Bertolt's end in Attack on Titan is one of the most poignant in anime

Attack on Titan had its share of annoying characters. However, these characters, who were largely deemed annoying by fans, had the ability to rile up the heroes. Sometimes, these characters didn't need to be evil to frustrate Attack on Titan fans; they just made the weirdest decisions.

In the early parts of the series, Historia was considered annoying. Sasha was another character that angered fans, but that changed as the series progressed. However, some characters were both annoying and evil, and these were mostly the Marleyans.

Zeke, Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt were some of the most annoying characters in the series. What irritated fans was the fact that they considered themselves noble, and in some cases looked down on those they murdered.

Bertolt was the biggest example of this in Attack on Titan, which was why his death was the most poignant. He accepted his place and decided he was going to be loyal to the Marleyans; however, he begged those he wanted to kill to save his life.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why Bertolt’s death is one of the most poignant in Attack on Titan

Bertolt kidnapping Eren (Image via Wit Studio)

Isayama did an amazing job with not just the characters in Attack on Titan but also the plot. Each character was built amazingly, and the pacing and timing of the story were too perfect, as details of each character were unveiled in the right place.

If Isayama showed viewers the Marleyans early on in the story, viewers would have easily picked a side. The manga artist did the same thing with the Eldian warriors.

Viewers who have learned of Reiner and Bertolt’s betrayal would approach them with hate, and when they discover that two of them were responsible for the destruction of the walls, the hate would further multiply. It also did not help that two of these characters acted unrepentantly. Bertolt appeared to be scared, but he was equally aggressive as Reiner.

Before his death, Bertolt seemed to accept his place in the scheme of things. Reiner started appearing fragmented at that point, but Bertolt’s head was as straight as ever. He became the warrior that the Marleyans had brainwashed him to be.

He would go on one last rampage, hurting members of his unit, the Survey Corps. The person who suffered the most was his comrade, Armin, whom he scalded to the point of near death.

Bertolt's resolve seemed ironclad before his death in Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio)

When he was defeated in his Colossal Titan form and was about to be fed to Armin's Titan form, viewers saw Bertolt’s character do a complete 360. The man who had made a resolve did not appear the same anymore. He begged his former comrades to save his life, and he cried like a child; for many viewers, that was happiness and relief, but it should not be.

Bertolt’s death was poignant and cathartic, and was a reflection of how humans revert to base instincts in the face of death. All those ideals he finally started living up to were useless; the only thing that mattered was life. It was also a sign that he never really cared about the war, and the only reason he stuck with it was because he had no other option.

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Final thoughts

When viewers later learn about Titan's history, their annoyance with Bertolt’s character does not reduce, but they understand him deeply. Bertolt’s character might be bad, but he is a victim of a well-oiled machine that constantly makes Eldians find worth in hating themselves.

Attack on Titan fans should also keep in mind that Bertolt did not have anyone in Paradis Island or Marley who could sit around and vie for peaceful solutions.

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