Why did Zeke choose to die in Attack on Titan? Explained

Let it never be said that Attack on Titan is a shallow work of fiction. From the start, it establishes itself as more than just an average anime series with its interesting setting and captivating characters, but what draws the reader in are the story's villains. Each one has its own backstory, reasons, and complications.

Even a few of the most selfish monsters at least fight for something, and even the titular Titans are pitiful in their own way. In particular, there's been one villain that has made fans extremely happy and extremely angry, Zeke Yeager, the older half-brother of Eren Yeager.

At the end of the series, he willingly allowed himself to be killed, but for what reason why?

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Attack on Titan. Please read at your own risk.

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Attack on Titan’s Zeke Yeager

As always in the world of Attack on Titan, Zeke Yeager is a complicated man with his own heavy backstory. The first-born son of Grisha Yeager and born in Marley, Zeke had a rough go from it at the start.

He was an Eldian, the same race as the characters from Paradis Island. He was looked down upon by the Marley people in Attack on Titan.

Striving to climb through the ranks, Zeke was heralded for his brilliant mind and talents and being descended from royal blood, making him the perfect choice for the Beast Titan form.

But despite his achievements, Zeke was often considered the ‘best of the worst’ when it came to Eldians left on Marley. Despite his own origins, he was brainwashed by propaganda by the Marleyans, even turning his own mother and father in.

Zeke was also part of the Warrior Unit sent by Marley to infiltrate Paradis Island and retrieve the Founding Titan, or to be more accurate, their leader.

Because of his schemes and ideas, the Warrior Trio got as far as they did. In turn, Zeke often masterminded Titan-related events in the series, particularly near the end when he shifts sides so often that he’s playing a game of chess with multiple boards.

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Why did he choose to die?

Whether or not he willingly chose death is one thing, but it can be safely assumed that given his lack of resistance to Levi’s final attack, he at least allowed it to happen in the finale of Attack on Titan.

Zeke, after leaving the Paths, was left completely healed despite having been A) blown up by a Thunder Spear at point-blank range (for reference, Thunder Spears are designed to pierce through and break the Armored Titan’s shell), and B) was eaten by a Titan, and then stuffed down its gut.

So despite his frankly miraculous recovery after multiple specific death experiences, Zeke, at the very least, had the option to move or fight back even after just emerging but said and did nothing to prevent Levi from chopping his head off.

So that begs the question, why did he allow it? It is possible that due to his own nihilism, he saw no point in resisting, or perhaps it was because of a previously stated belief that he was chosen by the gods, destiny, or fate to survive (not an impossible deduction to make, given the sheer amount of damage he took over the course of the series).

Or maybe it was because all of his plans had been ruined, and he had nothing left to live for. It could also be that perhaps Armin’s words spurred him on, and in turn, he returned to the real world and allowed himself to be killed to end Eren’s Rumbling across the world.