The Racial Themes of Attack on Titan

by Pax Tube

"To eradicate a people, one must first sever their roots."

— Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Anime typically doesn't delve into racial themes, but Attack on Titan is an exception. The series boldly explores racial conflict, making it stand out in the anime world alongside its action-packed sequences and captivating soundtrack. It is evident that the creators poured their hearts into this show.

While Attack on Titan has garnered critical acclaim and gained a global following, some viewers overlook the story's essential messages. In this article, we will delve into the racial themes present in Attack on Titan and examine what this anime teaches us about race. Please note that spoilers for the Attack on Titan anime and manga will be discussed.

Initially, Attack on Titan presents a seemingly straightforward narrative of humanity versus the monstrous Titans. The story revolves around the protagonist, Eren, along with Mikasa and Armin, as they strive to defend their walled civilization from the Titan threat.

However, as the plot unfolds, a shocking twist is revealed: humanity beyond the walls has not been wiped out. In fact, it thrives. Our heroes are not the last remnants of mankind, but rather one of several races. They belong to a race known as the Eldians, and the place they have called home is an isolated island, cut off from the rest of the world. The Eldians are under constant attack by Titans because the other races seek to annihilate them and claim their island for themselves.

Unbeknownst to our protagonists, the Titans are actually Eldians who have been transformed using a serum. This tragic fate befalls them because the other races view the Eldians as devils. The dominant race, the Marleyans, has established a system of persecution specifically targeting the Eldians. Throughout the story, the Eldians are tormented by the Marleyans, who send Titans to kill them. Those Eldians living within Marleyan civilization face horrendous treatment, confined to internment camps, and indoctrinated from birth with the belief that their ancestors were evil. They are even required to wear armbands that identify them as Eldians.

Many viewers have drawn parallels between the Eldians' internment camps and the treatment of Jews in concentration camps during World War II. However, as we delve deeper into the history of the Eldians and understand why they are despised, their resemblance to Jews ends abruptly. Instead, they share striking similarities with another real-life race. But before we explore that connection, let's delve into the history of the Eldians to understand the reasons behind the Marleyans' hatred.

The history of the Eldians predates the events of Attack on Titan by hundreds of years. It is revealed that the original Eldians possessed magical powers known as the "Power of the Titans," enabling them to conquer the world. Using this power, which other races lacked, the Eldians built a vast empire. Marleyan history teaches that during their reign, the Eldians considered other races inferior and engaged in eugenics.

For centuries, the Eldians dominated, unrivaled in power. However, internal conflicts and subversion from within caused the collapse of the Eldian Empire. The Marleyans played a significant role in this downfall. As the empire crumbled, other races rose to prominence, with the Marleyans ultimately seizing control of the world in place of the fallen Eldians. The last remaining Eldian ruler flees with his people to the island of Paradis, employing the Titan powers to construct colossal walls. He pledges pacifism, vowing never to wage war against the outside world again.

This brings us to the timeline of Attack on Titan, where the Eldians face both physical persecution by the Marleyans and mental torment through a narrative that teaches them to be ashamed of their history. They pass this shame onto their children, perpetuating a distorted view of their past known as "The Dark Ages." It is strongly suggested that the Marleyans have exaggerated the negatives of Eldian history to maintain power over them. Eldian Restorationists believe that their history has been tampered with to vilify their race and undermine their achievements.

Considering these circumstances, the Eldians bear striking similarities to Europeans. While not an exact comparison, both groups established vast empires and experienced their downfall due to internal conflicts. Furthermore, the Eldians possess European features, names, and share a common experience of being taught to view their history as evil, much like how people of European ancestry are often taught today.

In Western education systems, there is a tendency to demonize European accomplishments and portray Europeans and their descendants as uniquely bad. This is evident in courses like "Whiteness Studies" in American and European universities, where negatives are emphasized while positives are downplayed or ignored. Media figures frequently criticize European history, contributing to the division among people of European ancestry into two camps: those who dislike their own race and strive to prove themselves as "one of the good ones," and those who reject the demonization.

In Attack on Titan, two characters embody these conflicting viewpoints. Gabi, a young Eldian girl, has been indoctrinated by the Marleyans to see her own race as "devils." She passionately hates other Eldians and fails to consider their innocence. When confronted by Kaya, an Eldian girl whose mother suffered due to accusations about her ancestor's history, Gabi struggles to justify the unjust treatment. Another incident occurs when Falco, Gabi's companion, attempts to remove her armband that signifies her Eldian identity. Gabi panics, as the armband has become part of her identity and distinguishes her as one of the "good" Eldians. This fear of being seen as "one of the bad ones" resembles Shelby Steele's description of White Guilt, where the terror of being labeled a racist can lead to ruin.

Eldians who do not show shame in their race also face dire consequences. Grisha Yeagar's sister, Faye, is brutally killed by dogs for lounging outside the Eldian Internment Zone, and Grisha himself is executed by the Marleyans for joining a pro-Eldian Restorationist group. The message is clear within Marleyan society: be ashamed of your race or face severe repercussions.

Gabi's character represents the extreme result of never being exposed to the positive aspects of her own people. She goes as far as fighting against them to prove she is "one of the good ones." This is also evident in Reiner's character, causing him to experience mental breakdowns when he realizes the Eldians he was taught to hate are his own people.

Although Gabi's mindset is abhorrent, it is challenging to condemn her as an individual since she has been manipulated by the Marleyans to believe she is fighting for a noble cause. The blame lies with the Marleyans who have deceived and influenced her.

Similar dynamics can be observed in real life. Polls indicate that White individuals identifying as liberal and moderate exhibit the lowest in-group preference compared to other racial groups, reflecting a negative perception of their own race. Similarly to Gabi, Reiner, and Bertolt in Attack on Titan, they have been turned against their own people, working against them to prove themselves as "one of the good ones."

Now let's turn our attention to Eren. Unlike Gabi, Eren grew up on the island of Paradis, free from Marleyan control and unaware of the outside world for most of his life. When he discovers the truth about the Eldians' plight and the world's desire to destroy them, he chooses to take a different path. Instead of surrendering his people to certain doom, he decides to fight against Marley and restore Eldia to its former glory. Throughout the series, he witnesses the suffering endured by Eldians merely to survive.

Eren's unwavering commitment to his people is evident as he refuses to give up on them. In response to Marley's declaration of war on Paradis, Eren forms the Yeagarists and takes control of the Paradis government. Despite some morally questionable actions, we are compelled to question if he had any other choice. Paradis is vastly outnumbered and facing an enemy determined to exterminate them. The conflict offers no simple solutions, but Eren's desire to protect his people is undeniably justified.

The contrasting narratives of Gabi and Eren highlight why Attack on Titan is a captivating anime. It underscores the destructive nature of racial guilt based on past events. Those in power often exploit it to divide and conquer a people who would otherwise believe in themselves. The series emphatically asserts the right of peoples to their history, identity, and existence. Eren's character exemplifies the need to assert that right, even in the face of immense opposition.

The Marleyans, consumed by their thirst for revenge against the Eldians, become equally tyrannical, denying the Eldians the right to exist and live in peace. The mental torment endured by Gabi, Reiner, and other Eldians is unjustifiable for any ethnic group, whether in anime or real life.

Interestingly, Attack on Titan challenges these narratives, which is a departure from the anti-White racial biases prevalent in modern Western media. It is noteworthy that an anime tackles these themes, and there have been suggestions that Hajime Isayama, the author of Attack on Titan, holds nationalist leanings. If true, it adds further meaning to the themes explored in the series.