Jean is one of the best characters inAttack on Titan, which is surprising given his poor first impression. His incessant obsession over Mikasa and the jealousy he harbored for the main character became a rather tiring character trope, and the fact that he constantly harped on about joining the Military Police didn’t really help things either. However, a first-hand account ofthe horrors of the Titansmade him change his mind and join the Survey Corps instead.
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As a result, Jean quickly catapulted into fame and became one of the show’s best characters. His personality develops quite a bit over the course of the series and he stops being overbearing to boot. On top of all that, he actually has some great dialogue, the best of which are mentioned below.
10"Screw Being His Body Double!"
Jean’s hate for Eren might’ve waned over time, but its vestiges still remained before the time skip. A great indicator of this is when Jean and Armin disguise themselves as Eren and Historia respectively.
He says this with a ton of malice, showing his disdain for having totake over Eren’s spot. It’s a small piece of dialogue that keeps the character’s past relevant without relying on them too much.
Armin is certainly one of the smartest characters on the show. However, he does have a hard time believing in himself, which can prove to be detrimental when it comes to taking charge.
Duringthe battle to regain Shiganshina, Armin was too indecisive and wasted time in taking charge. So, Jean took over instead, but not before saying this poignant line that compelled Armin to play a critical role in this mission.
8"Right Now We’ve Got No Choice But To Try. We Gotta Believe There’s A Way To Beat Him!"
A lack of belief can decide a battle before it’s even contested. This is something that a strong-willed person like Jean is aware of, which is reflected in this dialogue.
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This never-say-die attitude is what allowed most of the scouts to survive and win against the Titans time and time again. Without the will to attain victory, the story ofAttack on Titanwould’ve been nipped in the bud from the get-go.
7"The Future Of Humanity Will Be Doomed. Having Said That, I’m Not About To Sit Around While We All Get Slaughtered."
If the very future of humanity is placed in peril, then people who believe that they have no power to stop it won’t be of any help. They’ll just lie down and accept their fate instead of fighting for their right to survive.
Jean doesn’t want to accept his fate and would prefer action over words instead. It’s this strong mentality that makes himsuch an important part of the Survey Corps.
6"My Faith In Humanity."
Theinitial moments ofAttack on Titanwere pretty bleak, but a bit of comedy did bleed into the series when the new recruits started training to join the armed forces. This is where Jean’s crush on Mikasa also evolves for the first time.
So, when he saw Mikasa obsessing over Eren after developing a deep dislike of the latter, he lost his spirits quite a bit. When Connie questioned him about what he’s lost, Jean replied with this hilarious line of dialogue.
5"I’m An Honest Man. It’s Better Than Acting All Tough When You’re Scared Shitless."
Honesty is the best policy, which is a statement that everyone should be pretty familiar with. There’s a reason this saying is so common, with Jean also being a major proponent of the same.
Fighting against the Titanscan prove to be nightmarish at times, and it’s easy to see why the fake bravado that people show during this time is so out-of-place. Jean believes in showing his feelings honestly and not being distracted by forming a facade of heroism.
4"… I’m Gonna Join The Survey Corps!"
For the longest time, Jean talked about how he would graduate with distinguished honors and join the Military Police, which is notorious for being a laid-back and easy job. However, the death of a close friend changed this notion.
Marco’s brutal demise was hard to witness, and it’s easy to see why Jean was so affected by this gruesome sight. This compelled him to join the Survey Corps, so he could contribute to humanity’s war against the Titans.
3"I Just Don’t Want Those Charred Bones I Saw To Be Disappointed In Me. I… I Know What I Have To Do Now."
Marco’s death was a huge turning point for Jean’s character. His privileged attitude was completely discarded after seeing the inhumanity that Titans were capable of.
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He decided to do something that his friend would be proud of and joined the Survey Corps. This strengthened resolve is a major reason why he’s such a hardy and reliable member of the corps.
2"People Keep Telling Me That Life Goes On. But to Me, That’s The Saddest Part."
Theworld ofAttack on Titanis pretty bleak. There’s little to no happiness to be found in this world, with death being commonplace and the Titans wreaking havoc every day.
Life in this world is almost meaningless, and bringing a child into such a twisted world can be perceived as downright cruel. So, it’s no wonder why Jean finds life in such a violent world to be such a saddening fact.
1"I Don’t Really Want To Meet A Disappointing End With Someone Burning My Bones Without Knowing Who They Belonged To."
Death is ever-present inAttack on Titan, with the dwindling forces of humanity constantly struggling to fight and understand the Titans around them. The Survey Corps suffer the most casualties since they fight directly against these monstrous behemoths.
Jean understood these risks when he decided to join the Survey Corps. However, his reason to join this military branch was to make an actual difference instead of living in a world that was doomed from the very beginning.
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