How Did Hange Die in Attack on Titan? (& Why?)

As far as supporting characters go, Attack on Titan‘s Hange Zoë is one of the more interesting ones. Although Hange was a civilian and had no special powers like Eren or some other major characters, the story we’ve seen related to the character is absolutely amazing, which is why its ending was so heartbreaking for us. In this article, we are going to discuss the death of Hange Zoë, as we tell you how and why exactly Hange Zoë had to die in Attack on Titan.

Hange Zoë dies while fighting two Titans during the War for Paradis Arc. After getting close enough to kill the Titans with their Thunder Blades, Hange immediately begins to suffer severe burns, but they manage to endure the pain for long enough for the flying boat to take off before finally succumbing to their injuries. Although they did regain consciousness later, it was only an illusion as Hange ultimately did die as a consequence of the injuries.

The rest of this article will continue to focus on the death of Hange Zoë. We are going to give you more details about the circumstances of the death, as well as the reasons behind it. This article is going to contain all the information you need about Hange Zoë’s death, as we have collected information from various sources to give you a thorough and detailed guide on the topic.

How Did Hange Zoë Die in Attack on Titan? Fully Explained

During the War for Paradis Arc, Hange and her comrades end up protecting the flying ship that is to be used to chase after Eren Yeager. The mission itself is anything but simple and Hange, as one of the commanders, decided to take proper action in order to secure a safe take-off for the flying ship.

Hange asks the warriors if they, too, are okay with fighting even though they will still be hated in the end, but Pieck says that they must heed Magath’s last order and do the right thing. Hange takes advantage of that and tells her that they will gladly ride her as the Cart Titan, but Pieck stops them and tells them that they are acting very creepy.

Levi pokes fun at yet another unrequited Titan love, at which point they ask if their fallen comrades will be watching them and if they can make them proud in that case, sounding like Erwin Smith. Now is the time to refuel, and it looks like they’ll make it before the Crash comes.

At that moment Onyankopon turns around and sees Floch on the floor, who, despite his injuries, manages to fire a few shots still trying to stop the alliance, Mikasa quickly jumps as close as possible and uses the hook of his maneuver team, impaling it on Floch’s neck and finally killing him.

However, the shots reached the fuel tanks and the engineers mention that they need at least an hour to seal the holes. They begin to hear the Rumble, with the Colossal Titans approaching. Everyone rushes to take off and Floch says his last words: don’t stop Eren or everyone in Paradis will die. They haven’t finished yet.

On the boat, Gabi and Falco hear the Crash, but Annie holds the door and tells them to shut up, as she won’t let them out. Kiyomi is filling the boilers with coal. Armin says that he will stay to buy time against the Colossal Titans, but Reiner tells him that he is the only chance against Eren, he will stay. Hange also interrupts and tells her that they can’t waste the power of the Titans like that, as they will be the one to take responsibility and stay to fight.

Hange then proceeds to appoint Armin as the fifteenth commander of the Survey Corps, who has the greatest quality required for the position: a deep desire for knowledge and understanding. He is the only one who can take over. To ease some of the tension, Hange tells him that Levi is now his subordinate and that he can be tough on him.

Levi says goodbye to Hange and, for the first time, tells them to give up her heart. Hange sets off against the Colossals and watches them from above, amazed at how incredible they are. The Azumabito engineers finish welding the fuel tanks, pour them into the seaplane, and begin starting engines.

Hange manages to defeat some titans, but they are too hot and start to catch fire; the seaplane manages to put to sea and take off, but it is too late for Hange, who has been crushed by the foot of a titan. Showing them up close, they are safe and sound, however they are no longer in the same world.

Hange is actually dead and instead of the world of the living, they are seen meeting Erwin and the rest of their fallen comrades, who tell them that the airship has already taken off and congratulate them for doing their duty. Now everyone can talk about what has happened since they were appointed commander of the Survey Corps.

Why Did Hange Zoë Die?

So, in case it wasn’t fully clear from our recapitulation, Hange died because they decided to protect their comrades and the flying ship that was sent after Eren. It was an act of bravery that showed just how great of a character Hange was and it was also one of the saddest deaths in Attack on Titan.

It was a noble sacrifice that ultimately proved Hange’s worth and the fact that they were a noble successor to Erwin Smith in the position of Commander of the Survey Corps. Hange died to save the others and that is one of the best ways to go.

Why Did Hange Zoë Have to Sacrifice Themselves?

Well, Hange technically didn’t have to sacrifice themselves. It wasn’t a necessity, nor was Hange the one that had to do it. But, as a loyal and proud commander of the Surey Corps, Hange decided to do it. There might have been another way to hold the Titans off until the ship takes off, but Hange’s way was the quickest and most effective.

This is why Hange ultimately sacrificed themselves. It wasn’t necessary, but it was the best way to do it and as a brave commander and the successor of Erwin, Hange ultimately “had no choice” but to do exactly that, thereby securing the safety of her comrades and the ultimate peace that came to be after Eren’s defeat.

What Episode Does Hange Zoë Die In?

In case you’re looking for the episode in which Hange Zoë dies, we have to tell you that you have to wait a bit longer for it to happen in the anime. Namely, Season 4 of the Attack on Titan anime hasn’t yet reached the point where Hange Zoë fights the Titans and dies, so we’ll have to wait a bit to know the exact episode.

As for the manga, Hange Zoë dies in Chapter 132 of the manga, titled “The Wings of Freedom”. It was actually Chapter 2 of Volume 35 of the Attack on Titan manga so if you want to read that particular chapter, this is how you’ll find it.