An incredible 4-season dystopian sci-fi series delivered one of the most memorable villain twists in the history of television. In its four-season runtime, the show had a lot to offer. However, its shocking villain twist is what truly made it an exceptional entry in the genre, turning a seemingly conventional “heroes versus villains” narrative into something far more unsettling.

The show in question boasts a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% and has earned immense acclaim for its incredible animation style and action sequences. However, even beyond these surface-level elements, the dystopian sci-fi show has garnered a lot of appreciation for how it handles its storytelling.

After deceiving viewers into believing that it is a linear tale about humanity’s survival, it delivers one of the greatest villain twists of all time.

Attack On Titan’s Villain Twist Is One Of The Best Of All Time

In Attack on Titan‘s early moments, Eren Yeager is a typical protagonist who is scarred by his mother’s death. Driven by the desire to seek vengeance upon the Titans who killed his mother, he trains hard to become a soldier in the Survey Corps. With these early story developments, Attack on Titan could have built up to a climactic showdown between Eren and the Titans and ended its run with Eren winning the war.

However, the more the show progresses, the more it turns into something completely unexpected. Eren, who was initially believed to be the main hero, actually turns out to be the primary villain.

After unfolding as a typical survival horror story, Attack on Titan becomes a morally complex geopolitical drama about endless cycles of hatred and the cost of freedom. Learning that he lives in an internment camp for a persecuted race of people called Eldians, Eren grows convinced that the only way to save his people is by unleashing catastrophic destruction on the rest of humanity.

As a result, he unleashes a genocide known as The Rumbling, using countless Colossal Titans to destroy most of the world beyond his home island.

Attack on Titan‘s story twist becomes even more mind-bending when it reveals that Eren himself influenced the events of his own timeline. While the lore behind the twist is complex, it highlights that Eren was not merely reacting to history but actively shaping it through memories that travel across time. He created a closed loop where the events that gave him his powers were partially set in motion by his own future actions.

Attack On Titan’s Eren Twist Totally Changed The Tone Of The Story

The shocking reveal in Attack on Titan turns its main character into more of an anti-hero. He serves as both the product and the architect of the very violence he set out to destroy. Even in its early moments, when, as a viewer, you are unaware of where its story is heading, Attack on Titan comes off as a compelling portrayal of humanity’s pursuit of survival against ruthless monsters.

However, when the show finally removes the overarching veil and unfolds its true vision, its tone shifts from gritty to tragically introspective.

After rooting for the main character, you start questioning his motives while also empathizing with his desperation. The reveal that confirms Eren even orchestrated his own mother’s murder further makes you question whether the hero you had grown to love was ever truly fighting for freedom.

At the same time, you also wonder whether Eren’s actions were driven by the innocent desire to protect his friends and create a better world for them. After leaving viewers with these complex moral questions about its protagonist, the dystopian sci-fi anime ends its run and stays with them long after its credits stop rolling.