Highlights
- Eren's desire for knowledge and freedom captivated audiences, as we were put in his shoes and experienced the same shock and emotions throughout the series.
- The Titans are not just man-eating monsters, but weapons of war created by Marley, revealing a darker truth behind the humans vs Titans conflict.
- Ymir may have personally chosen Eren to free her, as his desire for freedom aligns with her own, suggesting that she showed him his memories instead of future Eren.
Eren's desire for knowledge and journey for freedom is what captivated audiences for years. What's in his basement? Is Grisha still alive? What does Erwin know that we don't? Viewers were put in the same shoes as Eren with little to no knowledge about the outside world and experienced the same shock and emotions he does throughout the series.
But, like Eren, we had no idea what any of this meant - and there's always something more than meets the eye. Going back to season 1, it's safe to assume that Isayama stood by his word, that the conclusion of Attack on Titan was set from the beginning.
But What Do They Mean?
Throughout season 1, there are many times that Eren has dreams that he doesn't remember after waking. This is because of his future self's ability to see the past, present, and future simultaneously. This is future Eren's drive to achieve "freedom" that grants his past self this ability via the Founding Titan's and Attack Titan's powers. In the manga before Eren wakes up from his first dream, Mikasa is saying "see you later, Eren". This is his last memory from an alternate timeline where Eren elopes with Mikasa after she confesses her feelings.
During Eren's time in the training academy, when he's sparing with Reiner, Eren asks him why they're learning to fight other humans when the purpose of the academy is to fight Titans. Reiner replies that though Titans are the main enemy, there still exist other humans that pose a threat. Since it's Reiner that's saying this, the scene is foreshadowing his true allegiance against the Eldians. Later on, Erwin suggests the same to Eren, and what viewers will come to gather later on, Erwin is aware of what's outside the walls. While hidden in plain sight, fans will notice that Armin narrates the whole series. During the end credits, we see what looks to be an old Armin visiting Eren and Mikasa's graves - he was the only one who lived long enough to tell the tale.
Us vs Them
From episode 1, the world of Attack on Titan has already been established. The humans are the "good guys" and the Titans are the "bad guys" - two opposing forces. But like Eren, we have no idea who or what the Titans are. All that's known is that they're out for blood, and the threat of the Titans is what keeps humanity inside the walls. When it's revealed that Marley, an opposing country, is responsible for creating the Titan threat, it begins to make sense. The Titans aren't just conventional man-eating monsters - they're weapons of war. Moreover, the name of the first episode, "To You, 2000 Years Later", is a nod to what happened 2000 years ago: the birth of the first Titan, Ymir.
Attack on Titan: Why Could [SPOILER] Fly?
Titans usually do all their fighting on the ground, so why was this character able to take to the sky?
The first opening of the season also points to this. The whole song is about rising against the oppressor and making the hunter become the new victim. Upon its first viewing, audiences would assume that it's an uplifting song about a battle against the Titans. But this would carry a much darker tone in the final episode, as Marley were the original oppressors, but it's Eren that ultimately hunts them down and destroys them via The Rumbling.
Holding Out For a Hero
Some fans theorize that it was Ymir who personally chose Eren to be the one to free her, as his desire for freedom and not wanting to be held back, contrasted with her meek personality as a slave. This would mean that it wasn't the future Eren that showed past Eren his memories, but Ymir herself instead. Towards the conclusion of season 4, Eren asks Ymir if she was the one calling him that whole time. It's also he who tells her she has her own freedom and her own choices, which causes her to initiate The Rumbling. If this is true, it's not entirely Eren's fault, as it was Ymir's will that allowed it to happen. This can be further backed up by how Eren cries whenever he wakes up from a prophetic dream. When he speaks to Ymir for the first time, she too starts crying before making her final resolve.
They Knew The Whole Time
While not a part of season 1, the third ED should be mentioned. From the beginning to end, it tells the entire plot of season 4. Firstly, it shows Ymir making a pact with the "devil" to get her Titan powers. In the next scene, it shows a large female Titan overtaking an army of soldiers. This correlates to how Ymir fought alongside King Fritz in battle to conquer Eldia. The next shot shows the aftermath of her death, when the king forces their three daughters to consume the corpse of their mother.
Afterward, a montage of Titans attacking en mass is shown, demonstrating the chaos the Titans have on society, and the Eldians retreating inside the walls, before going forward in time to The Rumbling. The scene changes again to a massive line of people walking towards the sunlight, which implies that they are no longer bound by the walls. The last two images depict a bird flying away, symbolizing Eren obtaining freedom (through death) and a stone carving with the Founding Titan's face carved out, indicating the end of the Titan's curse.