Is Eren a Reincarnation? New Attack on Titan Theory Suggests the Hero Goes Way Back

Attack on Titan weaves a cyclical narrative where time bends to tie up its loose ends, proving that even in humanity’s repeated mistakes, nothing is without purpose. At its core, the story explores freedom — how deeply it’s ingrained in the human spirit and the eternal struggle to protect it from those who seek to take it away.

Ymir learned this the hard way. Punished for freeing a mere pig, she found herself “liberated” and hunted in a cruel twist of irony by her captors. Unable to claim it for herself, she granted freedom to another. Two thousand years later, that pig returned the favor—reborn as Eren Yeager.

Eren Is The Pig Ymir Freed 2,000 Years Ago

The Three Pigs Ymir Tried To Free Represent The Yaegar's

The pen is just another wall for the three pigs before Ymir appears and sets one free. If the freed pig is Eren, then the other two pigs who stayed represent Grisha and Zeke, who yearned for freedom, but not enough to escape like the youngest Yeager. Grisha wanted freedom for the Eldians but waned when the sacrifices became too big. Zeke wanted to exterminate his entire species to grant freedom to humanity to spite his father. Only Eren was willing to pay the ultimate price to secure freedom for himself and his people.

Armin Ymir and Mikasa from Attack on Titan

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The idea of the three pigs extends to each of their respective type of Titan. Eren, who must run and protect his freedom, has a lean and muscular form, unlike his father and brother, each possessing a chubbier transformation. But the traits of pigs only deepen when you look at the Yaegar family, which sets them apart from any other Titan in history.

The Attack Titans' Pointed Ears May Be A Clue

Despite Having Different Titans, Only The Yaegar Men Have Pointed Ears

The Attack Titan, Beast Titan, and Former Attack Titan

It makes sense for Eren and Griesha to have pointed ears since they both share the same Attack Titan configuration. However, seeing Zeke with pointed ears also confirms that it may be a family trait instead of an Attack Titan one, which links back to the pig theory. The pointed ears represent their humble beginnings meeting Ymir and represent their spiritual link throughout time.

If this swine-originated theory holds water, the episodes “To You, 2,000 Years From Now”, and “From You, 2,000 Years Ago” take on an even deeper significance. What was once seen as Ymir and Eren redefining the past from the future can also be interpreted as something far more personal—a long-overdue favor being returned across time. In a story where fate and freedom intertwine, their connection may not just be one of Titan power, but of an unspoken promise fulfilled after two millennia by kindred spirits. At the very least, the pointed ears serve as a symbolic reference for the Attack Titan, when Ymir was first introduced to the idea of freedom.