Speaking of Attack on Titan, it is a work with many hidden mysteries and hints throughout the story. Amidst all of this, there is a rumor going around that Armin, who plays a central role in the story, is actually the mastermind behind everything! Armin is the best friend of the main character Eren and is quite intelligent, but is he really the mastermind? We will introduce the Armin mastermind theory in detail!
What kind of person is Armin?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Armin's real name is Armin Arlert. He comes from the same Shiganshina district as Eren and the others. At 163 cm tall and weighing 55 kg, he is quite small for a soldier in the Survey Corps. He has blonde hair, blue eyes and a bob cut, so at first glance he could be mistaken for a girl. His fighting and physical strength are far inferior to other soldiers. On the other hand, his intelligence and judgment are quite superior, and he is a great help to the Scout Regiment.
What is the basis for the theory that Armin is the mastermind?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Armin is Eren's childhood friend and best friend, and also plays an active role as a staff officer in the Survey Corps, but why is there a rumor that he might be the mastermind? We will introduce the basis for this.
Too smart
Source: Attack on Titan ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Armin realizes that the Female Titan is Annie, comes up with a plan to expose her, sees through the Colossal Titan's weakness, and proposes other clever ideas that no one else would think of, and there are many scenes where the plan is a brilliant success. His intelligence is so great that it's hard to believe he's been living the same life as Eren since childhood. However, there is a widespread speculation that this intelligence means that Armin is actually the mastermind, and that he knows everything but is acting while pretending not to know. I don't know why he would take action to help the Survey Corps after knowing everything, but it's quite thought-provoking that he would be suspected just because he's too smart.
Armin was a Titan?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
It was said that it was actually Armin who ate Eren's mother, Carla. Humans with titan abilities, such as Eren and Annie, retain their original human characteristics, but the titan who ate Carla had blonde bob hair, just like Armin. Armin was not present when Carla was eaten. This led to speculation that Armin might actually be a titan. However, in the original work, Armin inherits the abilities of Bertholdt's Colossal Titan, and the titan who ate Carla reappears, with Armin present, so this theory is invalid.
Familiar with the outside world?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Armin's goal is to go to the world outside the walls. And it was Armin who made Eren want to go to the world outside the walls. For some reason, Armin has quite detailed information about the world outside the walls. There are many theories we can speculate on, such as: is Armin actually a person who came from the outside world? Considering that he spent his childhood with Eren, were his parents also from the outside world? Is he trying to achieve some goal by taking Eren to the outside world? It is also possible that.
Scary face
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Characters in Attack on Titan say scary things with a straight face or think of bad things. The depiction of their faces at that time is quite creepy, and Armin's depiction is especially scary. Because of his frightening nature, he is sometimes called "Guesmin." Armin is usually cute, but when he's Guessmin, he's really scary. He's so scary that people think he might actually be a bad guy. It's a weak argument for him being the mastermind, but when you see his face, you can't help but see Armin as a villain.
Summary
The theory that Armin is the mastermind has been rumored quite strongly since the beginning of Attack on Titan. However, as the story progresses, that possibility has gradually become less likely, I think. However, if you think about it, if Armin, who is a trusted and close person to Eren, is unexpectedly the mastermind, it might be an interesting way to look at it!
