Attack On Titan: Does the Afterlife Exist for Eldians?

Attack On Titan: Does the Afterlife Exist for Eldians?,Attack on Titan contains references to reincarnation and the human spirit, implying that Eldians witness some kind of afterlife.

Attack On Titan: Does the Afterlife Exist for Eldians?

The concept of an afterlife is a common theme throughout anime, and Attack on Titan is no different, with some characters believing it to be true. While some anime leave the idea somewhat ambiguous, such as Naruto where Kakashi Hatake’s father, Sakumo Hatake, is supposedly waiting in a purgatory state to see his son, and some outright explore the afterlife, such as the Soul Society in Bleach, Attack on Titan takes an approach based more in reality. As death is such a common theme within the world of the series, it makes sense that the question of faith and the afterlife is looked at by not only the audience but also the characters.

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The concept of faith and the afterlife in Attack on Titan has more connections to the real world than in some other anime. There are religious groups that have attached to a particular symbol and worship it as a beacon of divinity, without physical evidence establishing its authenticity, such as the Church of the Walls, and some characters mention facing their comrades in the afterlife, which is a common trope within militaristic societies. However, due to certain supernatural elements connected to the Eldians, there is more evidence that for their race in particular, there is indeed an afterlife.

Hange's Reunion With the Scout Division

One major piece of evidence of the idea of an afterlife is seen after Hange confronts the Rumbling Titans and is killed. He is taken from the scorched, ash-filled battlefield to a pleasant, blue-sky scene, surrounded by others who have been killed during the conflict. He speaks with Erwin Smith and is in a panic for the safety of those who fled on the flying boat, but it is Erwin who comments that they escaped successfully, and then he can see the flying boat in the sky. At this point, he is dead, not near death. He was roasted, which Armin Arlert may have survived for a little longer, but was then crushed under the weight of a Colossal Titan. He was not on the brink of death, able to witness the flying boat escape.

However, there are also two other possibilities regarding his reunion with the Scout Division and witnessing the flying boat's departure. The first and less interesting one is that he simply imagines it during his final moment of consciousness. The second is due to Eren Yeager’s influence, passing on a visual experience through the Paths into Hange’s mind to give him a feeling of solace as he dies. Both of these scenarios are somewhat unlikely or imply that there is more to the situation. The former is unlikely due to Hange already being dead, and the latter would imply that Eren has access to the spirit of Hange after his death to grant him this momentary solace, which in itself implies some sort of soul and a tangible afterlife.

The Paths' Spiritual Connection and Reincarnation

A common theme within the series that may not be observed for its religious afterlife connections is the idea of reincarnation. When a Titan Shifter dies, the Titan they inherited is automatically transferred to a child within the Eldian race, essentially being reincarnated into another being. This in itself is a form of reincarnation, and it is only possible due to the singular connection between all members of the Eldian race. Unlike the other races of the Attack on Titan world, or at least from what has been shown in the series, the Eldians are connected through The Paths, a place of single consciousness.

If Eldians are able to transfer the power of the Titan Shifters supernaturally through The Paths into a newborn due to their spiritual connection, it is unlikely that the Eldians do not have some kind of soul. The idea of a soul is the spiritual entity that is inside a human form, sometimes referred to as the reasoning behind consciousness, and The Paths is the area of all consciousness, similar to that of the Buddhist belief in Nirvana. Buddhism believes in the idea of reincarnation, and many anime series are integrated with Buddhist beliefs and ideals. Attack on Titan is no different. This would imply that Eldians go to The Paths not when they die but when the cycle of Titan rebirth has come to its conclusion. Before that, they are reincarnated alongside the power of the Titan Shifters.

There is evidence of the afterlife in Attack on Titan due to the existence of The Paths, the cycle of Titan Shifter rebirth into Eldians and the visual imagery that Hange experiences post-death. However, while these appear to be forms of objective evidence, they are still circumstantial due to the idea of an afterlife never being outright stated, only heavily implied. Nonetheless, considering that the afterlife is routinely depicted in anime, it seems likely that Attack on Titan has some form of it, allowing for a measure of peace after the brutal existence and gruesome ends that many of the characters suffer throughout the series.

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