Eren and Zeke’s face-off in Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 was the turning point in the story. After Eren purposefully mislead Zeke, he joins the cause. All Eren wanted is to get Ymir Fritz’s favor to set his Rumbling plan in motion. So what exactly is Zeke’s plan and ultimate goal? Why is Eren against it?
In this article, we will also be giving you Zeke’s backstory as it will provide the context for his plan. It will help you understand why he had come up with it. It is the opposite of Eren’s plan; their only similarity is that they are very extreme.
Zeke Was Born in Marley
Zeke was born to two Subjects of Ymir/Eldian parents: Grisha Yeager and Dina Fritz. He was born in Marley, a nation that discriminates against his race. They were confined to internment zones and they were not allowed to go to several places. When he was a toddler, both his parents were questioned unreasonably just by being around certain premises. This oppressive environment made his parents become members of the Eldian Restorationists.
His Parents’ Expectations
When Zeke was born, both his parents took it as a sign of the Eldian Restorationists’ victory. The government of Marley has formed a Marleyan Warrior program, where Eldian children are going to be trained. Outstanding warriors will get the opportunity to gain the power of the Titans the Marley government has obtained. These warriors will be tasked to retrieve the Founding Titan power from Paradis Island. This is to ensure Marley’s safety from any retaliation.
Grisha and Dina intended to raise Zeke to become a Marleyan Warrior. He was set to obtain the Founding Titan power for the Eldian Restorationists – to overthrow the Marleyan government. This is to become finally free from the shackles of oppression. Even as a child, Zeke was already fed with the Eldian Restorationists’ beliefs in history.
What Zeke Really Wanted
We must remember that Zeke was still a kid. He was young, so it was natural for him to play and vie for his parents’ attention. However, his parents were technically the leaders of Eldian Restorationists, so they were always busy. This is why he was always dropped off at his grandparents’ place most of the time. His grandparents treated him well and gave him the attention that he wanted.
It can be said that his grandparents share the opposite mindset from his parents. They also did not seem to be too aware that Grisha and Dina were Eldian Restorationists. This is because the grandparents believed that Eldians/Subjects of Ymir deserved the discrimination from Marley. It is to atone for their past sins. Since Zeke is relatively closer to his grandparents, it is safe to assume that he started to gain that mindset as well.
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His Parents’ Pressure
Since his parents expected him to be a Marleyan Warrior as a child, the pressure came along with it. Every time Grisha and Dina were at home, they would always ask about his studies and training. They would not ask how Zeke was, or if Zeke wanted to play. They were so engrossed in their mission for the that they were not able to realize that Zeke was still a kid. They did not think of asking Zeke what he really wanted.
Zeke wanted to be a normal kid that plays catch with his father, but Grisha had different plans. He urged Zeke to do well in training and got very angry whenever Zeke failed. Dina was more sympathetic and tried to calm down Grisha in these cases. It was clear that Zeke’s heart was not really into training to become a Warrior. He only ever did it to gain his parents’ approval.
He even attempted to discourage his parents from further participating in Eldian Restorationists when the Marley government is discovering it. He was scared for his life and did not want them to become Titans. This is much to the displeasure of both Grisha and Dina. Grisha screamed his disappointment, leaving Zeke with mental scars at a young age.
Meeting Tom Ksaver
With Zeke and Grisha having a strained relationship, Zeke had low hopes of becoming a Warrior. This was when he became acquainted with the former Beast Titan holder, Tom Ksaver. Tom Ksaver was more of a researcher than a warrior. He expressed that he was not that strong in battle, similar to Zeke. This sense of kinship is the foundation of their relationship. Tom became Zeke’s father figure and mentor, something that Grisha was not.
Tom was the one who saw Zeke’s potential to become a researcher and tactician. Zeke is not physically strong, but he has a great mind. Tom even played catch with Zeke – something the latter had always wanted to do with Grisha.
We must also take note that Tom also has a different mindset from Grisha and Dina. He shared the same sentiments with Zeke’s grandparents – Subjects of Ymir/Eldians are rightfully suffering for past sins. Tom also has a past tragedy about his family: when his Marleyan wife discovered he’s a Subject of Ymir, she killed herself together with their son. Tom expressed how he wished he had not existed in the world so that he would not have to endure such suffering.
The people Zeke is the closest to believed the Subjects of Ymir should atone for grave mistakes. Hence, it is not far off that he fully adapted to their way of thinking. In a way, this can mean that Zeke wanted to rebel against his parents who were never there for him. This is why he followed Tom Ksaver’s suggestion to snitch on his parents of being Eldian Restorationists. We can say that this was caused by both Grisha and Dina’s shortcomings as parents to Zeke.
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Zeke’s Euthanasia Plan
When Zeke grew older, he eventually inherited the Beast Titan power from Tom. He also formulated his grand plan to end the suffering of the Subjects of Ymir/Eldians. He discovered that with the Founding Titan’s power, he will be able to sterilize the entire race. He will be able to genetically neuter all of the Eldians so that they will not be able to reproduce anymore. In a matter of centuries, the Eldians will be non-existent and the suffering would not have to continue. New generations would not have to inherit the sins of the old.
To do this plan requires someone with a royal blood and the Founding Titan holder. Since Zeke already inherited royal blood from his mother, all he needed to do is to find Eren, the Founding Titan. Zeke did his best to convince Eren and made plans with Non-Marleyan Volunteers as well. Eren pretended to agree with the plan, only to go on full 180 when they reached The Coordinate.
Eren is Against It
Eren called Zeke’s plan “messed up”. This is mainly because while Zeke may have noble intentions, it still indicated how Zeke disliked his own race. His plan is meant to bow down to the oppressors. He fulfils their wish of exterminating Eldians in the future as if putting forth the punishment. By doing this, he is stripping off the freedom of the Eldians to procreate and have families.
This is the direct opposite of what Eren wants. Despite the brothers sharing intentions of relieving the sufferings of Eldians, they have different viewpoints on how to achieve it. Zeke wants to euthanize the entire race so that no one will suffer ever again in the future. It is also meant to eliminate the Titan power so that the world can be safe from it. Eren wants to exterminate the rest of the nations outside his home, Paradis Island, so that his fellow Eldians will not suffer again.
It can be argued that their different upbringings and experiences as children are crucial factors for their views. Zeke’s Euthanasia plan can be traced back to the mindset he has shared with people close to him. It also has ties to how he was treated by his parents as well. As for Eren, well, that is simply who he is even when he was a child. Then again, Eren was not forced to do anything by his parents; so he has the freedom to be who he wants to be. This is the opposite of what happened to Zeke.
Even though Zeke’s Euthanasia plan is indeed messed up, one can understand where he is coming from. In consideration of his past, it made sense why he was able to have this philosophy of his own race. Just like Eren, he had his reasons on why he made morally questionable choices.
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