Eren and Mikasa have an incredibly powerful bond throughout Attack on Titan. But what exactly is the nature of their relationship?
Warning: This contains spoilers for the Attack on TItan manga and anime.
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Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman have endured a tumultuous journey together throughout the Attack on Titan narrative. The pair clearly have an intense bond that is not easily broken, but certainly tested. Considering the manga and anime up to this point, what exactly can Eren and Mikasa's relationship be classified as?
The two meet when a nine-year-old Eren accompanies his father, Dr. Grisha Yeager, to the Ackerman home for a medical check-up, when the Yeagers find the Ackerman parents to be brutally murdered and the young Mikasa missing. Eren finds Mikasa bound and stabs the kidnappers to death. After untying Mikasa, another goon enters and chokes Eren. Mikasa picks up the knife with shaking hands, unsure of what to do next. It is here where Eren spits the famous words : “if you don't fight, you can't win!”. Suddenly, Mikasa's Ackerman powers are activated, and she stabs Eren's attacker in his defense. Ultimately, it was decided that Mikasa would live with the Yeagers. Eren then famously wraps his red scarf around Mikasa's neck, kicking off their strange dynamic.
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The Beginning
Since then, the duo's rapport has been quite interesting. Eren was known for picking fights with bullies and having a steaming hot temper. Mikasa, on the other hand, had a reputation for not leaving Eren alone. She would constantly worry about him and feels an urge to protect him at all costs. This would leave Eren frustrated, feeling like he does not need all this protection that Mikasa is giving him. He is only a child at this point, so this behavior is not all that strange.
Mikasa evidently feels a great deal of gratitude towards Eren. This is the boy that saved her life, after all. Her boundless devotion to him started here and continues till the end of the story. At this moment in time, Mikasa's protectiveness can be interpreted as romantic or familial. In some ways, she acts like a mother trying to make sure her son is keeping out of trouble. In retrospect, however, it is possible to infer that this is the start of Mikasa's romantic feelings towards Eren.
After Eren witnesses the fall of Shinganshina to the titans and his mother's death in the jaws of one, he heatedly decides to join the Scout Regimen to kill all titans. Along with Armin, Mikasa joins the military as well, despite Eren's dismay. While Eren's motivations are rooted in anger and vengeance, Mikasa's are Eren's sole protection. Her driving force is his safety, which lead her to joining the Scouts. Amidst the entire plot of learning about titans, a few of the unique titans and shocking information about their fellow soldiers, Mikasa's motivations never changed. To her, Eren comes first.
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The question remains whether this is romantic or not. The two are older now, therefore emotions become more complicated. In the anime, Mikasa at one point denied Eren being the man she loved when another soldier claimed it so. Although, even she didn't seem totally convinced. A notable moment is where Eren reunites with the Smiling Titan who killed his mother. Mikasa is seen blushing as she tells him how indebted she is to him, and even appears to lean in for a kiss. It is worth noting that Mikasa is only ever seen blushing around Eren. While Eren did say he will always wrap her scarf for her, whether this is romantic is debatable.
In chapter 123 of the manga, a flashback is presented of the Scouts arriving to Marley. Eren boldly asks Mikasa why does she concern herself with him so much. Mikasa is confused by this, and Eren clarifies by asking her if it's because he saved her when they were children or because they were family. Still flustered, Eren asks “what am I… to you?”. Unsure of how to react, Mikasa answers “family”. She began to say more until she was interrupted by others demanding their attention. Eren's face is visibly disappointed after this and continues the rest of the evening's activities in silence.
It is unsure whether this is so because he was depressed throughout the voyage to Marley, the conversation with Mikasa, or both. So why did he ask this blunt question? It can be interpreted that he wanted a different kind of relationship with Mikasa. He definitely put her on the spot with this question, which can mean that he is developing romantic feelings for her which may hopefully be reciprocated. After all, there has to be a reason for her unconditional devotion to him? His disappointment may indicate that he was dissatisfied with her response of seeing him as family. His question may be bigger than romantic confirmation. At this point, Eren has seen the Rumbling happen in a vision. If Mikasa told him a different answer, albeit that she loves him romantically, this may influence his decision to engage the Rumbling. This begs the question of what did Eren want to hear. After this exchange, Eren becomes more distant and concentrates on his plan to begin the Rumbling.
A tense moment in both anime and manga is where Eren has a talk with Armin and Mikasa in Marley after Sasha's killer was revealed. He tells Mikasa that he always hated her and that it's her Ackerman blood that ties her to him, not love of any kind. Eren even calls her a slave, which deeply wounds Mikasa. Poignantly, later on Mikasa joins the Global Alliance and leaves her symbolic red scarf behind.
It transpires that Eren is only saying these things to push Mikasa far away from him before he begins the Rumbling. He wants her to be able to continue her life without him, therefore he severs their bond for her own good. When Eren asked Zeke why Mikasa is so attached to him, Zeke simply says it's because she really cares for him. Mikasa's loyalty is good-natured and Eren knows that, therefore perhaps his greatest act of love is ensuring that she is happy in the future. In any case, Eren's thirteen-year lifespan is ending, so it would be best if Mikasa moved forward without him.
Despite joining an alliance to combat Eren, Mikasa still does not want to kill him. She has another painful headache, indicating that she is tired of fighting Eren. She then has a vision of herself and Eren living peacefully in solitude. In this vision, Eren tells Mikasa that if they run away, humanity will most definitely survive. She also confesses her feelings towards Eren here, to which Eren instructs her to get rid of the red scarf after he dies, so she can enjoy her long and free life. In reality, Mikasa decides to be the one to kill Eren and that his body is in the Founding Titan's mouth. After breaking into the Founder's mouth, Mikasa decapitates Eren and kisses him goodbye.
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This painful chapter in the manga illustrates Mikasa's true feelings for Eren. He is the man she loves, and this chapter is proof. She has also proven that she is not a slave to Eren's protection, otherwise she would have not found it in her to kill him. Instead, she looks past her desire to be with him and kills him to save humanity. Eren and Mikasa have both acted similarly by making difficult decisions for the other's sake. Eren pushed Mikasa away because it is engrained in him to do what's right. He could not stand to have his loved ones share his burden of the Rumbling. As for Mikasa, killing Eren put him at peace and saves the fate of the entire world.
In the final chapter of Attack on Titan, Eren confesses to Armin that he doesn't want to die and wants to be with everyone. In an almost childish greediness, Eren admits that he does not want Mikasa to move on too quickly. He wails that he wants to be at the front of her mind for at least another ten years after he dies. More specifically, he does not want her to find another man, crying that he wants her to think bout only him forever. This is all coming from, to quote Armin in this situation, a “pathetic” place. He clarifies in the next panel that he wants her to be happy first, and asks Armin to keep his confession to himself.
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This scene is almost humorous. The Eren fans remember for being loud and outspoken has reemerged, which felt refreshing. It also solidifies that his feelings for Mikasa were also out of love. However, this also makes their fate more tragic, as the two never knew of the other's love. Their relationship was doomed from the start, and it seems more painful that readers received closure on their feelings, but not Eren and Mikasa themselves.