Attack on Titan - Characters & Cast

Eren's primary motivation is the pursuit of freedom—for himself, his friends, and his people. This desire is absolute and uncompromising. Initially, it's a desire for freedom from the Titans. Later, it becomes a desire for freedom from a world that hates and wants to destroy his people. His motivations become tragically intertwined with a deterministic path he sees through his future memories, leading him to believe that mass destruction is the only way to achieve his vision of freedom.

Eren's arc is a tragic transformation from a determined, vengeful hero into a genocidal anti-hero. Initially driven by a simple, furious desire to kill all Titans after witnessing his mother's death, his worldview shatters upon learning the truth of the world. He discovers that his true enemies are not mindless monsters, but other humans. This revelation, combined with the future memories he inherits, convinces him that the only way to protect his home and friends and end the cycle of hatred is to become the world's greatest monster. He initiates "The Rumbling," a global genocide, forcing his friends into the position of having to kill him to save humanity, thereby making them heroes in the eyes of the survivors.

Mikasa's core motivation is to protect her last remaining family, primarily Eren and Armin. The scarf Eren gave her as a child is a symbol of the warmth and home she wants to preserve. While her love for Eren is her driving force, her motivation evolves to encompass protecting the innocent and upholding the values her friends once fought for, even if it means confronting Eren himself.

Mikasa's arc is about finding her identity and agency beyond her devotion to Eren. After Eren saves her as a child, she dedicates her life to protecting him, becoming an exceptionally skilled soldier. For much of the series, her actions are dictated by Eren's safety. However, when Eren's path turns towards global destruction, she faces an immense internal conflict between her love for him and her moral duty to humanity. Her journey culminates in the ultimate act of self-determination: choosing to kill Eren to stop the Rumbling, thereby freeing both the world from destruction and herself from her emotional dependency, as well as freeing the Founder Ymir from her own bondage.

Armin is motivated by a deep curiosity to see and understand the world beyond the walls, a dream he shared with Eren. He believes in the power of communication and understanding over conflict. His ultimate motivation is to find a peaceful solution and prove that humanity can rise above its violent nature. He serves as Eren's conscience and foil, always trying to find a non-violent path forward.

Armin begins as a physically weak and timid child, often bullied and protected by Eren and Mikasa. His arc is about embracing his true strength: his brilliant strategic mind and profound empathy. He consistently devises the plans that save his friends and humanity from seemingly impossible situations. After inheriting the Colossal Titan from Bertholdt, he grapples with the immense power and the burden of his predecessor's memories. Armin's journey is one of growing confidence and becoming the moral and diplomatic compass for the group, ultimately leading the efforts to negotiate peace in the post-Rumbling world.

Levi is motivated by a powerful desire to create a world where his comrades' deaths have meaning and are not in vain. He fights to end the Titan threat to prevent future generations from suffering the same losses. His promise to Erwin to kill Zeke (the Beast Titan) becomes a deeply personal and driving vendetta. Above all, he is motivated by a duty to protect humanity, making difficult, pragmatic decisions for the greater good.

Known as "Humanity's Strongest Soldier," Levi starts as a cold, stoic, and seemingly unapproachable captain. His arc is a gradual revealing of the deep-seated empathy and immense burden of loss he carries beneath his hardened exterior. Raised in the brutal Underground, his initial cynicism is tempered by his trust in Commander Erwin Smith. After Erwin's death, Levi carries the weight of his final command: to kill the Beast Titan. This promise drives him through immense personal injury and loss. His journey is not about changing his core beliefs, but about enduring and persevering against a world that constantly challenges them, ultimately becoming a mentor figure who guides the next generation even after the fighting ends.