Summary
Eren Jaegar is an example of someone whoresponds uniquely to a circumstance. InBefore The Fall, which is set around 50 years before the events ofAttack on Titan, another boy, Kuklow, faces a similar dilemma: lack of freedom because of The Walls.
As the Survey Corps struggle to regain morale and an increase in Titan worshipers, the citizens of Shiganshina live in fear. But a small group is building a special device that allows the user to maneuver and kill Titans. Though the people behind The Walls live in a faux paradise, they can only anticipate when they can no longer sustain humanity.
The Titan’s Son
Kuklow, the main character, is born from a Titan worshiper, who went insane after her husband was murdered by a Titan dubbed, “Ogre”. After she is eaten late in her pregnancy, a child is born from her corpse. From then on, the citizens refer to him as “The Titan’s Child” and keep him captive, passing Kuklow around from merchant to merchant. Eventually, he ends up in the custody of a noble family, where their son frequently “practices” fighting Titans with him. One would think that thiswould cause Kuklow to develop a hatredfor those around him, but a lone girl, the daughter of his owner, Sharle, teaches him the concept of kindness and patience. The two would later escape when the noble family is ambushed.
Kuklow himself is a curious case, asAttack on Titan’s characters tend to live or pursue their goals out of spite or revenge - especially the ones that join the Survey Corps. His intentions were not to just know what the outside world is like, but also to ensure the safety of his peers. In a way, he presents himself as anantithesis to Eren- Kuklow sees the best in people.
Eren looks at what is missing from his life andseeks to fill the void, always wanting more. Kuklow on the other hand, looks at the potential, how things can be even greater than they are. In other words, one sees the glass half empty, the other sees the glass half full, and they both want to fill it up. At his core, he is still stubborn and doesn’t heed Sharle’s protests for his safety.
The Love Interest
Sharle plays a significant role as well, as she’s the one who rescued Kuklow from his captors, like Eren saved Mikasa. In both scenarios, a knife was involved. Moreover, her desire to keep him from danger is also reminiscent ofMikasa’s protestswhenever Eren makes reckless decisions. And similar to her joining him when he becomes a cadet, Sharle elects to become the apprentice of Xenophon, the creator of the “device”, to support its ideal construction. While she isn’t an “action girl” like Mikasa per say, she succeeds in acting as the voice of reason to others - as a reminder to Kuklow that he has a support system that he can rely on and return to.
Significance of Paradis
In the main series, it’s revealed that iceburst stone, a valuable mineral, is a unique material that’s only found on Paradis. Not only can it be lucrative, but its stability allows the 3DMG to work the way it does. InBefore The Fall, the swords that are used by the Survery Corps (and other military branches)are made out of iron bamboo, which only grows in a specific area. While sharp objects can damage Titans, it’s iron bamboo that allows for a clean and deep slice to a Titan’s weak spot. Sharle’s knife that was requested by her father was made out of just that.
Before The Fallhas a much moreuplifting ending, as the main theme of the story is forgiveness and seeing eye to eye; moreover, Kuklow is able to marry and stay with someone he loves. It goes to show that betterness can be achieved, so long as someone wants it. In the case ofAttack on Titan, predetermined biases and desires for revenge were prominent. But it’s possible that Kuklow had the luxury of this, whereas Eren, who lost everything, didn’t. But still, at the end of the day, which path will conceive the least regrets?
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a post apocalyptic themed anime where the world is plagued by monstrous creatures called titans. People live in walled cities to avoid the danger of the man eating titans. After they destroy his home, main character Eren Yeager swears to exterminate all titans off the face of the earth.
