The massively popular shonen series Attack on Titan took the anime community by storm, generating more energy and tension in the fan circles every new season. Over the years, the mysterious story of humanity defending itself against the incomprehensible threat of the titans transformed into a complex political conflict, with the fate of the entire civilization on the line.
As the series' scope continued to expand, more and more characters get introduced into the narrative. At the same time, the old cast undergoes extreme metamorphoses, affected by the horrors they had to witness and endure. With such an enormous, dynamic cast, fans' opinions of individual characters differ drastically. Some cast members earn universal affection and join the ranks of fan favorites. However, some Attack on Titan characters receive so much backlash that it's safe to assume that fans simply love to hate them.
10 Eren's Unconventional Character Progression Makes Him The Series' Most Controversial Character
Despite being the series' protagonist, Eren Yeager was always a controversial figure within the show's fan community. Some viewers hated him from season one, finding Eren's naive, rash, and aggressive attitude obnoxious and one-dimensional. Other fans started despising him when Eren's goals shifted from avenging his mother and humankind to murdering everyone beyond the walls with the power of the Rumbling.
Even if fans find his character writing genius, Eren's personal choices make him a despicable human being, prepared to commit unforgivable crimes to achieve his illusory goals.
9 Kitz Woermann's Mind Is Always Clouded By Paranoia
Even the most complex and morally ambiguous narratives sometimes include a character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. For Attack on Titan, that character is Kitz Woermann, an egotistical, judgemental, and foolish Capitan of the Garrison Regiment's 1st Division Elite Forces.
Despite his formidable physique and high status, Kitz is a cowardly and unreliable leader, prone to letting his paranoia control his actions. As a result, most of his rash decisions lead to him and his subordinates being in danger. But even then, Kitz is unlikely to take responsibility, more concerned with saving his own pitiful life.
8 Bertholdt Didn't Get A Chance To Redeem Himself
Unlike his infiltration partner Reiner, the former Colossal Titan Bertholdt Hoover is a much less complex and engaging character. On top of having much less time than Reiner to atone for his crimes of breaking the wall and killing myriads of civilians, Bertholdt was a flat and uninspiring character from the start.
Bertholdt didn't have a fleshed-out backstory or a captivating motivation to make him relatable or, at the very least, memorable. Unlike other Warriors, Bertholdt will always be remembered only for his cowardly, inhumane wrongdoings.
7 Hange's Alarming Enthusiasm In The First Season Earned Them A Bad Reputation
The former Survey Corps squad leader Hange Zoe changed drastically on her way to becoming the division's 14th commander. Alongside their position, Hange's personality and outlook on life also underwent some significant metamorphoses, making them much more stoic, serious, and responsible.
Nevertheless, many fans still judge Hange based on her obnoxious, carefree, and a bit freakish behavior in the first seasons, which earned them a somewhat controversial perception in the fan community. Many viewers despised Hange's over-the-top antics and concerning love for titans, and their hatred for their character carried on even after Hange's enthusiasm died down.
6 Siding With Zeke After All The Crimes He Has Committed Is Impossible For Many Fans
As the Beast Titan responsible for killing many of the franchise's beloved characters, Zeke made myriads enemies within Attack on Titan's fan community. Despite his goals and personality becoming more complex and relatable in the later seasons, Zeke remains a prominent villain in the series, capable of committing horrible crimes in the name of his plan.
Zeke's ambitions might resonate with many, and even his Euthanasia plan might seem like a more humane solution to the Eldrian problem than starting the Rumbling. Yet, Zeke's manipulative methods of pushing his ideology onto others still rub many fans the wrong way.
5 No Number Of Achievements Helped Armin Earn The Approval Of The Fanbase
Armin Arlelt is one of Attack on Titan's most important characters, credited with saving humanity with his impressive intelligence and admirable strategic talent countless times. Nevertheless, his timid, overly emotional nature annoys many fans.
Despite being one of the smartest characters in the entire show, Armin's personality is difficult to like. Fans' opinion of Armin worsened even further when he got chosen as the one who inherits the Colossal Titan's power instead of Erwin Smith, a much more competent and universally liked Commander of the Survey Corps.
4 Mikasa's Uninspired Character Progression Didn't Meet Fans' High Expectations
Despite being one of the strongest fighters of humanity and a central figure within Attack on Titan's narrative, Mikasa Ackermann never received any intricate character progression outside of her unhealthy, one-sided relationship with Eren. Her initial mysteriousness made Mikasa an intriguing enigma, possessing infinite prospects for future development. Unfortunately, this potential got wasted, as Mikasa turned out to be a painfully one-dimensional, single-minded person.
Fans' frustration with her nonsensical, lazy writing grew with every season, turning Mikasa from one of the most popular characters in the show into a universally hated figure.
3 The Worldwide Discrimination Of Subjects Of Ymir Is King Fritz's Responsibility
Fritz, the king that ruled over Eldia over 2,000 years ago, is characterized as an almost mythological evil, responsible for the centuries of the Power of the Titans' exploitation. He used his helpless slave Ymir to mercilessly slaughter his enemies and endlessly expand his empire's influence.
Fritz's unstoppable hunger for control and domination led to all the horrors humanity underwent centuries after his passing. His horrific legacy arguably makes Fritz the ultimate antagonist of Attack on Titan and the most hatable character in the franchise.
2 Disappointment And Loss Made Floch Abandon His Values And Side With Eren's Merciless Plan
Floch Forster had one of the most unexpected narrative developments in Attack on Titan's history, transforming from a timid and forgettable side character into one of the series' most hated antagonists with a crucial plot-relevant role. After surviving Erwin's final suicide mission against the Beast Titian, Floch's perception of the military and his mission in the war against the titans shifted drastically.
Seeking a new purpose, he found salvation following Eren's horrifying plan to destroy humanity. And to achieve his new goals, Floch is ready to turn the gun toward his former friends with no hesitation.
1 Despite Being A Relatively New Addition To The Show's Cast, Gabi Earned The Title Of The Series' Most Disliked Character
Immediately after her initial introduction, the self-confident and bratty warrior candidate Gabi Braun earned the status of the series' most hated and annoying character. She was intended to be Eren's counterpart from the other side of the sea, highlighting the similarities between Marley and Eldia. However, Gabi's obnoxiously black-and-white worldview and disrespectful attitude greatly enraged the fans.
Even after she came face-to-face with her ignorance and felt the overwhelming regret for her past judgments and actions, most viewers couldn't accept Gabi's redemption arc as well-deserved and didn't change their opinion of her character.