Did Eren Love Mikasa… or Historia? Let’s Talk.

(Warning: Spoilers; the entirety of Attack on Titan anime)

In Eren’s story, two people (debatably) stand out when it comes to love — Mikasa and Historia. Most fans agree that Mikasa is the main love interest. I agree — for the most part.

But that doesn’t mean we should ignore Historia. There was something there. Maybe not romantic in a traditional way, but definitely deep and important.

So let’s break it down.

Mikasa: the one who loved him.

Historia: the one who understood him.

Eren and Mikasa

For Mikasa, it’s simple — she loves Eren. She always has. Her love for him runs deeper than anyone, even Eren, could ever fully understand. But for Eren? Well, it’s never that easy.

As someone who’s seen Mikasa’s devotion to Eren and even related to it, I think it was easy to trick myself into believing that Eren must love her back with that same intensity. And for a while, I truly believed that, but the reality is more nuanced.

For Eren, it’s not about love — at least not in the way Mikasa experiences it. His feelings are tangled up in guilt, frustration, and the pressure of the world he’s trying to change. It’s this tangled mess that makes their bond so tragic.

Mikasa’s love for Eren is established early in the story. He and his father took her in after she witnessed the death of her parents, and from that point on, she has been unwavering in her loyalty to him. It’s not just about gratitude — it’s love. Pure and simple. Eren becomes her entire world, the anchor in a world that’s trying to break her. She’s not just fighting for herself; she’s always fighting for Eren, too.

But Eren? He doesn’t get it at first. He doesn’t understand why Mikasa is so protective of him, why she’s so devoted to him. He sees himself as flawed, reckless even. He has a dream — to destroy the Titans and liberate humanity — and Mikasa’s devotion doesn’t really fit into it.

As the story unfolds, Mikasa’s love for Eren remains constant. Eren on the other side, he starts pulling away, little by little. It’s subtle at first: a cold remark, an ignored gesture — but it builds. And that’s when it hits you — Eren can’t handle Mikasa’s loyalty. It’s like a constant reminder that he depends on others, and for someone as proud as him, that’s something he doesn’t accept.

But here’s the thing: it’s not that Eren doesn’t love Mikasa — it’s that he doesn’t know how to deal with her love. He doesn’t know how to accept it without feeling like he’s weak.

Mikasa’s love, while incredibly pure, becomes suffocating to him — not because he doesn’t care, but because he feels like he’s failing her every time she steps in front of him to shield him. He feels like he’s always letting her down.

By the time we get to the final season, things have changed. Mikasa still loves Eren, there’s no question about it. But Eren is a completely different person now. The fiery, hopeful kid who once wanted to save humanity has transformed into a cold, determined figure willing to sacrifice everything for his goal.

And the tragedy? Mikasa is faced with an impossible choice: stop Eren (and The Rumbling) and save humanity, or protect the man she loves and live with the consequences. In the end, she does the unthinkable — she kills him.

But even in his final moments, there’s a flicker of understanding in Eren. When he looks at Mikasa one last time, it’s almost like he finally sees her for what she is — strong, not weak. Maybe he realizes that everything she did was driven by love. However, by that point, there’s no going back. The gap between them is too wide, and Eren is beyond saving.

Then there’s that scene. I have to mention it. That final conversation between Eren and Armin didn’t sit right with me at first. Hearing Eren admit he loved Mikasa felt strange – like it came too late, too easily. But maybe that’s exactly it. He didn’t fully understand her love until it was too late to reach for it. And maybe, just maybe, if Mikasa had answered differently when he asked her what he was to her – if she’d said what he couldn’t – things might have changed. But she didn’t, and he kept going. By the time he accepted her love, he was already too deep in a plan that couldn’t be undone.

I think Eren and Mikasa’s love story is one whole missed opportunity. It’s a tragic reminder of what happens when love is never fully understood. When guilt, pride, and the need for independence overshadow something that could have been.

This love story breaks my heart. And honestly, I was always the loudest in defending this relationship — maybe because I related to Mikasa, and needed it to be true. However, after letting it sink in for a little over a year, I was willing to look into what Histoia and Eren were all about. My head is not turned, but I realized that Historia is an important character in Eren’s character arc, so I wanted to dig deeper.

Eren and Historia

Unlike Mikasa, who’s been a part of Eren’s life since childhood, Historia enters his world later on, and their dynamic is a little more complex.

At first, Eren and Historia don’t seem to have much in common. Eren is a man on a mission, focused on destroying the Titans and freeing humanity. Historia, on the other hand, has her own personal battles to fight, dealing with her past, her royal heritage, and the weight of the world she never asked for. But despite the differences, their relationship grows in a way that’s impossible to ignore.

For Eren, Historia represents something different than Mikasa. She’s someone who understands the pain of having a destiny forced upon her. And, in many ways, Historia’s journey mirrors his own. She’s been manipulated by those around her, just like Eren has. She’s learned to fight for her own freedom, just like Eren has. There’s a subtle understanding between them that’s built on shared trauma, loss, and the desire to take control of their futures.

What makes their relationship interesting is how it shifts as the story progresses. Eren never fully lets go of his cold, distant attitude with Historia, but there’s something softer in their exchanges — something almost like mutual respect. Unlike Mikasa’s love for Eren, which is loud and unyielding, Historia’s connection with him is quieter, more understated. S She just wants to be his ally, and in return, Eren starts to realize that she doesn’t need him the way others do. Historia’s strength and independence make her different from the others in his life, and I think that’s part of what draws him to her.

But here’s where things get messy: Despite their connection, there’s still a wall between them. Eren doesn’t know how to fully trust anyone, and Historia is too caught up in her own struggle to let anyone close. And well — there’s Ymir. I am fully convinced that Historia absolutely loved Ymir, which is another reason why I’ve rejected this ship.

Anyway, they’re both driven by different goals, which means they’re constantly at odds when it comes to the bigger picture. But through it all, you get the sense that, if the world was different, maybe things would’ve been different for them too.

Now, something about Eren and Historia did stick out to me; Eren made a decision to not sacrifice Historia for his own mission, which stands out as another quiet sign of his love for her – be it romantic or platonic, it says a lot. He couldn’t bring himself to use her as a mere pawn, even though it would make everything easier for him. This moment shows that, despite his ruthless drive, Eren still valued Historia’s life, placing her well-being above his own goals – which says a lot about their connection.

By the time we get to the end of the series, their relationship remains unfinished — like so much of what’s left unresolved in this masterpiece. Eren may have finally found peace in the most unexpected of ways, but Historia is left to carry the weight of everything that’s happened, trying to rebuild a world she never wanted to rule.

In the end, Eren and Historia’s relationship is bittersweet. It’s one of those “what if” situations — what if they had the time and space to really explore what they could’ve been together? What if Eren wasn’t so consumed by his own mission to save the world?

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, Eren’s relationships with Mikasa and Historia reflect two very different versions of love — and two very different sides of who he is.

Mikasa’s love is undeniable. It’s been there from the beginning, fierce and unconditional. She’s the one who stays, who protects, who follows him even when she doesn’t understand what he’s doing. Her devotion is relentless — sometimes painfully so. For Mikasa, it’s never been a question. She loves Eren. That’s it. And she never asks for anything back, not really. But the weight of that love is heavy, and Eren feels it. He pushes her away not because he doesn’t care, but because he doesn’t know how to hold something that demands nothing in return. Her loyalty becomes something he can’t meet — so instead of reaching for it, he avoids it.

Historia, on the other hand, brings out a different side of Eren. Their bond is quieter, built more on understanding than emotion. There’s something unspoken between them — two people trying to reclaim control over their own lives, both shaped by roles they never asked for. Eren doesn’t have to fight against Historia’s love in the same way, because it’s not demanding. It doesn’t suffocate. It sits beside him. Their connection is less about intensity and more about shared perspective. If Mikasa is the person who loves him no matter what, Historia is the person who gets him.

But in the end, both relationships fall apart in their own way. Eren doesn’t choose either, really. His mission — his need to rewrite the world — leaves no space for love. Not in the way Mikasa offers it, and not in the quiet comfort Historia could give.

And maybe that’s the real tragedy: Eren had love in his life. He had people who would have stayed. But he couldn’t let himself be loved — not without feeling like he was betraying what he set out to do.

Mikasa and Historia represent two paths Eren never took. One is love that never wavered, even when it should have. The other is love that could have been possible, but never allowed to grow. And both are left behind, quietly, as Eren moves toward an end he can’t escape.

What do you guys think? I tried to keep this nuanced. I would kill for a happy Eren and Mikasa ending, though I think the ending of Aot was exactly what it needed to be.

I find it interesting how important Historia was to Eren, which is why I wrote this. Their dynamic was very special. Still, I always viewed them more as friends than anything.

Originally published on Medium: