Hatred Stems from Power: The Jewish Paradox Hidden in ‘Attack on Titan’
To live yourself, you must allow others to live.
Warning: spoilers for Attack on Titan
As of November 4th, the long-running Japanese anime ‘Attack on Titan’ (AOT) has aired its final episode. After quickly catching up, I felt compelled to write a series of analytical articles on the subject. Given the current Israel-Hamas conflict in the real world, it seems timely to discuss this anime. AOT has often been considered an allegory or reflection of Jewish history. Comparing these two stories could shed light on Jewish history as well. I’ll give it a try and see how in-depth this series can go.
Looking back, what captivated me, and our generation of young people, about AOT isn’t just its thrilling plot or mature-rated scenes. It’s the way creator Hajime Isayama has crafted a deeply layered historical perspective. The series hooks readers, drawing us in like explorers delving into a sinkhole, layer by layer, in search of a more terrifying and thought-provoking historical truth.
At the very beginning of the story, the author constructs a somewhat clichéd “end of the world” scenario for the readers — humanity, in a time of prosperity, faces annihilation by giants, the Titans.
These relentless beings, driven by an insatiable hunger for humans, force humanity into a corner, resulting in a retreat to a small island safeguarded by three concentric walls: Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina.
Within these walls, life becomes a tightrope walk of self-sufficiency and perpetual fear.
After this catastrophe, humanity was forced to live a self-sufficient life within the confines of narrow walls. They lived in constant fear, always on edge, knowing that the Titans could breach their defenses and attack their last stronghold.
This worldview appears quite complete in itself, yet, much like the early part of the comics where humanity’s seemingly “perfect” defense system is breached by the Titans, as the story progresses, this narrative gradually reveals various flaws.
Firstly, there’s a scene (briefly touched upon in the anime but elaborated in the comics) at the beginning of the story:
The protagonist Eren Yeager’s friend, Armin, has a grandfather who possesses a “forbidden book.” This book appears to be a travelogue written by someone from inside the walls who journeyed outside. It vaguely describes landscapes unknown to those living within the confines of the walls, such as “flaming water” (lava), “lands of ice” (glaciers), and “sandy snowfields” (deserts). These unique descriptions spark Eren’s curiosity about the vast world beyond the walls and plant the seeds for his future determination to join the “Scout Regiment,” a group that explores outside the walls .
This clue itself is weird. If the world outside the walls is controlled by the fearsome titans, how is it possible for someone to travel so far beyond them? Furthermore, why would the kingdom within the walls classify such a travelogue as a “forbidden book”? Could it be concealing a secret?
The story then rapidly escalates. After over a century of relative peace, the Titans, led by some new types of Titans, suddenly launch a renewed assault on the humans within the walls. This reignites the fear of being dominated by the Titans, pushing humanity into a desperate state of retreat and even facing the threat of extinction. However, as the main characters grow and develop, more truths gradually come to light.
Firstly, they discover that Titans and humans can transform into each other. The protagonist, Eren, possesses the ability to turn into Titan, and some of the Titans were actually humans who had infiltrated the walls as spies. When these spies are revealed, instead of feeling remorse for their massacre of humans, they seem to hold an unusual contempt and hatred towards the people inside the walls.
One of the spies, upon being exposed, directly refers to the inhabitants of the walls as “descendants of devils,” cursing them as guilty and deserving of death. This revelation leads both the characters and the readers to increasingly question the history they have been told. Is the relationship between humans and Titans not as straightforward in terms of good and evil as previously believed?
As the story unfolds, more inconsistencies come to light. For example, a chance discovery reveals that the tall isolation walls, believed to protect the people, are actually made up of the bodies of titans. Surprisingly, the government within the walls has been aware of this all along.
Eventually, the truth of history is revealed: human civilization did not actually perish. Most humans live outside the walls, while those threatened by the Titans inside the walls are actually the true Titans.
The true story goes like this:
Over a thousand years before the events of the comics, the ancestor of the Eldians named Ymir made a pact with a demon and gained the ability to transform into a Titan After Ymir’s death, her body was consumed by her three daughters — Maria, Rose, and Sina— and as a result, they and their descendants also inherited the power to transform into Titans.
During the era of cold weapons, this power became a dominant force that could control the world. The Eldian people used the power of the Titans to rule over humanity for over a thousand years. However, this power led to an authoritarian rule and deep-seated animosity between the Eldians and other nations they ruled over. The other nations swore to overthrow the Eldian tyranny.
Over a hundred years ago, with the advancement of technology and internal conflicts among the ruling Eldian clan, the Titan dynasty was overthrown. The majority of the surviving Eldians, led by the 145th king of the Eldian dynasty, relocated to a small island. They used the bodies of the Titan-possessing clan members to construct three walls. To ensure their survival, they manipulated history and created a false worldview where the outside world was already conquered by Titans. This caused fear among the people living inside the walls.
However, the world outside the walls still harbored hatred towards the Eldian people. Due to their history and abilities, most countries considered them unwanted and expelled them. Only the Marley Empire was willing to accommodate the Eldians, but with ulterior motives. They sought to exploit the power of the Titans to dominate the world. The Eldians were confined to specific concentration camps, wearing a seven-pointed star armband and prohibited from engaging in legitimate professions.
Living in these camps, the Eldians underwent combat training from a young age and were subjected to brainwashing through the Empire’s education system. They were taught that the Eldian race was inherently guilty for making a pact with the Devil of All Earth. To atone for their sins and gain forgiveness, they had to fight for the Empire and be willing to eliminate their own people on the island.
Ultimately, the Empire launched an attack on the Eldians within the walls, not only for territorial expansion but also out of fear that the Eldians, with their ability to transform into Titans, could break out of the walls and threaten the human world again in the future. The Empire feared that other countries could control the Eldians. And so, the bloody story begins from there…
‘Attack on Titan’ ultimately presents a worldview that indeed draws heavily from the historical elements of the Jewish people’s experiences.
The ancestral Eldians’ pact with the the Devil of All Earth in the story — where Ymir consumes an apple given by the devil — is an evident parallel to the biblical story where Eve is tempted by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit, from the Old Testament believed by the Jews.
In AOT, Ymir’s descendants gain the “Power of the Titans” and dominate the world after consuming the devil’s apple. This mirrors how, in reality, the Jewish people’s global influence grew through knowledge and shrewdness. With high literacy rates due to religious studies like the Torah and the Talmud, Jewish families have historically placed a high value on education. This emphasis on learning allowed Jews to grasp the reins of science and commerce quicker than native European populations post-Renaissance.
According to statistics, among Nobel Prize laureates, 20% of Chemistry prizes, 25% of Physics prizes, 30% of Medicine prizes, and 40% of Economics prizes have been awarded to Jewish individuals. To say that the Jewish people, who traditionally believe their ancestors consumed the fruit of wisdom and thus inherited original sin, are indeed the intellectual Titans, doesn’t seem to be an overstatement.
If the initial segments of the story are commonly recognized, the later plot elements underscore author Hajime Isayama’s intent to create allegories. The comics depicts a world where, amid widespread discrimination and ostracization of Eldians, the Marley Empire uniquely accommodates them within certain bounds. This is done primarily to harness their Power of the Titans. This aspect of the narrative bears a strong resemblance to the racial segregation and exploitation policies employed by Nazi Germany against Jews during World War II.
This plot also has a historical prototype. Many people might be curious why, during World War II, anti-Semitic sentiments were particularly strong in Germany, within Europe. Was it because there were indeed more Jews in Germany compared to other countries at that time? In fact, there is a lesser-known “pre-history” to this — between 1618 and 1648, Europe experienced the devastating Thirty Years’ War, centered around Germany (then the Holy Roman Empire). This war resulted in the death of one-third of the German population, and the empire’s economy completely collapsed. To save the collapsed economy and rapidly repopulate, the German states after the war adopted a more lenient policy towards Jews, unlike other European countries. Some countries, like Prussia which began to rise after the war, even issued “Jewish Charters,” promising that Jews could conduct business and live without their property being violated within its borders.
This lenient policy seemed very reasonable at the time, as Jews were wealthy, business-savvy, and most importantly, did not get involved in the tiresome religious disputes among Christians. As a result, the influx of Jews laid the foundation for the German states to regain their strength after the war and become the leading power in Europe. This is also why Prussia, where “the army has a state”, managed to maintain decent economic growth despite its aggressive militarism.
However, this situation also created a lingering issue. There was a common belief among the native Germans that the Jews had taken advantage of their vulnerability. The Germans only wanted to use the Jews’ strength to enhance their national power, similar to how the Marley Empire in the comic intended to use the power of the Eldian Titans to dominate the world. Following this logic, the Germans naturally became wary of the Jews potentially “turning the tables” and taking control of the country, leading to the eventual need to “dismiss” the Jews they had once invited in. This historical context laid the groundwork for the Nazis’ sinister anti-Semitic propaganda before World War II.
The treatment of the Eldian people by the Marley Empire in the comic also bears similarities to the Nazi persecution of Jews during World War II. Beyond the well-known measures like confining them to specific areas or forcing them to wear distinctive star armbands, let’s discuss two less commonly known aspects.
In AOT, the Eldians are initially forced onto an isolated island, which closely mirrors a Nazi Germany proposal for the Jews known as the Madagascar Plan. Conceived shortly after the Nazis rose to power in 1933, this plan was less about extermination and more about displacement. The Nazis, perceiving the Jews’ aspirations for a homeland, thought of relegating them to a remote, underdeveloped colony. Madagascar was chosen, with the intention of gradually transferring a million Jews per year, effectively relocating all Jews from Nazi territories. The survival of the Jews in Madagascar was not a concern for the Nazis — they anticipated the Jews’ eventual decline and extinction.
The plan, initially seeming feasible, faced a major obstacle: Madagascar was a French colony. But this issue was soon resolved as France swiftly succumbed to Nazi domination in World War II, and the puppet Vichy government was unwilling to defy German wishes. Thus, the Madagascar Plan initially became the Nazi’s favored approach to the “Jewish question.”
However, the “Madagascar Plan” was eventually superseded by the brutal “Final Solution.” This transition mirrors the plot in AOT, where the Marley Empire opts for a complete eradication of the Eldians. As World War II progressed, Nazi Germany lost its naval power, making the logistics of such mass relocation unfeasible. Additionally, they developed a paranoia about the Jews potentially rising to power if concentrated in one location.
Fearing a Jewish resurgence, potentially empowered by their intellect and business prowess (akin to the “Titan Power”), the Nazi leadership, including Hitler and Himmler, decided on a more drastic and genocidal approach: the “Final Solution,” a policy of total annihilation of the Jewish people. This strategic shift marks the historical turning point from forced emigration to systematic extermination.
So you see, the story of the Eldians suffering from the Curse of Ymir is truly a metaphor for the real-life paradox faced by the Jewish people.
Having power is a blessing, but often, it’s more of a curse that prevents reconciliation with your neighbors.
Throughout history, from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion fabricated during the Tsarist era to the widely circulated ‘Fugu Plan’ on the internet today, conspiracy theories about Jews are so full of holes that they are hardly worth refuting. However, the reality that Jews, wherever they go, cannot escape being the target of hatred is indeed true.
Just as the Eldians are always suspected, hated, and ostracized for possessing the curse of the Titan power, Jews in the real world possess a kind of Titan power that intimidates many other nations. The Jewish diaspora, with its emphasis on education, numerous elite individuals, and a relatively unified community, presents a “Titan-like” status compared to other nations. The weaker or more vulnerable the surrounding nations, the stronger their fear and suspicion of this “Titan race.”
Observe that the rise of strong anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish sentiment in Germany prior to World War II fundamentally stemmed from Germany’s defeat in World War I. The country, once powerful, had its backbone broken, and the German people lost the confidence they possessed during the era of the Second Reich. This led to the emergence of ideologies centered on guarding against and even despising their Jewish neighbors.
Post World War II, the Arab world’s animosity towards the state of Israel was largely born from a similar mindset:
Israel was established in 1948 following United Nations Resolution 181. However, it was the Arab League that decided not to abide by this resolution, resolving instead to use military force to the utmost.
The irony is that the First Arab-Israeli War, initiated by the Arab League, resulted in the nascent state of Israel demonstrating its “little Titan” military prowess and exposing the weakness of the Arab nations. This created a chain of suspicion — the ‘Titan’ (Israel) versus the ‘mortal’ (Arab nations).
If Israel so desired, it could easily overpower any neighboring Arab state. This, in turn, intensified the surrounding Arab nations’ sense of urgency to quash Israel, fearing that delay might mean losing the opportunity altogether.
The core issue of the historic Arab-Israeli conflict essentially revolves around the modernization of Arab countries.
Today, the distrust fostered by disparities in power translates into governance. Those countries with more successful governance (like Egypt, the former regional leader, followed by Jordan, Saudi Arabia which recently warmed up to Israel, and even the relatively moderate Fatah in Palestine) are more inclined to ease relations with Israel, as these regimes have a certain level of strength and internal stability.
On the other hand, countries or regimes suffering from internal instability and poor living conditions, such as Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, cling to anti-Israel stances. A primary reason behind this is the distrust born from the immense power imbalance. In the comics, as with the rich and the poor in reality, if there’s a dividing wall between them, communication and reconciliation become impossible. The gap in power perpetuates a chain of hatred and suspicion that seems unbreakable.
Thus, the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hinges on the hope that Gaza and the entire Middle East gradually develop economically, moving towards prosperity, secularism, and modernity, free from medieval fundamentalist ideologies. Peace can only truly prevail when the gap in power is bridged. Otherwise, the weak will always fear the strong’s oppression, and the strong will always be wary of the weak’s covert attacks.
If we delve deeper, we can sense that attitudes towards the Jewish people, like a litmus test, often reflect the strength and confidence of a nation, community, or class. The more powerful and self-assured they are, the more likely they are to view Jews fairly, without conspiracy theories. Conversely, when a nation, state, or class is weak and lacks confidence, bizarre conspiracy theories, anxieties, and even hatred seem to emerge from nowhere.
In the end, AOT reveals that the Eren Yeager’s initial ideal of “exterminating them from this world, every single one of them”, is unfulfilled. This is because his own people are, in fact, Titans — or rather, to each other group or class, we are all, in some way, viewed as Titans.
If you advocate for “exterminating them”, “every single one of them”, you also deny the legitimacy of your own existence.
To live yourself, you must allow others to live.
But can you coexist with Titans, and do you dare to coexist with them?
This depends on whether you are a Titan yourself.
Thank you for reading along.
Indeed, ‘Attack on Titan’ alludes to and reflects numerous historical parallels, and there is much more to explore in its narrative.
Depending on the response to this piece, further analysis and continuation might be provided in the future.
