For the better part of the past decade, manga and anime fans have been intrigued by the horror and political intrigue that Attack on Titan provides. Today, the first episode of the final season aired, beginning the show's final arc.
We've shared what the voice actors behind Eren, Hange, and Mikasa had to say already, and now we're digging into what the actor who voices Armin Arlelt, Josh Grelle, has to say. Grelle is also known for his work in Halo Legends and My Hero Academia.
We asked about getting into the headspace of Armin, and he shared his thoughts on how Armin feels throughout the seasons as the character advances and evolves.
"For Armin, for the first few seasons, it was just "be scared, really scared, be uncertain." And in later seasons, further into the first season, and for most of the show, that's Armin. And being in Armin's headspace has always been one that is a little tumultuous because, on the one hand, he does still have that fear. It's more of uncertainty in his own abilities and less about a fear of death or anything like that. I think he's just more afraid of letting people down.
So you have to have that uncertainty there, but you also have to have this keen sense of, 'Oh, I'm watching everything, I'm observing everything, and I'm taking in all this information.' He's a big picture guy, he's also a pacifist, and he's also someone who cares very deeply, not only about his friends but about his comrades and humanity in general and about what the right thing to do is. So being in that headspace is a lot like having that sense of not only, 'Oh, I need to protect myself, but I need to protect everyone around me, but I also need to make sure that I'm the best example of what humanity has to offer.'
And it's, like I said, tumultuous; it kind of ebbs and flows, and he's always been this character that you'd never really know what to expect from him until stuff gets really hairy. And then that's when you really start to see him shine because then he's like, 'okay, well, if someone has to sacrifice something, I guess it's going to be me.' And then he does."
Listen to our full chat with Eren and Armin voice actors Bryce Papenbrook and Josh Grelle below, and be sure to check out the trailer and synopsis for Attack on Titan's final season. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the usual spot!
*This interview has been edited for clarity.*
With Eren and company now at the shoreline and the threat of Marley looming, what’s next for the Scouts and their quest to unravel the mysteries of the Titans, humanity, and more? Well, we’ll just have to find out when Attack on Titan Final Season comes to Funimation.
The final season of Attack on Titan began today and can be seen on FunimationNOW and Crunchyroll.