Mangaka Hajime Isayama has revealed the inspirations behind Attack on Titan's Eren Yeager.
According to Anime Dork, Isayama recently stated that the controversial protagonist is basically a reflection of the worst parts of himself and that the story is about overcoming and getting rid of those dark aspects. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans hide from the titular man-eating giants in walled-off cities, Attack on Titan tells the story of Eren, a very angry young man who desires the extermination of all Titans after the monsters destroy his home and one eats his mother in front of him. While the early parts of the narrative depict Eren as a hero, towards the end, he transforms into the genocidal enemy of humanity.
Attack on Titan first appeared in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in September 2009, with the concluding chapter published in April 2021. With over 110 million copies in circulation around the world, Isayama's story stands as one of the best-selling manga of all time, alongside Tite Kubo's Bleach and Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Attack on Titan manga has also received multiple prestigious awards, including a Harvey and Kodansha Manga awards.
Doing Justice to the Final Season of Attack on Titan
Wit Studio (Spy x Family) created the first three seasons of Attack on Titan's anime adaptation, with MAPPA (Chainsaw Man) taking over production for the final season, which has been split into multiple parts to give the story's epic and brutal conclusion enough time to develop its ideas and depict its story beats fully. Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Part 1 debuted in December 2020, and Part 2 premiered in January 2022.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Part 2 currently stands as one of the front-runners in multiple categories at this year's Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Anime of the Year, Best Continuing Series and Best Opening Sequence. Fans can vote for who they think should win on the streaming service's website, and the awards ceremony will occur on March 4.
Attack on Titan: The Final Season - Part 3 is scheduled to debut on March 4 as part of the spring 2023 anime season and will likely serve as the anime's swan song. During a panel at Anime NYC, Isayama explained how he still has doubts about Attack on Titan's divisive ending, stating, "I still struggle on this point."
Both Wit Studio's and MAPPA's adaptations are available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Source: Anime Dork