From the word go, Attack on Titan wastes no time in acclimatizing its audience to the
many ways in which it deeply laments oppression and war, and swiftly moves on to broaden it’s
scope and hone in on the tragic nature of child soldiers, perspectivism, relativism,
how this strife is a self-perpetuating thing viewed as necessary by all sides, how history,
folklore and culture have been artificially postured in a way that maintains this,
and much more. This story keenly examines the many different moving pieces and thematic elements of
this awful conflict to such a great degree that in immersing myself in all of this whilst reading,
I overcompensated and found that I had a bit of a blind spot with regards to where this all was
going. Yes, the story makes absolutely sure to explore every facet and show us how terrible all
of this is through the many different perspectives of the cast. Yet it isn’t nearly as blunt with the
underlying end point with regards to war. To put it simply, I found myself wondering:
What is the solution to all this? Is there even a solution? Obviously at the time of this video, the
anime is still airing and won’t be completed for a little while, but I think that we can glean quite
a bit with regards to what the prevailing overall message here is through what we’ve been shown
already. And the crux of this is rooted in a small and short, yet idyllic and achingly beautiful
scene we’re shown midway through involving two characters who would perish before learning if
the ideas shared here would ever truly come to fruition. And yet - in the context of this story,
it’s the sentiment of these words that matter much more than whether or not they would bear fruit.
Kenny and Uri could not have been more different people. Opposite sides of the spectrum in terms
of ideology, personality, upbringing, motives and much more, and seemingly positioned by fate
to come to arms, it seemed to Kenny in particular like an interpersonal dynamic that would only ever
lead to bloodshed. And yet, with Uri’s show of humility and empathy being the catalyst,
the two became the unlikeliest of friends. And in reflecting on how things came to be this way,
Uri thinks of the oncoming onslaught, of all the pain and bloodshed that will soon rain upon this
land, of all the death and sorrow and misery - and, as idealistic as a certain golden-haired boy
we’ve come to know and love, chooses to focus on something that has the capability of transcending
all of that. As he asks - what was it that broke through what seemed like a need for
conflict between the two men? What was it that brought them together,
that brought forth peace instead of death? It was not hate, nor violence. It was connection,
understanding, empathy, and love. Violence is the unavoidable truth of this world.
As Erwin said long ago, war will likely persist as long as humanity exists. But in the depths of
an ingrained conflict, what was it that made Uri and Kenny unlikely friends? What was it
that stopped this cycle dead in its tracks on a micro scale? It was that deep, human connection.
And just as it was in that situation, if our characters are to find a method of stopping
this horrific, cataclysmic struggle, a method of putting an end to this hell and finding the
beauty through the cruelty, it will likely be through extremely similar means as well.
And as shown through the stunning new ending for part two of the final season, we see the scarf,
the symbol of Eren’s affection and relationship with Mikasa, transforming into a bird with wings
outstretched, taking flight into a boundless sky - that bird being the symbol of the freedom
Eren has been seeking his whole life and been unable to attain. The progression of this visual
imagery very directly proposes the idea that perhaps the confines put upon these characters
can be transcended - not through the violence that has brought about no results at all
through countless generations, but through love. And understanding, and connections.
As Kenny muses later on - what on earth made his partner see things so idealistically? How did he
find it within himself to not see this coming horizon as yet another false one - like the lie
that devastated Eren? To put it simply, Uri had been given enough hope to believe in a resolution
in the future akin to what brought them together. Now, maybe the only shot at stopping this cyclical
farce and finding true paradise is a miracle. But miracles do happen, as rare as they are,
and so believing in them is a worthwhile thing to do. And in the midst of this bloody mire that
spans so far back in history, how is the ability to choose mutual understanding and connection
over hate.. anything but a miracle? It is so difficult to hold onto hope in a world this dark,
to believe in the power of the good in humanity when all evidence tempts you to just give up
and stop trying. But there is indescribable value in the sentiment of aiming for that miracle. And
as long as it persists, the dream of prosperity and peace is not dead. As long as it persists,
people will never stop looking for that solution. Is it foolish to hope for this? Perhaps it is.
Perhaps in the end, there will be no solution. But as long as that sliver of hope exists,
as long as people like Kenny and Uri are able to find unlikely solace in one another,
these little miracles will continue to show us that as much as humans are capable of deep,
heinous darkness, they are also capable of light and compassion and good. And that
may be the key to true paradise, true peace and freedom. For as long as this remains the case,
this improbable dream is absolutely worth pursuing against all odds. Violence is indeed
one of Attack on Titan’s unavoidable truths. But another one, perhaps the most important one, is
that human beings are able to transcend past that violence through love. Many thanks for watching.