Tarun Kohli
Attack on Titan holds the title of one of the biggest anime series in the world. The series with its unique plotline, varied characters, and epic fight scenes has become a fan favorite all over the world. However, the main credit for this goes to the protagonist of the series, Eren Yeager. Eren is frequently described as agitated and aggressive, with a violent streak lurking beneath the surface. His principal motive stems from a deep-seated fury against forces he believes have taken away his liberty, life, and beloved family.
Eren Yeager is a charismatic character who distinguishes out as the face of a worldwide successful series. Here are 5 reasons why Eren Yeager is different from other Shonen protagonists.
1. Sudden Drastic Change in the Character
Eren initially was an optimistic and ambitious kid who had a lot of dreams. He was described as hardheaded, deep-willed, enthusiastic, and impetuous, traits that reflected both his tremendous desire to defend humanity and, later, his equally strong desire to escape the Walls. However, later in the story, Eren goes through a complete character change. Eren’s service in the Marley Mid-East War also appeared to have had an impact on his psyche in some way. Eren’s anger propels him along an exciting and dynamic journey that transforms him in ways that no other shonen protagonist has before. Instead of destroying his adversary, Eren becomes the very thing he pledged to destroy in the first place.
2. Eren is not afraid to kill
Usually, the protagonists of any general anime or manga series refrain from the idea of killing people. But Eren is different. An adversary is often willing to murder strength, but it is uncommon to see a protagonist do so. Eren was already killing others to gain strength before assuming the role of antagonist. In Marley, he even goes mad and commits mass murder for the chance to acquire more Titan skills.
3. Betraying his Friends
An anime or manga protagonist is always portrayed as someone willing to go to great extents for their friends and families. There have been many instances where the hero of the series have gone to great lengths just to save or help their friends in any way possible. But Eren was not one of them. Unlike the typical anime protagonist, Eren prioritizes his selfish ambition to slaughter billions of people over his two everlasting best friends.
4. Eren is Probably the First Protagonist to Lose
Every protagonist in a general anime or manga series can achieve victory in their goals and ambitions in one way or the other. There are very few instances where the main character loses entirely. Eren is one of them. By the time Eren reaches the pinnacle of AoT’s power, he is a full-fledged villain who is still surpassed by Mikasa. Not only is his plot defeated at the end of the Attack on Titan manga, but the youthful Eren also succumbs to his dark desires in his thinking and philosophy, which is unusual for any anime protagonist.
5. He is both, the Hero and the Villain of the Series
At the beginning of the series, it is discovered that the main villain of the series is a nation called Marley that has been sending Titans toward Eren’s village and Eren would be the hero who would defeat them and ultimately win. Eren’s change began when he vowed to eliminate every single Titan and gain his freedom. Eren couldn’t turn back after choosing this route, even after realizing that attaining freedom meant killing innocent people. Eren evolved into an anti-hero and descended into the dark side. By the end of the manga, he had evolved into the main antagonist of Attack on Titan. After he unleashed the Rumbling and wiped out the majority of the world’s people, his friends had to defeat him.
