Highlights
- Attack on Titan’s lasting impact lies in its rich characters, thrilling story, and unforgettable twists that keep fans hooked.
- Sasha Braus stands out as a beloved character who undergoes significant growth, evolving from “Potato Girl” to a courageous hero.
- Sasha’s journey showcases her growth from a timid cadet to a confident warrior, leaving a lasting impact on her comrades and the story.
Attack on Titan may have reached its conclusion in November 2023, but its story is still talked about and regarded as one of the best pieces of fictional storytelling of any genre. With plenty of characters to follow and grow admiration towards, a fantastical story full of mystery and adventure, and plenty of twists along the way, it’s no wonder why Attack On Titan has built up a large following over the years. Although plenty of anime series struggle to maintain depth and lore among several characters, mangaka Hajime Isayama shows his greatest strength through walking the audience down a path of unforgettable memories with all the characters introduced throughout the story. He does this by creating trios of characters that bond together, forming a unity that gets plenty of exposure throughout the chapters and episodes.
One of the trios features one of the most-liked female characters from Attack on Titan, Sasha Braus. Her unassuming appearance and care-free nature were easy to latch on to, and throughout the series, she grew up as a fearless leader who put others ahead of her own needs. First introduced in Episode 2, “That Day: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2”, Sasha quickly earned notoriety through comedic moments and heartfelt sentiments as she bonds with several of the characters in the Survey Corps. Though the humorous side quickly dies down and gives up the spotlight for a more somber tone, Sasha shines in more ways than one and grows to be a major contributor to the protagonists of the story.
Sasha Braus’ Introduction In Season One
What Was Sasha Like In Season One?
It would be hard to forget how Sasha was first introduced, as the gag is forever ingrained into the minds of all Attack on Titan fans, despite the event occurring in the series’ second episode. As Keith Sadies, the head commander of the 104th Cadet Corps, is addressing the young and aspiring soldiers, he runs into a young girl who is rather quiet and composed. When facing away from her, a loud crunch is heard, forcing the focus of the audience and the cadets right back to Sasha. With a potato in her hand, she is quickly reprimanded for stealing food and eating it in front of the crowd. Although she offers half of the food item to Sadies — which, in fairness, was less than half — Sasha is punished and forced to run laps for her troubles. Though it’s on the lighter side of introductions in Attack on Titan, the memory has forever earned Sasha the nickname of “Potato Girl”.
Despite her gluttonous side, which continues to feature moments of hoarding food and sharing it with her friends, Sasha has no trouble making friends among the cadets. The young woman forms a bond with fellow cadet members Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer, forming an unlikely trio of clashing personalities that somehow manage to compliment one another. The three characters’ strengths manage to outshine each other’s weaknesses and compliment their personalities, which in turn helps Sasha with her inability to make quick decisions during stressful events. Sasha is quite timid in the early chapters, but over time and some much-needed friendship with Connie and Jean, Sasha is able to break out of her shell and gain a sense of self-worth and confidence.
Sasha Braus’ Character Arc Analyzed
When Did Sasha Start Growing?
Despite her shortcomings early on, Sasha manages to finish in ninth place among the top ten cadets, securing her spot with the others. A once timid character who hid her own accent out of embarrassment, Sasha learns to embrace her upbringing after being forced into understanding why she was covering up her language. Throughout the expeditions she joins, Sasha continues to demonstrate a keen intellect for sensing danger and determining the best route to take to avoid any threats. Sasha is a great judge of character and often showcases a sharp intuition that helps her comrades avoid conflict. When the Survey Corps captured the Female Titan, Sasha lamented how the cries of the subdued titan were similar to a trapped animal, before coming to the realization that she was crying out for assistance.
It appeared that as Sasha ventured out into the open world more often, she was able to gain more confidence in her own skills and senses. During the test to bring Commander Pixys a savory dish, Sasha hunted and slayed a larger-than-life boar when others attempted and failed. Although the result was a dish that placed second, behind Jean’s omelet, the two cadets shook hands and took pride in their work. As Sasha continued to work alongside the likes of Jean and Connie, she learned to rely more on her own intuition and ability to help others when insecurity creeped on them. It was thanks to Sasha that Connie and Jean learned to cooperate more freely and become stronger warriors.
Assessing Sasha Braus’ Growth And Development
Sasha’s Growth And Impact On Attack On Titan
No greater instance of character development is more evident in Sasha’s story than her time during the Clash of the Titans arc. In her return to her native village, Sasha discovers a 3-meter titan devouring the leg of a woman in her home, while her child watches in horror, paralyzed by fear. Sasha shows a tremendous amount of courage by rushing in and saving the child, before turning back to encounter the titan. Understanding the dire situation and the titan’s ability to catch up to them, Sasha elects to send the child off on the horse while distracting the titan towards herself. In a clash between a human and a titan, Sasha is able to overpower the titan by burying an arrow directly into its eye, before slipping out of its grasp and fleeing the scene. It’s been noted that this was originally written to be Sasha’s last moments, before an outcry from the animators prevented this outcome.
Throughout her courageous moments, Sasha helped build up the confidence of Connie and Jean, who were able to rescue others in times of need, including Sasha herself. As the expeditions continue and become more grim, some grow cold and reserved, but Sasha remains as optimistic as possible. Despite having to slay other humans, something the Survey Corps never deemed to be a possibility, Sasha remains on the positive side and keeps the future in mind. Her caring nature and insatiable appetite are also responsible for Nicolo’s complete 180 in character development, after his cooking was gladly accepted by Sasha and consumed quicker than he could make more.
What Happened To Sasha Braus?
What Was Sasha’s Conclusion In Attack On Titan?
During the battle against Marleyan soldiers, Sasha shows efficiency with military-grade weapons, trading in her bow and arrow for a sniper rifle. With this new weapon at her disposal, she is able to pick off some soldiers while standing on a rooftop, but doesn’t go undetected. During the team’s getaway in their airship, a distraught Gabi Braun manages to board the craft and fire off a shot that narrowly misses hitting Jean, but unfortunately strikes Sasha in the gut. Though Jean, Connie, and the others do their best to control the bleeding and keep Sasha calm, she sadly succumbes to the injuries, bleeding out in front of her comrades. Though her final moments pay tribute to her introduction as she asks for meat, the somber moment remains as one of the saddest events in Attack on Titan.
Sasha does get one final moment in the show’s runtime, appearing as a mirage to Connie and Jean after Eren Yeager’s final form Titan is taken down. In a mist of smoke, Sasha’s figure can be seen, smiling back at her two best friends, before fading away forever. Though Sasha doesn’t live to see momentary peace with the rest of the group, her memory lives in on their hearts, and in the minds of the audience. Her contributions went a long way to the success of the Survey Corps, and her character arc from Potato Girl to one of the bravest soldiers will be remembered forever.
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