WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Chapter #139 of Attack on Titan, "Toward the Tree on That Hill," by Hajime Isayama, Dezy Sienty and Alex Ko Ransom, available in English now from Kodansha.
With the ending of Attack on Titan finally reached, fans are split on how to feel about it. Some offer praise, particularly for the tear-inducing reference to an earlier moment between Eren and Mikasa. Others don't care for the explanation offered by Isayama as to why Ymir, the Founder, remained attached to the world, and how Eren's actions might have amounted to nothing. The divide is deep among longtime fans of the series.
The ending of the series has Eren becoming a mass murderer against the Marleyans as retribution for forcing humans to transform into Titans, and for their treatment of the Eldians. Before his death, he managed to wipe out almost 80 percent of the world's population. On top of this, he orchestrated the death of his own mother. He did all of this to try and unite the people of the world and bring an end to war as a whole. However, despite his efforts, the people of the world may still continue their endless fighting.
As chronicled in this 9gag post, Some fans have praised the way Eren essentially sacrifices himself in an attempt to end all war. They view his actions as a necessary evil and that he is one of the most complex characters in manga history. They understand that everything he did was so that Mikasa would find it in her to kill him despite her feelings towards him. Ultimately, he made himself a villain to save the world. The ending brings an end to the Titan race and the true Curse of Ymir.
Other fans, meanwhile, think that everything was a waste of time and that Eren's treatment of Mikasa was cruel and unnecessary. There are also problems with the way Ymir and her husband, King Karl Fritz's romantic relationship is handled, given that she was a slave. The entire reason for her 2,000-year attachment to the world is because she loved the man that abused her. Needless to say, this doesn't sit well with many. The ending has also received negative reception by Korean fans due to the conversation around whether Japan should remilitarize, and the fact that remilitarization was a major component of the ending. Citizens are seen chanting "If you fight, you win!" and other pro-war slogans. Some fans have even taken to creating a petition for Isayama to change the manga's ending because they feel so cheated. While the final chapter will be reprinted and added to when Attack on Titan's last collected volume comes out, it seems unlikely Isayama will acquiesce to this demand.
