Will the Attack on Titan season 4 finale runtime/duration be extended?

As fans countdown to episode 87, The Dawn of Humanity, we reveal whether the Attack on Titan season 4 finale runtime/duration will be extended.

After nine years, 86 episodes, hours upon hours of content and millions of fans worldwide, it’s finally almost time…Time to say goodbye to Attack on Titan.

The season 4 finale, The Dawn of Humanity, is finally only a matter of days away following the delay to episode 87’s scheduled broadcast last week.

However, as fans around the world prepare themselves for a gripping send off, many are curious as to whether the season 4 finale of Attack on Titan will have an extended runtime/duration?

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Will the Attack on Titan season 4 finale runtime be extended?

Whilst this current broadcast has been labelled as the final ever season, and episode 87 being the last episode from the current schedule, the Attack on Titan season 4 finale runtime is not expected to be extended.

The reason why fans had been expecting an extended runtime is because the anime adaptation is not actually predicted to conclude with episode 87. With the finale set to adapt chapter 130 from Isayama’s original manga, The Dawn of Humanity, there are still nine chapters left to be covered.

Considering the global popularity of the anime series and therefore, the importance of the upcoming ‘final ever’ TV episode, viewers were hoping that the Attack on Titan season 4 finale runtime would be somewhere in the 35–45-minute range.

This was also supported by the fact that Demon Slayer’s second season also concluded on a special extended episode. For fans streaming the series internationally, episode 11 “No Matter How Many Lives” increased its duration from the usual 23 minutes to 32 minutes – and the entire community rejoiced.

In either case, the community had anticipated that we might have gotten a little extra Attack on Titan content with this weekend’s broadcast; whether it was five minutes or 15 minutes, the show deserves a massive climax.

However, according to reports online, episode 87 (the season 4 finale) will sadly only have the normal runtime of 25 minutes in Japan.

Unfortunately, this means that the episode will also likely have the usual duration of 23 minutes 55 seconds for international streaming partners, i.e., the Attack on Titan season 4 finale runtime will not be extended.

The popular and reputable Attack on Titan Wiki Twitter page shared a screenshot of the TV listings for NHK General, the Japanese television network that showcases the anime before anyone else. If the listings are correct, episode 87 of Attack on Titan will not have an extended runtime or duration despite it being not only the season finale, but the series finale.

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Crunchyroll previews the final ever TV episode

As part of the promotional build up to the highly anticipated season 4 finale of Attack on Titan, Crunchyroll has just shared their own special trailer.

The short video, titled “FINALE TRAILER”, featured some of the very best scenes and moments from season 4 part 2 so far. This includes Eren’s infamous speech to all Eldian’s in The Paths, as well as Gabi’s Anti-Titan rifle shot and the Founder Ymir’s childhood persecution.

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Unfortunately, the new trailer does not show any ‘new’ content that hasn’t already been seen in broadcasted episodes. However, the official TV trailer for episode 87 has now been shared online, which gives a sneak peek at the season 4 finale, The Dawn of Humanity.

“What I saw that day. What we talked about that day. What I chose that day. That’s all he wanted. He hasn’t changed anything.” – Episode 87, Story, Shingeki.tv.

An original, open or To Be Continued ending?

With the season 4 finale of Attack on Titan only a matter of days away, the series and its community are at a vital crossroads as fans look ahead to the future.

The fourth broadcast was always labelled as the final season in the promotional campaign, but there will be up to nine manga chapters that are left to be covered after episode 87.

Whilst MAPPA could create an anime-original ending in episode 87, this would be extremely rare for the modern anime industry and would surely only serve to frustrate the global audience who are begging for more content.

This implies that there will be one final Attack on Titan project to come; either an OVA series or anime movie.

A final set of four of five OVA episodes, released over several weeks as an event, would bring the story to a close in a meaningful way for the community. It would also support the promotional campaign for season 4 being the last season.

However, with just how lucrative anime films have become over recent years, catalysed by Demon Slayer: Mugen Train and encouraged by Jujutsu Kaisen 0, a final feature film is arguably the more realistic option.

Attack on Titan: The Final Movie would most likely break records both at the domestic box office in Japan and at theatres around the world, but fans will have to wait and see what announcements are made after episode 87 airs on April 3^rd.

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By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]