That’s not what fans are mad about.
Attack on Titan finale spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- The endless debates over the Attack on Titan finale are back.
- Everyone knew a happy ending wasn’t possible.
- Fans who dislike the finale think that it feels like a happy ending, though.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) manga readers are catching tremendous flashbacks now that the anime finale is out. Back in 2021 when the final chapter followed by extra pages was released, the reception of the ending was controversial. To be honest, the word controversial doesn’t even begin to explain fans’ reaction to it, the internet was burning. And it’s all coming back now.
Some misunderstand the reasoning behind disliking the ending
There is a distinct division in the fandom right now: ending haters and ending defenders, and while both of the teams have their points that make sense, there’s one take that is so far from reality, that it’s actually weird to say it out loud.
A number of people are under the impression that the ending haters weren’t satisfied with the series not having a happy ending. Out of all the points made by those who dislike the finale of Attack on Titan, this one was rarely even mentioned.
Attack on Titan is a type of series that was never meant to have a happy conclusion, and everyone understood that. The anime brings little to no joy, and is packed with trauma, suffering and existential dilemmas. We knew the heartbreak was coming, it was no surprise. The complaint that fans wanted the ending to be a more positive one is actually the opposite of what they think.
Seems quite happy, doesn’t it?
Every important character of the series makes it out alive at the end. Except for Eren, of course, but his death was so obvious, that there’s no need to even talk about it. On top of that, the titan curse is broken, and the titan shifters can live their full life instead of being eaten in a couple of years in order to pass their powers down to someone else.
Yes, 80% of the population is dead. Yes, we can see the horrors and atrocities done by Eren in the final episode. But what sense does it make if the ones who actually mattered for the audience are alive and well? We’ve been experiencing the story through their eyes, they're the ones who matter.
Fans feel like the Rumbling arc had no stakes because there was no real sacrifice. Even watching Eren fighting his friends doesn’t change anything. We could be confident that he would never truly hurt the ones he loved. The moment where Connie, Jean and Gabi were turned into titans was the only one when the audience could actually feel the danger, but the characters stayed like that for a couple of minutes just to magically transform back.
All of the important characters survive. Most of them are reunited with their families and loved ones. No more titan curse, everyone can live as much as they have to. What is that if not a happy ending?