With Attack on Titan entering its fourth and final season and the manga already well into its final arc, the highly popular series is fast-approaching a much-anticipated conclusion. Naturally, there have been loads of theories sprouting up on how it will all end.
One thing you can be sure of is that the fate of the central character, Eren Jaeger, will play a pivotal role in determining how the audience will receive the finale. Not only, as the main character, does he have a big stake in the plot anyway, but he's also a much-loved manga/anime character in general. Many fans are desperate to know what his future holds and some impatient anime viewers have turned to the manga to see how the story unfolds ahead of the adaptation.
It's important to note, as the manga is ahead of the anime and set to finish within a couple of chapters now, readers will be able to know how the story ends before anime fans. There have been some differences between the manga and the anime already, but mainly in the way that the main characters are presented. There’s been nothing to suggest one medium taking on an entirely different ending from the other. That's not to say that the two do have the potential to produce alternative versions of a similar ending; however, Isayama’s influence over the anime has meant that it hasn't yet strayed too far from the manga.
Let's take a look at some of the most plausible ideas on Attack on Titan's end, starting with spoiler-free ideas before moving into some spoiler-centric ones.
What Constitutes a Plausible Theory?
A plausible theory is one that has its roots in the previous or current events of a story and respects any conventions outlined by the author(s). Accordingly, the secrets to uncovering Attack on Titan's ending may lie in mythology and folklore.
The most plausible theories, using this logic, are therefore those that are centered around ancient Norse fiction. This is because Hajime Isayama, the writer and artist of Attack on Titan, has made sure that his series is conspicuously packed with allusions to Norse mythology.
How Norse Mythology Could Influence Attack on Titan's Ending
To best summarise the Norse influences in the story so far, we must look to the story of Ymir Fritz -- the first person to gain Titan power(s). She is named after the ancient Norse deity of the same name, who was the father of all giants -- striking an obvious parallel. It’s also worth noting that within Norse cosmology, a mythical tree connects the nine worlds, which also runs in parallel with the concept of The Nine Titans.
The finale may therefore fall within the purview of Norse mythology. One could postulate that the final arc of the story will share some similarities with the Norse story of Ragnarok, specifically.
Ragnorok involves a great battle with the loss of many lives and important figures. Essentially, it’s a cataclysmic event that will bring an end to ruling powers, after which a new order will arise. This information, more than anything else, is pertinent to the most likely theories about the series' ending.
WARNING: Some of the following sections of this article contain some major spoilers for the Attack on Titan manga.
What The Manga's 'Last Panel' Reveals About The Ending
Yes, you read that correctly -- Isayama has already given us a preview of the LAST panel of the manga. The quote in the speech balloon above translates to: "You're free." As we can see a baby in the panel, one may safely assume, based on recent events in the manga, that this is Queen Historia's newborn child. Now, if we use the blueprint of Norse mythology again, it is said that after her rebirth, Ymir will be free. So, a plausible theory in regards to this panel is that the baby's name will be Ymir.
If this theory is true, this panel is showing Ymir being 'freed' by entering the mortal world again. It's also worth mentioning that the person holding the baby in the panel may also be Eren, the potential father, so she may also inherit his powers. This leads us on to plausible theories regarding the series as a whole.
Attack on Titan Will End With Its Own Ragnarok
The aforementioned story of Ragnarok involves a "great battle." Isayama may be content with the ending being in the same vein as this Norse story, which would also explain why the ninth and final arc of the manga is called, “War for Paradis.” Fans have theorized that this war could bring about the death of humanity, or at the very least, all of Marley -- and it may have already done just that recently.
With this information, a plausible ending that holds a lot of merit is that with the cessation of those perceived as hostiles will come a new age. Ragnarok includes the submersion of the world in water, so the ocean that connects Marley and Paradis may carry a lot of symbolism in the final episodes as well.
Eren Will Die at The End
Though it would be an unpleasant sight for many fans, it’s not too far-fetched to imagine Eren being sacrificed in the last episode for newfound peace. In the manga, Eren has already initiated ‘The Rumbling,' which involves summoning forth huge Titans and sending them to destroy life. With the situation looking bad for humanity as a whole, it would not be beyond reason now to imagine Eren’s fate also involving a tragic end. If it's any consolation, his death will likely promote freedom in this new age.
Eren Is The Devil
Given his unexpected role shift from protagonist to antagonist, Eren may actually be the devil himself. Ymir Fritz is said to have made a deal with the devil to gain the power of the Titans -- Eren could be that devil. According to Ragnarok, his end would mark the end of a cosmic cycle -- one that will invariably repeat itself, which is supported by the Attack Titan's past and future sight.
Even if he is not the actual devil, many fans already consider him a devil of sorts. If those that don't eschew sticking to the idealized version of him in their heads, they may find that he has actually been the villain all along, hence his raid on Liberio in the manga (and soon, the anime) that resulted in countless casualties.
One Thing We Know For Sure, It Won't be a Game Of Thrones Ending
Isayama allegedly does not approve of the contentious Game of Thrones finale. The highly successful fantasy drama itself has a lot of Norse references, just like in Attack on Titan, and Isayama has said that it has influenced his series' ending in some way. This means that he will likely (hopefully) learn from HBO's mistakes and steer well away from an ending that doesn't do justice to how the characters have been presented thus far.
However, just as is true in Game of Thrones, it is very likely that there will be a lot of deaths in the final few Attack on Titan episodes -- an idea corroborated by the most plausible theories on the series finale.
