Highlights
- Eren's transformation from a naive young man to a complex antagonist has added depth and longevity to the story of Attack on Titan.
- The state of Eren's friendship with his childhood companions, Mikasa and Armin, has drastically changed as he continues to fight for freedom.
- Eren's unpredictable nature and willingness to commit morally questionable acts make him a captivating character, leaving fans eager to see what he will do next.
It's fair to say that Eren, the main character of Attack on Titan, has grown up a lot since he first appeared on fans' screens back in 2013 as the bold but fairly naive young man who simply wanted to be free from the Titans that resided outside the walls. As the show has progressed, and author Isayama has expanded the universe of Attack on Titan, Eren has firmly held on to this dream of one day being free, but this has also led him to commit some very questionable, and downright abhorrent acts along the way.
This has turned Eren into somewhat of an antagonist, and while making the main character of a show the villain doesn't always work out, in the case of Attack on Titan, it's done wonders for the longevity of the story. Eren's mission is clear, but knowing how he's going to go about it is what makes him so captivating.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
6 His Past Relationships
The story of Attack on Titan has certainly been a rocky one for the characters involved who are always aware that a simple slip-up could lead to them being eaten by a terrifying Titan, but through it all, Eren has held some of his comrades very close to him during the journey. The main people Eren values most are his two childhood friends, Mikasa and Armin, and while the lovable trio were inseparable during the first few seasons, now that Eren has set out on his own, it's incredibly interesting to see the state of this friendship now that so much has happened.
Because of how fast-paced the second half of the story is, there aren't many opportunities where fans get to see the trio actually talking, but Isayama made sure to still drop a scene here and there where we get a glimpse of how the other two views Eren. What makes this even more compelling is the fact that, in Eren's mind, a lot of what he's doing is to ensure freedom for his friends, leading to an incredibly complicated relationship that has come a very long way since those first few episodes.
5 His Unpredictable Nature
Eren's feverous dedication to wiping out everything outside of his home of Paradis Island has led him to commit some truly despicable deeds along the way that fans could never have expected from someone who is still the main character of the story. Viewers get the first glimpse of this when Eren is talking with Reiner during Willy Tybur's speech. Eren specifically states that, above the room where the two are talking, there are crowds full of families, including children.
As soon as Willy declares war, Eren, without a moment of hesitation, transforms into his Titan form, which as Mikasa comments later, ends up killing nearly all of the innocent civilians in the crowd, including the children. This is just one example of Eren going to extreme lengths just to get one step closer to his final goal, and witnessing this villainous spiral of such a tragic character is undoubtedly sad. Nevertheless, it's also extremely engaging since no fans could predict what he was going to do next.
4 His Willingness To Act First
There are a few Shonen protagonists who get a lot of flack from anime fans for being too "reactionary," meaning that they must wait for events to occur within the world for them to spring to action. This can make it seem like they aren't really driving their own story, but this most certainly isn't the case with Eren who, in every sense, is the person directing the main plot in Attack on Titan, to the point where he might be acting a little too fast for his own good.
After the iconic ocean scene where Eren and his friends finally get to see the deep blue sea for themselves, viewers immediately switch over to Marley where Eren is already setting up his plan of action. This is confirmed in one of the first scenes with Zeke where he comments that the scouting ships that had been sent to Paradis Island over the last three years were probably being destroyed by Eren in his Titan form, implying that he's already taking action. Interestingly, at the very end of the fourth manga chapter focusing on Marley, fans see Eren as a child who casually says "I wish something would happen" which is excellent foreshadowing by author Hajime Isayama. As soon as the Marley Arc began, Eren had been slowly moving the chess pieces to put together his final plan, and it resulted in a thrill ride that no one could have seen coming.
3 His Immense Power
Back when the show first started, the sight of a single Titan was enough to strike fear into both the characters and viewers alike, so the fact that Eren by the end of the story was capable of initiating the Rumbling and controlling all Titans made him truly terrifying. This one ability makes Eren the most feared man in the entire world who essentially held the fate of the population in his own hands.
Added to this, by the last arc of the story, Eren also possesses three Titans, these being the Attack Titan and Founding Titan which were inherited from his father, and the War Hammer Titan which he acquired during the attack on Marley. This immense level of power makes Eren a truly scary antagonist, but also one that fans can't help but love to watch to see how exactly he goes about using his newfound strength and abilities.
2 His Knowledge Of Hidden Past Events
Due to inheriting the powers of the Attack Titan, Eren can transcend back through time to the memories of previous Attack Titan holders, which has led to some incredibly fascinating insights into the lore and massive plot twists. One of these came with the reveal that it was Eren who convinced his father to kill the Reiss family, something Eren's dad was initially hesitant about doing, but was spurred on by his son convincing him by using the Attack Titan's power.
Another fantastic moment where this occurred was during the first appearance of Eren Kruger, who passes the Attack Titan onto Grisha while in Marley. Just before passing it on, Kruger urged Grisha to complete the mission for the sake of Armin and Mikasa, two characters that neither of these men knew, but that they were vaguely seeing by peeking into Eren's future memories. The ability to see into the past and future with the Attack Titan means Eren knows a lot more than he's letting on, so it's always a joy for fans when he spills the beans on some of the series' lore.
1 His Morally Complex Motivations
Since the very beginning of the series, Eren has always said that all he wishes for in the world is true and honest "freedom," and in many ways, his mission to eliminate everything outside of Paradis Island is still following this mission. Eren knows that Marley, as they had done before, would probably just try to box the Eldians back behind the walls if given enough time, or even worse, they would kill all Eldians completely.
Therefore, Eren essentially sees himself as a martyr and the only one capable of protecting his friends and all Eldians by exterminating Marley, ensuring that they are completely free from outside threats. Some fans have argued that this could be seen as fairly admirable from Eren, especially because he's not doing any of it for fame or reputation, but on the other hand, Eren would be committing genocide to succeed with his plan. All of this makes him an incredibly complex antagonist and one of the most deeply analyzed characters in all of anime and manga. As fans, it's always great to get involved in discussions on a series, and since Eren always pops up as the core of any conversation, he's a fascinating character to watch in action.