The most hopeful theory of the end of SNK! (Only for snk readers)
Given the two small chapters that we still have to read and the number of unsolved elements and elephants in the room, if we want an ending not too sloppy, vague, or absurd I see only one possible fine solution. Armin is a spy! The plot twist of the next chapter should only be Armin teamed up with Eren for a while. He would thus play a role in saving Eren time (for a reason still unclear.)
Here are the arguments in favor of this theory :
1) A friendship like the one Eren and Armin maintain cannot end in “We have grown up, we are not on the same wavelength so, bye, Hasta luego mi amigo!”
2) Armin can manipulate people and is a good actor, let’s not forget his splendid gamble of season 3 where he sacrifices himself to catch Bertolt. It makes perfect sense to imprison Annie in season one. Armin may look like an angel, but he’s not an altar boy. One must not underestimate his intelligence and determination to paraphrase him «I would be willing to sacrifice even my humanity to get rid of enemies» (I see almost a Foreshadowing there)
3) If Erwin was willing to do anything for the truth, I think that Armin will not let the sacrifice of the latter come, if Erwin has gone to the end of his ideals, Armin will do the same.
4) When Armin speak to Annie for the first time (chap (106), he says “Even by cooperating with Eren, or even by abandoning him, which would have been the worse option?” we see him hesitating about his position, and then he says “our path To reconciliation (with Mar) has been cut off… but we had no other choice” so he suggests he’s willing to put himself in the same position as Reiner, Annie and Berty. After that he asks Annie for an answer. Then we go to the Mikasa canvas on Sasha’s tomb which says “If want don’t win we’ll die, if we win, we’ll survive” and then Eren face to face the mirror says “So fight.” as if to answer Armin’s doubts. They are on the same wavelength.
5) We never have access to Armin’s inner thought, his point of view is never explicit, and he is never seen to think of Eren or his memories unlike other members whose memories or regrets we see. If the author puts so much mystery on Armin’s secret thoughts it is certainly not for nothing.
6) In chapter 110 Mikasa and Armin go to the office of General Zackley. They tell him they want to speak to Eren to confirm his intentions. But the general refuses. Once out of the office other people enter the office and Mikasa wants to go and listen to the conversation but Armin suddenly holds her very worried and says to her «we must n t violate military law» Then it made me laugh because the trio spends their time breaking the rules. AND BY CHANCE, the general’s office explodes, so if Miakasa had gone to listen at the door, she would be dead. My theory is that Armin knew what was going to happen and protected Mikasa.
7) The explosion allowed Eren to escape. Upon seeing that Eren had fled, Mikasa asked Armin “Armin… what on earth is happening right now?” Armin doesn’t say anything but his gaze is strange as if he knew something but kept from telling Mikasa.
8) Armin’s insistence towards others continue to believe in Eren and his willingness to speak absolutely to Eren… this decision is strange, leads to nothing and is absolutely not in favor of the squadron which suddenly makes too many sacrifices for it which makes me think that it is a strategy of Armin to put his comrades to sleep and save time
9) Armin says and acts at the right time, one example among many in Chapter 111. When Gaby and Kaya fight during the “family meal” after Kaya tried to kill Gaby after learning that she killed Sasha Armin told Mikasa to go with Gaby to another room and AS OF CHANCE, once they find themselves isolated Eren lands FINALLY and Armin says to Gaby “you remind me of a certain someone” once all three on the edge of the round table Eren says “I wanted to talk to you guys. In a quiet setting…” It was Armin who allowed him to find himself isolated as Eren wished.
10) It is Armin who offers Hange to collaborate with Pixie, a few chapters later (116) Pixie decides to collaborate with Eren, She helps him to free Gaby and tell him where his comrades are locked up in the city then goes on the roof which allows Eren to transform and start the battle that will allow him to connect with Zeke.
11) Yelana’s speech and Armin’s reaction in Chapter 116 Yelena said “absolute perfection does not exist in any country, each country has its own problems… the huge threat that the titans represent the story of blood and tears the people who can put an end to all this exists. Zeke and Eren. Will the people who can accomplish such a feat appear after that, I wonder? The two brothers will become symbols that will be transmitted for the next millennium. Just like the gods of antiquity. And then, even after death, both of them will become the sun that shines on humanity as their saviors» and there Armin starts to cry. Yelena asking why and Armin replies that she has just said very noble things that touched him. And everyone seems surprised because it doesn’t sound like Armin, reacting to that like that is a little too much. Either Armin plays the comedy, or he knows exactly what Eren will do the next chapter and weeps because it resonates perfectly with Yelena’s words.
12) Chap 112 Eren transforms into a titan and fights with the battleship on the roof. Armin and the others are locked down, everyone is surprised by the noise wondering what’s going on and there Armin says “It’s started… the titans are moving.” And now I’m here like HOLY SHIT DUDE HOW CAN YOU KNOW THAT!?
13) Chap 118 Armin is about to tell Mikasa what he knows but does not. Mikasa tells Armin “Why Eren hiding his true intension and abandoning us? Telling me he hated me… why would Eren say something like that?” And there Armin gets ready to answer him and has a memory of Eren that shows him the horizon when they are by the sea. Then he decides not to tell Mikasa.
14) Armin has proven to us the strength of his will more than once. I would be very surprised if he would be so easily influenced by Bertholt’s emotions so I think he knows very well how to use his emotions and Bertholt’s memories. And I think he’s using that to manipulate Annie. I’ll come back to that later.
15) Armin’s brilliant handling of Floch on the harbor in chapter 128 proves how strong he is at deceiving people. In chapter 132, when Connie and Jean bring the plane to the surface, they want to remove the tarp that protects the aircraft. And throw out the explosives that it contains. But Armin tells them not to do so and to keep the explosives to send them perhaps on Eren. Maybe still because he knows something…
16) Eren and Armin in the Axis/strange desert . When Eren massacres everyone in chapter 131 he calls Armin in the Axis and reminds him of their dream, he tells him that they have reached freedom he says «we» then «Right Armin» as if it were their goal. After that we see Armin on the boat and Annie calling him, instead of being surprised and telling Annie what he just saw child Eren, he says nothing.
17) Chap 131 on the boat Armin is all cheesy and looks much more like Bertholt than himself. Annie does not understand why he has come to talk to her all this time. He implied that it is because he has a crush on her. BUT I suspect manipulation. Indeed, if Annie’s ability to absorb the power of the other titans is far too practical, If Armin is on Eren’s side and acting with him, then they have a vested interest in making sure that Annie is on their side too and that her power is used in the right place at the right time. So by manipulating her feelings it would allow them to control and use her. Then there’s this seagull that comes in and crosses Armin’s eyes. I suspect that Eren sees what is happening through the eyes of the birds and that Armin looks at Eren through the gull and vice versa. Plus If Annie and Falco come to Eren all the nine titans will be in the same place, yeah it’s very convenient, isn’t it?
18) In Chap 132 when the Great Earthmoving Titans come upon them Armin says “Now I have to buy time with…” A bit like if he had only done so far to buy time as if his role was to buy time. But finally Hange sacrifices himself for them (RIP Hange! <3)
19) In Chapter 133 when Armin asks Eren if he does not trust them and that he cannot bear to be separated longer it’s perhaps to indicate to him that he should inform everyone but it’s only a supposition.
20) Now I would like to go back to the beginning of chapter 106, when Armin sees Sasha’s body he remembers a discussion with Eren and Mikasa when he trains to shoot. Armin says he wants to stop the misunderstanding between the Mhar and them. Eren says “there’s no misunderstanding, from the viewpoint of the rest of the world we are monsters who transform into titans » and Armin said « We need TIME » and Eren answer “to save the time we bought to do something to avoid interference…” Then we come back to Armin who talks about Sasha’s death to Annie and thinks “maybe there was another way. Things could have happened, that’s all I can think about.”
Here are the problems that this theory solves:
1) Armin’s WEIRDER BEHAVIOR!
2) The old Shojo romance between Armin and Annie (which would be a manipulation)
3) The friendship between Eren and Armin will not be broken, on the contrary.
4) Why Armin doesn’t question Eren’s behavior more than that and why others don’t ask themselves so many questions (because Armin always leads them to a different way of thinking) Especially since everyone has a blind trust in him because he is the one who knows Eren the best.
5) The events that follow too well. Eren has several allies including Yelena, Floch, Historia but if Armin is also part of their group this explains why the plan works so well.
I’m very sorry if I write like a pig with a pen, I’m no fluent in English ;D
Thanks https://survey-corps-potato.tumblr.com/ that help me a lot with the plot
titsay
stormborns
kaledo-art
gummygunk
blakekathryn
jacobvanloon
snowghoul
janainaart
origamiaround
baratheonpilled
