Four years ago, Hajime Isayama alluded to the possibility of the friendship between Eren and Armin coming to an end.
“[Armin’s story is] still up in the air for me, but I just don’t see ending things with him being best friends with Eren forever.”
– Hajime Isayama, Attack in Titan: The Anime Guide (2014)
Now, Chapter 112 has finally made this possibility real. Zeke has taught him much during their time together in Marley whether in person or through letters, and Eren now sees his friends in a new light because of it.
Some people are of the opinion that none of what Eren has said is true to him, and that he’s lying to his friends to protect them from whatever he is about to do for the sake of Eldia through Zeke’s currently unknown plan. But after some thinking, I’ve begun to see Eren’s conversation in a different light.
Eren is not lying to his friends. He is lying to himself.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Annie were to come out from her crystal after Armin manages to successfully exchange memories and feelings with her. If this happens, then Annie’s crystal will be broken in a way opposite to the one Eren used to destroy Miss Tybur’s.
In this way we will have two opposite approaches on how to overcome a person’s physical, but also emotional defenses (after all, Annie enclosing herself into a crystal is symbolic of her coping mechanism which is to isolate herself).
I think it would be a nice parallel and would underline once more the different POVs Eren and Armin have and which will create conflict between them.
“The sun will rise. Mikasa will support Eren.” It’s been the truth of the shingeki world for 109 chapters. Mikasa has disagreed with Eren plenty. There’s nothing new in that. But potentially withdrawing her support is ground breaking. It’s the sort of character development many of us have wanted, myself included.
Whatever happens I don’t want it to be forever. Life is too short (literally) for Eren, Armin and Mikasa to permanently part ways. But for now I’m very excited for this development.
So, first of all
let’s consider that in these last two chapters Eren is characterized in a
way which hides his thoughts. Isayama hasn’t let us inside his head,
exactly like we aren’t let inside Zeke’s head.
However, in
chapters 106 and 107 we are given flashbacks of two different characters
(Armin and Hange) reguarding Eren and thanks to those two flashbacks we
can start putting together several pieces that are progressively
explaining Eren’s behaviour.
Let’s see what these two flashbacks tell us about Eren’s evolution during the three years of time-skip.
Mikasa is defined early on by what is probably her most iconic quote:
This line doesn’t simply describe how Mikasa sees the world, but tells us something about Mikasa herself because she too, like the world, embodies this duality.
it’s the only memory he gets from that dream, maybe it’s a sign that
eremika is really going to be plot relevant. Why would he remember
Mikasa in particular (and not Armin for example), assuming these
memories were really about him and Mikasa? I’m so sorry if this doesn’t
make a lot of sense, I love your snk posts so I wanted your opinion.
Have a great weekend!
Hello anon! I am happy you enjoy my posts! And don’t worry, your ask
makes sense, but since my answer is gonna be pretty long I’ll break it
into two parts:
1) Firstly I will address the scene you mentioned and some theories about it.
2) Then I will talk a little bit of Eremika.
1) I agree with you that this scene
and this scene
are
both linked to a common plot point which has to do with some
worldbuilding elements like the paths among Eldians, the origin of the
Founding Titan, the Attack Titan and the truth about Ymir. Until these details remain
unknown it is difficult to come up with a perfect explanation for these
panels.
It may have been instinctive on Mikasa’s part to protect Eren but what’s interesting is that it took only an instant for her to back down. She and Armin have an entire conversation with just their eyes. She remembers, he understands, she looks sad, perhaps even ashamed. In the panels that follow, Mikasa and Armin are not hovering over Eren. They are leaving him alone.
I would guess that Mikasa and Armin have gotten close these last several months. They’ve probably discussed this exact scenario. Maybe they tried to work out their anger and hurt before they arrived in Marley. Obviously, it’s still simmering.
I can’t imagine any scenario that would end with a permanent separation. He might be an idiot, but he’s their idiot. I don’t see that changing. They are disappointed, angry and hurt but still care very much. They know, too, that unless the curse of Ymir ends, Eren has only a short time left to live. That probably factors in.
As far as blame for Sasha’s death, I don’t think so. Jean is speaking emotionally and reacting with understandable anger, but I think once cooler heads prevail that will fade. Eren is likely facing desertion and insubordination, murder won’t be added to that list.
At any given moment my SnK thoughts are about Armin as he’s my fave, so naturally I have thoughts. Predictions? Not so much.
4 years is a really long time for a story like this where so much can happen in the space of a month that making predictions are more like taking potshots with a musket in the dark.
So here is what I vaguely think: Appearance-wise, this boy may take his bowl cut to the grave. And I mean it’s not really a bowl cut, it’s basically Mikasa’s do with a trimmed fringe. I remember an interview, distantly in the mists of my brain that said if he’d wanted to change it he had opportunity to by now but it suits him fine. I think the only thing that might convince him away from blonde coconut-dome is if he had been given rank and felt he need to make a change. The others all kindof let their hair do what it wanted to do and grow it out, and as silly as it is he may have chosen to do the opposite. Hair cutting is a big deal in some Asian cultures (and others, but our author is Japanese) as meaning a new beginning or reinvention of someone or marking a grievous loss of self or another. It’s possible he felt this was appropriate after his new lease on life following the serum bowl fiasco and everyone’s expectations of him being Erwin-high and Higher. Personally and for no other reason, I vote longer hair.
Attitude-wise: I believe he and Hanji worked together to organize Eren’s retrieval, for sure, but I don’t know if he approved of Eren’s mission ( I doubt it). I can’t imagine the kid barfing his stomach against a tree for killing that mp in defense of Jean’s life going “you know what, innocent people are acceptable losses” but also…I can’t pretend that Flocke’s words haven’t settled into him like a gd plague. Or Hanji’s. He’s always been sensitive to his perception of worthlessness, casual suggestions that he die, the words of bullies, etc. I think he perceives his life as no longer being his, that he’d given it up in Shiganshina to defeat the colossal. I can see him pulling in and functioning as a war machine if he felt he had to: to keep the SC assured that he was still a good option for revival, that he is worth something to the SC more than simply being Eremika’s friend (Even Erwin Smith knows he is). They put a fuckton of pressure on him not only to be AS GOOD AS Erwin but to surpass him also. Hell, I’d love so much for him to reappear as the Armin we know and love, but the reality is that from here out, he is only allowed to Shine under pressure. I just don’t think that’s what we’ll be getting. It honestly depends on how he’s integrating the pressure he received. 4 years is such a long time. And he’s always had that darker sense of humor; I just hope he hasn’t become that dictator character the fandom fears because of that whole Araki/Isayama interview. Will he pull a full reversal of his character? Probably not. I cannot imagine his friends letting him do that without stressing the importance of his own ideas.
But then, I know of past friends who are *complete* strangers now. People do change. I just hope whatever plan he has was a bit more elegant than “Eren Smash Theater, Leave Bad Review”, and he’s ready to deal with the worldwide repercussions intelligently. Regardless, I have hope for that.
I noticed that Armin’s appearance prediction has two options, one with short hair another one with long hair in ponytail. Mine place the bet on long hair Armin. Can’t wait to see him and the gang again.
midnight-in-town 