Despite being a widely popular and successful anime, Attack on Titan isn't perfect. A show so rooted in the ideas of betrayal and political intrigue is bound to ruffle some feathers—even if it is one of the best shonen anime series worldwide.
Among the diverse fanbase watching the series, some have recognized too many faults within the anime—despite the immense praise it receives—and there are some annoying aspects within the anime. Here are 10 things that irritated even dedicated fans of Attack on Titan.
10 Eren Yeager May Be The Main Character, But He Is Quite Narcissistic
Eren Yeager has come a long way since the beginning of Attack on Titan. The young man who was scarred by Marley's initial attack on Wall Maria has become a threat to all life thanks to a narcissistic personality.
Even dedicated fans of Attack on Titan have to admit that Eren is a difficult main character to cheer for. Some fans will try to convince everyone that Eren is meant to be difficult due to his trauma, but that doesn't change the fact that his complex can be annoying.
9 The Inconsistent Pacing Of Certain Seasons
Attack on Titan was doomed to struggle with inconsistent pacing. The moment Isayama decided to focus on the political corruption surrounding his warriors. Shonen battle anime is known for changing to have a slower pace to enhance the dramatic effect the combat has on the viewers by utilizing flashbacks and stretching out a single fight for one episode.
The anime has several episodes that use most of their runtime to flashback into the past to add drama to the present. All fans are justifiably annoyed when a show transitions between a slowed-down action sequence into a flashback that speeds through exposition like a race car.
8 The Way Historia's Character Arc Shifts After The Third Season
The Queen behind the wall demonstrated her strength as a scout with Christa's name—but she only gained fan's respect after embracing the name Historia. After overcoming her fear and embracing her name, Historia vaulted right to the top of the character popularity ratings.
Unfortunately, even dedicated fans have to be annoyed with the lack of effort Isayama put into Historia's story arc in the first part of the final season of the anime. The young woman who once stood proud above her peers while accepting a Queen's responsibilities now sits behind the walls with a husband who fans know nothing about.
7 The Reliance On Shock Factor
There are plenty of dedicated fans that get annoyed at how much Attack on Titan relies on shocking its viewers with the bloody assault of the titans.
This fact is even more evident when a fan watches through the series and sees the titans massacring people. Once fans are prepared for the shocking plot twists, the only thing left to shock them is the gore—which quickly becomes tedious after seeing it multiple times.
6 The Lackluster Cosplay Designs
Via Deviantart user mokrushina
The cosplay and anime fandom share close ties—but unfortunately, even dedicated Attack on Titan fans have to admit that the character designs don't offer cosplayers much to work with.
The best the anime can offer the world of cosplay is a military uniform and a skin suit. Skilled cosplayers have proven that cosplaying the characters and anime can be done well, but the source material doesn't make it easy for them.
5 Too Much Dialogue Boggs Down The Series At Times
For an anime that thrives in the realm of political subterfuge and plot twists, one would imagine that the amount of dialogue used to build up the exposition would be limited to draw out the eventual twist. Still, Attack on Titan seems to purposefully litter meaningless scenes of dialogue with the important stuff to throw viewers off the eventual plot twist.
Creating scenes that feel meaningless can enhance the experience of a plot twist, but it is also stealing time from the authentically important moments. Nothing is more annoying than striving after information on the Yeagerists' movements throughout Paradis and being forced to watch a conversation between Dot Pyxis and Yelena instead.
4 Each Episode That Annie Stays Trapped In Her Crystal Cocoon
One of the most fundamental truths in the world of Attack on Titan is the titans' absolute strength. The importance of controlling this strength has led every character and fan to seek information about the titans—everyone except Annie Leonhart, the Female Titan.
Since Annie was caught at the end of Attack on Titan season 2, she has been encased in a powerful crystalline cocoon that nobody but the Jaw Titan can force her out of. The power of the Female Titan is incredible. It is annoying that it has spent the last 4 to 5 years buried somewhere behind the walls of Paradis.
3 Mikasa's Obsession Over Eren
Nothing is more annoying to Attack on Titan fans than the relationship between Eren and Mikasa. Mikasa is a fan-favorite character thanks to her selfless behavior and strength in combat. Compared to Eren, Mikasa is a saint, making it difficult for any fan to watch her fawn over Eren.
Attack on Titan has several troubled characters, and it does little to build up their relationships. Still, they dangled the potential of Eren and Mikasa's relationship in front of series fans until halfway through the final season.
2 The Efficacy Of The Series' Plot
Perhaps the biggest hole in the plot of the first part of Attack on Titan's final season comes from Armin's inability to talk Eren down from his murderous plot. If Armin had been given a chance to sit down with Eren, he might have been able to create peace.
Dedicated Attack on Titan fans love Armin—so this makes it annoying when he is not paid the respect he deserves by the characters around him. His smarts aren't just for military strategy, so it is especially annoying when these characters choose violence.
1 Every Coupling Has Been Rejected By Hajime Isayama
While there is plenty of other shonen anime series that deny the responsibilities of establishing romantic relationships between their characters, Attack on Titan has never felt like one of them. Since the beginning of the series, Eren and Mikasa have been pushed together by Isayama without regard for the fan's wishes or intentions.
Shippers have tried to endlessly predict which couples would make it through Attack on Titan, but the series seems more interested in killing off characters than pairing them off.