WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Attack on Titan Season 4, Episode 14, "Savagery," now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
The past few episodes of Attack on Titan have set the stage for an epic finale. But with the end just around the corner, is Eren Yeager's redemption still a possibility? In Season 4, Episode 14, "Savagery," Eren hits a new low (even for him) during a heated conversation with Mikasa and Armin. He attacks both of them, making sure to hit them where it hurts, emotionally and physically. After that, his redemption is certainly in question now that he's burned the final bridges that helped root him in the first place.
Since the beginning of Season 4, we've known Eren has a newfound allegiance with Zeke, and that he's severed most of his other ties. But cutting off Armin and Mikasa marks a dark moment for Eren. During their conversation, Eren discusses his "true" feelings regarding Mikasa and how she operates solely to protect him. He likens it to slavery, and finds it disgusting, going so far as to say that he hates her.
Upon hearing that, Armin launches forward with fists. Eren comments how this is the reason they never fight -- because it would never be a fair one; Armin will always lose. So in the same scene, Eren has told Mikasa he hates her and has beaten Armin to a pulp. These are his best friends. But, suddenly, those connections are no longer worth keeping.
It's easy to blame Zeke for Eren's new low. The two have a dark plan for Eldia's future, and Eren's commitment to that scheme draws him away from his other relationships. From Eren's perspective, his hatred toward Mikasa doesn't necessarily stem from Zeke. To be fair, he's always seemed a little standoffish with her, even though they were close. Maybe he can only now articulate how he feels, even if it's the worst thing to hear.
Although Zeke is Eren's actual half-brother, Armin and Mikasa were Eren's true family growing up. It's possible this destruction of their relationship isn't fueled by hatred at all, but rather love. From the sounds of it, Eren and Zeke's plan could cost them their lives. By burning the bridge between himself and his friends, perhaps Eren is hoping to distance them from the inherent danger and, eventually, his death.
So do Eren's actions prevent him from redeeming himself? With only one Attack on Titan episode remaining, there is still time to fully uncover why he's been motivated to side with Zeke and break his former bonds. Maybe with context, Eren's side of the story will be understood and his actions more easily explained. For the moment, however, he has certainly reached a new low as his morally defeatist actions have now been applied to the two closest people in his life. He's given up on Armin and Mikasa, but will he give up on the rest of the world too?
