 The people who are capable of changing things are the ones who can throw away everything dear to them. When forced to face down monsters, they can leave behind even their humanity. Attack on Titan is a story of many themes and elements, one of which is how the series views humanity. When focusing on the military and its soldiers in particular, becoming one and becoming a Survey Corps soldier is essentially a death wish, as its fatality rate speaks for itself. These are positions and roles that essentially ask their members to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, a sort of utilitarian approach, which will in turn help save mankind. And Commander Ervinsmith himself is often at the helm of these sacrificial decisions, earning him the title of Devil or Demon. Ervinsmith's character in all aspects reflects his title as Commander. His strong features, his imposing frame standing at 6 foot 2, accompanied by those piercing eyes. Even his voice in the anime, all of these radiate power and confidence. Past his appearance though, he possesses all of the qualities a leader should have. He's decisive, brave and intelligent. He has an eye for talent, as he sought out the abilities of Hanji, Armin and Levi. Ervin understands his weaknesses and has surrounded himself with individuals who can make up for them. The commander is a solid fighter and a great strategist. And I think Ervin's greatest attribute is his charisma. People gravitate towards him because he has the ability to inspire and to capture their hearts. He understands what drives others and can appeal to their emotion. Only Ervin can lead soldiers to their deaths by capitalizing on their fears and their dreams, by understanding what drives them, leadership at its finest. As this series has proven with exactly and other high ranking officials in the military, the people who lead only care for themselves. Other than Pixis, Ervin seems different than the rest. He cares about the lives of his soldiers. It's how he became commander in the first place. Ervin's Smith isn't average and he isn't selfish. A selfish man couldn't deem himself as replaceable. A selfish man couldn't capture the heart of a rebel and turn him into humanity's strongest soldier. But as this series introduces his backstory, we see where Ervin's true motivation is born. The commander's father had a theory. This theory was that the king had altered humanity's memories when they entered the walls so that he could control them better. Ervin's naive self then spoke about this possibility to his classmates. And soon after, his father mysteriously died. From the moment his father imparted that knowledge into him and was killed because of his own curiosity, Ervin has made it his duty to seek the truth of this world. As he says to Levi, finding the truth about this world was more important to him than humanity's victory. Ervin specifically says that there are times where he wanted to choose death and to give up on the world. But that the dream he shared with his father is what kept him going. And that wording in particular, the dream that he shared with his father is what's important here. He is often the driving force of many characters in this story. And when these family members are no longer with them, these bonds become even stronger. It was the longing for his story as sister Frida that almost made her eat Eren. Eren's mother being eaten before his eyes drove him, Connie and his mother and so on and so forth. Ervin is no different. If this dream is the one thing that connected him to his father and he was instrumental in his father's death, it's only human for the commander to want to have this tangible dream, this reminder of what he'd done as a result of his guilt. So avenging his father and redeeming himself drove him. This was his father's goal and he owes it to him to see it fulfilled. But in that quest, Eren leaves his humanity behind, becoming a demon for himself and for his father as he sends off countless soldiers, countless comrades to their deaths, all for his own dream. So that internal motivation is the backing behind every action and gamble that Eren takes. Saving Eren, allowing him to join the Survey Corps, even if he was a spy or even if he lost control, because he might be the key to getting to that basement, to getting to the truth. Overthrowing the monarch, sacrificing his own arm, Eren has even put aside love and his own personal happiness to seek the truth, as he gave up on his future with Marie to pursue his dream. Eren will stop at absolutely nothing for that knowledge, so he isn't called the devil or the demon for nothing. As Attack on Titan looks at humanity, it is fixed on the idea of human nature. Even a person truly sacrificed themselves in their interests, their dreams, for something that is greater than themselves. As the military always says, dedicate your heart. With that, is Eren Smith selfish, or do his final actions make him selfless? As he gets closer to his dream, Eren contemplates that question. We see how Eren became commander, how his dream brought him to the top of the command. Being his allies is how he got to the top, but it isn't how he stayed alive. As they began the retaking of Wall Maria, Eren has this inner conflict. He finally confronts this immense guilt that he carries. What was once confidence and unflinching dedication to himself and to his dream has become uncertainty. And it comes when his dream isn't a dream anymore. It's a reality and it's so close to him. It's within arm's length even, but still that inner turmoil festers. The commander thinks back to all of the people he's led to their deaths, how many people he's told to dedicate their lives to humanity and how they are all his responsibility. And that panel of Eren standing atop all of those bodies alone is so telling. It highlights the blood on his hands, the sacrifices, and it shows his humanity. Eren isn't heartless, he's felt the loss of every single member, and each of their lives are his responsibility, no one else's. That's the solitude. He's not up there with Levi or with Pixis, Eren alone as that's a climb a ladder of corpses to achieve a dream. And in that time he's been lying to himself and lying to his friends, to the people he cares about, saying that it has been for humanity when it hasn't. And even now when it's time to fight, time to dedicate his heart, he still wants to lie to himself one final time. And as he tells his captain his plan, Eren holds onto that dream for the last time. As Levi makes the decision for him, and what was so moving to me was that Eren thanks him. I saw this as Eren finally being given the ok to let go of that dream. I think Eren was finally free at that moment, and that's what made his speech all the more inspiring. He was leading a group of people to their deaths and to his own, and I think he was just as afraid as they were, which is why he could say exactly what they needed to hear. Maybe Eren wasn't a demon, but a commander who just like the others risked his life for humanity, and then again maybe he was a demon. Whether he was or not, at this moment it didn't matter. This was one time where he truly believed he was fighting for humanity. It wasn't a lie anymore, he was dedicating himself to and for it. This arc also sheds light on the relationship between Levi and Eren. Levi was an underground rebel who has now become humanity's strongest soldier. Like Eren once thought about Levi, he doesn't seem like the type of person who would be obedient to his superiors, especially given what we know about his youth and his personality. And Eren was right, Levi doesn't obey his superiors, except for one man. If Levi always saw Eren as someone who was selfless, someone who was dedicated to humanity, that someone Levi could respect and follow, something he doesn't do easily. Through their interactions, Levi always puts emphasis on how he trusts Eren's judgment, because of the man Eren is. We know from Levi's actions that he is someone who values each and every life. Behind his cold gaze, Levi is empathetic and compassionate. Levi has proven to be someone who fights for humanity, and has offered his skills up for humanity's freedom. But in Levi's other interactions with Eren, such as seeing him and that smile at the fact that the Titans could have once been human, or being told outright that the truth is more important than humanity, Levi still follows him afterwards. Levi must know and believe that Eren still wants to see humanity win, for him to trust him and to follow him after those words were uttered. But it's more than just simple trust, it's immeasurable respect, belief and faith. Because of the years they've spent together, how far they've come, alive. Eren is more than just his commander, but his true friend. He is a pillar of hope and necessity for Levi. It was Eren who gave him an opportunity to be more than a rebel. He saw Levi for who he could have been. And for Eren, Levi is someone he can trust, and someone who will trust him no matter the situation. A true mature bond built off mutual respect, and one that began with support. I've stated quite a bit that it takes a lot for Levi to trust in how much he trusts Eren, but in that moment, Eren took the leap of faith this time, putting his full trust and his torn heart into Levi's hands. This was Eren trusting his friend's judgment, without a second thought. As Levi has done for him all of these years. All this to say that Levi choosing to make that decision for his friend proved that he knew the internal battle his commander was facing. Levi absolved Eren from the guilt he would have to carry, having to choose between his father and the dream they shared, and his memory against humanity's fate. With that, Levi allowed Eren to finally be the hero he never saw himself as, the hero he desperately needed to be. For his own peace of mind, and for his heart. And that wouldn't be the last act of good faith out of Levi. As mentioned, Attack on Titan is a series that questions human nature, and with that it questions morality, it looks at intentions against actions, temporary pain for the pleasure of those who will come, but it is important to note that no individual character is motivated solely for the good of humanity. Each character is motivated by their own ideals, whether that be freedom, family, revenge, or a personal dream. Eren for that reason is so interesting. Is he selfish or selfless, good or evil? Did Eren purposefully send these soldiers to their deaths, and use them as sacrifices? Was it the guilt of actually doing that, or was it the pressure of being commander, having actual survivor's guilt that made him believe that he was a demon for humanity? Maybe these soldiers, including Eren himself, actually shared the same risk, the same possibility of death having been in the Survey Corps. But again, maybe only a demon for humanity could find a way to slay the Titans. Maybe Eren has left behind his humanity. This is a commander who is tasked with saving all of mankind, but he's also just a flawed human who wants to do right by his fallen father, again a death that he caused. Eren's burden is so heavy, and there are all of these questions that Eren himself doesn't even know, and that conflict makes him so well written. Having these underlying motivations, these selfish goals and teetering on the line between altruistic actions and egotistic ones is what makes him human. The commander had his own goals, but he recognized his hubris. Humans are complex. Eren is both selfish and selfless. To categorize him as being one or the other would be to ignore all of the times he's shown the ability to charge towards his goals, but also ignore the times he's truly cared for others. Kenny in his dying moments told Levi that everyone is drunk off something. Whether it be booze itself, power, dreams, that's what keeps him going. I think Eren's dreams were able to support the weight of his guilt, and not only was it able to support that weight, but it was the soul thing carrying him forward, as he states the amount of times he wanted to give up. For the amount of deaths that Eren has seen and that we've seen would become a little more desensitized after each one. They don't have time to mourn and to grieve these deaths, and this goes tenfold for the one who is command of all of them. Only someone who was drunk off something could survive such a burden, and that burden became unbearable the closer he was to the truth. The people who are capable of changing things are the ones who can throw away everything dear to them. When forced to face down monsters, they can leave behind even their humanity. This really illustrates perfectly the man that Eren Smith was. Eren was relentless in the pursuit of his dream. As a result of his drive and of his resolve, Eren was relentless in his defense for humanity. The Survey Corps bought into Eren Smith and into humanity. Through his words and through his actions, he made them believe that they were fighting for humanity, truly. His soldiers fight, scream, and rage. That right there is why he was chosen to become commander. That's what makes Eren Smith anything but average. Again, the commander was even able to reach Levi, the rebel, who he later trusted to use the Titan serum when it was time to make that decision. I think Levi let Eren rest for his own selfish desire. Levi chose to use the serum on Armin not because it was better for humanity, but because it sent his dear friend off in glory and in sacrifice, freeing Eren from the shackles of his dream. This is his final act of friendship, a friendship that began with Eren's outstretched arm. All of the advancements that the Survey Corps made, they began with Eren Smith's leadership and they ended with his bravery. Now it was time for the Devil to atone for his sacrifices. Time for Eren Smith to rest. In death, that quote by Armin especially rings true. Because for Eren, if throwing away his life and his dream as it would have brought change, he was willing to do it. To die for it. For humanity. This video has kindly been sponsored by Audible. 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