Best Characters from Attack on Titan

Hello, fellow anime fans! I am Santiago Brion, and today for my first anime blog post, I will talking about the characters from the anime juggernaut that is Attack on Titan. In addition to being a movie fan, I'm also a BIG enthusiast of Anime! If weren't for my sister and cousin, I wouldn't be the anime nerd that I am today. Attack on Titan is my favorite anime ever due to its plot, action sequences, character arcs, god-tier music & openings and surprising reveals. And so, without further ado, here's my list. 

Oh, and this is a spoiler list, so if you aren't caught up with the final season, please watch the episodes before you read. LET'S GO!

10. Jean Kirstein

Admittedly, Jean came off as unlikeable due to the fact that during Survey Corps training, he was hotheaded and even resorted to violence when pushed and was even cynical about defeating the titans, believing to be a lost cause and mocked Eren Yeager. Despite all of that, he proved to be a capable soldier during the Battle of Trost, the Battle of Shinganshina and the raid on Liberio. Jean may have been self-centered, but he put the lives of others before his own and was even against killing human enemies while setting aside his moral conscience for the sake of his allies, making him a strong part of the story.

9. Hange Zoë

Hange first appeared as the energetic researcher and one of the anime's comedic reliefs, while also remaining calm and serious when it comes to fighting Titans and showing empathy for the dead and suffering. Hange is a genius by using their brain to create weapons, tactical plans, and inventions. As a leader, Hange's very thoughtful of their comrades and their responsibilities continued to grow as Commander. Their obsessive personality it has made Hange Zoë a fan-favorite.

8. Zeke Yeager

A character who first appeared as the Beast Titan between the end of Season. 1 and the beginning of Season 2, Zeke has come from being one of the best villains to a very complex character. As a boy, Zeke grew up in the walls of Marley with Eren's father, Grisha and his mother, Dina. Forced to go against an empire that he wanted to follow, Zeke betrayed his own parents and grew up to be the next candidate for the Beast Titan. I'm not condoning the fact that he killed Erwin during the Battle of Shiganshina but watching Zeke's past made me and the fans feel bad for this character. 

7. Erwin Smith

This guy was one of the most likable characters to ever grace our screens and pages! With a sense of resolve and moral compass in every way, shape, or form, Commander Erwin was a powerful leader who epitomized respect and intelligence. While he cared deeply for his comrades, he was willing to sacrifice them for the good of mankind. This is what made his tragic demise all the more painful to witness, as I knew that his last speech was going to make an impact. Yes, I 

6. Historia Reiss

Man, Historia became such a great character with one scene! Born into the Reiss royal family, Historia's past was heartbreaking. She watched her mother get murdered in front of her and was forced to keep her identity a secret, thus renouncing her claim to the Reiss heritage. During the coup de tat in Season 3, Historia kneed her piece-of-shit father in the nethers and was forced to take him down after he ingested a titan serum and let me tell you, his titan form was pretty disturbing. Afterwards, she reclaimed her title and accended the throne, becoming the Queen of the walls. While she took a backseat in the final season because, well, she's pregnant, there is no forgetting the awesome character moments that she had.

5. Reiner Braun

Originally appearing as the older brother figure to both Eren and Armin, Reiner was not only a close friend but an important member of the Scout Regiment. It was then revealed that both he and Bertholdt are the Armored and Colossal titan, thus not only betraying the Survey Corps, but fans of the anime and manga. While I did hate him for what he did, I then realized that everything he did that he thought, was saving Marley from the Island Devils. In his mind, he's Marley's savior while to the people on Paradise Island, he caused soo much pain. While Bertholdt was nixed by Armin after obtaining the power of the Colossal Titan, Reiner still plays a major role in Attack on Titan and has had scuffles with the Attack Titan on several occasions. It was also revealed that he grew up with an Eldian mother and Marleyan father and grew up in Liberio's internment zone, he eventually was selected to be a Marleyan soldier. When looking back at his memories, he was prepared to commit suicide, feeling ashamed for what he did. This shows that even flawed Anime characters can have layers and Reiner Braun is a perfect example of that.

4. Armin Arlert.

Out of the original trio growing up in Shiganshina is Armin. Coming off as a shy person who had a hard time making his voice heard, he grew up to become a battle strategist who ended up securing victories for the Scout Regiment. Smart and underconfident, the fact that he's now the Colossal Titan certainly adds to his character soo well. I mean just look at his grand entrance during the Liberio arc! BEAST! He's also known to having low self-esteem, that time when he killed someone for Jean and feeling bad about it afterwards shows that Armin had yet to put his morality into question. When he transformed at Liberio, however, he looked down at the destruction that he caused and noted that this was the same sight that Bertholdt saw during the Shiganshina massacre. He strongly believes that morality is relative and that are no laws of good and evil. Which says a lot of what makes a character good or evil, there are no good guys or bad guys in Attack on Titan, only characters with moral values.

3. Mikasa Ackerman

When thinking about of the best female characters in Anime, Mikasa always comes to mind. After her parents were murdered by bandits when she was a child, she lived with Eren before the fall of Wall Maria. Though she wanted to spend a lifetime with Eren, she chose to follow him into the Military and joined the Scout Regiment to follow and protect him. Her bond with Eren is truly what puts Mikasa in the top three, need further evidence? She wears a red scarf that Eren gave her when they first met. She's also not afraid to use action instead of words. Time and time again, she has Eren so many times, with one instance when she came at Annie in Titan form for attempting to abduct Eren. Mikasa has become one of the best members of the Scout Regiment and a stand-up character in her own right.

2. Eren Yeager

I didn't place as the #2 spot just because he's the MC, but because he has shown unsubstantial growth since Season 1. Originally having a short temper and a grudge against titans after he watched his mother get eaten by one, Eren joins the Scout Regiment out of pure hatred for the titans and even becoming one himself after he gets his legs chopped off and swallowed by a titan. However, when he discovered the truth about the titans in Grisha's basement, he grew an understanding of the titans even calling one an Eldian. He also swore to end the war between the Eldians and the Marleyans. During his Founding Titan transformations he has done things that have stood out, like when he lifted a boulder and used the Jaw Titan as a freaking nutcracker to gain the power of the War Hammer titan. JEEZ. Later, he started a group known as the Yaegerists who swear to stop the war by any means necessary even if it means going against the military and betraying his friends. Man-bun Eren was sending me, guys!! I'm telling ya!

Honorable Mentions:

- Sasha Blouse

RIP Potato Girl.😭

- Connie Springer

- Falco Grice

- Marco Bodt

1. Levi Ackerman

Yup. He's #1. The moment when he stepped into that courtroom and beat the crap out of Eren, thus making him his bitch is what made him my favorite character! During times of battle, he has more than proved his bad-assert like when he evaded his former Mentor, Kenny and his forces and when he took down Zeke on several occasions! He treated him like he was scrub! Like most of these characters on this list, he had a tragic backstory, he was born to a prostitute and forced to grow up on the street starving himself until he meet his mother's older brother, Kenny and raised him as his own. His cold demeanor, leadership and persona is what makes him a great Squad Captain and the greatest character in the anime.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to comment below what your favorite Attack on Titan character is!