Hope you enjoy this video! It does not contain any manga spoilers. For those who aren't aware, I have started filming reactions to each episode of the current season. They are available here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iI6cxJWqiZXdZ7g.html Also, if you want to discuss each episode live with me, you can follow my Twitch, where I do episode discussions every Monday morning! www.twitch.tv/Aleczandxr/ One last thing - not sure why people are assuming otherwise, but I have read the manga.

@MackSaysWhat_

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I’m not sure how you could’ve made this video if you hadn’t read the manga beforehand, considering how quickly things are progressing in the anime. I think people are just throwing around the term “anime-only” when someone has a different understanding of the story. Great video, by the way.

@The_preserver_x16

2 жыл бұрын

I gotta disagree with you in terms of him not having free will and being bounded by fate, it was more like he was bounded to the path that secured eldia future due to his personality and will power. The future in attack on titan is displayed as multiple futures, the individual has to choose these paths. One of the themes is that Free will exist in this universe it’s just that humans constantly steal each other rights to choose.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

@@The_preserver_x16 A pretty important distinction is that I didn't say anything that contradicted the idea that free will exists in this universe. I just said that Eren is, to some degree, bound to the fate he saw. I'm not making any statements about free will as a concept or philosophy. Just that Eren, deep down, does not actually perceive himself as truly free to the extent that he says he is to Armin and Mikasa.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

@@MackSaysWhat_ Cheers!

@The_Sci-Fi_Slut

2 жыл бұрын

@@The_preserver_x16 I mean you're free to think that. But there is nothing in the manga or anime that suggests that in Attack on Titan there are multiple futures, I don't know where you got that from

In s1, Eren had no chill and we laughed In s4, Eren still has no chill and we are terrified. He was really always this way

@spencerfoote6977

2 жыл бұрын

Imagine seeing your future memories there is and nothing you can do to change them no matter how much you try. That sounds like a clever punishment for a religious tale.

@chinyereugwu9431

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed. Which is sad. Eren is a great character. A tragic slave

@Levi-rc8kh

2 жыл бұрын

Yup. Like a wise man once said, "It's not Eren that changed, it was our perspectives on him that did."

@MegaChidori17

2 жыл бұрын

ngl I always found his ‘no chill’ terrifying…it’s what drew me to the series in the first place lol

@pumpkin2986

2 жыл бұрын

@@MegaChidori17 you were ahead of the kurve, dude

I believe that Eren defines himself not with freedom itself, but rather the pursuit of it, and he realizes the sad contradiction that creates, because in order to pursue freedom one must not have it, therefore Eren *needs* the existence of that which takes away his freedom in order to define himself by taking it back, and what makes this even more tragic is that reaching absolute freedom is impossible, so he just wants to die fighting back and pursuing it as much as he could, he wants to live in a way that he will regret least.

@music79075

2 жыл бұрын

The attack on highschool bits in the manga at the end of the volume allude to this as well. At least imo

@hankkingofmischief4372

2 жыл бұрын

🤓

@seemonuzumaki723

2 жыл бұрын

This. People are so confused by the contradiction in his own path for freedom that they misunderstand the story and think he is truly free.

@wroughtiron6031

2 жыл бұрын

In other words, Yorokobe shounen.

@music79075

2 жыл бұрын

@@wroughtiron6031 whats that?

Eren saying “I am free I hate anything that isn’t free” is like Griffith’s speech about dreams and friendship. They’re both the ideal self instead of the actual self

@easschung9442

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting take. I always knew Eren was obviously lying/not totally honest but thought that there was an element of truth to what Griffith said.

@ASOtheprO

2 жыл бұрын

@@easschung9442 there is an element of truth to what Griffith said for the most part, but the reality that Griffith couldn’t accept is that he loves and values Guts despite Guts being a man without his own ambition. And in the manga at least we see that Griffith cared about Casca somewhat enough to want to save her despite being reduced to a twig

@layek9906

2 жыл бұрын

@@ASOtheprO yes, i hate it when people don't realise the complexity of griffith and call him pure evil/hate on him

@wolfbrigade8042

2 жыл бұрын

Pretty nice example actually!

@nicolasoliveira4903

2 жыл бұрын

@@ASOtheprO Maybe I'm wrong. But I see Eren as a psychopath, for me his first instinct is always to kill. I can't like a guy with that mindset. The only thing I saw different from season four onwards is that they started trying to justify his killing spree. There's also the fact that he's become a more cerebral psychopath, rather than acting like a mindless zombie. No one will convince me that 100% of the countries in the world have united with a country that has slaves and uses Titans in war. It's a poorly told story that tries to justify Eren's genocide.

4:21 That transition is amazing though, I got mad chills 😭😭😭 Eren is such a good character man...... It's so obvious how he's not nearly as free as he acts like he is, that he wishes he was, after so many moments in the series of failing to protect people he cares about. And of course he isn't free, being trapped inside a literal time loop that he had no choice but to carry out, and there's such poetry in that and how it applies to his character; even if he did genuinely hate Frieda's ideals and hated his father for not being able to stand up to her, his demeanor afterwards still makes it clear he hates what he had to do to them, another example of his own powerlessness. When I first started the show I never in a million years could have imagined that Eren would reach this point, and yet it's so impressive that I can look back on it all after Eren claims that this is who he's always been, and see that absolutely none of it feels out of character for him, and that this is such a natural place for him to end up. Love him, and love this video, AJ 💕

@newt2120

2 жыл бұрын

I thought it was Light Yagami

@sandsmthembu2777

2 жыл бұрын

I get uu but I believe his free, I knw he is in a loop but this loop was created by him not imposed by it. You can say he's not free to leave it but Eren himself found it the only way to have wat he wants, Eran does not need saving n his no longer a victim not of fate, he is the author of it.

Everyone is to some extent shaped by their environment. Eren even more so than Zeke I would argue. Eren was born inside the walls. He was born into a class of livestock and that makes him angry. He wants to see the outside world and to break out of the walls that have defined him since birth. The Rumbling is the ultimate symbol of Eren breaking down the walls and setting himself and Eldia free. The walls that once bound him are now the weapons he uses to "Kill everyone over there to be free".

@billalzerouali2528

2 жыл бұрын

Everyone else lived within the walls has the same environment and didn't come to the same conclusion as eren. Eren is just naturally like this. The only people you could argue who have a desire within the walls about freedom could be the survey cops and even then grisha indicates that they are just special. I don't think Eren's environment shaped him as much as Zeke's environment did

@iXSIKOBOIXi

2 жыл бұрын

@@billalzerouali2528 but if Eren want born inside the walls he would have never been like this. His goals ARE shaped by his environment, and just because he's uniquely disposed towards taking that action that's still because of the situation he was born into

@richunclepennybags1532

2 жыл бұрын

This is actually not entirely true. In Attack on Titan School Castes, a series which Isayama has said could be useful in understanding certain characters, Eren lives in a world where he is already free. He becomes immeasurably bored, and at one point he has a dream about a zombie apocalypse, and in that dream he immediately reverts back to the Eren we know from the main series. When he wakes up, he is dissapointed because he is so bored that he literally wants something to threaten his freedom, to the point where he even considered creating that threat himself. tl;dr: In a world without freedom, Eren fights. In a world with freedom, he considers creating an active threat just so he has freedom to fight for.

@fridakron1696

2 жыл бұрын

@@richunclepennybags1532 I was just about to mention the parallels to the Highschool castes au :) Glad that someone else is also paying attention to it… Even in the original aot world, Eren is just really bored as a kid. “I wish something interesting would happen” he says. It’s not until Armin shows him the book about the outside world that he gets his reason to fight.

@szalyn8849

2 жыл бұрын

Isayama said that school with AOT characters manga that he did create is essential to understand the main story

Something interesting to note is how the scene with Reiner changes if you consider that Eren knew he was going to start the rumbling. Eren knows that it’s going to happen no matter what, it’s predetermined, and in that regard, he has no choice in the matter. It’s like Eren talked to Reiner to get closure on this and to absolve himself of guilt, because he wanted Reiner’s confirmation that he has no choice but to begin the rumbling, just like he thinks Reiner had no choice but to attack the walls. But Reiner admitting that he had free will and chose to destroy the walls despite the fact that he’d probably get his Titan transferred if Reiner failed and returned to Marley shows that even someone in circumstances as restricted as Reiner has free will. Thus, Eren also has free will, and Eren smiles at Reiner because while it’s optimistic for Eren to know that he still has free will, that also means that he will have to bear the burden of blood on his hands. Even if the future is predetermined, Eren still makes the choice, and thus he’s still guilty.

@agentace1476

2 жыл бұрын

Very well said

@hosman1391

2 жыл бұрын

I always interpreted it as Reiner admitted that he committed selfish acts for his own personal gain. He said to Eren that he did so because he wanted to be seen as a hero. Then Eren tells him that they are the same signifying that he was going to kill innocents for his own selfish gain.

@RTU130

2 жыл бұрын

ye

@intwined5115

2 жыл бұрын

@shougo makishima did we read the same manga? the last few chapters focus on how eren can't change the future because of the way his memories are intertwined, even the ones that haven't happened yet. there's literally a whole section dedicated to eren trying to break this path of predetermination, but he fails to do so and that's why he's crying when he returns the kid to the camp: he realizes there's literally nothing he can do to change what's going to happen, not even if it's not saving some random little kid that's going to die anyway. and i'm not even going to mention the entire theme of "slaves have no need for two eyes" because that's a whole essay, perhaps you should read the manga again

@henrychen310

2 жыл бұрын

@@intwined5115 The way I see it, this entire scene was Isayama tackling whether or not we have free will in a deterministic universe. The events in the future were caused entirely by the past. Eren simply saw what the outcomes of his actions would be. It didn’t mean that he has no free will, it means that he already knows what choice he will make and what it will result in. He has free will and the ability to make choices, and this results in the rumbling.

Eren was talking to Mikasa and Armin, like he was talking in front of a mirror.

@brattysubenthusiast

2 жыл бұрын

and when he was talking to an actual mirror,down in the cells,he ordered himself to keep fighting, he has been trying really hard not to have a meltdown.

@joke_d

2 жыл бұрын

I dunno, I still think some of the things he says to Armin and Mikasa were true. Eren being disappointed in Armin really and calling him useless makes senses, Armin always had a plan to save the day but ever since the timeskip he's been too indecisive to do anything, and well ... useless. Also Eren being frustrated with Mikasas lack of self determination most certainly were somewhat true. He most certainty don't hate Armin and Mikasa but are most likely frustrated with parts of them during this critical moment.

@brattysubenthusiast

2 жыл бұрын

@@Ismael-kc3ry when he did,it made sense he did lmao it humanizes his character,theres a breaking point somewhere. dont spoilerino

@Ismael-kc3ry

2 жыл бұрын

@@brattysubenthusiast aye no spoilers here 🤐

I fucking love this take. Never, ever considered that this could've been why he laughed after Sasha's death. Beautiful.

@sebay1571

2 жыл бұрын

“You’re still as useless as you ever were” are the lines Eren is probably thinking at this moment, and it hurts. Finally realizing he was a slave to fate, he breaks down the same way he did in season 2. This almost made me tear up I can’t lie

@CarlosSanchez-dv5iq

2 жыл бұрын

@@sebay1571 he's not a slave to fate itself, just his future self. He's a paradox that serves his future self. That's all, he's not being dragged along by fate just because

@sebay1571

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarlosSanchez-dv5iq Yeah, I understand that. I worded my comment wrong. He is more of a slave to his ideals, but it is because of those ideals that he can’t change the future. But he did realize that he couldn’t change the future so in a sense he was also a slave his future

@sreenivas6071

2 жыл бұрын

@@sebay1571 gotcha

@Flamelance_Accendo

2 жыл бұрын

Well when he was finished laughing, he got frustrated. You could see it on face.

I love this dichotomy within Eren that you perfectly highlighted in this video! I find it interesting that during the table scene Eren argues that Mikasa has an innate nature to her that has dictated her life and actions due to her Ackerman instincts. Eren uses this to argue that she isn't free and that she's a slave because she can't make any decision that goes against this nature of hers. Yet during that scene and also later with Zeke, Eren argues that he has a similar sense of nature to him in regards to being free and stealing other people's freedom. Though this time Eren says that his innate nature is what makes him free, which on the surface seems to make sense but can also seem quite contradictory since if he's been dictated by this innate nature of his, then it means he also can't make any decision that goes against it and it's what purely defines him. Going by this logic if Eren can't define himself outside of this nature just like he argued Mikasa can't outside of hers, this makes him just as enslaved to it as she is. (I don't think I even need to mention how contradictory Eren's argument as to why Armin is a slave is. Arguing that having Bertholdt's memories has enslaved him. Meanwhile Eren has Grisha's, Kruger's, Freida's, Lara Tybur's and potentially many more memories flowing through his head creating, a clashing, confusing and contradictory mess to his psyche.) Which leads into the argument that Eren is very much projecting his own insecurities onto Mikasa and Armin. And since we now know in the anime, Eren has seen the future, and all his actions are leading towards that future. He is simply living his life, like an actor reading off of a script. You could argue he's not even making his own decisions if they're all determined/decided by future visions he has no control over and can't change. Or you could spin it the other way and say the only reason the future won't change is because Eren would always make those decisions due to his innate nature regardless. The topic of Free will in regards to Eren's character is one of the most fascinating aspects of him. How free he projects himself as, compared to how free he feels he is, versus how free he actually is. Depending on your views on determinism and how they apply to Eren, there are multiple different arguments that can be made about how much agency Eren really has. It's fascinating! Great video as always AJ!

@wolfbrigade8042

2 жыл бұрын

I feel like Eren has most likely not seen absolutely everything when he saw the future but only the biggest and most important moments. So in a way those little sequences inbetween are where he actually acts on his free will even tho those actions eventually lead to what he has seen anyways.

@PresentHeroes

2 жыл бұрын

No, see, nothing is forcing him to take actions that realize that future. He could absolutely say no to the rumbling, or follow Armin's plan of partial rumbling. However, Eren must have a reason to choose to commit the atrocities that lead to the future. There can only be one answer, the future he sees is something he desires. That despite it all, what he stands to achieve outweighs all the horrible prices that need to be paid to get there. If you've read the manga, you know where that road ends. And yes, Eren wanted that in the end. Every crime against humanity he committed was for that end, and while I can't say that's fine, I do think it's an acceptable choice on Eren's part.

@seg162

2 жыл бұрын

@@wolfbrigade8042 He's acting on his "free will" at any rate-- the future would have been the future whether or not he saw it.

@wolfbrigade8042

2 жыл бұрын

@@seg162 Yes I know that. My knowledge about Eren has been updated since I wrote that comment.

@thesamuraispirit7686

Жыл бұрын

armin did call eren a slave and that got under his skin in the same scene

holy crap, that part where you edited eren laughter from one scene to the other was literally magical. I seriously got goosebumps

The finale did a great job portraying Eren taking off that mask from himself and revealing that he was actually a slave to freedom.

@GregSmithIII

Ай бұрын

Trash

It's crazy when you think about it. His whole character is based on his desire to be free... Yet in the end, he's the ultimate puppet, pawn and hostage of the very thing that gave him ultimate power ... And it was of his own choosing. Imagine that. You identify with your freedom or mission to achieve it that you willingly imprison yourself completely and utterly

@vihan3423

2 жыл бұрын

And yet he was willing to become a slave to his ideology so that his fellow friends and people of Paradise could enjoy the freedom that he yearned for. He gave up his freedom so that Paradise could be free. I surely can respect him for that.

@Cjgfiowodjgth

7 ай бұрын

Eren is a slave to himself to his own idea of freedom. I can relate to him. I often resolute to the idea that I might just be a slave to myself. My own ideas, my mindset, my weaknesses things I just can't help.. If the big question of aot is meant to be if we are truly free and not just slaves to fate.. in that sense I think an answer can be that we aren't! if WE are our own tyrants the good new is we CAN do something about it We can change anytime we decide to.. And brake the shackles According to Christianity Theres the God and the Devil The Truth and the deciever The Freedom and the enslaver Whatever enslaves us is a lie So maybe in this case what truly enslaves us is the belief that we can't change? a lie of the devil.. And what else comes from the devil? Pride of course the beginning of the downfall often people that never change are prideful

Just a tidbit that supports this thesis: The AU Attack on Titan high school manga written by Isayama (confirmed to be canon, despite being a joke) states that Eren would have this monster side to him no matter what. However, a blind man could see that certain events shaped the person he would become.

@seemonuzumaki723

2 жыл бұрын

Yep, Eren was always going to have this need for freedom. But he was also shaped by key experiences.

@tristanboss7319

2 жыл бұрын

The pursuit of freedom was an innate part of his nature, however in a world where he was already free, or could pursue freedom without evil, he would likely become a normal person or even a hero, like during the first three seasons of the story. The situation he was in made him a villain.

@easschung9442

2 жыл бұрын

@@tristanboss7319 Yep

@blacksesamecandies

3 ай бұрын

To me, Eren was born a psychopath. He has a very very limited few people he cares for, but the rest of the world (obviously) can go to hell. Even in the case of Mikasa and Armin, I think the main reason Eren kept them close is they were constantly enabling him. Whatever 'love' Eren has is very twisted and conditional. I can see him struggling with the rumbling obviously, but also on some level deep down he wanted to do it. If you go by the logic of Eren always felt powerless and weak and his freedom was really seeking being stronger than everyone else - then he certainly got it. There is a bit of nurture there too. Zeke is in a similar vein a villain, but is doing what he does for supposedly 'noble' reasons. I think he is a bit more tragic, maybe because he wasn't an inherit psychopath like Eren, he wasn't going around murdering anyone at like age 8 ala Eren. Then again, most of the characters are some level of morally gray. But I think Eren by far is the closest to black we get in AOT.

Eren's mask makes me wonder how many historical figures in our own world have worn a false mask (or been put on a false mask by their admirers and/or haters). The figure that we see in history books & the popular imagination may be very different from the actual person that lived.

@Chairman_Miao

2 жыл бұрын

Also, masks up everyone! COVID ain't over yet xD

@Ask4This

2 жыл бұрын

doesnt matter what the feeling behind the actions are, the actions are what shape the world and should be judged. feelings are a luxury that are only self serving and redundant, the feelings you show are mostly self serving and arrogant.

@lordshaki7237

2 жыл бұрын

Almost every single one

@hariman7727

2 жыл бұрын

News media: "Trump's a monster!" People who know Trump and have known him for years: "Actually, no he's not." Me: "He was good on the economy/foreign relations, but was AWFUL at hiring choices, and trusted the absolute wrong people as advisors. Decent guy otherwise." News Media: "If you don't hate the trump beast you're a monster too!"

@memelord8408

2 жыл бұрын

Most of them do and sad thing is many have the burden thrust on them .

I think the dichotomy of Zeke and Eren can also be seen under a different light, not incompatible with the reading you gave. Last year I found an excerpt from a paper by a certain Peimin Ni that analyses the difference between the concept of freedom in the West and the East, focusing in particular on Taoist philosophy. Both are defined as a state with complete lack of coercion and restraints, but while the first one is more focused on the external restraints, the second is a bit more focused on the internal ones. To become free, someone from western culture has "to clear the external constraints and coercions on the individual's will or desires, and never involves a critical examination of one's own will or desires". The Taoist instead "focuses on modifying the self that can be in conflict with external constraints. Instead of being critical of the external environment and requesting the environment to give room to the individual's desires or will, the Taoist requires the individual to be critical of him/herself, and to be in harmony with his/her environment." I find very interesting the fact that these two concepts of freedom are fully embodied in their most toxic connotations in Eren and Zeke respectively, and as the paper says the answer is probably somewhere in the middle. I am a manga reader and I can attest that Isayama has still a lot in store for us but what his work says about freedom is one of the biggest things I got from the manga. Also excellent video, and also very much needed. I kinda wish stuff like this existed before the manga's ending dropped ahah

@aubreystewart3772

2 жыл бұрын

Can I get a link to that paper if you still have it? I’ve been discussing conflict resolution and its effect on Happiness with a buddy of mine(philosophy major) and the topic of whether it is more fruitful to put in the effort to change external factors that impede your contentment or to look to change yourself to make yourself content in your environment is a common thread.

@wanderingthewastes6159

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry, but I can't read this without thinking "freedom is slavery".

@DBArtsCreators

2 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't say the answer is "somewhere in the middle". They are two completely different types of freedoms/slaveries. One can (and should overall try to be) free both intrinsically & extrinsically at the same time. One can also be enslaved intrinsically & extrinsically at the same time.

@andthestorybegins5597

2 жыл бұрын

@@DBArtsCreators while in the middle may not be the answer, choosing either of the two is most likely not the answer too. It's more right to say a balance between the two. Both internal and external factors should be considered so as not to consume one another. Well, this answer still may be far from being right but being self aware and acknowledging both of them is always the first step.

@marcster6767

2 жыл бұрын

The way I see it in essence is that freedom shouldn't mean just compensating by oneself for everthing that shackles oneself, nor should it be about destroying anything that can possibly limit oneself. Instead one should try and find a balance of responsibilities between the internal and the external (that's what I meant), and of course it depends case by case. But I think that any answer I can give in a youtube comment wouldn't be nuanced enough, so I am going to point you at the paper (it's very short and to the point). The title is "The Taoist Concept of Freedom" and it's by Peimin Ni. KZread ususally doesn't allow me to use links in comments so I think that's all I can give you.

The one thing that bugs me is that people think Eren changed and that the “world made him this way.” When in reality he was just born this way, as the story and even Eren himself has said several times. All the hints were there and people refused to accept it. As a anime only I’am very excited to see where this goes EDIT: basically what I’m saying is that the world didn’t make a demon, the demon was always there he just needed a perfect scenario to release it

@boxingdegenerate9077

2 жыл бұрын

@@HSnake5 if the story does change that’s some weird ass writing because that’s what they’ve been telling us unless I’m just retarded and don’t understand it

@NanashiSaru

2 жыл бұрын

@@HSnake5 What are you talking about? Eren himself said it "I've always been like this, if someone attempts to take my freedom I take thems instead"

@TheDasilva1

2 жыл бұрын

Not necessarily. Eren WAS changed by the outside world. Sure, he was always inherently pro-freedom, desiring to live a tranquil life with his loved friends. But when he witnessed the outside world, the one he had always yearned for, he felt utterly destroyed. These people aren't any different than Eldian's. They are the same, so why do they hate them? That fact did shake Eren, as per chapter 131.

@sebay1571

2 жыл бұрын

@@HSnake5 How so?

@sebay1571

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheDasilva1 Exactly. To add on, I believe Eren was born with this desire for freedom but this desire was developed throughout the story. There is a nurture aspect to Eren, but ultimately it is Eren’s nature that drove him forward

Yes dude great take on Eren laughing/crying after Sasha's death, he STILL feels useless and not strong enough.

Personally, rather than Eren being a slave to follow the fixtures of fate at certain time points, I think it’s more so that Eren chooses that future he sees and works towards it since it ultimately leads into the end result of what he wants. To end the Titan curse. With the benefit of seeing his conjured up scenery of a new world starting from scratch, free from walls. That path can’t be a path unless he paves it, unless he wanted it. That future he saw was only there not because the universe had the Rumbling as a fixed time point but because Eren would have done a Rumbling no matter what for his freedom, because it’s in his nature to. Though Grisha was “fated” to steal the founding Titan that day, he wasn’t fated to do it without Eren. Grisha’s humanity and heart wouldn’t allow him to do it on his own, it was fated that Eren would manipulate him because it’s to Eren’s desires to always want to reach that end result. He is so driven to achieving his definition of freedom that it’s extremely self destructive to him and he keeps doing things he doesn’t want to do but it’s to reach that result nonetheless, he just has to keep moving forward. And eventually those desires and powers have him so muddled he does the worst thing he could ever do to himself and that’s the twist in the final chapter. I think if Eren really wanted to, he could have averted that fate, that those time points didn’t have to be fixed. As you said, he works toward it because something at the end of it compels him. To me, he’s not truly forced by “the universe” or fate, but rather by his own nature. Just as every other character is a slave to something in the story. He is a slave but not necessarily to some otherworldly cosmic fate or fixed timeline where critical points have to happen like some assembly line, but to his definition of freedom and his own choices, where he keeps doing things he hates because of goal in the far future, and that even with his powers, he still has to choose things along the away that result in bad consequences that he’s not aware of (like Sasha’s death).

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

I’m pretty sure I totally agree with the vast majority of this, it’s a great way to articulate the internal contradiction in Eren’s path. I don’t particularly think the specifics of why he reacted like that to Sasha matter as much as the sentiment of those feelings and how they echo the powerlessness he felt in Scream, for reasons I mentioned. Though just to clarify, I never referred to him as a slave.

"Everyone had to be drunk on something to keep them going." - Kenny Ackerman

"I might be a fake, but even so, I have to make this succeed... I have to become everyone's hope!" - The same Eren that we know in the Battle of Trost District. Eren knows more than anyone that he isn't free in this world. But to make this succeed he has to believe so. Otherwise he will never be able to move forward. Contrary to what we thought (myself included), he has precedents to his attitude in this season, and this is actually a more realistic way of portraying his development as he ages and grows older. We have to remember and realize that he became a titan when he was, like, 16! This guy probably didn't had a light mustache at that age. It's truly messed up to think most of the cast were just teenagers fighting for their lifes as well as for what they thought were the last reminents of humanity. You can't make a more disturbing and stressful teenage than this.

@solesofwind9543

2 жыл бұрын

He had his titan from his dad at 10 and transformed for the first time at 14. I think it's awful to be called "the hope of humanity " as a kid and to be under military control at that age.

@aliin8763

2 жыл бұрын

@@solesofwind9543 yes they literally started military training with 12

@Pixel007

2 жыл бұрын

I agree and all but I have seen 16 year olds with almost a full beard tho

Eren's path reminds me of Stanley Parable. To achieve "freedom" he has to act in accordance with a plan set out by someone else i.e. the future Eren.

Whenever someone close to Eren dies, Eren has a nervous breakdown.

One detail I like is that right after Eren lives past the memories that his future self showed him he seems to become himself again; the brash emotive type. From that point on everything is uncertain again and he is free to see things through via his own actions rather than being predetermined.

Maybe it's just the sheer contradiction of everything he's striven for playing out in front of his eyes. He yearns for freedom, and yet he's trapped by factors far beyond his control. He can see what's about to happen but he can't do anything about it. He's supposedly the most powerful being on the planet, and yet he's utterly powerless to change his fate, or the fate of others. And he's so exhausted from carrying that knowledge, of learning that everything he's believed in was a lie, of realizing that all of his struggles, discoveries, and achievements have brought him no closer to attaining freedom.

If someone doesn't get Eren's nature after he states it out-loud in plain terms, there's no helping them.

@CarlosSanchez-dv5iq

2 жыл бұрын

*cough cough* irl yeagerists

@CHRISCAMPO-wq8bi

Жыл бұрын

well isayama confirmed there are many layers to Eren's nature, and that's why he is an amazing character, one of the most complex indeed. For example, Isayama did confirm that Eren's disappointment to Ramzi was more the hostile mankind beyond the walls than simply mankind existing beyond them. Also, let's not forget 2 things about that moment: 1) Eren was referring to when he first read his dad's journal and the terrible stories it had, 2) That convo was way before his convo with Reiner, when Eren was a completely different person, and Eren shown there he described the before and after of his time in Marley, all the while carrying the guilt and hardship he knew was coming and never wanted to happen.

Of all Attack on Titan content creators, I enjoy your content the most by a very wide margin. You make extremely thought-provoking, at times even emotional (And I'm not an emotional person in the least), videos and I guess the only real reason I decided to comment was that I felt you deserved my thanks. As well as a sub/like, of course, thanks for the content bro.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

You’re very welcome!

This is one of the best videos when it comes to Eren's character I have ever seen. Thank you so much for this. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure, glad to hear it.

The best way to describe Eren is "slave of freedom". He yearns absolute freedom so much that he is unable to stop himself from doing all the horrendeous things he does. Yet he is desperate that he can't change everything and is cruel to everyone as a result. Because he was not able to accept that he is not free completely, lost all his freedom at all and is a slave of himself much more than anyone else.

I'm just hoping that you make a video about reiner and mikasa after the end of the anime (when everyone's character arc is finished)

@bandarsalh1338

2 жыл бұрын

@@As_Expected_of_Pieck Excuse me did we read the same thing? Reiner wanted to become a hero, which lead to all the shit happening Only after he realizes that and wants nothing more than to die out of pure guilt and self hatred, he ironically becomes one of *the heroes* Reiner along with eren is the most important/developed character As for mikasa...... I kinda agree with you but there's still a lot to about her and her dependency issues even tho she's one of the strongest characters

@cheeseheaddude

2 жыл бұрын

@@bandarsalh1338 don’t mind them, they’re trolling

@samt3412

2 жыл бұрын

@@bandarsalh1338 I always viewed Mikasa as someone who has to be analyzed in tandem with Armin and Eren to be fully understood. Eren was never free, yet fooled himself into believing he was. Armin wasn't free, but kept fighting the good fight until he was free, unlike Eren. Mikasa knew she would never be free from Eren, yet fought for freedom in spite of that.

@azharali5264

2 жыл бұрын

@@As_Expected_of_Pieck Lol what? Mikasa's character arc is subtle so maybe that's why u didn't understood it. In fact words that represent trauma stick with mikasa throughout the manga, from eren’s to carla’s request. She internalises them into her identity because, broken as she is, she hasn’t yet found her own purpose. Her journey is one of agency, self worth, and finding meaning, opening up to the world more and thinking more about the bigger picture which is the opposite of eren's arc, her dynamics with levi, authority, her shared themes about home and love are some great stuff about her character but i don't think u even want to understand that as shown by the way u refer to her.

@azharali5264

2 жыл бұрын

@@As_Expected_of_Pieck sorry idiot don't expect me to reply to you when u Don't even have the decency to talk normally and properly. I would suggest taking some classes on how to actually talk with someone about something. BTW idiot mikasa literally hanged on to eren's memories in trost to live on which is not the case at the end of the manga. Again read the manga. What an absolute dbass

This take helps me to appreciate ch.139 even more.

Eren, what a man you are!

Aleczander, I just want to tell you how much I appreciate these videos you do. While i like to think of myself as someone who is philosophical I've never been good at finding the words to express my thoughts and emotions to the rest of the world. You do an absolutely beautiful job of that in these videos and the way in which you break the themes of some of my favorite animes down is always a joy to watch. I know it might sound a little corny but I just really wanted to let u know that. AOT really is a great story and one I feel you can apply to the modern world in alot of ways. The stories that each group of ppl tell themselves to justify their actions and the truths behind those stories arnet always one and the same.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for letting me know - I’m very happy that you enjoy them so much!

Attack on titan is the best written story i have ever had the privilege of seeing. Yes, even the ending

@dhruvbharija172

2 жыл бұрын

Same

@javierstgo64

2 жыл бұрын

Same!!

@jojomahmoud5752

2 жыл бұрын

you are right except for the stupid ending

@water9097

2 жыл бұрын

Excepr for Ending I agree with you .

@vihan3423

2 жыл бұрын

Nah I think the majority can agree that the ending was bad ngl

Everytime i see one of your videos in my feed it makes me happy!

i just love your channel so much

This channel is literally amazing

I freaking love how the "Eren killing to save Mikasa" event is pretty much obvious to us as viewers (without it being spelled out) but cause they refuse to speak about or acknowledge the event, we as the viewers, overlook it completely. Eren has always been driven by the same ideals hes shown in the latest few episode.

This is such a fantastic character analysis, thank you.

@Aleczandxr

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed!

The biggest give away was in OP "All I ever wanted to do was save your life, I never wanted to grab the knife"

@bobbyzamora6389

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly.

@bakewayej2661

2 жыл бұрын

@@Tupadre97 tbh,... I don't think he ever tried to convince himself that he's not a monster or he's trying to do the right thing He said he's born this way to zeke even he was so horrified by his extreme actions..... meaning he open admits what he's doing is extreme but he's not gonna change cause that's who he is...... But his expression after the deaths of royal family/kids says a little bit of humanity and emotions he hold for the extreme measures he took

I personally can't wait to see how people react to the rest of the episodes. Amazing analysis my dude!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I haven't seen anything from you in a while I'm so excited to watch this!

"Rather than letting someone steal my freedom, I'll steal theirs first" - Eren Yeager "I rather betray the world, than let the world betray me" - Cao Cao

Great video. Your videos are always a treat

first time seeing you, great insights and very digestible! awesome vid

@Aleczandxr

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed!

Great video man really enjoyed it

That thumbnail is raw. Fantastic work as always

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I thought about that self-despite he felt correlating so much this present events BUT NOT THIS DEEP holy. GOATed analysis as always

@Hoogalindo

2 жыл бұрын

English, please?

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks xyro!

I think his motivation is especially in the final season to protect Mikasa and arman. Remember when Krüger talks to geisha at the sea wall.

Always happy for a video from you bro. Just on time too. This will be a good weekend.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Hope you enjoy!

Fantastic video as always! Eren really is the most ironic character in all of AoT... the boy who wants nothing more than freedom while in reality being nothing but a slave to fate. Very tragic character indeed.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

This is the first video analysis that I 100% agree on, so many people misunderstood erens character even after reading chapter 131 Really good video

I am incredibly excited to see how the Anime handles the "controversial" ending, I feel a few of the key points have been handled better so far and I hope that continues, as Eren's views/outlook weren't best explained in the manga leading to a lot of people misinterpreting the messages

@mirvk0

2 жыл бұрын

the manga did a great job. but people who worship "chad" eren will always look the other way which they will with the anime as well unfortunately

@mita2905

Жыл бұрын

When I first read chapter 139, I had this feeling that people would be more accepting of the ending once it was animated. I'm not trying to say that I'd assumed that the ending would be universally liked but just that there could be a way for people to consider different viewpoints and discuss the story with a sense of civility. But recently I've been feeling like the online aot community(including the anime only fans) is more divided than I ever thought it would be...I don't think there is a way for the entire fanbase to be open-minded anymore and it most likely will be exactly as the previous reply states...but I guess all we can do is hope for the best

Man, your videos are so great!!!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you like them!

Thanks mate for such quality AOT content.

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

Imagine if Luffy clashed with Eren. It would be so cool since Luffy is like the polar opposite of Eren; he is the freest man in the world. I could imagine Luffy screaming to Eren and saying that fate doesn't matter or something badass like that.

@shizzlemywizzle1

2 жыл бұрын

Who is Luffy

@sibusisomkwanazi3124

2 жыл бұрын

Luffy's character is the embodiment of freedom Eren's character is the pursuit of freedom

@joniboi3699

2 жыл бұрын

@@sibusisomkwanazi3124 That sounds metal af

this guy legitimately makes the best videos on youtube

Once again, great video!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Hearing 'Cold Light' in the background is fantastic stuff.

brilliant video, as always

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

"all i ever wanted to do was right things i never wanted to be the king i swear" these lines right here characterize eren so well. all he ever wanted to do was help the people of the walls by joining the scouts to fight for freedom so they and him could be free, which he viewed as the greatest reward. he never asked to be placed in a position leading the yeagerists and influencing the past and starting the rumbling or seeing the future. he never asked to be this figure of great power, influence and ideals to the world and leading a group dedicated to that ideology. all he wanted was for every eldian child to be born free. he didn't want to do some of the things that would lead to freedom, like killing the tyburs in marley and killing huge masses of citizens and getting armin to nuke the navy fleet with the colossal titan steam. he didn't want to kill the reiss kids. but he had to; because he's been placed in the position where he has to do these cruel acts to ensure that a specific future happens. this is because he knows that he's the only one who can make it happen as he saw the future when he kissed historia's hand and gained the memories of the future, he has 3 powerful titans in him, and he is in a unique position with the founder. he isn't of royal blood so he's not bound by the old king's will to keep the eldians in the walls, but he can touch zeke, a person of royal blood, to gain full access to the founder's powers. plus he can access the paths to influence events. so what i'm trying to say is that the only future where eldians are truly free rests solely on eren. eren didn't ask to have this much pressure and power. he sort of is the king of the walls. he holds the founder's power and literally controls the fate of eldia. and just like a king, he has seen many losses and has had to make huge sacrifices and hard decisions. he started as a little kid with big dreams, a strong will and an enormous amount of determination. and now he's in way over his head. and he's only 19 years old. imagine how hard doing what he did must be. the insane amount of stress and pressure he must be feeling. i 100% understand why he looks so broken at the table scene with mikasa and armin. "all i ever wanted to do was save your life i never wanted to grab a knife i swear" i think this one relates to the table scene a lot too. he wanted to protect mikasa and armin all throughout his life. he wanted to wrap mikasa's scarf around her and make sure armin saw the ocean. i think he honestly was trying to help them by showing them how they weren't free; mikasa by her ackerbond and armin by bertholdt's memories. he seemed really pained that they weren't free. you could see it in his eye. to him being free is the greatest salvation. i also think it was to push them away from him so they didn't get hurt by him. he never wanted to hurt them but it was the only way to push them away, so they didn't get hurt and so they didn't oppose what were already hard decisions for him to make about his plans for molding the future. i noticed he hurt his friends where they were most vulnerable. the fighter mikasa with words and the strategist armin with punches. i also think there were frames of him with tears in his eyes in this scene. anyway this is just my take and feel free to reply with any insights or anything that you feel that i've missed. this new op is literally the best thing i've ever heard. eren is one of the most complex characters i've seen in fiction ever. i can't believe that i used to be a levi fangirl lol.

@huynhvuongviet2410

2 жыл бұрын

> he didn't want to kill the reiss kids. Nah, fuck them kids. Their family was escaping into some kind of paradise while their people suffered greatly. I dont feel sorry for them at all.

@sreenivas6071

2 жыл бұрын

Tell me you dont understand eren without telling me you dont

Huge supporter! your YT videos are narrative genius! I love your streams too... all piller energy is welcomed here! I really really hope you breakdown the demon slayer narrative at some point!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy all the content! I apologize that there won't be any Demon Slayer but I hope you continue to enjoy!

Ahhhhh, another good one! I always believed and believe that Eren did what he did for a greater cause in the end but as you said, what does he see that we cannot. This last episodes have been something special and enlightening! Thanks for doing this :]

Another great video!!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I live for essays like these lad

Saw someone asking if that beach scene was actually eren talking to his future self and it just changed so much

@jimmyichigo7410

2 жыл бұрын

Damn..

Enjoyed the video! Also, you might like Sages Rain's video on freedom concerning Eren and in general. I found that I enjoyed it quite a bit and it was something to think about. Have a nice day everyone.

great video and you have a lovely narration as well

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Excellent analysis of eren's character and point of view in this last chunk of the story!!

This was a beautiful vid, as always. And this is something I wish certain "fans" of AOT would understand. Eren isn't some stoic, badass who knows what he's doing. He's as emotional as the boy who saw his mom getting eaten all those years. All he can do is maneuver around the bloodied world and pursue both his freedom and the right to help his people. THAT'S Eren Yeager.

@jojomahmoud5752

2 жыл бұрын

HE is a stoic bad ass

@jojomahmoud5752

2 жыл бұрын

and he already saw what was gonna happen so he knows what he is doing

@johnxina7496

Жыл бұрын

killed his own mom lmao

Thank you for the video, love your content

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome!

I think there are two erens. one who despises the world and truly wants it to end, and one who is desperately sad and lonely and just wants people to be happy. I believe these two aspects of him are in constant conflict after spending so much time in Marley, the way that reiner developed split personalities from his stay in Paradis. not to say that I think eren has split personalities, but I do think there are two distinct aspects of his personality and he can't really settle on one

Awesome transition of laughing scenes at 4:20 (nice).

Nice explanation! Good work!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I was happy that eren took of his mask when he was with armin towards the end of the manga

@jojomahmoud5752

2 жыл бұрын

oh no he put on a pathetic mask in the end

@animeuniverse5586

2 жыл бұрын

@@jojomahmoud5752 yeah yeah you edge lords want some cool psychopath as the villain of the story or it wouldn't be cool enough but sucks to be you thus isn't the case

Damn i love this video It shows me again why i love eren so much as a character

Fuck this is deep. It's like Eren lost his soul the moment he kissed Historias Hand in Season 3. His conscioussness as already aware of what he was going to do anyway. So he was like a puppet to serve to archieve the future he saw for himself. It`s very deep man.

"If you can't fool your friends, how can you fool your enemies?"

Just seen the tweet, had to come check this out

If you want to get something, you must ready to sacrifice another... For me this statement explains every Eren's do's

Excellent video!

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I love your videos on AOT much better than the surface level commentary I always see about the show

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed!

I used to think everyone was wrong about the ending. I've read every take on it under the sun. Now I've reached the point where I don't know any more and I just listen to people who aren't dickheads that have some validity behind their words.

Ay he's going in. I'm very happy you love AOT

Eran was never free and he eventually realized it, in the pursuit of said freedom u loose it, ur fight for a cause and not urself requires u to give urself up because to do that for the people he cared. And at the end of the story was the real eran finally being able to cry out

Interesting coming back to this 2 years later after the ending.

Keep Moving Forward - Eren Jaeger

Great video!!! :D

Eren has always been stupid even in season 4 he was just pretending to be smart and the only one who could bring out the stupid under the mask was Hanji remember in the prison cell how she irritated him and he slipped into idiocy for a second "tatakae tatakae" that was hilarious and then again he grabbed her and acted crazy to cover it up He's consistently a character that acts tough but breaks down from pressure and starts crying, in episode 3 he's acting all tough then fails to use odm gear and his reaction is hilarious then in the cave he breaks down with historia calling him crybaby (that was sad and funny) and in that last chapter he did it again Eren is a character that thrives on adversity who loves having something to fight for Always gets ahead of himself and bites more that he can chew but he's also very determined and passionate and he's very loyal, he's complex he can be pathetic, frightening and inspiring i may have not loved the ending but i didn't hate it that much either i was almost neutral and i don't think it undid the complexity of his character

God I love that thumbnail. Haven't even watched the video yet, I just had to say immediately.

thank you. you have no idea how many manga readers missed this completely when the ending happened

I love the thumbnail

Another banger.

The kind of person so unwilling to give up his freedom he'd rip his hands off just to break free from his chains. The kind of person that would go against the entire world by himself to defend the lives and freedom of his people. The way he choses to use his freedom is to sacrifice himself for the freedom of others.

Great vid !

@Aleczandxr

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

You deserve more subscribers

Missed your videos

we are eating way to good 2 back to back aot videos by aj

Great video, I am glad they always were upfront with who Eren was mostly. I wonder if we ever given the reason why he had no issues killing at a young age before the Titans Looking forward to your thoughts on the ending and how Similar is to another certain story you covered and I like very much.

@josephs.4813

2 жыл бұрын

The reason is he values his freedom more than another person’s life. His life and freedom were threatened in that moment and even as a child he went that far to defend his freedom. That’s exactly why he’s about to commit one of the most heinous acts ever portrayed in media.

@insertname485

2 жыл бұрын

I think he was just born that way just like he said to Zeke and Reiner. Some people are just born with a psychology that predisposes them towards violence, in comparison to Zeke who was born kind and agreeable, but was moulded into a killer by his upbringing, society, and general life experiences. Isayama said before in an interview that the whole idea of a person's nature deciding what you do is something he wanted to explore: "Ultimately, I don’t think the series passes judgment on what is “right” or “wrong.” For example, when I read Furuya Minoru’s “Himeanole,” I knew society would consider the serial killer in the story unforgivable under social norms. But when I took into account his life and background I still wondered, “If this was his nature, then who is to blame…?” I even thought, “Is it merely coincidence that I wasn’t born as a murderer?” We justify what we absolutely cannot accomplish as “a flaw due to lack of effort,” and there is bitterness within that. On the other hand, for a perpetrator, having the mindset of “It’s not because I lack effort that I became like this” is a form of solace. We cannot deny that under such circumstances, the victims’ feelings are very important. But considering the root of the issue, rather than evaluating “what is right”…to be influenced by various other works and their philosophies, and to truthfully illustrate my exact feelings during those moments - I think that’s what Shingeki no Kyojin’s ending will resemble." - Isayama

@mandalorianhunter1

2 жыл бұрын

@@josephs.4813 AGREED he wanted to protect Mikasa's freedom and his own. The Eren we know will do anything it takes to win.

@CarlosSanchez-dv5iq

2 жыл бұрын

He has already read the ending. He's said multiple times he wouldn't make a video on it. I remember him having mixed thoughts on it, based on what I read on his Twitter. Also, if you're hinting at code geass, spoilers : Eren didn't pull a lelouch, it was mere pretext for him to destroy the world. He knew he would go through with killing a large chunk of the population before being killed by his friends, whom he could never bring himself to kill. He just wanted to experience the freedom he always wanted by reducing the world to what he saw when he read armin's book. Hope this helps, in case it's indeed CG you're referring to.

@marlyakoby4790

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarlosSanchez-dv5iq Eren's motives are both selfish and altruistic, while Lelouch started everything only for his sister

What people forget as well is that history was repeating itself. The King of the walls said that if the island of Paradis was EVER attacked, the Rumbling would occur. This was much bigger than Eren. He just happened to be the one who was fated to carry it out. What type of normalcy can you have when you’re literally put to work, used by the military/government, and then the fate of your homeland is pretty much thrust upon you?