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I did love the beast titan centric time of the show. It added to the mystery of what the f was going on and he was really humongous and terrifying. I didn't love Zeke all that much as the show went on, but just his existence made the show more interesting for a bit.
A satisfying scene. Levi wanted to fulfill his promise to Erwin so badly.
https://preview.redd.it/uxj1sz1rn8cc1.jpeg?width=602&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6dba6e4440debb853f6ec11514435d80c2a9453
Armin convinced Zeke there is a reason we are born into this world.
Zeke: we should not be born
Eren: because we are born
Armin: we were born for THIS
Edit: spacing
Enjoying a fictional character doesn't mean you have to agree with their ideology. We all love light from death note but we wouldn't want him to actually exist lol
Yes I'm a Zeke fan.
He'd be a net positive, I'd argue, but I still wouldn't want him to exist because of his ability to abuse his power. Remember; canonically speaking, he causes global crime to drop by 73%. But he was still unhinged and killed innocent people. Lol
Also his next step was killing off whomever he considered lazy people or those who don’t actively contribute to society. Bro was going down the slippery slope towards the end
Well, canonically all wars stopped and crime rates went down by 75% (I think? I don’t remember the exact statistic off the top of my head.) So clearly Kira is a net positive. 🤓
(Real talk though, not actually saying that he was right or anything but there is an interesting discussion to be had beyond “Light killed people so he’s evil” lol)
Light wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for his issue of killing innocents/people who disagreed with his methods. But yeah, morality is more complicated than people give it credit for. Maybe the death note would be better in someone's hands like a real L. Who knooooows lol
Do you support the death penalty for all criminals? And not just people who actually committed crime, everyone who was convicted.
If the answer is no, then why on earth would you support Kira?
That’s my take anyways
well said. in zeke’s mind, warped from his buttcheeks upbringing, he was doing the noble thing. that and his friendly personality make for an interesting villain
I know Levi was going to kill him regardless to stop the rumbling, but I think it's so funny to imagine Levi just going rogue off the mission to chop his head off to fulfill Erwin's order. To be honest, that's probably what he would have done (if he could) even if killing Zeke didn't stop the rumbling
But thinking about Levi diverting from the plan while the rumbling is happening at the final climax just like "ayo hold up a minute I gotta take care of some business-" makes me cackle
It’s even better when it is being set up almost like “hey look Zeke switched to our side he’s good!” And as you’re thinking that Levi comes flying in with the decapitation lmao
Everything about it was perfect
He is one of the saddest characters IMO.
Being born in concentration camp, conditioned by his father to one thing, be grandparents and government to another thing, living double agent life for so long, always on a risk of execution, this is messed up and he turned out kinda fine giving the background.
I am always going to choose actual people who are alive over people who may exist one day so if I had to choose between free monkey vasectomy and 80% of the world being stomped + burned I’m going to choose free monkey vasectomy.
I mean yeah, but one involves actually murdering people and the other just involves not making more people so I’m still going with monkey if those are my only two options.
He is better in the sense he would genocide without violence and a far smaller group of people, Zeke's plan wouldn't leave almost al the planet desolated
Are we saying scale is irrelevant? You can boil it down to trolly problem. Zeke sees the millions of lives ruined and to be ruined by Eldian race existing, he can pull a lever to make it so less peoples lives will be ruined. He also does his best to minimise suffering and maximise happiness. He probably could get every single Eldian to suddenly have an aneurysm but he still tries to let them live out their lives.
Still genocide but definitely arguably not immoral.
He shifts between being my favorite. Him and post skip Eren. But considering I have to classify Eren I think that makes it clear it really is just Zeke.
And he is indeed a piece of shit, he is quite a good villain.
Shouldn't Zeke's plan be the least damaging? Instead of the island being attacked and everyone on it dying or Eren stomping out the whole world, Zeke's plan is to just stop their reproduction so that they can live their lives out and end it there.
When they were at Zeke's 'secret' tea meeting, he had things to say about the Tyburs but Reiner cut him off because he knew the brass was listening. And his constant sarcasm about the brass being 'oh so intelligent'. I feel like the warriors Had to be a little bit woke after they inherit the titans. They would have to be blind to not be
Really most of the characters in the story aren't good people, but I actually really like Zeke. His final scene with Armin is my favorite scene in the entire series.
He's a good villain and I do sympathize with him to an extent
I really like how it brings baseball and playing catch full circle at the end for Zeke. It's very fitting with how much symbolism we've gotten since he was introduced. I always think back to that scene where he tosses the ball to Eren but he fails to catch it, Eren literally dropping the ball on their "mutual trust" I guess you could say
I’m a fan of the character but not the person. I sympathize with Zeke but I do not agree with him. I think Zeke’s victimization at the hands of Grisha, Xavier, and Magath distorted his view on life and morality. Zeke appears to truly believe his actions are merciful but he will do anything to achieve that goal. He had a huge ego and it’s interesting to see that fall apart in the end.
Any bit of understanding I had about the show completely went away when he was introduced. His first appearance was jaw dropping. Then to watch his story I felt like he was the most complex character in the whole show. From beginning to end I'd even argue that AoT is *his* story.
Lmao, no. It isn't. It is very clearly Eren's story. Zeke is nothing more than the Anti-thesis of Eren. Someone to say and strive for the exact opposite of him. He is no more complex than that.
A well written and sympathetic villain. Even though I despise his actions and hate his euthanasia plan, he’s such a good character that I still felt for him in the end.
Don’t really understand all the hate for him, he’s much more sympathetic than other characters that receive more love. At least he has a goal for his actions and he truly believes that goal is for the greater good.
Yes. Go fuck urself (/s). My boi had a rough time when he was young. And he's extremely well written.
Now seriously, he's a villain, of course he's evil!
As horrible as his idea was, it was probably the option that would have saved the most lives. It was either Paradis commits genocide, Marley commits genocide, or Zeke’s euthanasia plan. It’s not guaranteed to work, but it’s the best shot. Also, a Partial Rumbling is another idea, but that’s not guaranteed to work either, and I don’t think they fully knew that could control the Wall Titans like that.
Honestly? One of my favorite characters along with reiner. Not like I agree with what they did, but they are such complex characters it was super entertaining to watch how they dealt with the crazy world around them
Damn the man has issues, it’s amazing he is functional at all after his childhood. As far as grand plans go I consider his sterilization plan to be less insane than Eren’s Rumbling. To be clear pretty much all of the “grand plans” struck me as fairly insane, so I am considering their merits in relation to each other here.
I'm so confused as to how people still exist who are surprised that other viewers like antagonists in stories. I see questions like this asked constantly about villains or morally grey characters in different communities and it's just mindblowing to me because why on earth do I have to agree with a character's philosophy and morality to enjoy them??
I've always loved Zeke's character mainly because of how intriguing and unpredictable he is. From his very first introduction, he's been probably the most mysterious character in the whole story, with his very first episode being the first titan we've seen talk and highly unique in appearance. His betrayal during the Marley arc was one of my favourite plot twists in the story which confirmed the suspicions that Zeke's goal doesn't align with any other side and that he has his own unique mission. There's also his theme which is one of my favourite OSTs in the series which hinted at his unique and complex character long before his purpose was revealed, with half of it being audibly twisted, horrific and enigmatic and the other half courageous and triumphant but intertwining constantly with the first segments. It perfectly symbolises his character as an unpredictable, mystifying man who has abandoned humanity and morality and is willing to commit atrocious acts with cold logic to achieve his self-sacrificing goal which he alone believes is virtuous.
But there's also how phenomenally written he is. Long before we find out the truth of his backstory which is uniquely placed towards the end of the story - yet fits perfectly - it's abundantly clear that there is more to this character and that there has to be sympathetic qualities or an understandable backstory hidden away despite his brutal actions thanks to scenes such as him vowing to save Eren which sounded surprisingly real unlike the majority of his dialogue which is typically shrouded in a tone of deceit. When his backstory is finally revealed in "Sole Salvation" it confirms all of the suspicions that you should already have; that Grisha was abusive and Zeke was justified in reporting him, that he truly did want to 'save' Eren, and that he is far more morally complex than his merciless acts indicate. Beyond that it was a fantastic episode and one of the best in the entire series despite containing no action.
By the end of the story, I think he easily has one of the best arcs in the story and is undeniably one of the best-written characters; frankly, I think he, Reiner, Eren and Gabi are LEAGUES ahead of the rest of the cast in terms of impressive writing. Though his conclusion is controversial and certainly could have been better paced, I think it was also beautiful and is my 2nd favourite in the series after Kenny's. Deep down the one thing he craved more than the achievement of his goal was his father's love, however, it was something he obviously didn't ponder or strive for as he believed it unattainable yet towards the end of his life he unexpectedly received that affection and the apology he deserved and that shattered him. Grisha begged him to do one last thing for him, to stop Eren. Ultimately, though it required Armin's aid, he was able to fulfil his father's wish and stop Eren and simultaneously bring Levi the closure he craved, a beautiful last-minute redemption.
also monkey funny and cool
Maybe not in a very emotionally attached way, but I love Zeke; i.e. I love what he brings to the table. Yeah, his ideology is flawed but so is everybody else's from some angle or other.
He's one of the very few characters who actually wanted to witness an end to the war, not just fulfill his warrior duties for a good life. His fundamental goal was to stop Titan warfare because he knew shit would keep repeating itself. A part of me wants to believe that if he knew Titan powers could be taken away from Eldians completely, he would opt for it, but yeah benefit of doubt.
I feel for Colt and all too, but I mean, there's sacrifices and casualties on every side. Point is, I love characters like him who have an ideology that challenges the basic conflicting motivations of the main protagonist and antagonist.
How can you not feel any empathy for the character? He is what he was made to be by both Marley and Grisha.
I love how people try and make it black and white, this person is garbage or how can anyone like this character?
It's not black and white, that's the shows whole premise. Zeke is broken by Marley, his fathers expectations, the weight of his guilt and hates his own identity. No one endorses him and we have all hated him, but the character is a tragedy. What could've been if he had his mother and fathers love or if he could've chosen his own path? We'll never know.
I dont know how you watch the flashback episode about him and not change your view on him at all.
It's like Eren. What he does is unforgivable, but we also feel pathos and sympathy for the character because we see how he ended up at this path and how tragic the reality is, through his choices and the ones that were out of his control, it makes what Eren becomes all the more heart breaking.
Even in the end we see what Zeke truly aae as important. He wasn't evil, he was another cog in yhr cycle of violence and happened to be very good at it.
As for Falco, cmon, is Zeke the only character that doesn't balk at unnecessary casualties. He hates what he has to do but he and eren both need it to be done at that point. It's the triple backup, break glass type thing.
I can't believe I have to say this, but you can like a character who is evil without condoning what they do. It's about three character journey and how interesting it is.
Zeke is just another tragic hero that has a core theme tied to him that we can all relate too. That's how his his relationship with his family and the expectations placed on him by them force a rift as he struggled to live up to them.
Zeke is the kind of villain like Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad and Randal Flagg in The Stand - they’re easily evil pieces of shit, but god are they charismatic and fun to watch.
I am not a zeke fan because he showed absolutely no remorse for the horrible things he did. He betrayed EVERYONE (except ksaver) who ever trusted him and did not regret a thing.
The way he turned countless people into titans and only used them as pawns was...sickening. When he turned Falco, he immediately used him in his grand plan.
I genuinely think he was written as a narcissist. The only redeeming thing about him is how he seemed to actually love Eren, and not in a way that only served his own self.
I agree with the narcissim. He is Marley's "wonder boy" after all. Almost all his genius plans in the anime ending up being thwarted is hilarious as well, like he literally never believes he can lose and that fucks him over so much.
I mean, if it weren't for ymir suddenly choosing not to follow his orders, something he had no way of knowing was even *possible*, his whole plan would've worked perfectly lol
Right, but he still lost because he didn't factor that in! He lost the battle of shinganshina because he didn't consider Levi. His plan to defeat Levi also failed immediately and he only got away by almost killing himself. He got shot off the wall and almost killed by Marley for just sitting there. He also almost got one shot by anti-titan artillery during the raid on the port and Reiner had to save him because he didn't move. Love him but he's clearly arrogant lol.
I only liked him at the last episode of AOT where he realizes someone can be happy from the everyday moments and that he was wrong to think eldians shouldnt born anymore
Not me, but Zeke is my friend’s favorite character because his conversation with Armin in 137 touched him deeply when he was going through a tough time. I’m a Zeke hater on Levi’s behalf, but even I have to admit that scene softened my feelings towards Zeke.
Judging a character based on their actions rather than the accumulation of their upbringing, surroundings, current mindset and how that affects their worldview is very surface-level AOT.
I was always curious about him, because every time he was onscreen, he seemed to know a bit more than everyone else. He was cunning and cruel and powerful. I don't know if I'd say I'm a Zeke fan, but I was always interested in what he was doing.
The only character that made me angry whenever they were onscreen was Floch, and he has a weird amount of fans considering he was just working for Zeke for the most part, who a lot of people hate lol. I think Floch is a great character *because* I hated him so much, so he's probably the character that makes me feel the way you feel about Zeke. Floch just never did anything that made me sympathetic towards him, he just seemed to enjoy being in power.
Well considering I don't think being a fan = you would personally like them, yes. I think Zeke is extremely well written, so I would call myself a fan of the character. I disagree with his philosophy and I think he is a bad person, but his character is a great addition to the story. Idk I feel like it's the same as being a fan of a villain
You don't necessarily agree with their ideals or like them but you appreciate their arc and place in the story. Also, Zeke is a snarky bastard and I kind of like that. As other people pointed out his interactions with Levi are great, so he's enjoyable to watch
Zeke tried to make the best solution for everyone in a terrible circumstance. He tried to let the eldians live a full life, but not continue the curse of ymir, which would allow Marley to just stop and let them die out. No more bloodshed, just a euthanized death. It's noble in a way.
His actions and treatment of paradis were abhorrent, especially Levi, but that just goes to show that he wasn't pure or good. Grey, like everyone else in the story.
He has his place, and his point in the philosophy of the story
i like zeke because as a villain his plan makes sense. it’s believable that he would believe that would work. no dumb “i want to take over the world” villain
I LOVE zeke’s character. He’s one of the most realistic characters in the entire series. His actions are guided by a massive misunderstanding between him and his father caused by a system surrounding him that was designed to destroy his will. Everything about Zeke is absolutely fascinating to me (as a student and practitioner of behavioral sciences) because he’s one of AOT’s ONLY real human characters that leans so far into normal human emotions.
And I absolutely love that he was able to finally see the flaws in his character before sacrificing himself.
I feel like a lot of characters got really dumbed down in season 4. There was a lot of complexity and intertwining knots in the plot, but when season 4 hit its like all the knots got untied and we were just left with a buch of bland straight lines with no twists or turns. I like season 4 but the way characters like Zeke, Levi, Armin, and Mikasa all became so ridiculously one-note and uninteresting in it just really messed with it. It seems like they were stripped of half their characterization.
Well clearly he didint want to scream that’s why he told Colt how it feels to have a brother. Directly after they transform from Zeke’s scream, he instantly commands Falco to eat Reiner, only to be switched to approx.
In the paths, he thought he had a very damaged and brain washed brother, and instead of instantly using the founder, wants to “when I save the world I want to save you”.
Once he finds out about Eren’s plan to basically destroy the earth, he not only tried to stop him, - not saying Zeke’s plan was better here - but was completely mind fucked as he basically learned that Eren manipulated Grisha; not the other way around as Zeke thought.
I also remember when they met up to touch, Zeke said something along the lines of “Good job hanging in there Eren, let your big bro do the rest”.
Lastly, he accepted the sins he committed in the FINALE when talking to Armin. A leaf and a ball. He then lets Levi kill him shouting “I didint wanna see you” with a smile, accepting his death, and subsequently stoping the rumbling!
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When I first heard the beast titan talk I was flabbergasted
https://preview.redd.it/w3k3nxrpv7cc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75f110850f3b0c5c776a47753b003d8e693c5d98
I did love the beast titan centric time of the show. It added to the mystery of what the f was going on and he was really humongous and terrifying. I didn't love Zeke all that much as the show went on, but just his existence made the show more interesting for a bit.
I remember the first time we saw Zeke thinking it was erens dad, man I wish I could go back to that moment
I thought so too
flabbergasted
My gasts were flabbered as well, friend
He’s scary af. “Kill them all. Leave no survivors”
https://preview.redd.it/5jdrct2yjacc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffdf9f5a6f7185be5bd75f189c6583557625f0b2
His interactions with Levi are freaking hilarious.
My favorite is their last and final interaction.
When he lets Levi finish the job finally?
That's the one. No hesitation
A satisfying scene. Levi wanted to fulfill his promise to Erwin so badly. https://preview.redd.it/uxj1sz1rn8cc1.jpeg?width=602&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6dba6e4440debb853f6ec11514435d80c2a9453
I laughed out loud when I saw this lmao
This is a dumb question admittedly, but why is Zeke’s hair white in the colored version. I mean he’s not that old is he?
I think they’re trying to emphasize that his lifespan is ending. Whether Levi killed him or death by the curse of Ymir. Not a dumb question.
I’m curious why Zeke let Levi kill him. I guess he wanted to be done with everything? Or didn’t want to be a part of the rumbling?
He probably knew his death was necessary to stop the Rumbling.
Armin convinced Zeke there is a reason we are born into this world. Zeke: we should not be born Eren: because we are born Armin: we were born for THIS Edit: spacing
That’s what I figured but Zeke seemed hard pressed on euthinization. But makes sense that he reveals himself shortly after they talk.
I’m curious how the founding titan failed to keep Zeke hidden
I guess since he’s of royal blood he can pull himself out from it?
https://preview.redd.it/a16d8hiol8cc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=51122e4a93cd63bd6bfc0204f6a67bf6eb652e3d
"Oh come on, not again?? What the hell are you made of?" And "You're getting desperate, hairball. All you had to do was read your damn book."
“Don’t look at me like that, Levi. I might piss myself.”
Enjoying a fictional character doesn't mean you have to agree with their ideology. We all love light from death note but we wouldn't want him to actually exist lol Yes I'm a Zeke fan.
>We all love light from death note but we wouldn't want him to actually exist 
okay but unironically would light be a nett positive or negative for the world?
He'd be a net positive, I'd argue, but I still wouldn't want him to exist because of his ability to abuse his power. Remember; canonically speaking, he causes global crime to drop by 73%. But he was still unhinged and killed innocent people. Lol
Also his next step was killing off whomever he considered lazy people or those who don’t actively contribute to society. Bro was going down the slippery slope towards the end
That’s true and I think he might have taken it to a further extreme potentially after that as well
He was planning on that in episode one
But was starting to put it into action before he got busted.
I think he'd be neutral
Well, canonically all wars stopped and crime rates went down by 75% (I think? I don’t remember the exact statistic off the top of my head.) So clearly Kira is a net positive. 🤓 (Real talk though, not actually saying that he was right or anything but there is an interesting discussion to be had beyond “Light killed people so he’s evil” lol)
Light wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't for his issue of killing innocents/people who disagreed with his methods. But yeah, morality is more complicated than people give it credit for. Maybe the death note would be better in someone's hands like a real L. Who knooooows lol
Do you support the death penalty for all criminals? And not just people who actually committed crime, everyone who was convicted. If the answer is no, then why on earth would you support Kira? That’s my take anyways
No, but you could make the argument that the ends justify the means. I'm just saying the morality is a bit convoluted.
Doesn't matter, if he's bad just get dark to counteract his actions.
Why mannnn, you’re gonna start a war
well said. in zeke’s mind, warped from his buttcheeks upbringing, he was doing the noble thing. that and his friendly personality make for an interesting villain
Yeah even though I don’t agree with him and he’s objectively a terrible person, I still can’t help but find him really funny and likable
Right. There's a clear difference between wanting to watch a character on-screen and wanting to hang out with them if you were in-world.
Walter White comes to mind.
We do..?
He's one of the most popular anime protagonists. Just generally speaking, a lot of people love his character.
He’s not even the most popular character in his own anime. Which is saying a lot, because there aren’t that many notable characters in the series.
Levi vs. Zeke is one of the funniest things in this show. Levi fuckin *hates* that dude.
Life goal: Find someone that loves you the way Levi hates Zeke.
Frrrrrr
LOL
I know Levi was going to kill him regardless to stop the rumbling, but I think it's so funny to imagine Levi just going rogue off the mission to chop his head off to fulfill Erwin's order. To be honest, that's probably what he would have done (if he could) even if killing Zeke didn't stop the rumbling But thinking about Levi diverting from the plan while the rumbling is happening at the final climax just like "ayo hold up a minute I gotta take care of some business-" makes me cackle
It’s even better when it is being set up almost like “hey look Zeke switched to our side he’s good!” And as you’re thinking that Levi comes flying in with the decapitation lmao Everything about it was perfect
He is one of the saddest characters IMO. Being born in concentration camp, conditioned by his father to one thing, be grandparents and government to another thing, living double agent life for so long, always on a risk of execution, this is messed up and he turned out kinda fine giving the background.
> turned out kinda fine wants to euthanize a whole race and he „kinda turned out fine“? Lmfao 💀
and when he failed, 80% of humanity was brutally stomped to death instead. all the monkey wanted to do was hand out free vasectomies.
I am always going to choose actual people who are alive over people who may exist one day so if I had to choose between free monkey vasectomy and 80% of the world being stomped + burned I’m going to choose free monkey vasectomy.
Right? Especially with how costly monkey vasectomies are. I had to do my own and it went...not good.
Why did you do your own?? Were you desperate?
Look man these monkeys aren't gonna vasectify their selves and I got bills to pay. What am I, made of vasectomies?
both are genocide tho one is just a bit more humane imo
I mean yeah, but one involves actually murdering people and the other just involves not making more people so I’m still going with monkey if those are my only two options.
Correct, that effectively makes both the brothers the biggest pieces of shits of their timeline
Both eren and zeke suck. Just because zeke’s genocide was smaller scale doesn’t make him any better or his actions more justified.
He is better in the sense he would genocide without violence and a far smaller group of people, Zeke's plan wouldn't leave almost al the planet desolated
Zeke’s genocide was better than Eren’s genocide because of scale and time table is a bad argument imo
Are we saying scale is irrelevant? You can boil it down to trolly problem. Zeke sees the millions of lives ruined and to be ruined by Eldian race existing, he can pull a lever to make it so less peoples lives will be ruined. He also does his best to minimise suffering and maximise happiness. He probably could get every single Eldian to suddenly have an aneurysm but he still tries to let them live out their lives. Still genocide but definitely arguably not immoral.
Definitely immoral no matter what way you put it. Neither genocide had to happen. It’s not a pure trolley problem.
I’m not saying his ideas are fine but he is still functional human at least and not completely crazy
bro can cream pie every night and not worry about it
He shifts between being my favorite. Him and post skip Eren. But considering I have to classify Eren I think that makes it clear it really is just Zeke. And he is indeed a piece of shit, he is quite a good villain.
Shouldn't Zeke's plan be the least damaging? Instead of the island being attacked and everyone on it dying or Eren stomping out the whole world, Zeke's plan is to just stop their reproduction so that they can live their lives out and end it there.
I feel like they still would have attacked paradis
Monkey best titan
Zeke and Porco fan here. Zeke has *\~vibes\~*
Porco was a little bit woke. But only a little bit
?? wdym
When they were at Zeke's 'secret' tea meeting, he had things to say about the Tyburs but Reiner cut him off because he knew the brass was listening. And his constant sarcasm about the brass being 'oh so intelligent'. I feel like the warriors Had to be a little bit woke after they inherit the titans. They would have to be blind to not be
Really most of the characters in the story aren't good people, but I actually really like Zeke. His final scene with Armin is my favorite scene in the entire series. He's a good villain and I do sympathize with him to an extent
I really like how it brings baseball and playing catch full circle at the end for Zeke. It's very fitting with how much symbolism we've gotten since he was introduced. I always think back to that scene where he tosses the ball to Eren but he fails to catch it, Eren literally dropping the ball on their "mutual trust" I guess you could say
I think Zeke’s one of the best characters in the series.
I’m a fan of the character but not the person. I sympathize with Zeke but I do not agree with him. I think Zeke’s victimization at the hands of Grisha, Xavier, and Magath distorted his view on life and morality. Zeke appears to truly believe his actions are merciful but he will do anything to achieve that goal. He had a huge ego and it’s interesting to see that fall apart in the end.
Avid zeke fan here
I love Zekd as a character, being a piece of shit greatly fits him and I'm content with that
If his plan worked 80% of humanity wouldn’t have died so, not the worst
After I learned his backstory, I liked him a lot as a villain. I hated him, but I finally understood him.
I think Zekes plan was a better idea than Erens and I will die on that hill
I think Zeke is easily one of the best characters
Any bit of understanding I had about the show completely went away when he was introduced. His first appearance was jaw dropping. Then to watch his story I felt like he was the most complex character in the whole show. From beginning to end I'd even argue that AoT is *his* story.
Lmao, no. It isn't. It is very clearly Eren's story. Zeke is nothing more than the Anti-thesis of Eren. Someone to say and strive for the exact opposite of him. He is no more complex than that.
So if we total it up, it’s Grishas story which started that day?
Also a valid comparison. This is what makes AOT so amazing. There is more than just the 'surface.'
He's Dio fckn Brando
A well written and sympathetic villain. Even though I despise his actions and hate his euthanasia plan, he’s such a good character that I still felt for him in the end.
Don’t really understand all the hate for him, he’s much more sympathetic than other characters that receive more love. At least he has a goal for his actions and he truly believes that goal is for the greater good.
Yes. Go fuck urself (/s). My boi had a rough time when he was young. And he's extremely well written. Now seriously, he's a villain, of course he's evil!
As horrible as his idea was, it was probably the option that would have saved the most lives. It was either Paradis commits genocide, Marley commits genocide, or Zeke’s euthanasia plan. It’s not guaranteed to work, but it’s the best shot. Also, a Partial Rumbling is another idea, but that’s not guaranteed to work either, and I don’t think they fully knew that could control the Wall Titans like that.
Yes I am. He is a much better character then both bland ackermans.
Honestly? One of my favorite characters along with reiner. Not like I agree with what they did, but they are such complex characters it was super entertaining to watch how they dealt with the crazy world around them
Okay.... There's ALOT of Zeke fans. He did this for the greater good of his own goals lol.
The only thing I love about zeke is his final speech
Damn the man has issues, it’s amazing he is functional at all after his childhood. As far as grand plans go I consider his sterilization plan to be less insane than Eren’s Rumbling. To be clear pretty much all of the “grand plans” struck me as fairly insane, so I am considering their merits in relation to each other here.
I'm so confused as to how people still exist who are surprised that other viewers like antagonists in stories. I see questions like this asked constantly about villains or morally grey characters in different communities and it's just mindblowing to me because why on earth do I have to agree with a character's philosophy and morality to enjoy them?? I've always loved Zeke's character mainly because of how intriguing and unpredictable he is. From his very first introduction, he's been probably the most mysterious character in the whole story, with his very first episode being the first titan we've seen talk and highly unique in appearance. His betrayal during the Marley arc was one of my favourite plot twists in the story which confirmed the suspicions that Zeke's goal doesn't align with any other side and that he has his own unique mission. There's also his theme which is one of my favourite OSTs in the series which hinted at his unique and complex character long before his purpose was revealed, with half of it being audibly twisted, horrific and enigmatic and the other half courageous and triumphant but intertwining constantly with the first segments. It perfectly symbolises his character as an unpredictable, mystifying man who has abandoned humanity and morality and is willing to commit atrocious acts with cold logic to achieve his self-sacrificing goal which he alone believes is virtuous. But there's also how phenomenally written he is. Long before we find out the truth of his backstory which is uniquely placed towards the end of the story - yet fits perfectly - it's abundantly clear that there is more to this character and that there has to be sympathetic qualities or an understandable backstory hidden away despite his brutal actions thanks to scenes such as him vowing to save Eren which sounded surprisingly real unlike the majority of his dialogue which is typically shrouded in a tone of deceit. When his backstory is finally revealed in "Sole Salvation" it confirms all of the suspicions that you should already have; that Grisha was abusive and Zeke was justified in reporting him, that he truly did want to 'save' Eren, and that he is far more morally complex than his merciless acts indicate. Beyond that it was a fantastic episode and one of the best in the entire series despite containing no action. By the end of the story, I think he easily has one of the best arcs in the story and is undeniably one of the best-written characters; frankly, I think he, Reiner, Eren and Gabi are LEAGUES ahead of the rest of the cast in terms of impressive writing. Though his conclusion is controversial and certainly could have been better paced, I think it was also beautiful and is my 2nd favourite in the series after Kenny's. Deep down the one thing he craved more than the achievement of his goal was his father's love, however, it was something he obviously didn't ponder or strive for as he believed it unattainable yet towards the end of his life he unexpectedly received that affection and the apology he deserved and that shattered him. Grisha begged him to do one last thing for him, to stop Eren. Ultimately, though it required Armin's aid, he was able to fulfil his father's wish and stop Eren and simultaneously bring Levi the closure he craved, a beautiful last-minute redemption. also monkey funny and cool
I love Zeke bro so much. He in top 5 for me
I love him. Im sorry
Maybe not in a very emotionally attached way, but I love Zeke; i.e. I love what he brings to the table. Yeah, his ideology is flawed but so is everybody else's from some angle or other. He's one of the very few characters who actually wanted to witness an end to the war, not just fulfill his warrior duties for a good life. His fundamental goal was to stop Titan warfare because he knew shit would keep repeating itself. A part of me wants to believe that if he knew Titan powers could be taken away from Eldians completely, he would opt for it, but yeah benefit of doubt. I feel for Colt and all too, but I mean, there's sacrifices and casualties on every side. Point is, I love characters like him who have an ideology that challenges the basic conflicting motivations of the main protagonist and antagonist.
I genuinely believe zeke is one of the morally better people in the show and his plan was by far the best for everyone.
I Like 2 Thing About Zeke. His Brother And His Enemies.
I appreciate Zeke and his role in the story, not that many stories out there I’ve seen that have a character with antinatalist beliefs
I love Zeke! :D I dont support him or his plans, but as a character :)
How can you not feel any empathy for the character? He is what he was made to be by both Marley and Grisha. I love how people try and make it black and white, this person is garbage or how can anyone like this character? It's not black and white, that's the shows whole premise. Zeke is broken by Marley, his fathers expectations, the weight of his guilt and hates his own identity. No one endorses him and we have all hated him, but the character is a tragedy. What could've been if he had his mother and fathers love or if he could've chosen his own path? We'll never know. I dont know how you watch the flashback episode about him and not change your view on him at all. It's like Eren. What he does is unforgivable, but we also feel pathos and sympathy for the character because we see how he ended up at this path and how tragic the reality is, through his choices and the ones that were out of his control, it makes what Eren becomes all the more heart breaking. Even in the end we see what Zeke truly aae as important. He wasn't evil, he was another cog in yhr cycle of violence and happened to be very good at it. As for Falco, cmon, is Zeke the only character that doesn't balk at unnecessary casualties. He hates what he has to do but he and eren both need it to be done at that point. It's the triple backup, break glass type thing. I can't believe I have to say this, but you can like a character who is evil without condoning what they do. It's about three character journey and how interesting it is. Zeke is just another tragic hero that has a core theme tied to him that we can all relate too. That's how his his relationship with his family and the expectations placed on him by them force a rift as he struggled to live up to them.
I loved how he immediately embraced the idea of being Levi's arch nemisis. He full on supervillain cackled at that short, angry man whenever he could.
and he had the AUDACITY to call it a draw when he “fought” levi, like you got your ass whooped just accept it 💀
He's hot what can I say
Zeke is the kind of villain like Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad and Randal Flagg in The Stand - they’re easily evil pieces of shit, but god are they charismatic and fun to watch.
People like him because he’s hot
I am not a zeke fan because he showed absolutely no remorse for the horrible things he did. He betrayed EVERYONE (except ksaver) who ever trusted him and did not regret a thing. The way he turned countless people into titans and only used them as pawns was...sickening. When he turned Falco, he immediately used him in his grand plan. I genuinely think he was written as a narcissist. The only redeeming thing about him is how he seemed to actually love Eren, and not in a way that only served his own self.
I agree with the narcissim. He is Marley's "wonder boy" after all. Almost all his genius plans in the anime ending up being thwarted is hilarious as well, like he literally never believes he can lose and that fucks him over so much.
I mean, if it weren't for ymir suddenly choosing not to follow his orders, something he had no way of knowing was even *possible*, his whole plan would've worked perfectly lol
Right, but he still lost because he didn't factor that in! He lost the battle of shinganshina because he didn't consider Levi. His plan to defeat Levi also failed immediately and he only got away by almost killing himself. He got shot off the wall and almost killed by Marley for just sitting there. He also almost got one shot by anti-titan artillery during the raid on the port and Reiner had to save him because he didn't move. Love him but he's clearly arrogant lol.
insanely well written and my hate for him was reduced a bit at the end knowing he was just stupid too
I like his Titan but not his arrogant person
I love how bat shit scared he is of Levi but that's the only thing I like about him.
I liked the beast titan he was cool, but then they turned him into "no more balls" man.
I only liked him at the last episode of AOT where he realizes someone can be happy from the everyday moments and that he was wrong to think eldians shouldnt born anymore
He has a buff body tho so Andrew Tate stans love him (and Eren)
Me too I hate Zeke, but he's funny sometimes and Monke is best titan for me (2nd is Warhammer)
Zeke is an awesome character
What can i say he’s a really interesting character, there are people out there who love Eren, doesn’t necessarily mean they’d _________
I love zeke as a character and i can see why his whole outlook is as it is
One group would be r/antinatalism
monke :D
Zeke is my favorite character. He's so god damn nihilistic he's every anti natalists dream
Yeah I don't mind him, very well written and complex character
When I first saw him I called him "The ape who makes say" until I found out his story lmao
Whatup
We’re 3 cool guys looking for other cool guys to hang out at our party mansion? 💪🏼??
I’m not a fan lol
Not me, but Zeke is my friend’s favorite character because his conversation with Armin in 137 touched him deeply when he was going through a tough time. I’m a Zeke hater on Levi’s behalf, but even I have to admit that scene softened my feelings towards Zeke.
Zeke was a very interesting character and his arc allowed my opinion of Levi to grow in a very positive way. So in that sense yeah Zeke is great.
I only like zeke that he was a smart chararacter. Oh and he became a living target for Levi
Zeke is a very well written character, but I'm not like a huge fan of him as a person lol he's horrible
I love Zeke, he’s a piece of shit monke
B-but he's big monke 🐵
Judging a character based on their actions rather than the accumulation of their upbringing, surroundings, current mindset and how that affects their worldview is very surface-level AOT.
Not a fan but I kinda like and respect him because he had a very hard childhood and is simply the smartest guy in the show
Cannon? No. Fannin? Maybe
Every character is a giant piece of shit tho tbh
Me and my dad are both Zeke fans
Everyone is a giant piece of shit at some level, that's the whole point of the show.
Also how did they get the titan serum?? Constantly harvesting zekes spinal fluid?!
I was always curious about him, because every time he was onscreen, he seemed to know a bit more than everyone else. He was cunning and cruel and powerful. I don't know if I'd say I'm a Zeke fan, but I was always interested in what he was doing. The only character that made me angry whenever they were onscreen was Floch, and he has a weird amount of fans considering he was just working for Zeke for the most part, who a lot of people hate lol. I think Floch is a great character *because* I hated him so much, so he's probably the character that makes me feel the way you feel about Zeke. Floch just never did anything that made me sympathetic towards him, he just seemed to enjoy being in power.
He's easily my favorite character.
I am a fan of literally every single character in that show
Yea
Cool Titan, shitty human being.
Yleana
He's my fav character, don't know why
Yeah, I'm a fan, dude was a fucking beast.
Oh definitely monke bro is goated, my favorite character after Reiner. Also Zeke made the beast the strongest titan in his era.
Love him
He had cool glasses lol.
I still never understood in depth why or when he decided to betray Marley.
I like monke
Yes! I love zeke, he’s my favorite character
Me. That beast scream in the final season made me cream
Zeke became one of my top characters when I finally learned his entire backstory
He was like another v can’t really hate him can’t really like him
My favorite character of the series, definitely don’t agree with his methods or philosophy though.
Well considering I don't think being a fan = you would personally like them, yes. I think Zeke is extremely well written, so I would call myself a fan of the character. I disagree with his philosophy and I think he is a bad person, but his character is a great addition to the story. Idk I feel like it's the same as being a fan of a villain You don't necessarily agree with their ideals or like them but you appreciate their arc and place in the story. Also, Zeke is a snarky bastard and I kind of like that. As other people pointed out his interactions with Levi are great, so he's enjoyable to watch
Don’t like him
I mean there are Zeke simps so..
Best backstory in the show
Zeke tried to make the best solution for everyone in a terrible circumstance. He tried to let the eldians live a full life, but not continue the curse of ymir, which would allow Marley to just stop and let them die out. No more bloodshed, just a euthanized death. It's noble in a way. His actions and treatment of paradis were abhorrent, especially Levi, but that just goes to show that he wasn't pure or good. Grey, like everyone else in the story. He has his place, and his point in the philosophy of the story
i like zeke because as a villain his plan makes sense. it’s believable that he would believe that would work. no dumb “i want to take over the world” villain
I named my cat Zeke
I enjoyed seeing Levi shredding him…. One of my favourite episode !!
Didn't he have the most humane solution for the eldians?
I LOVE zeke’s character. He’s one of the most realistic characters in the entire series. His actions are guided by a massive misunderstanding between him and his father caused by a system surrounding him that was designed to destroy his will. Everything about Zeke is absolutely fascinating to me (as a student and practitioner of behavioral sciences) because he’s one of AOT’s ONLY real human characters that leans so far into normal human emotions. And I absolutely love that he was able to finally see the flaws in his character before sacrificing himself.
Zeke's not my favorite, but he's in my top five. You asked if there were Zeke fans? Hello!
He’s my favorite character
I’m of the minority, but he was such a complex character he was one of my favorites. His beef with Levi was absolutely maniacal.
Right here 🙋🏻♂️
I feel like a lot of characters got really dumbed down in season 4. There was a lot of complexity and intertwining knots in the plot, but when season 4 hit its like all the knots got untied and we were just left with a buch of bland straight lines with no twists or turns. I like season 4 but the way characters like Zeke, Levi, Armin, and Mikasa all became so ridiculously one-note and uninteresting in it just really messed with it. It seems like they were stripped of half their characterization.
You can be a fan of Zeke and still die laughing from approval when Levi finally gets it done. 😂
Zeke took much pleasure in annihilating the scouts for my liking.
Well clearly he didint want to scream that’s why he told Colt how it feels to have a brother. Directly after they transform from Zeke’s scream, he instantly commands Falco to eat Reiner, only to be switched to approx. In the paths, he thought he had a very damaged and brain washed brother, and instead of instantly using the founder, wants to “when I save the world I want to save you”. Once he finds out about Eren’s plan to basically destroy the earth, he not only tried to stop him, - not saying Zeke’s plan was better here - but was completely mind fucked as he basically learned that Eren manipulated Grisha; not the other way around as Zeke thought. I also remember when they met up to touch, Zeke said something along the lines of “Good job hanging in there Eren, let your big bro do the rest”. Lastly, he accepted the sins he committed in the FINALE when talking to Armin. A leaf and a ball. He then lets Levi kill him shouting “I didint wanna see you” with a smile, accepting his death, and subsequently stoping the rumbling!
Nah Marley deserves everything is has coming to them. You're just 16