Ever since the reveal that Historia is pregnant, fans have been theorizing who the father is, could it be Eren Jaeger himself or is there someone else?
As the Attack on Titan anime draws to a close, many fans are wondering who the father of Historia’s baby is. So far, she has barely been seen during Season 4, which has left many speculating about the impact her son could have on the story and how the story arc will conclude.
Over the course of the last few months, two factions have developed within the fandom, each supporting a different theory about the nature of the Historia relationship. One group believes that this boy’s origin has already been confirmed, being the character of the farmer, while others have hypothesized that Eren Jaeger is, in fact, Historia’s true partner.
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Why is Historia pregnant?
Within Episode 69, “A Solid Argument”, viewers are informed that two years ago, with the help of Zeke Jaeger and the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, Paradis Island connected with its former ally: the nation of Hizuru. This country’s envoy, Kiyomi Azumabito, met with the leaders of Paradis in an effort to start negotiations on their relationship. While Azumabito initially stated that his desire to visit stemmed from wanting to meet Mikasa, who is revealed to be related to the long-lost boy of his nation’s shogunate. It is later assumed that this was only used as a pretext to ask Paradis for resources. In exchange, Hizuru will offer his support to initiate Zeke’s three-point plan to protect Paradis.
The first part of this arrangement was for Paradis to try out the Rumbling to show the world a small sliver of her power, scare the world’s citizens, and establish control over them. After this, Hizuru would offer his cooperation in strengthening the island’s army so that the threat of the Thunderclap would no longer be necessary. Lastly, Azumabito pointed out that the founding Titan and a Royal Blood Titan must be inherited.
On this third and final point, Azumabito clarified that Zeke will pass on the Beast Titan to someone of royal blood and that, until his 13-year term ends, they should have as many children as possible. Since Historia is the only known person of royal blood, who has not yet inherited a Titan, the burden of this duty falls on her alone. Historia recognized that if she was to protect Paradis, she must be the one to make this sacrifice. Consequently, she agreed to face the Beast Titan and start having children.
Is the farmer the real father?
Shortly after this scene, Historia is shown in a rocking chair and is heavily pregnant, hinting that this is months after the negotiations took place. The only person with her is a young man, dressed in indistinct clothes, who asks Historia to return to the house since he has to take care of her body.
Subsequently, several Military Police officers could be seen arguing about Historia’s pregnancy. Roeg, a high-ranking official, spoke negatively of Historia calling her a “child of low race who is queen in name only”. While it can be perceived that this comment simply demonstrates this character’s opinion of Historia, it is apparently more a reflection of her chosen partner whom she disapproved of due to her poor background.
Nile Dawk explained the nature of Historia’s relationship with this man. Historia grew up in the same area as the farmer. Initially, he would intimidate her by throwing stones at her to get her attention, however, he would later attempt to redeem himself from her by offering her support at the orphanage Historia opened. It is implied that this act of kindness was what led to her relationship and her love for each other. Throughout this conversation, Dawk insists that it was Historia’s choice to initiate this relationship and that the military has run a background check on this man to ensure that he is “no one’s lackey”. This suggested that the story Dawk tells has been verified through various sources and is not simply a recent cover-up.
Is Eren the real father?
However, many fans have not been satisfied with this explanation, as the farmer has never been seen or discussed outside of this episode. It seems strange that such a significant event, belonging to one of the main characters of AoT,(attack on titan) is so ordinary and disappointing. This has led people to speculate that there is much more below the surface than meets the eye.
The first point of contention people have with Farmer being the child’s father is related to Historia’s expression upon seeing her newly found mate. Historia was completely stoic and she almost seemed to be in a state of depression during her stay at the ranch. This is not what one would normally expect to see from an expectant mother who is in a happy and loving relationship. As such, some fans have hypothesized that Historia might not be with this man and that the story Dawk told members of the Paradis military about their relationship is partly false.
It is plausible that the farmer was simply acting as a decoy in an effort to protect Historia, Eren, and their son. If the army of Paradis or a foreign power found out that Eren was the father, then they would probably try to capture Historia and hold ransom from him to prevent Eren from starting his plan. This would explain the couple’s lack of chemistry and why the two haven’t married. While it may initially seem difficult to reason why the farmer would participate in this conspiracy, the argument for him to do so may be contained in Dawk’s story. Instead of being with Historia because he loves her, the farmer is doing it simply for her own redemption. By protecting Historia in her greatest time of need, the bullying she inflicted on her during her childhood will be forgiven.
Another factor that has led fans to believe that Eren is the father is the timeline between his mission with Marley and the beginning of Historia’s pregnancy. Eren would go to Marley shortly after Historia became pregnant, and 10 months later she would give birth during Eren’s rumble. While this could just be a coincidence, many have argued that the opposite is true.
Lastly, in the manga, it is revealed that Floch is not the only person who knows of Eren’s real plan and that Historia also had prior knowledge of it. This could mean that having a baby was part of Eren’s overall plan to protect Paradis and restore him to his former glory. While Floch’s part in Eren’s operation has been clarified, Historia’s has not. If Eren was going to risk telling Historia about his plan, then it makes sense that this was for a good reason. Fans have suggested that this shows the closeness of their relationship, particularly since Eren couldn’t even tell Armin and Mikasa about his goal to start the Rumble.
Conclution
While this theory is certainly interesting and has many compelling ideas, it is largely based on a number of assumptions. It’s understandable that fans, considering Hajime Isayama’s constant use of big reveals, believe that Historia’s son is part of a larger purpose within the plot. However, it could be the case that Historia’s relationships and the overall arc have ended in a simpler way than many would have expected.
Although the timing of Historia’s pregnancy, in relation to Eren leaving Paradis, is strange, it would also be strange if Eren conceived a child with Historia as part of his plan. After all, Eren was furious that Hizuru would use her as a vessel for political purposes. To then come up with her own scheme, where Historia would be used in the process, would be very hypocritical.
Ultimately, the simplest solution to this problem is probably the answer. What we have been told and seen, both in the manga and on the show, is probably correct. History’s relationship, like most in the real world, is both unremarkable and complicated. Whether Historia is in love with the farmer or just with him out of self-preservation (so she can buy more time and not have to inherit the Beast Titan) is probably the question that should be asked, rather than whether Eren is the father.