Unveiling Ymir Fritz: The Heart and Soul of Attack on Titan’s Epic Tale
Ymir Fritz frequently serves as a mere plot device in Attack on Titan, but in reality, she holds great significance as one of the most crucial characters.
The latest season of Attack on Titan unveiled that the source of the Founding Titan is Ymir Fritz. Ymir was the initial Titan user and the precursor of all the subsequent ones. However, her personality is frequently disregarded as a mere narrative tool, solely employed to clarify the roots of Eldia and the Subjects of Ymir.
Ymir’s personality centers on her romanticism and uncertainty concerning love and autonomy, which is akin to the lead character Eren Yeager, albeit with a distinct path. Despite being caught in an abusive partnership, Ymir displays one of the most intricate human sentiments: affection, making her one of the rare characters in AoT to do so. Her narrative mostly concerns love, and this aspect of her personality is often dismissed, but this, in fact, makes her character even more promising.
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Freedom pushed Ymir Fritz toward the King
Ymir’s life started as a servant to King Fritz, with an intense desire for liberty since her youth. This aspiration became apparent when she witnessed three pigs being locked up, and she perceived their imprisonment as her own. Hence, she released them. Upon learning Ymir’s actions, the King granted her freedom, but he assigned his troops to pursue her while she fled. This event marks the genesis of ambiguity about Ymir’s personality since, despite everything, she went back to the King.
This is because Ymir’s first experience with freedom is traumatizing. She’s injured and terrified, being chased by bloodthirsty guards. Similar to a caged animal, Ymir has craved freedom her entire life. A caged dog will be thirsty for freedom, yet the moment it’s given this, an entire world of unknown threats is presented. In the end, the dog will want to return home, to a sanctuary of familiarity. This is exactly what happened with Ymir; she returned to what she knew because at least then she was safe.
More than freedom, Ymir Fritz yearned for love
Ymir sought refuge with the King as she yearned for safety and protection. However, the question arises, how did she develop romantic feelings for her captor? Being enslaved from her early years, Ymir had only glimpsed love in passing and had no idea of its true meaning. Her understanding of love was limited to observations of a couple kissing, which was the closest to a romantic gesture she had ever encountered in her childhood years.
Amidst the cheering crowd, the couple exchanged smiles, radiating pure joy. This heartwarming sight triggered a stark contrast in Ymir’s mind, reminding her of the misery and pain that engulfed her life. Her fervent desire for love stemmed from her belief that it could be the key to transforming her life. Hence, when King Fritz took her as his concubine, Ymir clung to the hope that he truly loved her. The King became the sole source of affection in her life, intensifying her longing for love even more.
Ymir’s Character Reflects Attack on Titan World
Ymir and Historia share a similar personality trait of being eager to please others, which is advantageous in the Attack on Titan universe. Kindness is highly valued in this world as it corresponds to how well one can please others. In Marley, individuals who are considered “good” Eldians are those who fight for their motherland by serving as a Titan Shifter or soldier on the front lines. Similarly, in Paradis, the soldiers who earn the most respect are those who strive to achieve goals that the civilians approve of. This is why the Scouts, who risk their lives beyond the walls daily, are seldom praised.
Ymir, a character in Attack on Titan, embodies the recurring theme of giving one’s all to those in power. She played a vital role in helping King Fritz establish his Eldian empire, using her Titan powers to win wars, and even having three children to please him and gain his affection. In a world where usefulness was valued above all else, Ymir’s desire for love and acceptance led her to contort herself into whatever was necessary to be of service. She was manipulated through her need for love, a desire that surpassed even her desire for freedom.
Ymir’s usefulness to the Eldians did not end with her death as her body was utilized to create “subjects of Ymir”. The late King Fritz encouraged his offspring to consume Ymir’s spinal fluid, resulting in the transmission of her Titan genetics across generations and the commencement of the curse that Eren is currently attempting to undo. Despite her yearning for freedom, Ymir’s devotion to the King led to her being trapped in the Paths indefinitely, causing her fight for liberation to be futile. Nevertheless, she found solace in the belief that if she couldn’t be free, she could at least be content.
Ymir Fritz recounts one of the most sorrowful stories of Attack on Titan, yet despite Eren’s objectives matching with hers, she remains greatly disregarded. The key contrast between Ymir and Eren was their approach to liberty; Ymir sought to liberate herself by submitting to the King, hoping that her virtuous deeds would one day gain her freedom. In contrast, Eren employed brute force to secure freedom for himself and his loved ones, committing unforgivable offenses to attain his desires. Eren even exploited Ymir by promising her freedom, highlighting the similarities in the extent of Eren’s affection and Ymir’s yearning for escape.