The wildly popular anime "Attack on Titan" has garnered attention and fans both in Japan and overseas for its deep storyline, worldview, and spectacular action scenes. With the new anime series currently airing, things are getting exciting. While initially the story revolved around the battle between Titans and humans, new mysteries have recently been revealed and various plot threads have been resolved, making the story much more complicated. In this article, we'll introduce the world situation in "Attack on Titan."
World Situation Part 1: Two Forces at War
First, let's understand that the world of "Attack on Titan" is dominated by two forces: the "Eldians" and the "Marleyans." These two forces have been in conflict for a long time. What is the reason for their ongoing conflict? We'll take a closer look at the Eldians and the Marleyans.
What are the Eldians?
In the world of "Attack on Titan," the "Eldians" refer to the human race living within the walls. The main character, Eren, is an Eldian. It's no exaggeration to say that the world within the walls is the Eldian Nation. Incidentally, because Eldians are Ymir's people, they all have the ability to transform into Titans. For this reason, Marleyans often don't consider Eldians to be the same kind of human beings. They're sometimes referred to as "of demon blood." Incidentally, not all Eldians reside within the walls; some remain on the continent outside the walls. These Eldians are under the control and persecution of the Marleyans.
What are the Marleyans?
Meanwhile, the Marleyans are the human race that controls the continent outside the walls. While Marleyans cannot transform into Titans, they covet the power of the "Founding Titan" possessed by the Eldians.
What is the relationship between the two?
Eldia and Marley have long been at war over Titan power. Around 1,850 years ago, a young girl named Ymir Fritz, an ancestor of the Eldians, gained Titan power. After the girl's death, the power of the Titans he had obtained was divided into nine parts. These are known as the "Nine Titans." Using this power, he created the Eldian Empire and defeated the Marleyans. More details will be provided in the next section.
World Situation Part 2: What Exactly Is Ethnic Cleansing?
From here, we will explain "ethnic cleansing," an essential part of the history of Eldia and Marley.
What is ethnic cleansing?
Once the Eldians had obtained the power of the "Nine Titans," they would use that power to rule the continent. After defeating Marley, they ruled over other peoples for 1,700 years. They even had children with other peoples and raised them as "Ymir's people." This is known as "ethnic cleansing."
Civil War Breaks Out in Eldia
However, due to Marley's internal machinations, a civil war broke out within the Eldian Empire, weakening the Empire. Marley then seized an opportunity to steal seven of the "Nine Titans." This led to the Great Titan War, which ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Eldian Empire.
Fleeing to Paradis Island
At this time, King Fritz was the king of Eldia. He refused to fight and built three walls on Paradis Island to escape. These walls are the Wall Rose, Sheena, and Maria walls that appear in the story. From these walls, the current Eldia (the world within the walls) was built.
World Situation Part 3☆ What about the Eldians under Marley's control?
King Fritz built the three walls and isolated the country, but the Eldians outside the walls were ruled by Marley. This marked the beginning of a history of persecution. Among the Eldians under Marley's control, an organization called the "Eldian Restorationists" was formed with the goal of rebelling against Marley. Eren's father, Grisha, was a member of this organization.
Injected!
However, the Eldian Restorationists' plan was discovered by Marley. All members of the Eldian Restorationists were injected by Marley with an injection that transformed them into Titans. They were then released onto Paradis Island as mindless Titans. This means that the Titans Eren and the Scout Corps had been defeating were actually Eldians who had transformed into Titans.
The Titans' True Identity Was Human
This means that Eren and his companions were killing members of their own race. The Titans' true identity was actually human. So what happened to Grisha? Of course, he was turned into a Titan as a member of the Eldian Restorationists, but before that, he had acquired the powers of the "Attack Titan." This allowed him to escape within the walls. During this time, he married Carla, and Eren was born. At first, it was said that there were no humans outside the walls, but it turns out that history was incorrect.
World Situation Part 4☆ Who are the Warriors of Marley?
In other words, the story of "Attack on Titan" revolves around the war between Marley and the Eldians who reside within the walls. Marley and the Eldians who reside within the walls are after something within the Eldian Empire. What exactly is it?
What are the "Warriors of Marley"?
Currently, the Marleyans rule the continent, and among them are people known as "Warriors of Marley." "Warriors of Marley" are people who have sworn to Marley as neutral and possess the powers of the seven Titans that Marley seized from the Eldians. They are considered Marley's strongest human weapons and possess powerful, special Titan powers.
Heading for Paradis Island
Marley's warriors are heading for the walled-off "Paradis Island." Paradis Island is where Eldians who are accused of treason or other crimes within Marley are turned into Titans and exiled. This means that Titans are roaming the island in large numbers. Marley has a specific purpose for sending a large number of Marleyan warriors to Paradis Island.
The Goal: Recapturing the Founding Titan
Even for "Marleyan Warriors," the large number of Titans roaming the area makes Paradis Island a highly dangerous region. The reason Marley is sending its warriors there is to recapture the Founding Titan. Marley has seized seven of the Nine Titans' powers from Eldia, but they were unable to seize the power of the Founding Titan, the supreme Titan.
Why do they want the power of the Founding Titan?
Marley currently controls the continent. While Marley is a country that has developed its own technology, in recent years, neighboring countries have been increasing their military power and acquiring the latest weapons. While Marley possesses the power of the seven Titans, the power of the Titans alone is no longer enough. Marley is also poorly resourced, making technological development difficult. In this situation, Marley has its sights set on Paradis Island. There are vast resources hidden beneath Paradis Island, and Marley hopes to secure them and build a more stable nation. To achieve this, they have determined that they first need the power of the Founding Titan.
What are the requirements to become a Marleyan Warrior?
To become a Marleyan Warrior, two conditions must be met: "Be a healthy boy or girl between the ages of 5 and 7," and "Inherit the power of the Titans and fully demonstrate their abilities as a Marleyan Warrior." Furthermore, a rigorous screening process is conducted, and recruitment takes place over several years. Those who meet these conditions and wish to become a Marleyan Warrior can undergo training. Incidentally, when recruiting Marleyan warriors, the Eldians are always selected. Even if they are Eldians, as long as they are Marleyan warriors, they are not persecuted and are treated with courtesy.
Why can only the "people of Ymir" become Marleyan warriors?
"The people of Ymir" are Eldians. Why can only the people of Ymir become Marleyan warriors? The Marleyans do not pass on their power to transform into Titans to other Marleyans. This is because the Marleyans are a race that cannot transform into Titans, as they do not possess Titan powers. Therefore, even if they obtain Titan powers, they are unable to use them. Meanwhile, the Eldians were the first in history to obtain the power of the Titans. Therefore, the Marleyans recruit military personnel as "Warriors of Marley" from among Eldians who can wield Titan powers.
What is an Honorary Marleyan?
Becoming a Marleyan warrior thus entails many sacrifices and, of course, dangers. However, it also brings just as many benefits. As mentioned above, Eldians in Marley are constantly persecuted and brutally treated. In the worst cases, during wars, they are forcibly transformed into mindless Titans and dropped from the sky like bombs. Even Eldians who become Marleyan warriors are given the title of "Honorary Marleyan." While Eldians remain a race, they are now treated as "Marleyans" within the country of Marley. They pledge allegiance to Marley, and this extends to their families. For persecuted Eldians, the title of "Honorary Marleyan" is certainly appealing. While providing these benefits, the Marleyans continue to use the power of the Titans.
World Situation #5☆What Exactly is the "Coordinate"?
The "Coordinate" appears frequently in "Attack on Titan" and is an important keyword in the story. This "Coordinate" is the origin of the "Founding Titan" and refers to the "power to control Titans." The Coordinate plays an important role in battle, as it allows the Founding Titan to be controlled at will, turning the swarms of "Mindless Titans" that roam the land. The Coordinate is currently located in Eldia, and its owner is the protagonist, Eren.
What is the Non-Aggression Pledge?
The Eldian nation prospered thanks to the power of the "Founding Titan," originally inherited by the young girl Ymir Fritz. After Ymir's death, the Founding Titan's power split into nine parts, giving birth to nine "intelligent Titans." The Eldian Empire subsequently weakened as its power was stolen by Marley. King Fritz, who ruled at the time, retreated to Paradis Island and built a triple wall. It was at this time that he issued the "Non-Aggression Pledge."
Eren has the Coordinate, but...
Due to the "Vow of Non-Aggression," the power of the Coordinate can only be wielded by those of royal blood. Eren currently possesses the Coordinate, but because he is not of royal blood, he cannot fully utilize its power. To seize its power, he must devour the "Founding Titan," which possesses its power. This means that, at this stage, it is clear that stealing the Coordinate's power is quite difficult. For example, if Eren were to devour Historia, who is of royal blood, he could obtain the power of the Coordinate. This would significantly accelerate the story.
"Attack on Titan" World Situation Summary!
This concludes our summary of the "Attack on Titan" world situation. While the world of "Attack on Titan" still remains shrouded in mystery and many hints remain, here's a summary of what we currently know. It's clear that the story is no longer simply about the "battle between Titans and humans" as it was in the early stages. The anime is currently airing, so it's hard to miss how Eren and his friends will fight from here on out. If you're interested, be sure to check out the original manga as well.
Attack on Titan Related Products
Attack on Titan Merchandise
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Manga
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