Watching animes is fun, no doubt. But isn’t it wonderful and exciting to place anime characters, not with each other, but side by side with themselves too, and see how they have changed throughout the shows’ seasons? In this listicle, we will zoom it in on Eren Yeager from “Attack on Titan.” Read on.
Who Is Eren Yeager?
“Attack on Titan” is such a phenomenal anime that it has also changed the lives and perspectives of the fans who watch it, us included.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world wherein the remains of humanity live behind walls that protect them from the destructive giant humanoid Titans, the anime follows Eren Yeager, as well as his friends, Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman. When a Colossal Titan is able to breach the wall of their world, Titans destroy their city and eat Eren’s mother. Seeking vengeance, our hero joins the elite Survey Corps, a group of soldiers who fight against Titans.
Eren is the main protagonist of the series. He is the sole son of Grisha and Carla Yeager. He is also the current holder of the Attack Titan, Founding Titan, and War Hammer Titan, which he obtained after beating the odds in the story.
The Greatest Ways Eren Has Changed Throughout The Series
Eren’s transformation from the first season of “Attack on Titan” is one of the most interesting in the world of anime. Here are some of the biggest ways our hero has changed over the series.
1. Eren Seems Always To Be Two Steps Ahead
As Marley early on pressed the offensive on Paradis, much of Eren’s reactions were sparked by uncertainty and fear of what may transpire if the Survey Corps fell. A significant evolution fans witnessed in the series is seeing our hero turn his enemies on their heels in the most unpredictable instances.
A great example of this is his major assault on Marley during the fourth season’s first arc. Time and time again, he often finds himself at the edge of defeat, only to discover that every event is actually according to this plan. Whereas Marley has usually gained the upper hand, our hero has become the ultimate puppetmaster, on the other hand, playing with everyone’s strings before they even find out.
2. The Fourth Season Finds Him In A Much Colder Aura
Viewers of the first three seasons of the anime know Eren to be a hopeful and energetic warrior-in-training who aims to ensure freedom for those trapped on Paradis. While his goal remains the same, the Eren fans have started to see in Season 4 is much colder, more mature, and more battle-hardened.
Which makes sense because after witnessing so much loss and tragedy within his own ranks, it is highly likely that this hero would transform from that positive disposition from his younger self. In contrast, his colleagues remain largely the same throughout the series, as opposed to what our hero has become. Eren, amid the chaos of war versus Marley, is just unshaken and unbothered, making him a tough protagonist, and antagonist, too.
3. He, Knowing The Truth Behind The Titans
The former Eren never went to places without bringing with him his trademark necklace, which was also holding the key to his dad’s lost basement in Shiganshina. It turned out that this key unlocked his father’s details which revealed Marley’s story, the Eldian people’s origins, and the Nine Titans’ secrets. Call it serendipity.
As Grisha Yeager accounts, the Titans have been passed down the Eldian race for hundreds of generations, ever since the founder, Ymir Fritz, unlocked the race’s power after “a deal with the devil.”
Since Eldia’s previous crimes against humankind using the Titans to its full advantage, Marley has since segregated the race’s people to keep them under oppression. This marked a massive transformation for our hero, as he realized his adversities are not just mindless, giant monstrosities but have the potential to destroy.
4. He Is Willing To Go To Greater Lengths For Eldia’s Freedom
Initially, Eren was a guiding light in the fray, choosing to walk the path of mercy. This is his way in battle. But, in the recent episodes of the series, this is not the case. Our hero is showing more willingness to go to extraordinary lengths and conquer more odds to guarantee all his battles are won, no matter what the costs are. He is determined to inflict the same tragedies he experienced as a child upon his enemies.
5. He Visited Marley, Finally
It was quite a surprise for the viewers when the recent episodes of “Attack on Titan” introduced new characters and perspectives, such as those of the Titan Warriors fighting for Marley. Yet, also surprisingly, Eren had gone rogue and came undercover in Marley to face those who plotted his defeat.
There, he was able to win the trust of Falco, a Warrior Candidate, and even paid a visit to his deranged granddad to learn further about the Marlean people. In such a fascinating turn of events, our hero was able to launch a devastating attack with his Titan on Marley just as they unveiled their campaign against Paradis, destroying their military at its weakest moments.
At the end of the day, these scenes were chilling and quite satisfying for the fans who can see him fulfill his mission, but how our hero recklessly abandoned the tenets of morality is bringing further confusion.
6. He Has Abandoned The Survey Corps, Making Him An ‘Enemy’
The capability of the Survey Corps to wipe out the Titans for good would not have happened without Eren. But, our hero has left the Survey Corps, leaving them with a mess he left from his participation. Given that the team had become like a real family to him, this move has transformed him into an antagonist, waging war with both enemies in Marley and ex-allies in Paradis. This offers quite an absorbing twist to the anime’s story. A hero yet an anti-hero? Nothing could be better. Also, this departure from the Survey Corps only goes to show that Eren’s trust is only in himself.
7. He Severed His Ties With This Closest Friends
Followers of “Attack on Titan” know that Eren’s character had always been tied with Armin and Mikasa, his two closest buddies who joined him in the Survey Corps. At the end of the third season, it was shown how their bond was almost inseparable.
But, viewers were surprised to see their hero, four years later, fighting against his friends only to ensure the Rumbling comes to fruition. In other words, he has severed his strong ties with his closest friends, up to the point that even Armin and Mikasa could hardly recognize the person Eren has become.
This new Eren would break boundaries – conquer, betray, and even kill anybody who gets in his way, even if these people were his closest friends.
