For Ymir and Historia, I do. I wrote this after the news of the pregnancy plotline came out, and I still am thinking that’s where it will go. I know it’s kinda controversial to state that the plotline might not be bad writing, but I don’t think it has to be though I wish I’d phrased it more sensitively in said meta/theory post, but yeah. That’s still what I think about it!
For Levi… well, the thing is, they’re in the forest, which is where Squad Levi died, Annie is probably gonna get out soon (I gotta hope), and it seems pretty likely there might be some kind of showdown in the forest when Eren & co arrive, as the SC seems to be heading there as well. So suffice to say, I can see something happening that is a very clear callback to what happened last time we were in the forest, though that isn’t to say I expect Levi to die in the same way or anything, but just to say there is set up for some kind of callback.
Both have a very black and white vision. This is why Mr Braus’s prospective is so important:
Because it acknowledges both points of view. Sasha was a person who managed to overcome her fear in order to help people. She was also a soldier who took part in an operation which involved attacking civilians. It is meaningful that her father acknowledges this. Sasha was no devil nor angel, but a person who ended up caught up in a cycle of violence.
It is this specific prospective the characters must all come to accept and I liked how it was exemplified through three different points of view on the same character.
I genuinely think they are both going to die. Eren I am as certain as you can be (which is to say very certain, but you never know) that he will die. I do believe he will have a redemptive moment wherein he connects with Armin and Mikasa again, and his death will mean something for saving everyone, but I do think he will die.
I also think Levi will die, close to the end but before the others like Eren more likely, because of the curse of the mentor figure. I hope I am wrong. I do think he and Eren will have a vital moment together before he dies, though, even if Eren responds poorly, in which Levi will tell him something that will matter later down the line. Levi cares deeply and I care that his final moments reflect that, and reflect what a strong, amazing, good dad character he really is. I really hope I’m wrong on this but again, remember, I am generally a character survival pessimist.
I don’t think Levi will die next chapter. I think that if he dies, and I still hope he does not, there absolutely needs to be more build up to it. I think he’s safe for the next chapter, and a lot depends on the pacing. If he does not make it, his death had better be impactful and matter, and one quick chapter would not do it. He’s too popular with fans and too important to the overall narrative not to get a deserving send off if he does in fact die.
Kidding. Sigh. That is… my worst fear right now too, especially if this is the last arc which frankly it’s looking like it might be. It does seem pretty clear that there’s going to be some kind of clash with Levi, Eren, and Zeke, and tbh at this point I’m half expecting Gabi and Falco to show up too. There are many, many potential outcomes.
I do not think Eren would willingly nor knowingly hurt the people he loves, though, and that does include Levi. He was devastated at Sasha’s demise. That being said, he’s almost certainly being manipulated by Zeke to an extent and is allowing it for Reasons, and now a bunch of other people are involved, and so things outside of his control could happen. If the worst did happen, I do think Eren would be anguished over it, but I would hope that if that did occur it would jumpstart Eren into realizing how wrong he’s acting. But I Do Not want Levi to die so I’m going to hope and pray he doesn’t just yet.
I agree! I had said earlier that I did not like the manga scene, while I wouldn’t say it’s badly written it just didn’t exactly… I didn’t like it. I thought this scene emphasized Historia’s growth (and also foreshadowed how it’s not necessarily a purely good decision, the ramifications of which we’re seeing in the current manga arc), while showing again the stark foiling of Levi to Kenny. Levi loves his squad and is learning to communicate that without violence. The original manga scene of Levi choking Historia emphasized again how Levi would move away from communicating via violence, but I also think the anime conveyed that without us needing to see Levi choking Historia, which I think is better written for the story as a whole.
In the Uprising arc Historia and Levi are paralleled. Their parallel is used to discuss the parent-child dynamic (which is very important for both that arc and the series as a whole) in two different ways.
a) Levi and Historia are both children having to overcome unhealthy coping mechanisms they learnt from their parents.
b) Levi and Historia’s relationship reproduces to an extent a parent-child dynamic (at least narratively).
But yeah. I think this arc (quite possibly the last) is about, in part, overcoming the past and breaking out of the cycles, or the inability to do it in some cases. Armin I do think will be most likely to break the cycle, as the hero, but I think he may have to choose at some point whether or not to repeat the choices Erwin made like sacrificing himself/others, etc.–which he may be expected to do–or make new ones. He was already saved last time he tried to sacrifice himself, so suffice to say that’s a theme in his arc (as well as in Historia’s and Erwin’s) so I expect it to come up again. The most likely thing he’ll have to sacrifice imo is his close friendship with Eren, though that doesn’t mean I think they’ll hate each other–on the contrary, I think they will always deeply love each other even if they make choices that lead them away from the other one.
Hange finally getting an arc, I’m here for this. I think they are also trying to be Erwin when really they should be thinking outside of the box/ island they’ve been trapped on (the metaphor isn’t subtle) and the old strategist are not necessarily going to benefit them now. I also think they will overcome this.
And Levi. It’s funny, because I think I wrote a year or two ago how I really wanted to see Levi fulfill his promise to Erwin by killing Zeke. But in reality, I think it’s a far more character/thematically interesting–and far more hopeful–path for Levi to take if he has to choose between killing Zeke and… something else important in terms of freeing humanity (since Erwin wanted that too) and/or saving someone he loves, since Levi is and has always been motivated by the people he cares about most. I think it’s far better if Levi has to choose to leave his revenge for a better world even if he won’t be able to survive to live in it, and I do have confidence Levi would make the right choice. I also think that would make Erwin proud.
The point is exactly that there is no one who could fulfill Erwin’s role as commander, and also that that isn’t necessarily a bad thing if Paradis truly wants freedom and to be a part of the world.
(Same anon) are both prone to utilize the coordinate against the
whole world. Both of them hate meaningless deaths and considering the
latest arc, they weren’t too happy about what Eren did. Thanks in
advance and sorry for the long ask! ^^
Hello anon!
Sorry for the late reply, but I wanted to wait for the new chapter to see if something else were to come up.
So, as far as your question is concerned, we have a pretty clear idea of Hange’s POV on the whole matter:
hamliet 