Why did Eren kill his mother in Attack on Titan? This is the Reason!

lena nurlela
5 min readNov 13, 2023

One of the most heartbreaking tragedies throughout the Attack on Titan series is the death of Eren’s mother, Carla Yeager, which occurred in the first season of the anime. This moment then became the turning point in Eren’s future life.

However, in Attack on Titan Final Season Part 3 Part Two, the truth behind Carla’s death was revealed, where the person who killed Eren’s mother was Eren himself.

However, why did Eren kill his mother in Attack on Titan? Here’s the explanation!

Eren’s mother was eaten by the Smiling Titan

Carla Yeager became one of the victims of the Wall Maria invasion, precisely after the Colosal Titan managed to break through the Shiganshina District and caused tremendous destruction.

Carla was trapped among the rubble of the building and could not be saved even though Eren and Mikasa had tried.

Unfortunately, the Similing Titan, none other than Dina Fritz, aka Grisha Yeager’s first wife, appears and makes Carla his meal.

Eren sacrificed his mother to save Bertholdt

In reality, Carla at that time might have died at the hands of another Titan other than the Smiling Titan, or even survived.

The reason is, the Smiling Titan’s target at that time was Bertholdt Hoover, who was the original figure behind the Colossal Titan. This is in accordance with what Eren said to Armin Arlert in the last episode yesterday.

However, Eren said that Bertholdt could not die at that time. Eren finally sacrificed his mother to be eaten by Dina Fritz, who in her lineage was his own stepmother.

Why did Eren kill his mother in Attack on Titan?

The fact that Eren was the cause behind his mother’s death has become a big debate. However, as fans know, Eren goes through many complicated things that force him to become an antagonist by destroying morality.

Then, why did Eren kill his mother? This is a sacrifice that Eren inevitably takes to fuel the motivation and determination within himself to join the Survey Corps.

With the murder of his mother by a Titan, a sense of revenge grew in his heart. This revenge is what strengthens Eren to continue moving forward and complete his mission for world peace without the presence of the Titans.

Apart from that, there is also the possibility that Eren deliberately prepared Bertholdt to become Armin’s meal, so that his friend could gain the power of the Colossal Titan and stop Eren in the future.

The reason why Eren killed his mother in Attack on Titan is difficult to accept with common sense, considering that the victim was his own mother.

So, what do you think about the protagonist’s decision to become the antagonist?

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