Eren Jaeger starts off as the hot-tempered but lovable protagonist of Attack on Titan, before gradually devolving into a state of no return. It can be argued that he has no choice in what he does, because the Attack Titan he possesses basically converges the past, present, and future into one timeline, forcing Eren to make some rather dicey decisions.

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However well-intentioned he might be, the fact is that Eren has few sympathetic traits from a fan perspective, certainly not before the final chapter of the manga. Eren is often annoying, foolhardy, and, as an adult, horrifyingly pitiless.

10 Eren Constantly Erupts In A Childish Rage

Attack On Titan Eren Angry Yell

Eren doesn't know how to react to difficult situations, choosing to express himself through temper tantrums half the time. He constantly finds himself in the middle of conflict, targeting both allies and enemies with equal ferocity if they behave in a way he feels is unacceptable.

He genuinely cannot comprehend the notion that other people have perspectives that might be different from his own, which is quite problematic for someone who's meant to be a protagonist.

9 He Nearly Pulverizes His Best Friend

Eren in titan form lunges at Mikasa

Eren's first transformation into the Attack Titan results in the military turning on him, but Dot Pyxis' timely arrival quiets the soldiers clamoring for his execution.

In order to block the hole formed in Wall Rose, Eren is asked to turn into a Titan once again, which he willingly does, but he immediately goes wild and tries to kill the person nearest to him, Mikasa. Eren's horrific conduct, though unwitting, is deplorable because of who it's directed at.

8 He Forces His Friends To Kill Others On His Behalf

Armin at Marley

When Eren lays siege to Liberio, his friends have no option but to mount a backup operation to ensure that he isn't killed by his own recklessness. In addition to dozens of dead soldiers, Armin's transformation into the Colossal Titan generates an explosion large enough to destroy the city's shoreline, killing countless innocents in the process.

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It's especially horrifying since Armin has always been against unnecessary deaths, especially those of children, but this is the unavoidable outcome brought about by Eren's actions.

7 Eren Discards A Piece Of Bread When People Are Starving

Eren throws bread at Armin in AOT

After the fall of Shiganshina, the refugees are transported to the safety of Wall Rose. The Garrison Regiment makes unsavory comments about the influx of new people, stating that it would have been better if fewer citizens had survived the first set of attacks.

This naturally infuriates Eren, but he responds by flinging his food ration (a piece of bread) at Armin. Considering how many people are under the threat of starvation, this behavior is both arrogant and thoughtless.

6 He Rebels Against The Scout Regiment To Lead The Jaegerists

Eren meets Floch and the revolutionary Jaegerists in Attack on Titan.

Eren's path slowly begins to diverge from that he once shared with the Scouts, ultimately culminating in the development of the Jaegerists — an initially small group of like-minded Eldian purists. This faction is under the impression that Eren is the only savior available to those trapped in the sea of Titans surrounding the Walls, and devote their efforts to ensuring that his plan is successful.

It gets worse after Eren's death, because the Jaegerists seize a sizeable chunk of political power from the royal government and start spreading dangerously fascist ideas about the world outside Paradis.

5 Eren Whines About His Uselessness To Historia

eren captured by reiss AOT

Having captured Eren, Rod Reiss tells Historia that the only solution is to eat Eren and recapture the Founding Titan. Rather than argue against the idea, Eren shamelessly whines about his inability to bring about real change, and demands that Historia fulfill her father's wishes.

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Even after the Scouts reach their location, he continues his rant about his apparent incompetence, forcing Levi to verbally smack some sense into him. It works, but Eren returns to his old ways soon after.

4 He Tricks Falco Grice In Liberio

Eren Falco Grice Attack On Titan

Eren's political maneuvering is nothing short of brilliant, but that's because he has no qualms about involving children in his tapestry of lies and deceit. One major instance is his interaction with Falco Grice, an innocent child who believes that Eren is actually Kruger, an Eldian soldier from Marley who loses an eye and a leg during an unmentioned battle.

If this isn't bad enough, Eren later turns into the Attack Titan right in front of Falco, forcing Reiner to protect the boy by transforming into the Armored Titan in the nick of time.

3 Eren Goes Ahead With The Rumbling

Eren Rumbling in Marley — AOT manga

Despite near-universal opposition — from the Scouts to Zeke to the Global Alliance — Eren sets off the Rumbling, which inevitably turns into a bloodbath on an Earth-wide scale.

There are dozens of reasons why the Rumbling should have never taken place, but it seems that Eren considers none of them in the throes of his pro-Eldian zealotry. Not even the fact that the Wall Titans would kill people in Paradis is enough to change his mind. Eren may be confused about a lot of things, but his hypocrisy is crystal clear.

2 Eren Beats Armin Up To Prove His So-Called Point

Eren beats up Armin in AOT

After the Liberio fiasco, Mikasa and Armin go to meet Eren, so they can understand the root cause behind the latter's personality change. Instead, Eren insults both of them, forcing Armin to attack him in Mikasa's defense.

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First of all, nobody expects this scene to take place, given Armin's timidity when it comes to fighting, but it highlights Eren's descent into cold-hearted apathy. Eren consequently whacks Armin into a nearby wine-rack before proceeding to beat him up until his face is swollen and bloody.

1 He Tells Mikasa That He Has Always Hated Her

Eren insulting Mikasa in AOT

Eren's loathsome strategy to get Mikasa to hate him is a temporary success, but the sheer amount of rancor and contempt he exerts to force his point through signifies why fans find him abhorrent.

He asserts that looking at Mikasa "used to piss [him] off like crazy," before delivering the final nail in the coffin — "Ever since we were kids, I've always hated you." None of what Eren says is true; in fact, it's the diametric opposite to how he feels, but audiences utterly despise the way he treats the people who love him more than life itself.

NEXT: Attack On Titan: 10 Questions Left Unanswered After The Final Chapter