After 11 whirlwind years leading to a globally acclaimed anime series and multiple spin-offs, Hajime Isayama's action-horror epic draws to a close with its (rightly numbered) 139th chapter. And while the final instalment suffers from certain teething problems, the series conclusion is largely satisfactory, and a well-realised send off for its world and much-loved cast of characters.
Both emotional and incredibly fitting, Attack on Titan graces the cover of this month's Bessatsu Shōnen magazine with a new Isayama original illustration of AoT's 104th cadets as children. Each core character featured- both alive and deceased- has captured the hearts of fans who've watched them fail and triumph and stand up against the cruel reality of their world. Depicting the characters in their most innocent and optimistic of states is far from mere absentminded nostalgia, and reflects the series' core narrative thread that each of these 12 characters lost their childhood to the hands of hate and prejudice that dictates Attack on Titan's world.
The chapter opens with a memory, Eren's personal message to Armin as he initially pursued his plan with the Rumbling. Taking place within the Paths, shaped to Eren's will, we see the anti-hero and his closest friend Armin as children, discussing Eren's plans to wipe out around 80% of the world's population in his genocidal rampage. Armin is rightly mortified, though seems to easily understand Eren's misconstrued motivations, in which he saw the Alliance's defeating of him as an opportunity for the world to see the Subjects of Ymir in a heroic light, a self-sacrificing tactic not dissimilar to anime series Code Geass' protagonist, Lelouch. Very much as he was following the Uprising Arc and prior to his attack on Liberio, Isayama depicts Eren as withdrawn and regressed into a depressive state. This in particular seems to have caused division amongst some fans, who found Eren to be far less active and "tough" than he had appeared to be throughout the majority of Marley and War of Paradis arcs. However, it could be argued that Eren's passive behaviour has always remained intrinsic to his character, and as he (and further characters) have and continue to confess throughout the final instalment, the harsh exterior he adopted in pursuit of his counter-attack and subsequent genocide was very much an act to force his loved ones against him.
This image of Eren (as certain fans would dub him, "a Chad") may perhaps have been particularly popular as of late due to the airing of part 1 of Attack on Titan: The Final Season this winter anime season. The Marley arc and the rise of the Yeagerists which we recently saw animated depicts Eren in the prime of his antagonistic, determined persona. As such, the recurring traits of Eren's character which see him as self-doubting, regretful, and ultimately nihilistic is in fact not out-of-character at all, rather, incredibly truthful to how Isayama has always written him to be.
As Eren takes Armin to visit some of the wonders of the natural world they had once dreamed of, including volcanic lands and vast tundras, the topic turns to the ever-cryptic Ymir Fritz, and how her origins led to 2000 years of Titan torment. Eren admits that he struggled to understand why Ymir submitted herself to the will of King Fritz and let him use her otherworldly power, despite the fact he murdered her family, enslaved her, and mutilated her body by cutting out her tongue. The truth is a bleak one, and another aspect of the chapter which has divided readers. "Ymir, the founder... loved Karl Fritz" is indeed an inherently problematic revelation, and one that has been rightfully unnerving for fans. However, what should be considered is that this statement is not one that should be taken quite so literally.
Obviously Ymir's "love" for the First King wasn't healthy, it isn't love at all, and that is very-much the point. Ymir Fritz was a brutalised slave who desired kindness, affection, and attention, all things she was starved of throughout her short life. We have seen Ymir's fascination with love multiple times in previous chapters, in flashbacks depicting her wistfully watch marriage ceremonies take place within the early Eldian kingdom. Ymir mistook the King's craving for her Titan power as "love" because this attention was all she ever knew, and as such she devoted herself to him. Ymir's Stockholm Syndrome is not portrayed as a good or healthy thing by Isayama because it isn't. Ymir's curse is a tragic one, and as such it was all-the-more satisfying to see Attack on Titan's heroine Mikasa be the one to free her soul from this tormented "love", allowing Ymir to pass on peacefully and for her corruptive power to finally be destroyed...
Eren reveals that through the all-seeing power of the Attack Titan, he learnt the only one able to put an end to himself and the Rumbling would be Mikasa. However, the reasoning for this is left somewhat open-ended, with Isayama making no clear reasoning as to why Mikasa is the only one capable of completing the task. What can be inferred is that subconsciously- through the Paths and time blending power of the Attack and Founding Titans- Ymir always meant for Mikasa and Eren to take on their individual roles, their love making the pair intrinsically connected, and for Mikasa to put a physical end to this same love by slaying Eren by her own hand. Eren admits to Armin that even if the Alliance were never going to stop him in his tracks, he would still pursue the Rumbling and flatten the earth, letting life start anew. This is because ultimately Eren could not find anything in the world as it were worth living for. Rather, he hoped to change the world for the sake only of his dearest friends. Mikasa on the other hand, has always been able to see beauty in the darkest of times. Much like Ymir, her parents were murdered, and she was threatened to be sold into servitude, yet she still found the will to move on. She believed Eren dead during the Battle of Trost and yet she remained determined to fight and live on. Time and time again Mikasa faced horror and yet she never lost sight of hope, believing that love existed because she felt that very love for Eren (and her friends) herself.
Mikasa's capacity to love and her feelings for Eren do not make her weak, nor her narrative misogynistic as some would claim. Rather, her love is her ultimate strength. Mikasa and her love embodies the possibility to move on, for hope to remain and conquer hate, and ultimately, for freedom. This is why Ymir chose her to put an end to the torture of her corrupted "love" and violent power.
Ultimately, the closure of the Founder Ymir's narrative was somewhat of a double-edged sword. While reasoning is offered for Ymir's muteness, it would have been interesting to hear her speak in some capacity for herself. Yet, on the other hand, while it is somewhat perplexing to constantly have other characters speak for Ymir and her emotions, this actually makes perfect sense. Ymir is an enigma to the world, her history is one with many so-called "truths"; some of these good, others bad. Much like our own mythologies and religions, there are countless interpretations of Ymir's origins and motivations. It feels only right therefore, that Isayama never allow for Ymir to cement her feelings herself, and for characters and readers alike to never truly "understand the depths of [her] heart".
As Eren and Armin's dreamscape draws to a close, Eren grows ever more emotional by the prospect of his impending death. When the pair squabble over Eren's late treatment of Mikasa, Eren becomes distressed at the prospect of Mikasa growing to love another man. It is (as Armin himself proclaims) rather pathetic to watch Eren whine that Mikasa should spend years of her life mourning his death. Yet this reaction also acts as a sobering reminder that Eren truly does not wish to die. He loves Mikasa and wants to be with her- as chapter 138 showed us- however he can find no realty in which this could ever be possible given his murderous actions.
Ending in a barren and dry ocean symbolic of Eren and Armin's most intrinsic bond and childhood desires to see the outside world, Armin offers his signature shell to Eren, and thanks him for the opportunity his errors has offered the Alliance. There is no turning back from the horror Eren has unleashed, and there is no repenting for it in life. Armin is well-aware that what Eren did is wrong, and in thanking him for his genocide, he is not thanking Eren for the death and destruction he unleashed on the world, but rather what Eren had hoped the Alliance might build from it.
With a hug farewell, Armin awakes in the grounds surrounding Fort Salta, human again and suddenly remembering the conversation Eren had previously suppressed. Mikasa emerges from the surrounding Titan mist cradling Eren's decapitated head, and we see that in his death, the Curse of Ymir has been destroyed. The power of the Titans has been wiped from the Earth, and everyone around- both recently transformed Pure Titans and Shifters alike- are all humans one more. It was both a comfort and somewhat of an inevitability to see the likes of core characters Jean, Connie, and Gabi emerge from their Pure Titan forms unscathed, following their rather abrupt transformation in last month's chapter. The brief, wordless, reunions of Jean and Connie with the mirage of Sasha, and the beaten and bruised Captain Levi with his deceased fellow veterans, is a beautifully subtle send off for all the characters lost. Their souls- much like Ymir's- now free to leave the Paths and move on, undoubtably brought similar tears to the eyes of fans, as they did Jean, Connie, and even Levi.
Inevitably, the heartfelt reunion of characters is cut short by the Marleyan soldiers based at Fort Salta turning their guns on the Subjects of Ymir, asking for them to prove their humanity. While Mikasa quietly flees the scene with Eren's remains in order to give him a proper burial, Armin takes on his role as Commander, and confronts the opposing forces. The scene is a stunning parallel to Armin's confrontation with the Garrison during the early Battle of Trost, in which he completely disarms himself and relies on the strength and power of his words to fight. As always, Armin is a master negotiator, a born leader, and while he is no longer colossal in size, simply by taking responsibility for Eren's death and declaring his and his friends' humanity, he is at his most powerful.
The last pages of the manga pass by in a montage taking place three years after the final battle, and prove to readers that while life may indeed have prevailed, peace has far from been achieved. The nation-wide support for Eren Yeager's Rumbling has turned Paradis into somewhat of a right-wing state, boasting a new flag baring both the Survey Corps wings of freedom and a pair of shotguns. Military and public rallying alike to keep on fighting with surrounding nations make it clear that an end to the war isn't in immediate sight. Queen Historia writes to the Alliance that perhaps Eren was right, and that peace is nothing more than a fantastical dream. It is a bleak but ultimately realistic conclusion, and is also greatly reflective of our own world's anxieties surrounding the dangers of rising right-wing extremism.
Meanwhile, fresh-faced and united, the Alliance take on their new role as peace ambassadors for Marley and the allied nations, travelling to Paradis to engage in ceasefire negotiations. While the mood of the team remains mildly optimistic, Armin agrees with Historia's sentiment that there is indeed no ultimate end to conflict; there will always be those who disagree and those who insight violence. The only solution, Armin affirms, is to tell their story, the truth of the horrors they faced and hope that it is enough for people listen and not make the same mistakes again.
These final images of the Alliance remain somewhat open-ended. While there is never any reunion between Connie and his once-Titan mother, nor a panel of the now wheelchair-bound Levi opening his long-desired tea shop, or even an affirmation that Armin and Annie have pursued a romantic relationship together following their prior confession; their climax still feels like a satisfactory one. Particular joy can be found in the fact that, against all physical odds (and despite many-a-fan presuming otherwise), Levi Ackerman managed to live through Attack on Titan. Levi's survival was the perfect farewell to the veterans because it confirmed that- despite the cruel reality of Isayama's world- death does not equate peace, and his message to readers is not and should not be that happiness can only be found in death.
What is exciting is that Attack on Titan's conclusion offers fans a chance to explore their characters futures, their relationships and their new-found livelihoods. The possibilities for artists and writers to continue their own stories is as boundless as ever (and I for one am excited to invest myself in them).
However, in regards to the Alliance, one prominent criticism that has circulated amongst fans is that of a throw-away joke Isayama makes with Reiner sniffing Historia's letter, somehow still lusting after the (now married) young woman. It is indeed a minor "joke", though regrettably does great damage to the development of Reiner's character at the expense of a single exchange that is ultimately unnecessary. It had been previously widely understood that Reiner's boyish crush on Historia was the product of his post-traumatic dissociative identity disorder; in which he created a new "solider" persona for himself based on Marcel Galliard's kindness in order to cope with the heavy burden of his crimes. Reiner made no mention of Historia following the four-year time skip into the Marley arc, in which he was the series protagonist. As such, having Reiner make such a (frankly creepy) comment all for the sake of a minor joke felt both incredibly regressive and confusing in terms of his complex characterisation, in which it seemed his "true" persona had little romantic and/or sexual interest in women at all.
Fundamentally, minor qualms with Attack on Titan's final chapter can be overlooked given the largely satisfactory conclusion it offers readers. While the chapter itself could have been longer to fit more nuanced details regarding characters' futures, its open-ended nature is not entirely ineffectual. One lacking inclusion that is sorely missed is Eren's personal conversations with each of his closest friends. We know he spoke individually to them all via the Paths, and as such it would have been nice to experience (at least some of this) this, perhaps through a montage sequence. Such an inclusion might have aided in offering each of the core supporting characters their own impactful send off. Perhaps the final two chapters might also have been better suited merged into one in order to keep the momentum of Eren's death and the battle's climax strong. However, the month-long wait between chapters and the frustration this has caused fans on occasion is ultimately nothing new.
Chatter on social media has seen some fans disappointed by Mikasa Ackerman's conclusion, taking up the final pages of the manga sitting at the tree she and Eren laid by at the very start of the series. Some have expressed distaste to see Mikasa end the franchise alone, rather than in the company of her friends. However, while Mikasa is indeed sat by herself in that very moment, she vocalises that the Alliance are currently on their way back to Paradis, and as such it becomes obvious that she will soon be reunited with them once again. Mikasa is not cursed to remain alone for the rest of her life, bound to the memory of Eren and her love for him. She put an end to this very same curse for the founder Ymir, the cycle has been broken, and Isayama makes it very-much apparent that- in spite of inevitable adversary- hope remains for history not to repeat itself again.
Mikasa is simply still in mourning, reflecting on her love lost and, in the manga's final pages, smiling with the hope of a happier future. Once more, her love does not make her a weak character. At what is now Eren's final resting place, Mikasa woefully professes that she wishes she could see him again, when a bird- a rather obvious and frequently utilised metaphorical reincarnation of Eren, now flying and "free"- swoops down and wraps Mikasa's drooping scarf back around her.
Mikasa's final words of thanks to Eren are perhaps the most fitting Isayama could ever write. And while it is not the series' strongest, Attack on Titan's concluding chapter is a bittersweet and peaceful farewell to a much-loved franchise. Fittingly so, fans around the world have flooded social media with gratitude for the series using the hashtag #ThankYouHajimeIsayama. Moreover, while the climactic part 2 of Attack on Titan's anime adaptation is yet to be released, currently slated for the 2022 winter anime season; it is indeed still hard to say goodbye to Isayama's wonderful cast of characters and the rich, brutal, and beautifully detailed world he created.
The 139th and final chapter of Attack on Titan can be read in the UK over on Crunchyroll (with a subscription).
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