From tragic, naive beginnings to stoic warriors, the characters of changed significantly as the series comes to a close. Chief among them is Eren, the hopeful protagonist who has simultaneously become its antagonist in his quest to achieve freedom for Eldia.
By uncovering the secrets of the Titans and finally understanding his true enemy, Eren has abandoned his younger tendencies to practically become a new character altogether. In order to walk such a difficult new path, some key events led him to become a formidable force in the final season.
Eren Is Much Colder In Season 4
Fans of the first three seasons of Attack on Titan know Eren to be a hopeful, energetic warrior-in-training with the mission of ensuring freedom for those trapped on Paradis. While his mission remains the same, the Eren that fans see in season four is much older, more battle-hardened, and colder.
It makes sense that after seeing so much tragedy and loss within his own ranks, Eren would not take on the same positive attitude as his younger self. That being said, his comrades remain largely themselves throughout the series, whereas Eren is an entirely new soldier altogether. Amidst the chaos of war against Marley, Eren is seemingly unshaken in every new situation to a downright frightening degree, which makes him such a formidable protagonist and antagonist alike.
Eren Seems To Always Be Two Steps Ahead
As Marley pressed the offensive early on in Paradis, a lot of Eren's reactions were fueled by uncertainty and fear out of what might happen should the Survey Corps fall. One major evolution in the series is seeing Eren turn his enemies on their heels, hatching out plans that no one could possibly predict.
One perfect example of this is his major assault on Marley during the first arc of season four. Time and time again, Eren seems to be at the brink of defeat, only to uncover that every event and twist went exactly according to his plan. Whereas Marley usually held the tactical upper hand, Eren has become the ultimate puppetmaster, pulling everyone's strings before they even have the chance to find out.
Eren Finally Knows The Truth Behind The Titans
Early Eren never went anywhere without his trademark necklace, which held a key to his father's lost basement in Shiganshina. That key, as it turned out, unlocked his father's information that revealed the story of Marley, the origins of the Eldian people, and the secrets of the Nine Titans.
As Grisha s, the Titans have been ed down the Eldian race for hundreds of generations, ever since the Founder Ymir unlocked their power after "a deal with the devil". Because of Eldia's former crimes against humanity using the Titans, Marley has since segregated the Eldian people to keep them under oppressive control. This marked a major transformation for Eren, as he began to realize his enemies were not mindless, giant monstrosities, but the nation of Marley across the sea, who hoped to one day wipe them out entirely.
Eren Will Go To Greater Lengths For Eldia's Freedom
Attack on Titan has never been a stranger to the brutal, inhumane aspect of war, as well as the effects that it has on those who are involved. Eren was formerly a guiding light in the fray, electing to walk the path of mercy so that he did not transform to reflect the perceived savagery of those he battled.
This is certainly not the case with Eren in season four. In fact, Eren has gone to greater lengths than anyone in the series to ensure every battle is won, no matter the cost of human life. From soldiers to civilians, and everyone in between, Eren became determined to exact the same tragedy upon his enemies that he experienced as a child. He even goes on to acknowledge to Reiner, his former nemesis, that they are the same, each of them willing to ignore the atrocities of their actions to see that they "keep moving forward".
Eren Finally Visited Marley
It was quite a shock when season four of the series picked up with brand new characters, this time showing perspectives of the Titan Warriors that fight for Marley. Yet, in a surprise turn of events, Eren had gone rogue and arrived undercover in Marley to finally lay eyes on those who plotted his downfall.
There he was able to gain the trust of Falco, a Warrior Candidate, and even visit his deranged grandfather to learn more information about the Marlean people. In an ultimate turn of events, Eren was able to launch a devastating attack with his Titan on Marley just as they announced their campaign against Paradis, crushing their military at its weakest moment. It was equally chilling and satisfying to see him finally fulfill his mission, although his reckless abandonment of morality put his comrades in Paradis in a devastating and confusing situation.
Eren Has Left The Survey Corps
The Survey Corps, which bravely ventured outside the walls of Paradis, ensured the security of the Eldian people and effectively wiped out the Titan threat on the island for good. This effort could not have happened without Eren, whose powers as the Attack Titan constantly turned the tide of battle in their favor.
When Eren decided to solve Eldia's problems on his own, he effectively abandoned the Survey Corps, leaving them to pick up the mess of carnage he left in his wake. Given that his Survey Corps team had become like a family to him, this move completed his transformation into an antagonist, waging war with both enemies in Marley and (former) allies in Paradis. Eren had always valued his place among a capable reliable team, but this departure made it clear that the only one he trusts is himself.
Eren Broke His Ties To His Closest Friends
Fans of the series know that Eren's character can hardly be mentioned without also acknowledging Armin and Mikasa, his two closest friends who ed him in the Survey Corps. By the end of season three, their bond became near-inseparable, showing just how much they all relied on one another with each ing conflict.
This made it all the more shocking to see Eren, four years later, fighting those very friends to ensure the Rumbling comes to fruition. This showed that Eren had broken the bounds of his humanity, to a point that even Armin and Mikasa hardly recognized the person he had become. This new version of Eren would conquer, kill, and betray anyone who gets in his way, even if involved those who were once closest to him.