Eren Yeager is one of those anime characters you can argue about for hours.
At the beginning of Attack on Titan, Eren seemed like a completely different person.
He was emotional.
He was angry.
He wanted freedom.
He wanted to protect the people he loved.
Then everything changed.
Eren Wasn't the Same Person Anymore
As the story progressed, we discovered more about the world outside the walls.
The truth became much more complicated.
The people Eren once saw as enemies were no longer simply monsters.
There were humans on the other side.
And eventually, Eren made one of the most extreme decisions in the entire story.
The Rumbling.
At that point, calling Eren a hero becomes extremely difficult.
But calling him a simple villain doesn't tell the whole story either.
Fact note: In the Attack on Titan finale, Eren transforms into the Founding Titan and initiates the Rumbling — the release of the wall Titans to destroy the world beyond Paradis. The anime's final chapters were released in 2023 by MAPPA.
Do I Support Everything Eren Did?
No.
I don't think everything Eren did can simply be justified.
The consequences were enormous.
People who had nothing to do with his personal situation were affected.
But I understand why he made the decision.
And this is where my opinion might annoy some people.
If I had to choose between protecting people I love and protecting strangers I've never met, I understand why someone would choose their own family.
That's human.
Eren's Story Is What Makes Attack on Titan Special
What I love about Attack on Titan is that it doesn't give you an easy answer.
You start the story thinking you know who the enemies are.
Then the story keeps revealing more information.
Eventually you're forced to question everything you believed.
And Eren becomes the biggest example of that.
The sweet, angry kid from the beginning eventually becomes someone capable of doing things that the younger version of himself might never have imagined.
Was Eren the Villain?
My answer is complicated.
Yes, Eren became a villain to many people.
But I don't think he started as one.
I think he became a product of everything he experienced.
You don't have to agree with his decisions.
You don't even have to forgive him.
But I understand why Eren believed he was protecting his people.
And that's what makes him one of the most interesting anime characters I've watched.
