Attack on Titan is a franchise that features humanity, who have been forced into a walled settlement, fighting against almost-immortal Titans. Unlike other shonen series, Attack on Titan doesn’t bother with giving its characters any sliver of hope. It kills its cast almost without a second thought, even characters the viewers have heavily invested in. Just when the viewers come to like a particular character or a set of characters, said characters often die soon after. Worse, they don’t always have painless deaths. Among the many characters who deserved a better ending to their story is Hange Zoe, the eccentric Titan fanatic of the Survey Corps.
Hange was a former captain of the Survey Corps, serving under Erwin Smith. Hange was responsible for conducting research on the Titans the corps captured, digging deep for the monsters’ origin and potential weaknesses. But when things went south and Erwin eventually met his demise, he appointed Hange as the corps’ 14th commander, a weighty task that Hange handled considerably well. Hange’s term wasn’t necessarily peaceful. It was during their time that the Survey Corps was labeled as a traitor, forcing its members to go into hiding. Despite Hange’s efforts and contributions, they were still felled by the Titans she was so curious about.
Hange’s Death Was an Act of Martyrdom
Hange was the Survey Corps leader when Eren went rogue. At the time, Eren already decided on leveling the entire world using the Rumbling, but his friends and colleagues weren’t going to let him do that. They planned to stop Eren, but in order to execute their plan, they first had to be near him. So, they decided to use the seaplane. They checked everything before taking off, but Floch arrived at the last minute. He aimed to stop Hange’s group from interfering with Eren’s plans, so he shot the seaplane. Mikasa was quick on the uptake and killed Floch. However, she wasn’t fast enough to prevent him from boring three holes in the plane’s fuel tank. In order to fully repair it, they would need another hour. However, the tide of Colossal Titans was already upon them and they had no time to spare.
Seeing that the Colossal Titans might stomp them before the seaplane got fixed, Hange took it upon themself to buy their colleagues some time. As the 14th commander of the Survey Corps and the one who dragged the others into their ploy, Hange believed it was their responsibility to ensure the safe take off of their teammates. They also ensured to first pass the baton, appointing Armin as the corps’ 15th commander. Hange then flew towards the Colossals and wreaked havoc upon their army. Hange took down one Colossal after another and actually bought their teammates enough time to let the seaplane take off safely. Unfortunately, the steam from the Colossals proved far too strong, and it burned Hange to death.
Hange Is Worthy of a Glorious Death
Hange might have be one of the weirdest members of the corps, but they were still one of its high-ranking officers. Hange repeatedly proved that their research and unusual love for Titans aren’t the only things they put on the table. They originally came up with the corps’ plans during their time in hiding, while also pushing their abilities to the limits. Just like Levi, Hange quickly became one of the best fighters in the Survey Corps. Hange’s final feat of bravery was proof of that. They had single-handedly taken on a tide of Colossal Titans, taking down a handful in the process. While they barely put a dent in the total Colossal Titan army, their feat went a long way toward stalling the Titans and helping the Survey Corp accomplish their ultimate goal.
Hange dedicated their life to the corps and humanity’s survival, especially after being appointed as the corps’ 14th commander. But their time in the corps wasn’t filled with rainbows and roses either. Just like any other member, Hange experienced their fair share of loss and suffering, especially since the Survey Corps was the unti tasked with patrolling the vicinity outside the walls. Those losses included people close to Hange. In fact, Hange was present when Gabbi shot Sasha.
It may just be a coping mechanism, but the Survey Corps dedicated each life that was lost to be a meaningful sacrifice for the survival of humanity. They were deemed heroes, and they certainly deserved such accolades. For everything that Hange did and offered, they definitely are worthy of such renown.
Hange Deserves a Fate Similar to Levi’s
Being worthy of a certain death and deserving of it, however, are two different things. Hange had fought on the frontlines ever since they joined the Survey Corps. Even though Hange headed the research division of the Titans, they constantly put themselves in danger for the sake of learning more about the mysterious monsters. Most of what the corps knew about the Titans resulted from Hange’s impressive and valued work.
Levi may be leagues above Hange in terms of combat ability, but they are on similar levels in terms of contribution. Hange has good leadership skills, as well as a natural curiosity for the Titans. Both of them have offered their lives for the cause, and they’ve both also gone on missions where they were prepared for the possibility of never returning alive.
Given that Levi survived all the ordeals and saw peaceful days, Hange deserved a similar future as well. After all, Hange wasn’t necessarily the one who had to make the sacrifice. There might even be numerous ways of stalling for time without sacrificing anybody. If Hange survived the seaplane incident, then there’s a high possibility that they’d be accompanying and taking care of the battered Levi after Eren was killed. In addition, many Attack on Titan fans would rejoice, knowing two dilemmas were settled at once.
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