Attack on Titan Theories So Far (Patreon)

Keeping this here as a way to reflect back and see what I guessed right, what was maybe on track, and where I was completely WAY OFF. Please no confirming whether I am right or wrong as it'll be fun to see!

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Eren - Anti Hero

I am fully rolling with the belief that he is going on an anti-hero trajectory especially now we've been introduced to the fact that he can transform into a Titan at will. We've seen that when his mental and physical strength is weak, he gives in to the Titan mentality as he goes after Mikasa and does not recognise her at all.

I think this is going to come into conflict at some point. He pushes himself way too far and I think he's going to find himself ostracised from humanity either because he has gone on a rampage for what he believes is the greater good, but the rest of humanity just see him as another evil Titan, or something happens and his own sense of moral outrage is going to push him to abandon the walls and strike out into the outside world.

He's very brash and emotional. Leads with his heart rather than his head so it's going to put him at odds with the class system that sees the lower walls as nothing more than cannon fodder for the Titans. I'm really really curious how this anti-hero trajectory is going to play out because right now it's very simplistic because it's still Season 1 and I'm sure there's a lot being hinted at already that I won't realise till I'm like deep in the trenches of Series 3 or something!

Either way, I am very excited to see how it goes.

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The Basement / Grisha - Human / Titan Experimentation

So far I think the basement is going to have more of those vials that Grisha injected into Eren. This is going to be used to turn other soldiers into Titans and there's going to be some elite force of human/titan weapons as a way for humanity to fight back. I don't think Eren will be the only person to have this ability but his father has definitely created a potential weapon of mass destruction as we've seen from Eren that being in the Titan form is incredibly unpredictable. I smell trouble brewing with this in the future tbh.

I don't think everyone will be able to undergo the transformation or that some will just straight up not want to run the risk of it. I am still curious as to whether it has something to do with family lineage. I'm still leaning with the fact that there might be something in Eren's mother's bloodline that makes him a good candidate for the experimentation created by Grisha because why did he not undergo it himself? Why force that on his child? Why put so much pressure on his son to be the saviour of humanity? It's so incredibly cruel if there's not a reason like that - it just straight up seems like Grisha is using his son as an experiment and if it doesn't work is prepared to lose him. So I'm hoping there's more meaning behind it rather than just "lol I don't want to do this so I'll risk my only son's life!"

We've seen that Grisha is a caring father, bar injecting his son against his will, so there has to be something deeper to his reasoning which I'm sure we'll inevitably find out. It could be as simple as that Eren is young and strong so may have a better chance of surviving/controlling that Titan aspect of himself.

On that note - it's got me thinking that all the abnormal Titan's that we've seen could be a product of Grisha's experimentation on unsuspecting people. I've two theories about the Giant Colossal Titan and the Armoured Titan:

1st Theory - they were experimented on by Grisha, who I believe is possibly being funded by the nobles to conduct these experiments because he dipped in the first episode to report to the inner circle so I think there's some connection there. They are unable to fully control their abilities and are cast out to hide the fact that Grisha and the Nobles are conducting human experiments. So their anger at the walls and humanity lead them to continuously attack it in warped revenge.

2nd Theory - I still believe Grisha is being funded by the nobles BUT Pixis got me thinking when he was speaking to Eren up on the walls. He mentioned how humans needed to unify and band together in the face of the threat that the Titans created. We know that there had been no attacks in recent history before that Colossal kicked the wall down. Not only did that happen once but TWICE. The Titan also disappeared in the same flash.

What if these Titans are actually soldiers or nobles that are attacking the walls to create fear and keep people in line. To stop them from desiring to leave or to get complacent. It's a morbid way of controlling the population to abide by the King and the nobles rule by keeping them in fear of a threat. The Titans CANNOT enter without a way so the fact that both times a hole is created by a Colossal that disappears has me very curious as to the reasoning why. I'm leaning into the 2nd theory more than the 1st. That it's both a form of population control by culling the lower walls BUT also a way to keep people in line and to bolster their forces by encouraging the younger generation to sign up to become soldiers.

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Titans Are Misunderstood

I think there's something deeper than Titans = bad. We've had instances of where they are almost sentient in understanding what is being said to them. The Titan was somewhat hesitant when Sasha was apologising and it was evidently angry / annoyed. The Titans also just straight up appeared like 100 years ago and I am still curious as to how that happened. Whether they are a genetic mutation that emerged or a race of people whose blood became tainted turning them into Titans.

I wonder if they seek out humans in an attempt to reconnect with the part of themselves that they have lost in this mutation? But they don't know how so they resort to eating because eating is a very human aspect but also animalistic in the sense that it is brutal and deadly. I just have this feeling that there is more to it and perhaps we'll discover more as Eren progresses.

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But those are the top theories that come to my mind right now. If you want me to discuss my opinion on anything else that's happened so far from Ep 1 to 13 then please do let me know in the comments on this post and I can make another post outlining my thoughts!