Attack on Titan is finally reaching its climactic finale as the Rumbling goes wild in its final season. We are witnessing the end of an era as Eren fights for his freedom, amassing millions of deaths in the process. For Eren, it is payback time as colossal titans march forward to every continent in the world.
As the rumbling continues, the relationship between Eren and Mikasa continues to become sour. From a solid and stubborn duo, both have gone different ways, which we did not see coming. Fans always thought that Eren and Mikasa would end up together no matter what happened because of the challenges and obstacles they had been through. However, things don’t really go according to plan. Hence, fans wonder, "Does Eren Hate Mikasa?"
Disclaimer: Spoilers Ahead. Read at your own risk!
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What is the Relationship Between Eren and Mikasa?
Eren and Mikasa are childhood friends living in the same household after the Yeager family agreed to take Mikasa in.
The relationship between Eren and Mikasa is built on a solid foundation. Initially, Mikasa met Eren at the hardest moment of her life. Mikasa’s parents were murdered, and Eren happens to appear in the middle of the tragic scene.
It has been revealed that during this unfortunate time, Eren is accompanying his father, Grisha Yeager, to meet with the Ackerman family. Unfortunately, slave traders trespassed on the household, resulting in the death of Mikasa’s parents.
Upon arrival, Eren bravely charges himself in front of the slave traders, forcing Mikasa to fight for her survival. Because of this, Mikasa awakens her dormant Ackerman potential and proceeds to stab one of the slave traders to death.
From then on, Mikasa began living with Eren in the Yeager household. Even after the deaths of Carla and Grisha, both of them stick together. The two grew up together, joined the survey corps, and fought titans side by side. If one of them moves, the other will move.
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Does Mikasa Love Eren?
It is quite obvious that Mikasa is harboring feelings towards Eren, even though she neither denies nor confirms it. For Mikasa, Eren is her world. Without Eren, Mikasa doesn’t know where she will stand her ground. In a nutshell, Eren is her purpose for living.
Perhaps Mikasa’s love language is the act of service due to her nurturing presence and protective instincts towards Eren. If Eren moves, Mikasa will follow. If Eren gets hurt, Mikasa will seek vengeance. If Eren dies, her will to live dies with him. Like a shadow, Mikasa continues to watch Eren from behind. This is due to the fact that she has been aware of her superior abilities to Eren since they were children.
For Mikasa, the only thing that she truly wants in the world is to continue living with Eren. He is the only boy that Mikasa treasures (aside from Armin, of course). She doesn’t see anyone apart from Eren. She is blinded by Eren to the point that she is willing to sacrifice her comrades just to save Eren from danger. If this doesn’t ring any bells, then what is it then?
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Does Eren Hate Mikasa?
In Episode 73 of Attack on Titan, Eren empathetically tells Mikasa that he hates her ever since they were children. He also said that Mikasa’s protective instinct, along with her feelings, is just a byproduct of the Ackermans’ roots. Basically, Mikasa is just following Eren because of her Ackerman instincts to serve and protect a host. Eren is the acting host for Mikasa and she is bound by the Ackerman bloodline to protect him.
It was a shocking statement that we did not see coming from Eren himself. Due to his statement, a furious Armin can’t help but feel bad for her; he decides to stand by her. As a result, Armin got beaten up by Eren.
Ever since they were children, Eren repeatedly gets annoyed by Mikasa’s protective instincts. At times, Eren is mocked by the citizens of the walls because of his inferiority to Mikasa’s skills. During training in the Survey Corps, Mikasa had surpassed him in all tests. Even after Eren gains the ability to transform into the Attack Titan, Mikasa’s opinion of his skills and potential irritates Eren.
In one of the episodes, Mikasa even asked herself why Eren is constantly running away from her, even after she takes him back. Perhaps this was a hint, a foreshadowing of Eren’s true feelings? Well, if you are a manga reader, then I bet you already know the answer.
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Does Eren Love Mikasa?
If you are a manga reader, then you already know the answer. However, if you’re just an anime viewer, then you might feel confused. Spoiler alert!
Eren genuinely loves Mikasa. Towards the end of the Attack on Titan manga, we finally learn how Eren desperately wants to be by Mikasa’s side. He wants to treasure her for as long as he can, build a family and grow old together.
As a front, Eren tells her that he hates her because this is just a part of his plan to protect Mikasa and the others. Eren desperately wants Mikasa to live in a peaceful world where titans don’t pose a threat to humanity and people co-exist with one another.
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