Board Thread:Manga/@comment-4929778-20160808235623/@comment-26932251-20160809003833

I keep thinking about it, it's like, Karma is one thing but really, I feel sorry for Bertolt.

Whoever chose him for this mission, I think they chose poorly. He was never cut out for the role he was placed in and only got as far as he did because he was pushed along by the insistence and actions of others around him.

He was never really a warrior, he was just someone who was trapped in a role and forced to go through the motions. The one time near the end of his life when he did seem to gain a sort of focus and clarity of mind, I really think he was just lying to himself because he was basically shamed into it by Reineer.

And his behavior right before facing death, that was the real Bertolt again, that was the person who was just swept along and finally swept away into oblivion. He died like he lived, a mere prop in other people's agendas. How can I not feel pity for that?

Contrast this with Reiner, like if Bertolt and Reiner's positions were reversed, I think Bertolt would have spilled the beans to Hange rather than let Hange slice him to pieces. Reiner on the other hand deeply internalized the agenda that he was living by and so consequently grinned when he said the word "nope" that he knew would seal his death (he couldn't have expected getting whisked away like he did).

In other words, the homeland should have found another person like Reiner. I mean, we can talk about Karma like a bank account with debts made and then paid back, but really, Bertolt should never have been in this situation to begin with.