Attack on Titan is filled to the brim with some of the most memorable characters in the history of shonen anime. It's a testament to Isayama's amazing work as a story writer that the series has been blessed with a litany of amazing characters that are a treat to witness, either on a manga panel or in the anime itself. One such character from the series who is beloved amongst the masses is Mikasa.
Eren's closest friend has been showing just why she's one of the best characters in the show time and time again. Her prowess in killing Titans makes her an indispensable part of the Survey Corps, although the only thing that does hold her down is the somewhat unhealthy attachment she has with Eren. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the biggest ways in which Mikasa has failed throughout Attack on Titan.
7 Being Unhealthily Dependent On Eren For Her Own Happiness
Most people consider Mikasa to be one of the best characters in the entire show, and for good reason. She has consistently shown a penchant for letting her actions speak for her and has bailed out her friends more often than not in tough situations. However, for all the strength she has shown as a character, there's one particular weakness that rears its ugly head time and time again.
Mikasa has constantly been protective of Eren, which is fine enough as is. However, her attachment towards Eren becomes rather unhealthy at times and causes her to act in an irrational manner, which is easily one of her biggest weaknesses that are constantly exploited throughout the series.
6 Giving Up On Her Own Life After Hearing Of Eren's Demise
After hearing of Eren's death from Armin, Mikasa tries to keep a straight face in her fight against the Titans. However, this is revealed to be nothing more than a facade, with Mikasa actively grieving Eren's demise and dealing with it in her own way.
She was so reckless in her pursuit of killing the Titans that she ended up using the juice in her ODM gear before accepting death with open arms. Thankfully, a newly-transformed Eren came to save the day and renewed her hope.
5 Recklessly Pursuing The Female Titan
The Female Titan has it out for Eren and tried her hardest to abduct the protagonist of the show wherever possible in the first season. Of course, this didn't sit well with Mikasa, who tried her hardest to stop the Female Titan in her path and destroy her for good.
However, she became too headstrong in her pursuit and almost lost her life during this chase. Levi had to intervene and save her from her rage, inflicting an ankle injury on himself in the process.
4 Not Getting The Job Done Early On While Trying To Behead Bertholdt And Reiner
After figuring out that Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt were all together from the start, the Survey Corps decided to keep this information under wraps until they could do something more concrete about it. However, Reiner jumped the gun and desperately pleaded with Eren to come with them so that losses could be kept to a minimum.
However, this proposal was rejected by Eren, following which the two traitors decided to take on the Survey Corps in a bid to abduct Eren once and for all. Mikasa had the chance to end both their lives before they could transform, but her blow was imprecise and gave them a chance to unleash an all-out offense.
3 Getting Too Emotionally Invested While Trying To Save Armin
During the battle to retake Shiganshina, Armin decided to hatch a bold plan that essentially saw him throw his own life away to abduct Bertholdt and stop his warpath. While most people assumed that he'd lost his life, Armin surprised everyone by taking labored breaths and showing that he could be saved after all.
However, the arrival of Erwin changed the scenario completely. All of a sudden, Mikasa and Eren were begging Levi to choose Armin over the commander of the Survey Corps, which was a foolhardy thing to propose. This led to Levi bashing Eren's head in and Mikasa losing her cool as she drew a blade on a higher-ranking officer.
2 Failing To Be Eren's Voice Of Reason
During the time skip, it was clear that Eren was going down a dark path from where he could possibly never come back. There was one way to save him, however, and that was through the support of his friends.
However, Mikasa failed to convince Eren that there was a path to save humanity that didn't involve shedding a ton of blood. It was a shame, and Eren ultimately went down the dark path that we've seen all too well in the fourth season.
1 Showing Her Emotional Fragility Way Too Often In Front Of Eren
Time and time again, Mikasa has shown that the only chink in her mental armor is Eren's wellbeing. This is why she never reaches her full potential and pretty much lets Eren walk over her at times.
Things reach a head when Eren ends up berating her verbally, causing Armin to lash out at his former friend and receive a brutal beatdown as a result. It's a horrible moment that shows that Mikasa is still that young girl who is hopelessly infatuated with Eren, regardless of how he's changed.