This Is The Correct Order In Which To Watch Attack On Titan

Chronologically, the two-part OVA "A Choice with No Regrets" takes place prior to Season 1 (the two installments are sometimes referred to as Episode 0.5A and Episode 0.5B), however, if you watch them before the first season, you run the risk of getting spoiled and confused. It tells the tale of how former criminal Levi Ackerman and his friends Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia joined the Scout Regiment as a scheme to kill Commander Erwin on behalf of Marley, a secret rival nation.

The story begins in The Underground, a subterranean city beneath the capital. It's a dark place full of dangerous people that comes into the main story in a very matter-of-fact fashion later on — which is why it's best to familiarize yourself with it here. Levi and Furlan let Isabel join them in their criminal adventures, and they train her to use the ODM gear of the Scouts. Soon enough they get a lead: An anonymous job that will reward them not just with money but citizenship in the capital. They get caught by the Scout Regiment, led by Commander Erwin, who offers to overlook their crimes if they join the Scouts, and Levi reluctantly accepts the offer.

Tragedy strikes on the 23rd Exterior Scouting Mission, and Levi faces an Abnormal Titan, proving his worth. In the end, Levi dedicates himself to the Scouts, this time for real. This memorable OVA serves as his origin story — in the current timeline, we know Levi as the leader of the Special Operations Squad, and above reproach.