One thing I really like about Heartbreak high is that, unlike Sex education, all the characters feel like actual friends. Even when someone does a shitty thing and is being cut off from one person, it doesn't mean the others will forget about him/her completely. And no matter what drama they're involved in they will stick together when the shit is real. Idk I just love the whole group dynamic they have, they don't interact only with 2 people, they ALL INTERACT and I think it's beautiful 😭
This might be an unpopular opinion but I really hope I'm not the only one who feels this way. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of people make negative comments on Reiner and Annie's relationship in canon and on the RBA trio in general. While it doesn't bother me all that much (because everyone is entitled to their own opinion), I just wanted to share my viewpoint and explain why I couldn't disagree more with the following statement: "Annie hates Reiner."
I, personally, do not believe so.
(Then again, the word ‘hate’ is often misused to death... whether it’s an exaggeration or ‘for lack of a better word’ kinda thing.)
Friendly reminder, Hate is a strong word.
Now I won’t waste my time arguing that Annie and Reiner are just two peas in a pod and total BFFs, because they’re not. But they are allies. Comrades. Warriors. Their relationship is actually one of the most fascinating to me because it’s incredibly complex, wretched, yet honest.
This is basically just an analysis of their relationship in canon and an attempt to reason with some of the naysayers. Heads up. It’s long.
From the beginning, we see very few interactions between the two (though Annie hardly interacts with anyone), yet when they do share the same panel Annie always seems cold or indifferent.
As kids, Annie is very detached from the group; very much a ‘lone wolf’. Like plenty of other characters in the series, she has her own personal demons to deal with. As is the case with Reiner, they’re deeply rooted in familial conflicts.
While kid!Reiner wants nothing more than for his family to be united together, Annie feels obligated to live up to her father’s expectations and fulfill a promise. That alone is her one and only mission...
One that she makes perfectly clear following a major setback...
Which brings us to the oh-so infamous quarrel.
Here we have Annie kicking the shit out of Reiner. Alas, this panel was enough to convince a large sum of readers that Annie hates Reiner.
But let’s take a step back and keep everything in context. This is shortly after Marcel, the leader of the group, has been eaten, thus resulting in the loss of the Jaw Titan. Reiner makes a futile attempt to reason with Annie that they must continue the mission, or face a possible death sentence as punishment. Annie then criticizes Reiner for cowardice and is adamant they immediately return home. Emotions are running high in this rather unforeseen and unprecedented turn of events. And they’re only kids for crying out loud. (Or did we forget that?)
Bruised and bloodied, Reiner fires back at Annie with equal ferocity... but in doing so, he’s willing to make a sacrifice for the trio’s sake.
It’s enough to convince Annie to press on; to move forward with a seemingly impossible mission. She recognizes they are all in this together, and they only have each other.
Not long after this exchange, the trio successfully breach Wall Maria, allowing them to gain access to the interior.
When all is said and done, Reiner makes a promise to Annie and Bertolt that they’ll all make it home, simultaneously breaking our hearts.
Two years fly by and the trio only manages to scrounge bits and pieces of information. They struggled after the fall of the Wall to find the Coordinate, and then realized that King Fritz was a decoy, leaving them with few options. Ultimately, at Reiner’s insistence, they enroll in the 104th cadet corps and pretend to be soldiers to carry onward with the mission. Annie is initially reluctant to do so.
Again, given the limitations of any potential recourse, Annie goes along with Reiner’s plan- though she keeps her distance during their training.
When the two do cross paths in the cadet corps, it’s not exactly giggles and high-fives. Annie’s so done with everything...
After Reiner throws Eren her way during hand to hand combat training, she’s hardly amused, as evidenced by the expression above. Though that quickly changes when she indulges in giving Reiner a lovely throwback to their days as warrior candidates back in their hometown.
(Hey, in all fairness she’s kicked his ass before. I guess some things just never change.)
All jokes aside, is any of this tension the result of hate? A truly deep form of hatred?
I’d say resentment is a better word.
And truthfully, Annie has every right to be resentful.
Prior to the Battle of Trost, the trio plan for another attack on the walls (Wall Rose). Having just graduated (all three in the top ten, of course), Reiner is more than ready to move forward, believing this could be the ultimate turning point for the mission.
Now, one could use this to argue that Reiner in warrior-mode is the exact kind of person Annie can’t stand. She’s believed him (and people with the same mind-set) to be a fool; a mere pawn in someone else’s game. It’s also apparent that she finds the idea of putting on an act rather sickening. However, she comes to realize that lying not only comes naturally to her but is necessary if she wants to return home to her father.
Almost immediately, Reiner sees that he’s gone a little too far and attempts to rectify his actions.
This could be seen as foreshadowing as here, Reiner is reminding Annie of their duty as warriors. Obviously, she couldn’t care less about becoming an ‘honorary Marleyan’, but it’s not long before she’s given a rude awakening of sorts...
Before Eren’s titan reveal/transformation, Annie meets up with Reiner and Bertolt and awaits instruction.
After Eren’s titan reveal/transformation, we have yet another quarrel between the two. Unlike the former, however, Annie finds herself being put to the test.
A defining moment in the trio’s dynamic, indeed.
We all know how this turns out. Desperate and conflicted, Annie remembers her own personal mission, all the while Reiner is pressuring her to make a decision.
As Bertolt once said: “Who wants to kill people?”
Does Reiner genuinely want to kill Marco? No. Of course not. But he simply can’t afford to jeopardize their mission. One might ask, why couldn’t he have taken Marco’s gear himself? Why did he put the burden on Annie, even after apologizing for doing so in the past? The answer is an easy one.
To test her loyalty to the cause. To remind them they are all in this together. That she can’t be too comfortable riding on the fence.
Was it manipulative? In a way, yes. However, I can understand Reiner’s need to make a point with his comrade. Though a lot of Annie’s resentment stems from this incident alone, she seems to accept the inevitable.
Her hands will be stained with blood, because this is war.
Reiner’s words are harsh but they’re also true.
And Annie knows it.
Later on, it’s revealed that both had collaborated with another in two critical settings. The first one being the assassination of titans Sawney and Beane.
The second instance takes place during the 57th scouting expedition. (AKA the Female Titan’s debut.) With Armin and Jean completely unaware of his intentions, Reiner utilizes the opportunity to covertly reveal Eren’s location through carvings in Annie’s hand, commencing the first official attempt at recapturing the coordinate.
In both cases, it’s evident that not only are the two capable of working well together, but they’re also capable of putting their differences aside. Reiner and Annie can rely on one another because of their common goal: Returning to their hometown.
Annie, the lone wolf, can handle herself perfectly fine.
But she’s willing to accept that she needs to cooperate with her allies to accomplish the mission.
The conclusion of the Female Titan arc results in Annie’s neutralization. After her defeat to Eren, she encases herself in a crystal and succumbs to a catatonic state.
Bertolt and Reiner, however, are unaware of this... even after they themselves are revealed to be the Colossal and Armored Titans respectively.
That is until, Armin informs them of an unexpected (though entirely false) travesty.
Armin’s bluff about the SL torturing Annie catches all three listeners off guard. Eren, bound to his restraints, is shown to be disturbed. Bertolt is angered and reacts with hostility. And then we’re given Reiner’s reaction. He too is appalled and angered by the news; finding the implication of his fellow comrade enduring such barbaric torment to be infuriating.
Whether he believes Annie is actually being tortured or not remains open to speculation. Either way, Reiner is concerned for her well-being, and even fights Zeke when a dispute arises over what should take precedence following the failure. Zeke is convinced Annie is fine on her own and emphasizes the significance of recapturing the coordinate. Reiner on the other hand places a higher priority on rescuing his comrade, thinking back on the oath he made to bring them all back home safely.
Unfortunately, Reiner is unsuccessful and from then on, he only harbors more and more guilt.
Fast forward to the present, years after the disastrous Return to Shiganshina arc, and we have Reiner returning to his hometown. Alone.
Bertolt is dead. Annie is but a distant memory.
In flashbacks, we see Annie aloof and detached as always.
From the time they were kids in Marley, to cadets in the 104th, pretending to be soldiers, fighting (and failing) as warriors, Reiner and Annie have had plenty of ups and downs. The majority of their interactions feature Annie treating Reiner either with apathy or disdain, frequently criticizing his decisions. However, they do not let their personal issues interfere with their mission and cooperate when working together in the field.
I’m not saying Annie is incapable of hating Reiner, but I wholeheartedly believe she is above hating him. I have trouble believing she could ever bring herself to truly hate anyone. Many readers misinterpret her character enough as it is. (It’s a shame she’s often reduced to a ‘cold and emotionless loner’.) Although she’s the type to keep her distance and keep to herself in most settings, I’d reckon that Annie is one of the most sentimental characters in the series- though she’s mastered the repression of her deeply heartfelt emotions pretty well.
To offer an additional perspective, we could use the EMA trio for a little compare/contrast. The two opposing groups may have some similarities; the headstrong one, the meek one, the quintessential badass chick. Yet, they differ in how they interact with one another. You’ll find that plenty of fellow snk fans will fawn and enthuse over EMA’s wholesome friendship. But I personally find RBA’s dynamic far more intriguing. These three broken and tormented individuals are brought together as children and endure hardship through a tumultuous five year course. Each have their own reasons for doing so, but they’re bound together with the burden of fulfilling such a daunting mission.
Reiner makes the clear distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them’; something that’s not entirely difficult for Annie to accept because she already treats ‘the world as her enemy’.
Yet maybe that’s ultimately where the two are at odds. They perceive the world around them differently.
But their differences aren’t synonymous with hatred, as they are easily put aside.
Annie has to trust Reiner to a degree, however narrow the margins may be. Reiner undoubtedly cares for Annie, although she may never be aware of the lengths he was willing to go to ensure her well-being. I believe that Annie regards Reiner with at least a half-decent amount of consideration. As stated above, she definitely harbors resentment, just as Reiner harbors guilt.
But to completely write off their interactions (every single heart-breaking and complex one) with a mere “She hates him” is in my opinion overlooking the profound intricacy surrounding this particular aspect of the RBA trio.
Final thoughts: Isayama wrote their relationship very well, and in spite of what others may think, it’s one of my favorites in the series.
