How Eren Yeager’s Character Shifted from Hero to Villain in Attack on Titan

In Attack on Titan, Eren Yeager began as a passionate, determined young hero—but over time his personality changed drastically, to the point where many viewers now consider him the villain of the story.

From Idealistic Hero to Controversial Figure

When the series started, Eren was a typical hot-headed protagonist filled with rage, hatred, and stubbornness. Despite this, his courage and drive inspired his friends and fellow soldiers, and he worked tirelessly to protect humanity from Titans.

However, as the story progresses and Eren matures, his worldview becomes darker and more complicated. After years of suffering and learning hard truths about the world beyond the walls, he abandons his earlier idealism. By the end of the Return to Shiganshina arc, his outlook has shifted completely, and his reactions to new threats reveal a side of him no longer driven by pure heroism.

What Made Eren Turn “Villainous”?

When Eren finally discovers that civilizations exist outside of Paradis Island, his first thought is whether his freedom will once again be stripped away by those who hate the Eldian people. In his mind, violence becomes the only solution to ensure his people’s autonomy.

This belief drives him to initiate the Rumbling — a devastating plan meant to destroy all life beyond Paradis in order to protect his homeland. Because of this, many fans see him as no longer a hero, but a villain whose actions bring mass destruction.

Is Eren Truly a Villain — or a Product of His World?

Attack on Titan blurs the line between good and evil. Once the full history of Titans and the conflicts between Eldia and Marley are revealed, morality becomes complex and subjective. Eren himself suffers deep loss — of his mother, his home, and his friends — and this pain shapes his choices.

From one perspective, Eren is not purely evil; he is a victim of war pushed into extreme action to fight back and protect what he loves. But others argue that the scale of his decisions — especially the genocide unleashed through the Rumbling — places him firmly in the realm of villainy.

In this way, Eren’s journey can be seen as the evolution of a tragic anti-hero, or a character who transitions from protagonist to antagonist as the story unfolds.

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