Pain is an essence like none other. Even when the wound is healed, the heart still bleeds. Visible or not, suffering great pain will leave a scar that’ll weigh you down for an eternity, and while one’s pain can never be the same as another’s, having someone who understands the extent of such pain, even a little, may help to numb the agony. That is exactly what Eren is to Mikasa, and Mikasa to Eren. Two young bloomers barely capable of understanding the vast complexity of the world around them, but forced to bear before their eyes the sight of their entire lives torn down to nothingness.

We see the grip of that pain brewing in Eren after watching his mother get torn to pieces by a mindless titan in episode 1, with Mikasa there to lay witness to this calamity. As the show develops, it’s not before long, in episode 6, that we get a glimpse of Mikasa’s own tattered past as well. Witnessing the slaughtering of her own parents, she was moments away from her own demise. Only to be saved by the help of Eren. Not only did these two endure a tragedy that could have sent them both spiraling downwards for the rest of their lives, they both also had to bear witness to each other’s own misfortune. Uncalled-for connections such as this could lead to them understanding one another not from the outside; but instead, by their spirit, and thus knowing what it is that drives them forward with each passing day. They understand each other’s heart because they understand each other’s pain; and that is a connection unrivaled by anyone else in the world of Attack on Titan.

Mikasa has an unwavering devotion towards Eren. They hold a dynamic that encompasses a push and pull that can at times feel more catered to one side. As Mikasa is constantly on her toes ready to pull Eren out the fire regardless of her own safety, we see the development of a long-lasting pattern in which Mikasa will constantly stand over Eren as a failsafe. Just as such, Eren doesn’t fail to express how much Mikasa means to him as well, but his lack of directed devotion towards this deeper emotion; due in part to his strong desire for vengeance against the titans, gives us a taste of a relationship developing in favor of one side. It’s this; in particular, that makes for an ending in which these two embrace their latent feelings for one another all the more fitting of their characters.

After losing her family in episode 6, Eren grabs Mikasa’s arm and tells her “We got to get home.” The word – “home” – could be viewed as a catalyst towards Mikasa’s new found meaning to life. After Eren’s mother is killed in episode 2, Mikasa quietly thinks to herself, “It’s the same thing all over again”, amidst flashbacks of her once losing her own family. Eren is Mikasa’s perception of fortification. Of placement in this world. With her family no longer around, Eren has become the only family she has left. Thus, Mikasa fights to protect Eren until the very end; and with him, her concept of life as a whole.

As mentioned before, they both share despair from the ruthlessness of the world they live in, but their chosen direction to seek retribution has parted in one way or another; and to see their roads converge once again would usher these two partners into a happy place within everyone’s heart. Making for all the great reasons why these two are just perfect for one another.

If you thought Eren and Mikasa were at some point going to drop a bombshell on each other right from the get go, then you’re likely not alone. First impressions speak wonders, and if when witnessing the passing relationship between these two childhood friends you once thought they’re going to pull the love card then your initial instincts are speaking from experience. It’s not rare to see these relationship developments within a series of any sort, and it’s certainly not wrong to see it as viable evidence of a potential love nest sometime in the future.

A well-fed bird leaves no bread crumbs behind, and if you’re an avid anime lover that knows how to fill their plate, then you won’t let these tiny doses of evidence get swept underneath the rug. From early on we get a portrait of Mikasa’s strong commitment towards Eren Yeager. Both as a friend, and as family. Similarly, Mikasa’s deep desires to hold on to such bonds left us with many telltale signs of what could be interpreted as a brewing sense of love. As in episode 25, when Mikasa’s heart seemingly skipped a beat after hearing Eren speak of how he thought he wouldn’t mind dying. It could also boil down to, out of the main trio (Mikasa, Armin, and Eren), Mikasa and Eren hold the strongest connections to one another, and as such, are highly likely to develop further than just a close pair of friends. These are small hints, if you may, that have come around from time to time in the many series that make up the anime world. Thus, it only makes sense to consider them evolving a bit further down the line. Is it possible that this is nothing more than just a sibling relationship being too deeply picked apart? Of course; but it won’t hurt to be a little optimistic either.

A treasure that is everlasting. Unwavering in its placement within one’s heart. A piece of a memory that embodies an object untouchable by the world surrounding it. A memento, that can make you feel like you’re holding the world within your arms. These objects hold true to their meaning, not to the majority, but to the heart of the beholder. A scarf meant to keep a young, emotionally distraught Mikasa warm, evolved past a single gesture of empathy and became a keepsake worth much more. Perhaps to Mikasa, it wasn’t just cloth that Eren had wrapped around her neck, but affection and protection, woven into the threads of a cascading fabric. Transcending from an ordinary object, to a gem held dearly within Mikasa’s heart. For two individuals to channel their thoughts of one another through a common keepsake is a blush-worthy necessity for a blooming love.

Red like the string of faith that is so common in East Asian folklore, this scarf; that Mikasa still wears till this very day, is like a bridging pathway between their hearts. Bound to steer them back to one another no matter how lost in the dark they may find themselves. It’s a message hidden in plain sight, hinting towards a soon-to-come inseparable partnership. Don’t you agree?

Sometimes things are just meant to be, therefore Mikasa and Eren eventually forming a unit may just be inevitable. If relationships in the world of Attack on Titan are something of significance, then ask yourselves this question; between both Eren and Mikasa, are there any better candidates for this role? While that answer may differ by viewer, let us explain why the connection between Eren and Mikasa may be unrivaled.

Mikasa’s personality can often express an unwillingness to deeply connect with anyone not already held dearly within her heart. We think it’s safe to say that Eren is someone within that finite circle of people that Mikasa truly cares about; including Armin and her now deceased family. Mikasa’s lack of attention towards the rest of the cast when compared with Eren’s safety, has at once even fueled the flame of Eren’s anger. Eren balking at Mikasa in episode 5 for choosing to protect him before considering the fate of the civilians in need of help is a perfect example of the dynamic between these two. Mikasa’s tunnel vision towards Eren’s wellbeing requires Eren to, at times, help keep her on her toes. In the same light, Eren’s irrationality towards killing the titans can blind him and place him down on his luck, only for Mikasa to fly in and get him out in one piece. It is this back-and-forth aspect that bridges these two unlike any of the other characters we’ve seen in the series thus far.

To add to the pile, in episode 6 we get a spectacular display of how much Eren had impacted her life, when Mikasa, while battling her sudden grief, iterates words like those which Eren once told her. “If I can’t beat them, I die; but if I win, I live. And the only way to win, is to fight.” It’s clear that these two are uplifted by one another, and who wouldn’t want a love story by such a perfect couple?