Most of us dismissed his undesirable traits as stock Shōnen tropes, when, in fact, it was an ominous prophecy of what he is to become.Īs for the anime, the final season being split into two means another unbearably long wait, but at least it's not crammed into a movie. As for Eren, our over-zealous protagonist with a violent streak, he hungers for the freedom of a world where humans don't live in fear of being crushed between humanoid teeth. It's to Isayama's credit that his curiosity and the key to the truth are pitted against each other as a final seal to his fantastic development. Excellent leader, smooth and affable, yet ruthless enough to throw legions of lives away for his own dream. Each character, main or supporting, has had arcs that are not only plot devices, but define what it is like to be in their world, be it through empathy, development, or coherence. This staple breaks down when we realise that black and white don't exist in morality – only shades of grey with red in the cracks. While Attack on Titan has never been one for didactic plots, it did start out with strong Shōnen conventions, albeit with a lot more hopelessness than the usual, if the death of almost everyone is anything to go by. With the can of worms that chapter 138 opened, too many questions remain to be answered in 139 for sanity's sake I cannot include the volume, but it can be summarised in three words: who will survive? Humans who feed into the cycle of bigotry and hatred while enclosed in a false reality, and humans who blindly believe in those with power to the point of defending genocide. As the story unfolded, the main trio of Eren, Armin, Mikasa – childhood friends, inseparable, embodiments of spirit, brains, and brawn – come to face the fact that the true monsters to be feared are, in fact, humans. With the final chapter drawn and submitted, right on the protagonist's birthday, and #ThankYouIsayama trending, the excitement is reaching a fever pitch, thanks to the final panels from the penultimate chapter, and the deluge of fan theories isn't helping. What started as a typical Shōnen with a dystopia of human-preying titans and a band of swashbuckling, sword-wielding heroes has effectively metamorphosed into a complexity of world politics, bigotry, war, and characters who are all victims in their own rights. And the journey has never been disappointing, not at all, thanks to Isayama Hajime's genius, if not downright mad, storyline subtle, chaotic, and undoubtedly merciless to his characters (and readers). For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

Ending of attack on titan manga