In Attack on Titan, the connection between Ymir and Mikasa is important to understanding the themes of freedom, love, and sacrifice. Ymir Fritz, the progenitor of the Titans, and Mikasa Ackerman, a fierce warrior, are linked through their experiences and choices. But why did Ymir Choose Mikasa, among others?
Ymir’s Story
Ymir Fritz was the first to gain the power of the Titans, leading to centuries of fear and oppression. Her life was marked by servitude – first as a slave, then as a tool for the Eldian King. Despite her immense power, Ymir was never truly free. She suffered too much, she lived and died under others’ will, with her spirit continuing to serve in the Paths, creating Titans for 2,000 years.
Ymir’s eternal servitude stemmed from her inability to break free from the King’s control and her own chains of love and loyalty. She longed for someone to understand her pain and release her from this endless cycle. In her mind, obeying the King’s will was the only way to express her love, no matter how twisted that love had become.
Mikasa’s Story
Mikasa Ackerman is strong, loyal, and loves deeply. Throughout the story, she always protects Eren Yeager. She constantly searches for him and cares for him. But Mikasa’s story is also about her growth as a person. She learns about her own desires and her relationship with Eren.
Unlike Ymir, Mikasa wasn’t born a slave. She chose to follow Eren out of love and gratitude. However, sometimes it was hard to tell if she was simply devoted or if she was letting Eren control her. When Eren told Mikasa to throw away the scarf he gave her and forget about him, she didn’t comply. Instead, she tightened the scarf and declared that she couldn’t forget him, vowing to keep the scarf until her death. A significant part of Mikasa’s story is her journey to understand who she is beyond just being Eren’s protector. This is crucial for her growth as a character.
The Connection
Ymir was watching everything going down in the real world, especially stuff with Eren and his friends. She saw similarities between herself and Mikasa – Both Ymir and Mikasa are deeply in love. But there was a big difference: Mikasa wasn’t a slave like Ymir. She followed Eren because she wanted to, not because she had to.
Why Ymir choose Mikasa?
Ymir chose Mikasa because she saw that Mikasa could do something she never could – love someone deeply but still make her own choices. The big moment is when Mikasa decides to kill Eren to save everyone, even though she loves him. Mikasa is the one who’s always want to protect Eren, but now she is the one who kill Eren. Even though she is the one who loves him so much.
This showed Ymir that real love doesn’t mean just doing whatever the person you love wants, even if it’s terrible. Mikasa goes against Eren’s plan but still loves him – she even kisses him as she kills him. This teaches Ymir that she could have disagreed with King Fritz without it, meaning she didn’t love him.
The important bit is that Mikasa doesn’t stop loving Eren, even when he tells her to. Instead, she keeps her love but doesn’t let it control her. This is the freedom Ymir had been looking for all along.
Conclusion
This ties into bigger ideas in the story. Kenny once said Everyone’s a slave to something – like Ymir to love. But Mikasa shows it’s possible to resist being a slave while still holding onto what you care about.
By seeing what Mikasa did, Ymir finally finds the guts to make her own choice, ending her 2,000-year curse and getting rid of the Titans for good.
In the end, it wasn’t about giving up on love but about loving freely without being controlled by that love. This was the key to stopping all the violence and finally letting Ymir rest.