Why Jean Kirschtein Makes A Wonderful Character

Why Jean Kirschtein Makes A Wonderful Character

(and why I am hopelessly in love with him)

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The following article is not spoiler-free.

Warnings will be available in the said sections.

Jean Kirschtein is one of the main characters in Hajime Isayama’s hit series, 進撃の巨人 (Shingeki No Kyojin), or what is more commonly referred to as Attack on Titan. This article is dedicated not only to preach about my (almost unhealthy) obsession over him, but also to praise the depth of his character’s complexity overall – from his charming looks up to the little quirks in his personality.

You're probably thinking – "what a simp!" And I must say, you are not quite far from the truth, my friend. However, this adoration of mine goes beyond the shallow waters of attraction to his mere appearance. Allow me to expound, and join me in this short analysis of who Jean Kirschtein really is, and why he is much more than the horse-faced character he is referred to as in the 2D world of Hajime Isayama.

Who is Jean Kirschtein? (spoilers for chapters 1-18)

Originally from the district of Trost, Jean Kirschtein applied for the military alongside the other protagonists of the manga. He only ever had one goal, and that was to graduate in the top 10, so that he’d be granted the privilege of living a comfortable life inside the walls as a Military Police Brigade officer. This mindset alone created conflict between him and the main protagonist, Eren Yeager –who he’d constantly bicker with–  eventually becoming his playful nemesis up until the end.

       He was initially a hot-headed, over jealous and conceited teenager upon introduction. Always feeling like he had to prove himself, he unconsciously sought validation from his comrades that he claimed he did not need from anyone but himself. In hindsight, he doesn't really seem to be the type of character you'd admire, much less simp for.

He ranked the 6th best when he graduated from the 104th Cadet Corps, meaning his goal was secured: he could finally join the Military Police Brigade stationed inside the walls. He could live a happy, peaceful life, away from war. This did not go as planned, however, for the Colossal Titan had broken into the walls of Trost, and the newly graduated recruits, including himself, were forced to engage in battle. Jean clearly expressed his frustration during these trying times, constantly complaining about how he had been so close . . . so close, yet so far from achieving his selfish pursuit of a comfortable life.

After witnessing the bloody horrors of the reality they must live with, Jean was faced with a grief overwhelmingly foreign to him. He was tasked to identify the remains of what turned out to be the corpse of his closest friend in the batch – Marco Bodt, – who proved to be a consistent figure of inspiration for him during their time together in training.

In the following scenes, Jean is seen reminiscing back to the time Marco had expressed the potential he saw in his vulnerable nature. Marco explains to him how there is so much more in store for him, and how he doesn’t give himself enough of the credit he deserves.

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❝ You’re not a strong person . . . so you can really understand how weak people feel . . ..❞

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Jean’s ability to admit to his weak demeanor was his own source of empathy. With this, he acquired impeccable decision making. Both of which were good skills to have, given the types of situations they faced as soldiers.

In his remorse, Jean eventually found it in himself to change his mind, choosing to join the Survey Corps with whoever was left of his batchmates – choosing to fight as long as he was able to. Just as Marco would have done.

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❝ Have you decided which branch of the military you're going to apply to?
I've decided . . . I'm going to join the Survey Corps . . .❞  

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This is one of the first times we are given a deeper look into his character. Losing his friend in such a cruel manner clearly did a number on him. It opened his eyes to things he did not quite understand yet . . . but this was the real world now. And at this moment, Jean would be more than the self-centered teenager he had been introduced as. His character perfectly depicted one of the major attributes that make us human, in such a raw form: fear.

Jean was simply afraid. He allowed himself to succumb to weakness while fully being aware of it. Ironic to its nature, this attribute of his would eventually become his strongest asset.

Character Development (spoilers for chapters 57-108)

As the story progresses, Jean continues to show his growth amidst the battles they face. Their enemies are no longer exclusive to the titans that terrorised humanity's existence, but to fellow humanity as well. They now have the responsibility of choosing to fight for what they believe is right, with the sacrifice that they must get their hands dirty. Jean is constantly doubtful of this, questioning his morals along the way. He is not ready, but the situations they are put in gave no room for contemplation. That being said, the strength inside of him reinforces after each traumatic event.

Inner turmoil is a consistent theme among the characters of Attack on Titan, which is one of the things that makes it such a great series: realism. Here, we are shown a conversation between Levi and Jean, discussing the responsibilities they must now own up to, whether people's perspectives deemed it right or wrong.

Slowly, Jean’s leadership skills develop further after every challenge they face. The squad eventually relies more and more on his judgment. It is not the first time that we are shown this, as it has already been mentioned way back from his introduction that everyone was aware of his potential – it was only a matter of time, maturity and experience, that he would learn to unlock his full capability. Heck, even Eren Yeager himself knew of it.

Keith Shadis introduces the trainees of the 104th Cadet Corps

Jean eventually learns to accept his leadership as his strength. During the Battle of the Shinganshina (mission to reclaim Wall Maria), Jean’s skills are put to a test when Armin relies on him as second-in-command.

Although his childish antics with Eren still remain with them as they grow up, it is obvious that he has matured and learned to hone his skills to a much more advanced level.

His role as a leader becomes more consistent towards the later chapters, and it is established that he is a necessary addition to the squad. At the beginning of the War of Paradis Arc, Jean fully takes the position of leading the Survey Corps during their operation to retrieve Eren from Marley.

Now this brings us closer towards the end of this analysis.

The following content contains spoilers for the latest chapters of the manga.

Loyalty 'til Death . . .

You wouldn’t think that the same person who displayed cowardice from his very first appearance would end up being one of the last people standing – fighting for selfless intentions. Jean’s character did a complete one-eighty-degree flip. Some would say that his most notable change would be his glow up, but Jean did more than grow his undercut and groom his beard.

And, it is not as if he had completely forgotten his initial goal of living a comfortable life – Jean didn’t become a perfectly selfless character willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of humanity. He still had motives all the same. In fact, his initial dream is brought up again when he reaches his lowest point. Was it really selfish, after everything he had contributed? The debate of whether he should give up or keep fighting constantly lingered in his mind. 

my poor boy i want to give him a hug ;-;

There is no easy way to say this, but Jean put up a good fight until his very last moments. He truly proved to be a loyal friend, soldier, comrade, brother . . . whichever term you’d like to regard him as. (Please don’t say ‘horse,’ though, I swear–) Did he regret it? Maybe. . . but it is clear that he has always been aware of the paths he chose to follow.

Chapter 21 – Jean speaks to Sasha and Connie about his decision

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❝ Nobody convinced me to put my life on the line. This isn't the kind of job you can do without really choosing it yourself.❞

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The love I have for Jean Kirschtein is just ineffable. Since the start of Attack on Titan, there was already something about him that continuously caught my attention. I can’t lie, he’s beautiful. He’s an absolutely fine specimen, but that aside, he proves himself to be an admirable individual, every. single. time. I have so much respect for who he has become.

   I may be a little hurt . . . – no, actually, I’m really hurt and I cannot emphasise enough how much Isayama has put me through after practically killing off 90% of the cast – but I’m very grateful for this series as well. Each and every character was well thought of, and I’d gladly create an article for each one of them if I were granted the time and opportunity to.

I could go further, rambling on and on about the reasons I love Jean, but it would take me a million pages and million more just to find the right words to express them. He's wonderful.