Summary
Attack on Titanis one seriesthat is really known for its plot twists and gray moral areas, hence inviting speculation about what could have been had certain alliances in the series formed. What if two of its central characters, instead of following diverging paths, united under a common cause? What if, in fact, Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert combined their strength, means, and perspectives to fight against Marley? Undoubtedly, this might have remade the scenario into something different, the implications of which are wider than just a fighting concept but rather go to the very philosophy of the series.
Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert were childhood friends who became key protagonists inAttack on Titan. These two close friends represent the two contrasting sides of how to deal with the problems in the world. Eren, highly driven by his desire for freedom and revenge, haphazardly turns to a radical path to achieve his objectives, while on the other hand, Armin is a highly intellectual strategist who pursues peaceful solutions and coexistence. Their ideological confrontation reaches such heights that it leads to a disastrous conflict-a marker for the final arc of the series.
Eren’s Drive and Hunger for Freedom
Eren’s Unyielding Pursuit of Freedom By Any Means
Throughout the series, Eren Yeager is driven by an insatiable desire to protect his home on Paradis Island and the people who call it their own against any form of external threats. Indeed,his actions only grow in extremityto the point where he decides to launch the Rumbling-a catastrophic event intended to wipe out the rest of the world to secure Eldian freedom.
Eren acts based on his deep-seated belief that only through complete annihilation of his enemies can true freedom be achieved. This heinous path of vengeance and destruction alienates him from his allies and pushes him closer to an ethical breakdown.
Armin’s Plea for Coexistence
Armin’s Belief in Peaceful Solutions and Strategic Diplomacy.
The approach taken by Armin Arlert is deeply rooted in the conviction that it is coexistence and peace, even in a world as brutal as one’s own, that can be achieved.As an accomplished strategist, Armin has always supported options that avoid unnecessary bloodbaths and secure stability in the long run. He sees the possibility for understanding and cooperation between Eldians and Marleyans. Throughout the series, he regularly clashes with Eren’s more violent tendencies. On the other hand, Armin’s foresight on several steps down the line and the wider ramifications of his actions make him a much-needed balance to Eren’s more instinctive and self-destruction tendencies.
If Eren and Armin had joined hands, these strengths combined could have been really unbeatable.Eren’s unprecedented Titan skills, especially after attaining the Founding Titan, would provide the brute force needed to somehow offset Marlay’s military advantage. Meanwhile, Armin’s strategist mind could have modeled their efforts in a way that would result in the least collateral damage with the most favorable probability of success. Otherwise, the two could have strategized on how Eren’s fighting skills and Armin’s thinking about his enemies could be utilized to ensure a less destructive and, at the same time, efficient campaign against Marley.
Marley’s Weak Points
How Their Alliance Could Have Opened a Door to Peace
With Eren and Armin working in tandem, the strikes would have been more appropriately focused and strategic against Marley. The ability to predict the opponents' moves and knowledge of military strategy could be employed in pinpointing and using it against Marley’s weaknesses, flowing from overdependence on the Titans and enormous political divisions.With Eren’s Titan abilities, they could have unleashed focused attacks that devastated any remnants of military infrastructure that Marley possessed while at the same time considerably reducing civilian casualties. This would have not only deprived Marley of war potential but also, by spreading Paradis' word of freedom and basic human rights, it could have had a chance to bend public opinion in favor of Paradis, thereby making a lasting peace easier to negotiate.
The biggest result of Eren and Armin working together could have been unleashing diplomatic potential that previously seemed impossible.Armin has the diplomatic finesse, and with the display of Eren’s force, he would have been in a much better position to speak with Marley and other nations on very favorable terms to ensure peace rather than complete annihilation. That would put them in a position to negotiate from a point of strength, possibly toward treaties that ensure the safety of Paradis Island without the mass genocide involved in the Rumbling. It might have marked the beginning of a new phase between Eldians and Marleyans; that also meant sensitive coexistence.
Walking the Thin Line Between Devastation and Diplomacy
Even then, Eren and Armin would have found themselves posed with insurmountable moral dilemmas in their mutual alliance. The tendency of Eren to go all the way in taking extreme measures probably ran in conflict with Armin’s personal morals and would have acted against their internal partnership. Success would have been to find a balance between Eren’s yearning for an action that brought definite results andArmin’s for one of diplomacy. Had they succeeded in doing so, the moral pitfalls that led to Eren’s destruction could have been avoided. But this would have forced both characters into numerous compromises regarding their ideals, something which might have fundamentally changed who they were and how their respective allies viewed them.
The Future That Could Have Been
A Future Rewritten
An alliance forged between Eren and Armin could have far-reaching consequences for not just Marley and Paradis but the entire world. They could have saved more of humanity’s population and resources from the catastrophic loss associated with the Rumbling, leading to amore stable post-war world.Their united front could start inspiring others and set an example that would influence further generations. But at what cost, because the concessions they would have to make to achieve such an outcome would perhaps have undermined, for them, their own morals, considering how freedom means everything to Eren, and that is how he was born and, as mentioned many times in the series, is something he could not compromise.
The world ofAttack on Titanwould ultimately have been very different in the case where Eren and Armin could have united in a joint effort against Marley. Their points of strength and clashing ideologies may have forged a path that avoided the series' most superficially dark moments while stillreaching their shared goal of securing the Eldians' freedom. But at the same time, it makes for a rather interesting thought experiment in showing the ways in which power and morality will inevitably be balanced in a world defined by violence and terror. Though one can only speculate on what might have been, this exploration of the possible alliance dramatizes the convoluted and often tragic nature of the conflict.
Attack On Titan
Cast
Based on Hajime Isayama’s widely popular manga, Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy anime set in a world where humanity lives behind walls to protect themselves from massive creatures known as Titans. Over the course of four seasons, the story takes plenty of unexpected twists and turns, almost evolving into a different type of series in the process.
