Touka: *exists*

Yeager Brothers at the same age

Ah yes, my favorite genre...

Commission for @neezuko - A fanart Eren and Historia .

Do you believe the full rumbling goes against the theme of “getting kids out of the forest?”

No, because Armin & Co. represent that side of the argument.

Mr Braus says two things: 1) He laments the continuation of the cycle of violence, and 2) He argues that the most important thing is to keep children out of it. Eren acts in reaction to 1), and the 104th act in reaction to 2).

Rather than just having the main character straightforwardly represent the moral message of the series, it’s more interesting to explore the unresolvable contradictions within that moral message - that’s what would have been the case if Eren and the 104th had truly been opposed. Eren would have fought to end the cycle at the cost of children’s lives, and the 104th would have fought to preserve children’s lives even if meant that the cycle will continue.

Of course, Eren’s capability of truly ending the cycle is often brought into question - but this only adds further nuance to the series.

This is an aspect of the Marley arc that I really loved. Throughout the arc there was a constant opposition between fighting to defeat the enemy or for some grand goal and fighting for the sake of protecting what you already have. I first noticed it with Reiner, his aspirations and the mentality of constantly moving forward with a single minded focus, land him in a depressed and suicidal state upon finally fulfilling it. He moved forward expecting to find a "hope beyond the hell" and what awaited him was yet another hell.

Eren has been through something similar, but unlike Reiner who has given up on that mentality and is now moving forward for the sake of his loved ones, Eren continues to advance for the sake of freedom and destroying the enemy, because that's all he has. He's no longer sure of the worth of the advance but the only way he knows how to bring about a change is through this attitude. There's even his talk with his grandfather where Dr Jäger says, "If you are of good heart and mind, return to your family, you don't want to be left full of regrets." Eren hears this and he's aware of the possible fruitlessness of his endeavour but he continues to press on. I wish the aspect of Eren finally getting beyond the hell and the mental gravity of what he had achieved was more focused upon. Did he regret it? How does he feel? Was it inevitable? I wish these questions were explored more in the finale.

Even with Gabi and Falco we see this attitude. Gabi is driven by revenge and the need to be accepted, she's going down the destructive path Eren and Reiner took before, but what saves her is Falco, who moves forward for the sake of protecting her.

As you said these opposing qualities are also embodied in Zeke vs Levi, but I'm happy Zeke was finally able to overcome it and act for the sake of Humanity in his final moments. Zeke is a lot like Reiner in this aspect, he relentlessly moves forward to achieve a goal, the goal collapses, he becomes depressed and questions the worth of striving in the first place, then he finally learns the worth and beauty to be protected in the lives other than himself.

The change in attitude is reflected in Isayama as well, in an interview when questioned about Reiner he talks about how he used to think that as long as he drew SnK he wouldn't have to worry about perfecting other aspects of his life such as social skills, but upon getting married he had to take responsibility for his family, chores and other things. He had to broaden his horizon and that change in perspective is very evident in the Marley arc, that's why it's one of my favourites.

Edit: Actually Eren was fighting for Historia's sake as well, so can we really say Eren was in the wrong? Maybe Eren is just peculiar in that manner. Even if he's fighting for someone, his super destructive side will manifest, it probably even manifests before his desire to protect. It's quite telling that he was prepared to do a full Rumbling even before Historia's life was at stake. But it's also interesting that he almost gave up that desire because it could put Historia's life in danger. He only picks it up again when it not only stops Historia from broodmaring, but is the only way he sees of protecting her at all.

I really love how the last two pages of chapter 102 of SnK really sets up how diametrically opposed Levi is to Zeke, not juts in the context of them apparently going to battle with one another, but philosophically in terms of how the characters view what’s going on around them.

We see each of them facing off, surrounded by their comrades, and while Zeke tells his fellow soldiers “Don’t let them escape.  Wipe them out.”, Levi tells his fellows soldiers “Don’t you die.  You have to survive.”  

This really sums up in the most eloquent, economical way just what makes these two characters so vastly different from one another.  

Zeke, as we know, is in truth, in this moment, betraying his own comrades, and is himself largely responsible for the current situation, having planned all of it out with Eren, and because of that, is the direct cause of so many of his fellow comrades and Eldian’s being killed.  He shows no concern for Pieck’s or Porco’s well being here, only tasks them with killing the enemy, all while secretly planning on letting himself be captured.  We have to remember that Zeke is seen as the leader of the Warrior Unit.  He’s their captain, someone they rely on to guide them and have their backs.

On the other side, we have Levi, who’s been dragged into this fight, along with every other member of the SC, against their express will, by Eren’s independent actions, forcing them into this position of having to invade Marley in order to regain their one and only real defense against invasion.  And Levi’s instructions to his squad here are the exact opposite of Zeke’s.  He tells them, above all, and more important than anything, to stay alive.  His number one priority is keeping his comrades safe.  He orders them to survive, just like he did back in Shinganshina.  

I think this is such a brilliant moment that really encapsulates why these two character’s are so powerfully opposed to one another within the narrative.

Zeke doesn’t really care about his comrades, not enough to prioritize their safety over his goals, and not enough to be honest with or trust them.  He sees them as tools.  They trust him implicitly, and he uses that trust to manipulate them into achieving his ultimate ends, not caring who among them pays for that with their lives.

Levi is the exact opposite, prioritizing the lives of his soldiers above wiping out the enemy, instructing them to survive, no matter what, telling them they HAVE to survive.  More than anything, he wants them all to get out of there alive.  His soldiers also trust him implicitly, and Levi does anything but betray that, instead going out of his way to remind them that their lives matter, and being himself with them 100% of the way, putting trust in them, and showing they can trust him in turn.

It’s a really great and important moment, I think, really defining the opposition of these two characters.

Akşam üstleri, gün batımları neden hem güzel hem kederlidir usta?”

Murathan Mungan...

“They were just there wherever I looked from the day I was born. Those miserable walls.”

I think this is the most important line we need for understanding Eren. From the moment he was born Eren felt caged no matter what he did and he longed for release.

This desire was unconscious at first, but seeing Armin dream so passionately brought about the realization that Armin was seeing and believing in something that Eren couldn’t, and this brings about the realization in him that he’s restrained/caged from doing something.

He initially believes that this indignation from a sense of being caged is because of the Titans or oppressors but as time goes on and the circumstances change, Eren realises that this is something internal and the fact that it’s something that no one else experiences is one of the sources of his tragedy: he can’t communicate/share this desire.

(There’s probably some symbolism in the fact that Eren confessed his truest desires to a child that didn’t speak the same language)

At first, Eren associated release with the “sight” of the things in Armin’s book. He believed that seeing those things will give him the release and liberty he’s been longing for, though it should be noted that Eren says he doesn’t care what the particular sights *are* just that he sees them so I think he cares much more about the feeling of liberation that those things stand for than the sights themselves.

So I think that even though Eren might say that he’s disappointed that the world wasn’t what was in Armin’s book I think what he’s really sad about is that he didn’t feel liberated by the world beyond the walls, but because he associated those feelings with the sights in Armin’s book he uses them interchangeably(I think this is supported by the fact that Eren still feels caged and empty when actually seeing those sights in 139).

The reason Eren slaughters humanity beyond the walls is because from his perspective, *they* are walls/barriers obstructing his freedom. “That Scenery” is one of the most important motifs with Eren, it’s the liberty that comes with transcending or breaking a wall, but one of the ironies in 131 is that Eren is deluding himself to think that it’s freedom. Eren’s very nature demands that he cannot see beyond the “walls” and this is testified to by Eren looking unfulfilled immediately after the freedom panel and the fact that he still needs Armin’s approval. Besides Isayama deliberately contrasts Eren and Armin by saying that Armin still believes in a world beyond the walls, with a panel of Eren’s eyes closed.

Eren’s tragedy is that of a man born with the inability to look past the repression of life(or you could say he was born with the ability to see restraints everywhere). I think this solves all the contradictions I thought I saw in Eren’s character and addresses the “Problem of being a Slave” that Isayama once brought up.

Before I go there’s one last thing I have to say about the final chapter and this motif, Eren can’t see the dream Armin enjoys and he can’t see the future that lies ahead, but his love for his friend(s) let’s him transcend that nature by putting his hopes in them at the end. He won’t ever be able to see beyond the walls, that’s just how he is, but he can be at peace with the fact that his friends will.

Edit: I made this post mainly because I was tired of people rooting Eren’s actions in trauma or an ideological mistake or lack of development. Eren has developed enough as a protagonist, especially by chapter 100, his “mistakes” in the Final Arc are a result of his nature, I think that’s what Isayama wanted to convey.

final draft of ending critique is halfway done. normally i’d be able to finish it this week, but a heatwave has hit the uk and is sapping all my energy. please bear with me a little longer 🙏

I found a few interesting parallels and repeated motifs with Eren.

In both cases Armin asks why Eren would want to do such a thing, and he responds in very different ways, yet the reason is still grounded in the same fact. Eren's birth into this world.

It should be noted that when Armin asks this the first time, Eren is confused and even angry at the fact that Armin would ask such a question. He takes this as a given but he can't articulate any clear reason, and in anger he proclaims it's because he was born into this world. This time, Eren no longer feels justified or entitled, but sad and grave, and he can't even confidently say it's because he was born into this world(though the implication is clear in the flashbacks), yet he can't deny the strength of that desire, he had to do it no matter the cost.

Another callback has to do with the hope beyond the hell.

Previously Eren believed undoubtedly that hope lay beyond this hell, but after his disillusionment with the world beyond the walls, he now questions whether his struggles will lead to actual fruition or yet another hellish disappointment after so much sacrifice and strife. Eren has come to the conclusion that he'll never know unless he actually gets there. It's interesting how previously the ends were unquestionably good and so was the fight to attain them, yet when Eren says this it's in an arc that has been criticising the "keep moving forward" mentality and he's not even fully confident in the value of this end, what remains constant though-through the ambiguity, confusion and corpses-is the core drive within Eren.

Bessatsu magazine - Q&A with Isayama

Isayama has been answering Q&A in the magazine ever since the Sep issue last year. It’s also the same Q&A where Isayama trolls the fandom by implying Armin is a girl. The Q&A can be found in the first few pages of the Bessatsu Magazine every month.

Translations of the Q&A under the cut.

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