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Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan has been dubbed one of the best anime and manga series of the 21st century. Attack on Titan takes a raw look at hatred, violence, and war, as well as how fear of the unknown and fear of the more powerful contribute to the continuation of these issues.
Protagonist Eren Yeager’s development throughout Attack on Titan is inextricably linked to these themes, along with his desires, choices, and actions.The story of his decline into darkness by the end of the series is the story of how his aspirations and objectives in relation to these themes shift as the series proceeds.
Here are 8 crucial moments of Eren’s descent into darkness in Attack on Titan, listed in chronological order.
Eren’s choices, reactions define his downfall in Attack on Titan
1) Eren’s mom dying
The death of Eren's mother, as well as the events that led to it, are without a doubt his first foray into the darkness during Attack on Titan. The wrath he feels as a result of these occurrences drives him to do everything he does during the series' third season, and possibly beyond, as he discovers the true source of Titans.
It's very likely that if the walls hadn't been knocked down and his mother spared, the hate he felt towards Titan-kind would never have developed. As a result, he would never have spiralled into darkness, which eventually led to him becoming the world's nemesis.
2) Realizing his Titan powers
The next crucial event setting in motion Eren’s descent into darkness is the discovery of his Titan powers after his apparent death. With this, both fans and the characters of Attack on Titan realized that there was something more to Titan-kind beyond what they knew, prompting them to discover all they could.
This eventually led the Survey Corps to their ultimate goal of returning to Eren’s basement in Shiganshina, where the truth was eventually discovered. Had his Titan powers never been activated, it’s likely Eren’s journey would’ve ended with his death upon being eaten, or by him never knowing what he really was.
3) Reiner and Bertholdt’s betrayal
The betrayal of Reiner and Bertholdt is one which shook Eren to his core, as evidenced by his emotions and reactions in the moment. He even wept for his former comrades, who revealed themselves to be the Colossal and Armored Titans who carried out the attack at the start of Attack on Titan.
This revelation pushed Eren even more into despair and rage, as proven by his conversations with them when he was their hostage. Not only is this one of Eren’s triggering moment that pushes him into darkness, but it’s arguably one of the most central, as it allows Eren to put a name and a face to his hitherto unknown adversaries.
4) Captured by the Reiss family
Not too later, an extra name and face gets added to Eren's list of opponents as this entity makes itself known in a brutal manner. When the true rulers of Paradis, the Reiss family, realize Eren Yeager is holding the Founding Titan, they capture him. When he is apprehended, he discovers the truth about what his father did and how Eren obtained the powers of the Founding Titan.
The discovery of his father's cruelty initially saddens Eren, but it teaches him something that later becomes the foundation of his philosophy. Eren recognizes that sacrifice and death are necessary evils in order to break the cycle of hatred and protect the safety of his friends and loved ones. This lesson has a tremendous effect on Eren, pushing him even deeper into the abyss.
5) Finding the basement
Upon returning to the basement of his childhood home, Eren discovers the truth about the people of Paradis, and Titans. The revelation comes in the wake of the battle for Shiganshina district, where Bertholdt dies and additional Titan shifting enemies make their existence known.
After hearing his father's stories and realizing the true character and ferocity of his foe, Eren now has a target for his fury. Finally, as he gets more furious and less redeemable, he realizes who his enemy is.
6) Seeing the future
Shortly after the battle for Shiganshina, the remaining Survey Corps members are rewarded for their bravery by Histora Reiss, the new ruler of Paradis. When she and Eren touch hands, he’s treated to visions of the future, which show him exactly what he must and is destined to do in order to save his friends.
The cruelty he sees himself perpetrating impacts him deeply and profoundly, utterly changing his demeanor as he accepts his role in the world. This, potentially, marks the point of no return for Eren, who now sees himself as a martyr dedicated to ending the cycle of hatred and violence.
7) Liberio raid
The Liberio raid is one of the most integral chapter of Eren’s descent into darkness, as it shows him completely lose sight of the person he once was. As a child, he watched as two strange, unknown enemies completely decimated his way of life and everything he ever knew.
Now, as an adult, he has become the strange, unknown enemy in a foreign land, doing unto others what was once done unto him. Without a doubt, this Attack on Titan battle solidifies Eren as having entirely altered as a result of his plunge into darkness, and is a significant milestone in his metamorphosis.
8) Beginning the Rumbling
Finally, the act of beginning the Rumbling is the last step of Eren’s descent, in which he allows himself to be consumed by the darkness within him. His determination to exterminate the rest of humanity outside of Paradis Island is a heinous and irredeemable act that completes his transformation into a wholly different person.
By this point in Attack on Titan, Eren’s friends and comrades, as well as readers, can barely recognize the boy they once knew in him anymore. The empathy and emotionality he once had as a human is now gone, replaced only with someone who will see the world burn if it means protecting those he loves.
