Few anime characters have caused as much debate as Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan. Is he a hero who fought for his people, or someone whose obsession with freedom turned him into a destroyer? The answer isn’t clear-cut, and that complexity is why fans continue to argue about Eren’s true nature.
At the start, Eren’s dream was simple: to explore the world beyond the walls and live freely. But as he learned more about the Titans, the world outside, and his people’s history, his dream started to twist into something darker.
By the time Eren unleashed the Rumbling, a catastrophic event that wiped out 80% of humanity, his idea of freedom had become a cage of its own.
Eren’s Shattered Dream
Initially, Eren’s motives seemed straightforward. He wanted to protect Paradis Island, where his loved ones lived. But after gaining the Founding Titan’s power by touching Historia’s hand, Eren saw visions of the future and it wasn’t peaceful.
He saw a world where nations outside Paradis hated and feared his people. He believed that peace wasn’t an option.
This is when his obsession with freedom took a dark turn. Rather than finding a peaceful solution, Eren decided that freedom could only be achieved through destruction. He believed wiping out most of the world would secure a future for Paradis. But was that really his true goal?
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Hero or Villain?
One of the most puzzling parts of Eren’s story is his decision to stop the Rumbling after destroying 80% of the world. Why stop there if his goal was total freedom?
Some fans think he stopped to give his friends a chance to be seen as heroes, the ones who stopped him. Others suggest it was part of a plan involving Ymir, the original Founding Titan, who may have played a role in ending the Titan curse.
Another theory suggests Eren’s actions weren’t entirely about saving Paradis. After learning the truth about the Titans and the outside world, his worldview shattered.
The Rumbling may have been a way for him to strike back at a world that had caused him so much grief. His personal anger and sense of loss might have influenced his decisions more than people realized.
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The Time Travel Mystery
A major mystery around Eren is his ability to see the future and influence the past. If he had the Founding Titan’s power, why didn’t he change things to prevent the tragedy?
Some fans believe that even with his powers, Eren was limited by time’s rules. He could see the future but couldn’t change it. Others argue he saw only one path where the Titans would be wiped out, and he followed it, no matter the consequences.
It’s also possible that Eren believed the pain and loss were unavoidable to achieve his final goal. By manipulating events, he may have thought he was creating the best possible future—even at great cost.
The saddest part of Eren’s story may be the contradiction at its core. He claimed to care about his friends’ freedom, yet he took away their ability to choose by forcing them to live in a world shaped by his decisions. He wanted freedom but ended up trapped by his own vision of what it meant.
In the end, Eren Yeager’s story is defined by contradictions. It’s a journey where hope turns to despair, dreams become nightmares, and freedom leads to destruction. And that’s why he remains one of anime’s most complex and tragic characters.
