User blog comment:Dave55811/Chapter 58 is out now./@comment-10733658-20140610053840/@comment-10733658-20140610081429

Honestly, I think the trio of Jean and Connie and Sasha really represent the conscience of the entire group. I think Jean, and to a lesser degree Connie as well, represent a different line of thinking than how things have always been done. Leaders such as Erwin and Pixis are all about ruthless equations, about sacrificing for the greater good and getting their hands dirty. When everyone else was following Mikasa's charge of screaming for Reiner and Bertolt's blood, Jean and Connie were the others to attempt something different. They didn't automatically go into "Kill Mode", they asked questions and they tried to understand. And it obviously had an effect, getting a reaction and a glimpse of something much bigger going on. Isayama has said before the Jean is his favorite character because of his honesty, but Jean has also within the story long been the one to voice dissenting opinion. He, like Ymir, has become a gadfly that challenges the primary way of making decisions. He as repeatedly made it clear he doesn't agree with how Erwin does things, has expressed that he believes the dark path Armin readily embraces won't lead to a better future, and challenges Eren to think about the consequences of his actions and how much is riding on him.

Without Jean around, I feel the story is going to lose something vital. We aren't going to have someone able to effectively voice the very human concerns that Jean represents along with Connie and Sasha. Connie and Sasha are really the innocence of the group, the truly kind people -- while Connie now has a desire for revenge, he hasn't become someone single-minded about it like Eren.

If Eren - Mikasa - Armin are the brutal hope of humanity and Reiner - Bertolt - Annie are the tragic, broken enemies then Jean - Connie - Sasha are the heart. While the first group seems to be more and more embracing becoming monsters, and the second group is a warning of what happens when you do, the third represent a desire to not go down that path.