Highlights
- Mikasa Ackerman, a powerful member of the Survey Corps, is faced with the difficult decision of stopping Eren's genocidal actions in the upcoming chapters of Attack on Titan.
- Mikasa's journey has been filled with tragedy and loss, but she has remained a crucial figure in the fight against the Titans, proving her strength and abilities time and time again.
- Mikasa's love for Eren, which goes beyond a familial bond, complicates her decision-making process as she grapples with the possibility of killing him to save the world from his violent actions.
Undoubtedly one of the strongest members of the Survey Corps, Mikasa Ackerman was instrumental in the effort to reclaim Wall Maria, which finally concluded with the Battle of Shiganshina at the end of Attack on Titan Season 3. Having been with Eren every step of the way in Attack on Titan's storyline, ever since the pair lost their homes and families in the Fall of Wall Maria, Mikasa finds herself at an uncertain crossroads, with Eren's decision to activate the Rumbling and eradicate all life beyond the Walls of Paradis.
Although she cares deeply for Eren, as he is the only family she still has, Mikasa cannot rationalize his choice to commit genocide, even if it is for the sake of protecting Paradis. Despite her many pleas, Eren has been unwilling to abandon his horrific crusade, and it appears as if the only way for her to stop the advance of the Rumbling is to end his life. With the release of Attack on Titan The Final Chapters Special 2 impending, it is worth looking into her journey so far, to see how she will go about making the difficult decision to stop Eren's atrocities.
A Tumultuous Journey
Beneath Mikasa's predominantly stoic nature lies an ocean of harsh experiences. After losing her parents at an early age to a group of kidnappers, Mikasa was saved by Eren, who had come with his father Grisha Yeager on a routine medial visit. During this incident, Mikasa also experienced her "awakening" as an Ackerman, while saving Eren from one of the kidnappers. Seeing that she had nowhere to go, Grisha invited Mikasa to live with his family in Shiganshina, and Eren agreed, wrapping his scarf around her to protect her from the cold.
This scarf began to symbolize the close bond that the two shared, and Mikasa consistently wore it well into adulthood. She soon grew close to the Yeager family, such that Eren's mother Carla began to treat her as her own child. Her relationship with Eren also continued to develop, as she protected him and Armin from harm with her immense physical strength. Sadly, this period of relative peace would be short-lived, as the Colossal Titan and Armored Titan attacked Shiganshina and broke through Wall Maria, resulting in the death of Carla.
While Eren, Mikasa, and Armin managed to escape in the ensuing chaos, they had lost their homes, families, and former lives. Mikasa then joined Eren and Armin as they enlisted in the military, and graduated as the top ranking cadet in the 104th Training Corps Southern Division. Mikasa's natural talent with the Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) gear, coupled with her strength and combat ability, allowed her to develop into monstrous fighter, able to efficiently slay Titans with ease. Many remarked that she was indispensable to humanity inside the Walls, as her strength was equivalent to an entire battalion all on her own.
One Of Humanity's Strongest
She soon became one of the pillars upon which the Survey Corps based their effort to overcome the threat of the Titans, alongside Levi and Eren — who discovered that he possessed the power of the Attack Titan. Mikasa's strength and Titan slaying capabilities were also routinely compared to those of Levi — a fellow Ackerman — as the duo are the only non-shifters who can fight on par with the Nine Titans.
Her lack of hesitation to do what was necessary proved crucial to the Survey Corps' victory at multiple junctures in the story, from the battles against the Female Titan, Colossal Titan, and Armored Titan, to the effort to overthrow the Royal Government and the operation to retake Wall Maria. Conversely, this willingness to jump into the fray would also devolve into recklessness in some cases, as seen when her wanton aggression against the Female Titan led to Levi injuring himself while protecting her. Over time, Mikasa grew to be more level-headed in battle, especially in situations revolving Eren, where she previously rushed in to save him with no regard for her own well-being.
After the time skip, Mikasa was a central figure in the relations between Paradis and the rest of the world, when it was revealed that she was a descendant of the shogun from ruling Azumabito family of the nation of Hizuru. In this regard, she was crucial in securing aid from Hizuru, and developed a cordial relationship with the country's ambassador Kiyomi Azumabito. Despite her superhuman combat abilities, accomplishments as a soldier, and involvement in diplomatic ties, Mikasa remained humble and grounded, as her only real goal was to live safely inside the Walls with Eren and Armin.
A Critical Choice
Mikasa's love for Eren is an integral part of her character, with her feelings appearing to go beyond familial affection and veer more towards a romantic attachment. Having grown up with him, Mikasa saw Eren as her home, and she treasured this bond over everything else in her life. She constantly found strength in adversity while recalling Eren's words which urged her to fight the kidnappers in her childhood, illustrating how much he influenced her personality.
When the Survey Corps journeyed to the Marley mainland, Eren asked her how she viewed their relationship. Flustered and surprised, she replied that he was family, which seemed to disappoint him. After that fateful day, Eren embarked on a path of no return, as he disobeyed orders and infiltrated Marley to speak with Zeke, culminating in the Raid on Liberio, which saw him kill innocent civilians.
Even on returning to Paradis, Eren ignored her attempts to reason with him and expressed his hatred for her, which left her reeling in shock, as he continued on his route of violence and unleashed the Founding Titan, which led to the activation of the Rumbling. Consequently, as she now has to entertain the possibility of killing him to end his trail of death, Mikasa has a difficult choice to make between her morals and her feelings towards Eren. With Levi hindered by his injuries, Mikasa is now humanity's best hope at stopping Eren, and her ability to face the greatest test of her resolve and ideals to date could determine the fate of the entire world in Attack on Titan.
Attack on Titan is available to stream on Amazon Prime.