He was the most important thing to her, but not the only one that mattered.
Summary:
- Mikasa’s love for Eren has become a meme.
- He wasn’t the only thing she cared about.
- Mikasa had other friends she loved, and she also wanted to free humanity from terror.
Mikasa’s obsession with Eren in Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) has become a meme in the fandom. There are multiple video compilations of her saying “Ereh” about a hundred times, there are various jokes online, and sometimes it feels like no one takes her character seriously anymore. But she doesn’t deserve all that.
Eren Was The Most Important
It’s true that Eren always held a special place in Mikasa’s heart. He wasn’t just her savior and her adopted brother, he was her entire world and the man she loved. She kept trying to save and protect him and she admitted that everything she wanted was just to be by his side.
And all of that gives you an impression that Mikasa never cared about anyone or anything except Eren. Which is far from the truth.
She Cared About Other Things, Too
Back in Season 1, Mikasa thought Eren was dead for a couple of episodes. It completely broke her and made her become irrational. She was also going to die because she didn’t see the point of living without Eren.
Yet she changed her mind and decided to keep fighting. This decision was difficult for Mikasa, but she made it even before Attack on Titan went full romance on us. Mikasa wanted to fight for humanity, thus she cared about the war with the titans, too.
She also managed to inspire other cadets and sort of lead them into the battle. Why would she do that if she didn’t care about their lives? She doesn’t openly talk about it, but other people also matter to her, and she wants to protect the innocent.
Mikasa Had Friends She Loved
It might feel like Eren is the only person who’s dear to Mikasa, but we see various signs that it isn’t true. And Armin is an excellent proof for that.
When Mikasa saw Armin’s barely breathing body, it broke her heart. She is a character who rarely gets emotional and abides the orders of her commanding officers. But the thought of losing Armin showed us another side of her. She was willing to attack Levi and disobey him just to save her friend. Why would she do that if she didn’t really care for him?
It’s challenging to say how close Mikasa and Sasha really were, but there was definitely a sort of friendship between them. Sasha's death showed Mikasa’s emotions again. She was hurt and crying just like anyone else. She cared for her and losing another friend hurt her so much that she kept visiting Sasha’s grave for some time.
But the biggest proof that Mikasa had other things on her mind than Eren is the finale of the series. No matter how hard and excruciatingly painful it was for her to kill the man she loved, she did it. Mikasa knew that it was the only way to save the world and everyone who mattered to her, and she was ready to make that sacrifice.