User blog comment:Blacktitan1031/attack on titan characters/@comment-10733658-20131011102403

I honestly don't have any characters I'm not fond of in the series, as everyone brings something important to the table.

In terms of favorite, I suppose that would be Reiner and Jean. Both are complex and strong-willed characters that have brought interesting viewpoints to the story and have strong ideals.

Jean is fascinating primarily in his growth as a character, since the beginning of the series. He has evolved from the selfish, too-cool-for-this, cynical teenager into a capable young man. He provides a strong contrast to people such as Eren, Erwin, and Armin through voicing opposing ideas and opinions. He challenges Eren to understand other viewpoints, and to fully understand the burden being placed upon him. That moment when he confronts Eren over his lack of control, and begs him to understand how people are going to die for him, that he needs to shoulder that burden and think about the consequences of his actions....is definitely one of my favorite scenes. I like that he has changed from a person that thought only of himself, into someone that struggles with his own weakness and doubts because he wants to protect others. That he provides a voice challenging the theme of becoming a monster to fight monsters. He questions Erwin's tactics, he reaches out to Reiner and Bertholdt when Mikasa would rather rampage, and he recognizes how insane things really are.

Reiner won me over initially because I always dig the Big Brother type, but then he also managed to land squaring in the "complex antagonist" category. He's a study in contradictions, someone that is exceptionally group-minded, compassionate, and heroic.....but also ruthless, emotionally unstable, and struggling with who he wants to be and who he needs to be. He, along with Bertholdt and Annie, present us with a puzzle in the form of enemies that have done terrible things but also are painfully human. Ultimately, I find the idea that our heroes are becoming monsters while the enemy is being brought down by their own humanity an interesting reversal. He's someone that is a caring, supportive friend willing to sacrifice himself without a second thought, but also someone willing to do truly horrible things. Unable to handle the guilt, but still unwilling to back down from what he sees as his responsibility and duty. The dude is a complete mess, no two ways about it. The one everyone thought was strong, was stable, was the support for everyone else.....is Atlas shouldering too many burdens, and crumbling into pieces in one epic breakdown.