Attack on Titan Timeline: Complete Story Explained

Attack on Titan’s narrative spans 2000 years, with revelations that recontextualize everything. This complete timeline explains the history from Ymir Fritz to the final chapter.

~2000 Years Before Present: The Origin

Ymir Fritz

Ymir, a slave, discovers the Hallucigenia (spine-like creature in a tree)
Contact grants her the power of the Titans
Marleyan King Fritz uses her as a weapon of conquest
She bears three daughters: Maria, Rose, and Sina
Ymir dies protecting Fritz; daughters consume her body
The Nine Titans split from her power

The Eldian Empire

For ~1700 years, Eldia uses Titan power to dominate. The empire commits countless atrocities, with the Founding Titan keeping Eldians in power.

~100 Years Before Present: The Great Titan War

The Fall of Eldia

The 145th King, Karl Fritz, inherits the Founding Titan
He views Eldian history as sinful and desires their extinction
He engineers Eldia’s collapse, allowing Marley to steal seven of nine Titans
Fritz takes remaining Eldians to Paradis Island
Creates the Walls using Colossal Titans
Wipes memories of the outside world
Installs the Vow Renouncing War—no Founding Titan holder can fight

Marley’s Rise

Marley becomes a global superpower using the stolen Titans. Remaining Eldians on the mainland become second-class citizens in internment zones.

Year 845: The Story Begins

The Fall of Wall Maria

Marley sends the Colossal (Bertholdt), Armored (Reiner), Female (Annie), and Jaw (Marcel) Titans to Paradis
Mission: Reclaim the Founding Titan
Marcel is killed; Ymir inherits the Jaw Titan
Bertholdt and Reiner breach Wall Maria
Carla Yeager dies; Eren swears revenge

Year 850: Main Story Events

Battle of Trost

Eren discovers his Titan-shifting ability
Humanity achieves first victory against Titans

Female Titan Arc

Annie revealed as traitor
Survey Corps suffers massive casualties
Annie crystallizes herself

Clash of the Titans

Reiner and Bertholdt exposed
Eren kidnapped, then rescued
Coordinate ability (Founding Titan) revealed in Eren

Uprising Arc

Government conspiracy exposed
Rod Reiss becomes Pure Titan; Historia kills him
Historia becomes Queen

Return to Shiganshina

The Basement reveals the truth about the world
Erwin dies; Armin inherits Colossal Titan
Beast Titan (Zeke) retreats

Year 851-854: The Outside World

Time Skip

Survey Corps explores outside the walls
Eren and Zeke make secret contact
Eren infiltrates Marley for years

Marley Arc

Declaration of War: Eren attacks Marley
Willy Tybur killed; War Hammer Titan taken
Sasha dies
Global alliance forms against Paradis

Year 854: The Rumbling

War for Paradis

Eren activates the Rumbling
Wall Titans march to destroy the outside world
Alliance forms between Paradis soldiers and Marleyan Warriors
Eren killed by Mikasa
Titan powers end

Aftermath

~80% of humanity outside Paradis is dead
Paradis survives but faces future conflict
The cycle of hatred continues (shown in future panels)
Mikasa lives a full life; dies of old age

Themes Through the Timeline

The timeline reveals Isayama’s core message: hatred begets hatred. Every action has consequences across generations. Even Eren’s genocide, though temporarily successful, doesn’t break the cycle.