Eren Yeager is (not) a SLAVE | The Complete Character Analysis

[@Yatoru1]

There are no spoilers for anime onlies up until 37:32 so don't worry about getting spoiled. And for the rest of the cool kids who've read the manga, feel free to watch the entire thing lol. I've seriously put my all into this so hope y'all enjoy! Also, something I want to mention that I didn't in the video (only click read-more if you've read the manga) MAIN POINT: I've seen a good amount of people who've failed to understand the point of this video. So I'll explicitly state it here. In the video, I stated that Eren was a just slave to the paths. HOWEVER, I also stated that through his own free will, he fought and continued on fighting for those he loved. He sacrificed his own freedom for the freedom of his people and most importantly, his friends. Now let me elaborate on that point. You see, the reason this video is titled (not) a SLAVE is because to me, Eren is, in a sense, both a slave and not a slave. How? Well, he's a slave because he has no control over all the key events that would occur. BUT what he does have control over is his will to choose the path he would follow. And so, through his own choices, through his own free will, Eren chose to fight. Although he couldn't change the key events that would occur, it was his decision to fight at every pivotal event that made his desired future come true. He chose to attack Marley. He chose to free Ymir. He chose to activate the Rumbling. All these actions were of his own free will and these exact choices were what lead to everything that happened. Had he not done this, then, the ENTIRE story of AOT would've played out differently. Thus, Eren is a slave because everything (within his desired future) was pre-determined. However, he is also not a slave because his free will, his own choices, and his resolve to fight were what made said future come true.

[@O2H3]

Haters need no reason to hate They will still say Eren a copy of lelouch 🤡

[@erenyeager9356]

@@O2H3 I think eren's situation and lelouch situations are very different considering the fact that eren had his whole eldian race fate in his hands and on the other hand lelouch become the monster of his world to unite the world only against him not his race and after lelouch died people seeked peace and alliance. but now eren with his ancentral sins the world can't forgive thier race the world is not a place to show mercy to them for thier tyrannyof 1800 years! So eren didn't have a choice he did wanted to change his fate and future at times like sasha death, ramzi death he lost in thoughts and he regretted that the future cannot be changed! So yeah eren and lelouch are the greatest examples of scarifices for greater good but aot theme tried its own dark theme by putting it in own realistic way by concluding that the war won't stop until eldians vs world but some nations and marley also coming for peace treaty👍

[@PhulaTrox]

i just realized something, i think the armin vs erwin decision foreshadowed a lot regarding eren and mikasa's eventual arcs mikasa was eventually convinced by hange to let armin die for the good of paradis. she hesitantly was about to let someone close to her die for the greater good. while eren still never accepted this and still never was willing to let his friend die, even if it's for the greater good like how eren destroyed the world for the sake of the people close to him, and mikasa stopped eren despite knowing it'd be risking her and her friend's lives. but she did it anyway for the greater good, like she did in the armin v erwin decision

[@fantasty9311]

Thank you for this. I don’t watch a lot of AoT but I did kept up with the story here and there. I think it’s beautiful that Isayama was able to create such a complex character like Eren. I also appreciate how Isayama also painted the complex and grim reality of the world, both in AoT and in real life through Eren, especially how you highlight in your video - it wasn’t easy to make the decision he did. It wasn’t easy to come upon that result, especially when he saw his enemy as someone who isn’t just evil or mindless but have a family and their own freedom they wish to achieve. He wasn’t this doing just for fun. He wasn’t doing it just b/c he’s the “bad guy”. I really pitied Eren when he cried about Mikasa potentially forgetting him. With that chapter where Eren and Mikasa running away together kinda shows how special she was to him. If the Ackerman bond wasn’t there, will Mikasa still be willing to follow somebody as “cruel” as Eren? And when he’s gone, will Mikasa and his friends be relieved or will they be sad? Especially when he did all that he could to give everyone their own freedom and he saw that this was the only way to achieve it. Perhaps that is something that crosses his mind when he mentioned about Mikasa to Armin and perhaps that’s why he reverts to that almost desperate plea that she wouldn’t forget him. ‬It’s not easy to love someone “evil” and it’s definitely not easy to understand them or to want to understand them but that’s just a random thought I have. Great analysis, I throughly enjoyed your video. With the idea and the reality behind the message and meanings that AoT portrayed, I don’t see how the story could be a “happy ending” or any other ending than the one Isayama wrote. Not all good stories have happy endings, and not all “happy endings” are good endings. Personally, I prefer one that is willing to make me think and understand the world a little better.

[@laughingbob5786]

Eren was not a complete slave that's for sure, but he was a victim to a poor underdeveloped relationship with mikasa. I love eren's character from until Paths he wasn't just a hothead who talks loud, he's a man that shows results and even declares it. We already expected Eren to show signs of strong emotion because that's just how he is. But he cried because he doesn't want to die? Because she doesn't want Mikasa to be with someone else? If that's the case then why didn't he do anything about it and show he cared about her? Ending was okay but there is a lot to be desired especially narrative-wise.

[@her0880]

"The ocean was just another wall" Dear god that was beautifully said.

[@prajjwal9111]

exactly It hit me hard as well! I never thought of it.

[@xrrgr]

yeah :(

[@rishavbaram9377]

Shit hits like a mf :(

[@Gabe_D_]

exactlyyyy...

[@fuzzybeatle]

That line hurt so bad

[@xoreign]

People who interpret him hating slaves yet being one as bad writing make me facepalm. A character being a hypocrite is not bad writing. It is human nature. Eren is a human.

[@sekijokes451]

Plus do people forget that he said all that to drive his friends down the path where they would kill him, ultimately saving them?

[@James-ft2bh]

If you know youre enslaved, you will hate seeing others going through the same, thats like saying someone being a drug addict while hating that young people go down the same path as him doesnt align with who he is. Thats not even being hypocritical thats just empathy.

[@sdbzfan1]

@@James-ft2bh right you can hate things that you are, otherwise you'd be a narcissist thinking everything about yourself is fine

[@Requiem0139]

@@sekijokes451 yes and no , the last chapter kinda countered most of what eren did, and then in the future they all end up dying including paradise and the cycle starts all over again resulting in temporary freedom and peace , like in aot requiem erens plan makes sense and what he did throughout the manga but in what isayama did it made sense on the main point but the everything around it and the final idea to make it whole kinda made no sense

[@sekijokes451]

@@Requiem0139 I disagree 1. It's true that Paradis does gets carpet bombed in a war but we don't actually know the full context of what this war was about. The fact that Paradis advanced to the point that it had a modern society with Anti aircraft defense systems, very strongly implies a long era of peace and trade with the outside world. This means that the alliance crew very likely succeeded in Talk no Jutsuing the Jaegerists during their negotiations as trading in and of itself requires a degree of trust, cooperation and understanding in order to occur. Hence, when some people blame Eren and the alliance crew for not properly protecting Paradis, this would pratically be the equivalent of blaming the Founding Fathers of America for Pearl Harbor because they didn't adequately prepare for World War 2. Chances are that Paradis was involved in a World War that largely had little to do with prejudice against them. They likely had allies that fought with them and in turn the rest of the world may well be in a similar state as Paradis. Giving the potential sequel to AOT a post apocalyptic setting. 2. The boy and his dog. I think you missed out on the potential of this boy because while he does find the Titan tree, hinting that the power of the titans will return, the way he finds it is in a manner that's the complete opposite of how Ymir found it. The boy for instance appears to be exploring the ruins with his canine companion while by contrast Ymir stumbled across it as she was being hunted down by hounds and their masters. In short, the boy is free in contrast to how Ymir was a slave. The main reason why the Titan powers manifested themselves in the way they did was due to it reflecting Ymir's damaged and traumatised Psyche, not to mention her subsequent cannibalisation giving birth to shifters, the 13 year curse and the scourge of Pure Titans. Hence the power of the Titans falling into the hands of a being that's physically and psychologically free, will give it a chance to take on a new form. Whether this would be good or bad for mankind, we don't know as it would all depend upon the choices this boy makes. The new founder and, who is technically, the next inheritor of the Attack Titan.

[@Catmangamer]

I love Eren as a character, he has such a 1 dimensional view in the beginning but he has so many complex changes that turn him into such a unique character

[@Yatoru1]

Exactly his transition is so damn fascinating.

[@guillermoadolfozapatatabor1332]

@@mightyjoykiller and finish, tragic hero

[@pineapple8934]

this ending was very bittersweet

[@valthiriansunstrider2540]

That "1 dimensional view" was what made him so unique, and so pure. People who hate such characters often do so because it arouses guilt inside them that they don't have such pure motives. I'm sorry you felt that way, but that doesn't mean a pure singular motive is wrong or bad writing. It's actually rare to see this in media and it's very refreshing. Authors don't like writing such characters because they know people will not like it, and they often don't like it themselves. Regardless, there are people like Eren out there. The Season 4 arcs completely assassinated his character and destroyed all of his character development he had gained in Season 3. He turned from an individualistic freedom-fighter who was humble in his approach to the world, to a collectivist slave to pride and the belief that the world was his to fix according to his will.

[@giornogiovanno8675]

@@valthiriansunstrider2540 and then he turned into a mikasa simping useless bird, wow nice development

[@bob95258]

finally, someone who understands eren’s character

[@10000000simones]

saying that the character is good does not mean that he understood it xd

[@bob95258]

@@10000000simones true, there are some people who don't like eren but understand his character. respect to them as well

[@exhileris4k857]

Same here. But still the dina page really could have been cut out and mikasa sayin that she gonna marry jean could have made the chapter better tho in my opinion. Other than that I love this chapter, even if it could have benifited from it being shown in 2 chapters, so that we would be able to process the revaltions and the ending of the story would have felt more natural.

[@bob95258]

@@exhileris4k857 i agree with all your points!! i really liked the last chapter too but like u said, it could've used another chapter to make things clearer.

[@crazydissy3893]

@@exhileris4k857 mikajean shippers

[@BasedBuffet]

I think the best theme Isayama explained was the slave to anything. Slave is just one word, you could say attachment, addiction or liking something. Being a slave to something is your passion to find meaning in your life. It’s pretty cool to think about

[@Yatoru1]

Agree completely, it's such a cool concept and how it plays into the ending and Eren's journey throughout makes it all the more resonant.

[@rjofusetsudzin8011]

Kenny Ackerman was excellent character and he embodies this theme perfectly

[@richiknair9036]

Isayama has shown how even when you're not necessarily enslaved, people enslave themselves by fixing boundaries. That's the fundamental issue. This is something that a man called Sadhguru has many videos about. He has so many interesting, great videos.

[@bunkmaster6998]

Askellad did it better.

[@mrlihin6062]

U guys totally know what tha fok is slave.. hugeeee different

[@justsomeguyontheinternet.4398]

I am just disappointed at the people who disliked without even watching the full video, because I don't see how you can dislike this after watching the full video.

[@Yatoru1]

It happens. Especially with all the backlash 139 has gotten. But I'm just happy people like you enjoyed it :)

[@justsomeguyontheinternet.4398]

@@Yatoru1 yeah, and tbh I don't even care about the fandom seriously anymore, half of them are stupid 12 y.o who are upset at literally everything.

[@mesha713]

fr

[@warm-heartedreaction6191]

@@justsomeguyontheinternet.4398 they all seem like young age kids who like aot bc it cool and look mature than other shonen and think it make them more adult if follow this story but when story end those who like aot bc it more mature for them turn out be childish person and blame everything around it bc it not end up to be "good" enough for them how irony they seem never learn something deeply in this story if they act so childish like that

[@sugaristhenewwhite]

@@warm-heartedreaction6191 i dont know how right it is to automatically call people who dont like the ending "childish"

[@elizabethpink721]

Eren’s character broke me. When I first watched season 1 I never would have imagined this is what he would become and yet, it makes complete sense. No other character has ever broken my heart as much as eren did, and no other show has destroyed me as much as aot. So in the end all I can say is to give a round of applause and a thankyou to Isayama,

[@MCCmiles]

Ive read the manga and watched the anime multiple times, even so this video has really helped me understand Eren more fully as a character. Thank you for making this video.

[@Yatoru1]

Happy my words got across!

[@josezuniga4814]

I really appreciate this analysis for seeing the beauty of how war continues after Eren's sacrifice, human conflict doesn't end, and violence continuing after Eren's efforts is in line with the realistic themes of AOT

[@Toothpaste0000]

Although it didn’t result in a satisfying end to everything he did I do agree with this comment

[@ajaysidhu471]

Not necessarily, our world conflict hasn't ended sure, but it's not worldwide like WW2 is it? Smaller scale

[@ryu7597]

well until now i still confused....and still will be confused from people... after the extra pages and the destruction of paradise i was like... well ok thats realistic *humans* what did i expected... i found it solid and normal after that i saw the internet breaking ... i was confused i mean nothing stay the same eren has achived his goals and saved his friends and gave them freedom they die the island destroyed... it wasn't that perfect but also not that bad as people described it... that mde me confused really.... Humans what did i expected (XD).....

[@eliotwaddell9677]

if only he actually finished what he started

[@modynm7627]

@@ajaysidhu471 all big problems start small.

[@bluesheepw]

We can really see all the effort that was put into this video! It helped me understand erens character a lot better. I had a interesting dream I wanna share because it was really scary how eye opening it was. So I didn’t understand why Eren became a mass murderer and why he committed global genocide. It felt so out of character for someone who’s whole purpose of freedom and saving humanity. It was a few days after I read chapter 139 I think. One night I had a dream (i wasn’t aware it had anything to do with aot when it started, it was just any other dream) where I had the power and ability to choose to keep my family and friends safe in a world where they would be in danger. I saw the future outcome of what would happen if I wiped out the whole world, and I chose to do that, saving everyone I loved. I felt so strongly about my passion to save people, feeling like everything I’ve done until then would go to waste if I let others do what they wanted to my loved ones. It was a lot longer and there was a lot of fighting and hardships involved, but I’ll cut that short since this comment is already long. People hated me, my loved ones hated me for doing this, but I had to keep fighting. After I saved them and the fighting was over, as corny as it sounds, I was near a body of water and looked in the reflection. I saw Erens face and I absolutely understood him. I saw his tired eyes in my reflection and it gave me chills. Weirdest dream I’ve had in a while. I was surprised my subconscious could give me such a deep understanding of a character because I was in his shoes. So weird because I was honestly kind of unsatisfied with Erens motives when the manga ended, but after this dream I’ve got so much more sympathy for him.

[@TPWC-eo5ui]

Dang, and I can't even remember my dreams LMAO. Good stuff tho might be an interesting story to write if you feel like it.

[@swagytv2957]

The pannel where Eren is grounded in chapter 139 with the footsteps is amazing it reminds me of the freedom pannel Eren freedom was deluded when he held himself in the sky when people were getting killed now with the grounded pannel he’s not deluded he accepts reality he’s on the ground . And nice character analysis keep it up

[@fedewyt]

Finally a real analysis and not "boohoo eren cringe!!". I loved this video, Eren is one of my favorite protagonists of all anime. In my opinion he is not a slave to his destiny, but the destiny is like it is because of Eren. He saw his future when he kissed Historia's hand, but he still made the decision to follow that path, and all the suffering he went through was real. But people forget Eren is still a human, who just wanted freedom and had to sacrifice that dream to give hope to Paradis. Sorry i dont know how to explain my thoughts very well, just know i loved the video.

[@Yatoru1]

Don't worry about ur wording, I basically feel the same way. The future may have been predestined; however, that future only came true because Eren made the choice to pursue it. It was his choice to fight that set everything in motion.

[@erenyeager6668]

anti hero. not a protagonist

[@fedewyt]

@@erenyeager6668 he's both

[@warm-heartedreaction6191]

@@Yatoru1 yes people seem misunderstanding a lot by think eren fully control by ymir in 139 scene i feel like reading different manga from them lol a lot of misunderstading in 139 and extra page in this fandom is unbelievable

[@sieveign]

i couldn't care less about the slave to destiny thing, my problem with 139 is quite literally everything else. historias absence from the plot, the child meaning absolutely nothing, armin not living up to his replacing erwin, the retcon of mikasas character suddenly being of great importance and the implication that all of this was just fabricated by ymir makes it all so underwhelming.

[@Grayson-Winchester]

I think it's important for anime characters to find the perfect balance of developmental growth being relatable and not boring Op while also not being a little bitch. People that do that really well in my opinion are Edward Elric, Eren Yeager, Ken Kaneki, Thorfinn, Kei Nagai, Johnny Joestar and Guts

[@Yatoru1]

Completely agree u literally named some of my favorite chars and they're all chars who feel human and to an extent I can relate to.

[@staticchimera44]

I think "being a little bitch" can also be good for character development. Just take a look at Natsuki Subaru from Re:Zero.

[@robojesus7738]

@@staticchimera44 Exactly who I was gonna mention, his character development is astounding

[@hitagisenjougahara2651]

Gintoki from gintama

[@hitagisenjougahara2651]

@Eric Choi Did you finish only the anime if yes then you don’t understand yet his amazing development

[@BurritoDon]

I can’t even imagine how long this took to make, keep it up bro

[@Yatoru1]

I honestly dk myself lol. Lost all sense of time making it, but it all came together in the end so I'm really happy with it.

[@r-rudx8288]

@@Yatoru1 when you enjoy to do something time pass by really fast

[@60gritphil66]

it brings me joy and reassurance to hear someone else say they understood, even though the ending was "rushed" it was not ruined. it pained me to see the fandom practically die over night due to the mixed feelings people had over this Masterpiece's ending but you gave me my hope back that there are still those that "got it".

[@cridemord7025]

I feel Eren was always free. Indeed, Eren chose this path because is the one he wanted. Who manipulates all the attack titan trajectory? Who manipulated his dad to get the founder titan? Who gave to himself those two abilities to keep moving forward with his plan? The one and only Eren Jaeger. he could change his future, but why he gotta do something like that when the future he chose was the one he wanted? Of course he died with regrets, but Eren was the freest person in the world, Eren could complete the rumbling, Eren could confess his feelings to Mikasa and expend with her his remaining years, but Eren rather the freedom of Eldia and his friends even over his deepest wishes. If he was a "slave" of something he was a slave of freedom. Also about his "chad" phase, I don't think that was fake, he stated that past present a future were one in his mind, just imagine he seeing everyday all those he will kill and all the things he manipulated to achieve his plan was such a mental burden to him. But deep inside of him the Eren he was still there. Maybe people will not agree with what I said, but that's how I see Eren, such a brilliant, deep and complex character.

[@anonybelle]

Eren as a slave to freedom is an amazing way to put it.

[@cridemord7025]

@@anonybelleyou're right; that's poetic

[@richiknair9036]

@@anonybelle Yeah. I think that's been on a lot of people's minds since Kenny had said what he did when he was bout to die

[@667nine]

Holy shit

[@BrocoliFN]

Bro you are dumb, Eren as a character isn't complex he is a Mass murderer Who killed millions just to save his "Friends" because he didnt do It for anything else he knew Eldia would get destroyed lol so anytime Eren said he would save his people he was lying?? Isayama ruined the story completely Eren kills his own mother for what??? To save Mikasa and armin? Lmao and then he turns into a fucking Bird what a meme

[@Exonymm]

Honestly that scene where he confessed his love for Mikasa and what he wanted. Didn’t make me cringe at all. Honestly it made me smile but feel somber inside. It showed his true humanity. It honestly showed who he was as a person. The reason it also felt somber was because no matter what he did he would never get that future. It’s kinda like when you go through a break up with someone and you sit there and you think “FUCK I’m never gonna be together with them like that again.” That’s genuinely what it made me feel. It showed me that Eren truly was a person who had thoughts and feelings like everybody else.

[@dhruvbharija172]

Same

[@williamxxc]

I hate it whenever they try to excuse his crimes by labeling him as a kid . Bruh this dude killed 2 people when he was 9 or 10. Dude was already a psycho . And he did the Rumbling when he was 19. That's a full grown man and definitely more older than most dudes who are defending him . He IS just an EmOtlonAl 19 TeEnAgeR ! HE iS a hUmAn BelNg wHo cAn cRy For Not GeTting sTep SIS Pussy

[@MrMetaVal]

We need more KZbinr reviewers like you who rather than calling everything trash just because they don't like it (Anime balls deep and many others who are immature as hell) try to be objective as much as possible. I really enjoyed your analysis of Eren.

[@Koolstr]

This prime essay is the most complete, fully-realized, accurate, profound, and meaningful Eren character analysis I've seen yet. Thank you for crafting this beautiful piece that so flawlessly depicts and captures all the aspects that make Eren's character and story so compelling, and for properly understanding what makes Eren such a phenomenal character. You've pointed out all the stunning themes, parallels, and symbolism present in his story, and his insane character growth paths that led to his drastic evolutions.

[@jenniferguthrie9164]

10/10 analysis for a 10/10 protagonist.

[@justfate15]

Eren is 10/10 protagonist after that ending? are you kidding me? He is clown, nothing more

[@nep_pr1807]

@@justfate15 cry

[@Toothpaste0000]

@@justfate15 did you watch the video properly or are you just here to troll lol I won’t even argue cuz the video can do that for me

[@swiftstrike4044]

Well said

[@CaspianMidnight]

@@justfate15 I see only one clown here

[@nellio3981]

Finally someone who gets it!!! In all honesty the end could of been executed a bit better but the ideas are there and the ending is beautifully sad and amazing for the true fans that understood the tone and ideas that Aot brings out beautiful analysis. Subbed and saved this for when my anime friends see the ending

[@sekijokes451]

I noticed that in a comment thread you expressed dissatisfaction with the new leaked additional pages. As such I'd like to put my thoughts across as to why I personally think they made things better. 1. It's true that Paradis does gets carpet bombed in a war but we don't actually know the full context of what this war was about. The fact that Paradis advanced to the point that it had a modern society with Anti aircraft defense systems, very strongly implies a long era of peace and trade with the outside world. This means that the alliance crew very likely succeeded in Talk no Jutsuing the Jaegerists during their negotiations as trading in and of itself requires a degree of trust, cooperation and understanding in order to occur. Hence, when some people blame Eren and the alliance crew for not properly protecting Paradis, this would pratically be the equivalent of blaming the Founding Fathers of America for Pearl Harbor because they didn't adequately prepare for World War 2. Chances are that Paradis was involved in a World War that largely had little to do with prejudice against them. They likely had allies that fought with them and in turn the rest of the world may well be in a similar state as Paradis. Giving the potential sequel to AOT a post apocalyptic setting. 2. The boy and his dog. I think you missed out on the potential of this boy because while he does find the Titan tree, hinting that the power of the titans will return, the way he finds it is in a manner that's the complete opposite of how Ymir found it. The boy for instance appears to be exploring the ruins with his canine companion while by contrast Ymir stumbled across it as she was being hunted down by hounds and their masters. In short, the boy is free in contrast to how Ymir was a slave. The main reason why the Titan powers manifested themselves in the way they did was due to it reflecting Ymir's damaged and traumatised Psyche, not to mention her subsequent cannibalisation giving birth to shifters, the 13 year curse and the scourge of Pure Titans. Hence the power of the Titans falling into the hands of a being that's physically and psychologically free, will give it a chance to take on a new form. Whether this would be good or bad for mankind, we don't know as it would all depend upon the choices this boy makes. The new founder and, who is technically, the next inheritor of the Attack Titan.

[@Yatoru1]

Comments like yours have seriously helped me appreciate the new ending much more so thank you. Initially, I didn't like the additional pages at all, but I've really warmed up to it having gotten more insight!

[@sekijokes451]

@@Yatoru1 Thanks! I mean I get people's frustrations with the ending and personally I think that the finale for AOT would've really benefitted from a FMA 100 + pages final chapter type of treatment. Either that or a 2 to 3 chapter epilogue just to really flesh everything out but it is what it is I guess. That said the potential for a post apocalyptic AOT sequel had my noggin joggin because I remember the interview Isayama did way back in 2011. This interview was included in the manga's first volume and in it Isayama is asked if he had another story in mind after AOT. Isayama stated that he did have another story that he'd like to try and draw so maybe just maybe Fallout with Titans is where this story takes place. Maybe other powers may even come into the mix? Chances are he'd maked a stand alone sequel to AOT and I've talked before about the potential of the boy and his dog. Maybe in this rendition of the Titan powers it'll be the key to humanity's salvation as opposed to it's destruction especially since the bloody History of the Marleyans and Eldians appears to be well and truly "buried", if what I think about the state of the world in AOT is true.

[@matilozano96]

The kid stumbling into the tree marks a new beginning. It's a cyclical view of history. However, it doesn't mean that everything was pointless. It can also mean that there's hope that this time things might be different, as you pointed out. Things can be better. The carpet bombing is similar. It points at the cyclical nature of history, conflict and war. Armin had already said it: conflict is unavoidable. If Isayama had went with the "Eren wins" route, this would've still happened one way or another. Time and time again, the story went and told us that no matter how much the world shrinks, people will find a way to kill each other. It's pessimistic, yes, but also optimistic in that the present belongs to us. Just as Armin was able to make peace in his time, we can work for peace in our time, etc. But that peace shouldn't be taken for granted. It's an interesting take, to say the least.

[@sekijokes451]

@@matilozano96 I think it was Ronald Regan who said that freedom is not a gift that was handed down but a responsibility that we must vigilantly safeguard till it's time to pass it on. I've paraphrased what he said and I've no doubt that he and his presidency were incredibley flawed but it's still a great quote.

[@nestorv7627]

This is a great analysis!

[@cristianovi04]

50:01 this scene is not cringe but truly well done. eren's burst of feelings spilling out of his mouth after so much of acting were very well written and no one can tell me otherwise

[@everettenjeze6276]

Been waiting for that moment since Eren put that jacket on. In my eyes he is a heroic anti hero lol

[@main8824]

It represents him being a human, who has flaws in his character.

[@hotsaucejosh8982]

@@main8824 No it represents his character being ruined by being turned into a crybaby bitch like he was in the earlier seasons.

[@joaoassumpcao3347]

Imo it's cringe, but a good kind of cringe. It's the same cringe we feel when we think about our own emotions, or when we see someone being too honest and open about themselves. It isn't the "oh this is bad" type of cringe, it's the "god this is a pathetic man" kind, which comes from being able to show just how much of a miserable and emotionally destroyed man Eren truly is.

[@lifeisstrangetg8247]

​@@joaoassumpcao3347I think that's acceptable

[@neilselgi8581]

So I discovered this thread on Twitter and along with your video it probably gives the best explanation that I have read so far regarding Eren's motivations. "My interpretation of the beauty and tragedy surrounding eren jaeger's character and also explaining the newfound meaning behind his 139 & rumbling arc appearances and why aot's final message is that eren's birth is the embodiment of freedom itself."" For easier understanding, i'll start with eren's motivations first: adult eren didn't want to finish the rumbling and live with guilt afterwards neither did he want to give paradis freedom through a worldwide genocide. He wanted what his child & teen self always wished for and that was to eradicate all titans in this world by ensuring to break the curse. It was his strongest desire until the day he died which makes his character consistent, but in an unexpected way. it was assumed that eren moved on from that goal as the world's problems increased but Eren's interaction with Ymir in chapter 122 at paths disproves this completely. Eren always stayed the same, following his desire to end the titans, which is why his answer to king fritz's "so long as MY world exists" is "i'll put an end to THIS world" AKA the world in which titans exist, not humans. And this line, that talks about eradicating all titans, was used to remind the reader of eren's very first motivations and was never aimed at humanity as a whole. All of his child appearances in the rumbling arc happened to foreshadow the final motivation of our current eren. With this knowledge in mind, we should look at his emotional outbursts in 131 & 139 and how they are tightly linked to the core beliefs of teen eren; Someone who always loathed mass murderers which explains why eren was so disappointed of humanities' existence outside paradis. He didn't want to fight more people as they will only be another obstacle in the way of 1. finishing his mission to end the curse and 2. his desire to turn the world of armin's book into reality A childhood dream that eren wasn't willing to let go. He refused to grow up was still a child at heart amongst the cruelty of war which forced him to grow up way too quickly. This is why the line at the final panel of chapter 138 says: "To the *boy* who sought freedom ... goodbye" Eren's soul was always boyish and led by a will, stubborn and determined. He wasn't sorry about his morality being corrupt and therefore being his reason to move forward and kill humanity. He was sorry because it became corrupt due to his childish stubbornness of wanting to break the curse no matter what and forcing him to become the monster he despised. 139 reconfirmed how eren was never a cold-blooded selfish monster who thought the ends justify the means or saw any noble motives behind what he did which is why he refuses to be redeemed or get a second chance, as he is facing death. 133 takes a look at this conflict as well, where the alliance tries to reach eren wanting him to "come back" and "always stay together" due to their emotional attachement when eren was aware of how he reached the point of no return a long time ago. He followed the path of taking away the freedom from the ones who do the same to him and the "ones" only being the titans and the people who prevent him from breaking the curse. It was never about his friends who want to stop the rumbling which is why giving them freedom makes sense since eren saw the future in which all of their choices lead to fulfilling his mission as well. Eren's innocent idealism of a titan-free world never vanished completely and i think that's beautiful. He carried out the will of the survey corps members as he always had a part of their dreams in his heart let's move on to 97 which explores this further. When talking about "pushing yourself into hell" eren was referring to the day he led dina's titan to his mom so her death can activate his rage. The panelling making it obvious that this was a direct callback as well. Eren did this for what he saw "beyond that hell" which was the final result that promised him to free the world from the titans. Therefore being one step closer to the world he saw in armin's book but eren questions what's beyond & whether it's tied to "hope" or "another hell". This indicates that eren knew he won't be alive to witness the aftermath way before he talked about this in 139 since if he was, he would be aware of the outcome in his future memories. Eren walked on this path despite knowing that he won't be alive in the titan-free world he always desired. He had to sacrifice his humanity and defeat his enemy only to be united with him in death. This makes his fate a tragic but also beautiful one. but how? Eren died and suffered from the powers of the AT and FT while living under the oppression of the titans for the majority of his life, so what part about him was free? Why was grisha the one to say this to him when he wasn't free either? The answer is that the "you're free" quote was never supposed to consider the world eren lived in neither was it about eldians as a whole who weren't free yet. It was about the one person whose destiny was to save humanity from the terror of the titans since the day he was born; about eren jaeger who was that one glimpse of hope amongst all the people trapped in this birdcage as he was the one who chose to walk on the path of freedom that his AT represents. Eren pushed himself into hell to end titan history and therefore free the founder and humanity Since the day eren kissed historia's hand, he had to align his actions to what he saw in his future while experiencing his past, present & future as well. This took a toll on his mental health which is why he wished for things to change but he knew they can't since he wanted this doing anything for that one result as it was out of his own free will; making eren the freest of them all as his fate was in his favour like no one else's being promised to achieve what you've always wished for since the day you were born. Eren was born to eradicate the titans and free the world that way not to end the conflicts between humanity as a whole. His birth was also the birth of the end memory that would free everyone as he was the only AT who's able to meet mikasa. It's why he kept mentioning his birth whenever he faced people who couldn't understand his life story. "because i was born into this world" being a quote which reminds eren of his freedom, his reason and his mission. From the day we're born, we have a purpose. This new perspective on things makes child & teen eren's journey much more hopeful and emotional, since future eren desperately wanted to show the end memory he saw to everyone else as well. Eren was the first one to see the meaning of freedom. His innocent dream to show his friends a world without titans always remained and it's why he wanted them to survive so badly all this time. His will was so strong that the message of saving mikasa and armin reached previous attack titan's as well Thanks to 139 being the final puzzle piece, it was revealed that eren was always one step ahead therefore the titans never truly trapped him in a birdcage or overpowered him since all of this was planned by him to reach the end memory, which ultimately destroys his enemy. Eren's statements shown in the paths chapters get a new precious meaning as well because he was being simply straightforward. He was always like this because he was born into this world and his mission was to prevent the continuation of titan history and nothing else. It also feels like eren's answer to armin's question about why he did all of this is him being connected to the very first conscious memory he had as a baby, considering the panelling as well but a look at his eyes at both ages is enough proof; they're shining out of curiosity. That panel in 139 just screams "because i was born into this world" to me. Eren isn't saying these exact words because there's no need to as we are literally witnessing his birth right before our eyes. This scene in whole scene is also another parallel to trost where armin asks about the "why?". Eren expresses the unexplained desire to go down this path which was his destiny & freedom since day 1, connecting eren's birth with his death to the point he can't seperate his feelings/thoughts shows how his journey came full circle. This context makes his answer beautiful. At last, i wanna discuss the final question which is what's the meaning behind grisha saying "you're free" to baby eren? It could simply mean that grisha listened to krugers words of loving your child and not repeating the same mistakes again, which he didn't do with zeke before not putting the burdens of the past on eren this time since he's a special case but why? and how did grisha know this? Through eren's birth and his inheritage of the AT, grisha was shown memories of the future; the key memory being that it will all go eren's way, which he probably saw way before eren was even born. Just like it happened to kruger and if the AT carries out his will, it means that he walked on the path of freedom. The moment the final attack titan is born, he is free. i hope this interpretation allows the fandom to see eren in a different light as it turns out that he had an inspiring dream and died fulfilling it. The moment he was born, eren was the embodiment of freedom and the enemy which was supposed to destroy him ultimately freed him at the same time. This only being possible because eren moved forward and overcame his biggest fear by facing it with a brave heart. His determination led him towards a future in which his wishes will be fulfilled

[@oliviarose7090]

I applaud you for this essay 👏👏👏This is really good.

[@silentaqua360]

Really interesting. It's different perspective of freedom Eren looked for.

[@UTOT222]

A place of comfort. This analysis is spot on. Ending was not perfect, but the themes illustrated are real. Thanks for this !!

[@mwndjddjdhdbbf8408]

This analysis is just the place of comfort where everything I've always thought about Eren as a character is finally being stated out loud

[@noahscruggs1423]

This is an incredible video. The script managed to make me laugh and cry all the while giving an incredible look at one of if not my favorite character of all time. Thank you!!

[@Yatoru1]

Ahaha, thanks for watching it and glad it was enjoyable.

[@Danyaalx]

i watched half yesterday and half today and all i can say is god tier vid man.

[@Yatoru1]

Eyyy thanks man. Vids been a long time coming, but happy it delivered.

[@linuschen6475]

I thought I’d update my comment as it really was the best analysis. Ok here’s my most recent take on the ending. This show has always been a commentary and allegory for the flaws of humanity and it’s nature. Ultimately I think it stays true to the theme by showing that no matter what we do true freedom is simply unattainable. I don’t think Eren being a clueless slave to fate was outta nowhere. Call me arrogant but I think it was pretty obvious that Eren was a unwilling slave to fate since the time travel reveal. Even his founding titan design is a hint at this, he’s literally being strung up and hanged by strings like a puppet does that look free to you? (It’s also a reference to the Norse god Odin when he hanged himself on a tree and sacrificed a eye for enlightenment. Aot has a lot of Norse symbolism) Not to mention I believe there’s a possible explanation for Eren’s behavior and that’s that he developed some extreme fiction version of multiple personality disorder disorder to cope with the atrocities he’s committed. This hypothesis is not without basis either. Because of Paths Eren experience time all at once past, present and future thus splintering his psyche. He was shown to have always been screwed up in the head since childhood he killed two men without remorse so likely a form of anti-social personality disorder. Couple that with repeated trauma and excessive stress in his adolescence it was only a matter of time before his mental state snapped. I guess ultimately it’s like Kenny Ackerman once said “everyone’s a slave to something”. The cycle of violence wasn’t broken and history will only repeat itself. I don’t even think Eren could’ve succeeded in completing the rumbling. As far as I can piece together from the little explanation and exposition we got it looks like time travel in Aot works fairly deterministically. (Eren says time in path exists all at once and we saw Eren try to deny his visions by testing the accuracy of them) That’s the tragedy of Eren Yeager, he wanted freedom and free will but you can’t exactly have that when you know what’s gonna happen anyways. Ironically in his pursuit of freedom Eren lost his free will and individuality. Eren even denied this fact and kept trying to convince himself he was free but the moment Sasha died that was the breaking point. Eren asking Mikasa what she was to him and her answer really wasn’t that important it’s the implications of her answer. Eren didn’t start the rumbling cause he was “friend zoned” it was cause if Mikasa had answered differently it would’ve meant Eren’s visions of the future are just possibilities but since she answered exactly as he saw that proved to him he really was trapped and that he had no freedom. Even the fact that Eren could only kill 80% of the world is more proof of this. If he could’ve just killed a few more people that’d be enough to prove to himself he really was free but alas he couldn’t even do that. Eren ultimately trapped himself in a self induced time loop, in the end Eren lost and determinism and fate won. Eren was always a flawed character I think the fault was with us, we idolize and got attached to Eren when we shouldn’t of. Isayama wrote Eren not as a noble character but one driven by his wrath, rage, fear and obsession. Aot was never a story about freedom and ideology it was always a story of humanity in all it’s beauty and complexity yet also how twisted, immoral and corrupt it can be. I also think that chapter was pretty good in concept just not in execution. I think a good deal of the problem was just bad dialogue and even than it isn’t Isayama fault. Japanese fans are saying that even the official translation was botched so we have the publishers to blame for the awkward dialogue. The dialogue was certainly on the nose but I think that they aren’t supposed to be taken at face value in the first place. Eren’s line about not knowing why he started the rumbling wasn’t really the reason he started the rumbling but more so how he feels about it. It was already established in chapter 131 that Eren wanted the rumbling and to wipe everything away cause he was disappointed with what he discovered beyond the walls, but he was still remorseful for the way he felt especially once he realized the costs. It can even be argued he’s in a sort of disbelief at his actions, it’s also the reason I think Eren was shown as a child in the paths a important thematic detail many seem to forget. The atrocities he committed took such a toll on him he reverted to a child like state back when Eren had a very one dimensional world view of the all the enemies being evil just to prove to himself what he was doing was right and justified, but deep down Eren knew how rotten and selfish his actions were however he refused to accept that. I also think that Armin thanking Eren had far more depth to it but was just badly worded. I doubt Armin actually agreed with Eren’s actions but it was more so to comfort or sympathize with Eren in his dying moments, remember this is the last interaction between the two before Eren’s death. In the Japanese version apparently Armin’s line went something closer to “thank you for bearing the burdens you had to we won’t let the opportunity go to waste” see how much better that is? I think it’d be even better if it’d simply been changed to “I’m sorry you had to do this, I’m sorry you were pushed to bear this burden”. It would’ve accomplished the same thing without being misinterpreted as Armin suddenly agreeing with Eren while simultaneously being a lot less on the nose. I honestly think that Armin is one of the most important characters in Aot possibly even more so than even Mikasa not necessarily cause of his achievements but what he represents. The only thing Eren ever truly did out of his own free will is befriend Armin. Ever since time travel was introduced the range of possibilities and what paths Eren influenced was almost endless however even if paths Eren setup child Eren to meet Armin, Eren would’ve still had to been the one to make the choice to befriend Armin. Ultimately with what little free will Eren ever had the one choice that was made without any possible influence was to befriend Armin so by freeing Armin he is by extension freeing himself as Armin could arguably be the literal and metaphorical symbol of Eren’s freedom. Now that I think about it even if the ending was better written it’d still be a incredibly controversial ending. I see many complain that the ending has no message but ironically that’s kinda the message. Which ever way you interpret the ending it’s alway the same message: nihilism. The literal message is nothing matters and history will only repeat itself, essentially the futility of human life so even if changes were made and the writing better it’d still leave many unhappy as the idea of nihilism just isn’t for everyone. I personally quite like the idea as it’s the first time I’ve seen a work of fiction have such a obviously hopeless and nihilistic ending. Even the most depressing and dark endings I’ve seen usually have a silver lining, but Aot has the opposite approach. The ending is presented as hopeful but if you look at the actual implications and if the leaks are true than the message is clearly nihilism and it’s not even the optimistic kind it’s just straight up “nothing matters and life is ultimately pointless”. Hell for all we know our characters might not even be in the first titan loop. Maybe it’s already repeated multiple times now and every time it ends the same with humanity’s destruction and the recreation of the Titans. It’s a incredibly cynical message, those who acted selfishly like Annie got everything they’ve ever wanted and those who selflessly sacrificed themselves were punished and lost everything they’ve ever loved and fought for. A second theory of mine that I’d like to add is that I have is that Eren like Reiner developed Disassociative Personality Disorder caused by the attack and Titans ability to see the future and past. If you think about it are you ever the same person? Our psyche and consciousness is in a constant and perpetual state of change you are a different person than you were a minute ago. Eren on the other hand could see the past present and future all simultaneously he is in other words omniscient but that omniscience came at the cost of splintering Eren’s psyche. One could only imagine what a mental toll that’d take on Eren especially since he valued freedom and free will so much. Ironically the attack titan who supposedly the freest of all titans and strives for freedom is the least free of all the Titans thanks to it’s own ability. I thus believe there were 3 separate Eren’s post time skip. Whiny og Eren who was the one we follow for the majority of the series, godlike paths Eren and the metaphorical child Eren. The og Eren as I call him denied the rumbling, he knew what would happen but for the longest time he was in denial until he realized he no longer could. Ultimately his mental state snapped and in came paths or god Eren. God Eren is hardly human and isn’t really even Eren. He’s the physical personification of fate in the Aot world he is essentially god. Who knows what his goals are? He’s omniscient his goals are beyond our understanding and human comprehension. We don’t know why he’s doing what he’s doing but we know what he’s doing and that’s carrying out fate as a sort of angel of the apocalypse. Look point is it’s a conflicting ending. I originally hated the ending and even went as far as to rant about it online, but thinking back it actually had a lot of depth. This was a controversial ending but love or hate it I think at the end of the day the end is the end and it’s about time we all made our peace with it. Just my two cent

[@lxfj2128]

I loved aot so much but I’ll say the ending was so bad and retconned so much things I’m still pissed

[@lukefox01]

Look at what Eren says in 131. He says the outside world was nothing like he thought it was, it was nothing like Armin's books. I loved this scene for multiple reasons such as illustrating how as humans we always have an idealized version of the world that at some point or another we realize isn't reality. Eren thought that beyond the walls was freedom when he was a child. Think about how real-life children think, always wanting to be older and get to adulthood for a variety of reasons, the biggest being freedom. I think about myself as a child and countless others in the world, always striving for that next school year, to be older and do more things, to eventually be free from school and free from our parents, only to realize more shackles lie on the other side. After achieving freedom from school, we are facing even bigger issues, jobs, financial problems, relationship problems, depression, or countless others. Realizing eventually that true freedom can never be achieved. Eren's is an exact parallel to real-life. As children, we strive for perfection in the future, an idealized and overly optimistic, and frankly ignorant view of the world. But in 131 Eren admits like many people in the real world, that the world was nothing as he thought it would be just as adulthood was nothing we thought it would be. As Mikasa says "The world is cruel, but it is also very beautiful". In the end, eren realized that all of his goals could never co-exist. As Erwin says in season 3 "Humanity will never stop fighting itself.. until it shrinks to a size of one or fewer". The basis of human nature revolves around conflict, even in the AOT universe when only Eldia existed and dominated the world, it split into 9 houses that constantly fought. Eren realized that the cycle of conflict and hate could never be stopped unless free-will itself was erased so he had to choose one and he chose freedom. While eren never was able to attain freedom from conflict and violence, he did break the cycle of titans. He said he would annihilate every last one of them and he did. He removed the basis for discrimination against the eldians, many hated them in fear of what they were and now they no longer have to worry. Many people seem to have the unrealistic idea that now that the rumbling is over, the world will turn against eldians immediately without realizing the many that saw the error of their actions during the rumbling. To give a real-life anecdote, the allies killed millions upon millions of civilians in the firebombing campaigns of the axis and in the atomic bombings yet we don't see modern-day Germany and Japan trying to get revenge. There will always be hatred towards the eldians but the titans that kept both the eldians and world slaves to fear are gone. Its a second chance at forming a better world whether it actually happens or not. Frankly, anyone that thinks Eren would single-handedly remove hatred and violence from the world are just as ignorant as children and Eren as a child. And somehow many think Eren did not achieve victory since wars and conflict would happen in the future. Again how idealistic and unrealistic is that standard, it's the mindset of a child and the entire point of AOT is how "reality is often disappointing" as Thanos puts it. Was the Victory of the American Civil war pointless because America got into conflict just a couple decades later? Did winning WW1 mean nothing because WW2 came along a couple decades later? Was defeating Hitler pointless because Mao came along and did similar atrocities and because conflict would spread later? No, absolutely ridicoulous. The entire premise of Aot is how the world often disappoints, how all of ours goals something cannot co-exist together, how sometimes dreams don't come true as a result of being ignorant of the real world. The parallels to real-life are outstanding and I could write thousands of worlds more just on how AOT connects to the real world. I'm going to wrap it up with one last point. Many seem to be conflicted on if Eren was truly a slave or not. I myself, am not entirely convinced I got this one figured out. But from the many explanations I've seen and the pondering I've done, I think I can answer the question "Is Eren a slave". And the answer is yes.... but actually no. The Eren we see in the anime is constrained by his future self. Since everything is driven by future eren, any past version of Eren is a slave to his future self. But is that actually a slave, if it's to his own free will and desires? Additionally, and most importantly, he is bonded by his knowledge of the future. While Eren had memories of the future, he wasn't some doctor strange type that saw some millions of outcomes down to every tiny detail. Rather he saw the future result of his current path in a fragmented form. He could have wandered off from the path at any point, but he doesn't in fear that the outcome could be worse. Think back to season one when Levi gives Eren a choice. "“Believe in yourself... or believe in me and them... the Survey Corps. I don't know the answer. I never have. Whether you trust in your own strength... or trust in the choices made by reliable comrades. No one knows what the outcome will be. So as much as you can... choose whatever you'll regret the least.” Eren knew what the outcome would be of his particular path but he didn't know what it would be if he deviated from it, so he chose what he would regret the least. Unlike in season one when he didn't believe in himself to change into a titan and got the entire Squad Levi massacred, this time he has the means to avoid it and does what he regrets the least. At any point Eren could have formed a different future, that's just the way the timeline works in AOT (Which I wont get into here, already super long) but he didn't know the outcome of deviating unlike he knows his current path. As Erwin says ""If You Begin To Regret, You'll Dull Your Future Decisions And Let Others Make Your Choices For You."" therefore Eren just keeps moving forward to achieve his outcome that includes his original goal of breaking the cycle and annihilating the titans as well as saving his friends. The outcome he saw wasn't perfect, never re-living the good days of being together with armin and mikasa, never being with mikasa, however, he did destroy every last titan, obliterate the fear and slavery to titans the entire world faced, freed Ymir, saved his friends, saved Eldia at least for some time,and make his friends the heroes and Armin the one to save the world as he always said he would. As while I left out so many details, and countless foreshadowing, this is already practically an essay so thanks if you read to the end. Closing thoughts, Eren always had the free will to dictate his own future but was constrained to the fear of deviate from the known outcome to an unknown outcome. He was always constrained by the fragmented memories he had of the future and the will of his future self. He was a slave in a sense, to his passion of being truly free which turned out to be nothing more than a childish ignorant dream, parallel, to what many people experience in the real world. As Kenny said "Everyone is a slave to something" even if its a slave to a passion or goal. So no Eren wasn't constrained to following a set path, he always had the ability to change it but rather didn't because of the fear it would lead to an unknown outcome he could have regretted more. As he says to his friends in the infamous table scene, "I am free, no matter what I do or how I do it, I'm acting of my own free will", however, he was in a sense a slave to his dream that could never come true. The world wasn't like he saw it in the books as a child, it was cruel and nothing could change that, and he could never truly save paradis for eternity unless he removed the free will from all of humanity, including his friends and himself. Hatred and violence is ingrained in humanity and nothing could change that without removing free will. Aot is a story of eren realizing his childish and ignorant dreams could never come true as a result of his adulthood and discovering the cold hard truth of the world like many in real life do. It really is a true coming-of-age story. But he did accomplish many of his goals including his primary goal of destroying all the titans and saving his friends. As Eren said in 131, "The world was nothing like I thought it was"

[@titan-framboise3126]

This is the entire problem. The execution was a disaster. I was ready to accept Eren being a slave to Ymir or even a slave to fate. I was ready to accept anything. But the way Isayama wrote it is just a mess.

[@kritikasrivastava530]

@@titan-framboise3126 if your interpretation of the ending is something as naive as 'Eren was a slave to Ymir'. I don't know what to say. Both Eren And Ymir were a slave to their innate, unchangeable nature; Eren's was this visceral thurst for absolute freedom that can never exist and Ymir's was a notion of love too idealistic to be. There's a reason both of them have their eyes heavily shaded in 133 or they appear as children in Paths. AoT calls for a way deeper understanding of what freedom or slavery may mean. Eren's fight for freedom was always internal, he could lash out on the world, try to wipe it out all he wants but what he desires is delusional-just like the freedom spread of 131. It is the liveliest we have seen Eren be but it is not real. His reality is in 139. Stomped, bloodied landscape. A struggle of freedom ensnared by foreknowledge of future and a sense of responsibility towards his friends that won't allow him to kill them.

[@titan-framboise3126]

@@kritikasrivastava530 I've never say that. I just explained that I was ready to accept anything if the execution was not a mess.

[@vlpp_1754]

An amazing video. Eren is my favorite character of all. Still, your analysis helped me understand him better, thanks man ✌🏽

[@adambedenbaugh284]

God like analysis this is exactly why attack on titan and eren yaeger are a masterpiece

[@anonybelle]

Wow, incredible. Thanks for making this video. I’m the kind of person who needs many viewings and readings about a complicated series like this, to feel like I have a grasp on it. This was exactly what I was looking for. Your analysis of Eren’s character made so much sense and helped me understand his motivations. It’s funny to me that everyone apparently hates his Mikasa outburst and finds it “cringe”...when I read that, it made me so happy. It was a gift of one last rare and awkward comedic AoT moment. I loved it.

[@kevinperalta9555]

This is by far the best character analysis of Eren, truly worthy of all praise. Such a masterful creator

[@AlexanderTheBloodraven]

Thank you for making this video, my friend. I am severely disappointed with how people seem to think his character development was just an act just because he cried about never being able to be with any of his friends again, right before he was about to DIE.

[@maikutaisan4000]

Holy hell I'm saving this for when I finish catching up with the final season. Thank you for the video essay!

[@oyamampendu9467]

Woah that was close I too will wait these 8 months

[@christian.xavier.villagran]

Good luck, you guys a really in for a ride.

[@comentariorandom1264]

AOT was ruined with that ending , dont bother

[@naufalalbari]

@@comentariorandom1264 don't trust this guy, this guy's hella toxic and definitely didn't watch the full videos

[@comentariorandom1264]

@@emmslite6246 it wasnt just "one chapter" it was the ending lol , and the majority of the fandom knows it was trash.

[@aarontsafack16]

Bro you were absolute spot on with eren's character. For a minute I thought you wrote attack on titan😂. I'm so glad we have people like you in the aot fanbase that are not simple minded and understand the complexity's and greatness of eren's character. 10/10 video👍

[@Yatoru1]

Appreciate you for taking time outta ur day to give this long ass vid a shot. Glad the stupid amount of time going into this paid off.

[@sa_shah]

Great video! Finally a good character analysis about Eren. He is my favourite AOT character and one of my favourite anime protagonists. Many people started liking him only because of his chad persona and failed to see beyond it.

[@matt_sun]

WHAT A GREAT JOB MAN. I cannot imagine how long a 54 min video took to make. The quality is super nice and smooth. Also, great analysis on AOT. P.S *if it wasn't clear before* AMAZING FKIN VIDEO

[@Yatoru1]

Thanks man. Shit was aids to edit, but so damn fun and worthwhile at the same time. Actually had to go a couple sleepless nights to get this out when I did lol. But man, I'm so happy with how it turned out. Glad you enjoyed it too :)

[@Rekozin]

Everything about this video is absolute perfection. Amazing vid my g and I hope this vid blows up as well, u deserve it for sure. Keep it up!

[@Yatoru1]

Thanks man. I really was aiming for this video to be as perfect as possible. Happy it turned out so well.

[@saudbintalib5701]

Nice character analysis video.

[@husseinsalameh5907]

Thank you for such a brilliant analysis Eren will always be one of my favourite anime characters ever even with my issues with the ending Your analysis has helped me remember why I love this character so much

[@ramongonzales5683]

Throughout the years of being on KZbin I have never seen a video this deep and significant

[@lvly-kr7tz]

Your analysis was 10/10, I've always understood eren's character but this made me feel like the ending was a good ending but it feels a little rushed hopefully in the anime they fix that, you deserve more views keep it up :)

[@slikthegod]

This honestly was an amazing watch, and I hope that this video reaches the AoT fans that deserve to watch this. People are free to dislike the ending all they want, but first they have to stop misinterpreting this series for what it isn't meant to be. I feel that especially with the newer fans, they tend to ignore Eren before the time skip, completely disregarding it as part of his character and see him purely as the monster in the story without anything else to his character.

[@juliansenni6279]

8:40 the transition between eren screaming and the music was so perfect gave me chills

[@Numbll]

Wow, beautiful well made video. ❤️❤️❤️ Finally another positive video about Eren. If I think about it we don't quite see anime characters contradict themselves much. As human beings, we contradict ourselves. Eren contradicting himself doesn't mean he's a bad character.

[@analyzationm]

Now I'm not one of the cool kids but man you really put Eren under a different light huh? I didn't hate him or anything but I just kind of dismissed him as annoying. This is one of the few times where my perspective on a character has largely changed because of a analysis video. It's very well narrated, analyzed, edited, background score and everything. Once I see the anime's finale next year I'll return to see the rest of the video!

[@Yatoru1]

Happy to hear that man! The manga ending is heavily controversial so hopefully, my analysis of the manga portion delivers!

[@TihonTheDED]

@@Yatoru1 Have you seen the new ending of 139.5? Where Paradis was destroyed anyway in ~50-100 years after Mikasa's death? And that the cycle begins again with Mikasa's grandchildren founding Eren's grave that has become the same tree as Ymir found? 0_o

[@emekaemeka796]

This is a great analysis that illustrates erens character. Denying the development shown in front of you in this video is ignorant.

[@Iggyboiii]

Damn you did hell of a good job in explaining everything bro💯❤ I LOVE IT!!!

[@Yatoru1]

Got approval from the man himself :D

[@Iggyboiii]

@@Yatoru1 lmao I just like eren's whole personality that's why i changed my name and prof pic on yt to eren jaeger lol

[@pippike7728]

wow, someone who actually knows what they're talking about!

[@ultimateme3049]

I am glad that there are still people out there who get it, i won't lie tho, i hope Isayama further fleshes out the ending in the anime, as it's clear he couldn't properly convey all his points (the new pages improves it tho)

[@makteko]

Eren was a slave man, just face it.

[@adarshpettappa7583]

Yo this is actually such a good podcast, it literally made me remember the emotional ride I had with the show/manga when they were coming out

[@AidanJay_H]

I feel bad for all the people who won’t be able to see this amazing video, this is something that should have millions of views.

[@Patrick-xl7cc]

dude this vid is so perfekt. I feel like everyone of those dislikes is someone who doesnt exept that the final chapter didnt ruin anything LMAO

[@Degenerate_Gentleman]

Hey man. Friendly advice, Perfect* not perfekt. Accept* not expet

[@aabeeek]

Finally a someone who sees genius of Eren's character. 99% of fandom is now just crying "booo Eren is a simp", but you got it well. Good job.

[@otakubakasan666]

Those shits bags don't even know the meaning of a simp......if the feelings are two sided how can it be called simping lol😂

[@Xetta_Mode]

True words said o7

[@godofwar234regi5]

@@otakubakasan666 He hardly showed feelings for Mikasa, though

[@otakubakasan666]

@@godofwar234regi5 That's the point buddy

[@thekerminator6521]

I think the ending is a 7/10 in execution. I love the ideas and themes and everything done, but it’s left a ton of people who misinterpreted the dialogue and themes and Jesus the amount of people I’ve had arguments with defending this amazing character is insane. But I have to keep moving forward. I felt the ending needed 2 or 3 more chapters and some easier to interpret dialogue but I’m still satisfied with what happened

[@Baba03134]

Same

[@_pewreat3199]

This is exactly me

[@joaoassumpcao3347]

Yeah, the themes and etc are super consistent, but the execution was rushed. I can only hope the anime allows a bit more time for things to breathe

[@necropolis6052]

Now this is what a character analysis video should be like. It’s beyond perfection. Such well breakdown of a very complicated character. Yeah, Eren was free. If he was slave to something, it was freedome. Everything in this video is beatifully decorated. Thank you

[@Cirrus5005]

Yeah, this is probably one of the best things I've listened to this past month.

[@aashna369]

This video is so beautifully explained, I'm out of words. I have no idea why this doesn't have more views GOSH

[@joaojorgesm8625]

I have no words to describe how impactful watching this video was. Simply beautiful, thanks for making my day!

[@Yatoru1]

Glad you enjoyed it man!

[@jeneziz4450]

this essay is so underrated, it is so well written that it got me thinking about the matters in the video. Good job 👍

[@Achalacha]

Great analysis !! Thank you I love the character of Eren (his evolution, his struggles and his humanity), I love the beautiful ending and I love and respect the whole incredible story that Hajime Isayama gave up.

[@arclightning7161]

Man this is just such a MASTERPIECE of a video, the writing, the editing, the music. Absolutely everything had my attention GRIPPED. Someone get this man to 100k he deserves it🙏

[@tiagogoncalves8045]

I truly dont understand how people didnt like the ending, even hated it. It's beautiful, it comes full circle, it shows the flaws in Eren , his humanity, and it has a defenite sense of closure. Great video and keep it up :)

[@ayushibaloni3631]

Eren is an absolute tragedy, and I just love him so much. Thank you so much for this video. Much love!

[@ebag7455]

22:58 gave me tears and chills

[@EthanNuuu]

thank you for making this video, reading all the hate for the ending melted my mind.

[@prestonpotter6226]

I think this is genuinely the most important video about attack on titan, this video made me feel a form of acceptance of the ending, I've always been okay with his failure, but not the way it was done, having someone show me how to find a diamond in a garbage pile is amazing

[@Sin-1]

This is such a good video essay! I keep coming back every month to keep watch it just to hear it again. Great video, and great analysis on Eren! Definitely my favorite character analysis video on Eren!

[@isaak1748]

After a lot of thinking and analyzing. I've come to the realisation that Eren, is not only a great written character but also extremely relatable on so many levels. Of course, we are real people and we don't fight titans or shapeshift. But I think many of us have found ourselves in a position where you feel as if you have a big burden or responsibility placed on your shoulders, to the point where it is overwhelming and you don't really know how to handle it so we break down sometimes. I feel like many of us have felt like everything's our fault or that we are failing in what's expected from us. I just really like Eren, Isayama nailed his protagonist.

[@waytoguidance]

I just want to say I really REALLY love the conversation Eren had with Falco 😢 it makes me tear up everytime because of how perfect and true Eren's every word is and it also gives me so much inspiration to keep moving forward towarda my goals in life.. even if I die trying in the process but my loved ones get to experience the sweetness I wanted to I would still consider myself as a winner

[@redpillcomedy8568]

Goosebumps and Chills, Great Video 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@breharo1745]

you're so smart man, gave me a whole new perspective on the ending

[@brit2032]

this is such a beautiful analysis. made me cry no cap ;-;

[@DANEMAN5]

The editing of this video gave me chills like 3 times ( on top of how you captured my reverence for this series) holy shit. 10/10 man, fantastic video.

[@crazypotato7265]

I would recommend this video to anyone who have watch aot.

[@marvelous_jack5228]

Finally watched the whole video. This is an amazin analysis of Eren Yaeger and the story of Attack on Titan and summed up why i love Eren as a character so much. Thank you for this video!

[@viclf]

Beautiful analysis.

[@mayatokyo6979]

Beautiful, soulful analysis of Eren's character you nailed him down to a T. 👏👏👏

[@thomasalvarez4117]

Is video NEEDS more views to spread this message and beautiful symbolism’s

[@jsquareseaedits]

This channel and video is so underrated

[@TheBlackYaksha]

This is the type of quality content I’m trying to reach on my channel one day, Oh boy I can only imagine how long it took you to record and edit😭 Masterpiece content all I’ve been seeing is eren slander and someone has the big balls to go against the grain, GOTTA LOVE MY BOY SPIRIT❤️ Keep them bangers going My DUDEE

[@Yatoru1]

Appreciate it man. Literally was sleep deprived by the time I was done lol, but well worth it. And I wish u luck bro, ur content will just get better over time. Improve lil by lil.

[@TheBlackYaksha]

@@Yatoru1 yea I see it steadily improving and what mic do you use it sound so crisp 😭

[@Yatoru1]

@@TheBlackYaksha oh my mic is the hyper x quadcast. It's pretty pricy, but quality is solid.

[@mister_buwa99]

10/10 Analysis for 10/10 character..❤ great work man🔥 Eren Yeager my favourite anime protagonist ❤

[@o7o6o5o4o3]

Simply fantastic. It is so refreshing to see someone give 139 a chance and give a reasonable take on it instead of outright dismissing the whole character and his journey. Also, I think that the chapter will be better explained and fleshed out by the additional panels, along with the interviews and encyclopedia. I really appreciate all the hard work that went into this. Thank you very much.

[@Yatoru1]

Appreciate the comment man. I tried my best to convey my thoughts and glad it got across.

[@rezz__emiya5948]

This is my second watch through of this video, and it's directly coming after my watch of the KZbinr invaderzz Video, "this video will change how you see Eren". Even In the dichotomy of the thumbnails, the two videos portray a completely different outlook on the character of Eren Yaeger. I'd reccomend doing a watch through of this one second, as it is equivalent to a touch of water after cough syrup. This video paints Eren In a much more positive light and perfectly contrasts a point invaderzz made at the end of his video. I think both of these videos make the perfect portrayal of the character: a human. Born into his world.

[@tbKvothe]

Really solid analysis bro

[@fireshade3778]

I can't believe you have so few subs. This is unbelievably high quality work

[@imnotalizard.4376]

Absolutely amazing analysis my dude. I feel like alot of people choose to ignore that Eren is kinda a pathetic person and would rather belive in the eren that fights. Ever since eren called armin out for having bertolts memories I knew he was a hypocrite. I feel like alot of erens personality (after touching historias hand) was influenced by the attack titan's power. Knowing the full truth of his future broke him completely and he became nothing more then a slave to himself. I liked that eren had time to be human again at end and show us who he really was.

[@branchy1186]

how does one become a slave to himself? is that not just one following his own free will?

[@sourcesymbiosismetamorphis2228]

The eren that fights had a pair and when he broke down in 139 that was cringe. All because she doesn't want mikasa to be with another man? Wtf? That is some incel shit and not genuine humanity that is more of his personal ego. True humanity happened in 131 when he was talking to Ramsey and apologized for destroying billions of innocent people all so his own people could have true freedom and blessed with a choice beyond the walls. When he wondered what his mother might think of him now that shit was sad and it almost made me tear up. Armin even said those who are not willing to sacrifice their own humanity cannot change anything. To me as a writer as well this felt believable and lined up with the preset themes of the story. 139 caught me off guard in a bad way it felt unrealistic to his character and what he had been fighting for. Also as a reader we will root for characters who generally show fighting spirit and inner strength , determination,etc. Pathetic moments happen to all humans but we really thought Eren had grown from his past self. Historia actually dragged him out of that pathetic wanting to die state of being. He had to be drunk on freedom to keep on pushing. All of those themes were set in motion only to be ignored and set to the wayside for cheese romance ugh.... S4 was a more calculated cold eren who had matured and kept moving forward despite his trauma. Pushing himself into the hell and eventually beyond it for his ultimate goal. It is a cruel world yet none of his characters die they all live. Realistically they all should have died.... Isayama wanted to bake his cake and eat it too...

[@mmallowsmallows2575]

@@sourcesymbiosismetamorphis2228 You overlook the fact what the founders influence brought upon him and he also told armin that don't tell mikasa what he have said. He acted on impulse because armin provoked him in the first place.

[@mmallowsmallows2575]

@@sourcesymbiosismetamorphis2228 His development was understanding the bigger picture. Remember his conversation with reiner? Where he turned into a morally grey character? By telling reiner he came to understand the world even more, that humans outside and inside the walls are all the same. Erens determination was always there. Eren didn't stop at 80% but he was "stopped" at 80%, which means he just failed. Killing his friends including mikasa would've contradicted his character more.

[@imnotalizard.4376]

Man, didn't think someone would submit an essay on my comment.

[@21Calm]

I had to do an essay for english and I chose to write about Eren, and your video helped me a lot to express what I couldn't. Thank you so much :)

[@oliviarose7090]

Ooh hit me with the link. I wanna read your Eren's essay.

[@21Calm]

@@oliviarose7090 drive.google.com/file/d/1U7bClsREGDJ_pE6Vtf1kU9aQ3mW9fUsQ/view?usp=drivesdk if you can't open it send me your email and I'll send it :D I couldn't say everything I wanted because I had only 300 words to make that essay, and even though that I wrote 500 words haha

[@kikima258]

What a great video and analysis and i truly like how by the end eren was just a 19 year old humain still uterly confused born into such a cruel world not some god like figure who held all the answers

[@viol2t]

my god, is this the greatest video in KZbin or what. i literally loved it with all my heart cuz it showed the real eren not the one everyone hates. im speechless and all i can say is WOW

[@babc6394]

Season 1, Flaming field(rage, revenge) S2, Icy field(Cold) S3, Ocean S4, Dusty field(Rumbling)

[@insanetensei4659]

Absolutely amazing analysis fam !

[@Yatoru1]

Appreciate it man

[@ludencer3492]

I have seen many people/videos analyzing Eren and this definitely is the best you summarzied the best parts/points from other videos I've seen and still broke down his character in your way (and the same way I interpret him) Also the amount of effort this video took has to be insane props to that

[@godsspecimen8558]

Beautiful work of art explaining the character that is Eren Jaeger.

[@jinstronda2571]

Man really thank you for this video its an amazing review and analysis of the character and it really had a big emotional impact on me (all the destiny stuff and the weight of expectations and everything is really hard), i dont get how your videos are not more popular, the editing and content are amazing i didnt really like the aot ending for some reasons but for me aot is still a masterpiece, and one of the things that make it a masterpiece is the awesome development of characters

[@aryanpeero1917]

I freaking love this .......reminds me why watching aot is the best experience I have had ........despite the horrible ending eren is such a great protagonist

[@pearlsandpendant]

Omy this is such a beautifully articulated analysis partnered with beautifully picked clips/images and bg music. I teared up at a lot of parts here. You really made me appreciate Eren’s character more and more, and reminded me why I love this story so much even tho yes the ending could have been stronger. But, the themes are faithful to the end. And I really liked how you ended the video with So Ist Emmer. Such a great character this Eren Yeager

[@Yatoru1]

I'm glad to hear that! I put everything into this and happy the effort paid off!

[@potenteudaimonia5074]

After watching this entirely in one sitting, I sincerely hope you keep on moving forward. You have a bright mind and this analysis showcases it wonderfully; please keep up the great work!