Attack on Titan deals with several dark concepts and while gore is the thing that stands out at first, it eventually turns to other social issues as well. Hajime Isayama constructed Attack on Titan after the extremely real problems of the world like colonization, slavery and more.
The cruel treatment of Eldians at the hands of Marleyans can boil anyone’s blood. However, the history of colonialism didn’t begin with Marley because Eldia’s expansion policy was also equally disturbing.
Hajime Isayama Opens Up About the Universal Language in Attack on Titan
In an interview with Crunchyroll News, Hajime Isayama opened up about the nitty gritty details of Attack on Titan. The author was asked which language the characters of the anime communicate in. The author answered that the characters speak in a language that could be called the universal language in the world of Attack on Titan.
A good comparison in real life would be English, but it has to do with the history of oppression and colonization. The strongest language would become the universal language in that world.
Fans have often wondered how the Paradisians could speak the same language as the Marleyans despite the years of isolation. In the interview, Isayama clarified the issue once and for all. Karl Fritz, the 145th monarch of the Fritz family, abandoned the conflict over the nine titans on the continental mainland and moved the capital of Eldia to the remote island of Paradis.
The King then gathered as many Eldians and royal family members as he could and raised the three walls made of Colossus Titans. Thus, Eldians who moved to Paradis did live in Marley at one point. This explains why the languages of Paradis and Marley are similar. In fact, the national language of Marley as well as various nations across the world, is Eldian. And this is owing to Eldia’s expansion policy in the past.
Oppression and Colonization in Attack on Titan
Marley, the nation located close to Paradis island, has a blood-soaked history. It was conquered by Eldia during ancient times; however, during the Great Titan War, Marleyans subjugated all of Eldia’s territories. Thus, began the oppression of any Eldian who lived on the continent.
While many Eldians moved to Paradis to escape the torture, a great majority remained behind. Marley gained the power of seven titans and immediately implemented colonization toward enemy nations. Marley conquered territories overseas and had control over areas in at least three continents.
In order to exploit the military potential of the remaining Eldians, they were segregated from the rest of the population. They were forced to live in ghettos, which acted as a reserve pool for pure titans. During wartime, Mayley would turn Eldians into titans and release them onto battlefields as living weapons.
Much like real colonizers, Marley also revised history to demonize the history of Eldians, and as a result, commoners saw Eldians as incarnations of evil. Discrimination ran rampant and Eldians were considered no better than filthy animals. Once again, Hajime Isayama hit too close to reality with his depiction of oppression.
The Attack on Titan manga is available to read on Viz Media and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
