Freedom vs. Fate: Exploring the Characters' Agency and the Overarching Narrative of Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan itself has a narrative about freedom and fate. There are characters wondering about how much their lives are within their control. They have uncertainties regarding the fact that all they cannot see, governs their future. And this struggle has enabled them to become much better. All this has an impact on the principal story.

Weighty Fate

All throughout, Attack on Titan sets up these characters in a world where survival itself is reliant on external forces. The existence of the Titans, that all-powerful being, determines, in a sense, the living of men. In fact, people with walls are oppressed under fear just for the pursuit of survival. 

Along with developments, destiny becomes something important to Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Among them, Eren is the most pained since he has to realize the truth: freedom does not mean absolution from responsibility. The more he progresses toward liberation from the bonds of Titans, it becomes more obvious he has to take in the responsibilities his powers bring with them. His journey brings into question whether one can ever be truly free when forces beyond one`s control dictate how life should be lived. The story takes into account how these struggles affect the characters.

The Fight for Freedom

Attack on Titan has few individuals who, while believing their fates control most of their lives, still struggle to get the ability to make their own choices. Mikasa and Armin each have these reservations. Mikasa wondered if her actions are really her own. She thinks maybe they're because of her strong bond with Eren. Armin wants to prove himself to be more than people assume, because they mostly view him as weak.
 

The theme of freedom versus fate is present in the conflict between two groups in the story. The Marleyan government seeks to control the Eldians, while freedom is exactly what Eren tries to regain with his bold decisions. This conflict confronts each character with the understanding of their desires and the price they must pay for freedom.

A Grand Narrative

As Attack on Titan nears its end, the story moves towards the interlinked path of freedom and fate. It questions whether one can ever really cast aside violence or oppression and what sacrifices one has to pay to attain true freedom. Somewhere along the line, despite being unreasonable in some instances, Eren's decisions point to a bigger picture: the struggle of his entire race to change destiny, even if it means losing Eren's own humanity.

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The series raises the age-old question of whether individuals shape their fates or are entirely subject to heritability, the designs of society, or external power. It refrains from offering indisputable answers and instead coerces the audience into contemplating choice's influence and the limits imposed by fate.

The themes of Attack on Titan are centered on freedom and fate. These central ideas form the structure of both the characters and the narrative. They remain in dispute as the series comes to an end, delineating the uneasiness of life. The inner conflict of the characters to shape their own lives turns Attack on Titan from an epic of survival into a tale about the choices that make us.

Written By- Farjana Jamal, Freelancer, India Today Gaming.