History AttackOnTitan / TropesGToL

* GeodesicCast: Over time the EnsembleCast divides into {Cast Herd}}s with the core characters in two guys and a girl {{Power Trio}}s. For example the [[Characters/AttackOnTitanShinganshinaTrio main character trio]] ([[TheHero Eren]], [[TheSmartGuy Armin]], and [[TheAce Mikasa]]), the 104th B-Team trio ([[TheRival Jean]], [[ThoseTwoGuys Conny, and Sasha]]), the [[Characters/AttackOnTitanWarriorTrio Warrior Trio]] ([[TheBigGuy Reiner]], [[ExtremeDoormat Bertolt]], and [[IneffectualLoner Annie]]) and the Survey Corps veteran trio ([[TheCaptain Erwin]], [[WorldsBestWarrior Levi]], and [[MadScientist Hange]]). Particularly by season 3 these names tend to always come up together. Each trio also goes into the series finale [[spoiler: missing a member, Erwin, Bertolt, and Sasha are dead and Eren is the enemy.]]

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Chapter 55 drives this home repeatedly, showing just how blurred the lines have become. Ultimately, every group seems to believe their actions are necessary or justified, and getting their hands dirty for the sake of the greater good. [[spoiler: Hange and Levi brutally torture a captured enemy for information, while Erwin and Pixis plot to overthrow the rulers and install Historia as a [[PuppetKing Puppet Queen]]. Armin openly considers the advantages of a FalseFlagOperation, and reminds the others that from here on out they will have to kill their own kind for nothing more than because they are from another Branch -- stating that they are no longer "good people"]].
** It's eventually confirmed in Chapter 77 that the [[spoiler: Titan Shifter warriors]] truly believe that they're fighting a battle against evil (though it's unclear if they think [[spoiler: all people within the wall are evil, or merely necessary sacrifices to fight the Reiss family and the nobility]]), and that they're doing the right thing in "ending this cursed history."
*** [[spoiler:TheReveal of the existence of Marley goes into it further - the Eldian Warriors and Warrior trainees of Marley fight to help the empire of Marley hold onto its power and join in on demonizing the island of Paradis' inhabitants despite being oppressed by Marley, as the rest of the world probably hates the Eldians even more and would likely have all Eldians exterminated if they had their way. Paradis, of course, fights back for its own survival.]]
*** It's either GreyAndGreyMorality or BlackAndGreyMorality depending on who you ask.

* LoveTriangle: Implied between Krista, Reiner, and Ymir, with [[AmbiguouslyBi Reiner]] (though we don't know if he really has a crush on Krista or is just messing with Ymir) and Ymir both looking at Krista. This ends when Krista returns Ymir's feelings and Isayama confirms their romantic relationship, and is further eliminated when Reiner reveals that while Krista is cute, he has other motives for wanting her unharmed.
* LoveEpiphany: Marlo thinks of Hitch and realizes he might have feelings for her after all...[[spoiler: just before dying against the Beast Titan.]]

* IGotYouCovered: Elite soldiers cover [[spoiler: Eren's]] attempt to seal the gate of Trost.
* IJustWantToBeFree: An important theme for Armin and Eren since TheWorldIsJustAwesome to them, though the rest of humanity seems to have forgotten about the world outside. Best exemplified in Episode 13.
-->'''Armin:''' ''[earlier]'' So why do you want to go to the world beyond the Walls?\\
'''Eren:''' From the time we are born, we are free... it doesn't matter how strong those that would deny us that freedom are... flaming water... frozen earth... I don't care what it is!... The person that sees them will be the freest person in the world! Fight... I'd gladly give my life for that! [[TheAntiNihilist It doesn't matter how terrifying the world is! It doesn't matter how cruel the world is!]] [[SurvivalMantra Fight]]... [[{{Determinator}} Fight]]... [[HeroicWillpower Fight]]... [[LastStand FIGHT]]!!!
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler: In Episode 12, both Mikasa and Armin struggle to get through to Eren when he loses control of his Titan form and is stuck in a kind of LotusEaterMachine. Eventually, Armin manages to snap Eren back to his senses.]]
** [[spoiler:Falco does this to Reiner during Liberio, but can't get through to him. Gabi later shouts Reiner out of his PTSD-enduced state]].

* INeedAFreakingDrink: There are few situations that warrant a drink more than being in the grip of a Titan. To emphasize the cruelty of the series, one guy who is in this situation finds a bottle of good wine and tries to have one last drink...[[YankTheDogsChain but the bottle is empty]].

* InterServiceRivalry: Between the three army branches: Survey Corps, Garrison, and Military Police Brigade. The three view each other with suspicion to the point where the (corrupt) Police Brigade think that the Survey Corps wants [[spoiler:the Rogue Titan]] in order to seize power of the inner circle from them. It doesn't help that there's a strong disconnect between who gets highly regarded (Police Brigade) and who actually does most of the fighting (Survey Corps).

* IUhYouToo: In the Season 2 finale, after Eren's HeroicBSOD, Misaka gives him a YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech, which is reminiscent of a love confession, complete with sparkles, and showing the two of them facing each other in a field of flowers like they're going to kiss. The word "love" (or "suki" or "daisuki") is never used, but it's pretty clear what Misaka means. Eren's response indicates he understands what Mikasa meant, and feels the same way.
* IWantThemAlive: A few examples, both heroic and villainous:
** [[spoiler:After Eren is revealed to be the Rogue Titan, the other Titan Shifters make it their mission to capture him, such as the Female Titan when the Survey Corps does their 57th Expedition outside the Walls.]]
** [[spoiler:After Eren is ordered to go into the innermost Wall, Armin finds Annie and begs her to help them in to assist Eren's escape, since him being handed over to the Military Police Brigade meant certain death. She is reluctant to do so at first, but then ultimately agrees. When they're about to go through an abandoned underground tunnel to get closer to the Wall however, Annie is very hesitant to go down there. Mikasa then directly accuses her of being the Female Titan, and several Survey Corps members hiding nearby ambush her, and attempt to capture her before she can bite herself to transform. Unfortunately for them, the ring she had put on earlier had a hidden barb, and she is still able to wound herself and transform even without biting her hand.]]
** [[spoiler: Subverted after Reiner and Bertolt are exposed and transform to fight the Survey Corps. Hange recognizes that there's no possible way to capture the traitors alive, and gives explicit orders to Armin and the other soldiers present to kill them if they see a chance]].
** [[spoiler: Later on, the Survey Corps learn about certain critical limitations present in all Titan Shifters, namely that they are unable to generate a Titan while healing from severe injuries such as severed limbs. The secondary objective during the reclamation of Wall Maria was to incapacitate at least one enemy Titan Shifter in this manner, and use the Titan Serum Levi acquired from Kenny on a soldier close to death. The soldier would then devour the disabled Titan Shifter, gaining their powers and saving the soldier's life in the process.]]

* HumanoidAbomination: '''''Titans.''''' A recap: They are large, fast, mindless and came out of nowhere. They have a healing factor, which means that destroying their heads does not really slow them down. The grossest part, is they probably do not need to eat humans. They have no digestive organs and after filling their stomach with humans, they just vomit it all out and eat more. They were able to eat most of the human race to extinction, to the point there is only one race of humanity left.
** Then there are the implications that Titans are [[spoiler:HumanAllAlong]]...

* HopelessWar: Humanity has gained absolutely nothing from the various battles against the Titans, so much so that joining the Survey Corps is considered outright suicide. They're not [[RedShirtArmy entirely]] wrong. [[spoiler:The Battle of Trost is literally the first triumph in human history.]]
** [[spoiler:And then they find out they're fighting almost every nation in the world and are extremely behind technologically.]]
** The rest of the world vs [[spoiler: Eren Yeager and his army of Wall Titans.]]

* HiddenDepths: A major part of the story. Almost every single character of some note gets a flashback or a bit of a shared flashback to show how varied and distinct the characters are, with many having a darker side to their outwardly noble intentions and actions or a more sympathetic origin for their flaws. This heavily ties into just how often characters are forced to confront traumatic experiences that can break them psychologically. [[spoiler:It's also important to note that a good chunk of them, especially those who've displayed a keen and sympathetic knowledge of the human condition or justice, are nonetheless infiltrators sent by the Titans, forcing them to be completely reevaluated.]]

* GoryDiscretionShot:

** Eren has an all-consuming hatred of Titans [[spoiler:but is a Titan Shifter himself, and several of his friends turn out to be the very Titans he hates]]. Furthermore, [[spoiler: Eren has the ability to ''command'' regular Titans]].

** Eren's hatred for the Titans stems from one eating his mother. [[spoiler: He is the Titan that ate his father.]] [[spoiler: His father's first wife also was the one who ate his mother in the first place.]]

* LifeDeathJuxtaposition: [[spoiler: In Chapter 134, a baby is shown being saved as thousands or millions, including the baby's mother, die by falling into the sea and drowning or crushed by Eren's Wall Titans.]]

** Both opening songs have German names: "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" & "Die Flügel der Freiheit" are [[TitleDrop Title Dropped]] within the lyrics.

* LeParkour: Some soldiers pull off a bit of parkour in Episode 23 as they tumble and somersault their way to restrain the Female Titan.

** The nameless blonde soldier in Chapter 80 freaking out about how his death will be meaningless? [[spoiler: He's the only one that seems to have survived the suicidal charge against the Beast Titan in Chapter 81.]]

* LivingOnBorrowedTime: Armin gets a case of this where after suffering from Fifth-Degree Burns across his entire body, the Survey Corps uses their syringe of Titan Spinal Fluid on him to turn him into a Titan and devour Bertholt to gain access to the Colossal Titan and the Titan-Shifters' natural HealingFactor. [[spoiler:Immediately after gaining these powers and recovering the notes kept in Erens' basement by Grisha, they learn about [[YourDaysAreNumbered The Curse of Ymir]]: where all Titan-Shifters have a life-expectancy of just 13 years after gaining their powers.]]