Attack on Titan Just Confirmed [SPOILER] is The True Villain

Attack on Titan has introduced a wide range of possible villains, but none have left its readers as divided as this. Chapter #130, titled “Dawn For Humanity, revealed that our once well-intentioned, heroic protagonist has continued his fall into a more villainous role. Now, the truth has finally started to reveal itself; Eren Yaeger IS the ultimate villain of the series. However, should this come as much of a surprise?

Eren Yaeger, first introduced as a citizen of the Shiganshina District, has spent the majority of his story hating the demonized race of Titans that has been devouring the human population. After taking up arms in The Scout Regiment, his mission has always been to eradicate the race. That is, until he slowly began to see humans as the enemy.

Related: Attack on Titan: Who is the GOD of Titans

Now, “Dawn For Humanity” has confirmed the inevitable through Eren’s memories. While readers suspected Eren may be teetering towards the side of villainy, he has been written past the point of redemption. Despite his nefarious actions (and the vastly different perspective his peers now have of him), a lot of Eren fans have felt this forced hero-to-villain storyline has come out of nowhere. Conversely, his entire storyline has been leading up to this moment. Similar to a next door neighbor who loves craft beer (and can’t wait to tell you about it), Eren has allowed his hatred for the titans to become his defining characteristic. He takes pride in being a protector… however, this is dependent on the existence of something humanity must be protected from. This was torn from him when the origins of the Titans was revealed. This left the hero without a target for the hatred he had been harboring for the Titans.

In this chapter, Eren relives the day when he watched a Titan consume his mother. This is when he declares that he will destroy the race, and is undoubtably the turning point in his adolescent life. End flashback, and fans are left with present-day Eren: one with a pronounced disgust for the evil he sees throughout all races. From the beginning, Eren was only driven by rage and vengeance, as he is in “Dawn For Humanity”. Can one ever be considered a hero when their intentions are driven by these feelings?

Attack on Titan has always repped a shaky moral compass. The typical ideas of good against evil vary depending on the character’s prospective one looks through. Similar to other fan favorites, such as Death Note or Tokyo Ghoul, the writers ask readers to develop their own thoughts on the character’s actions, rather than assuming the “heroes” are always in the right.

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