Eren Yeager is the protagonist of the Attack On Titan series. But a few seasons in, here’s the question: Is he the protagonist who’s also an antagonist?
Even though he went off the rails, it isn’t hard to forget the good things he’s done.
Eren Yeager is a strong-headed, intelligent, and skilled guy. He acts before he thinks, especially when he gets hot-headed and rushes into battle.
But he’s also incredibly passionate and will do anything to save humanity from becoming extinct.
Eren’s trauma fuelled him to become a soldier of the Survey Corps.
As the series progressed, he learned more about the history behind Titans and the world he lives in.
After learning of the gruesome reality and the responsibility that befalls him, he took some decisions that led him to become an antagonist of sorts.
So, here are 5 times Eren Yeager did good and bad things for humanity:
Good
1. When Eren Saved Mikasa
This was one of the best heroic moments of the Attack On Titan series.
A young Mikasa was kidnapped after her parents were murdered only to be sold off.
When Eren and his dad learned of it, they tried to save her. After miserably failing to do so, Eren was desperate.
He went in by himself, killing them in the process.
Mikasa also awakened her Ackerman clan’s power, which enabled her to become one of the best soldiers of the Survey Corps.
She was adopted by the Yeager’s later on. One of Eren’s most heroic moments was saving Mikasa Ackerman, who became an incredibly loyal friend.
2. When Eren Lost a Leg For Armin
During the Battle of Trost, the Survey Corps went above and beyond to control the attack of Titans. And so did Eren.
Eren protected his friends and allies to the best of his abilities. During the battle, however, one particular Titan was going to attack Armin.
Armin had a moment of weakness and didn't have the will to fight. At that moment, Eren stepped in and saved him which also cost him a leg.
This definitely goes to show that Eren will do anything for his friends.
3. When Eren Sealed Wall Rose
Eren’s Titan form was put to use for good after much convincing that he is not an enemy.
Sealing off Wall Rose meant slowing down the attack of Titans.
Even though Eren couldn’t fully trust the soldiers, this was meant to be done for the greater good.
With extended help and practice, Eren placed the boulder in the huge hole in Wall Rose.
4. Eren’s Titan Training
After Eren discovered he was a Titan, his abilities were put to use by the Survey Corps for different things.
In the meantime, Eren trained with Hange Zoe with his skin hardening technique which proved to be useful during battle.
The rigorous training took a toll on him but eventually came to fruition when he finally got to put it to use.
5. When Eren Supported Mikasa At Trial
Eren changes in Season 4. He became less compassionate and vengeful.
There were very few moments where we saw the real Eren Yeager.
But in the first few seasons, we saw Eren’s compassionate and kind side.
When Eren was sent to trial the first time around, not only was he accused, so was Mikasa.
He defended her and even exclaimed that he may be a monster but she is nothing like that.
What happened when they were 9 years old was out of pure desperation to survive.
Bad
1. When Eren Tried to Kill Mikasa
This happened way in the future when they joined the Survey Corps and killed Titans as their job.
A totally unexpected twist to the story is when we discovered that Eren was a Titan himself.
Furthermore, with not much being revealed about Titans and their origin, this was a huge shocker. On that note, the Survey Corps used it to their advantage to seal the walls.
When he intentionally transformed into a Titan, he wasn't in control of his consciousness in the Titan form and attacked Mikasa right after he saw her.
2. When Eren Beat Up Armin and Insulted Mikasa
Eren changed a lot in the 4th season. It was a complete shift from his protagonistic characteristics to that of a vengeful antagonist who saw only one goal.
Moreover, he started distancing himself from his close friends.
Now, this trio is one of the most loved trio’s of the anime world but it fell apart after Eren’s major character development.
On a particularly dreadful day of events, Eren insulted Mikasa and her identity as well as told her he hated her. Consequently, Armin jabbed him but Eren beat him up.
3. When Eren Tricked Falco
Eren probably went through a mental crisis after learning about Titans, their history, and the history of their world.
In the end, the war had emerged due to the selfishness of humans that cost humanity to become nearly extinct.
A betrayed Eren by Reiner Braun was anguished. A few years later, Eren went to Marley, where Reiner was.
He had to be discreet and the way to do that was by manipulating and tricking Falco, one of the soon-to-be Titans, to lead him to Reiner.
It was probably his way of showing the way of the world as it had been, full of betrayal, vengeance, and destruction.
4. When Eren Betrayed the Survey Corps
Season 4 was a rollercoaster of events that revealed many things.
Eren’s shift of personality was a shocker, to say the least, much less betraying the Survey Corps.
In a desperate attempt to keep things controlled, Eren did not cooperate nor did he follow orders knowing that he has the power to destroy anyone and anything in his way.
He incited a war against Marley unbeknownst to the Survey Corp and without their permission. This led to another series of chaotic events.
10. When Eren Killed Innocent Civilians
A shocker, right? Sometimes, the plot feels thrown off, but captivating at the same time.
In Season 4, when Eren transformed into a Titan in hopes of acquiring the other Titans, he did not care about the consequences.
Avenging Eldia is one thing, and trying to stop the problem at the root cause is another, but killing innocents is not.
Unexpectedly, Eren’s shift of personality turned his heart into stone. Even after Mikasa questioned him, he seemed unbothered.
Thanks for reading!!
