In the entire series, one of the many things that fans of Attack on Titan can agree with is just how amazingly badass and powerful the Ackermans are. Ever since the very first parts of the series, we get to see the superhuman capabilities that the Ackermans have to offer in slaying Titans, as demonstrated by Mikasa Ackerman and Levi Ackerman.
Mikasa is shown to be highly proficient in taking down Titans, and she graduated at the top of her class. Her strength only continued to grow as the series progressed, with several characters commenting that she doesn’t need the powers of a Titan Shifter to be on equal grounds with them in a battle.
Besides her traits as a warrior, one of the most iconic things about Mikasa’s character is her undying devotion, admiration, and affection for Eren Yeager.
This is demonstrated numerous times in the story when Mikasa would immediately puts herself in harm’s way to protect Eren and the violent outburst she is very prone to when hearing about Eren getting hurt or his apparent death at the start of the series.
The immense feelings that Mikasa has towards Eren make the story’s final moments very heart-wrenching when Mikasa shouldered the responsibility for beheading and killing Eren to save the world.
Did Mikasa Really Kill Eren in Attack on Titan?
Yes, Mikasa really did kill Eren at the end of Attack on Titan. One of the reasons why she did it was that she didn’t see any other way to stop Eren’s rampage and save the world.
Eren’s death at the hands of Mikasa is still unbelievable for many fans of Attack on Titan. Given Mikasa’s track record of ignoring everything and prioritizing Eren over herself and others, it would be odd to find her to be the one responsible for his death.
The events that led to Mikasa killing Eren weren’t fulfilled through her efforts alone but instead were done through the combined efforts of her and Eren’s survey corps allies and the surviving Marley armies during the last moments of the Rumbling as it reached its final destination.
The different Titan Shifters that were free from Eren’s command and Armin’s plan to stop Eren are what really led to Eren’s death. However, it was still Mikasa who ultimately dealt the finishing blow with the opportunity she was presented with.
Mikasa cleanly slicing Eren’s head off served as the story’s bittersweet climax. It was incredibly easy for Mikasa to do but extremely difficult for her to decide and come to terms with the events leading up to it.
The moment when this happened struck the hearts of many fans, with many things happening after it, such as the complete disappearance of Titans from the world due to the Founding Titan’s death and Ymir’s disappearance.
Why Did Mikasa Kill Eren?
As mentioned earlier, Mikasa’s deep affection for Eren makes her final decision to kill Eren a complete 180 to her character in the entire series. The events leading up to the Survey Corps defecting, as they didn’t share the same vision as Eren, showed Mikasa being uneasy with the plan of killing Eren to save the world.
Her conflicted feelings and uneasiness continued towards the end, further fueled by Eren’s declaration of hatred towards Mikasa before the start of the Rumbling.
Regardless, Mikasa was always looking for ways to save Eren but ultimately came to accept that there was no choice but to kill him after witnessing the path of destruction Eren took.
At the final moment, Mikasa still retained her love for Eren and her loyalty to her people, which served as the primary opposing force that prevented her from really going through with killing Eren and why she ultimately chose to be the one to kill him.
She resolved to be one to kill Eren herself, which meant letting go of the person who mattered the most to her and served as her reason to live her entire life. Her belief in Eren’s death being the only way to end the bloodshed and stop him from further going on his path is what pushed her to land the decisive blow.
Ultimately, in a way, Mikasa was also able to fulfill Eren’s initial desire at the start of the series, which was the complete eradication of all Titans.
What Episode Does Mikasa Kill Eren?
It can be said that with all the battles and hype we get to witness in the story of Attack on Titan, the final decisive battle to stop Eren and end the Rumbling is the most iconic that the entire series has to offer, which the manga showed and the anime has yet to show and live up to.
The manga chapter where Mikasa kills Eren is one of the most climactic parts of the story and the most heartbreaking, especially if you consider all of the things Mikasa had to go through to come to this decision ultimately.
It was in chapter 138, towards the end, where we see Mikasa entering the mouth of Eren’s Titan form, where she swiftly decapitated him, leading to his immediate death.
It hasn’t yet happened in the anime, but the finale is just around the corner, so it won’t be long before we see the conclusion of Attack on Titan and Eren’s death in animated format.
The moment Mikasa kills Eren is one of the most significant moments in the story, which the manga was able to live up to, albeit with several fans having conflicted emotions. The anime has yet to live up to the hype that the story has to offer, but we just have to wait a bit to see it.
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