Attack on Titan fans witnessed a glorious triple betrayal in Episode 20 of the final season as reality slaps Zeke in the face when Eren is revealed to be the mastermind pulling the strings all along.
As he pompously tries to save Eren from his father’s ‘brainwashing’, Zeke is chilled to the bone when a fear-stricken Grisha begs him to stop Eren while trembling at the thought of his son’s future memories.
But what horrifying visual would make Grisha turn on his son?
Willy Tybur’s speech in Episode 5 gives us some context as he explains the catastrophic event of the Rumbling in a bid to gain support from the other countries to wage war against Paradis.
The Rumbling is a deadly worldwide march involving numerous Wall Titans surrounding Paradis that will trample all life beyond the Island regardless of the terrain that needs to be crossed.
Although Willy clarifies that King Karl Fritz only used it as an empty threat against the world’s militaries, he brands it as a threat in Eren’s hands. Given Eren’s fall from grace, Willy’s accusation may not be far from the truth.
But would Eren go so far in ensuring the Paradisians survival?
Eren will initiate the Rumbling to bring peace to his home and people, as he’d choose them over the world any day. Unlike Zeke, he believes in the simplistic logic of no world = no hate.
1. Why would Eren Resort to the Rumbling?
Eren’s idealist view of freedom and his ravenous thirst for retribution if anyone’s right to live is infringed pushed him to choose the Rumbling over any peaceful resolution.
Since his birth, Eren’s been trapped in several cages which upgrade themselves every time his world expands. When he was a child, it was the walls, and when he joined the Survey Corps, it was the Titans and Titan Shifters.
However, Eren held onto the hope that the outside world Armin and he had seen in their book would be where true freedom lies.
But when he discovered the harsh reality of the world, his dreams were crushed, and he seemed to settle with the truth that so long as people across the ocean despise him exist, he’d constantly be caged.
Even if Zeke’s plan would prevent his humanity from being stained with the blood of millions, he would never sacrifice his principles and submit to the absurdity of the Euthanasia plan.
Eren also saw no point in punishing the current generation of Eldians who were faultless of their ancestors’ sins.
He was also infuriated when Zeke proudly paraded his ridiculous idea of saving them by denying them the freedom of being born all to satiate the world’s obstinate intolerance of them.
2. 2 Ways his Plan Saves Eldia
I. Crippling the World’s Defences.
Since the Rumbling would raze entire civilizations to dust, it would effectively secure Eldia’s safety since no one would be left to attack them.
Besides eliminating the threat of an attack from the outside world, Eldia’s military would also have the time to modernize their weaponry, thus granting them the most advanced defence systems in the world.
II. The Cycle of Hatred is Destroyed.
With the entire human race gone, the Eldians of Paradis can breathe a sigh of relief as no one would remember their past sins or the current genocide to pin it on them in the future.
While the guilt may be unbearable for some, others will take solace in the fact that they are no longer a target of hate and disgust. It is a practical yet brutal way to ensure Eldians won’t be stigmatized the moment they’re born.
3. 2 ways his plan dooms Eldia
I. Paradis is Wide Open to Attack.
While the Rumbling would take care of the armies and navies of the world, airships would remain untouched.
Since Paradis is now exposed without any walls to protect its people, there would be a significant number of causalities if the remainder of the world’s air force were to strike the Island.
Considering that neither the Military Police nor the Yaegerists currently have the technology to beat them, it would take longer to diffuse an aerial attack of even a few airships.
Plus, they could airdrop soldiers on the ground to further unleash havoc on the Island.
And if one of them happens to be carrying Titan spinal fluid, it would be game over since the military would struggle to protect the people and kill Titans simultaneously.
II. Brands Eldians as Devils Forever.
Even though Eren’s genocide puts Paradis at ease for years to come, it’ll cement Marley’s description of Eldians as ‘Devils’ till the end of time.
While Eren could care less for the dead, there would be a few who would die a little on the inside, knowing that millions of people would curse them in their final moments.
Also, if evidence of their perceived nature – Journals and books written by soldiers on airships, were to remain and spread after the Rumbling, it would again restart the cycle of hatred.
4. How many Titans will he Unleash on the world?
Chapter 86 saw King Fritz threatening to release ‘tens of millions of Titans that sleep inside the Walls’ should the world wage war on them.
But since he lied about their purpose, we wonder if he was also bluffing about their actual number.
Rikao Yanagita’s ‘The Science of Attack on Titan’ comes to the rescue as it calculates the actual number of Wall Titans.
Using the show’s metrics of the shoulder to shoulder width and height of the Titans, plus the circumference of the walls, Rikao estimated that Paradis had 585,000 Wall Titans in total.
Although a far cry from the number Fritz boasted, their speed of 50 kph coupled with their colossal weight that rivals mountains still makes them a force to be reckoned with.
5. Why does Eren need Zeke for his plan?
Eren needs Zeke’s royal blood to access the Coordinate since the Founding Titan within him is useless without it.
During his confrontation with the Smiling Titan, aka titanized Dina Fritz, Eren discovered that only contact with a Titan of royal blood would allow him to control the Eldian populace through the Coordinate.
Since Zeke was the key to his plan, he played along until his half-brother’s purpose was fulfilled. But he failed to consider that Zeke was a Titan Shifter with free will, unlike Dina, who was a mindless Pure Titan.
And despite having the gift of foresight, Eren was blind to the fact that Ymir would only serve the Royal Family regardless of who held the Founding Titan.
Now that Eren’s shackled and his betrayal is revealed, would his plan still fly after Zeke established that he was the one in control?
Eren’s already proven that he’s more of a threat than Zeke realized. Besides, he has never backed down from a fight to save his country. But if you’re looking for a conclusive answer and willing to enter spoiler territory, check out the information below.
[Spoiler: Does he succeed? [Major Spoiler] (While Chapters 122 sees Eren successfully sway the Founder to lend him her powers, Chapter 123 has Eren initiate the Rumbling while proclaiming his declaration of war on the world)]
6. Survival guide to the Rumbling
While we dream of the day our favourite anime worlds blur into ours, we would be huddling in a corner if that world happened to be Attack on Titan, especially when Eren gets the Rumbling rolling.
So how do you survive the impending doom that’s slowly marching towards you?
Land is the last place you’d want to seek refuge. Your best bet is to hop on a plane or take a deep dive into the ocean in a submarine since the sky and sea are off-limits to the crushing weight of the Wall Titans.
However, be sure to stock up supplies that can last for a long time as the Rumbling would wipe out all traces of plant and animal life, leaving the land barren and devoid of food sources.
Sneaking behind the Rumbling or burrowing underground isn’t advisable since the Wall Titans are walking furnaces that will burn and trample everything in their path. Besides, who knows if Eren decides to march back home?
You’d also have to be prepared to live on seafood or birds other than chickens or fowls. But if you’d like to grow plants to cater to your diverse nutritional needs, hydroponic gardening is the way to go.
Besides making sure you’re fed, watch out for your most essential need for survival – Water. Since every drop counts, any form of precipitation is up for grabs. While an RO tank can purify seawater, there’s no way you can cart the thing with you everywhere.
Medicines and medical supplies are next in line as your health will be adversely affected now that you’re thrown in a hostile environment with the added risk of accidents and slip-ups that may cause mild to major injuries.
In the end, cultivating exceptional survival skills, Eren’s ever-popular phrase of ‘keep moving forward’ and a boatload of luck can get you through the Rumbling.
7. 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.
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