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Attack on Titan Season 4 has taken Eren from hero to antagonist, with the anime flipping the script on fans and showing them none of the characters are as black and white as they seem. And Eren’s decision to enact the Rumbling left even his closest friends questioning their allegiances. But do they stand a chance of stopping him?

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Attack on Titan Episode 83, “Pride.”]

Eren takes things too far in ‘Attack on Titan’ Season 4

Eren Jaeger inside of his Titan in 'Attack on Titan' Season 4. He looks angry.
Eren Jaeger in ‘Attack on Titan’ | Hajime Isayama/Kodansha

Attack on Titan Season 4 sees Eren Jaeger doing the unthinkable: activating the Rumbling and attempting to eliminate all life outside of Paradis Island. Eren’s character has been aloof and unreadable for a while now, and his plans for the Founding Titan don’t come as a total surprise. However, they do present a pivotal choice for his friends and comrades: follow him down this dark path or attempt to stop him.

In Attack on Titan Episode 83, Armin and the other characters finally admit Eren’s gone too far. They decide to stop the Rumbling, even if it means teaming up with their former enemies. And with Annie, Reiner, Pieck, and Falco on their side now, they have several Titan Shifters to utilize. However, that may not be enough against Eren’s massive army.

Is it still possible to stop Eren and the Rumbling?

Despite Attack on Titan‘s major players forming an alliance, there’s no promise they’ll successfully defeat Eren. In fact, the odds are currently stacked against them.

Eren’s forces consist of the Jaegerists — who have taken over Paradis Island’s military — and thousands of Wall Titans. Eren himself also has the power of three separate Titan Shifters, including the Founder. Needless to say, he’s a force to be reckoned with.

The new alliance has five of the Nine Titans, but even they can’t stand up to thousands of Colossus Titans. Additionally, Eren already used the Founder to strip Reiner of his armor once. If he can alter the bodies and powers of his opponents, it will be almost impossible to stop him with an attack.

Of course, the characters could try reasoning with their friend. That seems the most likely way to change Eren’s mind. Unfortunately, his anger and desire for freedom may prove stronger than his bonds. And Eren isn’t the only obstacle to peace, either.

The Jaegerists present another obstacle

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Even if Attack on Titan‘s main characters manage to defeat Eren, there’s another problem waiting for them at home. In creating a cult-like following in the Jaegerists, Eren has ensured his ideology will live on — even if he doesn’t.

With Floch controlling the troops, acting against Eren will likely be met with some form of retaliation. In fact, the Jaegerists will probably take up arms against the alliance before they reach Eren. If they succeed in stopping the Rumbling, they’ll find no applause from their own people. They’ll more likely be treated as pariahs, if they aren’t outright punished for their defiance.

With all that in mind, Attack on Titan‘s leads find themselves in quite a predicament. It’s hard to say how they’ll wiggle their way out of this one. Hopefully, they’ll find a way to save lives without sacrificing more of their own.

New episodes of Attack on Titan Season 4 stream on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu every Sunday.

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