Most Attack on Titan fans have been shipping Eren and Mikasa from the very beginning.
The two shared a complicated and nuanced relationship throughout the series, but it was never made clear if they would ever get romantically involved.
When Mikasa confessed her feelings towards Eren during season 2, episode 12, everyone honestly thought this would be the moment the two would finally kiss as the world literally crumbled around them.
The scene is interrupted by the attacking Titans and Eren turns away from Misaka to save the rest of the scout regiment.
AoT is as far from a soppy love story as it is shonen, but the unrequited relationship between the main characters might finally end in the anime.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
This page contains spoilers for Attack on Titan.
Does Eren love Mikasa?
In Chapter 139, the final chapter of the Attack on Titan manga, Eren confesses to Armin that he always liked Mikasa.
He says, “I want her to think of me and no one else for the rest of my life. Even if I die I wanna be at the front of her mind for a while […] I want to be with Mikasa.
The anime is bound to follow the ending of the manga since it has remained faithful to it until now.
Their love was announced from the first episode itself, even though many people believed that what they shared was more of a sibling bond than a romantic one.
But the day Eren wrapped that scarf around Mikasa was the day she fell in love with him. I know she was only 9 then, but still.
At that moment, Eren cared about her, but his feelings did not become consciously romantic until near the end of the story. He may have always loved her, but it’s only at the very end, when he’s sure a happy ending for them is impossible, that he actually realizes how much he loves her.
I was really taken aback in Season 4 Episode 15 when Eren tells Mikasa that he hates her.
He calls her a slave, accuses her of lacking free will, and says the only reason she even cares about him is because of her Ackerman lineage, the innate instinct that makes her protect him as host.
Driven by hate, revenge, accumulated trauma and, well, foreknowledge of future events, our guy Eren seeks to distance himself from the people he loves so he can carry out his mission to eliminate the Titans from existence.
The truth is that Eren needed Mikasa to hate him so she could kill him when the time came to save the world. That’s exactly what happens, except Mikasa isn’t capable of hating Eren at all, but she still makes the devastating decision to behead him in chapter 138, which makes it all so tragic.
Did Mikasa always love Eren?
Mikasa has always loved Eren. This has been proven many times in chapters 50, 123, 130 and finally in 138.
When Eren asks her what he is to her, she responds by saying, “You’re family.” The function and meaning of family for Mikasa has always been a bit different than for Eren.
Eren is the one who first saved Mikasa from despair when her parents were murdered.. This is how she comes to live with the Yeagers in the first place.
Mikasa Ackerman | Source: Fandom
Growing up, Mikasa was clearly not a damsel in distress. She is superior to him in strength and size and she is the one who really protects him., so much so that Eren is constantly annoyed that she treats him like her little brother or her son, and even seems a bit mean.
It makes sense because Eren wants to be the one to protect Mikasa, like he did the first day he wrapped his scarf around her to comfort her after her loss.
The reason Mikasa cares so much about him is because he is simply everything to her. After the death of his family, Eren becomes his savior, his friend, his family.
Zeke reveals in Chapter 130 that while there are records of the Ackermans awakening their power when their survival instincts are triggered to protect a host, there is no evidence of such a thing.
This in turn proves that Mikasa only does what she does because she is in love with Eren. In reality, the only reason she joins the scouts is because she wants to stay close to Eren.
The same episode where Mikasa confesses her feelings, Eren promises to wrap the scarf around her as many times as she wants. The scarf pattern is a great way to follow their bond.
It’s also the same episode that proves just how much of a hold Mikasa has over Eren; despite seeing Hannes getting eaten, it is only when Eren realizes that Mikasa has accepted death and defeat that he awakens his Founding Titan.
Will Eren and Mikasa end up together?
Unfortunately, Eren and Mikasa don’t end up together. Although they know their love for each other, they are never able to acknowledge and admit it to each other.
Mikasa kills Eren to stop him from completing the Rumbling, choosing to save humanity rather than the person she loves the most.
Eren x Mikasa | La source: Fandom
In the final chapter, Armin tells Eren that Mikasa is moving on after Eren’s death. She visits Eren’s grave with her new family, but never takes off the scarf he gave her.
Conclusion
It doesn’t look like the anime is going to escape this tragic love story. Currently, Eren is already preparing to go ahead with Rumbling and Mikasa is weighing his options.
We all know the heartbreaking choice she’ll make soon, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be any easier to watch the finale when it comes out.
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About Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. Kodansha publishes it in Bessatsu Shonen magazine.
The manga began serialization on September 9, 2009, and continues to this day with 30 tankōbom formats.
Attack on Titan follows humanity ensconced within three concentric walls to protect themselves from the terrifying titans who attack them. Eren Yeager is a young boy who believes a caged life is similar to that of cattle and aspires to one day go beyond the walls, just like his heroes, the Survey Corps. The emergence of a deadly Titan unleashes chaos.
Originally written by Epic Dope
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