The Warrior: A Character Study of Reiner Braun (Attack On Titan)

[@jsull81]

Reiner is one of the best written & intriguing characters in all of fiction imo, thank you for making this 🙏

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Glad you enjoyed! I can’t wait to make more when Uni lets out for the semester.

[@jsull81]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin Nice! I just found your channel but it's clear you know what you're doing, so I look forward to seeing new content : ) Maybe consider Gabi for a character analysis. Because, like Reiner, I believe the lessons she learns doing her arc i.e. recognizing & coming to terms with being indoctrinated, and learning how to overcome it, as well as, realizing that trying to understand where your "enemies" are coming from is key to resolving any conflict, are ultimately the only chance we have of ever breaking the cycle of hatred

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

@@jsull81 She's definitley on the list, I really love where her character goes in the last arc and she's among my favorites. I have a few characters I plan to cover first, but I will absolutely be putting out a video on her.

[@jsull81]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin Sweet! I know she gets a lot of flack and she did kill our beloved potato girl, but I think her character Arc is one of the most important in the entire story. Plus, the death of Sasha, the character most representative of light-heartedness & levity was very well placed narratively. It signaled to the audience that things were about to get even more intense/serious But ya, I'm going to check out your Levi analysis & probably the sword art video too (and right off the bat, I definitely agree there was a lot of missed potential in that series, especially during season 1) when I get time later today, and I look forward to the future content : )

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

@@jsull81 I appreciate the interest, and I hope you enjoy them. I really hope that people start to lighten up on her as the rest of the series gets animated. I know when the new episode drops each week one of the top 5 comments always says something along the lines of "just a reminder, all my homies still hate Gabi." I plan on discussing that when I talk about her, but I think those people are really missing the point with her. I think it's a very good point that Sasha's exit marks a shift in the tone, and I also think it is very important that we take pespective into account. Gabi, at the beginning of the Marley Arc is just like the main cast. She has a limited understanding of the world that she has been indoctrinated to believe since birth. She has no hesitation in shooting Sasha because in her eyes, all the Island Eldians are pure evil and the attack on Liberio solidified that. She has never even had the chance to encounter any evidence that indicates they are anything but bloodthirsty monsters. I think it would have been entirely unreasonable for her to do anything but shoot Sasha, because she has no reason to have even the slightest bit of sympathy for the Survey Corps. I absolutely adore watching that perception slowly get peeled back as she interacts with the Eldians of Paradis. It feels almost as if we get to see a decline similar to the one Reiner went through, but we get to see it largely from Gabi's perspective. It makes her feel like one of the most genuine, humaized characters in the series to me. Also, Sasha's dad is fantastic, and hearing him talk about his daughter's death always gets me to tear up.

[@sonofapotato9025]

*sniff sniff* I smell an underrated KZbinr

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I'm trying to grow right now, but the type of video I make means it takes a while to finish them. I plan on continuing to make them regardless!

[@itsahostiletakeover]

Fantastic video 👏 Despite not being able to personally relate, Reiner easily garnered the most empathy from me and is thus my favorite character of the series for all the reasons you've laid out.

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

I think that’s one of the most brilliant things about the way Reiner is written. You don’t have to have a similar experience or even forgive his actions to feel for the guy. A lesser writer may have used him as a sympathetic villain at best, but Isayama developed him into something really special.

[@kobe3941]

Reiner is my top 3 favorite characters ever brainwashed and you have no clue what Reiner has already been through even before he killed Marco when marcel saved his life reiners while personality changes

[@lllExodus]

If Reiner was truly just a solider no one would've complained and everyone would love him, but because they wrote him so complicated and so layered he is one of if not the best character in attack on titan

[@hououinkyoumaich]

Reiner is the only casuality from both sides.

[@WoWGirl6]

Actually I think in the end Reiner and Eren, once again, are more alike. I think their very actions define them and how similar they really are to each other. Spoiler Alert: Eren wants to destroy everyone in the world except for Eldia. He is protecting his people. Such as his friends Mikasa and Armin. Eren is no longer trying to seek vengeance for his mother's death, he no longer hates the Titans. He's shifted his passion and goal from blindly hating Titans to protecting his friends in the end. While also committing atrocious acts of evil. Just like Reiner. Reiner is also protecting the people he cares about and no longer uses his blind hatred for Eldians as a crutch. It just so happens that his goal to protect the ones he cares about involves fighting Eldians. Eren and Reiner are polar opposites to the trajectory of guilt they are on. Reiner is coming to terms for killing people. While Eren is guilt free. He justifies killing every living being in the world except for Eldia. Eren and Reiner are the ultimate arch enemies and rivals while also being almost exactly the same in the paths they've chose. It says a lot about why we inevitably side with family and friends, regardless of morality. My team versus your team.

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

If you have not already seen it, there is an excellent video from a creator named Soul that compares the two of them. I highly recommend it because it’s just quality content and really shaped my view of the dynamic between the two! I think one of the really interesting things about the final arc is this idea that nobody is really the good guy, and that plays into Eren and Reiner’s perspectives. All the two of them, along with the rest of the cast, can do is make the decision they think is right based on the information available to them. That’s part of what I really like about the arcs that will eventually be the rest of season 4 and the movie. There’s a human element to the conflict that makes the perspective of both sides at least understandable regardless of which one you agree with.

[@WoWGirl6]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin Thanks for the recommendation! And keep up with the great analysis!

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

@@WoWGirl6 No problem, and I really appreciate it! I’ve been a little swamped with uni these past few months but I’m slowly getting back into the swing of it. Hope to start putting videos out more consistently over the course of the next few months!

[@lukaslambs5780]

Grey characters are my favorite. In A Song of Ice and Fire I love Jaime and Tyrion, they’re just so interesting! Reiner is right up there with the the Lannister sons and Prince Zuko.

[@MimiRei]

Amazing analysis! Reiner’s well-written persona and story adds more to why he’s one of my favorite characters. I haven’t been able to rewatch AOT, but seeing Ymir describe Reiner is so accurate since I understand all characters more than I used to. Good job!

[@ThePointlessBox_]

For me the most iconic panel in the entire story is Reiner holding back THE eldritch god with full resolve amidst a colossal titan explosion

[@Beeejamin96]

Sometbing else I noticed during season 4 was how much skinnier Reiner was/is. I thought it was a great physical representation as to how he’s deteriorated mentally. It’s also displayed well as he’s always looking tired and exhausted. He’s just one of the best written characters I’ve seen and idk what’s gonna happen to him in the final season but I’m gonna be heartbroken knowing there’ll be an end to him whether it’s the end of his 13 years or he dies earlier than planned

[@eve938]

But he got more handsome.

[@Beeejamin96]

@@eve938 fr the depression made him hot

[@lambertlion1217]

How this video have so little views.. this analysis was actually impressive

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I’ll be dropping one on Erwin sometime in February.

[@LillyTVLPS]

really good video!!!! reiner is by far my favourite character

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! He’s a favorite of mine. Once I finish the video i’m currently working on, (hopefully this week) I’m going to move on to Erwin.

[@anakin-is-panakin]

Reiner is my favorite character. I just think he’s neat 🥔 I like to believe that Soldier!Reiner isn’t him being Marcel, it’s just all of his potential. It’s the idealistic version of himself and his best self. Once he believes it’s true, it IS true.

[@smylegalaxy2810]

Definitely my fav character in AoT.

[@eve938]

This was truly awesome

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you, I really appreciate it c:

[@verbiobtz]

Really good writing throughout this entire video. Simple, yet impactful words go a long way. 10/10 video, good job :)

[@fluffybirdy7720]

This is one of the best Reiner videos I have ever seen even though it is older. Reiner has it all: 10/10 in story and character development. 9.5/10 in looks without the beard and 10/10 with the beard. Never wanted to meet a fictional character so badly as him. ❤😢

[@koui4449]

One of the best character analysis of my fav aot and anime character . Insta subbed thanks for this masterpiece of a video .

[@miriamgonzales9711]

This was a great essay! I'm currently working on a character analysis for Reiner myself, albeit from a psychological, trauma-focused standpoint. Your character study was really interesting and well-structured, and helped me gather more thoughts for my own work! One thing though, I believe Reiner is more than the two personas of Warrior and Soldier you mentioned. It feels like you are giving the Soldier persona almost a little too much credit for Reiner's "good" actions, while laying all the atrocities on his Warrior self. I understand the thought process behind those statements, however, I think that, as you said, those two personalities only function as psychological armour for his real self. What or who his real self actually is and entails, I can't say with certainty, given that these personas were developed during a crucial time in childhood (_his wanting to destroy all the island devils and making his mom proud, wanting to finally live with his father as honorary marleyans. I believe the creation of this Warrior persona was, obviously, heavily influenced by his environment and the nature of the world in AOT, but more importantly, it was pushed by his mother. His safe person. His caregiver. That's why it stuck for so long and how it became such a key part of Reiner's identity, which due to the various events and traumatic experiences he endured during his mission in Paradis and afterwards started to crumble, as he saw his worldview shaken by new perspectives and realities, and the safe space that used to be his mother and home stopped being a safe haven for his experiences in Paradis and new findings and emotions towards life and Eldians_). Anyway, I believe that, behind all the "I want to destroy those island demons and be the world's hero" and the "I believe in you, Eren. You just gotta keep moving forward" and "When can I marry Crista" there's the selfless guy who wants to protect Gabi and support Falco. Simple and straightforward goals, but at the end of the day, they are the kids that kept him from suicide and that *make his life worthwhile* To sum things up, Reiner has had his whole childhood, puberty, adolescence, and young adulthood years basically scarred with different magnitudes of emotional trauma. He has both endured and caused immense suffering, however, I still believe that he can find peace and redemption through allocating meaning to his life and experiences. He can still live a meaningful life, however short it may be. ANyway im really passionate abt reiner ahahah

[@miriamgonzales9711]

great content either way!!!!!!!!!! subscring rn

[@marinap-xp7vb]

I’d be really interested to learn more about your work on this. I really relate to Reiner because of his trauma and alters. I think most of all I can relate to growing up as a kid with a caregiving figure who set up unhealthy expectations for their own gratification. I think he and I diverged in that I rejected the expectations, which led to verbal abuse, while he embraced them and followed them into oblivion. It’s definitely cathartic to see his mom finally realize that she failed him as a mother.

[@AmandaabnamA]

Lets be real, hes the Zuko of AOT, but Im surprised you didnt mention him barely making it and Marcel protecting his bro allowing him in. Thats quite important to his character and developing another persona

[@Xoxad696]

Aot is a masterpiec for giving this deep of a story for erens punching bag. But no joke this is my favourite aot video essay ever and you kinda sound like Reiner.

[@jamietheweeb388]

great video, deserves way more views

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I’m trying to put out a video a month this year, and I plan to cover at least Erwin, the main trio, Gabi, and Ymir sometime before the end of the year.

[@madmouse1016]

Man this is only an analysis and it still has me crying-

[@GGIKEL]

these videos are awesome displays of care and critical thinking about stories, worlds, and characters you care about! fantastic!!

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed!

[@entstrawhat]

This video deserves more love, it's so interesting and well done.

[@sethpritchett7120]

I would consider Reiner my favorite character but the boys dog on me for it. This puts into words what I've been trying to explain! Also, props on the manga spoiler care, I've been spoiled by youtube way too much. Worth the sub!

[@Mrjoshstaff2]

Loved your analysis. Hope the new season brings you views

[@memebois4307]

Yo this video was done so well! Hope your content starts to get more views man

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I’ve been very swamped with school lately, but I plan on starting to produce more content soon. I’ve had a shorter video about To Your Eternity in the works for a while, but after that I plan on jumping back on character studies with Erwin.

[@imhawkz]

18:46 A man of culture, its my favorite moment as well. Great video btw, I never thought of Reiners metaphorical armor which is his coping mechanism untill now.

[@thecerealkiller1989]

You deserve more Followers man. Great analysis

[@sakkijarvenpolkka2090]

Such an underrated video!! Thanks for the analysis, man!

[@isaacswampwater8711]

amazing video keep up the absolute flawless work, just subbed:)

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Much appreciated, I’m glad you enjoyed c:

[@serenaealvarez]

This is great man, you deserve way more followers. Thank you for such great work

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve had to take a bit of a hiatus due to uni, but I plan on finishing a shorter video I’ve been working on sometime in the next week and then hopping back on my more long form content!

[@rxgomez9000]

I believe that in life, there are punishments far worse than death. Reiner exemplifies that belief. His punishment is to live out the rest of his life forever with a guilty conscience knowing all the things he did will haunt him until the day he dies. The more he intereacted with Eren and everyone else, he eventually new the truth deep down inside. But he chose to deny and even delude himself that he was doing a heroes duty. I can't think of anything more poetic and a punishment far worse than death.

[@RhythmLP]

I hope you make more vids man, this is some good shit!

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I haven’t been able to get much work done because of uni, but I’m gradually getting back into the rhythm and plan on going hard this summer!

[@RhythmLP]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin looking forward to it, good luck in your schoolwork!

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

@@RhythmLP thanks, I appreciate it!

[@ashqly73]

beautiful video with some top notch anylisis and simple enough for my pea brain to get thank you yiou deserve more views liked + subbed

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed! I’m hoping to get a couple more videos out before the summer ends.

[@ashqly73]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin cant wait for some more uploads from you

[@charliekowittmusic]

Thanks for this excellent and fresh analysis. Fun watch!

[@disc_golfing_with_d]

Did he say Poco? 😆 Good video tho! I love videos like these

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

I've heard his name said so many different ways I've just stopped trying.

[@disc_golfing_with_d]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin even the characters stopped trying 😆

[@melvincoleman595]

Awesome analysis! Great writer

[@jvssicaa]

i love this video so much. i think he’s such an interesting character

[@sana_saint]

Best written character in AoT in my subjective opinion 🙈

[@astrex4211]

beautiful video

[@r2canadian979]

Good job on that video! Keep it up

[@sethpritchett7120]

A Yeager family vid would be tight with your level of detail! Talk about an awkward thanksgiving

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

Thank you! I think when I eventually cover them it would be really interesting to cover them all at once, but I think it would definitley make for a better video than covering them individually!

[@muttonrolls9126]

based

[@muttonrolls9126]

the description 😭

[@catnip5011]

He's my favorite Titan! 😍

[@thebookreader287]

Eren for me felt like a carbon copy of lelouch so he was kind of easier to figure out. Same with Mikasa and Armin. I think the biggest strength of the series lies with the side characters and reiner is one of the most complex and well-written among them.

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

That’s pretty much the reason I’ve been covering side characters rather than the main trio. I love the three of them, but I think a lot of the side characters are where the best writing of the series lies.

[@Alvacka97]

Eren is a very, very different character. He wanted to destroy the world to save his loved ones while also recreating the world he always dreamed of, the world in Armin's book. Lelouch wanted to achieve peace by uniting the whole world against him.

[@mmallowsmallows2575]

I can definitely tell you really didn't watch or observe the characters you mentioned above reiner. Lelouch and Eren are barely similar barring being villains lmao. I'd say Erens journey for freedom as a child to adult is far more intriguing to witness, his story felt more fleshed out compared to Lelouch's. I could write hundreds of paragraphs dissecting the trio and exploring how they perfectly embody the themes of the story. In terms of depth none of the side characters can even par with the main ones except zeke, levi, erwin, grisha, and reiner

[@Houston_Smh]

“Rine-ah”

[@user-bs3to5qc2r]

love Christa lol 6:29

[@TheInfamousWolf]

Please make a video on Eren

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

He''s on my list! I want to cover Erwin and Ymir first, but after the two of them I'll be getting to him. I want to give the ending time to be animated before I take him on.

[@TheInfamousWolf]

@@SpaceCowboyKZbin that's clever thinking good sir ! I look forward to this amazing content in the future! I hope the algorithm treats you very well.

[@SpaceCowboyYouTube]

@@TheInfamousWolf Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying!

[@TheIslandDivision]

Marco could have easily dove thru the window, regained his ODM gear, waited out the titan, and then quietly but quickly fly off to Pyxis & the Garrison or the MPs. But then Marco would have most likely have to be killed by Jean in the Jeagerist arc.

[@ben_sisko2149]

I don't know how hard would be to call any of the characters "hero" or "villain"... but most people online seem to do that XD. That's why we can't have pretty things. Thanks for the analysis. Also, and I know this is petty: everyone keeps saying his last name wrong even though they it is clearly pronounce in the anime. It's just "brown" but with the German spelling; the pronunciation is exacly the same XD

[@Langello0o]

And then the ending happened

[@spideysam5473]

Nice video but the biggest problem of Reiner is he not a relatable character. He always been a 3rd person.

[@TheDkMovie]

cool video but man you mispronounce so many names. mikasa, shiganshina, porco, paradis

[@emimon2351]

Just FYI, indoctrination doesn't exist only on the Right but also on the Left