Attack on Titan is not just your everyday action and fighting shonen, it is one of the deepest and most profound anime series of all time. The concept of living in a world overrun with man-eating Titans is a horrific reality, explaining why the show is filled with so many sobering quotes on the gravity of the terrifying situation. The characters in the series are wise, brave, and willing to sacrifice everything in their relentless fight against the cruelty of the Titans.
The series includes every type of personality, from the intelligent and strategic Armin Arlert, to the fiery and unstoppable Eren Jaeger. This mix of diverse personalities has resulted in a number of different opinions on the situation with the Titans. Strategies on how best to defeat the Titans once and for all vary among the characters, whose ideals sometimes clash with one another. These ten quotes are some of the series’ best and perfectly represent the characters’ philosophy and beliefs. The best part about these quotes is that they do not just apply to the battle with Titans, they offer valuable life advice too.
This is one of Attack on Titan’s most memorable and quotable phrases, summarizing the show’s meaning. The world of Attack on Titan oftentimes provided a miserable existence, especially for the Eldians. Living trapped within the walls, never getting to witness the wonders the world has to offer, and losing loved ones to flesh-eating Titans were all painful realities of their world.
However, through this quote, Mikasa asserts that these tragic aspects of existence do not negate the inherent beauty of the world. Throughout the series, Mikasa herself finds small moments of joy in the midst of the horrific war: her friendships with Eren and Armin and her treasured red scarf Eren gifted to her. This quote summarizes one of the series’ morals very well: no matter how devastating circumstances get, the world is still a beautiful place at its core and worth fighting for.
Armin Arlert is Attack on Titan’s most curious, wise, and thoughtful character, and that is expressed well through his musings about what makes someone a good person. He explains that he finds it unhelpful to categorize people as either “good” or “bad,” because everyone will perceive a person differently based on their experience with them. This is shockingly insightful, and true in both the real world and the world of Attack on Titan.
Although Annie is the person Armin speaks this quote to, it can be applied to every character in the series. It can be difficult to decide who to root for in Attack on Titan because, other than classifying the Titans themselves as a threat, the series doesn’t outline clear heroes or villains and takes a more morally gray approach. One of the biggest plot points was the Marleyans and Eldians meeting and realizing that although they had been sworn enemies for years, they have more in common than expected and are united through shared humanity and a desire to defeat the Titans. Armin’s quote urges viewers to realize the distinction between a good or bad person is not always clear-cut.
Throughout Attack on Titan, main character Eren Jaeger made it abundantly clear that his primary goal in life was achieving freedom from the Titans. He was willing to give up anything necessary in pursuit of this lofty goal, even if that meant severing relationships, risking physical harm, and even losing those closest to him. In this impassioned speech, Eren asserts that freedom is a human right and should not be stolen by anyone.
Eren proudly proclaimed that every human is born with inherent freedom as a right, but sometimes people attempt to encroach on the freedom of others. The Titans threatened humanity’s freedom, which Eren saw as an unforgivable offense that he was more than willing to battle against for the rest of his life if necessary. This quote captures Eren’s mindset and ambitions perfectly and definitely paints the picture of “the boy who sought freedom”.
If any Attack on Titan character has proven his willingness to take monumental risks, it is Armin Arlert. In this quote, he explains how, in order to truly accomplish something, sacrifice is required. Armin doesn’t just make this statement without the actions to back it up, though, he embodies this value throughout his journey with the Survey Corps.
In season three, Armin had a near-death experience when he was burnt almost to a crisp by the Colossal Titan’s boiling hot steam. He was later revived, but the fact that he was prepared to give up his life to ensure victory against the Titans is truly noble and reveals that he is a man of his word who stands by the things he says. Since he is a very thoughtful and contemplative person, Armin is responsible for a lot of the philosophical quotes in the series. However, he is not all talk, and his brave and honorable actions back up this quote about the necessity of sacrifice.
An uncomfortable and heartbreaking truth of war is that, often, soldiers do not make it out alive. Levi Ackerman did not sugarcoat this truth and let the Survey Corps members know exactly what they were getting into, so they could make an informed decision on whether this was the path they wanted to choose or not. Throughout his years as squad captain, Levi witnessed innumerable deaths, including the deaths of close friends, such as Erwin Smith and Hange Zoë.
In spite of this devastating reality, Levi was determined to make these deaths mean something in the greater scheme of things. He explained that by continuing to fight and pursue justice, the legacy of the fallen soldiers would be carried on. Levi endured more hardship than almost any other Attack on Titan character, but it is this mindset and desire to honor those who passed in battle that urged him to persevere and continue inching closer to finally wiping out the Titans he despised once and for all.
The 13th Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith, was a driven and fearless man who refused to let anyone stand in his way. This quote flawlessly expresses his bold attitude and his belief that one should not let other people impact the way they lead their own life. Regret is another theme explored heavily in Attack on Titan, particularly, how not letting go of this emotion can be a hindrance to moving forward.
Erwin unfortunately lost a great number of soldiers on expeditions against the Titans, often in very brutal and gory ways. As a Commander and as a person, he had shortcomings like anyone else, but he chose not to let failure hold him back forever. In this quote, Erwin insisted that he would rather make his own decisions and live with the results, than operate merely as a puppet at someone else’s whims. Regret can be a powerful tool to spark self-reflection and inspire better choices going forward, but, as Erwin proclaimed, it should not become an excuse to doubt yourself.
To his core, Eren Jaeger is a fighter, and someone who is enraged by injustice in any form. During his childhood, he became horrified by the complacency he saw around him, with most Eldians accepting their grim fate to live entire lives in fear, barricaded from the world by walls. This was not an existence Eren could just lay down and accept, so he joined the Survey Corps the first chance he got.
In this impassioned quote, Eren made it clear that fighting against the Titans was not just an option anymore, it was an absolute necessity. The Eldians previously believed that staying within the walls would ensure safety, but when the Titans broke through anyway and began a massacre, this comforting truth was ripped away in an instant. As Eren explained, the Eldians were truly given no other options but to either fight or die, and the choice to fight relentlessly was easy for Eren.
Levi is a captain who stands by the decisions he makes, no matter the consequences. Throughout Attack on Titan, he was responsible for complicated, tense, and time-sensitive decisions, like choosing whether to give Armin or Erwin the revival serum, for example. In many of these situations, the outcome was very unclear, but Levi had to act anyway and not let his fear of making the wrong choice prevent him from acting at all.
This is an important and valuable life lesson, because when faced with difficult decisions, some people freeze up and find themselves unable to choose anything. Rather than become paralyzed by worry and allow it to cloud his judgment, Levi considered his options and picked the best one he possibly could in every circumstance, never shying away from taking action. This aspect of Levi’s personality is commendable and a phenomenal example for viewers, proving that it is best to make the decision that will not cause remorse in the future.
Hange Zoë’s death is one of the most devastating and emotionally-charged scenes in Attack on Titan, but the series gave the Squad Leader a proper and fitting goodbye considering their personality. In order to buy the Survey Corps members time to flee to the airship, Hange charged directly into the path of the Titans. This selfless action tragically resulted in their death, but helped the Survey Corps members get to safety just in time.
Hange’s last words resonate in viewers’ heads to this day, as they are definitely not what anyone was expecting. Rather than reacting in fear, terror, or regret, Hange remarked on the “incredible” and interesting nature of the magnificent beasts who killed them shortly afterward. Hange was fascinated with Titans throughout their life, and this quote is the best representation of their passion for the creatures.