Attack on Titanis well known for its brutality, high-octane animation, and resilient scouts, but music is a large part of the anime that amplifies its glory and grandeur. Theopening themesare air-punching anthems, but the ending songs are often where the sentiment and catharsis of the narrative lies.
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Hajime Isayama’s adaptation by WIT Studio and MAPPA accumulated four seasons that were split into various parts and special episodes, gathering a solid collection of 10 songs that played over the end credits alongside an accompanying animation—and some are real tearjerkers now that the season finale has aired. Here is every ending song from Attack on Titan ranked by memorability, melody, and its reflection of the story and characters through the paired visuals.
~ Warning: This list contains SPOILERS for Attack on Titan. ~
Attack On Titan
10Yuugure No Tori (Bird At Dusk)
The Animation Imitates Ancient Tapestries
Unlike the first and third seasons, which released two opening themes and two ending songs, Season 2 only had one of each, and this track,Bird at Dusk, is fairly upbeat for the nature of the show, considering the cruelty to come. While there are no bad songs on this list, this track’s symbiosis with the story and characters feels thin compared to the others and, therefore, sits in last place.
“Surely you know, because I have a dream I fight on…”
While it’s a classic theme from the anime’s prime, the melody is rather forgettable, and the tone feels a touch out of place despite the wall art offering excellent foreshadowing in the style of Greek or Egyptian tapestries.
9Great Escape
Cinema Staff Established AOT’s Rock Genre Side
The melodyGreat Escapeis more distinguished than Yuugure no Tori, and again, it has an air of nostalgia since it existed during the earlier days of the series. It doesn’t reach the heights of many others on this list, but it’s a decent tune if you’re feeling sentimental.
“Our eyes are like that of a starved beast…”
The opening guitar riffs are the most noteworthy part of this entry, and it’s this list’s first turn to the rock genre, complemented by a montage of the 104th Cadet Corps being personable alongside displays of the scouts' main plight: Titan slaying.
8Itterasshai (See You Later)
Ai Higuchi Handles The Iconic AOT Ballads
Itterasshaiwould have been the final ending song, and animation had the special ending not taken precedence, but the entries to come have a greater impact. Similar to the first two tracks, the melody is rather lackluster, but this makes sense to contrast with the loud and emotionally charged final episode.
“If I could have my wish, I want to go home. Let’s go back home, where we lived together.”
Ai Higuchi is a returning artist on this list, and her voice is the staple of the song, and it’s a quieter, heartfelt track reflecting Mikasa’s final moments with Eren during the season finale.
7Shock (Shougeki)
AOT’s Shift To War Themes Channels Sigur Ros
Season 4 saw the adaptation change to MAPPA’s animation, which effectively altered the feel of the anime to reflect the story’s tonal change. This song,Shock, is more upbeat than Itterasshai but is still laced with remorse, mirroring a series of images depicting Falco during the Marleyan war.
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“Countless birds that burn their feathers, sprinkle ashes, and smile peacefully.”
The beat of this track is rather infectious, matched with a melody reminiscent of Sigur Ros' vibe, and the editing around the war-focused animation is well paired with the tune, giving it a higher ranking for being haunting.
6Name Of Love
The Friendship Between Eren, Mikasa, & Armin Amplifies The Ending
The opening words, “Sayonara sekai" (Goodbye world) is a great hook for this ending song,Name of Love, and the slow build of the melody is distinctly more memorable than previous entries, paired with a reel of significant moments from the anime so far that tugs on the heartstrings.
“Let us embrace each other’s pain that only we can feel.”
Despite Season 3 revealing the bleak conflict between the nation of Marley and the Eldian Empire, this track is bathed in hope that the scouts carry throughout the series, and it’s also tethered to the beautiful, ongoing friendship between Eren, Mikasa, and Armin that gives the finale its heartache.
5Requiem Der Morgenröte (Akatsuki No Requiem)
AOT Turns Studio Ghibli
Season 3’s first ending song,Requiem der Morgenröte, is the perfect entry to close the low ranks and begin the heavy hitters. This requiem introduces the top five ending songs we can recall to sing in a heartbeat.
“The world is cruel yet it remains so beautiful.”
The sepia animation is reflective of Krista/Historia’s journey before transforming into an ode to the scouts, and it really packs a punch at this point in the anime. Beginning like a children’s melody from a Studio Ghibli movie, this song evolves into the “Shinzou Wo Sasageyo” theme and ends with a powerful climax.
4Utsukushiki Zankoku Na Sekai (This Beautiful Cruel World)
Yoko Hikasa’s Song Flows Like The Wind
Fourth place is taken by the very first ending song of the anime,This Beautiful Cruel World, centering on Mikasa and accompanied by a sketch-like animation of the character. The melody, tone, and lyrics perfectly mirror Mikasa’s footing in the world and herrelationship with Eren, and it also mirrors her final standing in the season finale.
“What will we protect with our strength and our weakness if reason and logic hold true no longer.”
The tune itself is extremely memorable and packs power behind the vocals, and after seeing how the story plays out, Mikasa’s song has a lot more impact, especially the meaning behind her scarf. As an added bonus, the flowing nature of the song matches the wind blowing around Mikasa’s caricature in the animation, which is a nice effect that turns the melody graceful.
3Ni Sen-Nen… Moshikuwa… Ni Man’nengo No Kimi E (To You 2,000… Or… 20,000 Years From Now)
Eren & Mikasa’s VOs Add Extra Sentiment
We’ve now entered the top three ending songs, all of which deliver emotion-fueled tracks to the highest degree. This entry,To You 2,000… or… 20,000 Years From Now, played during the special ending of the final episode, returning veteran artist Linked Horizon to deliver a bittersweet swan song.
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“Fight, keep fighting, your words keep echoing…”
The meaningful lyrics, fitting Eren’s repeated phrase “Tatakae” into the verse, strong rhythm, and gentle flute solo was the ideal combination to play over fans’ goodbye to the characters, and the fact that Eren and Mikasa’s Japanese voice actors, Yuki Kaji and Yui Ishikawa, have a part to sing makes it all the more meaningful.
2Akuma No Ko (A Child Of Evil)
The Song & Animation Reflects Eren’s Quest For Freedom
Taking second place is perhaps the most iconic ending song of the anime,A Child of Evil, despite its arrival landing so late in the story. This ballad is a powerful arrangement of superb vocals, returning Ai Higuchi to the forefront, a strong melody to recall time and time again, and it carries an air of hope and melancholy to match the themes of the series, beating the previous entries.
“If we have wings like birds, we could go anywhere.”
This track and animation illustrate the theme of freedom and its meaning to Eren, and the imagery that accompanies the song is all the more heartbreaking because you know the reality of the protagonist’s situation at this point.
1Under The Tree
SiM Delivers Two Unforgettable Anthems For AOT Fans
Set to a reel of Mikasa walking along the battlefieldunder swarming birds,Under the Treeforeshadows the ending of the story and Mikasa’s underlying feelings towards Eren. It’s a powerful ode to add to the classics, backed by raw vocals for fans to let out all their pent-up emotion.
“I’ll be waiting, waiting for you. Let me hold you under the tree.”
The penultimate ending song is by the same Japanese rock band that delivered the heavy metal Season 4 opening, The Rumbling, and it’s the perfect track to take the number one spot for its anthem qualities, sorrowful lyrics, and unforgettable chorus.
