What if Eren Yeager Faked His Death to Protect His Friends from Who?? Attack on Humans?

Now, let's take a look at one such theory that might rewrite everything you thought you knew about Attack on Titan. What if Eren Yeager did not die to stop the war, neither became a tragic villain? What if he had just faked his own death? But not for keeping all power and control to himself, what if he did so for saving his friends from something much greater and much more terrifying than we will ever imagine?

I know, I know-Eren faking his death is ridiculous; he's the kind of guy who would always jump into danger, into the fire, totally unconcerned about who gets burned. But hear me out: Eren has always been a master of strategy. He has always been driven by this strong wish to keep those he loves safe for as long as he can remember. The deeper we delve into his character, the more everything he has done feels like it's part of some very big plan; crazy things were done for that moment. Probably, even faking his death was part of it, too-a plan he had been working on all this while.

Reverting to the context of protection, Eren is always being protected by his friends, who themselves are a team prepared to die for him. It's always been Mikasa and Armin and the other guys standing by his side, fighting with him through battle and any challenge. The world is cruel to him, and the stakes never cease to rise. Just look at how this story has unravelled; forces are definitely at work, and they want nothing more than to tear everything Eren and his friends hold dear asunder.

What if Eren now-fully aware of the possibility of such enemies-decides the only way to make his friends safe is just to run away and disappear? We have seen how this world can get cruel, manipulative, and disloyal-even the threads of humanity. Marleyans, Eldians, setting-the Titans-every one of them has their justification for whatever they do. What if Eren tries to save his comrades from disastrous consequences of his actions and manipulates a situation where he dies?

Here is where it gets really interesting. For whom would he save his comrades if Eren has really faked his own death? The answer may come from the tussle of power that's always boiling beneath. We know something dark is lurking deep underground, pulling strings from behind. But if these perspectives are more fearsome than what we have seen, then maybe. Or, perhaps, those few people Eren has been fighting for-the friends-are now caught in the crosshairs of a new, unseen enemy, one even more hazardous than the Titans themselves.

But what if, having witnessed this new danger, Eren found himself to be the one whose very presence-as the embodiment of opposition-attracted this threat? His death would remove the target from their backs and leave them in peace, away from the war that has been ongoing for years. It's the ultimate selflessness. It's Eren choosing to step away not because he's tired, but because he's willing to sacrifice everything, including his own life and legacy, just to keep his friends safe.

Now, think about the consequences. With Eren's death, his friends would probably be drowning in overwhelming grief, deep sadness, and loss. Each of them goes through this tragedy on their own, mixed with anger, confusion, and existential dread. Their feelings were too deep for anyone to understand or soothe. They followed him, stood by him, and trusted in his position long enough. But what if they knew it wasn't because Eren failed or gave in to the violence surrounding him, and that he was gone as a way to protect them from the forces that are far out of their league? It would have been another case, no doubt.

If Eren was protecting his friends against something greater, then expect a struggle of power that may rise. Who are these new foes, and what do they want? But just how far will Eren go to protect his comrades from them? That, and it could open the door to an entirely different arc with a new paradigm-no longer a fight or flight situation but one of fighting against information, knowledge, or for the truth to thwart the larger risk Eren was trying to stop.

In the end, the insinuation that Eren is going to fake his death to save his friends is probably the most humane thing which could have been done from Eren, and this is not a question if he is a hero or a villain. It's about him finally choosing, once and for all, to step back from the chaos and let his friends be in peace, free of the burden that was his legacy and all the dangers that followed. This is the true Attack on Humans, not over the Titans or wars, but the ultimate act of love that Eren executes in order to protect his friends, as now they must learn a new world he chose without having to lose his life over it.

Indeed, of course, Eren could faked his death to protect friends. But assuming he has; what would that speak about him and the world he's trying to build? The question isn't what Eren's doing is his death faked or real, but rather what then develops around those scenarios.