September 26, 2024
Attack on Titan | Did Eren Kill His Mother?
Eren’s desire to ensure the Rumbling’s success led him to make a terrible decision. Learn more about Eren’s involvement in his mother’s death.
>Buy: Attack On Titan Merchandise & Gifts
Buy: Attack On Titan Merchandise & Gifts
Attack on Titan’s ending unveiled dark secrets that shaped the series’ narrative, secrets that Eren kept to himself and revealed only to Armin in the finale.
Among these revelations was Eren's confession of manipulating the Smiling Titan into sparing Bertholdt and devouring Carla Yeager instead - a moment that greatly shapes young Eren’s character, motivating him to destroy all of his enemies.
Did Eren Indirectly Kill His Mother?
During their final conversation within the Paths, Eren and Armin reflect on past choices and events preceding the Rumbling. In a surprising turn, moments before facing the Scouts' assault, Eren unveils his genuine emotions and previously undisclosed secrets.
Eren reveals the person responsible for his mother’s death - himself. He admits to Armin that he couldn't let Bertholdt die yet at that time and directed the Smiling Titan towards the Yeagers' home instead, marking one of the series’ narrative-changing events.
Eren's confession, "That day... that time... it wasn't Bertholdt's time to die yet. The one who let him go and made her go that way was…" strongly hints at his involvement in this event. Although Armin prevents him from specifically stating that he was the one to guide the Smiling Titan, Eren’s words are clear enough for everyone to understand what happened during the Titan raid.
Why Did Eren Guide Dina’s Titan to His Mother?
Upon inheriting the powers of the Founder and Attack Titan, Eren gained new abilities and memories that altered his perspective, leading him toward a path of global destruction. Witnessing the state of the world, he set only one goal for himself and chose the Rumbling as his only path forward.
Eren's firm belief in wiping his enemy motivated him to ensure the Rumbling’s success at any cost, something that became evident when he chose not to eliminate Paradis’ strongest enemy and killed his mother instead. The unique ability to simultaneously see the past, present, and future allowed him to foresee that even if saving his people seemed like a logical and humane choice, it would ultimately change the course of the Rumbling.
Had Eren chosen to spare his mother and allowed Dina to inherit the power of the Colossal Titan, the narrative would have been significantly different. In this alternate scenario, Dina could have become Eldia's ally and most powerful warrior while her knowledge about Marley might have granted Eldians an advantage in the war, reducing the likelihood of the Rumbling happening.
Furthermore, saving Carla would’ve potentially altered Grisha’s decisions, leading to a reality where Eren never received his father's Titan powers - a reality where Eren remained an ordinary boy without any Titan abilities.
How Did Eren Kill Carla Yeager?
To understand how Eren influenced Dina Fritz to eat his mother, one must understand how the Paths work in Attack on Titan. Within the Paths, time operates differently as there's no distinction between past, present, and future. The inheritor of the Founder's powers can control the Subjects of Ymir throughout any time during the path’s existence - from its creation when Ymir Fritz died to the moment it stopped existing when Mikasa killed Eren.
Eren's manipulation of Dina's Titan wasn't his first time using the Founder's powers for such purposes as he had previously influenced Grisha by sending him future memories, altering the entire chain of events according to his desires. Eren was constantly showing these memories to Grisha, guiding him towards eliminating the Royal Family and ultimately ensuring the transfer of the Attack and Founding Titan powers to himself.
Final Thoughts on Eren Indirectly Killing His Mother
With these events, Hajime Isayama showcases his incredible writing by connecting what were thought of as separate plots and weaving them into a beautifully intertwined story. Nothing happens randomly in Attack on Titan, and Eren knew better than to leave things to chance, choosing to write his future exactly as he envisioned it.
As the bearer of the Founding and Attack Titan, he could’ve easily saved his loved ones and defeated Paradis’ enemies. However, Eren firmly pursued his objective and made huge sacrifices simply because he wanted to do the Rumbling. He believed in the Rumbling and the true freedom that could only be achieved with the eradication of the Titans and 80% of humanity.
There is no better proof of Eren's determination than his manipulation of the Smiling Titan into devouring Carla, marking the start of not only his struggles but the struggles of the entire world.
- Eren Yeager
![Attack on Titan [Season 1] - Chibi Characters & Titans Pin Badge Pack - ABYstyle](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-1-Chibi-Characters-Titans-Pin-Badge-Pack-ABYstyle_medium.webp?v=1716639249){kind=icon}
![Attack on Titan [Season 1] - Chibi Characters & Titans Pin Badge Pack - ABYstyle](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-1-Chibi-Characters-Titans-Pin-Badge-Pack-ABYstyle-2_medium.webp?v=1716639256){kind=icon}
![Attack on Titan [Season 4] - Sasha Pin Badge (Enamel, 2") - Zen Monkey Studios - 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Series](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-4-Sasha-Pin-Badge-Enamel-2-Zen-Monkey-Studios-10th-Anniversary-Limited-Edition-Series_medium.webp?v=1726747017){kind=icon}
![Attack on Titan: Before the Fall [Volume 1] - Paperback Manga](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Before-the-Fall-Volume-1-Paperback-Manga_medium.webp?v=1725536667)
![Attack on Titan [Season 4] - War for Paradis Boxed Poster Set (20.5"x15") - ABYstyle - Series 2](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-4-War-for-Paradis-Boxed-Poster-Set-20_5x15-ABYstyle-Series-2_medium.webp?v=1716293273)
![Attack on Titan [Season 4] - Paradis Humans vs Marley Titans Framed Poster (13.5" x 17.5") - ABYstyle](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-4-Paradis-Humans-vs-Marley-Titans-Framed-Poster-13_5-x-17_5-ABYstyle_medium.webp?v=1716723995)
![Attack on Titan [Season 4] - Eren & The Scout Regiment Framed Poster (13.5" x 17.5") - ABYstyle](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-4-Eren-The-Scout-Regiment-Framed-Poster-13_5-x-17_5-ABYstyle_medium.webp?v=1716723990)
![Attack on Titan [Season 4] - Chibi Eren Yeager Keychain (PVC) - ABYstyle](http://poggers.com/cdn/shop/files/Attack-on-Titan-Season-4-Chibi-Eren-Yeager-Keychain-PVC-ABYstyle_medium.webp?v=1716724122)
Leave a comment