Annie is NOT a villain. A child abandoned, who has to do horrible things. She thinks she is weak but she is strong. Annie is the *most human* character of this story.
Annie has always been my favorite character in aot. I was always so intrigued by her character because I knew there was more to her. She had a kind heart but couldn't show it. She pushed people away to lessen the pain of killing them in the future. Even though Annie tried her hardest not to care for people, that ultimately caused her downfall, because she did care for others. After everything she did, she still wanted to be seen as a good person to Armin. While her exterior was hard and cold, on the inside she was a scared girl who's fate was already decided for her. All she could do was follow the tide in the hope to see her father once more. Thank you for making this video. I think many people give Annie the least amount of sympathy out of the trio in my opinion. It's frustrating to see some people just write her off as an evil, cold-hearted villain. There are so many layers to her character, so I hope much more people will realize that in the future.
Thank you for the kind words, and I 100% agree with your take. I really do hope that people will look back at all of her moments in the series and come to appreciate her as a character. There's so much there, and I wish more people would see that. It's not easy being an Annie fan in this fandom lol
Tbh I've seen her get more love than Bertholdt and Reiner for some reason, even though she directly killed more people. It hasn't been since the Manga ending that I've seen Hate for her en masse, but that's cause of what she became as a character
"in this world, the more of a fight you can put up against the titans, the further you can get away from them" when she said this i was like yeah i found my comfort character. i don't think most of the fandom really aware of her deepness, even some of her own fans. well i really appreciate that you made an analysis about her. keep up the good work, i'm always here to support
Thank you for your support and for the kind words! I definitely know what you mean about how some Annie fans don't truly appreciate her depth. They see the cool aesthetic, the awesome action sequences, and while those are both certainly great, it was those coupled with the character complexity that really drew me in.
Great video! I really appreciate the character dive, because a lot of characters in this series are far more nuanced than people give it credit for, and Annie is a big one. Thank you for taking the time to share this!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I wholeheartedly agree that the show has tons of characters with a lot of depth to them, and analyzing them has always been one of my favorite parts of this series. I definitely plan on making more AoT videos in the future, but I'm still mulling over what the next one should be.
Its interesting that while it's obvious all three warriors traumatized themselves killing Marco, Bert was the least affected, distancing himself from this and "standing back saying nothing" as a coping mechanism (like he ALWAYS did - since that's what he did with Marcel's death and Annie and Reiner's fight afterwards). Meanwhile, the one who pushed this forward (Reiner), and one who argued against it the most (Annie) get so traumatized by it, they each have nightmares of it. (It also makes Reiner, who already was going insane due to Marcel's death, even more insane.... both events leaving Annie and Bert with following a nutjob leader.)
The fact that Bertholdt cried for Marcel and Marco, and at the wall betrayal, all the way until Zeke threatened them and then Reiner inspired him about Annie, shows he cared. But he was inherently delicate. "Adept, but timid," as he was described. He didn't want to do anything Annie didn't, but they were both under Reiner's command, as you said. Bertholdt is attached to him like a brother (or more, if we take the shots Reiner and Ymir take at one another far too seriously), but he's also known for his *control*. He only needed a prick of his finger to shift. He didn't struggle in his first shift like most titan shifters do. Magath said his control over himself is why he got the Colossal. He wasn't the least affected, he was just the best at masking it. Better than Annie, even.
Annie is the character that understood the final morale of the story since ep 1, the perspectiveness of morality. She is in trost arc what Eren is at the end saving Ramzi. The only thing she misses is accepting this and its where Armin comes into play. Bertholdt was too shy to be as mature as Annie and Reiner was too crazy, while she faces reality all the time, until she has to isolate herself cause no one else in the show its close to be able to understand even a bit of her (except Armin again). And she is also one of the most scared characters in front of the adversity, and often shes so the most determined, the strongest in a way
I don't think its as Armins girlfriend Annie is this heartless villain because let's face it people suck lol I think given Armins popularity and kind heart people see Annie more because of Armins views
I think a lot of it comes down to how little time she got in the spotlight before going in the crystal. A bunch of people were just stuck with their first impressions of her, and they didn't really have a reason to dig any deeper once she was out of the picture.
This video was amazing! I liked to think that I knew a lot about Annie, but there was still so much I didn't know about her character, and here I was thinking she couldn't get any better. I'm so jealous of people who liked Annie from the start and got to be surprised by the female titan reveal, I didn't pay much attention in season 1 so I didn't like Annie until I watched the goodbye wall sina OVA's in season 3 and ever since she's been by far my favorite. I've always found her to be the most interesting and just so damn cool and this only re-inforces that. Thanks so much for the awesome video, hope you make more!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video! I am definitely planning on making more, but I knew from the beginning that I wanted to start with one about Annie. She's a really great character that just flies under the radar for most people.
LOVE THIS VIDEO AND I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING. I hate seeing people overlook annie’s character so much. I try and make them understand her more but it’s hard because i’m terrible with my words. you’ve explained everything amazingly though! there’s always people that don’t get why she’s my favourite but i’ve just always been so interested in her ever since I first started watching in 2014. it’s true that she has done terrible things but that doesn’t make up her entire character. looking forward to seeing more character analysis videos and more annie content hopefully :)
I'm happy to hear you liked it! I'd definitely be willing to do another Annie video at some point in the future (just need her out of that darn crystal first). That being said, it probably won't be anytime soon. There are lots of other interesting characters and themes (in AoT and in other series) that I want to make videos for. I just chose to start with Annie because I really like her (and, as I'm sure you can relate to, I got tired of having to explain why I like her to everyone lol)
I just watched this video and your Korrasami one. You have earned a loyal subscriber. Your explanations are on point and your tone/mood while narrating is very easy to listen to. I can tell you are someone who truly understands writing and character analysis, rather than most people who only see the surface level. Please do more videos like this!
Genuinely such a good video! There's a lot of bias and prejudice against small channels but this video completely blew them out of the water! Well done!
I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it! And thank you for giving it a chance even though this is a small channel. I'm just starting out, so it's encouraging to hear that kind of feedback!
Some AOT fans need to get some brain cells and maybe re-watch this show. Annie is a phenomenal character it’s actually embarrassing to see people still hating on her with the same old excuses. “She yoyo-ed a corpse-“ it happened all the way back in season 1 to make the female titan seem more menacing, get over it. “B-But the Levi squad-“ they’re npc’s that were literally trying to kill her. “She’s so violent and cold hearted-“ she clearly dissociates as a coping mechanism when she does the horrible shit she’s forced to do. I’m not saying she’s an angel, but she was literally raised by an abusive father; cruelty was beaten into her, and all she ever knew is war, but somehow it's HER fault for not being sane? Oh, and for the millionth time, other characters in this show did much more terrible stuff, why does she get so much hate in particular?
Because all of Annie’s “flaws” are written in a clear and accessible way and even in a shocking format (for example, a yo-yo), while the advantages are not visible on the surface and need careful analysis. Viewers are more likely to perceive information that makes the greatest impression, rather than information that needs to be thought about.
Hey man what an edition. You used shots and music masterfully!! How awesome!! This made me start the day in such a positive note, thanks! - on a different note. Don't you feel like Annie has always been "encased in a hard Cristal" in a way? In a way that we can see through her hard shell? Then when she appears again in season 40, that shell is broken in a literal and symbolic sense.
Great video! Annie is so underrated and misunderstood indeed. Its sad that both the anime and manga didn't do much with her towards the end of the story. Her braking out of her crystal was kinda meh. We were all waiting for some grand reveal that never existed. But she's still my favourite.
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video! I do wish that they gave her more time to shine outside of the crystal, but if I'm being honest, part of what I love about her is how little we get. She's rarely the focus, but the series keeps dropping little hints about her all along the way. It was kind of like a puzzle to be solved, daring you to figure out how all of the individual pieces fit together.
I think she's changed a lot. 1. I learned how to work in a team, and as we know, Annie is a loner. 2. She realized that there are other people besides her father who will love and appreciate her. 3. "I'm going with the flow, I'm not trying to change anything." Swims against the current - flies to Falco to the Founder. 4. And most importantly, Annie sees herself not as cool and daring, knocking over healthy men, but as a fragile and gentle girl in need of care and affection. In the first season, Annie is stern, a little rude, collected and tense, and her eyes are melancholically watching what is happening, not really expressing anything. But by the end of the series, she is completely different: relaxed, sweet, her eyes express interest. Now the inner image of Annie herself corresponds to the outer one: she is a fragile girl who needs to be protected and protected.
Thank you for the kind words! This is still a relatively new channel, so all I can really do is keep making videos and hope that more people like you find them!
Thanks for the share! As for Eren's plans, I have very strong opinions on them lol. I will say up front that I oppose what he's doing; nothing can justify the ruthless slaughter of innocent lives. That being said, I do think he's a fascinating character, and there's a lot of complex reasons that he ended up on this path. I am definitely planning on making a video about Eren at some point in the future, but it probably won't be until after the end of the anime.
Наконец-то нормальное видео о персонаже Энни ❤ guys, listen female titan ost 巨♀~9地区 5min version. It's totally her character arc in music form. Anime usually uses the first part of ost, but it has development. I love how instrumental sounds in the end, it's tragetic and soft
Calling anyone a bad guy in AOT is so backwards. We see Erin become a monster with his actions, but his actions are backed by what we the viewers think he must become to defeat his enemies. There are only characters in AOT, no good or bad. I think Annie is given a worse wrap because we idolize the main character Erin. We the audience will side with him no matter the atrocities he commits. So whoever we see in opposition to our main character, we perceive them as enemies. I thank you for your insight to this magnificent character, but I think you can improve your analysis by excluding judgmental words such as good and bad. These characters are in a war and must commit acts of violence. The only evil I have seen comes from the beast titan enjoying taking human life and turning it into a game.
The specific line about her not being a "good person" was intended to be a reference to her conversation with Armin towards the end of Season 1, where she referred to herself as such. As for my own opinion, rather than believing that "there is no good and there is no bad," I believe that there is both good and bad in these characters. I think it's important to acknowledge all aspects of a character when trying to understand them, rather than trying to sugarcoat the more negative things. I love Annie as a character. I can understand why she does the things she does, I can sympathize with her situation, and I can see the good in her. But that doesn't change the fact that she has, by her own admission, done terrible things. I feel exactly the same way about Eren; I understand why he's doing what he's doing, but that doesn't change the fact that what he's doing is bad. Being in a war does not justify the indiscriminate slaughter of innocent lives.
A thing with annie is... Berthoolt and reiner killed thousands of civilians and tens of soldiers. Annie on the other hand killed like 20 people who wanted the job and knew they would die (survey corps) the only civilians she killed was in stohees and it was because she needed to in order to survive.
To me, Annie was the smartest warrior. She never fell for the propaganda as you highlighted, she knew the reality from the beginning, she was the one investigating and putting in the effort to find the royal family and to capture Eren. She was the most strategic in battle and even Erwin found it hard to capture her. Lots of people are convinced Zeke is the smartest warrior but he literally fell for /Eren's/ trick 😅 and was eventually betrayed. Even his philosophy regarding the existence of Eldians is childish (to me).
i think zeke fell for eren's trick because of his love for eren not because of his iq or something he literally shed out a tear when eren for the very first time calls him a brother in s4 ep15
I'm glad you enjoyed it! For your suggestion, are you referring to the Korean film "Parasite" from a few years ago? This channel focuses on analysis of animated series, so at this time I do not plan on analyzing any live action films/series. Perhaps if there is enough support (and if I have enough free time), I might consider making a secondary channel for that type of analysis. at some point in the future.
6:10 That comment wasn't just an appeal by humanizing the future victim of Trost. Her comments about them getting to sleep in and fuck around is a spiteful jealousy, because she can't have that. She needs the freedom being a loner to do her operations that Reiner rather ruthlessly demanded of her, going into Wall Sina to spy. Everything you say is definitely true, but she was exhausted and angry that Reiner bulked everything on her--even if when they were younger, it was simply because boys couldn't get into Wall Sina as easily as girls, when it came to the MP checkpoints. If you take the games as canon too, which I feel they are in their small moments, the characters were all trying to engage with her, and she actually did enjoy the rare moments she could do things with them. But, for the most part, she had to stay away. She likely did feel it was for the best, at some level. The most tragic part is she was FORCED to become a Warrior. Reiner was coerced, yes, but his mother never forced him, and we get the sense that was the case for Bertholdt as well. But she was abandoned, only to be found by an abuser, who only repented after she had already signed up for an official death date for his comfort. Anyway, no, she's not a villain. She's an antagonist. Not all antagonists are villains, and not all antagonists stay antagonists--just like protagonists like Eren don't always stay protagonists.
Good video. Could you possibly do some about Marco, Jean, Falco and Colt, Onyankopon, even one about Bert? (And ofc some more about the other main cast too.)
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video! I am definitely planning on making more AoT character analysis videos in the future, so I will definitely take your list into consideration. This show has way too many good characters lol.
I don't know if I completely agree that Annie isn't a villain. I think she is a sympathetic and tragic character, and it is true that she shows remorse for a lot of her actions, but that doesn't mean we can completely ignore the bad things she has done. I think it's important to look at the character as a whole: the good and the bad. In my opinion, that combination of good and bad is part of what makes her so interesting.
@@paradigm0123 I understand that people see her as a villain, but unlike Reiner and Berthold who did serve and believe in Marley, she did not want to kill but was forced to commit evil deeds, I personally think that Annie is the most disturbed and mentally broken character more even that Eren, Mikasa, Levi, reiner, etc... so for me she was forced to do bad things, it's the same with Zuko and Jinx I can't see them as villains.
@@levilatte869 Whatever, he was genuinely evil, he was the one who told Annie to kill Marco, she always showed remorse and even had nightmares, she didn't want to do that but Reiner did, 2 seasons of Annie with ptsd and yet she is hated and seen as evil, but then Reiner who believed in Marley and killed without mercy regrets it at the last moment and tries to commit suicide deserves to redeem himself.
@@levilatte869 Everyone remember when she killed those unknow soldiers for smiling a little bit and call her evil for it, but novody gives a shit how she cried when everyone attacked her in the forest to save Eren, or how she didn't wanted to kill Marco but Reiner forced her to do it, she even had nightmares with Marco's death even when she didn't wanted to kill him in the first place, she is the most mentally broken and disturbed character of AOT, first her parents abandon her when she was a baby, then a stranger adopts her to abuse her and forces her to be a warrior and a killer for Marley, only for him to have a better life in Marley, and yes in the end she would do everything again just to return to her father, not because doesn't regret but because unlike not only Reiner but berthold, Gabi, Zeke, Eren and everyone else, she was force since she was kid to be a soldier, a warrior and a killer, she doesn't need a redemption arc because she doesn't care about Marley and Paradise, she just want to complete the mission she was force to do, just to return with her father. So stop defending Reiner over Annie.
@@levilatte869 Of course i'm going to bring her backstory becouse is the most tragic of all by far, not Zeke, not Reiner but her story was the most tragic, you're the one who shouldn't bring that shit of the Split personality of Reiner, and read again she was abandon as a baby and then abused as a kid and FORCED to do all the bad things she did by the hand of her father, Marley and fucking piece of shit Reiner who btw deserved to be beaten by Jean, Reiner and Berthold don't have half the mental problems and nightmares that Annie had. Your logic is stupid, Reiner split personality or Whatever killed because he wanted, he himself signed up for the army and to be a killer, but Annie was FORCED since she was a fucking kid. Again she doesn't have to redeem herself because she didn't wanted to kill anyone just complete the mission she was FORCE TO DO and go back home.
I kind of see her as both. She became a villain because she was a victim of this cruel world. It's certainly an interesting discussion to be had (That's part of what I love about AoT; it makes you think!)
Bro why’d did they kill her off so fast she had a lot of potential still pisses me off to this day that she couldn’t scale the wall in time before mikasa chopped her fingers off
Thank you for the kind words! I can really only think of one way to combine pillows and anime into a video, and I'm not THAT much of a degenerate lol. I can assure you that there are more AoT videos on the way! That being said, I am trying to have some diversity on my channel, so it may be a couple months before I make another one. Any characters or themes from the show that you're particularly interested in?
Never seen your channel before I always love to see new SNK video essayist on the platform would you like to collab with a fellow essayist. (Btw I’m beluga the Yeagerist)
Thank you very much for the offer. I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I will have to decline. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say I've had some... negative experiences in the past. That feeling may change in the future, but for now I just want to work on my own.
I am fr out here listening to sir copesalot the 5th explain why the character that killed over 100 survey corps members in a very VERY twisted way had a good heart. BRUH SHE WAS SMILING THE ENTIRE TIME THERE IS NO DEFENDING THIS ARE YOU BLIND 😭😭😭😭
Dude, she killed one single yo-yo guy. if you forgot all her actions in the trost arc and in the finale, you are blind, not him. Why did you forget about Levi and Hange who bullied the wall cult guy? Or is it something else?
Having sympathy for these characters I absolutely don't understand. Even in concentration camps some guards were known at the end to help people within the camp escape from oncoming Soviet Soldiers. Imagine this. You've been deemed the enemy of the Nazi state and you would rather flee with and throw your lot in with the Nazi's than be caught by Soviet troops. Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt would be perfect Soviets. Nothing redeemable Annie at the end of the day is just another sociopath created by Marly, the boot licking Eldians of Marly and her insane adoptive black father. The worst part of AOT is the last 12-15 chapters. I just can't understand how or why Eren's friends would betray their own people, kill their own friends, kill their own families just to save the very same people who have been committing genocide upon them for the last 100 years. Yes Eren went too far, but the choice was forced upon him. He chose to love his friends, his people, and his family at the cost of destroying 80% of humanity. Annie wouldn't have had a problem with killing 100% of humanity just for fun. She never felt any remorse for her actions nor did Reiner or Bertholdt or any of the other Titans of Marly. They could've just stop fighting, but they chose to keep fighting no matter how many they killed or when they were thinking twice of their actions. Annie was no different and actually never wanted forgiveness.
Every word in your rant is WRONG. 1. You condemn Annie inaccurately categorizing somebody who shows empathy as a "sociopath". You forgot that if doesnt do what Marley says her adoptive father either gets a bullet or a 1 way trip to paradise island concluding with an injection of titan syrum. She didnt "throw in with" Marley. She was abandoned at birth, raised to be a weapon as soon as she could walk, was given zero family, friends, taught zero social skills. Despite having the least socialization Annie is a better person than Reiner and the rest. After propaganda school Reiner gets to go home to family dinner. But Annie instead gets martial arts beaten into her. She can either be LEFT TO DIE by her father or she can do as he orders, become a warrior. Once a warrior she is now bound to die in 13 yrs, and if she backs out her dads toast. She didnt throw in with anyone. She was THROWN into a fascist internment camp, THROWN into become a weapon or die in the street. If at any point they "stop fighting" they and their families are deemed traitors and are EXECUTED. 2. I love your hypocrisy. Beautiful. So you inaccurately describe Annie as a person, her psych or her situation, you hold her fully accountable when she has zero power and no choice. But! Eren who didn't have a gun pointed at his family, so he was free to choose different, instead CHOSE to kill billions vs Annie's 1000s (no choice or she and her dad perish).... Yet according to YOU Annie is a "sociopath" yet Eren had it "forced upon him"? 😂😂😂 ya no. He had endless choices and no gun to his family. Annie's choice was do what we say or the little family you have gets snuffed out. *Which makes Eren a villain and Annie a victim of circumstance.* Annie the girl abandoned then raised to kill, grows to learn more value in human life, than Eren who only values freedom. Hes a slave to freedom. Youre 100% top to bottom wrong. Dunno wtf you were thinking with "soviets" as a comparison. There are nothing like Soviets in this show. Closest would be nazis and Jews. If nazis focused on turning jews into weapons against other nations, as opposed to exterminating jews. Take a long walk off a short peer bud. Maybe you'll hit your head hard enough to knock some sense into you. Bootlickers? Reiner and Bertholt are bootlickers. They FREELY chose to join the warrior program. Believed the propaganda. They had families. Annie is not a bootlicker or a sociopath. She was raised the choice was become a warrior getting me a ticket to a better life, or I disown you, a child and you starve to death. ...Which wouldve been the second time Annie would have been left on the street to die....as a child... She calls herself weak, but shes actually strong. She is a child who had the weight of the world put on her and she survived what most would not. She kept relatively stable and lived on, in situations grown adults would commit suicide to escape. I know I sure would! Internment zone where people throw rocks and broken glass at me? Where I have zero power to fight back against a fascist conquering state? *I'd blow my brains out to escape that living hell.* Yet Annie...fought, fought to live. Even though she felt all life, including hers had no meaning. She saw through a decade of brainwashing and saw the islanders as PEOPLE, not devils. Annie never had any power to change things. To even get 1st class citizenship she would have to do horrible things in service of her oppressors. She calls herself selfish, yet shes doing all of this just to make her dad happy and keep him alive. Annie Leonhart is the *most human* character, in this story.
