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Attack on Titan isn’t a romance anime, but that hasn’t stopped fans from rooting for certain characters to get together — especially when the series hints at feelings between them. And while Eren and Mikasa are the central ship viewers flock to, another pairing is proving Attack on Titan Season 4’s sweetest development: Gabi and Falco.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Attack on Titan Episode 77.]

Gabi and Falco mirror Eren and Mikasa in a lot of ways

Gabi Braun and Falco Grice in 'Attack on Titan' Season 4 Part 1.
Gabi and Falco in ‘Attack on Titan’ | Hajime Isayama/Kodansha

Attack on Titan Season 4 introduces Warrior candidates Gabi and Falco, and the two resemble Eren and Mikasa in a lot of ways. Gabi serves as a foil to the anime’s main character, every bit as passionate and angry as he was at her age — just standing on the opposite side of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Falco does what he can to protect Gabi, just as Mikasa does for Eren. He’s even willing to take on the burden of inheriting the Armored Titan in order to give Gabi a longer, happier life. He confessed as much during episode 77, “Sneak Attack.” And it was a highlight of the final season so far.

Falco confesses in ‘Attack on Titan’ Season 4 Part 2

Tensions are running high between most characters in Attack on Titan, but Gabi and Falco still have each other’s backs. Perhaps that’s why Falco’s confession during “Sneak Attack” proved a bright spot in an otherwise dark episode.

With Mikasa questioning whether Eren truly hates her and the rest of the characters focused on survival, it was refreshing to get a reminder of why we should be rooting for humanity in the first place. Not only do Falco and Gabi represent the next generation, but they remind us of what’s worth fighting for: the people you care about.

Falco’s honesty also comes as a relief as so many other characters conceal their true motivations. Perhaps these two prove there’s hope for the future of this world. Of course, that’s assuming their story doesn’t end in tragedy.

Will ‘Attack on Titan’ Season 4 give these two a happy ending?

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Just because Gabi and Falco are proving themselves the most compelling ship of Attack on Titan Season 4 doesn’t mean they’ll get a happy ending. The anime isn’t exactly known for making life easy for its characters. And Falco drank the wine containing Zeke’s spinal fluid — meaning he could become a Pure Titan before the season is through.

That would be a tragic way to conclude a relatively new storyline. However, there’s no guarantee this anime will end on a hopeful note. It’d be nice to see the next generation of characters moving past the conflict between Paradis Island and Marley. Only time will tell if that’s in the cards for them, though.

New episodes of Attack on Titan drop every Sunday on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

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