The Smiling Titan has gained immense levels of notoriety for its wide smile that sends chills down every fan’s spine. Just put yourself in Eren’s shoes and imagine watching your beloved mom being eaten alive. No wonder, his hatred against Titans reached a whole new level of hatred and rage.
The Attack on Titan Smiling Titan may have made very few appearances in the Attack on Titan anime. However, its appearance and its gruesome murder of Eren’s mother set the dystopian and nightmarish tone for the whole anime. Furthermore, when Isayama revealed her true identity and thus, showed how important she is to the plot, fans were shocked.
So, let’s take a look at the few appearances of the creepy Smiling Titan in the Attack on Titan anime. Through this approach, we’ll be able to understand how its appearance impacted the character growth of Eren Yeager.
The Fall of Shiganshina Arc
During this arc, Eren Yeager along with his friends Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman witnessed a traumatic event. They had to witness their entire hometown destroyed by the Colossal and Armour Titans. During this turn of events, Eren lost his mother to the creepy Smiling Titan.
This Smiling Titan had a very wide creepy smile with its teeth and jaws clearly exposed. It violently broke his mother’s back before proceeding to devour her in a violent gory mess. This experience scarred the lives of Eren and Mikasa and helps explain their (especially Eren’s) rage against Titans.
Clash of the Titans Arc
The Attack on Titan Smiling Titan appeared again during the Clash of the Titans Arc. Eren and Mikasa had been flung out of their horses after a brutal attack by Reiner’s Armour Titan. Then, they hear some loud footsteps and realize that it’s the Titan who ate his mother five years earlier.
In the meantime, Hannes’ guilt at not saving his mother five years back forces him to attack it. Though he seems successful initially, it brutally murders him in the same way Eren’s mother was. In a fit of rage, he throws a single punch at the Titan, which activates some hidden power in him.
This leads to scores of Titans targeting the Smiling Titan and devouring her flesh in a bloody mess. This event was a pivotal moment, which helped the Survey Corps members to realize the uniqueness of Eren’s power.
