Anime has a habit of being ambiguous, and none more so than Attack on Titan. Unlike its fellow anime juggernaut, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which wraps up events in a tidy little bow, Attack on Titan has different ideas about how to end things.
Recommended VideosThe Attack on Titan ending has been mired in controversy for some time due to its themes and depiction of the military. But just as confusing is the end for Mikasa Ackerman. Throughout the series, Mikasa has been right at the side of protagonist, Eren, who rushes headlong into battle to avenge the death of his mother. Seeing a Titan chomp on your mom is enough to give any child complex issues, and Eren is no different. But very rarely does Mikasa question him. In fact, for the entire series, Mikasa harbors romantic feelings for her childhood friend, never to be quelled. Though Eren doesn’t implicitly return these feelings, Mikasa does anything and everything for him up until his last moments when she decapitates him. This event takes Eren resolutely out of the running for her hand, leaving the question at large. Who does Mikasa end up with?
Mikasa’s ending is ambiguous
Of course, we all know that Mikasa’s intended would have been Eren if things had gone differently. But Eren’s turn to evil and ultimate fate makes this impossible, leading Mikasa to other avenues. The biggest contender for her heart throughout the series has been fellow soldier, Jean. Since he first met her, it was clear that he had feelings for her. Always one to admire her fighting capabilities and beauty, Jean’s affection for her went largely unrequited throughout the series. However, if Mikasa were to end up with anyone, the most likely candidate would be Jean. With Eren out of the picture settling down with somebody else wouldn’t be the worst option.
But this is an eventuality that Attack on Titan fans still fight about to this day. In the epilogue of the series, we see Mikasa return to Eren’s grave until she has children of her own and eventually dies. But her partner is never explicitly stated. Many fans have argued that Jean resembles the figure she is with, but no one can say for sure. Hajime Isayama has never confirmed the official resolution of any ships, and considering the subject matter, it’s likely he never will. Attack on Titan was never about the romance between characters. A story about destruction caused by the military, the stakes were always too high for any romance to bloom. And even if there is a happy ending, it’s decorated with tragedy. No one has a happy ending, not really. But if fans do want to envision the happiest ending, it may as well be with Jean.
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