In Attack on Titan, Eren Yeager’s character development is one of the show’s most compelling aspects. Even if Attack on Titan fans were saddened by the story’s ending, Eren remains one of the best anime characters ever. It’s worth delving into exactly what occurs to this character’s journey and development.
As a child, Eren resided in the Shiganshina District of Wall Maria with his mother, father, and Mikasa. His father was on a business trip when the Titans struck (the exact manner of this business is revealed later on). Eren’s mother Carla, Mikasa, and Eren were the only members of their family left in Shiganshina at the time.
Carla was left alone at home when Eren and Mikasa went out, and she was killed by debris. He eventually comes to terms with his mother’s departure, and he witnesses a Titan devouring Carla in front of him. There, Eren’s hatred is created; the rage he directed towards Titankind for three seasons before diverting his efforts to the source, this is where it comes from Grisha, Eren’s father, also grants his son the potent weapon of Titan-shifting to aid in the fight against Titans and the real adversary.
Aside from formal military training, this marks the beginning of Eren’s personal journey. Eren’s path through Attack on Titan is laid out in this episode. As a result of unlocking the powers, in the Battle of Trost District, Eren appears to have been devoured and killed by a bearded Titan. As luck would have it, just after that, he performs his first Titan Shift and busts through the bearded Titan.
Here, we have a glimpse of what Eren becomes in the latter chapters of the storey: a person willing to do whatever it takes for their aims. His only concern at the time is the annihilation of Titans, and he even makes an enthusiastic face later on when he recalls the excitement of the occasion. Eren’s training and introduction to Levi Squad take up the rest of the first two-thirds of Season 1. In the final part of Season 1, our protagonist takes another step forward.
Season 1’s last third sees the first appearance of the Female Titan. It’s evident from her first actions that she’s neither a normal Titan nor an Abnormal. As it becomes clear that this person has powers similar to Eren’s, the origin of Titan Shifting becomes more intriguing. Two people appear to have powers in Attack on Titan, but no one seems to know where they came from.
In spite of the fact that the Female Titan was first captured, she manages to break free and flee, leading to even more concerns. The S1 finale of Attack on Titan reveals that Annie Leonhart is the Female Titan, which leads to Eren and her as Titans duelling.
Eren is victorious, but the victory comes with the realisation that there must be enemies among allies within the Walls. In Attack on Titan, the first signs of strife between humans and the Titans are seen.
The warriors showed themselves
Attack on Titan’s second season features one of the greatest plot twists and turns in television history. Reiner reveals that he and Bertholdt are Titan Shifting Warriors from another country, dispatched to retrieve Eren’s Titan powers.
Either Reiner is a terrible joketeller or he is simply exhausted, Eren tells Reiner. Reiner appears to be listening to Bertholdt when he reaffirms this, but he only shows himself more. With the help of Ymir, another Titan Shifter, Reiner and Bertholdt capture Eren and his companion, who are also Titan Shifters. Even if the group’s chats don’t reveal a lot, we can deduce one important message from them.
There is a group of individuals, perhaps the entire world, who plan to destroy Paradis and its inhabitants. The Titans, Reiner, and Bertholdt are all targets of Eren’s fury and hatred during his time in captivity and following his liberation. In a major stride forward for our protagonist in Attack on Titan, Eren now understands who his next adversaries are and what he needs to do in order to survive.
The Reiss family captures Eren in Season 3 of Attack on Titan because Grisha Yeager stole the Founding Titan and gave it to Eren many years ago. His ultimate goal is for Rod Reiss to return the Founding Titan from Eren, which is why he’s captured Eren in the first place.
When Eren and the Survey Corps take on human opponents, it is a significant milestone in the latter’s journey and evolution. Eren’s last resolution to do what he must before returning to Shiganshina and discovering the truth is likely to be made here. Shiganshina District is next in line for the Survey Corps’ attention, following the Reiss family.
Battle that ends in catastrophic losses and Colossal gains, Eren’s victory allows entry to the cellar and the truth.
As it is implied Eren views all of Grishes’s life through the lens of his own, realising humanity is his greatest enemy gives him the final push he needs. Despite his reluctance, his final comments in Attack on Titan Season 3 show that he is willing to do what needs to be done.
The rumbling is audible
Apocalypse on Titan’s fourth season sees Eren enter Marleya and declare war in an eerie echo of his own childhood experiences. Before that, Reiner and Eren have a great talk in which Eren promises Reiner he’ll do whatever it takes to save his buddies. Eren’s final words in Attack on Titan S3 are underscored by this moment, which demonstrates his determination to eliminate Marleya.
After Marleya, we see Eren’s resolve deepen as he turns on his allies and joins a militant organisation of his own.
This is an important turning point in Eren’s character arc because it is the first time we have seen him essentially forsake his buddies in order to save them. I wonder whether Eren was moved to make such a drastic decision by S1 Levi’s explanation of how results dictate what is ethical and wrong behaviour.
Warning: This section contains major plot twists for Attack on Titan
Eren begins the Rumbling, which solidifies his commitment to destroy the planet in order to save his comrades (who ironically resolve to stop him). After Eren apologises bitterly for the death of a child two years ago, we see the child’s body lying motionless in front of the camera.
Eren’s transformation into a near-villain is marked by this moment. When Eren was a kid, he was terrified of the Colossal Titan peering through the windows. Now Eren is the one on top, contemplating his deeds and the victim he’s killed. Eren is now coming to grips with Reiner and Bertholdt’s acts from years ago, and it’s a truly full-circle moment.
In Attack on Titan’s final chapters, we see Mikasa committing suicide by killing Eren. During her final moments, Eren reveals Mikasa the possible future they may have had if she had confided in him about her feelings just days earlier. Eren’s talk with Armin in Chapter 139 confirms his love for Mikasa, which has been evident since the beginning of the book.
Through Eren’s use of his Founding Titan’s powers, it is clear that he engineered nearly every incident in Attack on Titan. An important revelation was Eren’s control of the Titan that ate his mother, allowing it to bypass the Warriors and begin Eren’s adventure instead. These revelations, despite their unpopularity, show Eren’s incredible tenacity to the extent that he would sacrifice his mother in order to save his companions.