Eren's character from chapter 139 coming complete:

THREAD

Eren confirms to Armin that he hurt him, Mikasa and everyone else on purpose, to motivate them to stop him. This is something Reiner realized Eren wanted of them.

Eren explained how he was looking to render his friends into "heros" for stopping him, to make them look good. This is to forcefully open roads for Paradis for diplomatic relations with whatever is left of humanity, after incapacitating the world to wage war on Paradis.

But also, the reason Eren incurs the Rumbling is to make the powers of the titan vanish. How?

Eren explains to Armin how Ymir Fritz "loved" her abuser King Fritz, a psychological disturbance you grow to your abuser under certain circumstances. That sick love prevented Ymir from moving on from the world, so Mikasa was said to be the one to set her free. How?

Eren essentially says he knows that Mikasa is going to do an action that will set Ymir free. Eren doesn't know what that choice is, he just knows the result, so he keeps moving forward for that result. The result is the titan powers vanishing. What is the choice?

The choice is beheading Eren. Basically, Mikasa beheading Eren in front of Ymir Fritz, an action done in necessity but from Mikasa out of love too, shows Ymir what love is but also the end of it, sets Ymir free, and is the reason the power of the titans is gone

Eren recounts to Armin his selfish actions to reach that goal: he murdered 80% of humanity, he caused deadly chaos in Paradis, and he dragged his friends into something they didn't want to be dragged into. He robbed them of their choices.

Eren also explains how the founder's powers makes him live everything at once, so he's always reliving emotional trauma and reminds himself of his resolve to go forward with his plans. Takes a toll on him, a burden he carried in silence.

He explains that this is how he was able to control Dina that day. He admitted to Armin he got his mom killed, he made sure Bertholdt didn't die then bc he needed for the sequence of events to go a certain way that would push him to where he is now.

The reason he got his mom killed was to trigger his rage/resolve & kickstart the future events that have now passed. He needed the resolve to move forward to:
1. Get rid of titan powers
2. Give eldia a fighting chance
3. Achieve his OWN freedom (we'll get to this in a moment)

Eren is conflicted, he wants for Mikasa and co to be happy but he really wishes he could be with them. He doesn't want to die but knows he has to. That's why he has this display of pathetic jealousy, reminding us Eren is not this alpha chad but still the brat he's always been.

Eren doesn't believe there's another way for him to achieve his three goals. He also knows he can't be forgiven which is why he shuts down Armin so quickly when Armin says we can find another way. Eren sees the future and knows it can't be changed

That's when we get to his 3rd goal. Eren says that even if he didn't know the alliance would stop him, he'd still do the Rumbling. Eren is an extremist with a compulsion for freedom. This relates to 131.

In 131 he expresses how it's more than just eldia, Eren wanted to wipe the whole world away bc he was disappointed to learn ab humanity. This shows there's something fundamentally wrong with him. Upon learning the outside wasn't "blank" but full of ppl, he wanted to make it blank

Bc as it always stood, Eren dreamed of seeing the world in Armin's book. This is his most fundamental aspect of his character. This inseparable compulsion he's developed for freedom.

Eren in 139 simply expresses he doesn't know why he would do it, just that he would, as it is dictated in psychology that ppl who dk why they tend to do certain things, these things are done by underlying psychological triggers that control you, in Eren's case freedom

But what's more important is what Grisha says. Eren is remembering being born. This is the earliest memory he has clearly from the powers he has obtained. But this is crucial as it is Grisha here giving Eren his identity: "You are Eren. You are free".

This is Eren's character: moving for freedom no matter the cost. It's an extreme, disturbing and dark way to move for freedom. He's not a hero tho. Eren achieved his own freedom, freed eldia of the titan powers through Mikasa, and gave eldia a fighting chance through Armin.

And no Eren is not a hero for it, but everyone understood what he did. They don't glorify it but understand that it happened, and will make use of it. I'll make a thread on the other aspects and characters of the chapter shortly. For now

END OF THREAD

@Broken_Enigma @reinersgoatee enjoy one of more to come