5 Reasons Why Attack On Titan's "Declaration Of War" Is The Anime's Most Pivotal And Terrifying Scene

The "Declaration of War" scene from Attack on Titan: The Final Season, specifically Episode 64 (Season 4, Episode 5), remains one of the most explosive and politically charged moments in modern anime history. Airing on January 10, 2021, this pivotal episode shattered the established narrative, transitioning the story from a fight for survival within the walls to a full-scale global conflict. As of the current date, December 15, 2025, the impact of this single event—Willy Tybur's calculated speech followed by Eren Yeager’s devastating counter-attack—is still dissected by fans and critics alike, marking the true beginning of the series' endgame.

This sequence fundamentally redefined the roles of protagonist and antagonist, forcing viewers to confront the brutal realities of war, propaganda, and inherited hatred. It was a masterclass in tension, culminating in a massacre that mirrored the very atrocities Eren had sworn to avenge, thus cementing his path as a complex, terrifying anti-hero.

Key Entities and Figures in the Liberio Raid

The "Declaration of War" event was not just a battle; it was a political maneuver orchestrated by multiple factions. Understanding the key players and their roles is essential to grasping the scene's full significance. The event took place during the Liberio Festival, a gathering of global ambassadors and military leaders.

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• Willy Tybur: The central figure of the formal declaration. As the head of the powerful Tybur Family, he was a political wirepuller for the nation of Marley. He used his speech to reveal the true history of the Great Titan War, frame Eren Yeager as the "devil," and intentionally provoke a world war against Paradis Island, sacrificing himself in the process to unite the world. He was the holder of the War Hammer Titan.
• Eren Yeager: The true instigator of the violence. After infiltrating Marley and meeting with Zeke Yeager, Eren manipulated the situation by meeting Reiner Braun in the basement beneath the stage. His transformation into the Attack Titan during Willy's final words was a direct, brutal response to the declaration, killing Tybur and numerous foreign dignitaries, effectively declaring war on the entire world.
• Reiner Braun: The catalyst for Eren's confrontation. As the Armored Titan, Reiner's guilt over his past actions on Paradis Island is fully exposed. His emotional breakdown in the basement serves as a powerful mirror to Eren's own trauma, highlighting the cycle of violence and the shared burden of being a "Warrior."
• The Marleyan Military: Led by figures like Magath, their plan was to use Willy's speech to galvanize the world and launch an immediate, overwhelming strike on Paradis. Eren's preemptive attack turned their festival into a warzone, crippling their command structure and claiming the War Hammer Titan.
• The Survey Corps: Led by Levi Ackerman and Mikasa Ackerman, their sudden appearance in the battle was the shocking reveal of the raid. They used new anti-personnel gear to neutralize Marleyan soldiers, showcasing the technological and strategic advancement of the Eldians from Paradis.

The Political Genius of Willy Tybur's Sacrifice

The entire scene is predicated on the calculated, chilling brilliance of Willy Tybur's speech. Unlike previous antagonists, Tybur was not driven by simple malice but by a cold, pragmatic political goal: the long-term survival of the world by uniting it against a common, existential threat—the Founding Titan on Paradis Island.

The Three Masterful Strokes of the Speech

Tybur’s address was a complex piece of propaganda and truth woven together, designed to achieve maximum global impact. It was less a declaration *by* Marley and more a plea *to* the world, strategically shifting the narrative away from Marley's own history of oppression.

1. The True King Fritz Reveal: Tybur revealed the hidden truth that the First King of the Walls had no intention of using the Wall Titans for global destruction and was actually a pacifist. This single revelation absolved the world of its greatest fear, but simultaneously created a new, more dangerous one.
2. Framing Eren Yeager as the New Devil: By revealing the King's true intent, Tybur was able to argue that Eren, who had inherited the Attack Titan and the Founding Titan, was the one who would now use the power of the Rumbling. He successfully transferred the blame from the pacifist King to the active, hostile Eren.
3. The Calculated Sacrifice: Tybur knew Eren was present and that his transformation was inevitable. His death, witnessed by the world's ambassadors, was the ultimate sacrifice. It was the proof the world needed that Paradis was an immediate, ruthless threat, instantly unifying all nations against the island. This was the true "Declaration of War," not just a speech, but a political martyrdom.

Eren Yeager’s Point of No Return and the Cycle of Trauma

The true emotional core of the episode lies in the haunting basement scene between Eren and Reiner. This confrontation is a masterful piece of character writing, forcing the audience to grapple with the theme of inherited trauma and the cycle of hatred.

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When Eren tells Reiner, "I'm the same as you," he is acknowledging their shared experience of being child soldiers forced to commit atrocities. However, the difference is in the outcome: Reiner was broken by his guilt, while Eren used his trauma to fuel his relentless, terrifying forward momentum. His attack on Liberio was a direct, horrifying mirror of the destruction Reiner, Bertholdt Hoover, and Annie Leonhart brought to Shiganshina years earlier.

• The Mirroring of Shiganshina: Eren’s attack on the festival, killing countless innocent civilians, Eldian and Marleyan alike, is the ultimate act of irony. He became the very monster—the "devil"—that the world feared, proving Willy Tybur's declaration correct in the most brutal way possible.
• The Birth of the Anti-Hero: This event solidified Eren's transformation. He was no longer the idealistic boy seeking freedom but a cold, calculating strategist willing to sacrifice everything, including his own moral compass, to protect his friends and Paradis. The attack was the first phase of the controversial Euthanasia Plan orchestrated with Zeke, aiming to end the Eldian suffering.
• The War Hammer Titan Acquisition: In the ensuing chaos, Eren not only eliminated Willy Tybur but also successfully consumed the War Hammer Titan's power, marking a massive shift in the balance of power and adding a critical asset to the Paradis forces, further establishing his dominance and threat level.

The Lasting Impact and Topical Authority

The "Declaration of War" episode is consistently ranked as one of the best in the entire Shingeki no Kyojin series because of its incredible density of plot, character, and thematic weight. It is the moment the show fully embraced its complex political symbolism and mature themes, moving far beyond a simple monster-slaying fantasy.

The episode introduced or heavily featured over 20 key entities and concepts critical to the final arc, establishing the topical authority of the narrative:

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• Nations/Locations: Marley, Paradis Island, Liberio, Shiganshina, Fort Slava.
• Titans: Attack Titan, Armored Titan, War Hammer Titan, Founding Titan, Beast Titan (Zeke), Jaw Titan (Porco Galliard).
• Factions: Survey Corps, Eldian Restorationists, Marleyan Military, Tybur Family, Warrior Unit.
• Political Concepts: Rumbling, Global Alliance, Eldian oppression, cycle of hatred, propaganda, diplomacy, military coup.

This scene was not just an action sequence; it was a devastating narrative pivot that ensured the final chapters of Attack on Titan would be a tragedy of global proportions, forcing its characters and audience to confront the impossibility of peace in a world consumed by historical enmity.