But didn't you say yesterday, "If you can't cut it here, you have to leave"?

Or, wait. Was it, "If you don't got talent, you have to leave"?

Which was it again?

Please! I heard you're both really good at it!

Bertholdt! Reiner!

Sorry, but I don't think there are any tricks to just hanging there.

I can't think of any especially helpful advice, either.

Oh...

I guess we'll just have to hope for the best tomorrow.

You two are, umm, from Shiganshina, aren't you?

Yeah...

Then you know how terrifying the Titans are.

So why do you want to be soldiers?

Unlike Eren, I didn't witness the Titan thr*at firsthand.

It's just...

I decided I couldn't sit there and do nothing after the royal government forced people into that absolutely awful retrieval operation.

Oh.

Where are you two from?

Reiner and I are from a mountain village on the southeast side of Wall Maria.

Huh?! Wasn't that...?

Yeah.

Unlike the prosperous towns along the river, we didn't receive word right away.

The Titans showed up well before the information did.

It happened at dawn.

The livestock were acting up, and these strange rumblings kept getting louder and louder.

At some point, I realized they were footfalls of some sort...

And then, when I hurriedly opened the window...

After that... l, umm, don't really remember.

Everyone was in such a panic...

Hey, now. What are you suddenly bringin' that up for?

Sorry.

Basically, what I was trying to say is that you guys probably aren't like them.

"Them"?

The others here who don't know the horror of the Titans.

Hey!

They're mostly here for show; to live up to society's expectations.

You're seen as a coward if you choose production work when you turn twelve.

Society has pushed them into becoming cadets.

That said, I'm no different than them.

I chose to be a soldier in the hopes of joining the m*llitary Police so I could work in safety of the interior.

If that doesn't work out, I might give up entirely.

I don't have any will to call my own, you see.

Cherishing your life is admirable too, you know.

As for me...

I'm going to return to the hometown we lost.

That's all I care about now.

I will do it, no matter what.

What about you?

Why do you want to be a soldier?

I...

I decided I have to k*ll them.

I decided I have to slaughter all the Titans with my own two hands.

So, your encounter with the Titans didn't break your will?

That's right...

But now it's a question of whether or not I'm actually cut out to be a soldier.

Start over from scratch, starting with your belt adjustment.

You'll do just fine tomorrow.

I'm certain of it.

Eren Jaeger, was it?

Yeah. Thanks.

Reiner Braun, right?

Eren Jaeger. Are you ready?

Yes, Sir!

I'm going to do it! I am!

I might not have raw aptitude, but no one has more guts than I do!

Begin!

The hell with logic!

I know it's completely baseless!

But guts are all I got!

They're...

...my w*apon!

I did it!

I'm doing it!

N-Not yet!

I can still do it!

Let him down.

I-I'm...!

Wagner. Switch belts with Jaeger.

Y-Yes, Sir!

Your equipment was defective.

The belt you were using had a broken clasp.

I've never heard of this part breaking before; I guess we'll have to add it to the maintenance checklist.

Then, even with broken equipment, he still managed to...?!

Whoa!

Th-Then, am I fit to be a soldier?!

You pass muster. Train hard!

I did it! I did it!

Whadya think of that, Mikasa?! I can do it!

I can fight the Titans!

You can finally stop mollycoddling me!

Looks like things worked out for him.

His eyes say, "What do you think of that?!"

No.

He feels relieved that he doesn't have to leave me now.

Grisha...

Today, your son has become a soldier.

Your dreams are where your heart is

They're more fragile than life itself

Over and over you cast them aside, only to find more

Now, rest in peace

Pounding impulses defile the things we wish for

and the more we forget the more we remember again

In this beautiful, cruel world

all I can do is ask why we're still alive

Oh, with our strength...and our weakness...

what are we going to protect if there's no sense

to anything anymore?

After graduating from the Cadets,

Eren sees humanity and its regained dignity.

"We can b*at the Titans."

The moment he feels certain of this, humanity is reminded yet again...