The INSANE Plot Twist EVERYONE Missed in Attack on Titan

There's a subtle yet insane plot twist I guarantee you missed at the end of Attack on Titan. What I'm about to propose would completely change the meaning of not just the ending but the entire series. In this short video I'll present all of the evidence that Ymir has actually masterminded the entire plot of Attack on Titan for one specific purpose. The climactic finale came to a close with Mikasa tragically putting an end to Eren, finally showing Ymir after 2000 years that it's possible to stand against your oppressor. Ymir smiles at the sight of seeing someone overcoming the agony of their love. Not only did Eren retain his titan shifter marks even after supposedly getting rid of the titans for good, but the one sided conversation between Mikasa and Ymir left me with an ominous feeling that there's actually more to the story. Then I remembered a fact that literally 99% of Attack on Titan fans have completely overlooked. Ymir as the founding titan was the combination of all 9 titans, so she was actually the very first attack titan, capable of receiving memories from the future. We learn from the 4 dimensional chest that was season 4 that the attack titan can send memories backwards to previous attack titans, altering the past into a singular predetermined timeline. We also learn from the finale that previous titans can still access their powers, despite not being the current users. Given that Ymir was the very first and strongest titan of them all, I don't think Ymir was just building up titans in the paths, I think she was cooking up something big. My theory is one that completely changes the trajectory of the story. Just before Mikasa says goodbye to Ymir and she vanishes, we get a sudden flash that has way more meaning than you think. We see a glimpse of Ymir choosing not to take the spear for King Fritz, and instead choosing to live out her life with her children. I believe Ymir used the attack titan's power to send the memory of Mikasa taking out Eren and breaking the chains of oppression to her younger self just before the spear was thrown. This led to her choosing not to take the spear and have King Fritz get taken out instead, forever changing the future. This one act would put a definitive end to King Fritz's insatiable desire for conquest and possibly ensures that the titans are never passed down. Not only does this make sense within the lore of the story, and we get a glimpse of an alternate ending within the story itself, but there's an absurd amount of additional evidence for this. Keep in mind this idea of manipulating the past has already happened in Attack on Titan more than once. Eren has already done this exact thing when he influenced his father to take the founding titan, and when he forced Dina's pure titan to ignore birth control and eat his mother instead, ensuring a specific outcome. This is not a new concept, what I'm presenting to you is that what's already happened in the story is simply happening again, but on a larger scale. One of the first and only things Eren says to Ymir is packed with more significance than I had first realized. Eren asks Ymir, was it you who led me all the way here? You've been waiting all this time. This really packs a narrative punch in the context of Ymir masterminding the entire plot in order to fix the mistake she made at the end of her life. This would mean Eren is actually incapable of experiencing true freedom, being at the mercy of Ymir's predetermined timeline. This explains why Eren became visibly outraged when Armin called him a slave back in Paradis. During their last conversation, Eren tells Armin that he can't see the aftermath of his actions, only the singular outcome that needed to happen. Eren cannot see what happens after because there is no after. Eren and Mikasa's actions are a stream of memories taken back to create a better future. Eren told Armin that he was unable to change the future no matter how hard he tried, which makes much more sense in this context. During Mikasa and Ymir's final interaction, Mikasa thanks Ymir in the strangest way I've ever heard. She tells Ymir, because of you I was able to exist. This to me is her saying, because you took the spear for King Fritz, this world and all of my experiences were able to happen. It seems as though Mikasa is grateful for her life and her time in this world, but understands that taking the spear for King Fritz was a mistake. This conversation is grim and melancholic, like Mikasa is not just saying goodbye to Ymir, but to this world as a whole. There are multiple points throughout the story where current events foreshadow this singular and final outcome. In one of the Lost Girls OVA episodes, Mikasa and Eren are about to be eaten by rabbit dogs, with no way to defend themselves. Suddenly after a loud heartbeat, the vicious dogs turn around and leave with zero explanation. This indicates that Mikasa was needed for something in the future. Something set in stone. Throughout the same episode, a butterfly guides Mikasa to very specific realizations, forcing her to acknowledge that she'll never be able to save Eren. An ominous mirror man tells Mikasa that Eren and death are inexplicably bound together. Their fate and the actual future has already been sealed. It's important to note that butterflies are often used to symbolize the soul, past, present or future, as well as the concept of transforming into something new. Ymir gave Mikasa visions and used the butterflies to guide and prepare Mikasa for what she needed her to do, eerily similar to how Eren has manipulated the past. Notice the parallels between Ymir and Eren. Eren manipulated the past at least twice, altering the future for one specific outcome. We can see multiple appearances of grown up Eren hidden throughout several scenes as early as season 1. It's as if he's checking to make sure everything is moving according to plan. Ymir has also manipulated the past to completely change the future. She's also physically present throughout the rumbling and at the end of Eren's life. Ymir is also ensuring that everything is happening according to her plan. So why would Ymir do this? We know Ymir was robbed of a life of her own, losing her freedom and even her ability to speak. She became a slave to a cruel and oppressive leader who forced her to take countless lives in the name of conquest. Not only this, but after passing away she would suffer a fate worse than death, forced to create titans for what is literally an eternity. She was never able to have a life of her own and was also unable to live out her days with her children. Ymir has to be aware that her passing down the power of the titans led to immeasurable human suffering. With the rumbling being the absolute culmination of this, Ymir has more than enough motivation to want to change the future. It's pretty clear from the last scenes that Eren's plan didn't work. He decimated 80% of the world, global conflict continued despite his actions, the island of Paradis was eventually destroyed, he was never able to physically see the world with Armin, and the most tragic thing of them all, he was never able to show Mikasa his special hardening abilities. With the attack titan's power, Ymir now has the opportunity to not only give herself a chance at happiness, but also to prevent all of the suffering brought forth from the existence of the titans. Choosing not to use the attack titan's ability in this way would be a complete waste. So what does this mean? All of the lives and stories throughout attack on titan existed only because Ymir chose to take the spear for King Fritz. Upon seeing the sight of Mikasa taking out Eren, Ymir sent this memory backwards, causing her to let King Fritz perish instead. And before you say only one person can use the attack titan's power at a time, keep in mind the past titans were still able to use their abilities during the fight against Eren, so Ymir is still able to access the attack titan's power. It's also completely possible that Eren sent this memory backwards to Ymir as well. Maybe Eren opened his eyes right before meeting his end, not only to look at Mikasa one last time, but also to capture the moment and send it back to Ymir. This adds so much more meaning to the episode title, to you, in 2000 years, as Eren would have directly affected Ymir by sending a message spanning 2000 years. It could also be speculated that the founding titan can receive memories from the future, since Frieda was able to see Eren in the mirror while brushing her hair. Whether it was Ymir, Eren, or the collection of all of the attack titans, the memory of Mikasa taking out Eren is the key to Ymir forever changing the future. Ymir would live out her years and pass away from natural causes, meaning that the power of the titans are never passed down. This, with the exception of the it was all a dream theory, is the one solution I've come across that would minimize suffering and guarantee the best outcome. We know the aftermath of Attack on Titan is wrought with war and destruction, but the short teaser scene after the credits could now have an entirely different meaning. What if instead of the cycle of war and hatred continuing forever, this boy is actually the son of Eren and Mikasa and a world free from the titans? What if Eren and Mikasa were actually able to experience a life of peace? This boy with his dog could also be Eren himself, born into a better world. He could be standing in front of the original founder Ymir's burial site after her death. Maybe the cycle of hatred is actually a cycle of correcting the past. I'll ask you an important question. If you were Ymir, with an almost godlike power that transcends time, and you just witnessed something that could change your life forever, allowing you to spend your days with your children, and spare the entire world from the atrocities of the titans, what would you do? I'm BumperJumper, dedicated to exploring the deepest and most profound stories in anime, video games, movies, and TV shows. I'd love to hear your theories and opinions on this, so make sure to geek out in the comments below and I'll catch you in the next one.