Eren Yeager’s transformation from a hopeful young boy to a morally questionable antihero, and ultimately to a genocidal villain, stands out as one of the most controversial points inAttack on Titan, and as one of the most memorable and well-written character arcs in anime history.It reveals how a hero driven by vengeance can become consumed by the weight of his own ideals.Eren’s descent was not a sudden twistbut a gradual change that spans the entire series, allowing viewers to watch and change with him.
From his childhood, Eren was driven by a singular goal to eliminate the Titans that robbed him of his mother and his freedom. Full of hatred for these monstrous beings, Eren joins the Scouts. But as the story progressed,Eren’s worldview expanded, and the layers of his character peeled away to reveal a young man who is both burdened and transformed by the realities of the world around him. By the time the final season comes around, Eren’s actions are no longer those of a straightforward hero. He becomes something monstrous, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of his people, even if it brands him a villain.
The Hero’s Beginning
Eren’s Quest For Vengeance Through Seasons 1 & 2
In the early seasons ofAttack on Titan,Eren Yeager is shown to be a character full of youthful rage and idealism. After watching his mother’s brutal death in the jaws of a Titan during the Fall of Wall Maria, Eren’s sole purpose became to exterminate every last Titan. His mission was personal, born from his grief and desire for revenge, and for much of the early story, it puts him in the position of hero to humanity’s fight for survival.
Attack On Titan Became Legendary By Rejecting Shonen’s Most Overused Trope
Shonen has always loved a chosen hero: someone who, by circumstance, has innate potential setting them apart — Attack On Titan refuses to play ball.
Throughout seasons one and two,Eren is mostly fighting out of necessity to avenge his motherand save his friends. He is a soldier fighting an enemy that appears monstrous and mindless, making it easy for him to justify his hatred. Eren’s role as one of the members of humanity’s symbol of hope grows as his ability to transform into a Titan is revealed. In these early moments, the world is black and white. The Titans are the enemy and Eren is the hope for a future free from fear. But beneath his fury, there are hints of something deeper.
Eren’s fiery personality and impulsiveness hint at a more complex character arc waiting to unfold. As season two concludes, Eren starts grappling with questions of identity and responsibility. He learns more about his father’s past and the hidden truths of the Titans, but his immediate goals are still to protect humanity, beat the Titans, and avenge his loved ones. But this is the last time the viewer sees Eren as a simple hero.
The Realization
Eren Is Introduced To The World Outside In Season 3
By season three, Eren begins to realize that his enemies are not just the mindless Titans that destroyed his home. His understanding of the world starts to shift and evolve as the hidden truths of Marley, Eldia, and the Titans' origins are revealed to him.Eren learns that the Titans were once humans, manipulated and transformed as part of a larger, more terrible political plot. This realization challenges Eren’s previous understanding of right and wrong, forcing him to confront the true enemy of the world beyond the walls.
Attack On Titan’s Most Forgotten Romance Is Also Its Most Groundbreaking
The romance that blossoms between Historia and Ymir is one of Attack On Titan’s best, but the reasons it’s so important are often overlooked by fans.
This season focuses on Eren’s discovery of the true world around him. The walls, once seen as barriers between humanity and the Titans, are now revealed to be part of a larger, more oppressive system. Marley, a powerful foreign nation, is attempting to eradicate the Eldian people who live within the walls, seeing them as a threat. Eren’s role as a Scout shifts from a defender of humanity toa symbol of Eldian resistance against Marley’s tyranny. The black-and-white morals that he has stuck with through his early journey have shattered, and Eren begins to question both his enemies and his own identity.
During the latter half of season three, Eren struggles with guilt for what his people have done and the horrifying cycle of violence that has been happening between Marley and Eldia. While protecting his people is still his top priority, Eren’s methods and beliefs start to change. He realizes that the threat is not just external, it is systematic and built into the world order itself. These discoveries andEren’s slow character changes foreshadow his dramatic shiftin season 4.
The Villain’s Descent
Eren Takes On The Final Burden Of Freedom In Season 4 And The Special Finale Episodes
Season four and the finale specials ofAttack on Titancontain the most significant and controversial change that Eren goes through, which ishis transformation into the villain of the anime. Now a full adult, Eren carries the weight of all the knowledge he has gained and the burden of freedom on his shoulders. His vision for the future has shifted a lot, and he is no longer content with merely defending his people. Eren now believes that the only way to secure Eldia’s survival is through a brutal genocide mission against the rest of the world.
Attack On Titan Could Get A Sequel Series, & If It Did, Here’s How It Would Look
If Attack on Titan got a sequel series it would continue to explore the themes of freedom, war, and love.
Eren’s actions in season four cast him as the villain in the eyes of many, both within the story and among fans ofAttack on Titan.His plan,known as “The Rumbling,“involvesunleashing the power of the Founding Titan to flatten the world beyond the walls, eradicating Marley and every other nation that threatens Eldia. It is a plan of mass genocide that was born from Eren’s belief that there is no other way to ensure freedom for his people. Following this plan means that Eren sacrifices his humanity, isolating himself from his friends and allies in the process.
What makes Eren’s transformation so heartbreaking is that it is rooted in the same motivations that once made him a hero, his desire to protect those he loves and ensure freedom for the future generations of Eldia. But the extreme actions that he is taking now place him in direct opposition to his former companions.Mikasa, Armin, and the other former-Scouts are forced to confront the man who was once their closest friend, now an enemy that they must stop.
Eren Yeager’s journey inAttack on Titanis one of the most memorable and beloved character arcs in anime. His transformation from hero to villain is not a simple fall from grace, but a gradual shift that was driven by the weight of responsibility, trauma, and the harsh realities of the world around him. WhetherErenis remembered as a hero who fought for his people or a villain who brought devastation to the world depends on perspective, making his character arc a lasting debate among fans ofAttack on Titan.
Attack On Titan
Cast
Based on the manga, Attack on Titan is a dark-action fantasy series set in a world where humanity has been corralled into walled cities from fear of monstrous human-eating Titans that exist outside of them. When protagonist Eren Yeager’s mother is killed in front of his eyes at a young age, his thirst for vengeance leads him to join an elite group of soldiers created to fight back against the Titan menace.
