I just relooked at the English dub and my reason for not believing the narrator being Armin is due to the guy sounding timid or frightened half the time. Like how in one episode, he says that what they're trying to do against the Titans is "Heck".
Still, his tone as a narrator could be heightened.
Maybe Armin changed by the time of the narration.
I mean, he does change quite a lot over the course of the manga. Just look at Chapter 81, in his position most people would be losing it in the presence of something like the colossal titan and the armored titan but he still maintains the presence of mind to actually notice a detail like the fact that the colossal titan got a 'little skinnier' and what the implications of that fact are.
Tausendberg wrote: Maybe Armin changed by the time of the narration.
I mean, he does change quite a lot over the course of the manga. Just look at Chapter 81, in his position most people would be losing it in the presence of something like the colossal titan and the armored titan but he still maintains the presence of mind to actually notice a detail like the fact that the colossal titan got a 'little skinnier' and what the implications of that fact are.
It should've only been a year or less when they return back to Wall Maria, so Armin didn't change that much. I looked at the chapters, and he still looks the same to me.
You're joking, right?
Yeah, I'm joking. :) Also, I checked the trivia just to be sure. The narrator is Armin.
I did some digging, and they do share a voice actor.
I wonder if it has anything to do with the ending. If Armin really is the one left(Which is reasonable considering he's the strongest and smartest Titan there is for now), or is it just because he's the type of character that recites or writes diaries/journals, or has deep inner monolouges him himself. Maybe it could, or could not. I'm also wondering if it's accurate as it is. Maybe it could be Armin in the present writing his journal between the events happening and reciting/reading it as such. Considering how the narration started with something like "To you, in 2000 years" or something. Since the popular belief in Eldia was that they were in an apocalyptic world and so it was after many years from the original peaceful civilization. If Armin was Narrating from the end, he wouldn't mistake that, unless he's obsessed to letting his audience feel the drama in the story. My bet is him writing a journal in the present itself. Between the times they are alive with no titans around.
A simple personal theory that I'd not want to turn out true since it's pretty boring one: the story will probably end in something apocalyptic (if not for the world, then at least for Eldians), so Armin isn't so much as narrating the story but sending his memories of it to Ymir Fritz in the past (maybe that is what 'to you, in 2000 years' refers to), so she can see what her playing with forces she can't comprehend will bring.
That implies Armin inherited the entire set of Titans to achieve that, and Ymir will not touch whatever turned her into Titan after seeing the memories. If so, the timeline changes and 'you're free' refers to Eldians as a whole, since, honestly, I don't see any other kind of 'happy ending' achieved in this world, it's either Eldians utterly eradicated or history altered so they never were able to turn into Titans at all (and the world is unaware, so they won't have a reason to murder them for 'sins of the past').
Teufel.dl wrote: A simple personal theory that I'd not want to turn out true since it's pretty boring one: the story will probably end in something apocalyptic (if not for the world, then at least for Eldians), so Armin isn't so much as narrating the story but sending his memories of it to Ymir Fritz in the past (maybe that is what 'to you, in 2000 years' refers to), so she can see what her playing with forces she can't comprehend will bring.
That implies Armin inherited the entire set of Titans to achieve that, and Ymir will not touch whatever turned her into Titan after seeing the memories. If so, the timeline changes and 'you're free' refers to Eldians as a whole, since, honestly, I don't see any other kind of 'happy ending' achieved in this world, it's either Eldians utterly eradicated or history altered so they never were able to turn into Titans at all (and the world is unaware, so they won't have a reason to murder them for 'sins of the past').
Wow, that might just be true. Considering that Titans do have somethimg that sends back info back in time, to what Eren is possibly having. Maybe Armin found a way to master it's method and send back info? Or probably Hange along with him found something out. Or as you said, maybe he got all the Titans together, since I don't think Eren actually has the heart to absorb Armin.
Or, maybe, it's just one pathetic theory I have. Maybe if all the Titan users along with Historia, the royal blood held hands together, they could possibly posses the power of Ymir? This is because of how Eren managed to control all the Pure Titans around him just by a brief touch from a pure Titan that had Royal Blood. Maybe just holding hands will make them connect their powers?
And about Ymir. Can Ymir be contacted before she inherits her Titan powesr? I think she can, because somehow Eren was contacted by something when he was a kid, just the day the whole titan attack began. And speaking of communication through time, could Zeke be actually told to do all this for the world by these messages and could it be that's what also made Eren change? Since Armin or him or Zeke in the future sent back something so horrifying that he wants to change it?
Anyways, now to Ymir. If she does get the clear discription of the message Armin gives her, how much do you think it would change? Maybe She decides to save the world. Or maybe she decides to do it maybe because she doesn't understand the message(Maybe she got it just like Eren got his as a kid, it could all just be thought as a nightmare too) Or maybe she doesn't care for it. Or maybe that's how it all happened. Like, why not it just be those time travel fictions where nothing changes even when time is tampered with, since it's all forms as a loop that originally consisted of the time tampering. Basically Eren being warned of the Titan attack, could have resulted him in saving his mother or warning the citizens, but he couldn't understand it as he was kid and it was sent to him in a dream, just like Ymir would get it.
I'll have to say, I watched many shows and many books of fiction, but this is one of the best I've seen. Like all the possibilities with the ending and each being possible.
Teufel.dl wrote: A simple personal theory that I'd not want to turn out true since it's pretty boring one: the story will probably end in something apocalyptic (if not for the world, then at least for Eldians), so Armin isn't so much as narrating the story but sending his memories of it to Ymir Fritz in the past (maybe that is what 'to you, in 2000 years' refers to), so she can see what her playing with forces she can't comprehend will bring.
That implies Armin inherited the entire set of Titans to achieve that, and Ymir will not touch whatever turned her into Titan after seeing the memories. If so, the timeline changes and 'you're free' refers to Eldians as a whole, since, honestly, I don't see any other kind of 'happy ending' achieved in this world, it's either Eldians utterly eradicated or history altered so they never were able to turn into Titans at all (and the world is unaware, so they won't have a reason to murder them for 'sins of the past').
Or, maybe, it's just one pathetic theory I have. Maybe if all the Titan users along with Historia, the royal blood held hands together, they could possibly posses the power of Ymir? This is because of how Eren managed to control all the Pure Titans around him just by a brief touch from a pure Titan that had Royal Blood. Maybe just holding hands will make them connect their powers?
And about Ymir. Can Ymir be contacted before she inherits her Titan powesr? I think she can, because somehow Eren was contacted by something when he was a kid, just the day the whole titan attack began. And speaking of communication through time, could Zeke be actually told to do all this for the world by these messages and could it be that's what also made Eren change? Since Armin or him or Zeke in the future sent back something so horrifying that he wants to change it?
Anyways, now to Ymir. If she does get the clear discription of the message Armin gives her, how much do you think it would change? Maybe She decides to save the world. Or maybe she decides to do it maybe because she doesn't understand the message(Maybe she got it just like Eren got his as a kid, it could all just be thought as a nightmare too) Or maybe she doesn't care for it. Or maybe that's how it all happened. Like, why not it just be those time travel fictions where nothing changes even when time is tampered with, since it's all forms as a loop that originally consisted of the time tampering. Basically Eren being warned of the Titan attack, could have resulted him in saving his mother or warning the citizens, but he couldn't understand it as he was kid and it was sent to him in a dream, just like Ymir would get it.
I'll have to say, I watched many shows and many books of fiction, but this is one of the best I've seen. Like all the possibilities with the ending and each being possible.
More like Krueger mentioned all Eldians are connected via 'paths', transcending space and time. If that's how it is, Ymir as the Original Titan (i.e. possessing all 9) might be able to exert concious control of the ability to use those paths, unlike every 'incomplete' shifter that came after her that can only access it to a degree (with the Founding Titan being the most prominent user). So, maybe the simple act of rejoining the Nine can allow the user to do something similar, and if there is anyone that can master it, it's either Armin or Zeke... But the latter will most likely die before it will happen and no one will trust him (or Eren, for that matter) with this kind of power in their right mind.
Armin over Eren is also a wise choice because, if Eren wasn't lying previous chapter about memories shaping the personality, Eren already has a clusterf*ck of memroies in his own head clashing (fully his, fully Grisha's, some Freida's via Grisha and some Mrs Tybur's). So, Eren chomping on everyone else but Armin will most likely drive the former fully insane, but since Armin and Eren aren't blood related, Armin will inherit only fragments of Eren's memories, so he will be sane enough to try and control it.
Also, comparing it to Eren's little 'vision' back in the beginning is a little incorrect, since he wasn't even a Titan at that point, only Eldian, so it might be more or less subconcious manifestation of someone looking through his memroies (in case of that theory: Ymir herself). So, with both Armin and Ymir having full control, she will be able to see and undestand things clearly. Maybe being the Original Titan is indeed something akin to being 'a God' and having control over the 'paths'. That means, Original Titan Ymir might be the actual creator of the paths, and have the power to shatter them as well. Without those, the Power of the Titans will have nowhere to go and will die with her. Or she can be reached before she did... whatever it is she did while she was human and it was all a cautionary tale that no person should have this kind of power. Pure speculation, obviously, but I do think a creature like that is the state of mind, perception and comprehension beyond what a simple human can achieve, so simply physical contact will not suffice.
All in all, it seems like the conflict currently draws more into 'Metahuman vs human' territory, with Eldians being hated mainly because the Power of the Titans exists. So, the solution must be, either Eldians are eradicated (Marley way), all other nations enslaved or eradiacted ('New Eldian Empire' repeating history), or Eldians lose the Titan powers altogether. Unfortunately, that'll make them an even easier target for the world that hates them, so the world must forget as well.
So, I think power of the Titans being removed from history, while cheapening the development is the only true 'good' ending the story can reach and the ultimate form of freedom from the Titans Eldians could hope for (ironic, I know).