Opening Paragraph
Eren Jaeger is the main protagonist of the popular anime Attack on Titan. In the first episode, Eren’s hometown is attacked by giant humanoid creatures called Titans, who eat humans seemingly without reason. During this attack, Eren’s mother Carla is eaten by a Titan while Eren helplessly watches. This traumatic event motivates Eren to join the military and train to fight Titans. However, later in the series, it is revealed that Eren himself was responsible for leading the Titan to eat his mother. This raises the question: why did Eren sacrifice his own mother?
Eren’s Motivations
Eren wanted to join the Survey Corps, the military branch focused on venturing outside the city walls to fight Titans. However, his mother wanted him to avoid fighting and live a safe, comfortable life inside the walls. Eren knew that he had to do something drastic to be free of his mother’s wishes. By intentionally sacrificing her to a Titan, Eren created a traumatic motivation to fight rather than live passively. This freed him to pursue his dream of eliminating the Titans.
Necessary to Trigger His Titan Powers
Later revelations show that Eren has the ability to transform into a Titan himself. However, he did not know this at the time of the attack on his hometown. For Eren to activate his Titan powers for the first time, he needed a trigger – an intense, emotional burst linked to a strong desire to achieve something. Witnessing his mother’s gruesome death at the hands of a Titan provided this trigger, allowing Eren to transform in order to save his friend Armin later. If Eren had not set this plan in motion, he may have never discovered his Titan abilities.
Manipulated By Future Eren
One of the most mind-blowing twists in Attack on Titan is the introduction of time manipulation powers. An older Eren gains the ability to see fragmented visions of future events through memories unlocked by coming into contact with others who possess Titan powers. He can also influence past holders of the Attack Titan power through these memories. Through this system, Future Eren manipulated Past Eren into sacrificing his mother to set off the chain of events that led to his current circumstances. Without intervention, Past Eren may have never joined the Survey Corps or discovered his powers.
Had to Maintain the Timeline
Once Eren gained the ability to see the future, he realized certain events had to happen a certain way to reach that future outcome. This includes witnessing his mother’s death personally so that he would be motivated to eliminate the Titans. If Past Eren chose to deviate from the timeline by saving his mother, it could have had massive unforeseen consequences that prevented the later events leading to Eren gaining the Founding Titan power. From Future Eren’s perspective, Carla Jaeger’s sacrifice was a “necessary” fixed event in the causal chain.
Eren’s Personality and Convictions
While being manipulated by his future self was a factor, the kind of person Eren is provides context for his willingness to sacrifice his mother. Eren has always been headstrong and committed to his goals and ideals to a fault. Once convinced getting his mother eaten by a Titan was “necessary” to defeat them, Eren would be the type of person to go through with it. His fierce conviction made it possible for Future Eren to directly steer him towards this path. Someone more hesitant and compassionate may not have complied.
The Tragedy of Carla Jaeger
While there were several contributing factors in Eren’s decision, it is undeniably tragic that Carla Jaeger had to die in such a horrible way at the hands of her own son. Despite Eren’s later rationale, Carla was portrayed as a kind, loving mother who cared deeply for Eren. She did not deserve her terrifying fate just to serve as a plot device for Eren’s development. Her death scene is heartbreaking and impactful because she died unaware her own child orchestrated her demise.
Conclusion
Eren sacrificing his mother was an intensely tragic and shocking catalyst for the events of Attack on Titan. It provided the motivation and trigger for Eren to gain and control his Titan powers in order to further his goal of eliminating the Titans. This sacrifice was enabled by Future Eren manipulating the past through unseen time powers. While Carla’s death served narrative and character purposes, it highlighted the incredible willpower and conviction Eren possessed, for good or ill. Her gruesome fate at the hands of her son was a gut-wrenching scene that lingered over the rest of the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Carla’s death preventable?
Based on the fixed timeline of events, it seems Carla’s death was inevitable once Eren decided to go through with sacrificing her. Any attempts to save Carla would likely have failed or only delayed the inevitable due to fate and Future Eren’s interventions.
Did Carla know Eren caused her death?
There are no indications Carla had any awareness her son was intentionally putting her in the path of the Titan that killed her. From her perspective, it was just an unfortunate tragedy, making the scene even more heart-wrenching.
Was it right for Eren to sacrifice Carla?
Most would argue nothing justifies intentionally causing the death of one’s own mother, even if it did lead to saving lives later. It highlights how far Eren was willing to go for his goals and ideals. There were likely other options not taken that may have avoided this tragedy.
What were the long term impacts of Carla’s death?
Beyond motivating Eren’s quest against the Titans, Carla’s death had major impacts on Mikasa and drove a wedge between Eren and his father Grisha. The loss of his wife led Grisha to act more desperately. Carla’s death was a major factor in shaping who Eren became.
Could Carla’s death have been avoided?
If Future Eren chose not to intervene and manipulate Past Eren, it’s possible Carla’s death could have been avoided. However, it likely would have significantly altered the subsequent events of the timeline, for better or worse. Preventing her death may have doomed humanity.
Visualizing Important Events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 835 | The Fall of Wall Maria – Titans attack Eren’s hometown |
| 842 | Eren graduates from the 104th Training Corps |
| 845 | The Battle of Shiganshina District – Eren seals the outer gate |
| 850 | Eren activates the Founding Titan, starting the Rumbling |
Key Characters
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Eren Jaeger | Main protagonist, gains the power of the Titans |
| Mikasa Ackerman | Eren’s close childhood friend and ally |
| Armin Arlert | Eren’s close friend who helps strategize against the Titans |
| Carla Jaeger | Eren’s kind mother who is eaten by a Titan |
Examining Perspectives on Eren’s Choice
In Defense of Eren
Some defend Eren’s actions as necessary based on the following arguments:
– Eren did what he had to in order to unlock the power to defeat the Titan threat and save countless lives.
– Future Eren was operating with more information about what had to happen to reach the best outcome.
– Carla’s death, while tragic, served a greater purpose. The ends justify the means.
– Eren was a victim as well, manipulated by future circumstances beyond his control.
Against Eren’s Choice
Others criticize Eren for the following reasons:
– Sacrificing one’s own mother is never justified, no matter the circumstances.
– Eren should have found another way or refused to go along with Future Eren’s plan.
– The ends do not always justify the means when the means include intentionally killing innocent people.
– Eren bears responsibility for choosing to prioritize the ends over respect for human life and dignity.
Impact on Other Characters
Mikasa Ackerman
– Witnessing Carla’s death traumatized Mikasa and strengthened her bond with and dedication to protecting Eren.
– She became more cynical about the world after seeing cruelty and unfairness firsthand.
Armin Arlert
– Helped radicalize Armin and motivate him to join the Survey Corps and fight for humanity.
– Forced him to mature quickly in the face of such cruelty and tragedy.
Grisha Jaeger
– Losing his wife made Grisha more desperate and willing to pass the Titan power to Eren prematurely.
– Her death destroyed any chance of their family living happily together inside the walls.
Long Term Consequences
– Provided the motivation for Eren to start the Rumbling years later, killing millions outside the walls.
– Led to increased tensions between Eren and Mikasa over Eren’s destructive path.
– Hardened Armin’s resolve to stop Eren, culminating in their epic ideological clash.
– Her death kept driving Eren forward, for better or worse, shaping him into a determined agent of change.
– Left Eren with deep-seated trauma and anger motivating his conviction in his actions.
Final Thoughts
Eren sacrificing his mother is one of the most shocking twists in Attack on Titan that fundamentally shaped the rest of the story. It provided the motivation and trigger for Eren to gain the power of the Titans and set him on the path to seeking freedom beyond the walls at any cost. However, it came at the tragic cost of his kind mother’s life in a horrifying way that Eren will have to carry forever. The full morality of Eren’s choice is debatable and highlights his intense conviction towards his goals. Carla did not deserve her fate, but her death undeniably impacted all of the characters and story in deep, thematically meaningful ways. Her memory lived on as an important reminder of what was lost along the path Eren chose.