Attack on Titan ending explained: What did Eren accomplish?

The elaborate and multilayered story that began a decade ago has reached its long-awaited conclusion. The Attack on Titan anime series wrapped up its epic saga with the release of its final episode on November 5.

The Attack on Titan ending has shocked fans with its gruesome conclusion, as it finally sheds light on Eren Jaeger’s actions.

The finale was split into three chapters: The Battle of Heaven and Earth, A Long Dream, and the Final Chapter. With moving through different periods and planes of existence, it might be challenging to track all the events and plot twists in the finale. 

This Attack on Titan ending explained article will shed light on Eren’s twisted master plan and what happened after the final battle of the anime.

What exactly was Eren’s plan, and what was he trying to accomplish?

The end game of Attack on Titan became clear once Eren’s memories were awakened after he touched Historia Reiss. This happened during the medal ceremony, after the Survey Corps reclaimed Wall Maria.

He knew that the conflict between the people in Paradis Island and the outside world would not stop, and it would only get worse. The Marleyan government effectively has a Doomsday Clock on Paradis Island. This is why they formed the Warrior Unit to begin with. Marley selected and controlled Subjects of Ymir with Titan powers to infiltrate Paradis Island and seize the Founding Titan power.

Faced with the problem of a never-ending war, Eren revealed in the Final Chapter that he took it upon himself to end the conflict. 

Before discussing Eren’s actions, we should mention what he wanted for himself, which was also revealed in the finale. If it was up to Eren, he would have accepted Mikasa Ackerman’s request and run away with her. They would have lived in a cabin away from civilization and stayed out of the war, even though they would never see their closest friends again.

But because of the mental trauma caused by the Founding Titan’s power, Eren felt that he was forced to take action. After activating the Founding Titan’s power, Eren no longer had a past or future. For him, everything existed simultaneously, leading him down a dark path.

Eren did everything he could to push his friends away because he didn’t want them to be involved with what he was about to do. In his conversation with Armin Arlert in the Final Chapter, Eren explained that he even went as far as to sacrifice his mother at the beginning of Attack on Titan because he needed Bertolt Hoover to live, since he played a role in his grand scheme.

Eren’s end goal was to wipe out everyone outside Paradis Island. This idea stemmed from Attack on Titan season 3’s ending, where the Survey Corps first saw the ocean leading to the outside world. After learning that Marleyans were the ones who kept Eldians trapped in Paradis Island, Eren realized that they were all prisoners.

Eren said, “If we kill every last one of our enemies out there, will we finally be free then?” After stopping Eren and the rumbling, we learned that eighty percent of humanity was trampled to death. All that death and destruction came at the cost of Eren’s pursuit of freedom.

Ultimately, with four-fifths of humanity gone, Eren saw this as the world balancing itself out. Now, Paradis has the same population number as the rest of the world, which means no faction has the upper hand anymore.

After activating the rumbling, Eren knew the Survey Corps would go against his wishes. Even though he tried to kill his closest friends and the love of his life in Mikasa, he knew that if he failed, his allies would be crowned the saviors of humanity, giving them a chance to have peaceful lives.

Once everything finally sunk in, Eren knew he would go to hell for his actions. Armin, acknowledging that he was the one who planted the idea of a free, unoccupied world, accepted that he would also end up in hell with Eren.

Attack on Titan ending explained

Three years after the Battle of Heaven and Earth, we saw Historia living peacefully with her newborn child because Eren decided to spare her from the conflict. Armin explained that Eldia formed a new military faction led by the Jaegerists. This group feared that survivors of the rumbling would seek revenge for the death of their people.

In an Edian military parade, we see Hitch Dreyse of the Military Police Brigade and Rico Brzenska of the Garrison’s 1st Division Elite Forces. The family Sasha Blouse saved during the Wall Rose invasion was also seen passing through the crowd.

The remaining Titan wielders, including Armin, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhart, and Peick Finger, along with Connie Springer and Jean Kirstein, are now the ambassadors of the allied nations over the sea. They are meeting Historia and the rest of Eldia’s officials to discuss the Battle of Heaven and Earth.

The final scene of Attack on Titan takes place at the hill where Eren woke up at the very start of Attack on Titan. The hill overlooking Paradis is where Eren is buried. Three years after the rumbling, we see there are no more walls surrounding Paradis.

In the timelapse that follows, we see that Paradis Island slowly develops. Mikasa eventually finds a family but still frequently visits Eren’s grave. Mikasa finally passes away from old age and is buried with the same scarf that Eren gave her the first time they met.

Over the years, Paradis has become modernized, with the island becoming a metropolis with multiple buildings and skyscrapers. Eventually, we see the cycle of war repeat itself and the Eldian city razed to the ground.

Years later, an explorer finds the giant tree where Eren was buried, and it is hinted that they will find the same Titan power Founder Ymir obtained years ago, repeating the cycle of Attack on Titan.

The final scene of Attack on Titan is exactly as Eren explained. Humanity will always be at odds with itself, and there is no escape in a world filled with hatred and war.

Just a heads up, some of the links on ONE Esports are affiliate links. This means if you click on them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s a way for us to keep the site running and provide you with valuable content. Thanks for your support!

READ MORE: Exclusive: Can you guess Attack on Titan editor Shintaro Kawakubo’s favorite character?