After Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan manga ended in 2021, the series received a lot of hate because of how the story ended. Fans weren't pleased with the ending to the point that they created a fan-made ending and launched a petition to get the mangaka to officially change the series' ending.
Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan follows the story of Eren Yeager, who witnessed his mother being eaten by a titan when Shiganshina was attacked by a group of Titans led by the Colossal and Armored Titans. Following that, Eren swore to annihilate all Titans, only to later find out that he could turn into a Titan as well.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Attack on Titan manga.
Why is Attack on Titan's ending hated?
Attack on Titan's ending saw Mikasa entering the Founding Titan's mouth, following which Eren showed her an alternate timeline where they eloped and spent the last four years of Eren's life together. However, their escape would have had no impact on the impending war. Thus, the only way to end the cycle of hate was by killing Eren, and Mikasa decapitates him
Mikasa brought Eren's head to Armin, confirming his death as both mourned his loss. However, Mikasa had to leave the battlefield with Eren's head as she wanted to give him a proper burial, which would not have been possible had others found out after the devastation Eren caused via The Rumbling. Following that, the power of Titans vanished from the world as Eldians became normal human beings.
While the ending of Attack on Titan does seem fine, the story has several plot holes and scenes that do not make sense. Firstly, Armin convinced Zeke to help him get out of the Paths and sacrifice himself so that Levi could cut him down and stop the Rumbling. A complex antagonist like Zeke, who had done so much scheming and plotting to start the war getting Talk-no-Jutsu'd didn't sit right with fans.
Secondly, the way Eren acted in front of Armin at the end was unlike him. He had previously acted rudely with Mikasa, but suddenly, he started confessing his love for her when he spoke to Armin.
The fact that Ymir was in love with King Fritz also did not sit well with fans, given how he used her. In addition, despite Eren being the Founding Titan like Ymir, for some reason, Mikasa was the person shown to be in love, similar to Ymir.
While there are several other reasons why fans hate Attack on Titan's ending, the argument is basically between the ones who support the original manga and those who support AoT no Requiem, the fanfiction.
Will Attack on Titan have a sad or happy ending?
As per Attack on Titan manga, the series is set to have a neutral ending. While Eren passing away at the end was painful despite his actions, the fact that the Eldians finally got to live a free life was very delightful to witness.
Even though three years had passed after Eren's death, Mikasa would still visit his grave, hoping to see him again, meaning that she was still fixated on him. As for the other characters, like Levi, Gabi, Onyakapon, and Falco, they could finally walk freely in other countries. Meanwhile, Armin, Reiner, Connie, Jean, Annie, and Pieck returned to Paradis Island.
However, the last few chapters of the manga show how the blood-stained peace does not last forever and humanity is again engulfed in the cycle of war. War and violence have remained an inevitable part of human nature and although peace can be obtained after lengthy struggles, it never outlasts the chaos.
Is Isayama going to change the ending?
In an interview with Crunchyroll in Anime NYC, Hajime Isayama revealed several regrets from the time he created the ending, as he now had several new ideas. He had gotten influenced by the anime and was hoping to depict Eren as a more likable guy. Thus, he claimed to have significantly changed the story's direction. However, what changes he has made to the ending have yet to be seen.
After the debut of the anime, however, fans seem to love the ending. It's chiefly because the pacing was better, and some of the atrocious dialogues, including Armin's infamous "thank you" to Eren, were changed significantly. The reaction from the anime watchers has only been positive.