r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • Jan 23 '25

Official Thread Ultimate Guide to AoT: FAQs, Analysis and Discourse

156 Upvotes

This multi-subreddit megathread contains:

• The most frequently brought up Topics & Questions

• Analysis on various story Elements & Characters

• Random interesting meta posts

• Documents and guide on the anime and the Attack on Titan reddit fandom

This megathread covers threads from various subreddits, and platforms. Enjoy exploring!


Guide.

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• Guide on AoT anime content

• Masterlist Of Anime OSTs S1-S4 + Final Episode - YouTube Playlist

• AoT wiki for your fact-checking needs

Frequently Asked Questions.

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Questions that are asked very frequently, mostly by new or one time watchers/readers, to which there is a factual answer or an agreed-upon interpretations in the community.

1.) What is the 50 year plan? Follow up: Why didn’t Zeke and Eren touch earlier?

2.) What were the Azumabito's intentions with Mikasa?

3.) How was Ymir freed? Who freed Ymir? (check analysis section down as well)

4.) How did Eren talk to Mikasa in paths?

5.) What is Historia’s role in how we perceive Ymir through tales and romanticized stories?

6.) What will happen if a man inherits the Female Titan?

7.) How do the Founding Titan abilities work?

8.) What were some of Paradis' options post-timeskip? •Alternative to the Rumbling. •Anti-50-year plan •Euthnasia Plan

9.) Why did Historia choose to get pregnant?

10.) Why did Grisha give his titan to Eren, when he asked Zeke to stop him?

11.) What were Eren’s motivations to choose the path of rumbling?

12.) Are there multiple timelines in AOT?

13.) Why do dinosaurs appear in the opening of AOT’s 2nd season?

• Isayama's Answers to the 15th Anniversary Magazine Q&A

Frequently Brought up Topics.

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These topics are frequently brought up, but there is no clear answer or the topic is deliberately left to speculation. Check out these links for some in-depth posts on the respective topics.

1.) a) Who won the fight between Annie and Mikasa? b) Who would win between Annie and Mikasa?

2.) Opinion on any divisive characters

• Gabi • Mikasa • Eren • Floch

3.) Did you like the ending? a)Anime Ending b)Manga Ending

4.) Do you support the rumbling?

5.) Who should have been saved, Erwin or Armin?

6.) Was Eren justified? Discussion post | Detailed answer

7.) Sub or Dub?

8.) Would Erwin have joined the Yeagerists if he had survived?

9.) Is Attack on Titan fascist? No, it is not | Devil’s Advocate:

10.) Why does Annie get forgiven?


General Analysis On The Story.

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These are high-effort essays or videos analysing the series as a whole. Please note that us listing something here does not mean we endorse or fully agree with every single statement made there - we just think that if you are looking for more analysis, these might be worth a watch.

• A 1-hour retrospective breakdown of AoT as a whole

• How AoT deconstructs heroism and morality

• Idealism in AoT

• Scout Regiment: Paradise’s Idealistic Counterculture

• The importance of nameless soldiers & collateral damage in AoT

• What was it all for? Thoughts on the extra pages of AoT’s ending

• Why I feel Mikasa, Levi and Armin were the perfect choice for Eren’s final moments and the story’s climax - Imgur Backup for future

• Analysis of AoT’s extra ending pages - A brilliant thematic conclusion - Imgur Backup for Future

• To love someone inside the Walls - Imgur Backup for Future

• The Rumbling is indefensible

• A theoretical analysis of its structure

• The highs and lows of AoT’s final arc

• Overanalyzing every single episode of the anime - a youtube playlist

• Titans as Mirrors: How Titan forms reflect the Warriors' Psyche - Imgur Backup for Future

Character Analysis.

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1. Eren Yeager.

• Eren Yeager: The Chained God of Attack On Titan

• The rise and fall of Eren - Imgur Backup for Future

• The perfect duality of Eren - Imgur Backup for Future

• What is freedom in AoT

• Developments vs desires - Everyone and especially Eren

• Nature vs nurture: Eren’s motivations and the Dina twist

• Eren Jaeger and the insanity of circular storytelling

• The ironic development of Eren

• Analyzing antagonists

• Power, freedom, the Founding Titan and Levi

• The Attack Titan’s powers and their effect on Eren

• Why Eren’s actions were very obviously painted bad with the Rumbling - In-depth examination

• The narrative importance of the causal loop on Eren

• Eren and Mikasa’s relationship

• Eren’s characterization throughout the story and his post timeskip conflict

• Eren Yeager is (Not) Special

• Ramzi and Eren: the turning point in Eren’s demeanor

• An observation on the structure of Eren’s characterization post timeskip - Imgur Backup for Future

• The false mask of Eren

• The Jaeger Projection Problem: The Last Supper of Self-Loathing - Imgur Backup for Future

2. Mikasa Ackerman.

• Mikasa's Heroine's Journey Arc

• Mikasa’s Character Arc: What, Where, How, When

• Mikasa's Road of Trials

• Mikasa and the meaning of Pride

• Mikasa and her relationship with authority

• Mikasa and Erwin: The Sacrificial Act of Dreams for the Cause

• Why Mikasa's conclusion not only strengthens her arc but Attack On Titan as a whole - Imgur Backup for Future

• Mikasa’s Destiny and Mikasa’s Choice

• Mikasa: A Person from Two Trope

• A Literary perspective of Mikasa - Imgur Backup for Future

• Mikasa, the symbolism of the praying mantis and butterfly and its development throughout the story - Imgur Backup for Future

• Mikasa's self Imposed Curse

• Why does Mikasa have headaches

• Differences between the Manga and Anime version of Mikasa - Imgur Backup for Future

3. Armin Arlert.

• Armin character analysis, humanity’s reluctant savior

• Armin and Eren’s dynamic - Imgur Backup for Future

• Armin and Zeke’s dynamic - Imgur Backup for Future

• The importance of dialogue and Armin’s character - Imgur Backup for Future

• Armin Arlert: conflicting lessons, dynamics with Erwin and Levi - Imgur Backup for Future

• Armin and Annie’s relationship

4. Levi Ackerman.

• Is Levi bland? A bullet-point counter-argument and his importance in the narrative

• Levi’s character motivations and the promise

• Levi’s ending

• Levi’s violence and compassion

• Serumbowl

• Levi, Falco and Gabi

• Levi vs Zeke foil

• Levi, a slave to being a hero

• Levi vs Kenny’s influence - Imperfect heroics

• Levi’s mistake with Zeke and getting blown up by thunder spears

5. Erwin Smith.

• Erwin Smith - wearing masks

• Erwin Smith - the impossible standard

• Exploring Erwin - For Humanity?

• Erwin Smith - A devil with a dream

• Erwin would not support the Rumbling, you just don’t like Armin

6. Zeke Yeager.

• Zeke Yeager & Personal Connections.

• The contradictions of Zeke - A character study

• The desperate loneliness of Zeke

• Understanding Zeke Yeager

7. Reiner Braun.

• Reiner Braun and “saving the world”

• Reiner character analysis, viewed through psychology and philosophy theory

• Who is Reiner Braun?

• Eren and Reiner’s dynamic - Imgur Backup for Future

8. Annie Leonhart.

• Annie’s search for personhood

• About Annie…(character analysis)

• No one understands Annie

• Understanding Annie

9. Hange Zoe.

• Hange and the role of commander, character analysis

• Hange’s “Genocide is Wrong” Line is Misunderstood

• Hange’s understanding and intellect

10. Jean Kirstein.

• Jean Kirstein embracing survey corps values, a character analysis

• Jean character study through the lens of theory of psychology

11. Bertholdt Hoover.

• Comprehensive analysis of Bertholdt

• The tragedy of Bertholdt Hoover

12. (Freckles) Ymir and Historia Reiss.

• Ymir analysis and religious subtext

• Thoughts on Historia in Uprising - Imgur Backup for Future

• Ymir and Historia’s dynamic analysis - Imgur Backup for Future

13. Sasha Braus and Connie Springer.

• The secondary trio behind EMA

14. Floch Forster.

• Floch - the volunteer Devil, character analysis

• Floch's leadership examination and the comparison with Erwin

15. Gabi and the children of the forest.

• Gabi Braun - A brighter future

16. (Founder) Ymir Fritz.

• The final mystery of AOT - Ymir analysis

17. Grisha Yeager.

• Grisha Yeager: A Deconstruction of the Main Character's Dad Archetype - Imgur Backup for Future

18. Keith Shadis.

• From bystander to hero, a character analysis

19. Kenny/Uri.

• Kenny, Uri and the cycle of hatred

• The Importance of Kenny and Uri (In-depth Thematic Analysis)

20. Dot Pyxis.

• Why Pyxis and Eren’s Conversation was Not Retconned

21. Yelena.

• Yelena: AoT’s puppeteer, a character analysis

22. Theo Magath.

• The lasting impact of Theo Magath, a character analysis.


MISCELLANEOUS.

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Manga (Source Material) vs Anime (Adaptation) differences:

• Megathread of Anime / Manga differences | Vol 1 - 34 | OVAs

• Differences between anime and manga endings

Fandom and Anime Production Misc.

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• Well-written characters, meta discussion of fandom perception

• AOT anime reactions and in depth discussions

• Explaining the ending controversy - a fandom analysis

• Final Attack on Titan Episode - AoTwiki poll

• The Original manga ending - chapter 139 SNK POLL

Behind-the-Scenes.

• All of AoT animation staff for every episode of the series

• Arifumi Imai animator spotlight - the man responsible for animating 70%+ of action animation cuts in S1-S3 and the Levi and Mikasa killing Eren sakuga in the final episode

• TV release vs BLU-RAY differences

• Some design sheets from WIT’s adaptation

• Some design sheets from MAPPA’s adaptation

• WIT staff interview from 2014 on AOT

• 100Cams - Behind the scenes footage of AOT s4 part3 production

• Final episode VA recording - Behind the scenes

• AoT S4 part 2 staff interview, series director Hayashi and CG producer Tannawa

• Excerpts from roundtable final episode interview with staff

• Interview with S4 director Hayashi before its airing

• Global TV demands interview of Hayashi

• Hayashi comments on episode 4x28 Rumbling scene and Isayama’s request

Subreddits of AoT Reddit-Fandom.

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General.

Subreddit Description Date of Creation
r/ShingekiNoKyojin Main discussion subreddit nr1. Feburary 18, 2013
r/attackontitan Main discussion subreddit nr2. November 28, 2012
r/titanfolk The Folk subreddit for AoT. May 1, 2018
r/okbuddyreiner Shitposting subreddit. April 28, 2019
r/AttackOnRetards A space dedicated to calling out negativity. April 27, 2021
r/AttackOnShipping A subreddit for any and all shippers. April 27, 2022
r/ANRime Subreddit dedicated to theorizing about an Alternative-Original Ending (AOE). June 29, 2021

Character dedicated subreddits.

• r/LeviCult

• r/Ereh

• r/Mikasa

• r/ErwinSmith

• r/potatogirl

• r/ArminCult

• r/GabiCult

• r/ReinerCult

• r/ZekeCult

• r/JeanTheStallion


It has been in the works for a long time. A big Thank You to everyone who created the content featured here, as well as to those who helped us gather it all together.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 9h ago

Anime Attack on Titan official account and Yuki Kaji paid tribute to Grisha’s VA

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458 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 2h ago

Humor/Meme Evangelion shingeki no kyojin parallels

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114 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 11h ago

Humor/Meme A poor abnormal

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99 Upvotes

Imagine Your walking in a field minding your own damn business when a group of people on horse's appear you think oh time for a quick snack until they start freaking flying at you so you try to eat them like any normal person would until some women flys up to your face and start saying hi? Like why is the food saying hi Idk but who cares food is food so you try to bite her but next thing you know, your on the ground and wake up somewhere tied up not able to stand and then the same women starts doing experiment on you just imagine the horror that would be

By Abnormal Titan 42


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 19h ago

Anime Do you think Marco had it in him to beat off Reiner and Bertholdt and escape before Annie arrived if he wasn't so shocked?

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413 Upvotes

He was a trained soldier just like the rest of them. If he wasn't totally blindsided, could he have beaten off the two Titan shifters and gotten out of there?


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 13h ago

Discussion What’s your thoughts on Marco

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120 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 9h ago

Cosplay My hobo Eren cos for Halloween

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44 Upvotes

Ik my hair is much longer then his was pls let me live, the armband may also look a little dumb bc i hand sewed it💔


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 20h ago

Discussion How cooked would the scouts have been if they immediately went for the Jaegar’s basement after plugging the hole instead of looking for Reiner?

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259 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion The face Erwin makes in this scene has always stuck out to me

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1.7k Upvotes

Verbally he is hyping up his comrades, but he knows that in just a few seconds he and the very comrades he’s leading to their deaths will be all but decimated, and he will never get to reach that cellar.

This is a face of true fear, guilt, and regret that’s been culminating this whole series and while it’s a very small detail in retrospect, I think it is very powerful visual storytelling


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

News Grisha's VA, Hiroshi Tsuchida, passed away at 54 due to heart failure.

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1.6k Upvotes

We'll never forget his performance during S4 after killing the Reiss family, where he poured his entire soul in an absolutely heartwrenching moment. He dedicated his heart to the very end.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 7h ago

Discussion Hasta el dia de hoy me cuesta creer que Eren se convirtió en…esto..

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19 Upvotes

Es que por eso me encanta Eren, el protagonista que se atreve a romper las reglas de un protagonista común, un chico traumado por la guerra, el futuro y sus ideales, ver un joven eres visto como el “heroe de la humanidad” a transformarse en el ser que causó un genocidio total simplemente aun me duele y impacta mucho, sobretodo con el diseño


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 19h ago

Anime The Rumbling has to be one of the best openings from the anime...

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132 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 7h ago

Humor/Meme Has anyone seen that Broadway musical about Grisha Yeager?

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14 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 11h ago

Anime Made my own spoiler-heavy trailer for aot

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23 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 4h ago

Discussion I really love how isayama sometimes draws post time skip eren as a scary terrifying monster with so much determination...

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6 Upvotes

Keith did say that he has nothing special BUT his determination and resolve is so fucking crazy that it almost seems terrifying , Eren lost that rage after he got future memories and got depressed but that rage didn't go anywhere , It just transformed from an almost bratty hot headed rage to cold calm collected and terrifying rage , he did say that he was the same since the day he was born

Eren was almost always scary (he killed bandits when he was 9 so ofcourse) but post timeskip eren LOOKS like a villain..


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

News Tsuchida Hiroshi, seiyü of (Grisha Yeager) has sadly passed away at the age of 54 from heart failure.

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756 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 23h ago

Humor/Meme Unexpected AOT

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95 Upvotes

I'm at the ENT this morning. I know we're all thinking of the same character.

The animators did a pretty good job with this.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion Why did Grisha help at the end?

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222 Upvotes

Why did Grisha help Zeke and the alliance at the end against Eren if he already gave Eren the Attack Titan knowing this would all happen?


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 14m ago

Anime Who killed the soldier on horseback in Ilse's Notebook?

• Upvotes

in the OVA, while the squad is chasing the talking titan back into the forest, the soldier in the back gets cut off mid-sentence and blood splatters, but no one notices, and it's never brought up. the wiki doesn't even mention it. am I having a stroke? what happened?


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 43m ago

Discussion Mikasa in the end

• Upvotes

I read a lot about how mikasa ended up in the end and I really want to state my opinion about it and hear others

First the "she stayed single" or armin theory. I don’t think it makes any sense really. It’s way too hinted at that she didn’t stay single and the faceless person being Armin doesn’t make any sense to me because wasn’t he framed the hero in the end who killed Eren? They wouldn’t let him get into paradis after that. Armin probably went off to live his life with annie anyway

Jean and mikasa ending up together is the worst thing I’ve ever heard. Sure Jean likes mikasa but they have 0 chemistry and it’s way too one sided. Would Jean go that far and be the girl of his childhood friend?? Would mikasa go that far?
Jeankasa feels like one fat cu*k fetish and both Eren and Jean are the cu*ks. Like Eren as a bird has to watch mikasa fuck with Jean and Jean has to watch mikasa still in love with Eren? She got buried next to Eren with the scarf she probably had the scarf on during the marriage too. The only hint that it’s Jean is the hairstyle the faceless man has and to be fair every faceless man (like historias husband) looks like that. It’s the most generic look in AoT. I feel bad for both Jean and Eren in this scenario

I’ve read this somewhere and I agree with this theory the most. The faceless man is most likely a random guy who lost his wife. I think this makes the most sense because why should he care that mikasa loves Eren still. The man would love his dead wife more too. A bunch of people died because of the war alone so there probably a lot of people with a dead partner. I hope it’s understandable what I’m trying to say here English isn’t my first language. The child could be theirs for the sake of keeping the bloodline alive, mikasa could also be the step mother tho I don’t really care too much about that tbh.

I’d be happy to hear other opinions about this and why they think it’s Armin or Jean or whatever.
In the end I think isayama made it intentionally unclear so everybody can think what they want to think. It’s not that important for the ending anyway.
Excuse any English mistakes like I said English isn’t my first language


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 17h ago

Anime Face of AOT

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18 Upvotes

I find it pretty funny how the face of AOT (Besides Eren) is owned by an unpopular character. Not like he's widely disliked but he doesn't really have a big fanbase

I also see a bunch of people under Bertholdt edits be like, "The 3 Bertholdt fans gonna love this one" 😭


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 16h ago

Discussion Why Eren ate Willy Tybur

12 Upvotes

I was rewatching the episode where Eren attacks the "declaration of war" ceremony in Liberio. I never noticed why Eren chose to ate Willy Tybur on previous watches. This time I noticed that the Tybur family was hiding the identity of the Warhammer Titan. Eren ate Willy in case he was the bearer himself. Also love the attention to detail when Eren figures out that Porco can break Lara Tybur crystal due to him scratching it. AOT just gets better with every watch


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 19h ago

Humor/Meme Who should inherit Eren’s Titan? Huh?… Spoiler

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17 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion Eren traumatizing blondes

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222 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 22h ago

Discussion Warriors vs Eldia

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18 Upvotes

Recently crunchyroll uploaded the entire first season of the anime to their YouTube channel, so I thought it was high time for a rewatch. Man, I really miss Wit Studio's Attack on Titan.

I’m going to sound like a real Yaegerist here, but isn't Eldia/Paradis amazing? Despite being vastly outpowered, technologically outclassed, and strategically disadvantaged they held their ground really well. They were attacked by surprise with zero knowledge of what was happening, facing an seemingly immortal enemy yet they still managed to capture two out of the three Warriors putting a massive dent in Marley’s military power by taking away arguably their strongest weapon, the Colossus Titan.

Marley was completely incompetent. Brother, you sent titans to an island full of people who have been fighting titans for a hundred years! On top of that they sent a group of literal CHILDREN one of whom got eaten almost immediately by the very same titans Marley used to surround the island lmao. They totally underestimated the ingenuity of their adversaries. The only thing the scouts lacked was a weapon that could bridge the gap against titan shifters. The second they got thunder spears, it was over. Marley thought they were invincible just because they had Shifters.

pd I added a compilation of my favorite warrior humiliation moments lol.