'Attack on Titan' Just Made A Brand-New Eren

Attack on Titan is a brutal series, and it makes few apologies for its tragic moments. Over the years, the manga has killed off dozens of soldiers, but few moments have come close to matching the weight of the very first Grim Reminder. The debut of the Colossal Titan changed Eren Jaeger for good, and the manga just gave that same turning point to another unsuspecting kid.

In its latest chapter, Attack on Titan hit out with a bombastic return. The issue saw Eren go to war with Marley and fight the War Hammer Titan head-on, but its beginning moments saw Gabi Braun transform into Eren 2.0.

After Eren changed into the Attack Titan, Gabi was left stunned in the stands as Marley came under attack. Thousands of people stampeded to escape Eren's bloody assault, and Gabi soon found herself standing next to her friend's corpse after Zofia was crushed by debris.

Unable to handle the death around her, Gabi was carried away by her handler, but it was not done soon enough. The girl was forced to see Udo die after the boy was trampled to death by fleeing civilians. Gabi and her handler were barely able to escape themselves, but the girl was introduced to the brutality of war for herself as she watched Eren kill anyone in his path.

Unlike Eren, Gabi may not have seen her mother get eaten before her, but she did see something just as traumatic. However, instead of Bertholt being behind the Grim Reminder, Gabi has only Eren to blame.

Attack on Titan's latest chapter painfully highlighted the duality of war, and Gabi was used to teach audiences that Eren is not everyone's hero. He may be the hope of Paradis, but he is no better than the Colossal Titan to Gabi and her late friends. For that, fans can expect the Titan candidate to develop a serious grudge against Eren as the series moves ahead, and it may fall to Gabi to break the cycle of revenge for good.

Were you surprised to see Eren make the first move against Marley? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!