Season 3 truly shines in its ability to present us with some progress towards the answers we've waited for while fleshing out its cast and lore in an organic way. With its great handle on production quality, characterization and story development, I believe Season 3 elevates AoT from something that could be considered a decent popcorn-flick to something truly memorable in its execution.
Before I get into the story and characters, I think right off the bat this anime has to be praised for its STELLAR animation and soundtrack. I think WIT's work here rivals that of Ufotable's in some areas, which is saying a lot. The action sequences are extremely well choreographed, and the animation is consistent, crisp and never really dips. The soundtrack also features some of Sawano's best. Don't get me wrong, as I'll discuss below the story and characters are definitely great, but the production value distinguishes Season 3 above most other shows in a fantastic way.
Now, the story of AoT has always been intriguing and interesting for the most part. The risk AoT took with Season 3, or the Uprising arc in general, was stepping back from the Titan killing to flesh out the questions we've all had for several arcs. Notice I say 'step back', not 'ignore'. Many people would try to convince you otherwise and say Season 3 only focuses on people, but the fact remains that Titans are still an integral part of this arc and actually have a more interesting purpose than just being killed on screen all the time. This arc perfectly balances three things: giving us answers to questions, fleshing out characters and keeping us engaged in an interesting story with a fantastic pace.
The first thing: giving us answers to questions. I will say some of the big questions we have about Titans are indeed answered in this arc, and (at least for me) they did not disappoint. I do admit there were times where really big reveals were just casually mentioned, which sometimes made it hard to recognize what is important and what isn't. But as you get deeper into the season (or if you decide to binge watch it in one sitting, which is what I did on my second rewatch with multiple people), you'll find the parts connect rather well. Of course, AoT is great at answering questions but also keeping us in suspense, so be warned: some questions will be answered, but other questions will rise up.
In Seasons 1 and 2, I thought the characters in the show were...alright. Some were more interesting than others, but overall no one really stuck out. In particular, the intriguing story and world of Aot overshadowed the characters, and I really just watched for the suspense of what happened next in the plot development. I didn't have any interest in the characters or their development. Even though Season 2 made an attempt to flesh out some of the cast, I still found the season too short to make me care fully.
Season 3 has changed all that. Not only did it manage to add nuance and depth to characters that I thought would stay rather one-note, but it did it in the same time frame as Season 2 and to a larger effect. Characters I didn't even care for in Seasons 1 and 2 are now some of my favorites not just in this show, but perhaps among most shows in general. And not just people in the known cast, but new additions come up that have such life and presence that you can't forget them. It's no exaggeration when I say Season 3 introduces some of the best characters in AoT to date while bringing out the best in the rest of its cast.
Now, the pacing of AoT has been something discussed quite alot. I actually found the pacing of AoT's first two seasons pretty well-done already, but Season 3 completely revitalized the formula. Bouts of amazing action are balanced with nice, well-done sections of story development and characterization. Whether you're watching an amazingly animated fight sequence or a backstory about certain characters, you'll never feel like the content is something out-of-place. Each episode manages to pack compelling developments in character and story in perfect capacity.
As for any flaws in this show, I'd say having watched the show weekly, the first few episodes were somewhat hard to follow because things are happening too fast; while there was stellar action in these episodes, the plot was somewhat loose and it felt like things were being rushed. However, as the show went on, that balance of fast-paced action with slower-paced story development kicked in, and everything started to flow nicely. Also, upon a binge rewatch everything fit quite nicely. And while some characters in this season get immense characterization and development, some (not a lot, but definitely some) still feel sort of dry and bland. However, this is just a small blemish on an otherwise perfect addition to the AoT anime.
Overall, Season 3 might be my favorite season of AoT because it manages to deliver on the set up of the first two seasons. The characters have way more depth and nuance to them, the animation is through the roof and the show has shown us its not all about action and suspense, but also about telling us a great story. Although it's sad that AoT won't be coming back til April, as long as WIT can keep up this same level of quality in AoT's production value, I'm not complaining. Season 3 is a game changer for AoT, and I believe it marks the transition of AoT from a decent shounen to a fantastically intricate show.
