Or, perhaps, even neither?
Summary:
- Erwin didn’t live long enough to see the Survey Corps divided.
- He could have sided with both Yeagerists and Alliance.
- If Erwin had not died, there wouldn’t have been any division.
Erwin’s death in Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) was indeed a tragic moment. No matter how much we love Armin, there will always be a part of us that feels sorry that Erwin wasn’t chosen instead of him.
Seeing Erwin as a Titan Shifter would definitely be interesting, but what’s even more interesting is learning his reaction to all the events of the Final Season of the series.
After the time skip, most of the characters were divided into the Yeagerists (those who supported Eren and the Rumbling) and the Alliance (those who wanted to stop Eren). But which team would Erwin side with?
The Alliance
Erwin siding with Hange, Levi and the rest of the main protagonists would make a lot of sense. First of all, these are the closest people to him, the ones he trusts and respects. Moreover, they’re doing “the good thing” by stopping Eren and preventing a major genocide.
Although Erwin didn’t shy away from sacrificing innocent lives for a greater cause, a big number of fans believe that this is where he’d draw the line. Killing the entire world outside of Paradis is not the answer, and Erwin would surely understand that.
The Yeagerists
However, the fact that he did sacrifice regular people before cannot be ignored, either. During the Stohess District raid, he knew that innocent people would suffer and die, but he chose to sacrifice their lives to capture the Female Titan.
It all comes down to his own morals. If Erwin thinks there’s a goal that is greater than the lives of people, he’ll do anything to achieve it. There’s a small chance that he’d like to save the people of Paradis and side with Eren in this war.
If Erwin Was Alive, There Wouldn’t Be Teams
But the most probable option, fans think, is that there wouldn’t be teams to side with if Erwin hadn’t died. The Survey Corps never had a true leader after Erwin’s death, no matter how great Hange and Armin were.
Erwin was the person that kept the Survey Corps united, his outstanding strategy and skills led them to victories. His death meant the end of an era and caused division within the Corps.
That’s why some fans think there wouldn’t even have been such a thing as “Yeagerists,” had Erwin not died. Thus he wouldn’t need to choose between the two teams.