Is Eren Jaeger Really Evil? Our Theories for the Final Episodes of 'Attack on Titan'

Warning: The following post contains spoilers for the Attack on Titan anime

Season 4, Part 2 of the hit anime series Attack on Titan will premiere in January of 2022. Based on the manga series of the same name by author Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan follows the journey of Eren Jaeger, who lives in a world within walls erected to keep humanity safe from man-eating Titans. After Eren's own mother is eaten by a Titan during an attack on his hometown, Eren vows to kill all the Titans ... until he eventually learns who the real monsters are behind the endless blood and madness.

To say that Attack on Titan has been a global phenomenon is an understatement. According to a report from Comicbook.com, the Attack on Titan anime was the most in-demand series in America when Season 4, Part 1 premiered in 2020. Back in 2019, the manga passed a huge threshold, selling more than 100 million copies worldwide according to Crunchyroll.

Although Isayama has already finished the manga, what will happen during Attack on Titan's final anime episodes is still a mystery. Here are some of our theories based on what has happened up in the anime up to this point. Here are our top four 'Attack on Titan' Season 4, Part 2 Theories.

Eren Jaeger's personality underwent a rather extreme change from Season 3 to Season 4. Attack on Titan's hero put his friends in the Survey Corps in danger early on in Season 4, forcing them to attack the city of Liberio in order to rescue him from enemy hands. The attack resulted in the death of fan-favorite character Sasha Braus (dubbed "Potato Girl" in-universe and by fans).

Eren has to have some sort of master plan that he's not telling his friends. After all, Season 4, Part 1 featured a flashback scene where Eren shot down Jean, Connie, Mikasa, and Sasha's offer to inherit his Titan after he died. The question is: Why did he feel the need to be so harsh to Armin and Mikasa later in the timeline? Something's up with Eren, but it's highly unlikely that he has genuinely stopped caring about his friends.

It doesn't seem likely that Eren would actually go along with his brother Zeke's plan to euthanize all of the Eldian citizens living in Paradis either. The whole reason he attacked Liberio in the first place was to launch a decisive tactical strike against the country of Marley for the Eldian people. Eren was clearly playing the long game, but the Season 4, Part 1 finale attack from Marley is going to force his hand sooner than he planned.

The show has made it clear that Reiner's not an evil man (even Eren acknowledged that they were two sides of the same coin). Reiner is clearly weary of war, and his conscience is troubling him after his time in Paradis. However, Reiner seems to have a newfound sense of purpose in the mid-season finale and appears eager to end his battle with Eren once and for all. Could Reiner actually kill Eren? This isn't a show that plays it safe, after all. And perhaps that's exactly what Eren wants.

Frankly, the only way it's even remotely plausible to consider Mikasa perishing is if she attempts to save Eren or stop him from putting his real plan into action. She obviously genuinely loves Eren despite his claims that she only feels loyal to him because of her Ackerman blood. She wasn't afraid to call him out for killing civilians and children in Liberio. Armin also wasn't afraid to throw some punches at Eren after Eren said he always hated Mikasa either.

Armin could be up on the chopping block. He's proven before that he's not afraid to sacrifice himself for the good of humanity. However, it doesn't seem like Attack on Titan would waste more time on Armin's potential death after the major Armin/Erwin plotline in Season 3. Eren's death seems the most likely. After all, he knows he's running on limited time due to the curse of Ymir. It feels like Eren has been planning to sacrifice himself all along to save his friends. Let's see if that theory ages well.

Captain Levi's life would be so much easier if he hadn't met Zeke and Eren Jaeger. If anyone can defeat those the Jaeger brothers, it's the stoic, tea-drinking Survey Corps captain.

What series is heartless enough to introduce a super cute pairing featuring Attack on Titan's resident food lover and a Marleyan man who loves cooking after one half of the couple has already died in a tragic way?

Darn you Attack on Titan. In a happier world, Sasha and Niccolo are both alive, happy, and adorable together.

Attack on Titan Season 4, Part 2 premieres January 2022. Stream Attack on Titan via Crunchyroll or Funimation.