Shingeki No Kyojin Chapter 139 – A World Without Walls [END]

What began as a story about a life lived within a cage like birds, transformed across its pages into one where the desire for freedom sought to spread its wings and soar across the boundlessness of the sky. The walls that surrounded ones scenery became the imagery that surrounded ones heart. Conflict, desire, difference and a lack of understanding contributed to the fear within the people’s hearts and led to the Titans that became the world’s demons. What existed to bring people together through the Path that Ymir created served only to generate further division among those outside the Path’s embrace. Over the course of 2,000 years, Ymir was held prisoner by her emotions and only after the appearance of Mikasa and the result of Mikasa’s choice was Ymir finally able to liberate herself from the love binding her. Bearing witness to the sight of such a love awakened a realisation within Ymir. The love she felt for Karl Fritz did not mean being a slave to his commands. Just as walls aren’t need within the world, a cage isn’t required to surround ones heart.

[Theory] Shingeki no Kyojin – The Founding Titan

Ever since the Titans became the source of fear and hatred around the world of Shingeki no Kyojin, the characters within have been trying to find a solution past the anger, resentment and 2,000 years of suffering wrought by the Titan. Different characters seeking to wield the Founding Titans power arrived at different answers. One wanted to isolate their people within walls on an Island for a moment of temporary peace until the world arrives to end them. Another wanted to wield it to completely end the lives of the Eldians on Paradis. Another wanted to remove the ability of having children from the people of Ymir. And the one who ultimately came to control the power decided to release the Titans slumbering within the walls to wreak destruction over the world outside Paradis through the Rumbling. In the end, what would have been the “right” way to utilise such power within the world the story exist in?

Shingeki No Kyojin Chapter 138 – Farewell

The choice left front of Eren was always an impossible one. Fear had defined the ages and hatred had entrenched it deeply within the worlds truth. To live, meant despising the source of such terror. The Eldians became demons within the eyes of many. And a divide was created both physically and mentally to segregate such dread. Even the Eldians themselves who bore no responsibility for the atrocities committed in the past were taught to hate their history and themselves because of the blood that flowed through their veins. The only solution past Eldians came up with was isolating themselves from the world until the world was ready to cast their judgement and justice on those Eldians. It was a desperate attempt to carve out an age of peace within a time of conflict. Ultimately though, only more suffering amounted through the ignorance imprisoning those on Paradis. Such repercussions from the past became a ghost to Eren haunting him every moment since becoming aware of Eldia’s history. Having possessed the power to shift the direction of the future, Eren chose that which was important to him. To forsake the world in favour of his homeland. For Paradis’s continuation. At the end of it all, the remnants of Eren’s desires fueled by the nature of the Founding Titan organism saw his actions force his comrades against him. With Mikasa ultimately being the one to liberate Eren from his struggle. And the one to say the final farewell to the boy who deep down only wished freedom for the world.

Shingeki No Kyojin – Annie Leonhart

An existence abandoned at birth. A child conditioned using duty. A mind demoralized within apathy. A heart numbed through distance. A spirit silenced by its loneliness. Annie Leonhart has known little love in her life and through her upbringing was mainly supported by her adoptive father who desired to transform her into a warrior to use for his pursuit of a better life. In addition, the Marleyan military habituated their warriors with convenient and ignorant truths desensitizing those minds to the killing of whom they considered “enemies”. Yet, on the nonchalant path Annie traversed, a natural desire to connect originated and resided within the shadows of her heart desiring the embrace of love. Only until her adoptive father opened himself up to her and revealed how much he loves her and values her as his daughter, did the walls enclosing Annie’s heart crumble away and reveal the dawn to those deep desires reverberating within Annie.

Shingeki No Kyojin Chapter 137 – Titans: Connected Hearts

What is the meaning of life? How do we arrive at an answer? Why do we pursue the path of the question so vehemently? Where does it all lead? When do we know we have an answer? Who in the end gives our life meaning? Such thoughts inherently exist within our minds, desperately seeking the end to the journey across the unknown. And yet, through the void of not knowing, an answer is arrived at. The mind is ever active. Ever processing. Ever searching. The act of not knowing creates possibility. Provides a freedom. Empowers the individual to derive their own answers. So what is the meaning of life? That is an answer one has the freedom to define themselves. A freedom that should not be enslaved by its nature and past but be liberated by the possibilities that exist.

Within the Path Armin now finds himself, an answer to the story of conflict and freedom wrecking the world has been arrived at. Alongside with Zeke, Armin reaches out with the thoughts that life is meaningful because of the moments we define as precious. Not because of our nature or anything grand. But something simple. Something trivial. Something seemingly meaningless. Yet immensely precious nonetheless. And with such a dialogue, the hearts of those present become connected. Expanding its reach and embrace.

Shingeki No Kyojin (Manga)

The fear of wanting freedom

Uncertainty in place of comfort, fear in place of freedom, cruelty in place of everything; Shingeki no Kyojin is a story of humanity thrown into a reality filled with terror and uncertainty and how they struggle to survive against gigantic humanoid creatures called Titans who devour humans for seemingly no reason, and against their own inability and fear when faced with such dread.