Spoiler alert: this article contains general plot spoilers from Attack on Titan. At the time of writing, the last episode aired was episode 66: Assault.
When Attack on Titan (AOT) premiered in 2013, it quickly became one of the most popular animated shows and manga series. Now, after eight long years, the story of AOT is finally concluding with its fourth and final season. In America, the first season is on Netflix, but the entire series is only available on Hulu.
Attack on Titan has a certainly complex plot, but a simplified synopsis would be as follows:
In a fictional world in the distant past, humans live inside a series of three concentric walls. Living in the outer walls are three young friends: Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. These walls exist to protect humans from titans, giant humanoid monsters who devour anyone in their path. The walls are built high enough to keep them out, as most titans range from 15 to 45 feet and the walls stand tall at 150 feet. The walls were previously secure, until a 180-foot Colossal Titan appears and demolishes one of the outer walls, sending waves of titans to destroy the district. During this titan attack, Eren’s mother is eaten in front of him, leading him to vow to join the army and kill every titan he sees.
In season four, the war against titans has evolved. It is learned that the titans can be controlled by humans and used as weapons. Two countries are now on the brink of war. During this time, both sides ponder the ethical complexities of war––can war ever be morally acceptable? Comparing the first and last season of AOT provides an interesting example on the application of just war theory.
Catholic thinkers have long debated the ethical implications of engaging in a war. St. Augustine was one of the first to write about just war theory, though specifics were not formulated until St. Thomas Aquinas and subsequently the Catechism.
Aquinas states that a war can be just in three ways. First, war must be formally declared by a leader. Second, the war requires a just cause, meaning that the party being fought against must have committed some moral wrong that must be remedied. Third, wars must be fought with the right intention, namely securing peace and promoting good.
The Catechism elaborates on Aquinas’s definition in paragraph 2309, adding that all other peaceful options must be proven ineffective, the war must have a chance of success, and the use of arms does not “produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated.”
According to these definitions of a just war, fighting against the titans in season one is entirely justified. The titans commit a grave evil by destroying the walls of a peaceful civilization and murdering the helpless inhabitants. These creatures cannot be reasoned with, so no peaceful options will work, and killing the attackers is a defensive act that does not produce graver evils. There is also a chance of success, as the strategists devise a way to fix the wall and destroy the Colossal Titan. However, just because the war is just does not mean it is glorious or virtuous, as Eren and his friends learn the cruelty and emotional toll of violence.
The war involving the two countries in season four, on the other hand, is not a just war. Eren’s country has a just cause to fight against the other country, as this country is responsible for the titan attacks throughout the series. Yet, no peace talks have even been attempted, with both countries resorting to violence first. Additionally, Eren’s intentions are not virtuous. He is not motivated to secure peace but rather to utterly destroy his enemies. This vicious intention results in Eren employing a military strategy that produces an act so morally grave that he becomes just as evil as the nation he is fighting against: using a titan to purposely destroy civilians.
The loss of a just war in Attack on Titan could be equated to the potential loss of just wars in our own society. Animations of titans appearing parallels imagery of the nuclear bomb. The use of drones and intercontinental missiles means that battlefields are no longer empty fields, but cities filled with innocents. The prospect of total annihilation, as well as the danger war poses to civilians, makes just wars increasingly rare in both fictional scenarios and certainly in our society.
The featured image is courtesy of Pablo Martinez on Unsplash.
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