The Battle of Heaven and Earth

Running on fumes, the flying boat breaks through the clouds above Eren's colossal Founding Titan. Onyankopon stays at the controls so the others can jump, and Reiner's Armored Titan tackles what looks like Zeke's Beast Titan off its spinal tether, only for the husk to wither: a decoy, hidden the way the War Hammer conceals its user. Armin plans to expose Eren and Zeke's location by detonating his Colossal Titan, but a Titan with a prehensile tongue gags him before he can wound himself, swallows him whole, and retreats across the Founder's back while Ymir Fritz looks on.

Gray copies of the Nine Titans' former holders begin sprouting from the Founder's spines. Pieck identifies them and ignores the rescue entirely, sprinting her explosive-laden Cart Titan to the nape, but a trident punches through her body before she can trigger the charge: the War Hammer Titan of Lara Tybur, resurrected, hoists her into the air as both Galliard brothers' Jaw Titans join the enemy line. Bertholdt's Colossal Titan appears next, beheading Reiner's Armored Titan and scattering the Scouts across the Founder's ribcage.

With Jean and Reiner stranded on broken gear and Mikasa fighting past her limits, salvation swoops in from behind: Falco's Jaw Titan has grown wings, ferrying Annie and Gabi with a net across its back. Regrouped in the air, Levi splits the survivors into a team to retrieve Armin and a team to strike the nape, while Annie steadies a wavering Mikasa. Far below at Fort Salta, the sight of a flying Titan rallies Marley's last soldiers, until Eldian refugees from Liberio arrive at the fort and both sides level their rifles.

The alliance boards the Founding Titan after Onyankopon's final approach, destroying a decoy Beast Titan.

Armin is captured, gagged and swallowed by a summoned Titan under Ymir's direction before he can transform.

Resurrected Nine Titans enter the battle, including Lara Tybur's War Hammer, both Galliard Jaw Titans, and Bertholdt's Colossal, which cripples Reiner and impales Pieck's bombing attempt.

Falco arrives airborne, his winged Jaw Titan carrying Annie and Gabi and evacuating the stranded fighters.

Levi forms two strike teams, one for Armin's rescue and one for the Founder's nape, as armed tension erupts between Marleyan soldiers and Eldian refugees at Fort Salta.

The Battle of Heaven and Earth is numbered as the 32nd episode of season 4 and the 91st overall, produced by MAPPA with Jun Shishido directing and Hiroshi Seko writing. Released November 19, 2023, it opens the four-episode split created for THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2, offered only through Japanese streaming services.

It adapts In the Depths of Despair, the like-named title chapter, and Dedicate Your Heart. The in-world segment explains the summoned enemies: because the Founder Ymir touches the Paths, where all moments coexist, Titans from any era can be called into the present.