Attack on Titan: Can killing Zeke stop the rumbling?

Mappa just released the first episode of Season 4, Part 3 and it was a ride! Eren has launched a full blown attack on the rest of the world and all of Eren’s friends are now ready to go to any extent to put an end to this cataclysmic episode. It doesn’t seem like an easy task. 

However, In the middle of the chaos, Hange seems to have found a way to stop Eren. He remarks that Eren is able to control the Founding Titan with Zeke’s help, and the Rumbling might stop if they just manage to kill Zeke.

Now, what is the connection between killing Zeke and stopping the Rumbling? And will killing Zeke really stop the Rumbling? Let’s find out!

Eren cannot access the Founding Titans powers unless he is in constant contact with Zeke. Having known this, the Survey Corps decided to kill Zeke to stop the Rumbling. Logically, this is a solid plan and has a high chance of success.

1. The Connection Between Zeke and the Rumbling

We are all aware that the powers of Founding Titan can only be possessed by the ones who are of Royal Blood. However, Eren was able to acquire these powers without belonging to the Royalty.

This was only possible as Eren was constantly in contact with his brother, Zeke.After Eren was decapitated, his head was in Zeke’s hand. This allowed him to access the Founding Titan’s powers.

Zeke and Eren shared the same father but a different mother. Zeke’s mother was Dina Fritz who belonged to the Royal Blood.

Having known all this information, Levi proposed killing Zeke to stop the Rumbling!

2. Will the Rumbling stop if Zeke is killed?

Since it has been decided to kill Zeke to stop the Rumbling, we do not know if this plan will really work, since it is just an assumption. 

However, considering the logic, it seems highly likely that killing Zeke will really put an end to the Rumbling. By killing Zeke, Eren would no longer have access to Founding Titan’s powers and it would put an end to the Rumbling!

The only major problem is that fact that we do not know how successfully they can execute the plan, since it requires finding Zeke in Founding Titan’s body first.However since we know how capable Levi Ackerman is, the plan might just work. 

3. Did the Rumbling stop in the manga?

The Rumbling did stop in the manga chapter 137, titled Titans. However this wasn’t a simple process and the Survey Corps wouldn’t have won the fight if Zeke did not aid in the plan to kill himself.

He went to the Paths and woke the predecessors of various titans and got them to help the Survey Corps. After an intense battle, Zeke finally emerged from the Founding Titan and was decapitated by Levi ending the Rumbling!

4. About Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. Kodansha publishes it in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.

The manga began serialization on September 9th, 2009, and ended on April 9, 2021. It has been compiled into 34 volumes.

Attack on Titan follows humanity settled within three concentric walls to protect themselves from the terrifying titans that prey on them. Eren Yeager is a young boy that believes that a caged life is similar to that of cattle and aspires to go beyond the walls one day, just like his heroes, the Survey Corps. The emergence of a deadly Titan unleashes chaos.