What's with Ymir Fritz's harrowing glare in Titan-kind, Ymir Fritz has been name-checked throughout Attack on Titan, but episode 80 is where her true history finally gets revealed in all its ugliness. Ymir's ordeal begins when her people are captured and enslaved by Eldia's King Fritz. Quite by accident, Ymir stumbles across the power of the Titans, but instead of pummeling her oppressors into a bloody mush, she continues serving loyally - albeit as a tool of war, rather than a farm girl. Even after death, Ymir remains compliant as the Founding Titan, constructing one giant body after another without complaint.
In Attack on Titan episode 80, Ymir comes perilously close to executing Zeke Jaeger's order and rendering all Eldians unable to reproduce. Seeing his masterplan drifting from reach, Eren rips apart his own hands to break Zeke's restraints, and catches Ymir just in time. He implores her to stop following the Fritz family and finally act freely, but as Eren's imioned plea hangs in the air, Attack on Titan focuses squarely on Ymir's face. The Founder's piercing death-stare cuts through a layer of tears, and her jaw is so clenched, she's grinding down her teeth into fine powder.
It's quite something when, in an episode where thousands of massive Titans pour out of Paradis Island's walls, the most striking visual is the sunken face of young girl. Attack on Titan season 4 has been hitting one home run after another in the creepy face stakes - most recently with the meme-worthy stare Yelena directed toward Armin. Where Yelena's face called back to Armin's lies in Attack on Titan season 4, part 1, however, Ymir's scary visage speaks to a whole 2000 years of oppression. Flashbacks in Attack on Titan episode 80 show how Ymir endured enslavement, abuse, and betrayal at the hands of her own people. As the Founding Titan, Ymir slaughtered populations on King Fritz's behalf, and even death brought no reprieve, since she continued toiling away for an immeasurable amount of time in the Paths, fulfilling the whims and wants of Fritz's royal lineage.
Every time Attack on Titan showed Ymir pre-episode 80, her face - and eyes especially - were completely obscured. Viewers couldn't fathom Ymir's mindset behind that totally blank expression, forcing questions over whether her will to fight had been extinguished by time. Only after Eren implores her to stop toiling for royalty are Ymir's true feelings shown - she's seething with unbridled rage. And by hiding her expression until after Eren's speech, Attack on Titan proves she's always been seething with rage. The frightful face Ymir shows before handing control of the Founding Titan over to Eren is the face she's worn secretly for millennia.
Ymir Fritz's hallowed expression also explains why she didn't act before. At any point after stumbling down a tree stump and becoming the planet's most powerful entity, Ymir could've fought back against the Fritz family's domination. Even after death, she could've ended her misery instantly from inside the Paths. Instead, Ymir carried on serving... until Eren Jaeger became the very first person who told her to fight back. Ymir never found that encouragement until now - her fellow slaves sold her out, the Fritz family exploited her, and successors only wanted the Founding Titan. Eren acknowledged Ymir's anger, and this brings her emotions to the fore, which is why finally glimpsing her pained facial features is so significant in Attack on Titan episode 80. The shocking expression needed to be stark and chilling to convey the release of Ymir's pain after so long - and Attack on Titan achieves exactly that.
Attack on Titan streams Sundays on Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu.