When Attack on Titan premiered in 2013, it unleashed a new wave of terror onto the anime scene. The horrifying image of colossal, humanoid Titans relentlessly devouring humans left audiences worldwide in shock and captivated. Unlike typical predators driven by hunger, Titans consume humans seemingly without purpose, often regurgitating their prey. This begs the chilling question: Why Do Titans Eat Humans if it’s not for sustenance?
From the very first season of Attack on Titan, the recruits of the Survey Corps desperately sought answers about these monstrous beings. They dissected Titan anatomy, probed their weaknesses, and grappled with the baffling reasons behind their gruesome appetite for humans. Initially, a common theory emerged: Titans were driven by a deep-seated hatred for humanity. However, as the story unfolded and the truth hidden within Grisha Jaeger’s basement came to light, the reality of the Titans’ existence proved far more complex and tragic.
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Attack on Titan Anime & Manga.
The Grim Reality of Pure Titans
The origin of Titans traces back to Ymir Fritz, the first Titan, a young Eldian slave who stumbled upon a source of immense power. Upon her death, the power of the Titans fractured, giving rise to the Nine Titan Shifters – individuals capable of controlling their Titan transformations. But what fate awaited those who were not chosen as shifters, yet were subjected to Titan power? The answer lies in the Pure Titans: mindless, towering creatures born from humans injected with Titan spinal fluid.
These Pure Titans are devoid of reason and self-control. Ymir, a character named after the progenitor Titan, experienced this horrific transformation firsthand at the hands of the Marleyans. Her account paints a chilling picture of Titan existence, describing it as a “nightmare” without end. Within this nightmare, a single, desperate instinct remained: the overwhelming urge to devour a Titan shifter. This act, they instinctively knew, held the potential for liberation – a chance to regain their humanity and escape their Titan form by inheriting the shifter’s power.
This revelation cast a dark shadow over the cadets of the Survey Corps. The monstrous enemies they had fought, the Titans they had slain, were not simply beasts, but trapped humans driven by a desperate, albeit misguided, hope for freedom. This raises a profound question: why did the narrative choose to make the source of terror not an external monster, but humanity itself?
From the outset, Attack on Titan seemingly presented a clear enemy: the Titans. However, as the story progressed, this black-and-white world began to crumble. The emergence of a corrupt government within the walls and the revelation of external human enemies like Marley exposed a far more complex and disturbing reality. Humanity itself, both within and beyond the walls, proved to be a greater threat than the Titans. Ironically, humanity’s ingenuity, exemplified by inventions like Hange’s “Executioner from Hell,” rapidly shifted the balance of power, diminishing the Titan threat and highlighting the darker capabilities of humans. The true monsters, it turned out, were not always the colossal figures looming outside the walls.
Deeper Meaning and Thematic Resonance
Beyond the immediate plot mechanics, the cannibalistic nature of the Titans in Attack on Titan resonates with deeper thematic interpretations. Some viewers have drawn parallels between the Titans’ mindless consumption of humans and humanity’s often-callous treatment of animals. Eren’s early comparison of humanity to “cattle trapped behind the walls” reinforces this interpretation, suggesting the Titans represent a blind, unthinking force preying upon the vulnerable, mirroring humanity’s exploitation of the animal kingdom. While intriguing, this theory might be somewhat limited considering creator Hajime Isayama’s acknowledged influences from Norse mythology and historical human civilizations, which contribute additional layers of meaning.
A more widely accepted theory posits that Attack on Titan serves as a potent commentary on war, particularly World War II. The series subtly mirrors historical events and societal structures, from the internment camps reminiscent of those used to confine Eldians in Marley, to the demonization of entire ethnic groups based on lineage, and the pervasive drive for global domination. In this context, the Pure Titans can be seen as tragic representations of civilian casualties or prisoners of war, stripped of their humanity and caught in the senseless violence of conflict. Furthermore, the narrative of child soldiers like Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie, indoctrinated and dispatched to infiltrate and steal the Founding Titan, echoes the grim reality of youth manipulated and deployed in warfare, similar to the Hitler Youth during WWII.
However, Isayama’s fascination with Norse Mythology also suggests another interpretive layer: Attack on Titan as a modern Ragnarok. Ragnarok, in Norse myth, signifies the twilight of the gods, a final apocalyptic battle against monsters and giants. This might seem far-fetched until considering the Norse myth of Ymir, a primordial giant whose body formed the Earth itself. This strikingly parallels Eldian legends of Ymir Fritz, who shaped their world with her Titan power.
Perhaps the most compelling interpretation is that all these theories hold a degree of truth. Hajime Isayama may have intentionally woven together threads of animal rights commentary, reflections on the horrors of WWII, and elements of Norse mythology to create a multi-layered narrative that resonates on multiple levels. Attack on Titan’s richness and depth allow for a spectrum of interpretations, making it a truly compelling and thought-provoking work.
Ultimately, Attack on Titan stands as a landmark horror anime that irrevocably impacted the genre upon its release. The indelible image of the Colossal Titan breaching Wall Maria, unleashing the terrifying reality of Titans upon humanity, remains a pivotal moment in anime history, forever etching the fear of being devoured into the minds of viewers worldwide.
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