Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Attack on Titan: the Final Season Episode 17 "Judgement," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The Final Season of Attack on Titan continues to prove that Titans are no longer as powerful as they once were. Within the four years that have gone by in the show since the end of Season 3, nations around the world have developed new Anti-Titan weapons. The first episode of this season demonstrated just how powerful these weapons really are when Reiner in his Armored Titan form took a few hits from one. Magath explained that these weapons could kill a Titan with a single hit. That included the nine Shifters if they got hit in their nape.
That proved true when just two hits took off the Armored Titan's entire arm. Marley's ongoing attack on Paradis involved an even more powerful anti-Titan weapon that almost made Thunder Spears look useless in comparison. The weapon was essentially a cannon worn by Pieck as the Cart Titan. It replaced the gear she wore previously during the attack on Marley which was meant for killing humans. While that gear was dangerous, it clearly wasn't made to kill Titans, which explains why it wasn't used on Eren at all during that battle.
Marley's new Anti-Titan Gear was designed to defeat the Founding Titan. Marley took the Anti-Titan artillery used by the Mid-East Allied forces they were at war with and improved it. It can now penetrate through even Titan hardening. The artillery's bullets were bigger than a human's head and the damage they inflicted on Titans is significant. One hit was enough to render Eren incapable of moving. Marley would've likely stolen the Founding Titan by now if Eren didn't have his War Hammer Titan abilities which allowed him to defend himself without moving.
Compared to Thunder Spears, Marley's new artillery was a much bigger threat to Titan Shifters. It took more than ten Thunder Spears to defeat Reiner during the battle in Shiganshina in Season 3. Whereas Eren was hit once with Marley's new weapon and seemingly couldn't move thereafter. The Scouts also have to get close to land a good hit on their target and actually make the Thunder Spears explode by pulling the wires. In other words, they have to risk getting close enough to be hit directly by Titans to use them. Moreover, this has to be done multiple times since it takes numerous Thunder Spears to actually defeat a Shifter Titan.
On the other hand, Marley's Anti-Titan Gear was designed for long-range attacks. Magath was able to aim at and shoot Eren directly in the head from a safe distance atop Shiganshina's humongous wall. It was so shocking and happened so quickly that Yelena and the Scouts were confused as to what happened. That's not surprising since Marley didn't use this weapon during the raid on Libero, which was less than a month prior to the ongoing battle.
Marley's new Anti-Titan Gear, airships, three Titans, and an overwhelming amount of soldiers, put Paradis in danger of losing the Founding Titan and any hope of a future. Eren is fighting against Marley alone while the Scouts are dropping like flies. Impressively, he was holding his own pretty well until he got hit by that artillery. Now he needs all the help he can get and it seems like Armin, Mikasa, Jean, and Conny are going to provide it.
