In the popular anime series Attack on Titan, Zeke – one of the main characters – has a shocking plan to sterilize the entire Eldian nation, known as the Euthanasia project. While the founding titan has already been awakened, Zeke’s idea seems to be one step closer to becoming successful. His presence and plans have surprised many fans because, although his first appearance as the Beast Titan seemed noticeable, he was regarded as a shifter titan, similar to Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt, who were loyal to Marley. However, what sets Zeke apart from other shifter titans is his insane plan to sterilize the Eldian race, which he claims will benefit all of humanity in the future. The Euthanasia project is a crazy and utopian plan, as peace cannot be achieved by weakening the Eldian nation. But where did this insane plan come from, and what influenced Zeke’s decision?
Delving into Zeke’s past, we learn that his complex relationship with his father, Grisha Yeager, plays a pivotal role in his decision-making. Grisha and Zeke’s story began with a family photo of Grisha, Dina, and Zeke when he was still a child, which Grisha left for Eren in his notebook. In his notebook, Grisha recounts his past life in Liberio with other Eldian citizens. He was too busy with the restoration group led by the owl, Eren Kruger, a carrier of the attacking titan, which left Dina with no time to spend with little Zeke. Almost every day, they entrusted Zeke to his paternal grandparents. Unfortunately, Grisha’s parents did not share the same views about Eldian history as he and Dina did. They taught Zeke about the evils of the Eldian race, which was the opposite of what Grisha and Dina were teaching him.
Little Zeke was confused about his identity as an Eldian. On the other hand, Grisha and Dina forced Zeke to join the Marley military as a fighter. Grisha’s objective was clear – he wanted Zeke to become a titan’s successor. However, little Zeke was weak in training and was far from being worthy of inheriting the titan. The confusion, anger, lack of attention, and Grisha’s overly forcing attitude towards Zeke made him ultimately betray his own parents by telling the Marley military police about their involvement with the restoration group. Though a child, Zeke was a smart individual who felt pain at losing his parents, yet he denied it. His subconsciousness eventually led him to decide on his insane plan to sterilize the Eldian race, stating that “If the Eldian race was never born.”
In conclusion, Zeke’s plan might appear outrageous, but his twisted psychology and childhood woes led him to this point he is in right now. In essence, the turbulent relationship that he had with Grisha Yeager and Dina disturbed him. As such, anime enthusiasts have much to learn from how we interact with our kids, especially when it comes to decision-making. Everything we say and do around them could influence them into becoming people with a warped mindset, or dare we say it, mini Zeke.
