In the Depths of Despair

While Historia enters labor in her cabin on Paradis, nations across the sea are being ground flat beneath the advancing Wall Titans. Eldian refugees fleeing Liberio reach Fort Salta with their Marleyan engineer, only to find every airship already launched; the squadron hovering overhead is Marley's final line of defense rather than their escape.

Over a loudspeaker, the fort's commander confesses that Marley fed its own resentment for generations, blaming an island of devils for its failings, and that this hatred created the monster now marching toward them. If a tomorrow exists, he vows never to repeat it. Hearing this, Karina Braun breaks down, understanding at last that she shaped Reiner into an instrument of her revenge. Annie's father kneels beside her, sharing the same grief.

A glow flickers between the Founding Titan's spines, and the commander orders his bombardment early. The altitude and spacing of the ships blunt the strike, and from the strands of flesh along Eren's back the Beast Titan takes shape. Hurling fistfuls of debris skyward, it ruptures hull after hull until the whole squadron burns and falls.

As the crowd below despairs, a child spots a flying boat approaching. Onyankopon, nearly out of fuel, refuses Armin's plea to jump with them and promises to carry them directly over the Founding Titan before attempting an emergency landing. Debris from the Beast Titan tears off the left pontoon, telling Levi exactly who awaits them. With no need to hunt for Zeke any longer, Armin names the Beast Titan as their target. The alliance leaps: Reiner transforms mid-fall into the Armored Titan and slams the Beast into the Founder's backbone, the Survey Corps anchor their gear to a spine, and Pieck lands as the Cart Titan hauling a belt of explosives. Watching Eren's head turn toward them, Armin says he has one question left: what part of Eren is actually free? He can answer once they drag him out.

Historia Reiss goes into labor as the Rumbling flattens populations around the world.

The refugees from Liberio arrive at Fort Salta to find Marley's entire airship fleet committed to a final defensive bombardment.

The fort commander publicly renounces Marley's culture of hatred, and Karina Braun realizes she sacrificed Reiner's childhood for revenge.

The Beast Titan forms out of the Founding Titan's spine and destroys the whole airship squadron with volleys of thrown debris.

The flying boat reaches the battlefield; Onyankopon stays at the controls while the Survey Corps and Warriors jump, with Reiner's Armored Titan tackling the Beast and Pieck landing as the Cart Titan carrying explosives.

In the Depths of Despair closes volume 33 as its fourth chapter and stands as the 134th installment of Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan. It arrived in Japan on November 9, 2020, one day after its English release, within the War for Paradis arc.

Its events stretch across several anime episodes, including both THE FINAL CHAPTERS specials and the episodes In the Depths of Despair, The Battle of Heaven and Earth, Dedicate Your Heart, and A Long Dream. It follows Sinners and precedes The Battle of Heaven and Earth.

The chapter's defining voice belongs to the Marleyan commander, whose admission that his nation's exploited hatred birthed the monster now crushing it reframes the Rumbling as a consequence rather than an origin.