Attack on Titan showcases humans as prey; however, the reason behind Titans eating them is not simply a matter of survival.
While the world of Anime is a mystical and imaginative place that countless wish to live in, there are a few settings that almost no one would like to migrate to — Attack on Titan is one such place. With giants that actively hunt humans and devour them, it is easy to see why.
At the beginning of the series, it was assumed that Titans viewed humans as food and ate them for dietary purposes; however, later plot developments showed that this was not the case.
Titans showed no interest in animals, which can be considered odd if they were actually looking for something to sustain them.
Furthermore, it was revealed that Titans gained energy from sunlight and had absolutely no need to consume humans in order to survive.
Considering this, why exactly do Titans eat humans? Well, as it turns out, season three finally provided us with some answers!
Why Do Titans Eat Humans?
Titans eat humans hoping that they are Titan Shifters, which will finally allow them to become humans and escape the never-ending torment.
This desire to revert to their original state is instinctual and present in all mindless Titans.
In the very first season, it was mentioned that Titans don’t prey on humans for dietary purposes, which shocked the students.
However, this critical fact was buried under all the action and bloodshed, and it was only in season three, when Lord Rod Reiss transformed into a Titan, that we finally came close to figuring out the actual reason.
It was also during this time that we saw things from the perspective of a Titan. After transforming, Rod Reiss saw people, not as humans or food for nourishment, but as glowing lights that he was subconsciously drawn to.
Later on, in the same season, it was revealed that Titans were all originally humans descended from Ymir, the first Titan known to exist. After being injected with spinal fluid, they turned into mindless giants, or as they are now called, Titans.
When Ymir devoured Marcel Galliard, a Titan Shifter, she reverted from a mindless Titan to her human form.
She later confessed that her time as a Titan was like a never-ending nightmare filled with hellish pain and that it was on pure instinct that she ate Marcel, thus gaining possession of his powers.
This was the moment that fans realized or hypothesized the reason why Titans crave humans. Titans hunt for Titan-Shifters because of their subconscious desire to regain their human form.
To justify this theory, when Eren first turned into a Titan, thus basically announcing his identity as a Titan Shifter, a lot of mindless Titans flocked towards him because of their instinct to escape their Titan form.
With this, the question of why Titans eat humans has been answered; however, another one pops up.
As we all know by now, Titans need to consume a Titan Shifter to turn human; however, only Eldians have the ability to transform into a Titan. If that’s the case, then why are the other humans eaten as well?
Just recently in season 3, during Grisha’s flashback, we witnessed a scene where Sergeant Major Gross, a Marleyan officer, was eaten by the Titans after being pushed off the ledge by Eren Kruger.
Since he did not possess the ability to transform into a Titan, there should have been no reason for the giants to attack him.
Well, the answer is quite simple. As it turns out, since most Titans are mindless creatures, they fail to recognize the humans that are Titan Shifters and target everyone until they find the person possessing those powers. Simple, isn’t it?
A Greater Instinct? – Dina’s Promise to Grisha
Throughout the article, we have mentioned the mindless Titans, and their instincts to transform back into a human. However, is this true for the Abnormal Titans or the ones possessing royal blood? While the majority do act on their subconscious desires, there are a few exceptions.
Remember Grisha’s first wife, Dina Fritz? Or better known as the Titan that ate Eren’s mother?
Before turning into a Titan, Dina promised her former husband that she would find her way back to him no matter what she became.
After turning into an Abnormal Titan, Dina actually did make her way to Grisha’s house, all the while ignoring Bertholdt. Even during season two, she eventually made her way to Eren, which doesn’t seem like a coincidence.
This behavior is entirely different from the mindless Titans and makes one wonder whether something other than the shared instinct is guiding her.
Perhaps it might have been her promise to Grisha that allowed Dina to overcome her instinct and retain a sliver of consciousness, or maybe, it was her royal Eldian blood that made a difference.
Another possible reason why Dina made a beeline towards Eren’s house without acting on her instincts might be the mysterious path connecting all Eldians.
Since the path is linked to their biological make-up, it is not presumptuous to assume that Dina was attempting to approach Grisha through it.
No matter the reason, it seems that chalking it all up to instincts isn’t feasible. While the Titans are indeed overwhelmed by their desire to turn into a human, there are times when this instinct is over-written.
Dina might not be the first case of this happening, and there are bound to be more, especially among the Abnormals and those possessing royal blood.
Nevertheless, the Titans that seemed so horrifying and cruel in the beginning are now turning out to be the victims of the actual monsters — humans.
You know what, Nevermind. They’re still terrifying as hell; let’s just reincarnate in the world of My Hero Academia.
About Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. Kodansha publishes it in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.
The manga began serialization on September 9th, 2009, and continues to date with 30 tankōbom formats.
Attack on Titan follows humanity settled within three concentric walls to protect themselves from the terrifying titans that prey on them.
Eren Yeager is a young boy that believes that a caged life is similar to that of cattle and aspires to go beyond the walls one day, just like his heroes, the Survey Corps. The emergence of a deadly Titan unleashes chaos.
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