Even now, two years after the end of the manga, Attack On Titan is one of the greatest stories of all time. Throughout the series, fans have been introduced to unforgettable characters, but only a few have made it through to the end. One of these characters is Eren Yeager.
Even though he began as a stereotypical hero, Eren underwent major character growth. Diehard fans of the series consider him to be one of anime's most well-written protagonists — although some may regard him as more of an antagonist later in the story. Throughout the series, Eren has had many memorable quotes that readers love.
Updated on October 30, 2023 by Hannah Grimes: With the finale of Attack On Titan's anime quickly drawing near, there are even more iconic Eren Yeager quotes that resonated with fans and solidified his place as one of the best anime characters in recent memory. This list has been updated to include even more Eren quotes while also falling in line with CBR's new standards.
20 "We're Born Free."
Season 1, Episode 12: "Wound: The Struggle for Trost, Part 8"
At Attack On Titan's start, Eren compares the complacent townsfolk to cattle, saying that a life behind the walls isn't a life at all. He's always believed in the concept of freedom and fighting for it, even against constant threats like the Titans and the other enemies Eren discovers later on.
No matter what Eren faces, though, he never gives up the belief that everyone is free, and should have the ability to express that freedom. This quote is from Attack On Titan's first season, but remains true even after Eren turns against his friends and ignites the Rumbling.
19 "I Do It Out Of My Own Free Will."
Season 4, Episode 14: "Savagery"
Eren unexpectedly shows up to a conversation between Mikasa, Armin and Gabi, where the former two question whether Eren's in control of his actions or if other people's influences or ideologies are controlling him. Armin asks if Zeke is the primary reason Eren launched his attack on Marley.
From the beginning, Eren believes he's in control of his actions, blaming no one for their outcome but himself. He takes complete responsibility, though his friends still think Eren's being controlled and can't believe he'd do something as violently drastic as ignite the Rumbling.
18 "I Won't Hesitate To Take Theirs."
Season 4, Episode 20: "Memories of the Future"
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Eren has always been defiant and unafraid to stand up in the face of injustice. Eren eventually developed a very black-and-white view of his enemies — hardly a surprise given everything he's endured. Eren refuses to show any sympathy and now believes it's best to do unto others what they've done to him.
After all Eren's endured, he'll go against anyone who threatens his freedom, regardless of if they're friend or foe. At this point, Eren's primary goal is self-preservation. Even if the people who try to take his freedom away aren't necessarily his enemies, he'll view them as such.
17 "What Could You Have Done To Fight Back Against That?"
Season 4, Episode 05: "Declaration of War"
The citizens in Attack On Titan are constantly bombarded with propaganda. It's one of the most sinister tools in existence because it preys upon the vulnerabilities of people's psyches. Marley knows how to do this all too well. Reiner, Annie and Bertolt are heavily affected by this from a young age.
It's easy to hate the trio at first, but once Eren learns the truth behind Reiner, Annie and Bertolt's actions, this black-and-white viewpoint starts to fade. He sympathizes with Reiner, who's distraught and beating himself up after everything, saying there's nothing they could have done as ignorant kids.
16 "If You Don't Fight, You Can't Win!"
Season 4, Episode 09: "Brave Volunteers"
Attack On Titan gets even bleaker by the time its fourth season rolls around, as Eren ignites the Rumbling and the Titans feel insurmountable. For the first time in a long while, the cast start to lose hope, many questioning why they're fighting for, or if they're strong enough to see the horrors through to the end.
In a world like Attack On Titan's, to not fight is the same as surrendering one's life, and Eren's always understood this. He states that those who win the fight get to live, and those that don't die. It's a grim worldview, but appropriate given everything he's seen leading up to the end.
15 "I Want To See And Understand The World Outside"
Season 4, Episode 20: "Memories of the Future"
Humanity is protected behind walls to avoid the man-eating Titans that roam the outside world. However, this doesn't stop the people within from wanting a glimpse at what's beyond the barriers. No matter what, humanity will always have hope that better things are lying just beyond the horizon. Optimism is never entirely out of reach.
Along with Armin, one of Eren's driving motivations is to see the world beyond the walls, and find out if things he'd only read about like the sea are real. Worse than dying to Titans outside the walls, to Eren, is dying sheltered inside them without seeing all the beauty beyond.
14 "I Have To Be The One To Do This!"
Season 2, Episode 12: "Scream"
At the beginning of the series, Eren's mother Carla was eaten by the Smiling Titan. One of the Garrison's soldiers, Hannes, had the opportunity to save her along with Eren and Mikasa — but only saved the children. When they finally met again, Hannes was ready to avenge her. However, Eren also wanted revenge.
Eren was determined to make things right for his mother. Unfortunately, the Smiling Titan ended up killing Hannes, but Eren found a power he didn't know he had as he made the other titans around them attack his mother's murderer. This was a core moment for his development as a character.
13 "If We Kill The Enemy... Will We Finally Be Free?"
Season 3, Episode 22: "The Other Side Of The Wall"
At the start of Attack On Titan, Eren and the others believe that they'll be free if they get past the walls and eliminate the Titans, they'll be free. To them, the world outside the walls is freedom, and they're the last people left that can defend humanity and claim it for them and everyone who's fallen.
They finally make it to the sea, the dream Eren and Armin shared since childhood, but it's after learning they aren't the last people alive. Both sides see the other as the ultimate enemy, and after fighting for what they believe is freedom for so long, they can only hope to get it by eliminating who they perceive to be in the wrong.
12 "How Can You Call Yourself A Soldier?"
Season 1, Episode 04: "The Night of the Closing Ceremony: Humanity's Comeback, Part 2"
Jean and Eren have always had a very interesting relationship. When they first met, their goals in life couldn't have been more opposite. While Eren wanted to join the Survey Corps and see the outside world — even if it meant he'd face his demise — Jean wanted to join the Military Police and live a safe life.
Eren is easily angered by others who don't have strong morals they adhere to, and at first, Jean is only out for himself and his personal safety. Even though Eren and Jean eventually became close comrades, this line shows Eren's disdain for Jean's early character.
11 "How Could Anything Be More Important Than Keeping Humanity From Being Wiped Out?"
Season 2, Episode 02: "I'm Home"
When the Survey Corps found out Colossal Titans were inside the walls, they also learned Minister Nick had known all along and refused to reveal this information. In order to convince Minister Nick to tell them everything he knew, the Survey Corps had Nick join them, causing him to see firsthand the terrible conditions some of Paradis' people were living in. However, Eren wanted to learn everything that Nick knew immediately and got angry.
At first, Eren values keeping as much of humanity alive as possible. His respect for human life made him an iconic anime hero. However, these words are now incredibly ironic, since Eren became somewhat of a villain himself -- this metamorphosis makes him one of the most complex anime characters ever.
10 "I Believe My Squad Will Be Victorious! Fight Well!"
Season 1, Episode 21: "Crushing Blow: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Part 5"
After his powers were discovered, Eren joined Levi Squad and learned a lot from them. They became close comrades and earned his trust, and under their orders against the Female Titan, Eren learns to put his faith in them. Instead of transforming into a Titan, Eren puts his belief in Petra and the others.
With all his heart, Eren believes they'll succeed, which is heartbreaking given the outcome. While it's possible Levi's Squad would have been wiped out either way, Eren deeply blames himself for the squad's death, instead seeing his belief as an inability to take personal action.
9 "You'll Never Know... Unless You Keep Moving Forward."
Season 4, Episode 3: "The Door Of Hope"
The Attack On Titan universe is grim, and early on, many characters give up and surrender to their fear of the Titans. It's an incredibly bleak world with horrifying threats around every corner, and Eren and the others are constantly giving their all and fighting for both their lives and those around them.
There are many points where the decisions of Eren and his comrades directly translate to ally or civilian deaths. Eren admits at one point that, if he and his friends knew what being soldiers would do to them, they likely wouldn't have stepped on the battlefield. Even so, there's only one way to know what the final outcome is, and that's to keep moving forward.
8 "I Never Needed To Happen."
Season 3, Episode 07: "Wish"
When Eren and Historia were kidnapped by her father, Rod, they learned of the events that led to Eren becoming a titan. His father, Grisha, stole the Founding Titan from Frieda, Historia's sister, before killing other members of the Reiss family. He then allowed Eren to eat him.
After learning this, Eren felt guilty for being responsible for the deaths of many soldiers who believed he was special. This quote marks a milestone in Eren's character development. Learning the truth about his own nature put a new weight on him, even pushing him to sacrifice himself to give the Reiss family the Founding Titan back. However, Historia explained everything Grisha did was to save humanity, which ultimately calmed Eren.
7 "You're Not Soldiers. You're Not Warriors. You're Just Murderers."
Season 2, Episode 09: "Opening"
When Bertolt and Reiner were revealed to be the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan, Eren fought against the two he once looked up to. However, they won the fight and kidnapped him, as well as Ymir. Stopping to rest in a forest, Reiner and Bertholdt had a deep conversation with their victims. The two called themselves "warriors" rather than "soldiers," to which Eren yelled these words at them.
When considering his future, it's ironic that Eren called Bertolt and Reiner murderers. However, this is very on-brand with the younger Eren. His journey from main character to main antagonist is still one of the most complex storylines in anime and this quote is a great example of his transformation.
6 "I'll Wrap It Around You Again... That's A Promise!"
Season 2, Episode 12: "Scream"
After witnessing so many tragedies around him, Eren starts to break, laughing hysterically while lamenting everyone he couldn't save. Mikasa comforts Eren, thanks him for teaching her how to live happily, and for the scarf she always keeps with her.
In return, Eren promises Mikasa he'll always be there to wrap his scarf around her. Mikasa and Eren don't get many tender moments throughout Attack On Titan, showing their softer sides and how much they've been through with each other.
5 "I'm Not Planning On Handing It Down To Any Of You."
Season 4, Episode 10: "A Sound Argument"
Knowing that Eren would die in a few years due to inheritors of the Nine Titans only living for thirteen years, he and his friends had a conversation to determine who would become the next Attack Titan and Founding Titan. Mikasa, Jean, Connie, and Sasha had all volunteered to take his place, but Eren refused.
He reasoned that he cared about them too much to want them to die while they were still young. This quote shows that, despite becoming their enemy and regardless of how things went in the end, Eren cared deeply about his friends and did everything he could for their freedom.
4 "I'm The Same As You. I Didn't Have Any Other Choice."
Season 4, Episode 05: "Declaration of War"
After learning Reiner was the Armored Titan, Eren hated the man he thought of as his older brother. However, after the Survey Corps found out the truth about Paradis and Marley, he began to understand why Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie broke down Shiganshina and Wall Maria.
When discussing this with Reiner during their reunion, he told his old friend that the two of them were much more alike than they had once thought. Reiner and Eren's relationship is unarguably one of the most complex in the series. This quote emphasizes how, in the end, they're both sides of the same coin.
3 "I Have The Freedom To Continue Moving Forward."
Season 4, Episode 29: "The Final Chapters"
Resolved to destroy the other countries, so they wouldn't attack Paradis anymore, Eren became the greatest killer in the entire series. The Survey Corps had to join forces with Marley's Warrior Unit to stop him. At first, they had hoped to convince Eren to end his rampage.
However, Eren told them that he wouldn't stop unless they defeat him, as both groups had the freedom to destroy or defend what they saw fit. Fans were shocked by the heartbreaking battle between these characters, who were once inseparable, but Eren's stubbornness wouldn't allow things to be any different.
2 "I Don't Have Time To Worry If It's Right Or Wrong."
Season 1, Episode 24: "Mercy (Assault On Stohess, Part 2)
Eren faces many moral dilemmas throughout Attack On Titan, and nothing would get accomplished if he stopped to question the morality of every action. From the start, Eren and his friends have had to sacrifice their comrades to survive, and making one wrong decision can mean getting someone killed.
Even so, they have to press on for the good of humanity. Eren's always believed there's no point surrendering to fear, and that kind of life isn't worth living. It's far too easy to get lost in the thought of how horrendous their situation is, and Eren understands that he simply has to keep moving forward.
1 "I'm Gonna Destroy Them! Every Last One Of Those Animals That's On This Earth!"
Season 4, Episode 28: "The Dawn of Humanity"
Eren had always wanted to go outside the walls and fight the Titans. However, after his mother was killed, this goal became the most important thing to him. Eren wanted to get revenge against the Titans for destroying his family and home. From a young age, vengeance against them was all he thought about.
As the story progressed, he and the other characters learned that the Titans were not their true enemies and that it was other countries in the world that used the giant cannibals to kill them. Ultimately, this quote shows Eren's conviction, even if he ended up fulfilling his goal as an antihero.
