Who Is Eren Jaeger?

Eren Jaeger (spelled "Yeager" in the manga) is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Attack on Titan, created by Hajime Isayama. Initially portrayed as a heroic figure fighting for humanity's survival, his journey is one of the most significant character transformations in modern anime, eventually turning him into the final antagonist of the series.

Appearance

Eren's appearance evolves significantly throughout Attack on Titan, from a determined young boy to a physically hardened soldier and, ultimately, a terrifying apocalyptic figure. At the beginning of the series, Eren Jaeger is a young man of average build and height with short, dark brown hair and expressive, teal-green eyes. His hair is typically styled in a middle-parted, curtain-like way, and his face is long and somewhat rounded. 

After a time skip, his hair becomes longer, often tied back in a messy bun, and he appears more muscular and serious. In his Attack Titan form, he is a 15-meter-tall humanoid with long hair and jagged teeth. After inheriting the power of the Founding Titan, his appearance changes into a grotesque, skeletal creature, famously dubbed the "Doomsday Titan".

Personality

Initially impulsive, hot-headed, and driven by hatred, Eren's personality becomes much more calculated, stoic, and manipulative after learning the truth of the world. Eren cared deeply for his friends and family and would resort to violence to protect them. This was shown early on when he brutally killed two human traffickers to save Mikasa. To achieve his goals and protect his friends, Eren is willing to use unethical means. He purposefully pushes his friends away and manipulates situations to ensure they become heroes for stopping him.

After infiltrating Marley, Eren comes to understand that his enemies are not so different from his people. He develops a deep, complicated empathy for them, seeing them as victims of war, not devils. This new understanding torments him, as he knows he must still move forward with his plan to destroy them. 

His stoic facade hides deep inner conflict and depression over the atrocities he knows he will commit. He is constantly tormented by the future he foresees, which puts him in a state of deep depression and internal conflict, even as he commits genocide for what he believes is a justified cause.

Background

Eren's story begins in the walled city of Shiganshina. As a 10-year-old, he witnesses his mother being brutally eaten by a Titan during an invasion, which fuels his desire to kill every Titan in existence. He joins the Survey Corps, a military branch dedicated to fighting Titans, alongside his childhood friends, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert.

During his military service, Eren discovers he has the ability to transform into the Attack Titan. This gives humanity a fighting chance against their oppressors, but also makes Eren a subject of suspicion and research. He later learns that he also inherited the powers of the Founding Titan from his father, giving him the ability to control other Titans when in contact with a member of the royal family.

After reaching his family's basement, Eren learns the truth about the world: that humanity exists beyond the walls, the "Titans" are actually transformed people known as Eldians, and that his people on Paradis Island are descendants of a conquered empire. The rest of the world seeks their extermination, though the primary driving force behind this effort is the nation of Marley.

Driven by the Attack Titan's ability to see future memories and influenced by his half-brother Zeke Yeager, Eren becomes disillusioned with the world. He comes to believe that the only way to protect his home and his friends is by exterminating all other life outside of Paradis Island. This path forces him to betray his friends and commit horrific acts, including murdering countless innocents and orchestrating a massive, devastating attack called "The Rumbling".

During The Rumbling, Eren unleashes millions of Titans to trample the world, leading his former friends and enemies to form an alliance to stop him. In the end, he succeeds in wiping out 80% of humanity but is defeated and decapitated by Mikasa. It is later revealed that Eren allowed his friends to kill him to end the cycle of hatred by ensuring they would be seen as heroes by the survivors.

Powers and Abilities

Eren Jaeger possesses the powers of three of the Nine Titans: the Attack Titan, the Founding Titan, and the War Hammer Titan. As he inherits these abilities, his capabilities in both human and Titan forms evolve significantly throughout the series. In addition to his Titan powers, Eren is a skilled and formidable fighter in his human form.

Combat Abilities and Analytical Skills

• Expert Martial Artist: During his training, Eren learned hand-to-hand combat, incorporating techniques from Annie Leonhart. He was able to apply these skills in his Titan form to gain an edge in fights.

• Advanced Tactical Intelligence: Following the time skip, Eren demonstrates a remarkable cunning, using manipulation and foresight to execute complex plans, such as his infiltration of Marley.

• Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) Gear Proficiency: Though he mainly relies on his Titan form, Eren shows competence with the Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) Gear when necessary. He was ranked fifth in his training class.

• Indomitable Will: Eren possesses an intense and unwavering resolve to achieve his goals. This tenacity, along with a deep-seated anger, is a major factor in his ability to push his Titan powers to their limits.

Titan Abilities

Titan powers or abilities are inherited by "Subjects of Ymir" through the Nine Titans, which grant them the ability to transform into intelligent Titans with specific powers, including self-regeneration, enhanced physical abilities, and the potential for memory inheritance and hardening. 

• Attack Titan: Eren's primary Titan form, known for its powerful strength, speed, and regeneration.

• Founding Titan: A special ability that allows him to control other Titans and manipulate the memories of Eldians. After freeing Ymir Fritz's soul, he could fully utilize this power.

• War Hammer Titan: An ability gained by devouring Lara Tybur, which lets him create objects and weapons out of hardened Titan flesh.

• Future Memory Inheritance: The unique ability of the Attack Titan to see memories of future inheritors.

Goals and Reputation

Eren Jaeger's goals evolved from seeking revenge and freedom for Paradis to the drastic act of "The Rumbling" to eradicate external threats and ensure Eldia's survival and his friends' futures. After witnessing his mother's gruesome death, Eren joins the Survey Corps with a singular, impassioned purpose: to exterminate every last Titan. His view is black and white—the Titans are the enemy, and humanity's survival depends on their extinction.

After discovering the truth about the outside world, Eren's perspective is shattered. He learns that Titans are Eldians forced to transform and that his true enemy is the nation of Marley and the rest of humanity across the sea. His goal shifts from destroying Titans to securing freedom for his people on Paradis Island from systematic oppression.

Confronted with the certainty of a future where Paradis is destroyed, Eren concludes that the only way to protect his friends and his people is to destroy the world outside the island using the Founding Titan's power. This act of mass genocide, known as "the Rumbling," is his final and most extreme goal, driven by a combination of foresight, desperation, and his core desire for freedom. He also seeks to finally break the Titan curse and allow his friends to live out their natural lives.

Among his closest friends and former comrades, Eren's reputation is heartbreakingly complex. He is seen as a tragic figure, a boy consumed by destiny and his own ideals of freedom. He isolated himself and sacrificed his own humanity for a future he foresaw, and his friends were forced to confront him to stop his rampage. In the end, he positioned his friends as the "heroes" who stopped him, but his motives and actions remain deeply controversial.