Attack on Titan Chapter 138 Analysis (manga spoilers ahead)
This chapter is called “A Long Dream”. In a world where time loop exists, there can be a circular set of events where everything gets repeated after certain interval of time. "If you can't do it, we're doomed to repeat it all again. The same history. The same mistakes. Again and again. ...who knows? Whose memories could these be?" -Eren Kruger The heroes we see in the world of Attack on Titan, get killed again and again, after each time they die, they wake up alive in another lifetime and get killed again in another way. I also wrote on another analysis regarding this matter, about little Falco and Eren, that history was repeated again and again, each time a bit differently. If you are interested to read the whole theory, this is the link: https://simibraun.tumblr.com/post/637137942881665024/manga-theories-grisha-if-you-cant-do-it-were Here's a part of that theory: "Our heroes lived the same history again and again, they were reborn many times, until Ymir would achieve her goals. Each time our heroes lived, there may have been some failures in Ymir's plans, so history must have been repeated, each time a bit differently. One of my thoughts is, that little Falco in another lifetime, may have been in the place of one of the three Warriors (Reiner, Bertolt, Annie) that were sent to Paradis Island and spent 5 years living there, trained to use the ODM gear and fought Titans. So these memories of fighting with swords may have been connected through the paths and reached him in this lifetime. I also remember reading that, Isayama wants to make an ending which gives a feeling that there is no escape, like nothing is going change. Something like a loop? If you notice, when the s4 anime ep1 begins, there is a loop in the first seconds, we see two times the same image of a falcon flying. It seems that history has been repeated again. Maybe Falco actually died the first time and this was his last image, of that falcon flying and then, history was repeated again, he was reborn and the second time he survived, he sees the falcon again and then history continues on, Colt appears and takes him away from the battlefield. Falco later says these words that were not included in the manga: "Who.. are you guys?" his voice had the same tone as Eren's when he talked in a lower tone, for me Falco almost sounded like him. "Wait.. huh? Wasn't I flying around with a sword just now? Like, whoosh! And there were Titans that I--" A similar experience happened to Eren on the first chapter: “Mikasa, when did your hair get so long? I feel that I just had the longest dream.” And the same experience happened to Mikasa as we see on chapter 138, she woke up in another lifetime or she suddenly saw memories of that lifetime that reached her at that moment: “When did I fall asleep? I feel like I just had a long dream.” Mikasa's headaches must have been something like a Deja vu, which means "already seen", from another lifetime. Some of her memories from another life, probably sparked a connection that reached her in the current lifetime that she lives in. Deja vu feels like a signal that sparks our memory. It gives us a strong sensation that an event or an experience is currently being experienced, although, this experience, may have actually happened in the past, or maybe not, it just feels familiar. Experiences of places that we have already been, of people we already talked with, acts that have already been done, but we have yet to experience. It feels that something is complete and yet at the same time, it is not yet completed but we have a sensation that we know how it was completed. To me, it seems that Mikasa and Eren were made for each other, but no matter the many reincarnations and timeline, Eren's death could not be avoided and it seems that Mikasa was the one who would give him salvation. So having these in mind, let me take you to another matter and think about the bond between Eren and Mikasa in a similar yet different meaning. This bond reminds me of what Plato said in the Symposium, regarding the Greek mythology: “According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.” In Greek mythology, there were three Human genders: The Man, Woman and the Androgynous”. Androgynous Ανδρόγυνο means man-woman in Greek. (Andras Άνδρας – Man, Gynaika Γυναίκα - Woman) So before we continue reading the following texts, let's think of Ymir the Founder as a “God” of this mythology and Eren-Mikasa as an “Androgynous”. In Greek mythology, it is said that Humans had great strength at the time and threatened to conquer the Gods. The Gods thought of destroying the Humans but if the Humans were destroyed, there wouldn't be any more tributes to the Gods. (Human tributes kept the Gods alive.) So Zeus decided to split the Androgynous in half and punished them. By doing so, the Gods also would double the population of Humans and by doing that, they would also be doubling the tributes that had to be made to them by Humans. And so they did and the Human Androgynous were split in two. Doesn't this remind you of the Subjects of Ymir and of what King Fritz said to his daughters before he died? He said to keep the blood of Ymir alive, that the Eldians must multiply, so his Titans will reign forever. Ymir – The God Eldians – The Humans, that had to offer tributes (multiply) to the Gods so they won't die. It feels like Zeke's euthanasia plan makes sense when you think about it like this right? If no more Eldians exist, there will be no more “tributes” people to keep the blood of Ymir (the God) alive. (I also wrote a theory regarding Zeke's plan, on the theory link I left above.) So what does Eren and Mikasa have to do with the Androgynous? Let me explain you: Once the Androgynous was split and punished, they were forever in search, no matter the lifetime, no matter the many reincarnations in this world, they longed for their soul and physical other half. According to the myth, when these two halves find each other, there will be a silent understanding of one another, they will feel joined and exist with each other in unison and will know no greater joy than that. And this reminds of the last panels, when Mikasa found Eren and the moment she saw him, she smiled. And then Eren opened his eyes and saw her, seems like he felt relief. It felt like that silent understanding of one another, it felt like they were once again complete, like the Androgynous, that longed for each other in each lifetime they existed, and each, longed to find their other half. Mikasa and Eren always belonged to each other and in a world where time loop exists, their bond feels like an affective resonance..