Annie Leonhart is finally free in Attack on Titan - but who does she fight for, now that the anime's endgame is drawing closer? Caught by the Survey Corps way back in Attack on Titan season 1, Annie avoided interrogation and/or death by crystallizing herself, then remaining in that preserved state for 4 whole years while the world outside went to hell. That all comes to an end when Eren Jaeger releases the Wall Titans' hardening and her cage melts, releasing a surprised Annie onto the floor. In Attack on Titan episode 82, the weak and weary Female Titan makes her move... but which side is she moving for?
When Annie crystallized herself, Attack on Titan's landscape looked drastically different. The Survey Corps had no idea who its true enemy was, while the Marleyan Warriors were still seeking to acquire Rod Reiss' Founding Titan and prevent the Rumbling. Everything is changed in Attack on Titan season 4, with Eren putting Eldia in the driving seat using the Founding Titan's power. The Rumbling ship has very much sailed, and Marley finds itself making a futile retreat, even abandoning their own Titan-shifters in enemy territory. Suddenly, the Eldia/Marley divide that looked perfectly clear when Annie arrived on Paradis Island is all shades of gray - especially for those possessing Eldian blood, but fighting for Marley.
What does this mean for our newly-freed Annie? Saving Attack on Titan a ton of exposition, Annie kept abreast of developments thanks to one-sided updates from Armin and Hitch. Being conscious inside the crystal means Annie also had time to consider her options, and when she first emerges from the shadows in Attack on Titan episode 82, the Female Titan appears to have sided straight back with Marley, threatening to cut Hitch's throat if she screams for help, then using her Titan transformation as a bargaining chip. That said, Annie isn't exactly running to provide Reiner, Pieck and Magath with backup either, suggesting years of listening to Armin ramble might've convinced her Marley wasn't worth dying for. Speaking to Hitch, Annie also details how the folks she killed as the Female Titan are only now taking their emotional toll, highlighting a hint of regret. Is Annie on Eldia's side? More likely, she isn't allied to anyone but herself in Attack on Titan right now.
Attack on Titan episode 82 exposes more details about Annie's backstory - specifically, how she was raised by a harsh adopted father who wanted a child solely so he could enjoy the perks of their Marleyan Warrior status. That means Annie doesn't share Reiner's sense of patriotic duty or his drive to push forward. Annie also explains how her adopted father's coldness eventually faded into genuine paternal love. Getting home to him is now fueling Annie's motivation. She couldn't care less about the Jaegerists or Eldian Empire, and she's not heroic enough to begin fighting for Paradis Island, even if she regrets killing them back in season 1. Nevertheless, Annie's attitude toward Marley (a nation she was never really invested in to begin with) has clearly soured. Annie will do whatever it takes - and side with whoever she must - to fulfill the promise she made to her father.
In the short term, this means stopping Eren Jaeger. If Annie is motivated by a desire to embrace her only parent again in Attack on Titan season 4, she'll need to make sure that parent isn't stampeded to death by Eren's towering army. Attack on Titan suggests she won't be the sole Marleyan Warrior battling Eren's Founding Titan either. In Attack on Titan episode 82's final scene, Hange and Levi approach (it's more Hange doing the approaching, really) Pieck and Magath, waving a metaphorical white flag. As both sides stand together against the common enemy of Eren Jaeger, Annie may have no choice but to lend a hand, even if she's only fighting for herself and her dad.
Attack on Titan continues Sundays on Funimation, Crunchyroll and Hulu.
