Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) is undoubtably one of the most influential AniMangas of the past two decades. Its presence has not only been felt at home but globally, with its popularity propelling Japanese animated media back into the Western limelight on a scale arguably not witnessed since Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001). Indeed, immensely popular franchises such as Death Note (2006-2007) and Sword Art Online (2012-) have claimed international cult success; though the impact Attack on Titan has had on Western consumption is still something felt today, paving the way for more recent shōnen franchises to thrive.
As such, much like anything else with a large platform, Attack on Titan has been the subject of immense conversation, and not all of these positive ones. Of particular note is a widely circulated 2019 article by the gaming culture website Polygon, titled, 'The fascist subtext of Attack on Titan can’t go overlooked'. Following its release, the weighty and indeed troubling statement that Attack on Titan reflected, quote, "uncomfortable parallels to global anti-semitism, far-right Japanese politics, and Isayama’s [AOT's creator] own personal politics", has been a sentiment distributed widely on social media.
As an AniManga fan and follower of the franchise since the anime adaptation's initial release in 2013, from what I have witnessed in social media spheres such as Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit, Polygon's article has definitively had an effect on Attack on Titan's reputation, particularly with those who have not- at least entirely- engaged with the franchise themselves. I am not alone in offering a counter-argument to Polygon's article, and multiple media sources including Collider and CBR have criticised Polygon's claims, citing them as misrepresentative. However, I wanted too, to divulge how Attack on Titan has been misinterpreted, as further into the narrative's progression there exists many more incidences which indeed reject these facist and anti-semitic suggestions. I shall break down the points made within the Polygon article chronologically, accompanied by any further points which may have not been touched upon. I also do not mean this to be a smear against the the article's author, rather a discussion of the points made within the work. This is because these are not statements made within this article alone, and exist as part of a broad conversation amongst many regarding the franchise. As such I am avoiding using the author's name.
I also do not wish to attempt to change anyones opinion on whether or not they find Attack on Titan entertaining, because like anything, it is bound not to please everyone. However it troubles me to see this franchise's narrative message misconstrue, and its true morality tale of hope, despair, prejudice, and equality overlooked.
The Big Twist:
Initial claims regarding Attack on Titan as an anti-semitic text arose as the manga reached its 86th chapter (Titled: That Day) in 2016. That Day marked a turning point in the narrative which saw its characters faced with the truth that their perception of reality was but minuscule in comparison to the world which lay outside their Walls. The Survey Corps came to realise that not only did far more technologically advanced civilisations exist outside of the Walls on the Island of Paradis, but that their peoples- Eldians- were regarded globally as "Devils" to be persecuted. The reveal also came with the harrowing news that- as had long been implied- the Titans the Corps has been fighting against until now were too, Eldians, brutally transformed into their cannibalistic state by the nation of Marley, a global superpower responsible for the initial destruction of Wall Maria in the series pilot.
These discoveries were presented to readers through a series of flashback chapters told from the perspective of Grisha Yeager, protagonist Eren's father; who was born and raised in an "internment zone", a segregated ghetto for Eldians in Marley. Here Grisha and fellow Eldians face severe discrimination and are treated as second-class citizens. The further immediate parallel between Hajime Isayama's Eldians and Jews living under the Third Reich is that they are forcibly distinguished by armbands featuring the Eldian sigil of a 9-pointed star (symbolic of the 9 Titans).
However, as previous articles have pointed out, while acknowledging the obvious parallels between Attack on Titan's narrative themes and the Holocaust; Polygon's article appears to suggest that the Eldians are somehow the series' antagonists. As established, its core cast- our "heroes" we have rooted for since day one- are Eldians. As Dave Trumbore states in their article for Collider:
"Yes, the Eldians are an ancient race of people who are able to transform into Titans, the mindless, human-devouring monsters our heroes have been fighting against all along. If this is where the comparison stopped, of course there'd be room for rightful outrage, but it's only part of the story." (Trumbore, 2019)
The only conclusion I can draw as to why Polygon's article would make such an assumption is that they disregard the characters of Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover- initially close friends with Eren and leading characters in their own right- as somehow irredeemable villains themselves. As lead antagonistic figures in the fourth and fifth narrative arcs (The Female Titan and Clash of the Titans), Annie, Reiner and Bertolt are revealed as the Titan Shifters who had destroyed Wall Maria, set on ridding the world of the so-called "Island Devils". Annie, Reiner and Bertolt were in fact part of a Marley military scheme which saw Eldian children trained and recruited to inherit the power of one of the 7 Titan shifters in Marley's possession. This is because, despite being a global superpower, Marley's military might rests heavily on the power of the Titans, something they had claimed from the Eldians during The Great Titan War some 100 years prior to the events of the series.
However, as the revelations about the outside world are made, we understand that Eldians such as Reiner (Attack on Titan's protagonist from Marley's perspective) have all been groomed and persecuted into self-hatred against their own ethnic heritage and peoples. Marley have engrained an educational history into these Eldians that those living within the Walls on the island of Paradis had abandoned them, and that the only way they might repent their supposed centuries of atrocities would be to put an end to the Paradisians once and for all. To do so would require the power of the Founding Titan, which the Eldian King Karl Fritz had secured inside the Walls, alongside brainwashing the Paraidisans into forgetting the world outside, and using the Founding power to renounce any future participation in war.
As a matter of fact, Marley's attack against Paradis came as a result of their own anxieties surrounding their position as a feared global authority. With neighbouring nations' military advancements in anti-Titan artillery threatening Marley's dominance, they resultantly decided that only the power of the Founding Titan might offer security. As such, using the same totalitarian governance they despise the once-nation Eldia for. Indeed, what Polygon's article fails to account for is the mass of atrocities Marley commits against the Eldian people, who are themselves reflective of a facist regime, rather than the likes of Paradis' Survey Corps. It is the Marleyan regime which conscripts Eldians to fight in their wars, and pressures them to give their children to the Warrior program (a death-sentence in-and-of itself) in return for the most basic of human rights. It is the Marleyan regime which sets dogs to maul Grisha Yeager's kid-sister to death for the innocent curiosity of leaving the internment zone. It is the Marleyan regime which colonises smaller nations and forcibly conscripts these citizens to fight for their army. It is the Marleyan regime which tortures Eldians they deem too free-thinking by shipping them to Paradis' outer perimeter, injecting them with Titan spinal fluid, and turning them into the mindless cannibal giants that Attack on Titan's leads have battled from the very beginning.
A Deep-Dive into Attack on Titan's Historical Inspirations:
The analysis of Attack on Titan's narrative as a metaphor for the Holocaust, which- as evidenced- is often used as a criticism for the franchise, does not account for further historical details which Isayama makes reference to. The parallels between the treatment of the Eldian people to that of the Jews goes beyond a surface-level visual analysis, and in-turn can be presented as further evidence that the Eldian people are not (and should not be) framed as Attack on Titan's antagonists.
For instance, the propaganda instilled into Marleyan civilians, neighbouring nations, and the systematically oppressed Eldians living outside of Paradis, can be compared to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols, cited as the core blueprint of modern anti-semitism, is a heavily circulated piece of Czarist Secret Police propaganda introduced in the early 20th century (Laqueur, 2006, 96). Within this erroneous text, claims are made of a supposed Jewish master plan to take over the known world and from it, build a Jewish empire. The Protocols' absurd claims regarding Jewish peoples were used to play on the post-WWI paranoia of the wider public in a number of nations, rendering Jews a scapegoat for issues from socio-economic struggles to moral panics surrounding threats to democracy (ibid.). In Attack on Titan, Marley uses similar propaganda tactics, publicising a false history which demonises the Eldian people as both a past and continuous threat to Marleyan livelihood, citing this as justification for their exploitation tactics.
A further historical inspiration that can be drawn relates to the geography of Attack on Titan's world. When compared vertically to our own map, the Marleyan Empire encompasses a large portion of land very similar to the continent of Africa and South-Western Europe. This is immediately reflective of our own world's history of colonisation, which majorly saw European nations take control vast portions of the African continent. The Island of Paradis in comparatively reflective of Madagascar, something that is particularly interesting if considered in relation to histories of Nazi Germany.
The Madagascar Plan was a pre-WWII proposal devised by the Nazi Regime which considered the mass emigration of 10,000 Jewish refugees living in France as a potential "Final Solution" to the so-called "Jewish problem". (Jewish Virtual Library, 2021). SS officer Adolf Eichmann was commissioned to produce a report detailing Madagascar's colonisation potential, concluding that as many as 4 million European Jews could be forcefully shipped to the island and placed inside a "police reserve" ghetto. Nazi government official Franz Rademacher further divulged in memos how the plan would see these Jews have their citizenship revoked and personal property claimed to help fund this controlled ghetto. As Evan Andrews for History divulges, "Rademacher argued that the island reservation could be spun as propaganda to show the world the "generosity" of the German people." (Andrews, 2018), Moreover, such a concept was not entirely unique to the Nazi regime, and instead first conceptualised by German scholar Paul de Lagarge in 1885. It was later spread by further anti-Semitic figures across Europe, who subscribed to largely baseless claims that the Jews were ancestors of Madagascar's Malagasy people, and thus the island was suitable to forcibly inhabit millions onto. The island's climate and unreliable geography for infrastructure was not a concern of the Nazi regime, and plans were instead focused on an, "illusion of propriety", including allowing the Jewish hostages to have their own services, such as a mayor and a show-police force (Andrews, 2018).
In relation to Attack on Titan, if we are to consider the symbolic relevance of the Walls location, a number of inferences could be made as to how this correlates to the history of the Madagascar Plan. On one hand, it might be argued that given the Eldians who migrated to the island of Paradis with King Karl Fritz did so to escape persecution and live a "peaceful existence", this in a sense reclaims the notion of forced settlement. Moreover, during the Great Titan War, when Karl Fritz and a portion of his people retreated to the island, it is established that at this time, it was a remote territory, rather than any place of so-called historical or cultural significance.
However, I would argue that the island and the Walls are more strongly reflective of Marley's fascist tactics and engrained prejudice of the Subjects of Ymir, much like the Nazis and the Jews. Marley uses Paradis island's outer perimeter as a dumping ground for the Eldians they shift into pure mindless Titans, and in doing so entrap the Paradisians further. Persecuting the Eldians this way led the island to be known as "heaven" or "paradise"- an afterlife- immediately implicating the death sentence that becoming a Titan ensures. To the Marleyan regime, this rite is much like punishment by execution, though is also used as part of research projects to further understand the origins and power of the Titans. In this regard, Marley's Titan Biology Research Society- responsible for developing the serum to turn Subjects of Ymir into Titans- is not dissimilar to the Nazi's human experimentation programs against the likes of Romanis, ethnic Poles, POWs, disabled persons, and Jews during the Second World War.
However, Attack on Titan's parallels between the treatment of the Eldian people to that of the Jews stretches across history, and are not exclusively tied to Adolf Hitler's leadership. The moral panics Marley and surrounding nations exhibit are not dissimilar to the likes of some of those reflected within the New Testament (or at least within certain Church interpretations of it). For example, particularly during the Middle Ages, an abusive rhetoric labelling Jews as "followers of Satan" circulated, citing The Book of Revelation and John's Gospel; alongside claims of the existence of a "Jewish Antichrist" who would, "compel the whole world to obey Jewish law" (Laqueur, 2006, 46-47).
Marleyan propaganda and warped perceptions of the Eldian figurehead, Ymir Fritz- a young girl first to obtain the Power of The Titans- may too be read as comparative to such anti-semitic dialogues. As shall later be divulged, Marley's perception of Ymir Fritz is a false one, painting her as a demonic figure who made a deal with the Devil in exchange for power.
What is interesting regarding Attack on Titan is that while certain Eldian sects worshiped Ymir herself as a God, for the most part, Eldians, Marleyans, and neighbouring nations alike all appear to be monotheistic, worshiping one God, similarly to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Moreover, figures such as Ymir Fritz and Marley's fabricated hero, Helos, are somewhat reminiscent of prophets, rather than a Godly being themselves. References to a single Devil too, draws parallels with depictions of Satan within Abrahamic religions. Attack on Titan's God is never outright defined, with the closest interpretation of organised religion being The Church of the Walls within Paradis. This church cites God as the creator of the "sacred" Walls which protected them from the Titans. This however, is debunked during the coup d'etat in the series' 6th arc (The Uprising), when it is revealed that high-ranking officials of the church knew of the Wall's true origins. As such, proclamations that civilians should not touch the sacred Walls, and "impurities" such as military artillery should not be placed upon them, was a method of keeping inquisitives from discovering the Walls' true origins.
Anti-Marleyan Volunteer, Onyankopon, makes particular reference to the monotheism that exists in Attack on Titan. The once-conscript, whose nation had been colonised by Marley, identifies the belief of a single "Creator" shared between Eldians and nations such as his own. Having never seen someone with such a dark skin complexion within the Walls, Sasha Blouse of the Survey Corps asks Onyankopon why different skin colours exist. He responds that every colour and creed, including himself and the Eldian Subjects of Ymir, were all born into the world for a reason and are thus worthy of equal respect and human rights.
From a historical standpoint, Onyankapon's name is particularly interesting; a reference to one of the multiple names of the Creator God within the Akan religion of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. The Akan people widely identify as Christians, worshiping the same God as Abrahamic religions, despite their various interpretations of God's name. Ultimately, much like Attack on Titan's deuteragonists (the Alliance), Onyankopon is reflective of the hope for a peaceful solution to be achieved in which ethnic prejudice is dissolved. Onyankapon's view that God wished for co-existence in order to make the world "interesting", is therefore dismissive of real-world race concept supremacy such as the Aryan race.
However, beyond Abrahamic religion and ethnoreligious groups, what is less frequently considered by critics is that the parallels between the persecution of Eldians and the Jews is far from the only historical reference that Hajime Isayama makes.
Indeed, the conflict between Marley and Eldia also harbours great resemblance to the Rwandan Civil War and the decades of unease between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups, leading to the Tutsi Genocide. Despite making up around 85% of the population, the Hutus faced oppression and violence from the aristocratic minority Tutsis during the period of between the late 1800s and mid 1900s (BBC Africa, 2019). It was during this time that Rwanda was under Belgian colonial rule as part of a post-WWI trusteeship with the League of Nations, and the Tutsis were heavily favoured by the Belgians (History.com, 2009). This portion of Rwandan history is somewhat reflective of Eldia's ancient colonial expansion over Marley, which is later thwarted as the Eldian Empire grew unstable, allowing the Marleyans to take control. Similarly, the 1959 Hutu revolution forced tens of thousands of Tutsis to flee to neighbouring countries such as Uganda, as well as resulting in the exile of the Tutsi monarch (BBC Africa, 2019).
Once again, a comparison may be drawn here between King Karl Fritz's exile along with Eldian people to the island of Paradis. Most pressingly however, it is the 1994 genocide of some 800,000 Tutsi people and moderate Hutus by Hutu extremist groups and armed forced, which mirrors Marleyan treatment of the Eldians living on the continent. As previously discussed, Marley conscripts Eldian men as soldiers and children as potential Warrior candidates. Moreover, any Eldians caught to be breaking the law or deemed a danger to Marleyan authority are forcibly turned into mindless Titans and shipped to Paradis. However this is not the only instance in which Eldian Subjects of Ymir are transformed into Titans; they are also restrained and used as cannon fodder against opposing forces during Marley's conflicts, as seen in the Battle of Fort Slava during the Marley Mid-East War. Marley's use of its internment zones as reserve pools for titans to be weaponised is clear evidence of their disregard for human life, and willingness to commit mass slaughter at their own desire and convenience.
Returning to the topic of fascist themes within Attack on Titan, it is also worthy to note that such discussions are often focused exclusively on the Nazi regime (and by extension, anti-semitism), and do not account for how Attack on Titan approaches fascist history more broadly. Both aesthetically and textually, Isayama's Marley is comparable to Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini. From a visual and world-building standpoint, Marley takes inspirations from Italian culture in regards to its national cuisine (pasta, pizza, and seafood), seen both during Liberio's festival, as well as in the food Marleyan Navy officer Niccolo introduces to the Survey Corps. Moreover, Marley's service personal uniforms bare physical resemblance to those of Mussolini's regime, with the Public Security Authority baring a more striking resemblance to facist Italy's OVRA (Organisation for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism), rather than the likes of the Gestapo.
Mussolini's conducting of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War too, is comparable to Marley's attitudes and strategies of colonial expansion. As one of the earliest expansionist moves from the future Axis Power, the 1935-1936 war saw Italy invade the only remaining African nation not under European control. The motivation behind this was largely based on Mussolini's prideful desire to conquer Ethiopia after Italy's defeat during the first Italo-Ethiopian between 1895 and 1896 (Yared, 2016). Mussolini's advancements in Ethiopia also, "represented an opportunity for a laboratory of fascism", in which the authoritarian regime could be tested within domestic politics, ideally without mass disagreement. Mussolini was able to take advantage of weaknesses within the League of Nations, which saw its attention focused on Germany. As such, if Mussolini's fascist tactics could be successfully implemented in Ethiopia, he could achieve a similarly strict regime back in Italy without opposition (Luongo, 2019).
Comparatively, Marley's position as a leading power with facist goals meant that- similarly to the League of Nations- neighbouring countries such as Hizuru were impotent in preventing Marley's expansionism. As discussed, allies forces such as those in the Mid-East focused their attention on advancing their own military capabilities rather than challenge Marley's continuous colonialism. Moreover, the prejudice against Eldians is not in the slightest a strictly Marleyan sentiment; rather, as warrior cadet Udo describes it, attitudes towards the Subjects of Ymir are often far more hostile outside of Marley (Season 4, Episode 4). As such, Marley being both an unchallengeable authority, combined with neighbouring nations' own contempt for Eldians, meant that Marley were free to pursue their violent attack against Paradis.
During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Italy used chemical agents such as sulphur mustard gas against the Ethiopians; prohibited within the Geneva Protocol following WWI, which banned the use of asphyxiating, poisonous, and bacteriological methods of warfare. In 1935 Missolini's fascist Italy used chemical weapons against Ethiopian soldiers and civilians alike, distributed in bombs and gas, as well as by polluting water supplies, grazing land, and small villages (Endaylalu, 2018, 504-505). Marley's military used similar tactics against Paradis, staging a gas attack against the village of Ragako. The toxic gas, made from Titan Shifter Zeke Yeager's spinal fluid, was released downwind into the village, causing the civilians (all Subjects of Ymir) to turn into mindless Titans.
Even following their discovery of the outside world, Paradis has always been a less technologically advanced nation, with their only valuable weaponizable resource being their native Icebust Stone, which is compressed and used to fuel the Scouts' vertical manoeuvring equipment. The Army of the Ethiopian Empire similarly possessed comparatively minuscule resources, outdated artillery and an army who collectively had little combat training. Paradis' Garrison troops were similarly outmatched. As the largest of the island's three military branches, the Garrison was written by Isayama to be largely made up of unseasoned combatants who functioned as more of a neighbourhood police force and Wall maintenance unit. As such, when the Colossal and Armoured Titans initiated their surprise offensive, Paradis was severely outmatched.
As such, Marley's initial attack against Paradis during the Fall of Wall Maria was undoubtably an aggressive war crime. Much like Italy against Ethiopia, all aspects of Marley's assault breach our own International Humanitarian Law. These include: genocide by killing, serious bodily/mental harm, crimes against humanity of murder, torture, inhuman treatment, and crimes of willingly causing great suffering, destruction of property, attacking civilians and undefended places, and excessive incidental death (United Nations, 2005). Moreover, no official declaration of war from Marley had been made prior to the attack, similarly to Italy, whose, "General Emilio De Bono marched his troops over the Mareb River into Ethiopia before Italy officially issued a declaration of war." (Yared, 2016). The violent tactics implemented under Mussolini's regime thus bare some striking similarities to Attack on Titan's Marley, further evidencing that such fascist ideologies are far from praised by the franchise, and rather, are to be seen as appalling humanitarian war crimes.
Marley's ancient history is also depicted by Isayama with reference to the Roman Empire, for instance, the names of fictional historical events such as: The Tragic Fall of Lago, The Devastation of Monte, and The Ravaging of Valle, all derive from the Latin words for lake, mountain, and valley respectfully. The Japanese translation for Marley itself, Māre, also bares striking resemblance to the Latin word for sea (mare), further supported by Marley's seashell crest. Moreover, a narrative similarity could also be drawn between the Marley Mid-East War and the end of the Roman Empire during The Fall of Constantinople. The capture, which saw the Byzantine capital taken by Ottoman Empire forces, is marked by historians as the end of the ancient Medieval period. This is in part, due to the Ottoman's progressive capabilities in artillery such as gunpowder canons and bombards, which allowed them to overpower Constantinople's rampart fortifications (Cartwright, 2018).
Similarly, Attack on Titan's Marley Mid-East War holds symbolic relevance in regards to the collapse of Marley's military power. The outcome of the four-year conflict did indeed result in a Marleyan victory: due to Gabi Braun's ability to destroy the Allies' anti-Titan artillery, thus clearing a path for the Armoured and Jaw Titan. However, in the aftermath of the conflict, Isayama dedicates a scene to Marley's senior military figures discussing the global response to the war, identifying a unanimous reaction that Marley's weakness has been exposed. Their years as a global authority have come to an end due to their lack of technological advancements and reliance upon the power of the Titans. Furthermore, the Mid-East Allied Forces themselves are aesthetically similar to that of the Ottoman Empire during WWI.
Eldia's True History:
A further detail of Hajime Isayama's lore that critics often fail to divulge, is that the history and mythology both Marleyans and Eldians alike believe in is- to a certain degree- fabricated. As is often the case in our own educational spheres, the truth of our home-nation can be painted in a modest and unaccusing light, focusing instead on our victories rather than dark histories. Similarly, the truth of the ancient Eldian Empire and power of the Titans first held by Ymir Fritz is one Isayama initially depicts with great uncertainty.
From Marley's perspective, Ymir Fritz made a deal with the Devil for her powers. And using this, her and the Empire were ruthless tyrants whose blood-thirsty desire for power led to the destruction of countless cultures and lives, and eventually their own once they began infighting. For the anti-establishment group, the Eldian Restorationists- of which a young Grisha Yeager was a member- this history is an outright lie. By their account, the Eldian Empire helped the continent develop and prosper by building roads, infrastructure, and cultivating land. Ymir was a miracle and her subjects were, "the chosen children of God". Some more radical Eldian groups even worshiped Ymir as a goddess herself, with one using a nameless orphan girl as a Ymir figurehead for their cult.
Lastly, for Eldians in Paradis, these histories were largely unknown. Though member of the Fritz royal family, Frieda Reiss, taught her illegitimate sister and the future Paradisian Queen, Historia Reiss, that the figure of Ymir was a girl who made peace with the Devil, a symbol of kindness and feminine sensibilities.
The real truth however, the one Isayama has his protagonist Eren uncover, is far darker. In ancient years, Ymir Fritz was in fact a young slave girl to the first King of the Eldian tribe. After releasing some of the tribe's pigs, Ymir was hunted through a forest by soldiers and hounds for sport. Here Ymir came upon a giant hollowed tree, and inside made contact with a spine-like creature, giving her the power of the Titans.
The immediate reference that can be made here is to of the Tree of Life, a symbol found in countless religions, cultures, and mythologies, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to the Church of Latter-day Saints. If we are to consider the Jewish teachings of such a tree, we can perhaps point to the Etz Chaim (tree of life), a common expression for the Torah and name for Synagogues. Such a tree is present in the Book of Genesis, found within the Garden of Eden, however, this is not to be mistaken with the more infamous "tree of knowledge of good and evil", to which figures Adam and Eve are tied. The Book of Proverbs too, correlates a metaphysical tree of life to personal wisdom and a soothing nature (3:13-18, 15:4). With this context in mind, this particular reading is not so clearly compatible with Attack on Titan's hollowed tree.
Furthermore, we could debate that the immediate structure of Eldian ethnic history contrasts that of the Jewish faith, and more pressingly, of the prejudice stereotypes it oft faces. The earliest theological approaches for an explanation of anti-semitism point to the "exclusiveness" some felt the ethnoreligion possessed, for having, "crucified Jesus and [refusing] to accept his teachings", as well as that of Muhammad and Islam (Laqueur, 2006, 36). Sigmund Freud believed the Jews to be the subject of hatred because of the stigma of supposedly committing "prehistoric patricide" in killing God on Earth. However, Attack on Titan's history does not fit such an assessment. Rather, it is the Marleyan mythological belief that their hero, Helos, was the one to destroy the Devil of All Earth, and historically it was a Marleyan soldier who assassinated Ymir Fritz, thus- in a sense- committing religious matricide. Moreover, Freud also theorises that anti-Semitism came into being as a result of the Jewish pioneering of monotheism, which in-turn rejected polytheistic worship of the likes of the Egyptian Gods (Laqueur, 2006, 37). Once again, Attack on Titan's narrative does not apply to such a reading.
The more obvious interpretation of Attack on Titan's tree relates to Norse Mythology, strongly supported by the name Ymir itself, which directly derives from North Germanic myth. In Norse Mythology, central to everything is Yggdrasil, an immense and sacred tree which holds the 9 realms together and connects the living world to the world of mythical gods and giants (V.K.N.G., 2019). This definition alone presents multiple threads which can be applied to Attack on Titan's narrative. Firstly, the presence of the number 9 in Norse Mythology is frequent. It is described as, "the mythical number of the Germanic tribes. Documentation for the significance of the number nine is found in both myth and cult" by philologist Rudolph Simek, who considers that its importance may stem from the 27 day lunar calendar, which is a multiple of 9 (McCoy, 2012). Similarly Ymir Fritz's Titan power separates into 9 fractions following her death. Each of these 9 Titan powers together make an all-powerful entity, led by the Founding Titan. The Founding Titan is the force by which all decedents of the First Titan Ymir are connected within the Paths (also known as the Coordinate). This too, is not dissimilar to Yggdrasil, which acts as the connection between the words of humans and mythical beings.
Of further interest is Yggdrasil's connection to giants, which stem from one of the 9 realms, Jotunheim. Predating this however is Ymir, a giant and the first being in all Norse creation. Much like the Subjects of Ymir are decedents of Ymir Fritz, Old Norse Ymir is the ancestor to all the giants. Furthermore, Ymir's name translates to "screamer", correlating to the power that the Founding Titan (and weakly, the Female and Ape Titian) possesses, allowing for the Founder to control any Titans at will. A second interpretation of Old Norse Ymir's name is Aurgelmir, also meaning "sand/gravel". This too is intrinsically linked to Attack on Titan, as all matter within the Coordinate is made up of sand, the tool Ymir Fritz uses to create with her power.
The figure of Ymir in Norse Mythology and the giants of Jotunheim are threatening forces which corrupt natural order, eventually succeeding in seismic destruction during Ragnarok. As author Daniel McCoy notes:
"Thematically, Ymir is the personification of the chaos before creation, which is also depicted as the impersonal void of Ginnungagap. Both Ymir and Ginnungagap are ways of talking about limitless potential that isn’t actualized, that hasn’t yet become the particular things that we find in the world around us." (McCoy, 2012)
Ginnungagap its a bottomless abyss present before life itself, it is described as nothingness and also the space and matter in which creation can form. As such, a comparison could be drawn between this space and Attack on Titan's hollowed tree. A initially tentative theory of Ymir Fritz's Titan origins is offered by Eren Kruger; an Eldian spy who gave Grisha his mission and the power of the Attack Titan. Kruger claims that Ymir Fritz made contact with "the source of all living matter" (Season 3, Episode 21), something later confirmed to be true during the series' final arc (War for Paradis).
Upon witnessing her Titan power, the First King made Ymir his concubine, forced her to have his children and fight his battles. The King used Ymir to both cultivate lands and destroy civilisations, whatever suited his own desires. However, after 13 years, Ymir was killed in an assassination attempt against the King, and he had their daughters; Maria, Rose and Sheena, cannibalise her corpse in the hopes of keeping the power of the Titans in his control.
Following her death, Ymir Fritz became immortalised within the Paths, trapped within an existence which transcends space and time on Earth. In the Paths, Ymir creates Titans endlessly whenever their power is called upon on Earth; if an Eldian is forcibly shifted into a pure Titan, or a Titan Shifter produces or regenerates their body. In this regard, Ymir holds the power of creationism itself, though is not free to do with it what she wills. Rather, Ymir is rendered subservient much like she was as a slave for the First Eldian King on Earth. Her position encompasses protagonist Eren Yeager's most deep-rooted abhorrence, a lack of freedom. Or, at least what he perceives to be "freedom".
Eren and Ymir Fritz finally meet during Attack on Titan's final arc, when Eren is able to initiate Isayama's rendition of Ragnarok, The Rumbling; a cataclysmic event which sees the Colossal Titans inside Paradis' Walls awaken and commence in trampling the world. Eren's reasoning behind engaging with Ymir appears to be to release her of this burden of forced creationism. He claims to realise that Ymir is neither the slave the First Eldian King forced her to be, the Devil other nations claimed her to be, nor the God her decedents believe her to be. Unlike Zeke Yeager- who attempts to use his nobel bloodline as a means of forcing Ymir into sterilising the entire Eldian population- Eren claims to offer Ymir the choice of "freedom". This freedom Eren speaks of however, as I shall further divulge in my next section, is inherently corrupt, because Attack on Titan's great irony is that Eren Yeager- who wishes for freedom- is in fact the least free character of all.
Overall, because Polygon and similar critics reached the conclusion that Attack on Titan's Eldians were antagonists before the details of Ymir Fritz's origins were revealed, the nuances of this history have been all but lost in many critical interpretations of the series. The truth is that each side of this years-long war- both Eldia and Marley- have committed atrocities. The cycle has been endless. What is crucial however is that The Power of the Titans itself was not something Ymir Fritz initially hoped to gain from, rather it was a position thrust upon her and subsequently manipulated by others generation after generation. If we are to consider this power to be reflective of creationism or "the source of all living matter", this is surely not something no one person should claim any rights to.
Ymir was an enslaved child, a pawn to a man who used others to further his own selfish ideals. This itself is a recurring thread throughout Attack on Titan, with the loop of the same mistakes being made something that has been etched within the pages of the manga from its very start. The First Eldian King used Ymir as a slave to do his bidding. Marley used child cadets to fight its battles. Grisha used his first son Zeke as a tool for his revolutionary plans. His second son in-turn used him to take the Founding Titan's power. Historia's father Rod attempted to use his daughter to maintain the Fritz era of cognitive control. These are not villains, there are victims. To come to any sort of conclusion that the present-day Eldians, both from Paradis and Marley- based solely upon their heritage- are antagonists, falls into the same stigmas of prejudice for which Attack on Titan has been critically judged.
"The Hate We Gave":
Berit Brogaard's Hatred: Understanding Our Most Dangerous Emotion (2020) offers particularly insightful definitions of emotional hatred which can be used to contextualise Attack on Titan's core moral messages. According to Brogaard, the form of hatred most reflective of group and individual prejudice is "dehumanising disrespect", in which one regards another as lacking worth and therefore, "[treats] them as subhuman, or a "nonentitiy", whose sole purpose is to serve "real" people." (Brogaard, 2020, 37). Such a definition can immediately be applied to both the First Eldian King's treatment of his slaves- including Ymir- as well as the Marleyan regime's attitudes towards the Subjects of Ymir, whose bodies and lives they use for their own totalitarian advancement.
Such disrespect can be personal, though is often also tied to group hatred, which, "combines resentment for people who belong to a certain group with condemnation of them for their assumed malevolent character." This is indeed the case for the almost global perception of the Subjects of Ymir, whom they assign blame for the past atrocities committed by the early Eldian rulers. As is the case with the Marleyan Empire, "Group hatred is commonly exploited by the ruling, or oppressive, class in a society as an instrument of inducing fear in the oppressed group to discourage disobedience." (Brogaard, 2020, 158) As is the case during WWII, German citizens willingness or passive acceptance of the Holocaust was not due to any "special German psychopathic or sadistic trait" which connected them to the dark personalities of high ranking Nazi officials, but rather the result of carefully distributed manipulation tactics. As Brogaard identifies, "To maximise compliance and minimise resistance among ordinary Germans... the Nazis capitalised on the Germans long-standing anti-Semitic sentiments and feelings of despair." Propaganda such as The Protocols previously mentioned were able to play on post-WWI moral panics regarding the recession and increased poverty. Such attitudes towards Jews allowed them to became scapegoats for the Nazi regime; manipulating pre-existing anti-Semitic sentiments into a justification for group hatred (Brogaard, 2020, 173-177).
Marley is able to use similar historical prejudices against the Subjects of Ymir to fuel hate for the ethnic group internationally and justify their own position as a global authority. Marley maintains their power through the Titans under their control, as well as the distribution of their propaganda that their hero, Helos, was historically able to defeat the Eldian Empire. Their public justification for attacking the island of Paradis is to rid the world of the so-called "Island Devils" for the good of everyone, while their own personal goal is to maintain their position as a global superpower in which they can maintain colonial authority. Moreover, the group hatred for the Eldian Subjects of Ymir is further parasitical in that, prior to the series' 7th arc (Return to Shinganshina), the Paradisians were unconscious to the mere existence of organised life beyond the Walls, let alone their status as a collective ethnic group at the forefront of global condemnation.
"Group hatred often takes on dehumanising proportions, which makes it unfitting, irrational, and morally indefensible, but there is another reason group hatred lacks fit, logic and moral sense: it inaccurately portray all members of a given social group as being engaged in criticisable conduct that flows from their criticisable character traits.” (Brogaard, 2020, 317)
One cannot be judged or persecuted for the actions of others. Prejudice and hate cause little but destruction. To change, we can only realise our history, and in turn learn from this. Isayama's manga makes a point of this multiple times. Warrior cadet Gabi Braun's narrative arc is particularly strong in this regard. She initially holds intense hate and prejudice for Paradisians, seeing them as "Devils" supposedly responsible for her own disenfranchised state. Gabi goes as far as to try justify the murder of Kaya's (a young Paradisian) mother, who was killed by a Titan during Zeke Yeager's assault on Ragako village. Gabi's beliefs are challenged when Kaya proclaims that her mother had nothing to do with any ancient atrocities committed by past Eldians, so how was her death justifiable? As such, when Gabi is confronted with these once-faceless enemies on Paradis island, she comes to understand that the propaganda instilled in her by the Marleyan government is a lie.
Prejudice leads to hate, and hate leads to violence. Attack on Titan's protagonist-turned-antagonist Eren is more representative of this than anyone. Eren's frustrations manifest into a desire to destroy his enemies, growing until this ultimately consumes him. His Tragic Hero, Fall From Grace narrative is not unlike the leads of gothic classics such as Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (Shelley,1818) and Doctor Faustus (Marlowe, 1592). Much like Victor and Faustus, Eren is burdened by excessive ambition and a potential for a lack of humanity. He distances himself from others and allows his obsession with becoming "free" to overcome him, not dissimilar to how Victor Frankenstein grows animalistic in his quest to destroy the Monster he created. Eren is ridden with guilt for his past failures, and as a result uses this as his drive to commit mass genocide, which he claims is all of the sake of securing freedom for himself and those he loves; namely Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and Connie (following Sasha's death).
Author Dominic Sceski's essay for The Artifice, Attack on Titan: Anger as a Source of Motivation, divulges Eren's potential for hate further, questioning: “When is it acceptable for Eren to act on his anger, and for what reasons? Conversely, when is Eren just becoming a monster, caving in to his hatred? Is there a better way for him to act on his anger and do what he must?” (Sceski, 2018). Indeed, much like Sceski identifies, Eren's base anger is justifiable, in that it is a natural reaction to the trauma he experiences. For the vast majority of the narrative, Eren witnesses his family and his comrades meet horrific ends. Worse still three of his closest friends are revealed to have been responsible for these deaths. Eren has every right to be angry, as do those around him. What is necessary to differentiate however, is whether or not Eren's response to this anger is morally justifiable.
Sceski continues by referencing philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas: "“Anger craves for revenge.” But the desire for revenge is a desire for something good: since revenge belongs to justice. Therefore the object of anger is good."
Should this interpretation be applied, then Eren Yeager's own moral compass might suggest his anger is justified. His actions would definitely support this, given he claims that these are part of his revenge against, "every last one of those animals that's in this world". As he advances during the Rumbling, crushing the Marleyan fleet and reaching the continent, Eren envisions his mother's death (chapter 130); the inciting incident to his thirst for revenge. It is however, important to note that while the fall of Shinganshina triggered Eren's desire to destroy- first the Titans, later the rest of the world- he was an inherently violent person prior to these events. When Eren and his half-brother Zeke travel through their father Grisha's memories, Eren admits that his capacity for rage is not something passed down to him, much like how Grisha attempted to force his Eldian Restorationist ideals onto Zeke as a child. Instead, Eren has simply always been this way. This is exemplified in Eren's methods and reasoning behind killing the human traffickers who murdered Mikasa's parents, and kidnapped her to sell on account of her "rare" Asian heritage; something Eren was capable of without hesitation at the mere age of 8.
Similarly, the global treatment of the Subjects of Ymir is something persecutors may themselves consider, "good anger", as they believe their actions to be justice for decades of tyranny under Eldian rule. However, if we are to consider that violence against modern-day Eldians is reactionary and based solely on their supposed potential for violence (something Marley insights itself by turning Subjects of Ymir unto Titans, physical embodiments of mindless violence), this is instead reminiscent of the prejudice and group hatred that Brogaard speaks of.
Once again, Eren's capacity for hate is not reflective of any one race, ethnicity, or even one ideology. The Yeagerists- in particular, de-facto leader Floch Froster- believe their ideals to be in-line with Eren's: initiate the Rumbling, destroying civilisations beyond Paradis, and instating a New Eldian Empire. Floch frequently claims that the methods of a living "Devil" (Initially Erwin Smith, later Eren) are the only ones which can secure an Eldian victory. He is deeply prejudiced against anyone not from Paradis, and willing to commit violent war crimes against civilians, including children. As discussed however, Eren's genocidal motivations are based on his desire for personal "freedom", rather than any sort of totalitarian regime similar to what The First King had ruled under.
As previously established, Attack on Titan is deeply concerned with repetition, both in its historical lore and the actions of individual characters. Throughout the series, characters continue to make the same mistakes over and over, many of these the product of hatred. The violence of war helps no one, and inevitably dooms future generations and innocents. Even beyond the Eldian/Marleyan conflict, Isayama hints at this cycle of hatred, and the futility of such baseless anger. The recurring appearance of Mid-Eastern refugee Ramzi is particularly interesting in this regard, as he is often depicted in an evocative manner that parallels the origins of Ymir Fritz. Much like Ymir, Ramzi is treated as a second-class citizen, punished with excessive violence for actions that are- while dubious- morally justifiable (Ymir being hunted and brutalised for freeing the pigs; Ramzi loosing his hand and being beaten for pickpocketing to provide for his family).
From a socio-historical standpoint, the characterisation of Attack on Titan's Mid-Eastern refugees is comparative to current European attitudes towards asylum seekers, and the prejudice they face. Support Refugees, a charity organisation founded by The Jewish Council for Racial Equality and West London Synagogue for British Jews, identifies that in 2015, 65.3 million people were categorised as refugees, displaced, or asylum seekers by the United Nations Refugee Agency. These concerning rates were and continue to be the result of persecution, conflict, generalised violence, or human rights violations faced by refugees (Support Refugees, 2020).
On the subject of prejudice, the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory identifies that migrant and refugee discrimination is prevalent in any sphere, from labour and employment markets, housing, educational, and social sectors; all having an effect on an individual's mental and physical health, as well as their quality of life (Fernández-Reino, 2020). This discrimination is often- though not always- based on ethnic differences from skin colour to language. Speaking in the context of the UK, Fernández-Reino notes that:
"-studies have shown that migrant groups who are culturally and ethnically more distant from the local majority population are more likely to experience discrimination than those who are more alike, while migrants from less developed countries are often perceived more negatively than those from developed nations, regardless of their personal characteristics." (The Migrant Observatory 2020)
Attack on Titan has explored attitudes towards refugees on multiple occasions. Following the fall of Wall Maria, those living in the outer perimeters (including leads Eren, Mikasa and Armin) that escaped the Titan advancement were subsequently displaced in Wall Rose. The class conflict already existent within the Walls led to further tensions between the refugees and Wall Rose natives. Eren- a child of 10 at the time- is even seen to be assaulted by a pair of Garrison soldiers who mock the refugees as "animals" and Titan-fodder (Season 1, Episode 2). However, this harsh treatment is ultimately the result of increased levels of famine rather than ethnic prejudice. The Mid-Eastern refugees in Marley however, are discriminated against based upon negative stereotypes. They are labelled as "sneaks" and criminals, and threatened with mutilation and lynching. Marleyans go as far as to insinuate that migrants such as Ramzi may even be Subjects of Ymir (seemingly an even more damning label), thus further Othering them (Chapter 123).
"The World is Cruel, But Also Very Beautiful":
Therefore, now we have established Attack on Titan's use of narrative repetition in order to reflect the futile cycle of hatred, we can consider how- if at all- Hajime Isayama offers a hopeful alternative to this.
Comparatively, the trauma Eren Yeager faces throughout the series is not dissimilar to Attack on Titan's other lead characters; what differentiates him is his reaction to it. Eren admits to Queen Historia that he is fully aware his genocide results in the death of millions of innocent people, yet he still is unable to see any resolution to hatred other than violence. Eren even cries to Ramzi over this, torn with grief over the supposed necessity of the Rumbling (chapter 131). While less immediately violent, Zeke Yeager's proposed solution- using the Founding Titan power to sterilise the Subjects of Ymir, thus leading to their eventual euthanization- is also a pessimistic solution. A lack of love from his parents, who used him as a pawn for their revolutionist plans, led Zeke to become a nihilistic person who sees no positive future for the Eldian people. He wishes to use his royal blood to provide "salvation" for his people through the euthanasia plan, believing this to be his purpose. Zeke's dedication to this goal leads him to become an idol in the eyes of Anti-Marleyan volunteer, Yelena, who worships Zeke as a god-like figure (comparable to the prophet Ezekiel, of which Zeke's name derives).
Yelena's character often functions as a voice of doubt for Attack on Titan's deuteragonists. She is cynical, and uses sociopathic methods to cause conflict and demoralisation within the Alliance. When the Marleyan Warriors and Survey Corps unite in Attack on Titan's final arc, Yelena voices distaste for their supposed self-righteousness, claiming that their goal of putting an end to the Rumbling for the betterment of others is self-serving, as it allows for them to put aside the hatred they have harboured themselves (chapter 127). Yelana's attitude is ultimately impulsive and she too fails to account for any hopeful outcome beyond Zeke's plans of euthanasia.
Yet in spite of Eren and Zeke's fatalistic approaches, hope remains, and change is possible. People are capable of forgiveness, capable of putting aside their prejudices and treating one another as equals. Yelena is ultimately self-serving, therefore she cannot comprehend that the Alliance would aim to stop the Rumbling, not for the betterment of themselves, but for people they have never even known. However, the Alliance and those who support them display time and time again that while the world is indeed full of pain and suffering- often out of their own control- there is good to be had that makes surviving worthwhile. Chapter 137, Titans, is particularly reflective of this, seeing Commander Armin discuss the meaning of life with a sombre Zeke Yeager. Armin admits he finds meaning in life in the smallest of moments, doing what he enjoys and spending time with his friends (something I discuss in further detail in my review of Chapter 137). Armin teaches Zeke to similarly appreciate the small moments, and find joy and meaning for his existence; thus allowing the pair to work together to stop the Rumbling in its tracks. The capability for humans to put aside their different beliefs and find a common denominator between themselves is obvious here. Even in the moments before his death, Zeke admits he still believes his euthanasia plan was right, he still holds on to his nihilistic creed. Yet in spite of this, he and Armin (and everyone else) are the same, simply because they have the capacity to love and find joy (Chapter 137).
Further examples of such forgiveness and acceptance can be seen throughout the Alliance. Late Survey Corps veteran and fan-favourite Sasha Blouse was killed by Gabi because Gabi saw the Paradisians as Other. Yet, as discussed, she eventually learns this is not true, and in the process Sasha's own family (and the Corps) show forgiveness to Gabi, and even take her under their wing. Similarly, Jean Kirstein is gradually able to make amends with Reiner, in spite of the latter's part in the death of Jean's close friend, Marco (Chapter 135). Armin persuades Connie to give up on attempting to sacrifice the young warrior cadet Falco in order to turn his Titan mother back into a human. In doing so, Connie is able to put aside his frustrations and guilt in order to become a "great solider" and focus on projecting others, something he knew his mother wanted for him (Chapter 126). Lastly, in their final moments former Survey Corps Commander Keith Shadis and Marleyan general, Theo Magath- representative of complete polar opposite military forces- greet one another as new friends and work together in their shared goal of protecting the Alliance (Chapter 129). Ultimately, the morally selfless intentions of the Alliance are best explained by the character of Hanji, who identifies that none of the fallen Survey Corps would have agreed to only serving the interests of the Island, and that under no circumstances is genocide a justifiable course of action (Chapter 127).
If we are to once again to apply historical/mythological contexts to Attack on Titan, a comparison can be drawn between the Alliance, Eren, and the site of the series' final battle: Fort Salta, an anagram for Atlas, a Titan of Greek mythology. Atlas was punished by Zeus for leading the battle against the Gods of Olympus for ultimate control. As penalty, Atlas was tasked with holding up the weight of the heavens on his shoulders (Cartwright, 2017). The First King Fritz could be read as similarly tyrannical as Atlas, attempting to disrupt the pre-established order of the world by taking control himself using Ymir Fritz's power. Later, Eren would harness the same power to initiate the Rumbling, aiming to destroy all life outside of Paradis. Whether or not there will be any similar penance for Eren (or the power of the Titans more figuratively) is yet to be seen. However, there is no-doubt a connection to be drawn between the notion of holding up the weight of the heavens, and the burden of the all-powerful Founding Titan linking to the Paths connecting Subjects of Ymir together. It is an inhuman task, and one Attack on Titan clearly identifies as corruptive. No one should harbour this power, not Ymir Fritz, not Eren, Not Zeke or any other Eldian royal. It belongs to the Earth.
After initiating the Rumbling and shifting into his Founding Titan form, quite literally, Eren becomes the physical embodiment of hate. As he approaches Fort Salta, the Marleyan forces at the research base reflect on their past prejudices, and what this has in-turn brought them (Chapter 134). Their promise of putting an end to the era of hate becomes a hopeful one, further supported by the arrival of the Alliance; a united front with a shared goal of protecting all of humanity in mind.
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Titans and Soldiers, Understood:
Beyond Polygon's assessment of Attack on Titan's historical lore, I too feel it necessary to touch upon the smaller, though ultimately still untrue statements the article makes. The first of these concerns the man-eating Titans themselves:
"-there’s the so-called Pure Titans: that is, the random Titans that menace our characters throughout the series. Nude, creepily smiling cannibals, these Pure Titans are mindless, not even needing to eat to live so much as for fun." (for Polygon, 2019)
Immediately the suggestion that the Titans eat humans for fun is one that can be dismantled. The narrative has made apparent that the cannibalisation the Titans partake in is not out of choice, but rather something they are forced to do within this state. Once-Eldian cult idol and 104th Cadet Ymir (not to be mistaken with Ymir Fritz) described her 60+ years trapped as a Pure Titan as, "like [she] was stuck in a nightmare that would never end." More pressing is the evidence from the prequel chapter, Ilse's Notebook, which was included as part of Attack on Titan's 5th Volume. Set prior to Eren and his companions' enlistment into the Survey Corps, scout Ilse Langnar documents the events leading to her death after her squad is wiped during an expedition beyond the Walls. Ilse encounters a Titan, however is startled when the giant does not immediately attack her. Instead the Titan- a former Eldian cultist mistaking Ilse for Ymir- bows in servitude. It speaks hoarsely, "Ymir's People. Lady Ymir." and begins mauling at its own face in frustration, trying desperately not to succumb to the draw to eat. Ultimately the Titan fails to stop itself, and consumes Ilse's head, crying in anguish as it eats. The whole scene is incredibly macabre, one of Attack on Titan's darkest. However, what it undoubtably displays is that for the tortured Titans, to eat human flesh is anything but "fun".
The Titans' very existence is yet another example of Isayama's use of repetitive cycles within the narrative. The Titans have no sophisticated digestive system, instead simply a stomach-like cavity that fills before it is regurgitated back up. The only personal gain a Titan may have in eating humans, is if they were to coincidentally eat a Titan shifter and consume their spinal fluid. This would this allow the Titan to take the shifter's powers and return to a human state. Indeed, it could be strongly suggested that this is the subconscious goal of the Titans, however- as Ymir confirms- this was never anything Pure Titans are actively aware of (Season 2, Episode 9). Secondly, the act of cannibalism consists with the original orders given by the First King to his children, whom he told to pass the tradition along in order to keep the Power of the Titans in Eldian control.
Further criticism for the Titans concerns their caricature designs, with some suggesting that their exaggerated features are potentially perpetuating anti-semitic stereotypes. Once again, we have already established that while Attack on Titan makes reference to the Holocaust (as it does multiple seismic events of history), this is not done so as a means of perpetuating anti-semitic ideologies, but rather mirrors the similar barbaric treatment faced by Jews under Adolf Hitler's facist regime. As such, it is not accurate to suggest the Titans are reflective of any singular ethnic or religious group. Indeed, the Titan's have caricature features, though Isayama's designs are often satirical of real life figures, both his friends and colleges, as well as a variety of celebrities. Titans depicting AOT voice actors Yūki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa and Marina Inoue have made appearances, as has series chief director, Tetsurō Araki. In terms of Western celebrity figures, a selection of the Game of Thrones cast have made cameos, as well as Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad).
Beyond the Titans, Polygon's article also makes fallacious claims regarding the Survey Corps, citing:
"-military might is presented as the strongest, truest power of all... Frequently, the military — particularly the Survey Corps that Eren and the rest of the main cast belong to — is presented as full of pure rational-decision makers and unquestioned commanders." (for Polygon, 2019)
Once again, I can't help but criticise this conclusion as baseless. The argument offers no evidence for these claims, which can be deconstructed by a surface level-analyses of the media text. For a majority of the narrative- prior to the coup d'etat- the Survey Corps are represented as greatly undermanned and underfunded. They are berated by civilians as a waste of tax-payer money, and their research endeavours are considered highly unfavourable amongst corrupt nobel families and political leaders who wished to keep the truth the Reiss royal family a secret. For all their efforts, the Survey Corps as a military division are almost never depicted as physically powerful, and their rates of causality and mission failure are high. Rather than a military might, the Survey Corps are initially an organised group of inquisitives wishing to explore and those with a passion to put an end to the cycle of fear that accompanies life within the Walls. They are a military research organisation who put themselves on the front line for the sake of those who do not fight, and their foremost creed is to dedicate theirselves to procuring a future for the generations who shall succeed them.
It should be acknowledged that the Survey Corps are not painted as morally superior, nor their actions without room for judgement. Attack on Titan's "good" characters admit that they have made irredeemable choices (Chapter 133). For instance, both Jean and Connie considered killing Warrior cadet Falco, a child of 12 years-old. More broadly, the Survey Corps have treated civilians as collateral damage, both in Marley and their home of Paradis. They tortured and killed members of the Military Police during their coup d'etat. And they kept Marleyan prisoners of war during the four years leading up to their assault on Liberio, before an official deceleration of war was announced. Disorganisation within the Paradisian military led to a violent extremist group forming, and unprofessional attitudes (most notably alcoholism) within its senior ranks allowed for Zeke Yeager to poison a large majority of soldiers with his Titan spinal fluid.
The Survey Corps' ranks are made up of authorities who are far from purely rational; they have their own personal doubts and desires. Their chain of leadership is often put into question, and Commanders actively listen to the strategic opinions from their subordinates. Former Commander Erwin Smith, for instance, is a deeply complex character who cannot be easily dismissed as an "unquestioned" authority figure. As the 13th Survey Corps Commander, Erwin is initially depicted as a serious and well-calculated individual. However, as the narrative progresses, we come to learn that Erwin is not only quick-witted and capable of dark humour, but that he is also somewhat selfish in the pursuit of his goals. Erwin's desire to join the Survey Corps and rise through its ranks was born of an early distrust for the history instilled by the Paradisian government in its education system. Erwin's father, a teacher, was killed by the corrupt Interior Military Police, and in order to prove his late father's hypothesis of the outside world correct, Erwin enlisted to learn the truth.
Tragically, Erwin dies sacrificing himself before being able to learn of the truth hidden within Grisha Yeager's basement. This however, does not occur without Erwin's own inner conflict; a reflection of the blood on his hands and the guilt he carries. During the Return to Shinganshina arc, Erwin admits that unlike his comrades around him- who (under his orders) "dedicate their hearts" for the sake of humanity- he had been fighting for the sake of his own personal goals (Chapter 76). Erwin is far from "pure rational", and his methods are often critiqued as costly given their sacrifice of human life. Yet this does not make him inherently morally corrupt, rather, he is burdened with a position defined by virtually impossible decision-making. Because, quite simply, the world is cruel. Erwin narrative arc comes to a satisfying close as he makes peace with the false pretences of his leadership, and too, offers his life for the sake of those who will succeed him. Erwin leads his subordinates in a suicide charge reflective of the British Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. In doing so, he admits not only to himself, but to the audience/readers too, that life is not rendered meaningless because it inevitably ends, and to think as such is a disservice to those who came before you. To combat cruelty is to maintain hope, for yourself and for others (Chapter 80).
Heavy debate has circulated amongst Attack on Titan fans in regards to Erwin's death (which came at the ultimate expense of current Commander Armin's survival). However I would argue that for the very reasons given, Erwin's death was not only timely but necessary for Isayama's core narrative message. Erwin's ideologies never allowed for peace because the world which he knew was one of only cruelty. Yet while it could be argued that this ignorance would have dissolved if he had learnt of life beyond the Walls, the innate manner in which he sought these answers was not peaceful. Erwin's desire to learn the truth was based on a distrust for his government and a desire to achieve his father's goals. Armin on the other hand, has always been fuelled by wonder, possibility, and the potential for natural goodness. Isayama even has Eren foreshadow this, stating that Erwin or himself would not be the one to ultimately save humanity, rather Armin would (Season 3, Episode 18). Despite Polygon's claims, it is not Armin's "military might" that make him successful, it is his mind, full of possibility and hope, and this is Attack on Titan's "truest power".
"On That Day, Humanity Received a Grim (or Hopeful?) Reminder...":
From its very first manga chapter back in 2009, Attack on Titan has been an incredibly grim Odyssey. Its popularity surged with the beginning of its anime adaptation in 2013, and today analytics cite Attack on Titan as the most watched television series currently airing in America. With vast popularity undoubtably comes debate, and like anything, Attack on Titan is not without room for fair criticism. However, what I hoped to divulge within this (very extensive...) analysis is that the critical label of Attack on Titan as a pro-facist media text is simply not true, and does a disservice to the anti-hate message it truly carries. Yes Attack on Titan is bleak, and with great reason, given it explores the consequences of prejudice and violent potential of humanity.
On a base level, terms such as "Paradise" given to the Walls is paradoxical to the island's reality. Despite King Karl Fritz's intentions for a peaceful existence within the Walls, in actuality, loosing territory and being forced into such a condensed area resulted in an entirely fractured society for his people. The Walls are overpopulated, with class conflict existing between those living within the innermost Wall Sheena and those facing poverty on the Wall's outskirts. Following the fall of Wall Maria, a number of refugees are even sent into Titan territory in a faux land-reclaiming mission in order to elevate food shortages. An underclass facing disease, famine, and turning to prostitution live in an underground city below the capital, Mitras, where even daylight is restricted and monetised. Violent crime rates are also high, including murder and human trafficking, as evidenced in the childhood of female lead Mikasa Ackerman. This is all information established in Attack on Titan's earliest chapters (and its prequel mini-series, A Choice With No Regrets).
Attack on Titan's mantra, often recited by series' narrator Armin Arlert, further supports this:
“On that day, mankind received a grim reminder. We lived in fear of the titans, and were disgraced to live in these cages we called walls.”
As the narrative has progressed over the years, and its secrets have been revealed to audiences, we have learned that in reality, living in fear of the Titan is, in a sense, living in fear of ones self. Titans are representative of dehumanisation, of seeing a group (in this case, Subjects of Ymir) as Other, and therefore something to be persecuted. They reflect human potential for violence, and are the result of greed, control, and hatred. The Walls themselves are indeed cages. Their inhabitance are ignorant and thus forcibly passive to the outside world, and as such, much like Eren Yeager professes when we first meet him, the Paradisians have become something akin to "lifestock" (Season 1, Episode 1). Even more macabre is that the very thing the Paradisians fear is what "protects" them, considering the Walls are made up of tens of thousands of Colossal-sized Titans. Their cage is the very vision of hatred by which they have been globally labelled, and its destructive capability ultimately becomes reactionary to this.
Eren's fall from grace is the result of his obsessive desire to be "free". However, in striving to achieve this state of being he becomes more burdened than anyone else. Similarly, in her origins Ymir Fritz attempted to offer the pigs freedom by releasing them, and for this she faced 2000 years of consequence, not due to her own actions, but because of the hatred in the First King's heart that controlled her. Their attempts are futile because of the hatred in the world which governs them. Eren cannot find freedom because he cannot make peace with the world. The notion that there is no single definition of "freedom" is something first alluded to during the Uprising arc. In his final moments, Captain Levi's uncle, Kenny Ackerman, comments, "Everyone [was] a slave to something." (Season 3, episode 10).
There is no solution for Eren to find by destructive means, and it would seem he too understands this, given his willingness to let the Alliance pursue him (Chapter 133). As such, with only a couple of chapters left until Attack on Titan's manga finale, I feel confident in saying that regardless of its conclusion- be that "victory" for Eren, the Alliance, or anything else in-between- the core message of the franchise is clear: "The world is cruel, but also very beautiful."
The franchise undoubtably explores themes of fascism, and is allegorical of both World War II and a vast number of other historical (and mythological) events. This is because at its very core, it is a morality tale that concerns hate. This, however, does not make Attack on Titan a pro-fascist text, and any claims that it is as such are based on an entirely obscured surface-level assessment, which rejects the very clear cautionary themes the series presents. Life is full of struggles, trials and tribulations, and sadly- as our own history has shown us- hate. But that does not make life itself meaningless, nor without hope. There always exists the potential for change and growth if we allow it into our hearts.
Attack on Titan tells its audience that we should not judge others based solely upon the actions of their ancestors. Instead we should learn from these histories so we might never make the same mistakes again; we should break the cycle. One cannot strive for peace at the expense of others. Freedom is not the ability to hurt other people. Rather, freedom is the choice to be who you are, not what others would have you be. We are all different, and yet the same. We breath the same air, the same blood flows through our bodies. Attack on Titan challenges hate and explores the pain and violence it insights.
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Thank you so much for writing this. The discourse surrounding AoT, and the purposefully obtuse takes on it as some sort of fascist or pro-Nazi propaganda drive me up a wall. This is seriously one of the most well researched and insightful essays I've ever read, and I'll absolutely direct people to it whenever they make the claim that AoT is fascist or antisimitic or whatever other garbage they want to impress upon a story that's about exactly the opposite.
Signed up just to say that this is an amazing article! Well researched and is a great rebuttal to the baseless criticism that AOT is a Fascist love letter! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this.