Attack on Titan as a Hero's Journey (ANIME SPOILERS!!!)

 This blog post contains spoilers from the anime up to season 4 part 2, but not the manga

Read at your own risk

“Attack On Titan” as a Hero’s Journey

The main character Eren Yeager’s story starts in a mundane setting in his hometown of Shiganshina district. For background, all of humanity lives inside a series of walls on Paradis Island which protect them from the man eating Titans on the outside. This is a source of discontent in Eren’s life, as he likens it to living like cattle, sitting peacefully cooped up inside the walls waiting for the Titans to eat them. Eren wants to join the Scout Regiment, which goes on expeditions beyond the walls to explore the Island of Paradis, valiantly fighting the Titans as they go.

Map of the walls (Eren lives in Shiganshina, the southern “bubble” of the outermost wall, Wall Maria)

Eren’s call to adventure occurs when one day, one of the special 9 Titans, the Colossal Titan appears above the walls, towering 60m of Shiganshina, kicking in the lower part of the wall, allowing the normal Titans to enter. The debris collapses Eren’s home, trapping his mother under the rubble, who is then eaten by The Smilling Titan

The writer’s implementation of the Smiling Titan is very interesting, as Eren has another run-in with the Smiling Titan later in the series, which truly connects the circular plot of the show. In a battle with the Armored (one of the 9), and other normal titans, Mikasa, Eren’s beloved adopted sister, has a close encounter with the Smiling Titan. To protect Mikasa, and of course, avenge his mother, he steps in between her and the Titan, and blocks the Titans hands. In the instant in which Eren’s hands touched the Titan’s, a flash of lightning was seen, and all the Titans froze. I’ll spare the complex details, as they aren’t terribly important to my analysis, but the Smiling Titan is unique because it was created from Dina Fritz’s body, one of the descendants of the first founding Titans. Therefore, the Smiling Titan has royal blood, and Eren’s contact with it unlocked his Founding Titan ability, which allows him to command the Titans. The nearest Titan lunges to punch the Smiling Titan, mirroring Eren’s position, and moments later the rest of the Titans pounce onto the Smiling Titan, tearing it to shreds.

I interpreted the Smiling Titan as “The Father” who holds the ultimate control in Eren’s journey, and this scene as his Atonement with the father. Joseph Cambell’s monomyth describes Atonement with the Father as being central to the story, and the Smiling Titan is very much a key piece of the story, due to Dina Fritz’s past life and her connection to Eren Yeager, and due to her Titan form’s killing of Eren’s mother which kicked off the whole journey in the first place.

I think there is a much deeper connection here between young Eren and the events which take place one Eren gains control of his Founding Titan, and it’s apparent that this connection is pivotal to the plot, but the anime is still ongoing and I haven’t read the manga. I think this is a very interesting thread, however, and I will continue to follow it as the show progresses.