This episode focused primarily on shaping the character of Erwin.
Before this arc, Erwin came across as a smart and composed rational leader. Sure, he was the "anchor" of the Survey Corps, but he hadn't really had any standout moments—until now.
In this episode, amid the chaotic three-way clash between Reiner and Bertholdt, the Survey Corps, and the surrounding wild titans, Erwin was bitten on the arm by a titan. The beast snatched him from his horse, dragging him into the air.
Yet despite the intense pain and personal danger, Erwin raised his remaining arm, sword pointing at Eren, eyes firm, voice unwavering.
"All units—rescue Eren! Advance!!"
The next second, he sliced off his own bitten arm, fell from midair, and without pause, charged straight toward Eren.
In that moment, Erwin's courage and spirit were etched into every viewer's heart.
The 'Attack on Titan' fandom went dead silent. In many fan chat groups, it took ten full seconds before anyone said a word.
"What a badass commander…"
"This character arc is perfection."
"I always thought Levi was the coolest in the Survey Corps… Didn't expect the commander to be just as amazing."
"Sure, getting his arm bitten off shows his combat ability isn't as strong as Levi's… but he's the only man who stayed composed after literally being bitten by a titan. His mental strength is insane."
"I'm about to cry. Who plays Erwin? He's incredible."
"He's an older actor who used to be active in Lan Province. Word is, Old Thief knew him from back in his Jinhui TV days, so he cast him as Erwin… Man, don't underestimate these actors from economically underdeveloped provinces. Even someone who can't make the top 3 rankings in Great Zhou's third-tier cities has such raw talent."
"Only Old Thief's shows pull this off. The film industry isn't some pure utopia—connections and capital are king—but Old Thief has always had one bottom line: every actor must have the acting chops. Only then does he consider other factors."
"Meanwhile, the Big Six TV stations basically only use their own signed actors. Even if no one fits a role, they'll rather cast some random filler than hire from outside. No wonder Old Thief keeps outshining them."
"I have goosebumps. I'm a lifelong Erwin fan now. What a man. If only his power level matched Levi's…"
That half-minute scene earned Erwin countless fans.
But even though Eren was rescued, he was too exhausted from fighting Reiner to transform again.
All he could do was watch his comrades battle the wild titans and Reiner. He was completely powerless.
And then—the most iconic moment arrived.
The Smiling Titan—the very same female titan who had devoured Eren's mother in Episode 1—appeared in the distance.
That creepy smile had haunted the nightmares of countless fans.
Eren couldn't transform. Mikasa's omni-directional mobility gear was out of gas. Her blades were dulled and useless.
The Survey Corps was overwhelmed in its fight against wild titans. No one was left to help.
At that desperate moment, Uncle Hannes—the Garrison soldier who had once obeyed Eren's mother and fled with Eren and Mikasa—stepped in to protect them.
This time, out of concern for Eren, he didn't run away.
But Eren and Mikasa were no longer children, and Hannes couldn't carry three people with his gear.
"No way… Hannes?"
"Wait, is Hannes about to get his heroic moment like Erwin?"
"Can't be… According to the setting, only the elite of the elite can fight titans. Hannes is just Garrison—not even Survey Corps. He's probably weaker than their regular troops. No way he can take on the Smiling Titan alone…"
"Damn it, shut up! Don't jinx it—NOOOO!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"OLD THIEF, YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!!"
"Eren… poor Eren…"
"That was soul-crushing."
"If I were Eren, I'd be shattered…"
"Life and death… a never-ending cycle. Four years ago, Hannes lacked the courage to fight the Smiling Titan. But this time… he stepped up—for Eren. And yet… not even thirty seconds later…"
"Hannes… sigh."
Eren bit his arm repeatedly, desperate to transform—but his body had no energy left.
He could only watch as Hannes was torn in half, right in front of him, swallowed whole by the titan like a spring roll.
Mikasa had also exhausted all her options. Her gear and weapons were broken.
The Smiling Titan began advancing toward them.
That sense of pure despair gripped every viewer.
Having invested so much emotion into the story, they could now fully feel Eren's fear and helplessness.
Eren knelt on the ground, crying and laughing at once.
"Seriously… nothing's changed at all. I still can't do anything. I… can't do a damn thing."
His self-loathing and despair were written on his face, in his eyes, and in his trembling voice.
"Eren… listen to me," Mikasa said, kneeling beside him, her body leaning close, her expression soft.
The music swelled gently in the background.
"Thank you… for staying by my side.
Thank you… for showing me how to live.
Thank you… for wrapping this scarf around me."
Mikasa understood.
This moment… would be the end for both of them.
Hannes was gone. They would be next.
She just wanted to comfort Eren. Let him know that even if he didn't save his mom or Hannes, he had saved her.
Even if he thought he was worthless, he had given her life meaning.
There were no "I love you". No cheesy lines.
Just that gentle expression, the golden-orange sunset, the rising music, and the titan slowly approaching.
Countless viewers broke down right there.
This was how you build a heroine.
This… was why Mikasa had been the top character in the original 'Attack on Titan' fandom.
It wasn't the abs.
This single hour of TV shook viewers three times:
Erwin's sacrifice and leadership, commanding the corps despite being bitten.
Hannes' redemption, four years in the making—only to fall again.
Mikasa's quiet farewell, comforting Eren even in death.
And then came the fourth emotional blow.
"It's just a scarf… I'll wrap it around you again.
From now on, no matter how many times—it'll always be me."
Eren wiped away his tears.
He stood up.
Facing the Smiling Titan—ready to go out in a blaze of glory.
Couldn't he transform? Then fine.
Let the titan who had devoured his mother and Hannes, take him.
But he would not go down weak.
He stepped in front of Mikasa, raising his pathetic, human-sized fist toward a hand thicker than his waist.
And then—
Eren punched the 15-meter titan to the ground.
The background music exploded.
All the wild titans surrounding the Survey Corps…
Turned to look at the Smiling Titan.
They rushed forward.
And beat it to death.
Absolute chills. Goosebumps.
Reiner tried to intervene, but Eren yelled, "Stay back!"
All the titans turned—and rushed Reiner instead.
"I… I'm speechless."
"That twist… THAT TWIST!"
"Reiner kept mentioning the 'Coordinate' power. Is this what he meant?"
"Wait—does this mean Eren can control wild titans?!"
"Reiner and Bertholdt fled with Ymir, and Eren just wiped the floor with them?! What kind of power-up is this?!"
"I'm crying. Eren in this episode is too powerful… emotionally and literally."
"Old Thief is a damn genius. How does he even come up with stuff like this? One moment I was crying from Mikasa's farewell, the next I'm fist-pumping with Eren!"
"This is way more hype than 'Gundam SEED'."
"Don't start a fandom war. Let 'Gundam SEED' and 'Attack on Titan' fans argue on forums. Leave the group chat in peace."
"Whatever. I still hate that 'Gundam SEED' heroine Flay. Manipulative and annoying. Mikasa is a queen."
"Merch-wise, though, Gundam still sells way more. Their sales are like 10x that of 'Attack on Titan'. 'Attack on Titan' is just killing it as a show, but not in spin-offs or products."
"Doesn't matter. The show alone makes 'Attack on Titan' better than Gundam. If we judged art only by commercial value, then all those high-rated indie films would be trash, right?"
Season 2, Episode 6 of 'Attack on Titan' ended with tons of unanswered questions.
Eren's new power. Erwin's growing excitement about the truth behind the titans. The heavy toll on the Survey Corps… but Eren was safe.
The final scene returned to Eren's hometown—the city where the wall fell four years ago.
From the nape of a Beast Titan, a shirtless man with long blond hair and glasses emerged, gazing toward the inner walls.
This episode was not just nonstop action, but packed with foreshadowing.
And with most of the nation still on holiday, the episode peaked at a staggering 19.01% viewership.
Average rating: 17.05%.
That made this episode the second-highest-rated single episode in Great Zhou history.
The previous record—18.16%—had stood for thirty years. Back then, TVs were just becoming widespread, and there were only ten or so channels. With few entertainment options, it was a different world.
For 'Attack on Titan' to nearly reach those heights in the current era was shocking—even if aided by the Spring Festival break.
It was like in Jing Yu's past life—no one in China would believe a new drama airing on traditional TV could rival the ratings of 'Journey to the West' or 'Princess Pearl' in the internet age.
Same logic here.
A 17% rating for a single episode in this day and age? It was practically cheating.
Even though next week's ratings would likely dip as people returned to work, this record alone was stunning.
Yunteng TV launched a wave of promo ads the next day, flaunting 'Attack on Titan's numbers.
The entire drama industry was no longer debating whether Jing Yu's series would break the all-time average viewership record…
Now they were just wondering—how high could it go?
In mid-February, the Spring Festival holiday ended. Life returned to normal.
Jing Yu returned from vacation.
Looking at the latest reports—'Ultraman Tiga' raking in 760 million in its first week, 'Gundam SEED' and 'Attack on Titan's ever-climbing ratings—he let out a long breath.
A new year had begun.
And from the ratings alone, it was clear—
Even without Jing Yu starring, his shows still held strong.
That was critical. Jing Yu didn't want his works to live or die depending on whether he appeared in them. That would be too limiting.
Feeling reassured, he began preparing to hand off scripts to his team.
He couldn't possibly be involved in every single project.
With so many active productions and so many employees depending on him, it was time to shift his focus—from filming to company operations.
Still, he understood that both 'Gundam SEED' and 'Attack on Titan' had probably peaked in terms of ratings.
'Attack on Titan' would soon enter a stretch of heavy dialogue and exposition—not boring, but certainly slower than the action-heavy episodes.
'Gundam SEED' was about to hit its most controversial arc—Flay's emotional manipulation of Kira. Jing Yu fully expected to get flamed as the writer. Ratings might hold steady, but they wouldn't climb further.
News outlets buzzed about 'Attack on Titan', saying it might break the national single-episode record.
But Jing Yu wasn't so sure.
Still, having come this far, he'd do everything he could.
Even if personal promotion wouldn't change much now, he agreed to his team's plan.
He'd help promote 'Attack on Titan' himself, hoping to push it past that final record—
To make it the most-watched show in Great Zhou history.