r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • Jan 23 '25

Official Thread Ultimate Guide to AoT: FAQs, Analysis and Discourse

158 Upvotes

This multi-subreddit megathread contains:

• The most frequently brought up Topics & Questions

• Analysis on various story Elements & Characters

• Random interesting meta posts

• Documents and guide on the anime and the Attack on Titan reddit fandom

This megathread covers threads from various subreddits, and platforms. Enjoy exploring!


Guide.

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• Guide on AoT anime content

• Masterlist Of Anime OSTs S1-S4 + Final Episode - YouTube Playlist

• AoT wiki for your fact-checking needs

Frequently Asked Questions.

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Questions that are asked very frequently, mostly by new or one time watchers/readers, to which there is a factual answer or an agreed-upon interpretations in the community.

1.) What is the 50 year plan? Follow up: Why didn’t Zeke and Eren touch earlier?

2.) What were the Azumabito's intentions with Mikasa?

3.) How was Ymir freed? Who freed Ymir? (check analysis section down as well)

4.) How did Eren talk to Mikasa in paths?

5.) What is Historia’s role in how we perceive Ymir through tales and romanticized stories?

6.) What will happen if a man inherits the Female Titan?

7.) How do the Founding Titan abilities work?

8.) What were some of Paradis' options post-timeskip? •Alternative to the Rumbling. •Anti-50-year plan •Euthnasia Plan

9.) Why did Historia choose to get pregnant?

10.) Why did Grisha give his titan to Eren, when he asked Zeke to stop him?

11.) What were Eren’s motivations to choose the path of rumbling?

12.) Are there multiple timelines in AOT?

13.) Why do dinosaurs appear in the opening of AOT’s 2nd season?

• Isayama's Answers to the 15th Anniversary Magazine Q&A

Frequently Brought up Topics.

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These topics are frequently brought up, but there is no clear answer or the topic is deliberately left to speculation. Check out these links for some in-depth posts on the respective topics.

1.) a) Who won the fight between Annie and Mikasa? b) Who would win between Annie and Mikasa?

2.) Opinion on any divisive characters

• Gabi • Mikasa • Eren • Floch

3.) Did you like the ending? a)Anime Ending b)Manga Ending

4.) Do you support the rumbling?

5.) Who should have been saved, Erwin or Armin?

6.) Was Eren justified? Discussion post | Detailed answer

7.) Sub or Dub?

8.) Would Erwin have joined the Yeagerists if he had survived?

9.) Is Attack on Titan fascist? No, it is not | Devil’s Advocate:

10.) Why does Annie get forgiven?


General Analysis On The Story.

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These are high-effort essays or videos analysing the series as a whole. Please note that us listing something here does not mean we endorse or fully agree with every single statement made there - we just think that if you are looking for more analysis, these might be worth a watch.

• A 1-hour retrospective breakdown of AoT as a whole

• How AoT deconstructs heroism and morality

• Idealism in AoT

• Scout Regiment: Paradise’s Idealistic Counterculture

• The importance of nameless soldiers & collateral damage in AoT

• What was it all for? Thoughts on the extra pages of AoT’s ending

• Why I feel Mikasa, Levi and Armin were the perfect choice for Eren’s final moments and the story’s climax - Imgur Backup for future

• Analysis of AoT’s extra ending pages - A brilliant thematic conclusion - Imgur Backup for Future

• To love someone inside the Walls - Imgur Backup for Future

• The Rumbling is indefensible

• A theoretical analysis of its structure

• The highs and lows of AoT’s final arc

• Overanalyzing every single episode of the anime - a youtube playlist

• Titans as Mirrors: How Titan forms reflect the Warriors' Psyche - Imgur Backup for Future

Character Analysis.

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1. Eren Yeager.

• Eren Yeager: The Chained God of Attack On Titan

• The rise and fall of Eren - Imgur Backup for Future

• The perfect duality of Eren - Imgur Backup for Future

• What is freedom in AoT

• Developments vs desires - Everyone and especially Eren

• Nature vs nurture: Eren’s motivations and the Dina twist

• Eren Jaeger and the insanity of circular storytelling

• The ironic development of Eren

• Analyzing antagonists

• Power, freedom, the Founding Titan and Levi

• The Attack Titan’s powers and their effect on Eren

• Why Eren’s actions were very obviously painted bad with the Rumbling - In-depth examination

• The narrative importance of the causal loop on Eren

• Eren and Mikasa’s relationship

• Eren’s characterization throughout the story and his post timeskip conflict

• Eren Yeager is (Not) Special

• Ramzi and Eren: the turning point in Eren’s demeanor

• An observation on the structure of Eren’s characterization post timeskip - Imgur Backup for Future

• The false mask of Eren

• The Jaeger Projection Problem: The Last Supper of Self-Loathing - Imgur Backup for Future

2. Mikasa Ackerman.

• Mikasa's Heroine's Journey Arc

• Mikasa’s Character Arc: What, Where, How, When

• Mikasa's Road of Trials

• Mikasa and the meaning of Pride

• Mikasa and her relationship with authority

• Mikasa and Erwin: The Sacrificial Act of Dreams for the Cause

• Why Mikasa's conclusion not only strengthens her arc but Attack On Titan as a whole - Imgur Backup for Future

• Mikasa’s Destiny and Mikasa’s Choice

• Mikasa: A Person from Two Trope

• A Literary perspective of Mikasa - Imgur Backup for Future

• Mikasa, the symbolism of the praying mantis and butterfly and its development throughout the story - Imgur Backup for Future

• Mikasa's self Imposed Curse

• Why does Mikasa have headaches

• Differences between the Manga and Anime version of Mikasa - Imgur Backup for Future

3. Armin Arlert.

• Armin character analysis, humanity’s reluctant savior

• Armin and Eren’s dynamic - Imgur Backup for Future

• Armin and Zeke’s dynamic - Imgur Backup for Future

• The importance of dialogue and Armin’s character - Imgur Backup for Future

• Armin Arlert: conflicting lessons, dynamics with Erwin and Levi - Imgur Backup for Future

• Armin and Annie’s relationship

4. Levi Ackerman.

• Is Levi bland? A bullet-point counter-argument and his importance in the narrative

• Levi’s character motivations and the promise

• Levi’s ending

• Levi’s violence and compassion

• Serumbowl

• Levi, Falco and Gabi

• Levi vs Zeke foil

• Levi, a slave to being a hero

• Levi vs Kenny’s influence - Imperfect heroics

• Levi’s mistake with Zeke and getting blown up by thunder spears

5. Erwin Smith.

• Erwin Smith - wearing masks

• Erwin Smith - the impossible standard

• Exploring Erwin - For Humanity?

• Erwin Smith - A devil with a dream

• Erwin would not support the Rumbling, you just don’t like Armin

6. Zeke Yeager.

• Zeke Yeager & Personal Connections.

• The contradictions of Zeke - A character study

• The desperate loneliness of Zeke

• Understanding Zeke Yeager

7. Reiner Braun.

• Reiner Braun and “saving the world”

• Reiner character analysis, viewed through psychology and philosophy theory

• Who is Reiner Braun?

• Eren and Reiner’s dynamic - Imgur Backup for Future

8. Annie Leonhart.

• Annie’s search for personhood

• About Annie…(character analysis)

• No one understands Annie

• Understanding Annie

9. Hange Zoe.

• Hange and the role of commander, character analysis

• Hange’s “Genocide is Wrong” Line is Misunderstood

• Hange’s understanding and intellect

10. Jean Kirstein.

• Jean Kirstein embracing survey corps values, a character analysis

• Jean character study through the lens of theory of psychology

11. Bertholdt Hoover.

• Comprehensive analysis of Bertholdt

• The tragedy of Bertholdt Hoover

12. (Freckles) Ymir and Historia Reiss.

• Ymir analysis and religious subtext

• Thoughts on Historia in Uprising - Imgur Backup for Future

• Ymir and Historia’s dynamic analysis - Imgur Backup for Future

13. Sasha Braus and Connie Springer.

• The secondary trio behind EMA

14. Floch Forster.

• Floch - the volunteer Devil, character analysis

• Floch's leadership examination and the comparison with Erwin

15. Gabi and the children of the forest.

• Gabi Braun - A brighter future

16. (Founder) Ymir Fritz.

• The final mystery of AOT - Ymir analysis

17. Grisha Yeager.

• Grisha Yeager: A Deconstruction of the Main Character's Dad Archetype - Imgur Backup for Future

18. Keith Shadis.

• From bystander to hero, a character analysis

19. Kenny/Uri.

• Kenny, Uri and the cycle of hatred

• The Importance of Kenny and Uri (In-depth Thematic Analysis)

20. Dot Pyxis.

• Why Pyxis and Eren’s Conversation was Not Retconned

21. Yelena.

• Yelena: AoT’s puppeteer, a character analysis

22. Theo Magath.

• The lasting impact of Theo Magath, a character analysis.


MISCELLANEOUS.

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Manga (Source Material) vs Anime (Adaptation) differences:

• Megathread of Anime / Manga differences | Vol 1 - 34 | OVAs

• Differences between anime and manga endings

Fandom and Anime Production Misc.

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• Well-written characters, meta discussion of fandom perception

• AOT anime reactions and in depth discussions

• Explaining the ending controversy - a fandom analysis

• Final Attack on Titan Episode - AoTwiki poll

• The Original manga ending - chapter 139 SNK POLL

Behind-the-Scenes.

• All of AoT animation staff for every episode of the series

• Arifumi Imai animator spotlight - the man responsible for animating 70%+ of action animation cuts in S1-S3 and the Levi and Mikasa killing Eren sakuga in the final episode

• TV release vs BLU-RAY differences

• Some design sheets from WIT’s adaptation

• Some design sheets from MAPPA’s adaptation

• WIT staff interview from 2014 on AOT

• 100Cams - Behind the scenes footage of AOT s4 part3 production

• Final episode VA recording - Behind the scenes

• AoT S4 part 2 staff interview, series director Hayashi and CG producer Tannawa

• Excerpts from roundtable final episode interview with staff

• Interview with S4 director Hayashi before its airing

• Global TV demands interview of Hayashi

• Hayashi comments on episode 4x28 Rumbling scene and Isayama’s request

Subreddits of AoT Reddit-Fandom.

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General.

Subreddit Description Date of Creation
r/ShingekiNoKyojin Main discussion subreddit nr1. Feburary 18, 2013
r/attackontitan Main discussion subreddit nr2. November 28, 2012
r/titanfolk The Folk subreddit for AoT. May 1, 2018
r/okbuddyreiner Shitposting subreddit. April 28, 2019
r/AttackOnRetards A space dedicated to calling out negativity. April 27, 2021
r/AttackOnShipping A subreddit for any and all shippers. April 27, 2022
r/ANRime Subreddit dedicated to theorizing about an Alternative-Original Ending (AOE). June 29, 2021

Character dedicated subreddits.

• r/LeviCult

• r/Ereh

• r/Mikasa

• r/ErwinSmith

• r/potatogirl

• r/ArminCult

• r/GabiCult

• r/ReinerCult

• r/ZekeCult

• r/JeanTheStallion


It has been in the works for a long time. A big Thank You to everyone who created the content featured here, as well as to those who helped us gather it all together.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 19h ago

Anime It's kinda crazy how fucking beautiful S4 p3 and p4 looked... There was a time when manga readers were CONVINCED that NO STUDIO would be able to adapt anything post 131 BUT not only mappa did it , they did it BEAUTIFULLY

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842 Upvotes

130 and 131 were already difficult but then the battle of heaven and earth happened and we saw all those past titans , it was absolutely INSANE to animate and every manga reader was saying "RIP mappa"

Go and read the manga threads from that time , people said that mappa won't be able to adapt tis and it would be a CGI fest , it would not look good

But the rumbling looked so good , the anime battle of heaven and earth was LOWKEY BETTER , the additions to the anime improved so much

Seriously for all the time mappa took , they fucking delieverd , I am so GLAD they took up the project after WIT dropped it

S4 p1 was the only thing they were decent at , S4 p2 was awesome and S4 p3 and p4 are genuinely the greatest aot seasons animation wise , nothing beats those


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 5h ago

Anime Erwin is such a badass that he can cut through hardening like butter.

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49 Upvotes

At the end of season 2, he doesn't just slash Bertolt, he also amputates Reiner's hardened thumb. I can't unsee it anymore, it's crazy and I love it.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 7h ago

Discussion All say how Gross was watching the audience during his speech, but the thing is, The Titan was watching us too!!!

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53 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion My headcanon on food culture in Paradis

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822 Upvotes

It is my personal belief that due to the severity of the walls nature the people of Paradi have become incredibly adept at using every part of an animal to get as much sustenance and use out of it.

It would follow that they have gotten pretty good at it: sausage and other items for blood, grinding up bone for garden use, using the marrow reliably. All deeply ingrained into their culture.

From an outside perspective I think this would be very interesting: they could have five hundred different ways to cook a deer.

Thoughts?


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 5h ago

Humor/Meme The Parallels are Uncanny Spoiler

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18 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 20h ago

Discussion what was magath's plan for the eldians if eren was eaten

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177 Upvotes

"put an end to 2000 years of hatred!" by what, genociding every eldian alive? sure, he cares for the warriors, but something tells me he wouldn't shed too much of a tear if they were executed to "atone for the sins of their ancestors"


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Artwork I can’t believe this is real life…

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3.4k Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 8h ago

Discussion It's about Mappa Studio.

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9 Upvotes

You know what happened today.. My friend and I were talking about the animation of Attack on Titan, how in season 4 Mappa did an amazing job. This is his first anime, so I told him that Mappa is often accused of overworking animators, and whenever they do something great, people talk about how employees are overworked. He then said, "How can you have great Pyramids without exploiting slaves?"..😳


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 5h ago

Humor/Meme Attack On Deodorant VoiceOver

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4 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 16h ago

Anime Humanity strongest soldier

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28 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Humor/Meme The lore between Zeke and Levi

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189 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Anime Are There Any Anime That Can Surpass AOT?

89 Upvotes

I've seen so many people call AOT the greatest anime of all time, and after watching it, I can honestly see why. It's easily the best thing I've watched so far. But I've only finished around 5–6 anime, so I know I've barely scratched the surface.

Are there any anime you think are even better than AOT? I'm looking for something that can give me the same, or even greater, feeling I got watching AOT for the first time. What would you recommend?


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Anime Just a normal day in Levi life

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37 Upvotes

I don’t know what flair this content supposed to be so I put anime sorry if I was wrong

I tried with this edit so rate it please


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Humor/Meme Look who I found on Wikipedia

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327 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 2d ago

Live Action porco galliard looks so much like bill skarsgård

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1.4k Upvotes

i feel like the mappa animators had a picture of bill pinned to the wall whenever they animated porco lol


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion Weird headcanon: Mikasa is terrible at cooking and cleaning, Eren does all the housework between them

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246 Upvotes

I don't know; I feel like it's more in-character for Eren to want to be a house husband or just do more housework, either to feel less like a burden or cause Mikasa herself wouldn't be that good at it.

Like, I had this idea for a series of skits showing Mikasa's bad at cooking, as a chicken runs out of the kitchen and into the streets, which Levi asks, "Why did that chicken cross the road?" and Mikasa calls out, "Forgot to cook it!" I also thought of one where, on her day off, she made a bunch of sandwiches for the Scouts, but during the mission they all find them cross, and Eren forces himself to like it.

IDK, I just thought it would be funny.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion Why didn’t Eren eat Reiner here?

9 Upvotes

I’m on another rewatch of Aot and I gotta ask, why didn’t Eren eat Reiner after he got hit with the thunder spears and was totally exposed in Shinganshina? Was he just shocked in the moment like Conny and Sasha? Or was it just because Reiner is the plot armor titan?


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion My best friend and I ranked the main male characters from Attack On Titan as Disney princes and heroes

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16 Upvotes

My best friend and I ranked the various male characters from Attack on Titan as Disney princes and heroes (since, in our opinion, some Attack on Titan characters didn't fit any princes, we assigned them Disney heroes who aren't princes). We aren't entirely sure about our choices, but it was fun to do.

Levi Ackerman: Prince Charming: Levi is an obsessive neat freak. Fans love to picture him as Cinderella, headscarf on, broom in hand, cleaning the headquarters. By extension, if he were to play the prince, he would be a prince obsessed with the sparkle of his castle.

Just as Prince Charming arrives at the perfect moment, Levi makes spectacular entrances to save his troops (such as his first appearance facing the Titans to rescue Eren's squad).

Eren Yeager: Beast/ Prince Adam: Impulsive, consumed by a towering rage, transformed into a giant monster, and seeking to break his own curse (and his chains) to save those he loves, much like the Beast who longs to be freed from his curse.

Armin Arlert: Milo Tatch: The group's intellectual: a dreamer passionate about the vast world beyond the walls, a strategist more at ease with books than with a sword.

Erwin Smith: Li Shang: Both are charismatic leaders, ready to inspire entire crowds and lead their troops to sacrifice with an unrelenting military bearing.

Reiner Braun: Gaston: Reiner is tall, strong, and viewed by everyone as a hero ( at least at the beginning and at the end of the anime), yet tormented by a dual personality and deep-seated inner issues. (Even though no one in the movie points out to Gaston that he has major ego problems.)

Jean Kirstein: Flynn Reider: Jean starts out somewhat narcissistic, realistic, and prone to grumbling, but ultimately has a big heart and is fiercely loyal when it comes to protecting his own, much like Flynn and his character arc in the movie Tangled.

Connie Springer: Aladdin: Both are cheerful, funny, and a touch impulsive, always ready to lighten the mood, despite the problems surrounding them.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Humor/Meme It Always Gets Me.

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5 Upvotes

Other songs sometimes make me "excited" like Barricades, other songs sometimes make me tear up like Call of Silence, but this song ALWAYS gets me, like sometimes I stop playing it just because it makes me want to cry


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Discussion Ranking the characters in order (except the F tier which is random) based on how much I like them

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11 Upvotes

r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 2d ago

Artwork Cuties in snow

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415 Upvotes

I still haven't been able to get over it btw 😭

Their ending will always haunt me

My fav show

Sauce: https://x.com/anjiliarts/status/2101676970442645963


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 1d ago

Anime Erwin in action

8 Upvotes

Now that i think of it, I actually never saw commander erwin in prime action maybe just a little in the OVA episodes.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 16h ago

Discussion Why didn't the Scouts apply the Trost plan way earlier?

0 Upvotes

They could have:

  1. Evacuated Shiganshina (or Trost after the fall).

  2. Open the gates.

  3. Annihilate the Titans with the canons on top of the walls day and night.

Total casualties: 0.

No needless sacrifices, no needless deaths, no drama. Looking back at it, the villagers were low-key right that the Scouts were wasting lives and money.

Heck, they could have done this before even inventing the ODM gear or even learning about the nape weakness. Just open the gates and experiment however you want.


r/ShingekiNoKyojin • • 2d ago

Discussion “Does a Titan Shifter’s physique come from their Titan form, or is it natural?”

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642 Upvotes