See You Later, Eren: ‘Attack on Titan’ Ended With a Whimper

There’s no doubt that in another life, Eren would’ve liked to just do laundry and taxes with Mikasa. Attack on Titan season 4, part 3 had fans bawling over the doomed romance between Eren and Mikasa. Although it looked as if Eren was largely disinterested in Mikasa throughout the series, his last conversation with Armin in the Paths proved otherwise. If that wasn’t enough, Eren himself showed Mikasa what would’ve happened if she told him that she loved him.

While on the way to end the Rumbling for good, Mikasa had to steel her nerves for the unthinkable. Levi was telling Mikasa to get it together, only to “wake up” beside a cozy log cabin. Eren was chopping wood nearby and wanted to catch fish for dinner. He asked Mikasa why she was crying, and she told him that she felt like she shouldn’t be there. They could’ve run away and let the world end. If Mikasa hadn’t said that she only loved him as family when Eren asked what he meant to her, then this peaceful mirage would’ve been their reality.

Eren Jaeger didn’t change

Although it was heartbreaking to see Eren ask Mikasa to forget about him and live a long and happy life, his last conversation with Armin showed that he didn’t want her to forget at all. In reality, he wanted Mikasa to remember him for years and for him not to find anybody else for a while. Even Armin thought that Eren sounded “uncool” when he sulked over Mikasa, and many viewers thought it was out of character.

There’s a lot of evidence that Eren truly cared about Mikasa, even though he was terrible at showing his true feelings because he was beholden to pursuing freedom. The manga’s author, Hajime Isayama, confirmed that Eren might one day develop feelings for Mikasa that are not platonic. Many fans share the sentiment that Mikasa is always drawn to be beautiful from Eren’s perspective, which can be seen in the moment when Mikasa killed Eren.

It wasn’t out of character for Eren to break down just because he’s been cold and distant from his friends for the majority of season 4. If anything, his aloof and callous front was out of character for a boy who was once a warm and impulsive crybaby. To some, Eren would’ve looked pathetic in front of Armin. But it’s also important to remember that this is a boy who was about to have his life cut short—along with his dreams. Eren has always been this emotional, even in the earlier seasons. Many Attack on Titan fans were just not ready to see him that way again after flattening Earth.

(featured image: MAPPA)