Attack on Titan (the original name being Shingeki No Kyojin) is an incredibly popular series, based on the manga by Hajime Isayama.
The world within the series has captivated people from all over the world, and there are hardcore fans in love with the numerous different characters that make an appearance throughout the story.
One of the most beloved characters is Annie Leonhart. Known for being the lone wolf of the group, with exceptional fighting skills, a hidden identity, and a mysterious background. Annie is fierce, quiet, and has every fan questioning everything about her and her story.
But…what happened to Annie Leonhart on Attack on Titan? And…how does her story end? She’s a fan favorite, and for good reason, so we will tell you everything about her role within the plot!
(Just be warned that this will 100% contain spoilers if you haven’t read or seen Attack on Titan, so proceed at your own risk!)
Let’s start by clarifying exactly who Annie Leonhart is, and what her background and context within the show are.
As for who Annie is, she is first introduced in the show as a graduate of the 104th Training Corps, along with the main characters, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin (and the rest of the gang).
She, later on, chooses to become a member of the Military Police Brigade (upon graduation), while most of the rest choose to become a part of the Scouts.
During training, she is regarded as one of the most skilled, and the most talented at unarmed combat, and using swords. However, her main flaw is described as her being uncooperative with others, as she does not work as a team and prefers to be a lone wolf.
Later on, the show reveals that Annie Leonhart is also the Female Titan, and here is where her background comes in. Annie is actually from Marley, beyond the walls.
She was trained from a very young age by her father so that she could become one of Marley’s Warriors and have a chance at a better life, or at the very least, some respect.
(If you’ve been watching the show, you’ll know that Eldians that reside in Marley are highly mistreated, but only Eldians can become titans, so some Eldians are selected to be “warriors of Marley” to make up for the past crimes of their people. And, of course, Annie is half Eldian, living in Marley.)
So yeah, basically Annie has trained her entire life and becomes one of Marley’s Warriors, and is given the power of the Female Titan.
In the year 845, Annie is sent out on a mission (along with Reiner Braun, Bertolt Hoover, and Marcel Galliard, fellow Warriors of Marley) to retrieve the Founding Titan, which was stolen from Marley years ago.
And what happens next we will discuss below. But if you watch Attack on Titan then you know that as the Female Titan, Annie is pretty much one of the “bad guys”, and one of the main antagonists that Eren has to fight against!
What Happened To Annie Leonhardt In Attack On Titan?
So…what happens to Annie?
Those that watch the show pretty much will know the main things that happen to Annie during the show before it becomes “complicated”, so here is a quick summary:
Annie trains with the 104th Training Corps, and upon graduation, joins the Military Police Brigade. (It is at this point where we stop seeing much of her, as the show follows the main characters which are all part of the Scouts).
We see a few glimpses of Annie’s life with the Military Brigade, but we don’t know much other than she sleeps in a lot, she’s “friends” sort of with Hitch (her roommate), and she stands up for Marlowe, with whom she seems to get along with.
Annie appears as the Female Titan, and she kills most of the Levi squad, as well as many members of the Scouts Legion. (This pretty much makes her the big enemy of season one, and Eren is set on defeating her, even though nobody knows it’s Annie yet.)
Armin figures out that Annie is the Female Titan (clever boy that he is)
There is a huge battle between Eren and Annie in the Stohess District. Eren wins, but when he is about to pull Annie out of the Female Titan’s nape, Annie creates a crystal barrier around her (so that she isn’t captured, tortured, and questioned)
After these events, Annie remains in her crystal, in a dormant state, and nobody can reach her. It is also unclear whether she is aware of what goes on around her or not. And then the show kind of forgot about her for a while, which is what had so many fans screaming WHAT HAPPENED TO ANNIE.
Well, if you’ve watched the first part of season four (the latest batch of episodes to have come out), then you will have seen that Annie is still being kept under the city, in her crystal, and that Armin often visits her to speak to her (even though he doesn’t know if she can hear, and she can’t answer back).
The rest of season four is due to come out in January of 2022, so that’s when audiences will be able to continue watching what happens to Annie, and whether she ever wakes up from the crystal.
However…the manga has already been completely released, and those that follow the series through reading it, already know the ending and the final fate of Annie Leonhart.
And…massive spoiler alert: she does indeed wake up from the crystal.
What Happens To Annie At The End Of Attack On Titan? (SPOILERS!)
We’re going to define the ending of Attack on Titan as all of the chapters from the manga that still haven’t made it into the show. So everything that the manga readers know, that the anime watchers still don’t.
In chapter 125 of the manga, after eight years trapped inside the crystal, Annie finally wakes up and rejoins the plot. This happens because Eren chooses to unharden all of the walls, and this also unhardens the crystal surrounding Annie. And therefore, she is finally free, and awake.
We won’t go into too much detail, but Annie then joins up with Armin, Mikasa, Reiner, and the rest of the gang, who are currently trying to stop Eren and his cult of Yeagerists from destroying the entire world and all of humanity (yeah, the story takes an even darker turn).
Annie is conflicted, as she clashes with the gang and their attempt at solving everything without hurting anyone. She believes that although killing Eren might be necessary, people such as Mikasa will be unable to do so.
Nevertheless, Annie helps them, putting her Female Titan power to good use.
There is also a very wholesome moment between Annie and Armin, in which Annie reveals that she was fully aware of everything that went on, and could hear Armin every time he went to spend time with her and talk while she was in the crystal.
Armin also tries to tell Annie about how he feels (he’s so in love with her).
Annie then states that she is going to stay behind. Marley is destroyed, her father therefore probably dead, and she sees no point in fighting for humanity.
However, there is a change of heart and she, later on, follows to help and ends up going on a rescue mission to save Armin. She also discovers that her father is actually alive, and finally reunites with him.
So in the very end, after Eren’s death and the unfolding of the entire plot, Annie is happy (or as happy as one can be after all that trauma). She is helping Armin and the others to create peace between Paradis and the rest of the world so that humanity might finally be safe.
