This is all really nothing more than spitballing, but I keep dwelling on Zeke’s words in the newest chapter, SnK 120, and on the event that we believed was the only known exception for that, in SnK 50.
Zeke states that the power of the founder only obeys the will of those with royal blood. He then demonstrates this by removing Ymir’s shackles from himself and having them placed on Eren. This is opposite to what has been reiterated multiple times in recent chapters: that Eren, the one possessing the Founding Titan, should be the one able to use this power as he desires.
The evidence that this entire claim is based on occurs when the Smiling Titan, Dina Fritz, makes contact with Eren and is subsequently killed in SnK 50. When we see the Smiling Titan get attacked, the titans that appear are portrayed almost as manifestations of Eren’s rage—with Dina’s first assailant perfectly mirroring his form in this panel.
Naturally, it appears to the viewer, and to his fellow soldiers present, that Eren’s will was what drove the titan forwards. Armin goes so far as to explicitly suggest that it was Eren in the following chapter, and his words are taken very seriously and believed by those present.
However, this is the only instance we are ever given where Eren makes contact with a titan of royal blood—and while it’s a reasonable hypothesis, how can one isolated incident guarantee a pattern? How can anyone say for sure that Eren was responsible for the events that followed?
Even in the form of a mindless titan, Dina’s subconsciousness likely still remained intact beneath the surface, a slave to the instincts of the titan—much like Ymir. Ymir herself described those sixty years as “a nightmare that wouldn’t end”.
...Maybe Dina wanted her nightmare to end, too.
(Notes: This doesn’t account for why the mindless titans then proceeded to chase Reiner, and I think it may be just as likely that while Eren’s will and purpose may summon the founder’s power while in contact with a mindless titan of royal blood, they will be superseded by the will of a titan shifter with royal blood. Again, just speculation!)
dededos
prguitarman
kianamaiart
izzy806
tangentwithtanner
