Attack on Titan has become one of the most highly anticipated anime series today. It has been heavily compared to other anime greats, including One Piece and Kimetsu no Yaiba. However, what sets Attack on Titan apart is the fact that its storyline mirrors humanity’s history in real life. The final season part 2 is becoming even more gripping and intense, with the ultimate fight for the determination of humanity’s fate. It’s a battle between nations, a fusion of mythology and technology. The anime also depicts the reality of humanity’s nature – that we are wolves to one another, ‘Homo homini lupus.’
Apart from that, the anime teaches us that there is no absolute truth. Every ruler has the freedom to carve history in any way they please. The Marleyan nation, now more powerful, claims that the Eldian race is demonic because they possess Titan powers. They are unaware that they, too, are using the power of demons. Conversely, the Eldian race once revered Titan power as a gift from the gods.
The existence of a sect that worships the walls on the Paradise Island validates this fact. The history of the two nations and the battle that ensued has been recorded in the book left by Grisha Yeager in the basement. It revealed that in the past, the Eldian people built a civilization with the help of Titan powers, but then their power was stolen by Marleyans. Seven of the nine Titans were held by Marleyans, prompting Eldia’s King Karl Fritz to isolate his people on Paradise Island.
In the past, the Eldian people achieved great power through Titan powers. They considered themselves to be chosen people and built a civilization. However, they also enslaved other nations, including the Marleyan race. Their achievements and victory didn’t last long, as they turned on each other in an internecine war.
One of the Eldian nobles, Tybur, betrayed his race and collaborated with Helos from Marley. Tybur, Helos, and Karl Fritz made a peace treaty. Fritz, together with the Eldian people, retreated to Paradise Island for a peaceful life. Paradise Island was untouched, and it was a rich source of natural resources, which was highly prized by Marleyans. To exploit those resources, Marley attacked Paradise Island using Titans, which were the same race as the Eldian people. In other words, Marley had broken the treaty, enslaved the Eldian people, and become their conquerors.
The anime series Attack on Titan is an accurate reflection of humanity’s history. We can learn from the story that there is no such thing as absolute truth in this world. The truth and history are the hands of rulers.
