Eren Jaeger has unleashed the Wall Titans of Paradis and has begun his march on the world. Eren's plan to save Paradis will cost the lives of millions of innocent people and goes against everything that his friends stand for. Now that the Rumbling has started, Eren has solidified his position as Attack on Titan's true villain.
Eren shares a lot of qualities with another villain protagonist: Light Yagami from Death Note. Both characters occupy a similar role in their respective stories. Light and Eren are characters with sympathetic goals, but the way they go about achieving these goals is heinous. Ever since Eren's heel turn, he has been acting more as Light would. Two of the most popular villain main characters in anime share a lot of similarities despite being from very different worlds.
Both Light and Eren Want to Create a Perfect World
One shared quality between Light and Eren is that both characters become disillusioned with the world. Light was disgusted with the level of crime and violence that plagued his world. Similarly, Eren was devastated to discover that the world of freedom he envisioned was marred by oppression and hatred. When the world didn't match the idealized version they wanted, both characters decided to do something about it.
From the moment that Light received the Death Note, his goal was to create a world without injustice or evil. Light believes that he can make a world that has only good and honest people in it. This perfect world would be of his own design and follow his moral system. Light is ambitious and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal.
Eren's end goal is very similar to Light's; he wants to make a world of freedom where he and his friends can live how they want. Eren desires a world without walls where he and his friends can travel and see all the wonders they heard about as children. Creating this world of freedom is Eren's driving motivation, and just like Light, he is willing to do anything to make this a reality.
Light and Eren are Manipulators
These two villains understand that the world is not going to change just because they want it to. Some people oppose their plans and are ready to fight to the death to stop them. Eren and Light are willing to manipulate anyone, even their close friends and family, to get what they want. Both characters have displayed skills that make them master manipulators.
Light spends most of the series deceiving those around him and using their trust to his advantage. He routinely abuses the love and trust that Misa has for him, often putting her in dangerous situations so that he can avoid the risk while progressing his plans. Light also exploits his father's position in the police to gain information on the investigation against him.
To start the Rumbling, Eren needed access to an Eldian with royal blood. His half-brother Zeke fulfilled that need perfectly, so he became one of the many people that Eren would use. Eren lied to Zeke and convinced him that he supported the plan to euthanize all Eldians. When the time came to enact the plan, Eren betrayed his brother, overthrew the government and turned against his friends, all for his true goal. Both Eren and Light will ruthlessly use those around them no matter how close they may be.
No Cost is Too High For Light and Eren
The worlds that Light and Eren are trying to create require a massacre. An enormous amount of people will have to die to achieve their goals. The people that Eren and Light need to kill aren't just criminals or bigoted tyrants who might deserve death. Innocent people who have nothing to do with their plans will be sacrificed for their greater ambitions too. Regardless of the number of people who would die in the progress, both Eren and Light believe that the deaths are worth it.
Throughout Death Note, Light kills scores of police officers and civilians who get in his way. Even those who aren't interfering in Light's plans might still find themselves sacrificed so that Light can avoid capture. Likewise, the Rumbling won't solely wipe out Marely; millions of children and other innocents who have never harmed an Eldian will die in the process. For these two villains, no amount of death and carnage is too high a price for their dreams to come true.
