The older half-brother to Attack on Titan protagonist Eren Yeager, Zeke is well known for deceiving his peers and comrades around him. He has double-crossed almost everyone in his life — including his parents — all to bring his master plan to sterilize Subjects of Ymir using the Founding Titan into existence. Zeke rarely tells the truth yet somehow found himself infiltrating the Marleyan army, inheriting the Beast Titan and getting close to Eren, very nearly realizing his dream.
Zeke had a troubled past with his and Eren’s father, Grisha, and doesn’t necessarily view him as a parental figure. Instead, he idolized the former inheritor of the Beast Titan, Tom Ksaver, the mentor who comforted Zeke after he handed in his parents to the Marleyan authorities. Ksaver wore glasses that Zeke would later wear after inheriting his titan, an accessory that would aid Zeke in his deceptive ways.
Zeke’s Glasses Purposely Conceal His Eyes in Attack on Titan
In Attack on Titan panels or scenes where Zeke is being deceitful or misleading his comrades, his eyes are hidden by his glasses. Eyes are known to betray a person’s thoughts and actions, with people often calling them the window to the soul. This makes Zeke impossible to understand or interpret because his eyes are completely concealed, so the audience is forced to put trust in his words alone. Therefore, Zeke’s glasses have a symbolic meaning. When they obscure his eyes, they also imply Zeke’s secrecy, dishonesty, and all his plotting and scheming.
Zeke doesn’t need to wear glasses to aid his vision; they are a keepsake and emotional bond to his mentor and father figure Ksaver. In his eyes, Ksaver was the only one to really care about, guide and understand him, but by wearing his glasses, Zeke set up a symbolic barrier to keep the world from knowing his true intentions and feelings. He uses the memento of the only person he ever trusted to ensure people continue to trust him through his phases of deception.
Zeke Removing His Glasses Is Associated With Sincerity
If Zeke’s glasses obscuring his eyes depicts his dishonesty, then his few moments when the glasses are off are his sincerest. As Pieck said, the only time she ever saw Zeke being honest was when he first met Eren in Paradis — an instance when his glasses were off. The brothers were having a confrontation as the Beast Titan just attacked the scouts and wiped out the majority of their troops — including Commander Erwin Smith — but surprisingly, Zeke was trying to tell Eren he understood how he felt.
Attack on Titan fans could clearly see Zeke’s eyes and even the pain, intensity and concern in his gaze as he spoke to his brother for the first time. Similarly, when the pair were in the paths, Zeke notably wasn’t wearing his glasses. The scenes that followed were some of the most emotive that occurred between the Yeager brothers, and Zeke’s expression clearly showed sadness, pity and a sincere desire to save Eren.
Zeke’s glasses act as a subtle indication of the duality of his sincerity and insincerity. When wearing Ksaver’s glasses, Zeke is hiding part of himself, disguising his secretive plots by obscuring his emotions. Conversely, Zeke is his truest self without his glasses, vulnerable and sincere with his heart on his sleeve.
Leave a Reply