You were the Chosen One, Grisha!



OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

In the two months since Historia’s coronation, her main area of involvement has been constructing an orphanage for all the needy children she could find, something even Captain Levi, who himself grew underground in the slums, could get behind. Eren’s also improved on his hardening ability and managed to finally plug up the wall in Trost, and the Scouts have constructed their own Anti-Titan weapon alongside the wall: the Executioner from Hell, which lures Titans in with human bait and then slams down a giant log on the nape of their neck to kill them.

And yet, despite all of the new discoveries they’ve made about the world and the Titans, they still don’t know who the real enemy they’re facing is. But what they can do now is work with what they do know, particularly what Eren saw in those glimpses of his father’s memories. He seemed to be with someone the day Wall Maria fell, which Eren soon recognizes as Keith Shadis, the instructor of Eren’s Cadet Corps. They go to meet with him, where he explains how he knew both of Eren’s parents.

Grisha Yeager wandered into the walls many years ago with no memory but his name and his profession as a doctor. Shadis quickly befriended him, though he became quickly wrapped up in the idea of being a “chosen one”, someone who could accomplish great things for humanity if given the chance. However, once he became commander of the Scouts, he faced just as much failure as his predecessors, and after Grisha saved many people from a plague, he ended up marrying Carla, the woman Shadis loved. Over time, he realized that Grisha was indeed one of the chosen ones he mentioned, but Shadis was not. He later gave up command to Erwin Smith.

On the day Wall Maria fell, Shadis met with Grisha and Eren and heard of Carla’s death. Grisha then took Eren into the woods to help him “avenge her” and disappeared as far as Shadis knew, leaving only Eren. Shadis then tried doing what he could to dissuade Eren from joining the Scouts when they met again, but couldn’t do anything to stop him. It was then realized he was just a bystander.

OUR TAKE

So close and yet so far. After such huge developments in the past few episodes, there’s certainly been a lot accomplished, and yet the bigger questions about the enemy at large still need answering. Humanity as we know it has taken care of the enemy within, but whoever is behind Reiner, Bertholdt, and the Beast Titan is still on the horizon. These are all things we’ll have to check in on next year, however, because this episode is still about looking inward.

Eren’s whole worldview has been turned upside down in this arc. As tragic as his mother’s death was, it made his goal incredibly simple: kill every Titan so they can’t hurt anyone ever again. Even learning he had gained the power to become one was just another tool in that narrow path. But now that he’s learned their true nature, that the enemies he’s been so bloodthirsty to kill are mostly innocent people who have been warped by someone else’s plans, as well as the fact that even he was briefly one of them and the power he gained seemingly halted the chance to end this whole conflict, and even learning new things about his parents from his old teacher…well, it can throw a guy for a loop to find out the world is so complicated. At least for now, he’s learned to focus on the task at hand.

Shadis’ story is certainly lower on revelations than the other last few we’ve had, but it’s as eye-opening as the rest. It does also dip into that “old friend of the dad also loved the mom and is jealous of the super talented dad” cliché of anime flashbacks, though that’s overshadowed a bit by his a-bit-too-real thoughts that come with being around talented friends when you’re just a schlub. Oddly enough, one of the things I like about Eren compared to other shonen protagonists is that he ISN’T much of a “chosen one” in the usual sense, at least in that he propels himself forward with his own will as opposed to being led by a grand destiny. He’s still technically “chosen” by being the protagonist, but what’s important is to have one who isn’t simply being led by the plot.

Overall, an interesting interlude before the next arc gets underway. Except next week is the mid-season finale, and then the show’s back in April, so it’s in a bit of an odd position. Regardless, still a good use of twenty minutes.

Score 8/10