#zekelena

[canislycaon24]

[commanderbonded]

On Yelena's feelings and Zeke's sexuality

I've seen some beautiful posts about Zekelena, so I wanted to give my opinion. Mine are always just HC, so please don't hate me if you have different views.

I think Yelena has developed some sort of morbid obsession with Zeke. It's not just a crush or love. It's more of a toxic feeling that I can't even put a name to.

She puts him on a pedestal, idolizes him, and loves him because she sees him as a god, as a divine being who will save the world. She supports him, but she does so out of this rotten obsession.

It's obvious that she's also attracted to him; I think Yelena is in love with Zeke both spiritually (albeit in a toxic way) and physically. She wants to be with him, have the chance to have experiences with Zeke, but she knows he would never "get dirty" for her, because she believes Zeke is too pure for that.

My truth is that Zeke has talked about this with Yelena and simply told her that he has no plans to have relationships or anything like that. And he absolutely doesn't want to talk about his sexuality and orientation with her. Not because he doesn't trust her, but because he simply doesn't want to. They're very close and have a deep relationship of trust, yet Zeke doesn't want to talk about it with her.

It would be a tragedy for him to let anyone find out about his sexual orientation. It's the only thing left to him, his alone, his only shred of identity untainted by the thoughts, orders and dogmas of others.

Why should he risk being tainted even in his deepest feelings?

Zeke can't stand being seen only as an extension of his family or his origins, so his sexuality is his and his alone, and no one can take it away from him. It's the only characteristic that somehow separates him from his origins, his family and his fate, and he's rightfully jealous of it.

So, that's why he doesn't talk about it with Yelena, and that's why I don't see them as a couple. They're friends, perhaps a weird friendship, and Yelena's love is unrequited.

Leaving aside the fact that I ship Zeke with Levi anyway, so obviously I prefer them. But even if Levi didn't exist, I don't think I could see Zekelena in a romantic or sexual way.

I mean, I think Zeke is gay and that he wants to protect this information for obvious reasons.

The fact that he shares it with Levi (also one of my HC of course, nothing canon) gives even more importance to the relationship I see between them. For me, they are the closest characters in the entire story. I can't even describe with the words I know the emotions they convey.

I feel sorry for Yelena, but I think neither she nor Zeke have had the time to grow and mature. Probably in a normal world they could have matured and maybe Yelena would have realized that hers was just an obsession and maybe she could've developed other feelings for other people. But in that moment of the story, circumstances lead her to see him as her only anchor, her only hope and she mistaked her feelings for love.

I'm sorry, because she is a very interesting character, but like some other female characters, perhaps she has been reduced too much to a figure obsessed with a man. Just like Ymir and Fritz, Mikasa and Eren. I love AOT with all my heart, but I would have preferred some female characters to be a little less tied to other male characters. I know the story works this way, but it would be nice to see a more independent Yelena who still supports Zeke and his plan, still having her own visions and ideals.

I don't really know what I ate before thinking of all this. I just know that this story is one of the few that has ever pushed me to think so hard and use my mind and heart like this.

[joogios]

Not to diminish individual awfulness but my hc is that Yelena’s obsession with Zeke actively made both of them worse human beings. Devotion that corrupts. Mutual enabler vibes.

He plays into the god role because he needs her unquestioning loyalty for his plan, but it results in her turning even more deranged and trigger-happy because she thinks he accepts her. She worships him as a saviour because she’s empty and needs something to mould her life around but it just makes him feel even more justified in his eithanasia plan and thus more determined to see it done no matter who suffers. And its a cycle with no beginning and no end.

[realrightbrained]

Couples i ship in Aot

[glassesandswords]

Nile x Erwin, Petra x Auruo, Yelena x Zeke

😘

Oooo okay

Disclaimer: These ratings are my personal, biased opinions, and are purely for entertainment purposes.

1. EruNile- YES. A BIG YES. I've always felt a certain *ahem* tension behind their rivalry. Like, every time they have a scene together, sparks fly. All their interactions are gold and I absolutely enjoy this ship. The fact that Erwin and Nile were cadet friends aiming for the Survey Corps and fell in love with the same woman, and Erwin asking about Marie's health without any sort of jealousy even after Nile married her and the way Nile revealed to Erwin that he had always known he had liked her- ohoho. I would watch an entire OVA with these three and their love triangle, please. I love me some good rivals to lovers.

Favourite moment: "...I was teasing him back then, but look at us now..."

Canon Rating: 8.5/10

AU rating: 9/10

2. Auretra- I have to admit that Auruo/Ouro annoyed me in the beginning, but looking at his and Petra's interactions, I always felt like those two were meant to be together. Petra always put him in his place, which was hilarious to watch, but I never realized the extent to which Ouro cared about her until the Female Titan killed her in front of him. Looking back at it, it does hit a lot harder.

Favourite moment: "You haven't gone through all the steps to be my wife yet-" "I wish you had bitten off your tongue and died."

Canon Rating: 8/10

AU Rating: 9/10

3. Zekelena - I actually have no opinions on this ship because I have never seen the two of them interact in canon. For being such a devout follower of Zeke, there was only one scene where I saw Yelena together with him and that did not have any dialogues between them either, so I can't exactly rate this ship based on their chemistry. Yelena wanted to watch the world burn, to make history, and she found her messiah in Zeke. Zeke, for all I know, never looked like he cared about Yelena; and honestly I could see more chemistry happening between Hange and Zeke than Zeke and Yelena. They do make quite the power couple though.

Favourite moment: "...however he looked like something else to me. A god. He gave us hope when we were at our weakest."

Canon rating: 3/10

AU rating: 6/10

[areallyyellowmango]

Her eyes are constantly dark for a reason.

[megorin]

Get someone who looks, love, adores and admires you, like Yelena does to Zeke

[joogios]