Attack on Titan: Zeke’s Master Plan Explained

Zeke is arguably the biggest mastermind in Attack on Titan. He is one of the first people we understand to have a master plan for the fate of humanity in the series, and the plan’s quiet brutality makes him one of the show’s many complex characters.

Most fans regard Zeke as one of the main bad guys of Attack on Titan, and with good reason. However, given Attack on Titan’s controversial ending led by Eren’s dramatic transformation, there’s an argument to suggest that Zeke’s plan may have been the lesser evil. Could Zeke have been misunderstood in Attack on Titan’s story? Or, is he simply too evil to be forgiven?

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Zeke: The Ultimate Mastermind?

Zeke first appears in Attack on Titan season 2 as the mysterious Beast Titan. Initially, it appears that he’s just a continuation of the threats that came before – after Eren and the Scouts overcame the Female Titan, they now have a bigger, stronger and smarter Beast Titan to face.

However, it becomes clear during Attack on Titan’s third and fourth seasons that Zeke is not just another titan shifter. Zeke Jaeger is Eren’s half-brother, both of them fathered by Grisha Jaeger.

How Marley Shaped Zeke Jaeger

While Eren grew up in Eldia, Zeke was born and raised in Marley, which informed a lot of his worldview.

Zeke is a highly intelligent and ruthless individual, skills that helped him gain a high-ranking position in the Marleyan military. He also had a first-hand experience of Eldian discrimination, something that greatly influenced what turned out to be his master plan to stop the endless suffering caused by Titan powers.

Conflicting Solutions to the Titan Problem

As the history of Attack on Titan’s world becomes clearer, we understand that Titan powers are absolute. There’s no real defense for any nation against those who can wield the power of the Nine Titans. Many also believe that lasting peace won’t be possible until that threat is somehow removed.

By the final season of Attack on Titan, ideas about how the Titan threat can finally be removed are basically limited to those who have the power to wield them to their maximum – Zeke and Eren.

Eren’s Rumbling Plan

Eren’s plan, sometimes called the Rumbling, was informed by his various contacts with the Paths which revealed to him the past and future troubles caused by Titans.

Eren suggests that he plans to wipe out the whole of humanity outside the walls, using the Colossal Titans that made the walls in the first place. In theory, this would create a world where almost everybody is of the same race, ending the discrimination and subjugation of Eldians.

However, the plan appears to shift at some point from total destruction to a kind of heroic sacrifice, where Eren knows and expects his former allies to support efforts to stop him. Though Eren causes untold destruction to the world, his death at the hands of fellow Eldians not only eliminates the Titans but boosts Paradis Island’s reputation, hopefully improving the chances of long-term peace.

Zeke’s Euthanasia Plan

While Eren’s plan largely focused on causing pain and suffering to those outside the walls, Zeke’s plan was designed to do the opposite, although in a slightly more measured way.

Zeke’s plan was supposed to unfold in a few steps:

1. Cause a minor version of the Rumbling to dissuade other nations from attacking Paradis Island (where people live within the walls).
2. Work with friendly nations like Hizuru to establish trade relations, allowing Paradis to modernize and gain the ability to defend itself without using Titan powers.
3. Use the Founding Titan’s powers to euthanize the Subjects of Ymir, eventually killing off the race responsible for the Titans.

Because Titan powers are forever passed down through the Subjects of Ymir, Zeke saw this as the best way to remove Titans from the world once and for all.

Was Zeke’s Plan Fairer than He Gets Credit For?

Because Zeke is seen as Attack on Titan’s main antagonist for large parts of the series, many people regard his plan as evil from the very first time it’s understood. After all, he is a very manipulative person who has tried to kill most of the main characters in the series.

However, given how our perception of Eren changes by the end of Attack on Titan, it’s actually much less clear whether Zeke’s plan was any worse than what happened under Eren’s direction.

Of course, Zeke’s plan was fraught with problems. The forced euthanasia of an entire race is morally bankrupt by most people’s estimations. Paradis would have been reliant on trade with more powerful nations for many decades, and the ultimate loss of Titan power wouldn’t do anything to shake the resentment built up over hundreds of years against whatever eventually remained of the island. Historia, as the only remaining person with royal blood, would also have needed to be sacrificed to make the plan work.

However, the total cost of life potentially caused by Zeke’s plan is a fraction of what happened under Eren’s plan, which also ended with none of the longer-term guarantees that Zeke’s trade agreements could have created.

If everyone agrees that the eventual elimination of the Titans is the only way to lasting peace, it’s hard to work out a more humane and peaceful solution than the one Zeke offered. However, it’s all a question of worldview.

Zeke, born in Marley and aware of the discrimination faced by Eldians on the mainland, believes that there is no solution except for Eldians to eventually cease to exist. Eren, who only knew of Eldians being attacked for most of his life, cannot accept his people being erased and believes the sacrifice of countless others is a fairer solution.

In Attack on Titan, Zeke is regularly framed as the bad guy, the antagonist blocking Eren’s objectives. However, take a step back and you realize that, perhaps, he wasn’t so bad after all.