No mourners.No funerals.Among them,it passed for 'good luck'

The Psychology of ‘Attack on Titan’: Erwin

In light of the most recent episodes of Attack on Titan, I felt inspired to write a piece on a relevant topic to this point in his story - The psychology of death and dying. Most specifically I am interested in looking at Erwin’s final soliloquy and conversation with Levi.

I remember when this portion of the story appeared in the manga and how terribly heart wrenching it was (and still is) for fans of the series. Especially for the hardcore Erwin fans. A character who stood as an icon of the fight for humanity’s freedom (albeit with perhaps some questionable choices along the way), wrestling with the idea that perhaps he really was a bad guy all along (cue Billie Eilish…)

Now in his own darkest hour, Erwin questions his motives for all of the choices he made in life. He bemuses the deaths that lie in his wake. If he fails, personally, in finally learning the truth of the Walls, were those sacrifices worth it? Was he simply a selfish monster the entire time and only ever interested in his own goals of avenging his father’s murder?

The thing is, though, that when we are faced with our own deaths, our self-reflection of the lives we’ve led to that point can be skewed based on our own personalities. Though he may not have thought so at the time, Erwin was truly a hero of the story up to this point.

This phenomenon, our mental processes that occur when we’re faced with our own mortality, is referred to as terror management theory by psychologists. This is a relatively newer theory stemming from the field of cultural anthropology in the 1970s. It attempts to explain the concept of death anxiety. “Death anxiety” is the existential dread associated with contemplating one’s inevitable death. Basically, the idea is that we all do things while we’re alive like make relationships, create families, create art, etc. in attempts to create some more of legacy that we will be remembered by. This, according to the theory, it where cultural worldviews and practices regarding the dead or ancestors may stem from.

Now a large part of this theory is that most of our choices during life are typically an unconscious creation of a legacy. Yes, we can sometimes also do it consciously too, but the point is that on a regular day to day basis  we don’t contemplate our demise every time we pick out what clothes we wear or who we talk to.

Faced with his death (termed ‘death salience’ in the theory), Erwin is forced to wrestle with his worldviews and reflects on his life choices. In these moments where death is so real, we see Erwin’s anxiety spike as he realizes his ego drove much of his life choices. (Mind you, I mean this not as an insult but in the technical sense of the term.)

Erwin’s backstory is set it’s own tragedy: His father, a school teacher, made mention to Erwin one day that the government may not be sharing all that they know regarding their history within the walls. When young Erwin blabbed this to a classmate, his father turned up inexplicably dead. Thus, Erwin made it his life mission to find out the secrets of the Walls.

In pursuing his goal, he climbed up the ranks of the Survey Corps whilst sacrificing many opportunities, including the chance of love with who is now Niles’ wife. Under his command, the Survey Corps made great strides in learning more about the Titans; increasing survival rates, inching closer towards the secrets of their history, and mayhaps freedom for humanity.

Erwin helped many find a sense of purpose. In Levi’s darkest hour Erwin illuminated a broader goal for him to shift his determination to: Freedom. For Eren, Erwin saw the determined spark within him already to free humanity. He decided to feed those flames and give Eren the opportunity he always dreamed of.

“For Humanity” was long Erwin’s motto for inspiring the masses to action. He pushed so hard to achieve his goals, of which he was incredibly proud. But that pride ultimately is what causes his death anxiety to spike and question if what he did truly was for Humanity all along.

Recent studies report a fascinating correlation between humility and death anxiety. People with higher humility personality traits experience lower death anxiety than people with higher pride. And Erwin certainly has a prideful personality. Not to say that it is a negative trait, simply that he is fully aware of his successes..

A quote from the above linked study:

“Humility, with its minimized focus on the self and its affinity for seeing the self and life within a grander context, substantially overlaps with self-transcendence…. In the case of death, this is probably especially true—not only should self-affirmation be of limited value against a threat as formidable as death, but boosting the ego would simultaneously boost life’s value, rendering mortality a more terrifying prospect (emphasis added).”

Thus, when Erwin is finally facing down a situation that he knows he has no chance of escaping from, he is forced to realize how valuable he has found his own life. The fear of death and associated anxiety makes him hyper aware of his life choices. It is therefore natural for him, due to his inherent personality traits, to wonder if he erroneously placed his own life value above those around him this entire time.

Fear of death is natural. Acceptance of death is natural as well. We all handle these somber topics in different ways. Erwin’s fear and self questioning absolutely does not invalidate his successes in life.

Erwin: Everything I’ve done until now was to get to that basement. That someday I could check if I was right. So many times I thought death would be much easier. But always the dream I shared with my father would flash through my mind. And now, I’m close enough to the answers to reach out and grab them. They’re right there. But Levi, can you see them? Our comrades? Our comrades looking at us. They want to know what became of the hearts they gave. Because the fighting isn’t over yet. Is it all just inside my head? No more than a childish delusion?

Levi: (Kneels) You’ve fought well. It’s all thanks to you that we’ve come this far. I’m making the choice. Give up on your dream and go die. Lead the recruits straight into hell. I will take down the Beast Titan.

Levi’s words are perfect at this moment. He confirms to Erwin how important his life has been and assures him his death will not be vein, assisting in allaying his death anxiety. It’s really a beautifully bittersweet scene.

listen, Shoto, I love you kid, but like

you cannot seriously be fr rn.

Rei legit burned you because of endeavor. dont forget that. Natsuo or Fuyumi went thru shit, yes, but that aint really a reason to go out and do evil things "oh yeah I watched my siblings be abused and now i'm the one that's depressed and traumatised and shit and unaliving people." you see how stupid that is? they have every right to hate but not to act severely on that hate.

Then there's Shoto and Touya

okay, shoto, you were abused, harrased, and isolated.

Touya was abused, harrased and sorta isolated.

But guess what? one of you, was told again and again how great you were as a child and that made you super ambitious. you did everything you could and even more to make one person happy. but that person gave up on you. think about the mental toll that would take on A FUCKING TODDLER then they scream at you to stop making them proud and to stop being ambitious, the only things you even knew how to do. but ofc, you didn't give up hope, which ended in you going mad and also unintentionally uncontrollably burning yourself. then you were taken to some shitty kids centre where ppl tried to sweet talk you so that they could control you. then, with the little hope you had, you resisted and went back to that same hellish home.

if that home had been any different, you wouldn't have resorted to madness and sorrow and an endless burning hatred.

but ofc, nothing had changed and you were completely forgotten.

the hopeful, bright, happy, proud, heroic kid was gone. after hoping and trying and hoping and trying and still being failed by others again and again and again.

the other, was abused and harassed and isolated, but this time, that was the only thing he knew.

this time, he didn't have his dreams crushed again and again and again.

this time, he was a perfect prodigy, his body could at least handle that power,

this time, the mother tried to help stop the abuse.

this time, the kid had a chance to be hopeful.

this time, he had a chance to survive.

one was an expirement to be tested and thrown, the other was a perfect puppet to be polished and sown back everytime he faltered.

one had nothing but cracks and scars, the other found people who lifted him up.

one was far too gone and forgotten, unrecognized.

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like/reblog if u save (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡

Karasuno Team

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like/reblog if u save (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡

Karasuno Team