Napoleon Bonaparte once said that "ability is of little account without opportunity," a statement that fully encapsulates the experiences of those living under the threat of Titankind. Although skilled fighters in Attack on Titan often live the longest, there is a limit to how much their skills can help them survive.
Miche Zacharius proves his mettle as the second-greatest Scout soldier in Paradis, but he's unfortunate enough to run into the Beast Titan. It can be argued that luck plays a predominant role in many of the events that unfold in Attack on Titan — sometimes, what matters is just being in the right place at the right time and hoping for the best.
10 Zeke Barely Survives A Thunder Spear Explosion
Levi has no faith in the Beast Titan, especially after the massacre in Shiganshina. Despite keeping a close eye on Zeke, Levi is caught unawares when his nemesis transforms his subordinates into Pure Titans.
However, it takes a lot more than a few stray Titans to take down Humanity's strongest soldier. Levi instantly eviscerates the Titans and blasts the Beast Titan with an array of Thunder Spears. The roller coaster doesn't end here — Zeke decides to detonate the last Thunder Spear, an act of reckless courage that leaves Levi severely wounded.
9 Ymir Chances Upon The Shining Centipede
Ymir's life was infinitely more peaceful before she acquires world-ending power. She retains her innocence even after her village is burned to the ground and she is enslaved by the Eldian tribe.
Unfortunately, Ymir is sentenced to a cruel death by the so-called king, who commands his men to hunt her down in a nearby forest. Ymir ambles into the roots of a giant tree, hoping for shelter, but this is when the mysterious Shining Centipede assimilates itself into her body and saves her life.
8 Grisha Is Given A Second Chance At Life
Zeke betrays his parents, leaving them to suffer extreme agony and humiliation at the hands of the Marleyan authorities. While Dina is transformed into a Titan and set loose on Paradis, Grisha manages to survive by complete chance.
Eren Kruger reveals his true identity as the Owl and requests Grisha carry on his legacy as the Attack Titan. Grisha is obviously confused and utterly terrified, but thankfully realizes that Kruger's plan might just result in Eldian freedom.
7 Kenny Presents Levi With A Rare Gift Before Dying
Kenny Ackerman is a despicable character — he displays little affection for anyone, including his nephew, Levi. When Rod Reiss' scheme to have Historia inherit the Founding Titan goes horribly wrong, he chooses to become a Pure Titan himself.
Kenny is trapped in the blast radius of Rod's transformation; although he barely escapes with his life, his burns turn out to be fatal. As luck would have it, Kenny meets Levi before he passes away and uses the opportunity to share a Titan injection with his nephew. This deed eventually helps Armin acquire the Colossus Titan.
6 A Few Clans Are Resistant To The Founding Titan
Unlike the majority of the Eldian population on Paradis, the Ackerman clan are said to possess a secret power. Levi refers to it as a form of high-level intuition, explaining why both his and Mikasa's combat prowess are unmatched.
Interestingly, it appears that the Founding Titan is incapable of modifying the memories of the Ackerman Clan. More importantly, every single member of this unique bloodline demonstrates an immunity against Titan conversion.
5 Eren Accidentally Touches A Titan Of Royal Blood
The Smiling Titan murders Eren's mother in front of his eyes, igniting the flames of revenge that eventually engulf the entire world. Eren encounters the creature half a decade later, but this time Hannes musters the courage to attack the Smiling Titan to atone for his cowardice at Shiganshina.
Hannes is inevitably caught and eaten, prompting Eren to fly into a rage and punch the Titan's hand. It's fortunate that the Founding Titan activates at this very moment, because there's no way Eren would have survived otherwise.
4 Rod Reiss Takes Pity On Young Historia
Rod Reiss has five children with his wife, while his secret affair with Alma produces another child, Historia. He is fond of his illegitimate daughter, at least until the Military Police's First Interior Squad enters the picture. Rod has no choice but to order Alma's execution to protect his legacy.
Thankfully, he takes pity on Historia and allows her to stay alive, but only if she lives under an alias, Krista Lenz, and disregards the royal blood running in her veins.
3 Nobody Recognizes Eren After The Final Timeskip
Falco Grice meets a kindly gentleman named Mr. Kruger, who counsels the young boy and offers some surprisingly sage advice. "Kruger" then requests Falco to deliver dozens of letters to an unknown address, conveniently leaving out the fact that he's sending them to his allies.
Given that there's a four-year timeskip between Seasons 3 and 4, even the audience fails to realize that he's actually Eren Yeager in disguise. Falco's innocence allows the Scouts to mount a devastating attack on Liberio.
2 The Female Titan Knowingly Glances At Armin
The Female Titan appears out of nowhere during the 57th Expedition Beyond the Walls. She singlehandedly butchers innumerable Scouts and catches up with Armin, who is far too frightened to do anything but tremble in his boots.
He has no idea that the Female Titan is Annie, which is why he's gobsmacked when she gently caresses his head. Armin's affection for Annie isn't a one-way street as he had earlier believed.
1 Eren's Flying Head Reaches Zeke's Outstretched Palm
Marley takes the fight to Paradis in order to retrieve the Founding and Beast Titans, only to discover that they are secretly in cahoots. The Armored Titan tries his best to keep Eren grounded, but Zeke's roar turns the tide of battle against Marley.
The resulting swarm of Titans, and Falco in particular, distract Reiner, giving Eren the chance to slip out of his Titan form and rush towards Zeke. While Gabi's pinpoint aim decapitates Eren, his head manages to reach his half-brother's outstretched palm in the nick of time.