Attack on Titan season 4 return date: everything we know about the Final Chapters

Attack on Titan Final Chapters Special 2 is almost here. The series finale has been years in the making, bringing to a close a golden era of politics, intrigue, and bone-crunching horror in one of anime's most thrilling shows. After the longest Final Season in history, spanning 29 episodes and three calendar years, we now have an end date in sight.

Below, you'll find all the key info on Attack on Titan's season 4 return, including the official release date. There's also a new trailer to feast your eyes on, plus a recap of how we reached this point.

Once you're done, dive into more of the best anime ever made – Attack on Titan is on there, naturally, but there's a whole wide world of anime just waiting to be discovered. We've even got a rundown of the ongoing Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 and the highly anticipated Demon Slayer season 4 for those on the lookout for more morsels from one of 2023's best anime and (potentially) one of next year's shining stars.

When is Attack on Titan season 4 returning?

The Attack on Titan Final Chapters Special 2 release date is November 4 and it'll likely be streaming day-and-date on Crunchyroll. No other info, including official times, has been released on what is confirmed to be the series finale of the show.

Is Attack on Titan Final Chapters a movie?

The Final Chapters have been split into two longer parts - but they're not a movie.

Special 1, which aired in March, was an hour long. The second Special is expected to be around the same length, if not longer. Some reports have the runtime at around 90 minutes, though they haven't yet been verified.

How many episodes of Attack on Titan are left?

Attack on Titan only has just one episode left. That’s because it’s rapidly running out of source material.

For context, the first part of Attack on Titan Final Season/season four adapted the manga’s 91st chapter to chapter 116, taking 16 episodes. Final Season Part 2 lasted 12 episodes and ran through chapters 117-130. Final Chapters Special 1 adapted chapters 131-134.

There are only five manga chapters left to adapt, which means Attack on Titan Final Chapters Special 2 might be over an hour long to have ample time to bring the story home. 

Attack on Titan Final Chapters trailers

The first trailer released before Attack on Titan Final Chapters Special 1 is short and sweet, teasing Eren's humble beginnings, his transformation into a monstrous Titan, and the apocalyptic Rumbling event. There is a glimpse of a sun-kissed happy ending... but is it too late for our one-time hero to go back from the brink? There's also a poster featuring the anime's heroes, including Eren and Mikasa, quite literally following in the footsteps of Eren has he puts his plan into motion.

The first 30-second trailer previewing The Final Chapters Special 2 focuses on Mikasa and Armin's struggle to put an end to Eren's reign of terror. There are flashes of scenes from what appears to be the final battle at Fort Salta (which was where we left off Special 1) and the most striking image is that of Mikasa, with what looks like angel's wings. Symbolism? Or something more? We'll find out very soon. 

A second trailer, released in September, delivered more footage surrounding Eren's last stand on Fort Salta. It leaves plenty to the imagination, though, for those remaining steadfast on avoiding manga spoilers.

Watch the latest Attack on Titan trailers below.

Attack on Titan Final Chapters story: What happened in Special 1 and what to expect next

Don't worry, we aren't getting into manga spoiler territory here. In fact, let's rewind a little to show how we got to this point.

The years-long conflict between the island of Paradis and Marley is coming to a close. The big question mark surrounding the Final Chapters is who comes out on top.

Eren has started the Rumbling, a world-ending move that sees the Titans encased in Paradis’ walls utilized as his own personal army. Eren is setting out to kill everyone outside of Paradis so (in his mind) his friends can live free lives without the cycle of revenge inevitably turning back to the ‘devils’ of his home island.

Standing in Eren’s way is the coalition of forces between Paradis and Marley. They consist of Eren’s ‘sister’ Mikasa, his one-time friends in the Survey Corps, and the remaining prominent forces of Marley.

Special 1, though, settled the fates of some major players. Floch, having survived his fall in Attack on Titan The Final Season's second part, sabotaged the coalition's plane that was due to take off to find Eren. He dies and so, too, does Hange - making the final sacrifice to give the group enough time to escape from the impending Rumbling.

While en route to Fort Salta, one of the last entrenched groups of humanity, the group are suddenly pulled into the Paths where Eren's disembodied voice says talking is not an option and he is giving them free will to choose what they do next. 

Meanwhile, Falco and Gabi (who have fled along with Annie on a ship) reveal that Falco's dreams - which he gets thanks to Zeke's spinal fluid - allows him to see a vision in which he's flying. Could this be something that turns the tide in the war?

The group eventually fly over Fort Salta and attack Eren and what appears to be Zeke's Beast Titan. Armin asks Eren whether he is free as the special comes to a close.

What next? Expect Eren to end up in a final showdown with Mikasa and the rest of the coalition over the fate of the planet. The question of whether she can tempt him to give up his warpath might make all the difference in the world, though talking now appears to be off the table. Don't discount several wildcards: Zeke, Falco, and Annie could all have a major say in whether the Rumbling ends and what Eren's fate could be.

Where to watch Attack on Titan

All episodes of Attack on Titan can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

If you're still playing catch up, here is how to watch Attack on Titan in order (though it might be a bit late to avoid spoilers for that if you've read everything above). If you're getting ready to dip your toes into more anime waters, then our step-by-step guides on how to watch Demon Slayer in order and how to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion in order will be your trusty companions.