Eren Yeager, the main protagonist of the Attack on Titan anime series, is a character that role-plays as both a protagonist and an antagonist in the series. His actions and decisions are interpreted differently based on context. Because of this, it’s interesting to review the character arc of Eren Yeager from the beginning to the final season, to better understand his character.
After graduating from the 104th Cadet Corps, Eren and his friends find themselves in Trost when the colossal titan suddenly appears. Eren transforms into a titan himself and battles with other titans to seal the hole in the wall, preventing the others from entering.
During the Battle of Shiganshima, Eren defeats the colossal titan, Bertholdt. While returning to Eren’s house in Wall Maria, they come across the colossal titan again. Using his wit, Armin tricked Bertholdt by having him focus on Annie, a girl he loved. Bertholdt soon realizes the ruse and transforms into his titan form, setting Armin on fire. This leads to Armin almost dying from his burns, but he is saved when Levi injects him with Bertholdt’s Colossal Titan serum, giving him the powers of the Colossal Titan.
After defeating the Marley army, Eren and the rest of his group find themselves in Eren’s family basement, where they discover Grisha’s journals revealing Eldia’s history and the fact that they are currently facing a great enemy – the Marley.
However, Eren’s character arc takes an unexpected turn when he starts to lose control and surrounds himself with an organization he calls the Yeagerists. The Yeagerists act beyond the law and manage to overthrow Survey Corps, Garrison, and even Military Police after they return to Paradis. Eren also uses his Titan powers to convince his father to steal the Founding and Attacking Titans from the Reiss family, who then passes them onto younger Eren.
Eren’s character arc is complex, and the anime effectively portrays both his protagonist and antagonist sides. His journey from a young cadet to the leader of Yeagerists brings many unexpected twists and turns, making him a fascinating character to watch.
