

That’s a departure from Linked Horizon, who did the previous three opening themes for the series. Either way, the episode revealed the opening theme, which was “ Red Swan” by X Japan featuring L’Arc-En-Ciel‘s Hyde. In any case, I think we’ll be getting a very bittersweet ending and I’m ready to cry for 293483 years.The third season of ‘ Attack On Titan‘ premiered at Anime Expo this past weekend, which kinda fucked me up cause I haven’t watched the second season yet (whoops). Alternatively, this verse could also just be viewed as Eren (and Ymir) falling into the clutches of death, which is further supported by “fly into heaven”.

This leaves room for the theory that Eren will replace Ymir in the PATHS dimension, especially if you throw the next line, “embrace me for eternity”, into the mix. It could also be read in combination with the next bit “into the starry night, like a goddess”, which could be foreshadowing how Eren will die, and perhaps in the same way Ymir the first did. Here comes the heavy part. The first line could be hinting at how Eren will drift away from his friends, something we’ve seen happen emotionally but not yet physically. It also tackles the issue of time, a theme that’s been brought up over and over regarding the possibility of a peaceful solution (and something Eren said he was willing to buy for Paradis). I find this part a really cool hint at PATHS as well as the Attack Titan’s ability to see the future, and how it’s been driven forward by the memories of its successors. This further alludes to the devil symbology, a label Eren’s been linked to multiple times, and a role he seems to have accepted willingly in Liberio. He started off as a pure symbol of hope, but his recent actions made him “fall” like an angel who rebelled against God (King/Karl Fritz), to the point where younger Eren doesn’t recognize himself.

This line captures Eren’s duality perfectly. Interestingly, the shots in the anime opening during this part are of Mikasa (what’s the lie) and Armin (what’s the truth), who Eren was particularly mean to in chapter 112. This part could be referring to both Eren’s mental state throughout the Marley arc as he tried to find answers, and the doubts other characters/we as the audience have been experiencing as we continue to be in the dark about his intentions. The line about spreading his bloody wings in particular alludes to him getting his hands dirty. It’s like Eren is telling himself to remember his goals and continue down this path for freedom no matter how painful it is. These verses have a reminding tone to them, very similar to the way Eren was chanting his infamous “if we don’t fight, we can’t win” line in chapter 106. Spread your wings which are drenched in blood (血だらけの翼広げて) Perhaps this “scarlet night” (the Rumbling) is being used to veil Eren’s true intentions. In other words, Eren is hiding his thoughts and fears by lying–to his friends in chapter 112 and to the world in chapter 123.

Combining them with the above however, they can also be viewed as ways of “veiling the dark”. The “can hide your fear” and “can lie” parts are especially interesting to me, as they seem to allude to the fact that Eren is lying to everyone on some level. At first glance, the imagery from the first line suggests violence, but it could also be seen as bloodshed being used to veil a dark truth or perhaps even mysterious thoughts. I think this part is describing Eren’s current actions and how he’s been hiding his feelings from everyone. Okay so while I was cleaning the bathroom the other day, I was jamming out to Red Swan and then the closing line “fly into heaven” hit me.Īfter taking a closer look at the lyrics (note that the English wording for some parts is different depending on which translations you look at), I’m more than convinced that this opening, like T-KT, is talking about Eren’s character arc and foreshadowing his fate. In a way, I think it’s also written to mimic Eren’s inner voice (the Attack Titan) encouraging him to go down this path.īefore I delve into my explanation, I wanted to point out that I personally believe Eren’s real plan is to unite the world against him and that he will die as a result. Jaegerbroshoe: Red Swan and the Ending of Snk
