Board Thread:Manga/@comment-26624146-20170826063316

Now I know Attack on Titan doesn't really have main villains side from Marley most of the villains are really victims of manipulation. Reiner and Annie being prime examples of this as Reiner was devoted to Marley's cause and believed all the lies told about the Paradis-Eldians being evil devils, only to learn they were really the same as the Marley-Eldians which is why he developed an alter-ego. Annie however was more wise to the lies but was forced into being a warrior by her father. Even Bertolt was horrified by his actions and yet he still seemed to be the least regretful so I got the impression that he was always a little disturbed even before their mission.

However Zeke Yeager has always been a different case as far as I'm concerned. He didn't spend 5 years living in Paradis like his warrior subordinates true but he still saw for himself that the people of Paradis were hardly the "devils" plotting to destroy the world, and Reiner and Bertolt likely would have reported their findings to Zeke as well. He allowed Mike to be brutally devoured by a group of Titans while openly contemplating the ODM gear despite clearly being able to hear his screams, of which he only took interest in the fact he could speak! He deliberatly messed with the Scouts at Utgard Castle. He killed Ewrin, Marlowe and 50 other scouts and acted as though he were playing baseball. He even turned in his own parents as a child because he chose to believe Marley's lies over their words, which indirectly led to the events of the series in the first place. So yea while Reiner and Bertolt may have a lot more blood on their hands at least they're remorseful about it, but Zeke has committed so many horrible actions and is barely remorseful.

I've never had the same sympathetic view towards Zeke as I have Reiner, Annie and Bertolt, but even as I said before I think Bertolt was always a little disturbed anyway but the mission without question pushed him over the edge, and I think the series is setting him up to be the true main villain of the series considering how the story is progressing. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know. 