Attack on Titan is by far my favorite modern-day anime. I mean, it’s not even close. Yes, Demon Slayer is pretty cool and I like a ton of other great stuff, but there’s just something about AoT, and you can tell right from the Attack on Titan opening themes that this show is something special and like no other anime out there.
Now, this list is going to be a little bit different from what I usually do. I’ve already covered the best Attack on Titan episodes, as well the scariest titans on the show, but this time, I’m going to cover the actual themes that occur before those glorious episodes reveal themselves. I truly believe Attack on Titan has the best opening themes out of any anime ever, and I’m going to rank these six based on their songs, their visuals, and even how they connect to the seasons themselves. Okay, sound good? Great. Then give your heart one more time!
A few minor spoilers up ahead.
6. Attack On Titan Season 3, Intro 1
I feel kind of bad putting this intro at the bottom, because I really love the song. I also love the wistful visuals. We see a young Eren, Mikasa, and Armin before everything goes to hell in their lives. Hell, we even see a young Levi, wielding a knife. Honestly, given the gravitas and grisly nature of the show, it’s nice to just see our heroes actually in a state of blissful ignorance. You get to see that playfulness in lot of anime, but not this one. Sailor Moon, this ain’t.
So, why is at the bottom then? Well, because it’s also kind of bland. Now, don’t get me wrong. If this were any other anime, I would probably love this intro, and I love it here, too. It’s just that Attack on Titan has especially enthralling, heart-pounding intros that don’t always match up with the actual episodes, which can tend to be a little slow and world-buildery. But this intro actually kind of betrays how dark the show is, which is a cool contrast and juxtaposition, I suppose, but it’s just not as good as the rest of the intros on this list, that’s all. Watch it here.
5. Attack On Titan Season 1, Intro 2
The second intro to Season 1 sees a lot of the Survey Corps taking center stage with secondary characters like Connie and Hange. We also see much of the wooded area that would make up a great deal of this arc with the Female Titan. And it’s all really cool. The music is pulse pounding with that soaring electric guitar, and I love that visual with the blood splattering the windows. When I think of this season, I always remember that imagery.
So, why is it at number 5? Because there are too many shots of the ODM (Omni-directional mobility) gear toward the end. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, per se, but this is an intro that I definitely think is better in the first half than the second. Still, the song is one of the best out of all the intros. I sing it frequently in the shower. Don’t judge me. Watch it here.
4. Attack On Titan Season 3, Intro 2
Season 3, Part 2 has the benefit of being my favorite arc of the series, and it definitely got me pumped up for the fourth season. In this intro, we see the Survey Corps preparing an assault on the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan, who were Bertholdt and Reiner, respectively. We also get shots of the thunder spears as well as Eren as the Attack Titan clocking the Armored Titan in the face. And that song is bananas.
It ends up at number 4 only because I think it doesn’t show enough of how great Levi is in this arc. Levi undoubtedly has my favorite moment in the entire series when he takes on the Beast Titan ALL BY HIMSELF, and I would have loved to have seen some reference to that in the stirring intro. Otherwise though, it’s a banger. These are where the intros REALLY start to get good. Watch it here.
3. Attack On Titan Season 1, Intro 1
Maybe I’m just a little nostalgic, but the very first intro I ever saw for the show just slaps so hard. It’s probably the reason why I got so deeply into Attack on Titan in the first place. In this intro, we see Eren and the Survey Corps flying through the air, slashing titans in the back of the neck, all to one of the most stirring songs in the entire series. We also have that awesome shot of Eren running and then leaping toward the Colossal Titan in pure attack mode, which would foreshadow what would happen later (much later) in the story.
This is definitely one of the very best intros in the series since it sets the tone off perfectly. This is a show that is going to blow your mind and look cool doing it. We see the ODM in motion (rather than just shots of the actual hardware) and also get a true taste of the devastation of the scouts themselves rather than just the titans, which we would see plenty more of later. I love, love, love this intro. Watch it here.
2. Attack On Titan Season 4
Season 4’s intro took me a while to appreciate. Back when Season 4 started, I wasn’t sure if this would be the only intro we’d get for the season, or whether there would be a Part 2 to Season 4 since none of that was established at this point. So, when I saw bombs dropping and soldiers marching in step as if this was North Korea or something, I wasn’t sure what to think. Like, where were all the titans? This looked a lot more like actual war rather than a war against titans. What was the deal?
But as the season progressed, I loved this intro more and more. First off, the song is pretty haunting with the children singing it, but it totally fits the story as it makes you remember that these wars are mostly being fought by children, just like Ender’s Game. We also get to see how the show’s protagonist has somehow become the antagonist, which would create a ripple effect throughout the series. Definitely one of the best intros in the anime’s history, but not the best. Watch it here.
1. Attack On Titan Season 2 Intro
Here’s the thing. Season 2 is arguably the worst season of Attack on Titan. In fact, I know a number of friends who say they gave up on the show midway through Season 2 since they found it so boring. And I agree. It definitely starts off really slow. But that intro. Man. It’s my favorite in the entire series!
We see the Survey Corps gearing up for combat, and then walking off into the light, possibly to glory, or possibly to their deaths. We then see them leaping off the wall into a horde of titans, with the chorus singing, “Sasageyo. Sasageyo,” as the song’s title, “Shinzou wo Sadageyo” roughly translates to “Dedicate your hearts.” This is followed by the famous arm behind the back, fist over the heart salute that nerds around the world sometimes perform in solidarity for our love of the series. Finally, we see the Beast Titan running alongside some of the other biggest creatures to ever roam the earth, and from front to back, this is just the very best intro the show has to offer, which again, is strange since this is probably the worst season of the series. Watch it here.
So, there you have it. The best intros for Attack on Titan. But what do you think? Do you have another favorite intro? Sound off in the poll below!
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