Does Eren ever Reveal his Feelings for Misaka in Attack on Titan?

Most fans of Attack on Titan have been shipping Eren and Mikasa since the very beginning.

The two have shared a complicated and nuanced relationship throughout the series, but it was never made clear whether they would ever get romantically involved.

When Mikasa confessed her feelings towards Eren during season 2, episode 12, everyone honestly thought that would be the moment the two finally kissed as the world literally crumbled around them.

The scene is cut short by the attacking Titans and Eren turns away from Misaka to save the rest of the Scout Regiment.

AoT is as far from a soppy love story as shonen goes, but the unrequited relationship between the main characters might finally get some closure in the anime.

Does Eren Love Mikasa?

In chapter 139, the last chapter of the Attack on Titan manga, Eren admits to Armin that he has always loved Mikasa.

He says, “I want her to think about me and no one else for the rest of my life. Even as I die, I want to be at the front of her mind for a while […] I want to be with Mikasa.”

The anime is bound to follow the ending of the manga since it has remained painstakingly faithful to it thus far.

Their love was foreshadowed since the first episode itself, although many people believed that what they shared was more of a siblings’ bond than a romantic one.

But the day Eren wrapped that scarf around Mikasa was the day she fell in love with him. I know she was only 9 then, but still.

At that moment, Eren did care for her, but his feelings turned consciously romantic only towards the end of the story. He might have always loved her, but it’s not until the very end, when it’s certain that a happy ending for them is impossible, that he actually realizes how deeply he loves her.

I was really thrown off during season 4, episode 15, when Eren tells Mikasa that he hates her.

He calls her a slave, accuses her of lacking free will, and says that the only reason she even cares for him is because of her Ackerman bloodline, the innate instinct that makes her protect him as a host.

Driven by hate, vengeance, built-up trauma, and, well, the foreknowledge of future events, our guy Eren seeks to distance himself from the people he loves so he can complete his mission of eliminating the Titans from existence.

Truth is, Eren needed Mikasa to hate him so she can kill him when the time comes in order to save the world. This is exactly what happens, except Mikasa isn’t capable of hating Eren at all, but she still makes the devastating decision to decapitate him in chapter 138, which is what makes the whole thing so tragic.

Did Mikasa Always Love Eren?

Mikasa has always loved Eren. This has repeatedly been proven in chapters 50, 123, 130, and finally in 138.

When Eren asks her what he is to her, she replies saying, “You’re family.” The function and meaning of family for Mikasa has always been a little different than for Eren.

Eren is the one who first saves Mikasa from hopelessness when her parents are murdered. This is how she comes to live with the Yeagers in the first place.

Growing up, Mikasa was clearly no damsel in distress. She is superior to him when it comes to strength and size and is the one who actually protects him, so much so that Eren is constantly annoyed that she treats him like her little brother or son, and even seems a little spiteful.

This makes sense because Eren wants to be the one to protect Mikasa, like he did that first day when he wrapped his scarf around her to comfort her after her loss.

The reason Mikasa cares so much about him is because he is simply her everything. After her family dies, Eren becomes her savior, her friend, her family.

Zeke reveals in chapter 130 that although there are records of the Ackermans awakening their power when their survival instincts are triggered to protect a host, there is no proof of any such thing.

This in turn proves that Mikasa only does what she does because she is in love with Eren. In fact, the only reason she joins the Scouts is because she wants to remain close to Eren.

The same episode when Mikasa confesses her feelings, Eren promises to wrap the scarf around her as many times as she wants. The motif of the scarf is a great way to track their bond.

This is also the same episode that proves how strong of a hold Mikasa has on Eren; despite watching Hannes get eaten, it is only when Eren realizes that Mikasa has accepted death and defeat that he awakens his Founding Titan.

Will Eren and Mikasa end up Together?

Unfortunately, Eren and Mikasa, do not end up together. Despite knowing their love for each other, they are never able to acknowledge and admit it mutually.

Mikasa kills Eren to stop him from finishing the Rumbling, choosing to save humanity over the one person she loves the most.

In the last chapter, Armin tells Eren that Mikasa moves on after Eren’s death. She visits Eren’s grave with her new family, but never removes the scarf he gave her.

Conclusion

It doesn’t look like the anime is going to escape this tragic love story. Currently, Eren is already preparing to go ahead with the Rumbling and Mikasa is weighing her options.

We all know of the gut-wrenching choice she will make soon, but that doesn’t mean it will be any easier watching the finale when it come out.

About Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. Kodansha publishes it in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.

The manga began serialization on September 9th, 2009, and ended on April 9, 2021. It has been compiled into 34 volumes.

Attack on Titan follows humanity settled within three concentric walls to protect themselves from the terrifying titans that prey on them. Eren Yeager is a young boy that believes that a caged life is similar to that of cattle and aspires to go beyond the walls one day, just like his heroes, the Survey Corps. The emergence of a deadly Titan unleashes chaos.