Why did Zeke Yeager betray his parents in Attack on Titan? Explained

The story of Attack on Titan has several betrayals, moral dilemmas, and the effects of trauma passed down through generations. One of the most shocking moments is Zeke Yeager’s choice to report his parents, Grisha Yeager and Dina Fritz, to the Marleyan authorities.

This betrayal is more than just disloyalty; it is a key event that explores themes of indoctrination, the failure of rigid beliefs, and the high price of trying to escape inherited mistakes. Understanding Zeke’s reasons allows the audience to examine the forces that lead him to view his parents as a threat to himself and their cause.

Early moments, from quiet games of catch with Tom Ksaver, a boy’s wide-eyed gaze, and subtle signs of growing distance from his parents, foreshadow Zeke’s disillusionment and eventual betrayal. It ties into themes of broken family bonds, royal bloodlines, and the dangers of extreme beliefs.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for the Attack on Titan manga and anime.

Zeke Yeager’s childhood and parental influence in Attack on Titan

Zeke's birth as shown in anime (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA)

Zeke’s early life took place in the Liberio internment zone of Attack on Titan, where his parents, Grisha and Dina, secretly organized with the Eldian Restorationists to overthrow Marley. They taught Zeke Yeager about Eldia’s history and fueled his young mind with ideas of a lost empire, hoping he would one day join their cause.

Every walk in the ghetto became a test: Zeke was expected to repeat historical grievances he was too young to comprehend. When he failed to excel as a Warrior candidate, he felt that his parents’ love was correlated with his success in their mission, and this fear turned into resentment.

This resentment grew into deep anxiety when recruiters from Marley’s Warrior Program came seeking new Titan shifters. Grisha’s revolutionary ambitions and Dina’s royal blood made secrecy essential. Under this intense pressure, Zeke began to view his parents not as protectors but as threats pulling him toward a certain battlefield death.

Their secret meetings, whispered plans in hidden sheds, and constant drilling made family life feel like a military operation. In this emotional void, fear led to a decision: to survive, he had to break away.

Marley’s warrior program, Tom Ksaver’s mentorship, and Zeke’s euthanasia plan

Marley’s Warrior Program was more than a recruitment system; it filled children’s minds with notions of duty, shame, and racial guilt. In its barracks, Zeke was immersed in anti-Eldian propaganda, which reinforced the idea that betraying one’s own family could serve the greater good.

This indoctrination created a stark divide between "us" and "them," making family loyalty seem like a betrayal of Marley. Amid this environment, Tom Ksaver emerged as the only adult who treated Zeke with genuine kindness rather than using him as a tool.

Ksaver, the previous Beast Titan holder, had lost his family after his wife discovered his Eldian heritage, killing their son and then herself out of despair. Their shared grief fostered a father–son bond between them.

Through hours of playing catch and honest conversation, Ksaver’s practical but compassionate worldview replaced Grisha’s fiery passion. He introduced Zeke to the idea that continuing the Eldian bloodline meant perpetuating cycles of suffering.

Zeke’s betrayal was rooted in a desperate act of self-preservation. It later led him to embrace a merciful desire to prevent future suffering by peacefully ending the Eldian line. He believed that thousands of years of conflict, wars, Titan transformations, and atrocities could not be separated from the power of the Titans.

Reporting his parents to Marley was an act of survival, prompted by Ksaver’s warning that Marley’s suspicions could soon put Zeke and his grandparents in danger. This act later paved the way for his ultimate plan: ending Eldian reproduction through the Founding Titan’s power. In his mind, this strategy would spare future generations from endless pain.

However, Zeke’s logical rationale unraveled when he faced his half-brother Eren’s rejection of the euthanasia plan. During his time in the Paths, prompted by Armin, Zeke reflects on the simple happiness of playing catch with Ksaver.

This bittersweet realization reveals that, emotionally, he remained the frightened child who never reconciled his need for unconditional love. His betrayal was not purely rational but a desperate attempt to escape conditional affection. He turned against his parents because they made love contingent on ideology.

Conclusion

Zeke Yeager (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA)

Zeke’s betrayal of Grisha Yeager and Dina Fritz cannot be attributed to a single emotional episode in Attack on Titan. It arises from a childhood shaped by indoctrination, trauma passed down and amplified by oppressive forces, and a philosophical stance presented as mercy.

Marley’s authoritarian regime, combined with the Yeagers’ uncompromising Restorationism and Tom Ksaver’s mentorship, produced a young man who saw parental sacrifice as the first step toward universal salvation. In Zeke’s dark logic, betraying his family was a necessary prelude to ending all future suffering.