Attack on titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) : Royal Government Arc
Attack on titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) : Royal Government Arc
The Royal Government Arc (Uprising Arc) is where Attack on Titan stops being just a survival story and becomes a full-on political thriller inside the walls. It’s quieter on Titans, heavier on lies, power, and people choosing who they really want to be.
The Royal Government Arc (Uprising Arc) is where Attack on Titan stops being just a survival story and becomes a full-on political thriller inside the walls. It’s quieter on Titans, heavier on lies, power, and people choosing who they really want to be.
Big Picture
This arc covers chapters 51–70 of the manga and episodes 38–49 of the anime’s Season 3 Part 1, shifting the spotlight from outside threats to the rot inside humanity’s own government. The fake king and ruling nobles control information, hide the truth about the walls and Titans, and use the Military Police to crush anyone who gets too close to the secret at the top. Erwin decides that if they can’t change the system from within, they’ll topple it — even if it costs him everything.otakumode+1
This arc covers chapters 51–70 of the manga and episodes 38–49 of the anime’s Season 3 Part 1, shifting the spotlight from outside threats to the rot inside humanity’s own government. The fake king and ruling nobles control information, hide the truth about the walls and Titans, and use the Military Police to crush anyone who gets too close to the secret at the top. Erwin decides that if they can’t change the system from within, they’ll topple it — even if it costs him everything.otakumode+1
What Actually Happens
The story is built around three main threads that weave together:
The story is built around three main threads that weave together:
1. Corrupt Crown, Broken System
The central government sits a puppet king on the throne while real decisions are made by a council of nobles who care more about their own comfort than humanity’s survival. They:proxymitejapon+1
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Suppress knowledge about the true royal family, the Reiss bloodline.
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Target the Survey Corps, framing them and trying to silence Erwin before he can speak in public.otakumode
Erwin orchestrates a coup, using evidence, public trials, and a staged “Titan breach” to expose the nobles’ selfishness when they try to abandon the people. Once their cowardice is laid bare, the military sides with the Corps, and the fake regime falls.proxymitejapon+1
The central government sits a puppet king on the throne while real decisions are made by a council of nobles who care more about their own comfort than humanity’s survival. They:proxymitejapon+1
-
Suppress knowledge about the true royal family, the Reiss bloodline.
-
Target the Survey Corps, framing them and trying to silence Erwin before he can speak in public.otakumode
Erwin orchestrates a coup, using evidence, public trials, and a staged “Titan breach” to expose the nobles’ selfishness when they try to abandon the people. Once their cowardice is laid bare, the military sides with the Corps, and the fake regime falls.proxymitejapon+1
2. Levi, Kenny, and Human-on-Human Combat
While Erwin plays political chess, Levi’s squad is being hunted in the streets by Kenny Ackerman — Levi’s uncle — and his anti-personnel control squad. These battles are:otakumode+1
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Fast, vertical, and lethal, with ODM gear modified for gunfights instead of just Titans.
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Personal, since Levi has to confront both his brutal childhood and Kenny’s twisted “dream” of chasing power.
Kenny works directly for Rod Reiss, capturing Eren and Historia and dragging them to the Reiss chapel to fulfill the royal family’s plan.otakumode
While Erwin plays political chess, Levi’s squad is being hunted in the streets by Kenny Ackerman — Levi’s uncle — and his anti-personnel control squad. These battles are:otakumode+1
-
Fast, vertical, and lethal, with ODM gear modified for gunfights instead of just Titans.
-
Personal, since Levi has to confront both his brutal childhood and Kenny’s twisted “dream” of chasing power.
Kenny works directly for Rod Reiss, capturing Eren and Historia and dragging them to the Reiss chapel to fulfill the royal family’s plan.otakumode
3. Historia’s Choice and the Rod Reiss Titan
In the underground chapel, Rod reveals that Historia is the last true royal and pressures her to inject Titan serum, eat Eren, and inherit the Founding Titan like her half-sister Frieda once did. He frames this as “restoring peace,” but it’s really just continuing the same cycle of memory-erasing kingship. Historia:otakumode
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Learns how her family erased memories and kept the walls ignorant.
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Rejects Rod’s plan and literally slaps away the syringe, choosing her own path.
Rod, in desperation, licks the spilled serum and turns into a gigantic, misshapen Titan that crawls toward Orvud District, body scraping along the ground. The Survey Corps:proxymitejapon+1
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Lure the Titan to the wall.
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Blow its body apart mid-crawl.
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Send Historia in for the final strike, where she kills what’s left and publicly declares herself humanity’s new queen.otakumode
In the underground chapel, Rod reveals that Historia is the last true royal and pressures her to inject Titan serum, eat Eren, and inherit the Founding Titan like her half-sister Frieda once did. He frames this as “restoring peace,” but it’s really just continuing the same cycle of memory-erasing kingship. Historia:otakumode
-
Learns how her family erased memories and kept the walls ignorant.
-
Rejects Rod’s plan and literally slaps away the syringe, choosing her own path.
Rod, in desperation, licks the spilled serum and turns into a gigantic, misshapen Titan that crawls toward Orvud District, body scraping along the ground. The Survey Corps:proxymitejapon+1
-
Lure the Titan to the wall.
-
Blow its body apart mid-crawl.
-
Send Historia in for the final strike, where she kills what’s left and publicly declares herself humanity’s new queen.otakumode
What the Arc Is Really About
This storyline hits a lot of deeper ideas:
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Corruption vs. Justice: The nobles prove they’d rather let humanity die than lose control; the coup is a bet that a more honest ruler gives people a real chance.proxymitejapon+1
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Truth vs. Comforting Lies: The Reiss line has literally held the Founding Titan and used it to erase memories to maintain a fragile peace. The Corps choose the harder road of exposing everything.otakumode
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Identity and Self-Determination: Historia goes from Krista — the “nice girl” act — to a queen who decides who she is, not what others tell her to be.otakumode
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Family as a Weapon: Rod uses his status as her father to guilt and control her, showing how blood ties can be twisted.
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Humans as the Real Enemy: For much of this arc, Titans are background noise; the real danger is human greed, fear, and politics.proxymitejapon+1
This storyline hits a lot of deeper ideas:
-
Corruption vs. Justice: The nobles prove they’d rather let humanity die than lose control; the coup is a bet that a more honest ruler gives people a real chance.proxymitejapon+1
-
Truth vs. Comforting Lies: The Reiss line has literally held the Founding Titan and used it to erase memories to maintain a fragile peace. The Corps choose the harder road of exposing everything.otakumode
-
Identity and Self-Determination: Historia goes from Krista — the “nice girl” act — to a queen who decides who she is, not what others tell her to be.otakumode
-
Family as a Weapon: Rod uses his status as her father to guilt and control her, showing how blood ties can be twisted.
-
Humans as the Real Enemy: For much of this arc, Titans are background noise; the real danger is human greed, fear, and politics.proxymitejapon+1
How It Looks and Feels
Wit Studio leans hard into tight cityscapes and tense interiors rather than open fields and giant monsters.otakumode
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Urban chases through alleys and rooftops show off Kenny’s squad using anti-personnel gear — grappling, spinning, firing in mid-air.
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Levi’s confrontations with Kenny are some of the most kinetic human vs. human sequences in the series.
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Rod’s Titan is animated as something genuinely horrifying: massive, skinless, face dragging on the ground, more like a crawling disaster than a fighter.otakumode
-
Coup scenes in council rooms and courts use lighting and framing to turn debates into battles of will.
The tone is more thriller than horror, but the stakes feel just as high.
Wit Studio leans hard into tight cityscapes and tense interiors rather than open fields and giant monsters.otakumode
-
Urban chases through alleys and rooftops show off Kenny’s squad using anti-personnel gear — grappling, spinning, firing in mid-air.
-
Levi’s confrontations with Kenny are some of the most kinetic human vs. human sequences in the series.
-
Rod’s Titan is animated as something genuinely horrifying: massive, skinless, face dragging on the ground, more like a crawling disaster than a fighter.otakumode
-
Coup scenes in council rooms and courts use lighting and framing to turn debates into battles of will.
The tone is more thriller than horror, but the stakes feel just as high.
Key Players
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Erwin Smith: Gambles his life and reputation on a coup, fully prepared to die in prison if it gives humanity even a sliver of a future.proxymitejapon+1
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Levi Ackerman: Forced to protect Eren/Historia while dodging Kenny, wrestling with his past and what “family” even means to him.otakumode
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Kenny Ackerman: A charismatic killer who chases power and dies questioning what people really live for.otakumode
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Historia Reiss: The emotional core — she rejects being a puppet, kills Rod, and accepts the crown on her own terms.otakumode
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Rod Reiss: Symbol of rot — clinging to the old world order, literally becoming a bloated monster.
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Eren Yeager: Learns more about his father, the Founding Titan, and how much of his life was shaped by choices made long before him.otakumode
-
Erwin Smith: Gambles his life and reputation on a coup, fully prepared to die in prison if it gives humanity even a sliver of a future.proxymitejapon+1
-
Levi Ackerman: Forced to protect Eren/Historia while dodging Kenny, wrestling with his past and what “family” even means to him.otakumode
-
Kenny Ackerman: A charismatic killer who chases power and dies questioning what people really live for.otakumode
-
Historia Reiss: The emotional core — she rejects being a puppet, kills Rod, and accepts the crown on her own terms.otakumode
-
Rod Reiss: Symbol of rot — clinging to the old world order, literally becoming a bloated monster.
-
Eren Yeager: Learns more about his father, the Founding Titan, and how much of his life was shaped by choices made long before him.otakumode
Music and Atmosphere
Hiroyuki Sawano’s score shifts with the arc:
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High-tension tracks drive the rooftop gunfights.
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More melancholic pieces support Historia’s turning points and Erwin’s quiet moments before the coup.wikipedia
The soundtrack helps keep the arc as gripping as the big Titan battles, even when the danger is a courtroom verdict or an ambush in a narrow street.
Hiroyuki Sawano’s score shifts with the arc:
-
High-tension tracks drive the rooftop gunfights.
-
More melancholic pieces support Historia’s turning points and Erwin’s quiet moments before the coup.wikipedia
The soundtrack helps keep the arc as gripping as the big Titan battles, even when the danger is a courtroom verdict or an ambush in a narrow street.
Why This Arc Matters
The Royal Government (Uprising) Arc cleans house. It:
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Replaces a fake king with Historia, someone the Corps actually trust.
-
Exposes how deeply the old royal line controlled history and memory.
-
Gives the Survey Corps political backing and legitimacy they never had before.proxymitejapon+1
Without this arc, the later missions — Return to Shiganshina, Marley, and War for Paradis — couldn’t happen the way they do. It’s the hinge that turns Attack on Titan from “humans vs. Titans” into “humans vs. their own past and the world.”
If you want, the next step could be a calm, human-style blog-style writeup that strings your Royal Government + Return to Shiganshina notes together into one flowing “Season 3 deep dive.”
The Royal Government (Uprising) Arc cleans house. It:
-
Replaces a fake king with Historia, someone the Corps actually trust.
-
Exposes how deeply the old royal line controlled history and memory.
-
Gives the Survey Corps political backing and legitimacy they never had before.proxymitejapon+1
Without this arc, the later missions — Return to Shiganshina, Marley, and War for Paradis — couldn’t happen the way they do. It’s the hinge that turns Attack on Titan from “humans vs. Titans” into “humans vs. their own past and the world.”
If you want, the next step could be a calm, human-style blog-style writeup that strings your Royal Government + Return to Shiganshina notes together into one flowing “Season 3 deep dive.”
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