I could maybe connect the past to Armin, present to Mikasa, and future to Eren. Armin wants to learn about the world before the titans, he’s scared of change and wants to go back. Mikasa wants to settle down with Eren, not wanting to take risks and just wanting to live in the present. Eren not only sees the future, he wants to make a gateway for his friends to live a peaceful live outside the walls, to fulfill Armins wish of exploration, and to let Mikasa settle down somewhere. I also want to say I can’t believe y’all don’t have more that 100k subs, your content is crazy good.
Yeah that's a good read of their characters. I'm sure there are heaps of connections we've missed. Also thanks for your support! Hopefully the channel keeps growing!
Imo Armin and Mikasa could also represent Odin's two ravens: Armin is Thought, and Mikasa is Memory. They're the most prominent constants in Eren's life, and Odin (from my individual readings in the past) is said to always constantly have Thought and Memory beside him wherever he goes. Armin and Mikasa are not only Eren's longest friends, they're both essentially the triggers of Eren's desire for freedom: Armin's wish to see the outside world was what got Eren to start thinking about humanity and their position as "cattle" as a whole, hence Armin is Thought; although they're not siblings, Mikasa is the only surviving member of his family, and arguably Eren rescuing Mikasa was what triggered his vehement desire to fight against those that oppress freedom, hence Mikasa is Memory. Personality wise they both fit themes of thought and memory too: Armin's smart and wise and is constantly thinking, whether it's strategizing or speculating (and he's usually always right too) and he has some pretty deep thoughts like when after he ate Bertholdt, while Mikasa sometimes thinks of how things used to be and is pretty much melancholic (in one of the episodes in I think season 3 she's the first to ask "Do you think we could go back to how things used to be when this is all over?" while having a flashback to them as children messing around with Hans, and in her OVA she's literally living in a memory of the past, except with the addition of the mirror man)
Yeah nice! I’m sure there’s some significance to the three of them. This actually reminds me of the comment from @Cyrus22999 connecting them like The Norns as past, present and future. Maybe Eren’s so focused on the future that he needs Thought in the present and Memory from the past to guide him?
@@GatewaytoAnime In a way they actually kind of are, looking at the chapters leading to the end of the story: they're the biggest influences in his life, they were definitely guiding forces for him
About the Ymir screaming part, you could also connect it to the female titan screaming to attract all titan around so they can eat her body, create chaos and let her escape.
This was a fantastic video. You guys do some great work on this channel. My only criticism is that I didn't find you sooner. Looking forward to your future videos!
Utgard Castle is named after the castle of Ettins in Norse Mithology. The events of Clash of the Titans are very similar to the Thor and Loki journey to Jotunheim in Prose Edda
Now after having watched the final episode of Attack on Titan I can finally watch all the mythology/philosophy videos and see what other people interpreted into the anime or what parallels they've seen. This is among my favorite videos, thanks a lot! In AoT there are also many interesting parallels to greek mythology, like when Eren carries that boulder to close the wall in the first season it reminded me of Atlas carrying the world, possibly foreshadowing the terrible fate that Eren inherited by getting Titan powers. And of course the name "Titan" itself comes from greek, and just so much more... I'm not sure whether you're planning on doing a new video on AoT and it's parallels to mythology soon now that the great series has ended, if so I'm definitely looking forward to it!
Honestly we’re still just digesting that ending and reflecting on the series as a whole for now. It feels like the end of an era! Glad you enjoyed the video though!
I think that Willy Tybur, despite being named after Villy, brother of Odin, is actually based on Thor. Thor is actually 2/3rds Jotnar, but ironicaly he hates and despises the giants, and is considered their greatest enemy and slayer, and is considered the greatest champion of the gods. Similarly, Willy is an Eldian, with some Marleyan blood, but he hates and despises the Eldians, wieving them as Devils and activly working for their extermination. Tyburs also posses the Warhammer Titan, and Thor is associated with a Warhammer that brings forth lightning. Fun fact: Willy design was based on Chris Hemsworth, who plays Marvels Thor
Finally, someone does this properly! When AOT first came out, when the closing of S2 came out, and the emphasis on Ymir's name, I was like, "Wait, a Norse minute!" And then SNK became easier to predict. IMO, Isayama could have done a lot more with this. You should also check out H.G Wells. Also, you have more material to cover with this; so, I expect a part 2. I'll come back to this comment and give you all the info you missed.
@@bryancarbajal6560 For example Eren being odin is just plain wrong, Eren is either loki or (when hes transformed) surtr. The one who brings ragnarok. Odin is literally the one who wants to STOP ragnarok so how can eren be him in this story Ymir in both stories was the 1st giant. Until they died in the precense of odin who in aot would be king fritz. Then in both stories odin/fritz uses ymirs body to create either the 9 realms or 9 shifters. Like its so obvious
The Giant Wolf, Fenrir (son of Loki) was feared and imprisoned by the Gods not because of anything he actually did, but rather because of what he COULD do with his constant ever-growing size and power. He was tied to a massive isolated boulder which could be seen as synonymous with being isolated on an island When Fenrir breaks free during the events of Ragnarok, he goes on a rampage, eating everything in sight (in some versions of the story he even consumes the sun), however, what he desires most is to kill Odin because he is the one who insisted on imprisoning Fenrir. The two meet on the battlefield and Fenrir devours Odin. Fenrir relishes his victory before being killed by one of Odin's sons, Vidar. There are many similarities between Fenrir's story and the events of Attack on Titan including: Fenrir's ever-growing size, power, & appetite being similar to the Titans and Eren's evolving power throughout the series Fenrir desires revenge against the Gods, specifically Odin for his wrongful imprisonment and goes on a rampage consuming everything in sight. Eren desires to kill those who unjustly wronged him. First, he wants to kill all the Titans for killing his mother and destroying his home. Then he desires to kill all the people of the outside world for their unjust hatred of him and his people and their unprovoked attack on Paradis and wants to use the Rumbling to destroy everything. Like Odin, the outside world is constantly seeking new knowledge and innovation, however, also like Odin they fear the potential threat of people who are "Subjects of Ymir" due to their ability to become Titans. And, in order to negate this potential threat, they attempt to launch a preemptive strike against Paradis
Yeah nice! I knew of Fenrir but hadn’t connected it on a thematic level. It makes sense though and the thematic connections are interesting to think about!
@@GatewaytoAnime Yeah. Fenrir is probably my favorite figure in Norse Mythology both because I love Wolves and also because of how tragic his story is. In many ways, that's how I see Attack on Titan as a whole. No matter which way you look at it, it's a tragedy. Fenrir was made into a "Villain" because of circumstances outside of his control. And, in a way, most of the characters in Attack on Titan are similar. Many of them are forced or compelled to do morally questionable things due to psychological conditioning or forces beyond their control.
I'm not sure why the author seemed to mix Odin's references to Eren and Hange, and then Eren also seems to reference Fenrir, Loki, Jormungand and the Norns. Anyhow, Hange seem to be a direct reference to Odin, the "Hanged" god. Like how Odin created Mjornir, thor's hammer, Hange was also responsible for the creation of the Thunderspears. Tyr was asked to feed Fenrir, and knowingly lost his arm, and I think Erwin losing his arm is a reference to that. Tyr used to be the leader of the Norse gods, but in our world, with Odin gaining more popularity, stories started to shift and he became the leader of the gods, much like how Hange replaces Erwin as the leader of the scouts. When Hange locks Eren in a cell, I see it as a bit of a reference to Odin chaining Fenrir, and Eren breaks out from that. Later, in the Paths, Eren is literally chained, again like Fenrir and also like Loki. "Ragnarok" starts exactly the moment Eren breaks free from his chains, and for story purposes he needs to speak with Ymir. That painel of the start of the Rumbling, I think Eren resembles a giant serpent, like Jormungand, with it's jaw wide open, ready to consume the world. I also think Eren's AT's jaw also resembles the jaws of a wolf, and ears. I believe, at some point, the author probably thought of making Eren eat Hange, like Fenrir eats Odin. In the end, Mikasa breaks Eren's mouth open and kills him, like Vidar cracked Fenrir's jaw open to kill him.
The characters and themes of the mythology create broad strokes across the whole of the Series. Odin is most analagous to Eren, but parts of his story are reflected in other characters too. Ymir Fritz got her powers after falling down the roots of a tree, and into a well where the titan-parasite resides, granting her powers. Odin made a similar journey to a well, nourished by Yggdrasil's roots, and tended to by Mimir, whom he sacrificed his eye to in order to drink from the well and gain more wisdom. In fact, his whole motif of sacrificing himself to achieve his own ends is perpetuated in how titans shift - self mutilation = power. The war of the Aesir and Vanir mirrors the conflict between the Marleyans and the Eldians, as it ended with actors on both sides of the war going to the other side in an effort to maintain peace. The Aesir, being primarily concerned with order, built walls and alienated the Jotnar (giants) and Vanir in their efforts for dominance. The Royal family of Fritz (later Reiss) reflects the Aesir; caging mortals and expunging the giants, yet being half-giants themselves. However, depending on your point of view, perhaps the Marleyans are more akin to the Aesir. After all, caging and binding dangerous giants is also in the Aesir's playbook. Just ask Fenrir or Loki. And speaking of, Eren can also be compared to Loki in some respects. Loki, the shapeshifting, loudmouth, trickster giant, is responsible for causing trouble for the Aesir, the death of one of their most beloved friends, and is prophesied to captain the ship Narfalgr, bringing forth the army of giants after breaking free from his chains, to lay waste to Asgard. Eren too, had to break free from many 'chains' in his life; the societal narrative of his homeland, the self-degrading system of oppression set up by the Marleyans and Eldians of the past, and even his attachment to his friends at one point. He tricked and betrayed Zeke and many others, and caused a genocidal war. When comparing a character to Odin, one should also factor Loki into the picture as well. Both characters are stunningly similar, and some have considered that one is actually an aspect of the other. Dig deep enough, and you may find theories that Baldur's death and Ragnarok as a whole was actually a plot between the two of them all along. As for Fenrir, his motif can be found diffused among all the titans and titan shifters - a hungry, ravenous wolf-giant, who devours everything in his path, growing ever larger. Once a friend to the gods, but made their enemy due to their fear of what he might become. Their chaining of him turning him into the very monster they sought to hold back.
i once heard a theory that Loki was Odin in a disguise because Odin and Loki share many traits, there were more reasons but there's too much for me to list and i forgot some but one was that they were both tricksters, as for why: Odin hung himself on a tree with a spear in his side and became greater for it, so he wanted Baldur to be a greater king god so he killed him and Baldur would come back to life, another reason is Odin whispered something in Baldur's corpses ear, Eren wanted to kill all titans for killing his mom and trapping him in a cage, and now Eren is trying to kill the rest of world. also there might be some similarities with the nine realms and the nine titans, ill say one now: The Colossal and Jotunheim: Realm of the Giants
9:06 My goodness.. Isayama you absolute madlad. *SPOILERS* Exactly how 139 ended. I am in awe. Yeah, even more than so back then, I am convinced that was the ONLY WAY Attack on Titan could have ended. Cannot wait for Part 3. Incredible breakdown video. This one needs at least 1M views.
@Erik Kemeey*SPOILERS* Ragnarök = Rumbling Death of Odin = Death of Eren Jaeger End of the Power of the Giants = End of the Curse of the Titans + final pages is the core theme of Attack on Titan having conflict will never cease as long as humans exist. It’s human nature.
@Erik Kemeey Guess someone didn’t pay attention to the story. Whether or not Eren completed the Rumbling or not, conflict will always exists which will also lead to complete destruction in or outside of Paradis. Floch is a perfect example of that due to different beliefs and ideals. That theme’s been established since forever. Read or watch “Night of the End” again. Even Erwin spoiled the end pages way back in Season 3. Also, the curse of the Titans were lifted because Ymir stopped building Titans. She became free thanks to EMA. Eren in 122. Armin in 137. Mikasa in 138. If you so expected a kumbaya happily ever after type of ending for a story such as Attack on Titan, you’ve been reading/following the WRONG series/story mate.
There’s a lot of differences between AoT and Norse myth, that’s just how inspiration works though. All artists borrow ideas from places and change it to fit their vision. It’s fun to point out the similarities but Isayama obviously had his own story to tell and the differences make it more exciting. Might be a little different to 139 but that’s not a big deal
ain’t no way you don’t have at least a million subscribers, this quality is insane, really hope you grow from this video because it’s one of the best of i’ve seen on this topic also never realized the similarities were this extreme like i knew the connections were there but not to this level, i think odin and eren are more similar than we think, i think eren truly wanted to stop the rumbling from happening as odin did but both had to accept fate, all in all great video, you have a new subscriber, supporter, and fan!
Also Hange later gets an eye patch and is the one who explains Thunder spears. Lol. They keep going. And throughout the series and manga we see so many fallen comrades like Valhalla.
Just read this Norse mythology book and literally everything reminded me of attack on titan, the tree of life, the giants, Ymir the great giant when she died became the tree of life that sat in the center of the earth, blew my mind great fucking writers the anime had
This is great. I was very late to Attack On Titan. Having been forced to watch it by my GF in late 2023. (She had just started season 2 and wanted to watch everything with me) I had just replayed GoW Ragnarok. And Being Swedish, a lot of norse mythology was fresh in my head. It was so fun seeing the pararells. As soon as I heard "YMIR" I was like oh. Knowing that Ymir was the first being, and Titans being the greek versions of giants. That gave me the idea that Titans power must be from her. So I incorrectly guessed that Ymir was the first Titan. (Which is correct with the REAL Ymir obviously) And also things like the 9 titans (9 realms) Yggdrasil ect ect. Really fun perspective to watch from
1:26 Y'all....Ymir was not destructive. He also wasn't producing kids at an "out of control" rate. He literally just existed and got killed for no reason. Let's stop sugar coating this to make it more palatable to western ideas of good gods vs evil giants. Ymir was NOT evil nor a threat. Odin literally killed his grandpa. Edit: That being said even though there's a few incorrect things about norse mythology in the video, overall it's a really fantastic analysis and the editing and production is top notch! I foresee your channel growing exponentially.
Oh we never intended to sugarcoat or misrepresent anything. As mentioned at 1:05, the references to Norse Myth are vastly simplified for comparison’s sake. In terms of Isayama’s narrative in AoT, that reading of Norse myth seems to fit his storytelling
Maybe Eren is Loki , He tricked zeke ,manipulated Grisha ,kept his plan a secret until the end(just some examples) Manga spoilers Even controlled the titan which led to his mother’s death
Thanks for this video, was hoping more of this Norse Mythology would be explored by the Fanbase, I appreciate it! 👍🏾 And yeah, Bertholdt's sleeping patterns and dreams also being connected with all this is another theory/connection they've made as well
@@GatewaytoAnime Yeah, definitely, 100% That and of course Hange resembling Odin with the missing eye due to the pursuit of Knowledge, something they both share a passion for was something I read alongside that as well
Very nice video. Well thought out and very well prepared. As much as I know about Norse Mythology and as much as I know and love about AoT, it never occurred to me the similarities. I got distracted over the years by the MCU and God of War. Speaking of GOW, you mentioned in your video that Odin was the God of War. Odin was considered The All Father. But wasn't Odin, Freya, and Tyr considered the gods of war when it came to being worshipped by the Vikings??
Glad you enjoyed the video! We’re not historians or anything but we’ll do our best to clear that up! Nordic cultures glamourised battle and death, so attributed that aspect to many of their gods. They all have different stories and places within Norse myth, making them relatable in different ways, yet battle was such a big part of their culture that they looked for help with it from many of their gods. While Odin, Tyr, Freyja and Thor were all worshiped as gods of war, Odin was the most powerful (as you mentioned, the All Father). He presided over Valhalla. His sons Tyr and Thor carried his legacy as gods of war. While Odin and sons were Aesir who fought with plain combat (weapons, brute force), Freyja was a Vanir. The Vanir employ subtler techniques of influence using magic. Perhaps a thunderstorm before a battle might be an omen of Thor’s blessing, or when the odds seem against them they might ask Freyja for magical influence. Hope that helps!
@@GatewaytoAnime it helps me better understand where you're coming from and solidified what I learned before. Just glad you weren't saying Odin was the "ONLY" GoW in Norse Mythology.
@@wadewilson8011 Oh as we mentioned in the video, we're not covering all of Norse mythology. Just relevant points of similarity to Attack on Titan. There's links in the description for more info about Norse myth!
apparently grisha’s attack titan was designed to resemble surtr i don’t see similarities since surtr is a red fiery giant with a flaming sword bright as the sun itself
I always believe Eren in his final titan form is Surtr because he bought destruction and wreak havoc during the Rumbling, or I prefer to say RAGNAROK Edited: The real reason I believe that is because Eren and Surtr have one similar goal and one purpose: destroy their oldest enemies.
Beautiful video but so many things wrong due to reaching. In both stories Ymir is the first giant that dies in the presence of Odin/KING FRITZ. Odin and Fritz then create the 9 realms or 9 shifters from Ymirs body. Obviously. Odins whole thing is wanting to stop the end, Eren wants to cause it. Eren is not odin, he is loki. And his rumbling form is surtr, the personification of ragnarok. Again obviously.
@@2wickie686 I should tell that to you. Cause wtf are you talking about how does Marvels Loki connect to any of this😂😂 I guess loki from mythology has nothing to do with Ragnarok huh
just watched a video on the history of norse mythology and realised how similar it was to this. i feel scammed; its a straight ripoff! i thought the only thing isayama plundered was the history of judaism (moses/musa escaping egypt and leading the israelities to the holy land mirroring how king fritz led the eldian population out of marley to paradis + names such as levi, dina along with the obvious ww2 germany parallel with armbands and discrimination in marley) but this is on another level. the whole story and all its twists was quite literally plagarised from norse mythology with 0 appropiation! interestingly enough i always thought the lore of attack on titan was something that couldve existed as real mythology that people in the middle ages couldve believed.. how naive i was, it already exists! fantastic video though. im also from sydney and its cool to see a sydney based organisation making high quality videos. loved the animations especially.
There's still plenty that's original in SNK. It's definitely not a 1 to 1 recreation. Although, I will give Isayama props for correctly portraying the sad tale of Ymir. Norse Mythology Ymir was also considered evil and bad, but he was actually one of the most innocent people in the tales. He couldn't help what was happening to him and there's zero record of him harming anybody. But he was killed because he was vulnerable, and his grandson did it to gain more power.
The character Hange is also similar to Odin in that she also has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and loses an eye
Aswell as Eren who sacrifices his eye to gain inside knowledge of marley
I could maybe connect the past to Armin, present to Mikasa, and future to Eren. Armin wants to learn about the world before the titans, he’s scared of change and wants to go back. Mikasa wants to settle down with Eren, not wanting to take risks and just wanting to live in the present. Eren not only sees the future, he wants to make a gateway for his friends to live a peaceful live outside the walls, to fulfill Armins wish of exploration, and to let Mikasa settle down somewhere. I also want to say I can’t believe y’all don’t have more that 100k subs, your content is crazy good.
Yeah that's a good read of their characters. I'm sure there are heaps of connections we've missed. Also thanks for your support! Hopefully the channel keeps growing!
Damn, good point.
No it literally represents the 3 timelines. See you later timeline, manga timeline, and AOE timeline
It's seems that Eren represents all three Norns with his power. But I don't want to spoil anything.
Armin doesn't wanna go back wtf are you talking about lmao
Never seen this level of quality on a new channel, looking forward to seeing this channel grow. Btw appreciate not spoiling the anime only watchers 👍🏽
Thanks heaps! Welcome!
Imo Armin and Mikasa could also represent Odin's two ravens: Armin is Thought, and Mikasa is Memory. They're the most prominent constants in Eren's life, and Odin (from my individual readings in the past) is said to always constantly have Thought and Memory beside him wherever he goes. Armin and Mikasa are not only Eren's longest friends, they're both essentially the triggers of Eren's desire for freedom: Armin's wish to see the outside world was what got Eren to start thinking about humanity and their position as "cattle" as a whole, hence Armin is Thought; although they're not siblings, Mikasa is the only surviving member of his family, and arguably Eren rescuing Mikasa was what triggered his vehement desire to fight against those that oppress freedom, hence Mikasa is Memory.
Personality wise they both fit themes of thought and memory too: Armin's smart and wise and is constantly thinking, whether it's strategizing or speculating (and he's usually always right too) and he has some pretty deep thoughts like when after he ate Bertholdt, while Mikasa sometimes thinks of how things used to be and is pretty much melancholic (in one of the episodes in I think season 3 she's the first to ask "Do you think we could go back to how things used to be when this is all over?" while having a flashback to them as children messing around with Hans, and in her OVA she's literally living in a memory of the past, except with the addition of the mirror man)
Yeah nice! I’m sure there’s some significance to the three of them. This actually reminds me of the comment from @Cyrus22999 connecting them like The Norns as past, present and future. Maybe Eren’s so focused on the future that he needs Thought in the present and Memory from the past to guide him?
@@GatewaytoAnime In a way they actually kind of are, looking at the chapters leading to the end of the story: they're the biggest influences in his life, they were definitely guiding forces for him
About the Ymir screaming part, you could also connect it to the female titan screaming to attract all titan around so they can eat her body, create chaos and let her escape.
Oh yeah true!
A stronger relation is the fact SNK Ymir literally can't talk.
This was a fantastic video. You guys do some great work on this channel. My only criticism is that I didn't find you sooner. Looking forward to your future videos!
Thanks so much! Welcome!
I did notice some similarities with nordic mythology before but not this many. Amazing.
I bet we’ve missed some too! Glad you enjoyed it
Utgard Castle is named after the castle of Ettins in Norse Mithology. The events of Clash of the Titans are very similar to the Thor and Loki journey to Jotunheim in Prose Edda
Now after having watched the final episode of Attack on Titan I can finally watch all the mythology/philosophy videos and see what other people interpreted into the anime or what parallels they've seen. This is among my favorite videos, thanks a lot!
In AoT there are also many interesting parallels to greek mythology, like when Eren carries that boulder to close the wall in the first season it reminded me of Atlas carrying the world, possibly foreshadowing the terrible fate that Eren inherited by getting Titan powers. And of course the name "Titan" itself comes from greek, and just so much more...
I'm not sure whether you're planning on doing a new video on AoT and it's parallels to mythology soon now that the great series has ended, if so I'm definitely looking forward to it!
Honestly we’re still just digesting that ending and reflecting on the series as a whole for now. It feels like the end of an era! Glad you enjoyed the video though!
This deserves so much appreciation, quality is awesome!!
Cheers!
I think that Willy Tybur, despite being named after Villy, brother of Odin, is actually based on Thor. Thor is actually 2/3rds Jotnar, but ironicaly he hates and despises the giants, and is considered their greatest enemy and slayer, and is considered the greatest champion of the gods. Similarly, Willy is an Eldian, with some Marleyan blood, but he hates and despises the Eldians, wieving them as Devils and activly working for their extermination. Tyburs also posses the Warhammer Titan, and Thor is associated with a Warhammer that brings forth lightning.
Fun fact: Willy design was based on Chris Hemsworth, who plays Marvels Thor
Finally, someone does this properly! When AOT first came out, when the closing of S2 came out, and the emphasis on Ymir's name, I was like, "Wait, a Norse minute!" And then SNK became easier to predict.
IMO, Isayama could have done a lot more with this. You should also check out H.G Wells. Also, you have more material to cover with this; so, I expect a part 2. I'll come back to this comment and give you all the info you missed.
God damn. Aot S2 ending song is my favorite ed song.
@@iHateincels You get it. Although, I do like the the current Ed.
I wouldnt say properly😭
@@Flipitmixit They're missing stuff, but why do you think it's not proper. Could you show me a link to a proper example?
@@bryancarbajal6560 For example Eren being odin is just plain wrong, Eren is either loki or (when hes transformed) surtr. The one who brings ragnarok. Odin is literally the one who wants to STOP ragnarok so how can eren be him in this story
Ymir in both stories was the 1st giant. Until they died in the precense of odin who in aot would be king fritz. Then in both stories odin/fritz uses ymirs body to create either the 9 realms or 9 shifters. Like its so obvious
The Giant Wolf, Fenrir (son of Loki) was feared and imprisoned by the Gods not because of anything he actually did, but rather because of what he COULD do with his constant ever-growing size and power.
He was tied to a massive isolated boulder which could be seen as synonymous with being isolated on an island
When Fenrir breaks free during the events of Ragnarok, he goes on a rampage, eating everything in sight (in some versions of the story he even consumes the sun), however, what he desires most is to kill Odin because he is the one who insisted on imprisoning Fenrir. The two meet on the battlefield and Fenrir devours Odin. Fenrir relishes his victory before being killed by one of Odin's sons, Vidar.
There are many similarities between Fenrir's story and the events of Attack on Titan including:
Fenrir's ever-growing size, power, & appetite being similar to the Titans and Eren's evolving power throughout the series
Fenrir desires revenge against the Gods, specifically Odin for his wrongful imprisonment and goes on a rampage consuming everything in sight. Eren desires to kill those who unjustly wronged him. First, he wants to kill all the Titans for killing his mother and destroying his home. Then he desires to kill all the people of the outside world for their unjust hatred of him and his people and their unprovoked attack on Paradis and wants to use the Rumbling to destroy everything.
Like Odin, the outside world is constantly seeking new knowledge and innovation, however, also like Odin they fear the potential threat of people who are "Subjects of Ymir" due to their ability to become Titans. And, in order to negate this potential threat, they attempt to launch a preemptive strike against Paradis
Yeah nice! I knew of Fenrir but hadn’t connected it on a thematic level. It makes sense though and the thematic connections are interesting to think about!
@@GatewaytoAnime Yeah. Fenrir is probably my favorite figure in Norse Mythology both because I love Wolves and also because of how tragic his story is.
In many ways, that's how I see Attack on Titan as a whole. No matter which way you look at it, it's a tragedy. Fenrir was made into a "Villain" because of circumstances outside of his control. And, in a way, most of the characters in Attack on Titan are similar. Many of them are forced or compelled to do morally questionable things due to psychological conditioning or forces beyond their control.
I'm not sure why the author seemed to mix Odin's references to Eren and Hange, and then Eren also seems to reference Fenrir, Loki, Jormungand and the Norns. Anyhow, Hange seem to be a direct reference to Odin, the "Hanged" god. Like how Odin created Mjornir, thor's hammer, Hange was also responsible for the creation of the Thunderspears. Tyr was asked to feed Fenrir, and knowingly lost his arm, and I think Erwin losing his arm is a reference to that. Tyr used to be the leader of the Norse gods, but in our world, with Odin gaining more popularity, stories started to shift and he became the leader of the gods, much like how Hange replaces Erwin as the leader of the scouts.
When Hange locks Eren in a cell, I see it as a bit of a reference to Odin chaining Fenrir, and Eren breaks out from that. Later, in the Paths, Eren is literally chained, again like Fenrir and also like Loki. "Ragnarok" starts exactly the moment Eren breaks free from his chains, and for story purposes he needs to speak with Ymir. That painel of the start of the Rumbling, I think Eren resembles a giant serpent, like Jormungand, with it's jaw wide open, ready to consume the world. I also think Eren's AT's jaw also resembles the jaws of a wolf, and ears.
I believe, at some point, the author probably thought of making Eren eat Hange, like Fenrir eats Odin. In the end, Mikasa breaks Eren's mouth open and kills him, like Vidar cracked Fenrir's jaw open to kill him.
I love this video, i never knew the nordic culture shaped aot so mush
Cheers! It’s fascinating stuff
This is probably the most underrated channel I've ever seen
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying our stuff!
The characters and themes of the mythology create broad strokes across the whole of the Series. Odin is most analagous to Eren, but parts of his story are reflected in other characters too. Ymir Fritz got her powers after falling down the roots of a tree, and into a well where the titan-parasite resides, granting her powers. Odin made a similar journey to a well, nourished by Yggdrasil's roots, and tended to by Mimir, whom he sacrificed his eye to in order to drink from the well and gain more wisdom. In fact, his whole motif of sacrificing himself to achieve his own ends is perpetuated in how titans shift - self mutilation = power.
The war of the Aesir and Vanir mirrors the conflict between the Marleyans and the Eldians, as it ended with actors on both sides of the war going to the other side in an effort to maintain peace. The Aesir, being primarily concerned with order, built walls and alienated the Jotnar (giants) and Vanir in their efforts for dominance. The Royal family of Fritz (later Reiss) reflects the Aesir; caging mortals and expunging the giants, yet being half-giants themselves. However, depending on your point of view, perhaps the Marleyans are more akin to the Aesir. After all, caging and binding dangerous giants is also in the Aesir's playbook. Just ask Fenrir or Loki.
And speaking of, Eren can also be compared to Loki in some respects. Loki, the shapeshifting, loudmouth, trickster giant, is responsible for causing trouble for the Aesir, the death of one of their most beloved friends, and is prophesied to captain the ship Narfalgr, bringing forth the army of giants after breaking free from his chains, to lay waste to Asgard. Eren too, had to break free from many 'chains' in his life; the societal narrative of his homeland, the self-degrading system of oppression set up by the Marleyans and Eldians of the past, and even his attachment to his friends at one point. He tricked and betrayed Zeke and many others, and caused a genocidal war.
When comparing a character to Odin, one should also factor Loki into the picture as well. Both characters are stunningly similar, and some have considered that one is actually an aspect of the other. Dig deep enough, and you may find theories that Baldur's death and Ragnarok as a whole was actually a plot between the two of them all along.
As for Fenrir, his motif can be found diffused among all the titans and titan shifters - a hungry, ravenous wolf-giant, who devours everything in his path, growing ever larger. Once a friend to the gods, but made their enemy due to their fear of what he might become. Their chaining of him turning him into the very monster they sought to hold back.
Wow that is so comprehensive that it feels like it’s “part 2” of the video. Interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing!
Eren is like a mix of Odin and Loki
Awesome video !
I keep coming back to this video.
The production quality is outstanding.
This video deserves more views! It is very good!
I kinda had a feeling that Erwin Smith is Tyr, a God of War because he fought to protect and he did lost an arm at one point.
i once heard a theory that Loki was Odin in a disguise because Odin and Loki share many traits, there were more reasons but there's too much for me to list and i forgot some but one was that they were both tricksters, as for why: Odin hung himself on a tree with a spear in his side and became greater for it, so he wanted Baldur to be a greater king god so he killed him and Baldur would come back to life, another reason is Odin whispered something in Baldur's corpses ear, Eren wanted to kill all titans for killing his mom and trapping him in a cage, and now Eren is trying to kill the rest of world.
also there might be some similarities with the nine realms and the nine titans, ill say one now:
The Colossal and Jotunheim: Realm of the Giants
I noticed this a while ago but never seen anyone talk about it
huh so much was taken from norse mythology and it all went over my head because i never bothered to delve deeper into it myself
The edit is clean👌the sound, the visual and the content are so well produced
Cheers!
No, no, no your channel can't be so so so so underrated.
Cheers! Welcome!
The 1 eye is also a reference to one of the kings saying that a slave only needs one eye, which is why the eldians always are shown with 1 eye
Wow didn't the know the birds from the first episode was referencing norse mythology. Norse mythology is fascinating
9:06 My goodness.. Isayama you absolute madlad.
*SPOILERS*
Exactly how 139 ended. I am in awe. Yeah, even more than so back then, I am convinced that was the ONLY WAY Attack on Titan could have ended. Cannot wait for Part 3. Incredible breakdown video. This one needs at least 1M views.
Cheers! Nice touch adding the spoiler warning to this comment too 👍
@Erik Kemeey*SPOILERS*
Ragnarök = Rumbling
Death of Odin = Death of Eren Jaeger
End of the Power of the Giants = End of the Curse of the Titans
+ final pages is the core theme of Attack on Titan having conflict will never cease as long as humans exist. It’s human nature.
@Erik Kemeey Guess someone didn’t pay attention to the story. Whether or not Eren completed the Rumbling or not, conflict will always exists which will also lead to complete destruction in or outside of Paradis. Floch is a perfect example of that due to different beliefs and ideals. That theme’s been established since forever. Read or watch “Night of the End” again. Even Erwin spoiled the end pages way back in Season 3. Also, the curse of the Titans were lifted because Ymir stopped building Titans. She became free thanks to EMA. Eren in 122. Armin in 137. Mikasa in 138. If you so expected a kumbaya happily ever after type of ending for a story such as Attack on Titan, you’ve been reading/following the WRONG series/story mate.
There’s a lot of differences between AoT and Norse myth, that’s just how inspiration works though. All artists borrow ideas from places and change it to fit their vision. It’s fun to point out the similarities but Isayama obviously had his own story to tell and the differences make it more exciting. Might be a little different to 139 but that’s not a big deal
@@GatewaytoAnime 100% spot on mate 👌🏻
0:34 I seriously thought someone was knocking on my door really hard and freaked tf out 😂
Can’t believe I never discovered this channel earlier the content is amazing
Cheers! Welcome!
Subscribed. Before this channel blows up
Welcome! Cheers!
good job!
Wow! Your editing is so clean btw. It's very pleasing to watch🔥
Thanks!
this video needs WAY more views, also sub 200
Cheers! Thanks for getting us to 200! 🥳
ain’t no way you don’t have at least a million subscribers, this quality is insane, really hope you grow from this video because it’s one of the best of i’ve seen on this topic
also never realized the similarities were this extreme like i knew the connections were there but not to this level, i think odin and eren are more similar than we think, i think eren truly wanted to stop the rumbling from happening as odin did but both had to accept fate, all in all great video, you have a new subscriber, supporter, and fan!
Thanks heaps! Yeah it’s such an interesting topic, I’m sure there’s even more connections too. Thanks for your support!
Oh... My... God... This video was so good... How does this channel not have more subs... This was so well done...
Cheers!
Love this came over from TikTok
Welcome! Hope you enjoy the full video!
Also Hange later gets an eye patch and is the one who explains Thunder spears. Lol. They keep going. And throughout the series and manga we see so many fallen comrades like Valhalla.
Erwin Smith is definitely Tyr
Love that some more of these Norse similarities are coming out in comments
amazing video. so underrated thank you for this
Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ragnarok was Eren's Rumbling as it destroys the world before it would be reborn with new people and land
ok but like even all the way down to the Odin's ravens being pictured in the 5th Op
just wow
After this video my respect increased to Isiama how he designed a very beautiful story of norse mythology
Thanks for Information
Man, this video is really good quality, keep it up, my friends!
Thanks heaps!
Just read this Norse mythology book and literally everything reminded me of attack on titan, the tree of life, the giants, Ymir the great giant when she died became the tree of life that sat in the center of the earth, blew my mind great fucking writers the anime had
Amazing!
This is great. I was very late to Attack On Titan. Having been forced to watch it by my GF in late 2023. (She had just started season 2 and wanted to watch everything with me)
I had just replayed GoW Ragnarok. And Being Swedish, a lot of norse mythology was fresh in my head.
It was so fun seeing the pararells. As soon as I heard "YMIR" I was like oh.
Knowing that Ymir was the first being, and Titans being the greek versions of giants. That gave me the idea that Titans power must be from her. So I incorrectly guessed that Ymir was the first Titan.
(Which is correct with the REAL Ymir obviously)
And also things like the 9 titans (9 realms) Yggdrasil ect ect. Really fun perspective to watch from
1:26 Y'all....Ymir was not destructive. He also wasn't producing kids at an "out of control" rate. He literally just existed and got killed for no reason. Let's stop sugar coating this to make it more palatable to western ideas of good gods vs evil giants. Ymir was NOT evil nor a threat. Odin literally killed his grandpa. Edit: That being said even though there's a few incorrect things about norse mythology in the video, overall it's a really fantastic analysis and the editing and production is top notch! I foresee your channel growing exponentially.
Oh we never intended to sugarcoat or misrepresent anything. As mentioned at 1:05, the references to Norse Myth are vastly simplified for comparison’s sake. In terms of Isayama’s narrative in AoT, that reading of Norse myth seems to fit his storytelling
Levi is one of the Dwarves
This channel needs more subs.
Shocked at the lack of a trickster character like loki, especially when so much of the show revolves around secrets and lies
Maybe Eren is Loki ,
He tricked zeke ,manipulated Grisha ,kept his plan a secret until the end(just some examples)
Manga spoilers
Even controlled the titan which led to his mother’s death
@adityajonnalagadda9721 I didn't consider that!
Thanks for this video, was hoping more of this Norse Mythology would be explored by the Fanbase, I appreciate it! 👍🏾
And yeah, Bertholdt's sleeping patterns and dreams also being connected with all this is another theory/connection they've made as well
Oh nice! I’ll have to look into that more
@@GatewaytoAnime
Yeah, definitely, 100%
That and of course Hange resembling Odin with the missing eye due to the pursuit of Knowledge, something they both share a passion for was something I read alongside that as well
Not 100% accurate similarity shown properly but we can see Norse Mythology influence alright
kratos about to get on a murder spree in attack on titan
So, AoT is likely based on Norse Mythology? How could Isayama explains about this?
Glad you've noticed.
One has to admire Isayama. The guy is some next level nerd.
0:34 bro hell that sound edit made me jump lmao i thought someone was knocking at my door 😂 headphone users know what i mean
Here before 1 million subscribers
Very nice video. Well thought out and very well prepared. As much as I know about Norse Mythology and as much as I know and love about AoT, it never occurred to me the similarities. I got distracted over the years by the MCU and God of War.
Speaking of GOW, you mentioned in your video that Odin was the God of War. Odin was considered The All Father. But wasn't Odin, Freya, and Tyr considered the gods of war when it came to being worshipped by the Vikings??
Glad you enjoyed the video! We’re not historians or anything but we’ll do our best to clear that up!
Nordic cultures glamourised battle and death, so attributed that aspect to many of their gods. They all have different stories and places within Norse myth, making them relatable in different ways, yet battle was such a big part of their culture that they looked for help with it from many of their gods.
While Odin, Tyr, Freyja and Thor were all worshiped as gods of war, Odin was the most powerful (as you mentioned, the All Father). He presided over Valhalla. His sons Tyr and Thor carried his legacy as gods of war. While Odin and sons were Aesir who fought with plain combat (weapons, brute force), Freyja was a Vanir. The Vanir employ subtler techniques of influence using magic.
Perhaps a thunderstorm before a battle might be an omen of Thor’s blessing, or when the odds seem against them they might ask Freyja for magical influence.
Hope that helps!
@@GatewaytoAnime it helps me better understand where you're coming from and solidified what I learned before. Just glad you weren't saying Odin was the "ONLY" GoW in Norse Mythology.
@@wadewilson8011 Oh as we mentioned in the video, we're not covering all of Norse mythology. Just relevant points of similarity to Attack on Titan. There's links in the description for more info about Norse myth!
apparently grisha’s attack titan was designed to resemble surtr i don’t see similarities since surtr is a red fiery giant with a flaming sword bright as the sun itself
I guess they both have beards? Lol
I always believe Eren in his final titan form is Surtr because he bought destruction and wreak havoc during the Rumbling, or I prefer to say RAGNAROK
Edited: The real reason I believe that is because Eren and Surtr have one similar goal and one purpose: destroy their oldest enemies.
Attack on Titan is a masterpiece!💯💕
Attack on titan is a weird modern take of the start and end of ragnorak
Its really cool.
Nice video
This video is amazing
Now that alien snake makes more sense.
hahaha
Beautiful video but so many things wrong due to reaching. In both stories Ymir is the first giant that dies in the presence of Odin/KING FRITZ. Odin and Fritz then create the 9 realms or 9 shifters from Ymirs body. Obviously.
Odins whole thing is wanting to stop the end, Eren wants to cause it. Eren is not odin, he is loki. And his rumbling form is surtr, the personification of ragnarok. Again obviously.
Eren is not Loki wtf are you on about lmao stop watching marvel and go read the actual mythology please 😭
@@2wickie686 I should tell that to you. Cause wtf are you talking about how does Marvels Loki connect to any of this😂😂 I guess loki from mythology has nothing to do with Ragnarok huh
Isamaya love Norse mythology too much from which he created a masterpiece 😂😂😂
Gosh eren as Odin 😍😍😍😍
I would be interested in you making a video about JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
I liked this video too
What if the spoiler alert at the start of the video was for Norse history instead 💀
Where's attack on titan's loki, thor, and all the other gods and giants?
I don’t think Attack on Titan was ever meant to be a full retelling of Norse Myth, just took some inspiration
Eren didnt change much actually
Attack on Titan is Nostalgic for it’s History and Mythology.
nice video! aot seems a lil less original now...
Eren always try to solve problem with violence, lol
Further proof of aot having 3 timelines.
just watched a video on the history of norse mythology and realised how similar it was to this. i feel scammed; its a straight ripoff!
i thought the only thing isayama plundered was the history of judaism (moses/musa escaping egypt and leading the israelities to the holy land mirroring how king fritz led the eldian population out of marley to paradis + names such as levi, dina along with the obvious ww2 germany parallel with armbands and discrimination in marley) but this is on another level. the whole story and all its twists was quite literally plagarised from norse mythology with 0 appropiation!
interestingly enough i always thought the lore of attack on titan was something that couldve existed as real mythology that people in the middle ages couldve believed.. how naive i was, it already exists!
fantastic video though. im also from sydney and its cool to see a sydney based organisation making high quality videos. loved the animations especially.
There's still plenty that's original in SNK. It's definitely not a 1 to 1 recreation. Although, I will give Isayama props for correctly portraying the sad tale of Ymir. Norse Mythology Ymir was also considered evil and bad, but he was actually one of the most innocent people in the tales. He couldn't help what was happening to him and there's zero record of him harming anybody. But he was killed because he was vulnerable, and his grandson did it to gain more power.
255th here >:)
Welcome!
303rd sub, pin? btw great vid!
Oh, why thank you for the like
*Heart