Mikasa used to be a far more appealing character in the first seasons of Attack on Titan.
Her putting the scarf back on ruined her entire character development.
Mikasa has always cared about Armin, and leaving him behind is a questionable decision.
Mikasa is one of the most popular and fan favorite characters in Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin). She’s not just loved by thousands of fans, she’s also extremely important to the overall story and, especially, for the ending. Her love for Eren and decision to end his life became the core of the series finale and Ymir’s choice to let go of her own affection for the king. But why does the ending ruin Mikasa?
Mikasa used to be more likable
The first season and chapters of the manga portray Mikasa as a strong warrior. Fearless and exceptionally skilled, the girl cuts through dozens of titans with her unstoppable blades. On top of that, she’s never shown to be a mindless killing machine, she’s capable of deep feelings, sympathy and kindness. Mikasa saves people because she believes it is the right thing to do. She shows signs of being a great leader, too. During the brief period when Mikasa thought Eren was dead, she managed to unite the scouts and keep them fighting.
Mikasa’s love for Eren and devotion to him have always been extremely strong, but the first season leaves small hints at the fact that they were not the central part of her personality. She’s heartbroken when she finds out about Eren’s death and she even wants to end her own life for a moment. But she stops and decides to move on and continue living and fighting.
The obsession kept growing
Since that moment, a lot of things have changed. Her obsession with Eren has been becoming more and more unhealthy with each chapter and episode. Mikasa couldn’t imagine her life without Eren, and she mentions that being next to Eren is the only thing she wants. No matter what happens, her first instinct is to protect the boy, and she’s ready for anything.
This love, although incredibly beautiful and tragic, has turned into the only motivation Mikasa is capable of having. It was torturing her and making her suffer over and over. The scarf that Eren gave her back when they were kids has become the symbol of her love and devotion for the boy. So when she finally took the scarf off, it was a big deal for her character development.
The entire Rumbling Arc was very important for Mikasa as well, since it had to force the girl to finally open her eyes and understand that Eren was a deeply troubled person, ready to sacrifice innocent people for the sake of his plan. She couldn’t stop loving him, but this was the moment that drew the distinctive line between them and their ideals. Her taking off that old scarf meant that she was finally letting Eren go and realizing that he wasn’t perfect.
Unfortunately, this didn’t last long and she doesn’t only put her scarf back on, she keeps it even after Eren’s death, she’s shown wearing it in each scene during the end credits, and even gets buried with it later on. This leads to the fact that she stays loyal to Eren until the day she dies, and it doesn’t even matter that she’s said to have a husband and a family, Eren is still the thing that matters the most, and she’s hung up on him for her entire life. This detail denies Mikasa’s whole character development and brings her back to where she started.
Armin is also important for Mikasa
Mikasa’s conversation with Eren in the paths does her character dirty, too. The two escape together and live in a hut far away from everyone and everything. Eren mentions Armin still looking for them, but in vain.
Although it’s obvious that Eren has always been priority no. 1 for Mikasa, she has always cared for Armin deeply. One of the rare moments when the girl shows a lot of emotions was when she thought Armin was meant to die. She has something that no one usually expects her to have: a breakdown. This display of sorrow proves that Armin is indeed important to Mikasa, he’s one of her best friends, and she’s even ready to attack a commanding officer to pry the cure that could save her friend from death out of his hands.
The idea that she was ready to leave Armin behind and make him question Mikasa and Eren’s well-being opposes everything that’s happened entirely and emphasizes Mikasa’s unhealthy obsession with Eren once again. It’s like nothing and no one matters to her except her romantic feelings. And this is just not a good look for a character like Mikasa.
What about Paradis and its people?
The entire conversation scene shows that Mikasa doesn’t care about the fate of Paradis as well. And while this concept might be closer to the truth than her abandoning Armin, it’s still out of character for Mikasa in the first seasons. She did care about the people and their well-being, she wasn't like that before.
The finale of Attack on Titan ruins everything that the entire series has been working on in terms of Mikasa’s development. It portrays her as a mindless doll, only willing to serve Eren. No one else matters. Friends, comrades, home — all things are forgotten when there’s even a slight chance of having Eren all to herself. And Mikasa didn’t deserve this treatment.
Mikasa used to be a far more appealing character in the first seasons of Attack on Titan.
Her putting the scarf back on ruined her entire character development.
Mikasa has always cared about Armin, and leaving him behind is a questionable decision.
Mikasa is one of the most popular and fan favorite characters in Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin). She’s not just loved by thousands of fans, she’s also extremely important to the overall story and, especially, for the ending. Her love for Eren and decision to end his life became the core of the series finale and Ymir’s choice to let go of her own affection for the king. But why does the ending ruin Mikasa?
Mikasa used to be more likable
The first season and chapters of the manga portray Mikasa as a strong warrior. Fearless and exceptionally skilled, the girl cuts through dozens of titans with her unstoppable blades. On top of that, she’s never shown to be a mindless killing machine, she’s capable of deep feelings, sympathy and kindness. Mikasa saves people because she believes it is the right thing to do. She shows signs of being a great leader, too. During the brief period when Mikasa thought Eren was dead, she managed to unite the scouts and keep them fighting.
Mikasa’s love for Eren and devotion to him have always been extremely strong, but the first season leaves small hints at the fact that they were not the central part of her personality. She’s heartbroken when she finds out about Eren’s death and she even wants to end her own life for a moment. But she stops and decides to move on and continue living and fighting.
The obsession kept growing
Since that moment, a lot of things have changed. Her obsession with Eren has been becoming more and more unhealthy with each chapter and episode. Mikasa couldn’t imagine her life without Eren, and she mentions that being next to Eren is the only thing she wants. No matter what happens, her first instinct is to protect the boy, and she’s ready for anything.
This love, although incredibly beautiful and tragic, has turned into the only motivation Mikasa is capable of having. It was torturing her and making her suffer over and over. The scarf that Eren gave her back when they were kids has become the symbol of her love and devotion for the boy. So when she finally took the scarf off, it was a big deal for her character development.
The entire Rumbling Arc was very important for Mikasa as well, since it had to force the girl to finally open her eyes and understand that Eren was a deeply troubled person, ready to sacrifice innocent people for the sake of his plan. She couldn’t stop loving him, but this was the moment that drew the distinctive line between them and their ideals. Her taking off that old scarf meant that she was finally letting Eren go and realizing that he wasn’t perfect.
Unfortunately, this didn’t last long and she doesn’t only put her scarf back on, she keeps it even after Eren’s death, she’s shown wearing it in each scene during the end credits, and even gets buried with it later on. This leads to the fact that she stays loyal to Eren until the day she dies, and it doesn’t even matter that she’s said to have a husband and a family, Eren is still the thing that matters the most, and she’s hung up on him for her entire life. This detail denies Mikasa’s whole character development and brings her back to where she started.
Armin is also important for Mikasa
Mikasa’s conversation with Eren in the paths does her character dirty, too. The two escape together and live in a hut far away from everyone and everything. Eren mentions Armin still looking for them, but in vain.
Although it’s obvious that Eren has always been priority no. 1 for Mikasa, she has always cared for Armin deeply. One of the rare moments when the girl shows a lot of emotions was when she thought Armin was meant to die. She has something that no one usually expects her to have: a breakdown. This display of sorrow proves that Armin is indeed important to Mikasa, he’s one of her best friends, and she’s even ready to attack a commanding officer to pry the cure that could save her friend from death out of his hands.
The idea that she was ready to leave Armin behind and make him question Mikasa and Eren’s well-being opposes everything that’s happened entirely and emphasizes Mikasa’s unhealthy obsession with Eren once again. It’s like nothing and no one matters to her except her romantic feelings. And this is just not a good look for a character like Mikasa.
What about Paradis and its people?
The entire conversation scene shows that Mikasa doesn’t care about the fate of Paradis as well. And while this concept might be closer to the truth than her abandoning Armin, it’s still out of character for Mikasa in the first seasons. She did care about the people and their well-being, she wasn't like that before.
The finale of Attack on Titan ruins everything that the entire series has been working on in terms of Mikasa’s development. It portrays her as a mindless doll, only willing to serve Eren. No one else matters. Friends, comrades, home — all things are forgotten when there’s even a slight chance of having Eren all to herself. And Mikasa didn’t deserve this treatment.
What did you think about Mikasa at the end of the story?
