Attack on Titan is a Japanese Manga by Hajime Isayama about humanity’s fight for survival against carnivorous titans. It is set in a world where people live in cities protected by walls and is based on many Norse Myths.
Ymir would be the first Jotun. She was born from the meeting of Muspelheim and ice, also known as Niflheim, in the void of Ginnungagap. She was the first sentient being and is the ancestor of all giants, known as jötnar. Ymir ended up being killed by Odin, Vili, and Ve who used his body to make the earth.
The Paths resembling Yggdrasil in Attack on Titan represents the central “World Tree.” The tree functions as a cosmic axis that connects nine different distinct realms that go through its roots and branches. It also supports the universe with its branches reaching to Asgard and roots extend to Jotunheim and Niflheim. This represents the interconnectedness of all life and is the site of fate and is guarded by the Norns.
The Rumbling from Attack on Titan represents a direct parallel to Ragnarok. It is supposed to represent a cataclysmic, world-ending event. The event is designed to purge the old world for a new beginning with the innocent being left behind to rebuild, which parallels the Norse Mythology where the fertile world comes into fruition after the old one is destroyed.
Eren Jaeger is supposed to represent Odin. He represents Odin because they are both driven by the pursuit of wanting to get freedom and knowledge. However to achieve this, they have to often sacrifice themselves and others to get what they want to be able to achieve their goals.
This is not all the Norse Myths that are tied to Attack on Titan, but these are the most common connections made between the show and the Myths. If you would like to read about the other connections, please let us know. As always, thank you for reading!