Artwork depicting Eren Yeager – Image via moonton.com
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) has captivated legions of passionate anime fans with its gripping storyline that spans over 2000 years of a human civilization constantly struggling against the threat of giant, man-eating Titans.
At the heart of this epic saga lies Eren Yeager, a young man who inherits the mystical power of the "Attack Titan" and undertakes a perilous journey that ultimately leads to him sacrificing his humanity to secure freedom for his people.
His controversial choices force us to confront thought-provoking questions around morality, oppression, and the concepts of freedom that still echo strongly even in our real world today.
As a long-time Attack on Titan fan and passionate gamer, I was inspired to dive deeper into analysing this modern anime masterpiece. Come rediscover the 2000-year history of this war-torn world, and the significance of Eren‘s sacrifice in shaping humanity‘s future.
Chapter 1 – The Endless Struggle Between Eldia and Marley
Over 2000 years before Eren‘s story begins, the Eldian Empire utilized the mythical power of the Titans to establish dominance over the ancient nation of Marley and other rival kingdoms.
The Nine Titans
The source of Eldia‘s military might came from the Nine Titans – massive behemoths up to 50 meters tall with varying supernatural abilities, but sharing common traits like tremendous strength, speed and endurance.
The Nine Titans powers were held by noble Eldian families, with the Founding Titan traditionally being passed down each generation to the Fritz royal line that ruled over Eldia.
| Founding Titan | Has absolute control over other Titan shifters |
|---|---|
| Attack Titan | Future sight, refuses to be controlled |
| Armored Titan | Hardened skin, shielding from attacks |
| Beast Titan | Hurls objects with incredible accuracy |
| Cart Titan | High endurance and cargo carrying capacity |
| Jaw Titan | Powerful jaws and sharp claws |
| Female Titan | Attracts Pure Titans with screams |
| Colossal Titan | 60m tall, emits scalding steam |
| Warhammer Titan | Creates and controls Titan bodies |
Eldia used the Titans to raze Marley‘s cities and infrastructure to the ground, forcefully conscripting Eldians in the conquered territories into "Pure Titans" – mindless giant soldiers.
King Karl Renounces War
After a century of conflict, King Karl Fritz – the 145th Eldian king – suddenly vowed to end the bloodshed and relocated the capital to the remote island Paradis.
He refused to use the Founding Titan‘s full potential and erected three concentric Walls on Paradis – Maria, Rose and Sina, housing the last remaining Eldians and renouncing war against Marley.
The Three Walls on Paradis Island – Image via interest.co
Though Marley eventually recovered, their hatred and fear of Eldia persisted. Eren‘s fateful story begins when this status quo is finally shattered 100 years later.
But this was far from the first time Eldia‘s history was shaped by the choices of specific individuals for better or worse…
Key Figures Across Eldia‘s History
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Ymir Fritz (Date Unknown) – The first ever Titan shifter who made a deal with the "source of all organic life" to gain her powers before later being betrayed and killed. Her power was then split between the Nine Titans.
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Helos (1897 BCE – ?) Hero of Marley who allegedly slew the Eldian Devil and brought their 100 year domination to an end. No records actually verify he existed.
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Karl Fritz (c. 780 – 806) As the 145th Founding Titan, he abandoned the imperialist policies of his predecessors and relocated to Paradis. His will prevented successors from using the Founding Titan offensively.
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Uri Reiss (c. 806 – 842) Inherited the Founding Titan powers but upheld King Fritz‘s ideology for peace. He influenced rising star Kenny Ackermann to stop his murderous ways.
These were but a few of the visionaries and leaders whose choices steered the endless conflict between Marley and Eldia for nearly two millennia…before Eren enters the stage.
Chapter 2 – The Fall of Wall Maria: Awakening of the Attack Titan
On that fateful day in 845 CE when the Colossal Titan breached humanity’s outermost wall, young Eren Jaeger bears witness to pure horror as his hometown Shiganshina is overrun with Titans devouring people by the dozens.
In the chaos, Eren is helpless as his mother Carla gets trapped under debris and ultimately eaten right before his eyes.
This emotionally scars Eren for life, driving his obsession to annihilate the Titan threat and explore the outside world barred beyond the walls.
He trains rigorously in the military for 5 years to join the Scout Regiment – an elite unit led by Captain Levi Ackerman tasked with combating Titans.
In 850 CE, Eren participates in an disastrous excursion outside the Walls resulting in over 20 percent casualties to the Titan onslaught.
As Eren loses a leg and lies on the verge of death trying to save his friend Armin, his father Grisha injects him with a mysterious Titan serum – turning Eren into an intelligent 15m Attack Titan Shifter with the power to slay other Titans.
Eren unleashing the Attack Titan
This incredible power changes the tide of the battle as Eren uses it to fight off the invading Titans in a blind, vengeful rage and shoulder the massive boulder needed to reseal the entrance gate.
As Eren grapples with his confusing newfound strength, he gradually begins unlocking suppressed memories from his father – learning that the injection was deliberate to pass on this power to Eren.
It marks the awakening of Eren‘s quest connect the dots of his father‘s secrets, the lost history of Eldia‘s world, and realize his purpose to secure freedom for his people no matter the cost…
Chapter 3 – The Truth of the World
Over the next year, Eren discovers several startling revelations that flip his world view upside down:
The Titans were created by Eldia – They are simply regular humans injected with Titan spinal fluid, not mysterious monsters from nowhere.
Most of the world wants Paradis destroyed – Forced isolation has allowed propaganda and fear to brew hatred of Eldians over generations. Titans are seen as dangerous weapons.
Eren can control Pure Titans – Being the current Attack Titan and Founding Titan holder gives him influence over regular mindless Titans.
This all traces back to the lost Great Titan War (c. 743 CE) which ended when King Karl Fritz abandoned Eldia‘s global empire, erasinghistorical knowledge to maintain order within the Walls.
But pockets of humanity survive worldwide in places like Marley despite past oppression – continuing to build armies and technology surpassing Paradis after a century of stagnation.
Eren thus realizes for the first time how utterly disadvantaged they are, and the impossibility of simply exploring “freedom” beyond the walls like he naively dreamed before.
This harsh truth steels his resolve to protect his people from extermination at any cost. Even as he uncovers more ugly and complex facets of his ancestor’s past actions.
Eren faces the Colossal Titan in battle
Through endless battles with relentless enemies and former friends alike, Eren begins to descend down a darker path where the ends justify brutal means.
His loyal allies like Mikasa and Armin can merely look on in dismay – hoping the friend they once knew has not disappeared completely.
Chapter 4 – The Rumbling: Freedom or Annihilation
By 854 CE, technological progress outside Paradis has brought the threat of advanced aircraft weapons and global allied forces gearing up to wipe the island off the map.
Desperate and disillusioned after years of struggle, Eren activates the omnipotent Founding Titan ability called The Rumbling – awakening countless dormant Colossal Titans within the Walls to trample across Earth‘s major cities and military bases as an unstoppable rumbling army.
Eren embraces this nearly complete genocide – destroying 80 percent of humanity – as the only surefire way to eliminate threats to Paradis while buying them sufficient time to catch up in arms and technology.
He believes this cycle of hatred can only end when one side fully eradicates the other. Reclaiming the freedom that King Fritz cowardly surrendered is the only way for Eldians to live without fear of prejudice.
His loyal friends are distraught by the global bloodshed, and band together with former enemies in a last ditch bid to confront Eren.
Eren‘s Colossal Titan army brings ruin to the world
After sacrificing much with little to show for it over the years, Eren pushes forward alone – having lost sight of his humanity in search of an elusive notion of “freedom”.
The cycle of violence once perpetuated by his ancestors has come full circle. But Eren is no slave to destiny…
His hand was forced by oppression and fearful ignorance on all sides. Were there no good choices remaining, or did peace stand a chance after all?
The finale gives a bittersweet answer.
Chapter 5 – The Boy Who Sought Freedom
In a poignant final battle between Eren and his longtime ally Mikasa, the Alliance is victorious in stopping the Rumbling – but at the cost of most of the world left in utter ruin.
Eren‘s reasons finally come to light in full… He pursued this tragic path knowing it would also lead to his demise and the Power of Titans fading out from the world forever.
In the end, he was no god or arbiter of justice – just another young, flawed human struggling in a cycle of violence stretching back 2000 years.
He made the choice to stain his conscience and toss away his humanity forever…only because he could never accept the alternative where his loved ones simply waited in hiding like cattle for inevitable destruction.
Perhaps Eren was no hero.
Perhaps freedom was but a long lost, childish dream in a harsh world ruled by fear and retribution.
But through Eren‘s sacrifice to shoulder the weight of eight inheritors‘ sins stacked across twenty centuries…the long tragedy has finally reached its climax.
What awaits the survivors in this new era dawning is unwritten.
Will the children live to realize the dreams their fathers could not? Or will the titans of war rise again?
Eren‘s life illustrates how the fight for freedom so often ends in the loss of freedom itself. His quest was romantic, yet catastrophic – much like the fabled legend of Icarus who flew too close to the sun only to plummet.
But even as all things end, their valiant struggle sparks hope that the dawn will yet break anew for future generations.
Just as Eren wished for his dear friend in his parting moments…
"You are free."