The narrative of Attack on Titan branches out into numerous storylines and complex themes. The characters start out as archetypes and then evolve into their own individuals. These transformations are glorious to witness. When speaking of transformations, characters like Eren and Reiner come to mind, who undergo significant changes throughout the story.
Yet, it’s odd how nobody mentions Armin Arlert during these discussions. Hajime Isayama put his best foot forward with Armin. His characterization was brilliant, and the changes he underwent felt natural because of how highly fans thought of him.
From establishing a perception of him and successfully breaking out of it, the mangaka deserves more praise for the immaculate execution of Armin’s character arc.
Hajime Isayama’s genius and Armin’s duality
Armin was a typical crybaby initially. When Eren headed towards his house after the first Titan assault, and Mikasa followed, Armin’s fear stopped him in his tracks. He was too weak and scared to follow his friends as they walked towards their potential deaths. His time in the Survey Corps highlighted his great qualities for the first time.
Unlike the other young members of the training corps, who stood out through their physical abilities, Armin caught people’s attention with his intellect. He was among the first people to realize the Female Titan’s identity and even helped Survey Corps unravel that mystery. He was the brains of the Survey Corps.
As the story progressed, he overcame his fear as well. He could think of plans that others couldn’t even comprehend. The best example of this is how he thinks of a plan for Eren to defeat the Colossal Titan and even sacrifices himself for it. The others couldn’t understand his plan and only realized it too late.
As strong as he grew, he always detested violence. And that’s something the Colossal Titan made up for, as this Reddit comment beautifully explains.
Armin is a smart character done RIGHT
byu/Luebbi inattackontitan
Wielding the Colossal Titan made Armin crucial for the frontlines. Whether he liked it or not, he had to fight to ensure that Paradis wasn’t easily overpowered and the efforts of the Survey Corps weren’t in vain.
Here’s how Hajime Isayama evolved Armin’s characterization
Compared to other characters who fall under the same ‘strategic-genius’ archetype, Armin has nothing to fall back on. Any mistake he made could lead to the loss of numerous lives, including that of his precious friends. It’s admirable how he made great strategic decisions under so much pressure.
The idea of killing people made Armin physically sick. He threw up when he consciously took someone’s life for Jean’s sake. Hajime Isayama made him live that fear by turning him into the Colossal Titan, and eventually, Armin came to terms with it. He wasn’t allowed to be revered for his smartness but had to be detested for killing as well. It was the necessary evil he had to participate in, and he committed to it well.
Attack on Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
