CWs for this application: suicidal ideation, cannibalism, fictional racism, crimes against humanity, violence, genocide
PLAYER INFORMATION Name: Panthera Preferred pronoun(s): it/its Contact:pantheraliam
CHARACTER INFORMATION Name: Armin Arlert Canon:Attack on Titan Canon point: end of canon / final episode, though the memory thereof will be altered; no notable injuries or an otherwise altered state Age: 19
Personality:
» What traits do your character admire in a person?
Armin tends to admire in others what he finds lacking in himself. For example, he often compares himself to Erwin Smith, a former Commander of The Scout Regiment (the branch of the military that Armin is in). By the end of the series (his canon point), he is the Commander of The Scout Regiment. Earlier in the series, Armin's life was chosen over Erwin's, and Erwin passed away. Armin felt he was meant to fill Erwin's shoes. In Erwin, he admired traits like bravery, decisiveness, certainty, and strength. These are traits that Armin tries to embody himself, though he does not consider those efforts to be successful. The traits mentioned above can also be used to describe others that Armin admires, such as Eren and Mikasa, his closest friends. He has long admired them for their ability to stand on their own two feet and face the cruelty of their world head-on. He has struggled since childhood to emulate those behaviors.
» What do they dislike most about themself?
Armin does not think highly of himself whatsoever. He is good at hiding this - those close to him seem to have no idea; in his introspection, however, he often breaks down, degrading and insulting himself for things like cowardice, or the inability to act effectively in a high-stakes situation, which often leads to others dying. In Season 1, Eren is eaten by a titan, and Armin believes that he's died. He blames himself for this, because Eren was eaten trying to save him. He states that he wishes he had died instead of Eren - that the useless person was who was left alive. In the finale, he is seen screaming at a facsimile of himself, delivering similar sentiments.
"I hate you. I always have. Because all you've ever done is betray me."
He chastises himself for lying around (being captured), allowing those that he loves to face danger head-on while he does nothing. The speech he gives makes it very clear that Armin feels he is a failure before he is anything, and that he will consistently fail the people that he loves, his race, his nation, and his world.
» What discrepancies are there between their inner self (who they feel they are) and their outer self (how they present themselves to others)?
Armin is known to be an excellent liar, with high charisma and a manipulative tongue. He always presents himself as patient, pleasant, and polite in nearly any situation. Even and especially among enemies, he will talk his way through any situation, lying whenever necessary in order to reach whatever goal he has found placed in front of him.
In alignment with this, Armin, by the end of the series, rarely has an opportunity to be genuine or actually say how he feels. When he does end up doing this, it is in angry outbursts that are beyond his control. All that is to say, the version of Armin that he presents to most of the world is more or less a facade. He does not reveal his personal feelings if it does not serve a purpose, and struggles to do so even with close friends by the end of the series.
It must also be mentioned that Armin considers himself to be a much less moral person than most others consider him to be. Again, due to his friendly demeanor and penchant for surface-level kindness, others do not realize that he (revealed in the finale with Eren) harbors deep hatred for the world, up to and including admitting that he also wished to see the world empty once he learned that it wasn't what he and Eren expected. He believes they share that sin. Armin does not believe in objective "good" and "bad" and dislikes when people insist that he is a "good" person despite his sins.
» Who are two influential people in their life (can be positive or negative)?
The most influential person in Armin's life is, no doubt, his best friend, Eren Jaeger. Eren befriended Armin when they were very young, and they were each other's only friends for a matter of years. Armin trusts Eren implicitly, and that trust endures far longer than others' trust in Eren when he defects from the Scout Regiment and goes rogue, enacting his own plans. Although Armin does not understand Eren's actions, his faith in him endures until it becomes undeniable that Eren is, in fact, attempting to destroy the world. Unfortunately, this unwavering faith in Eren has detrimental consequences. The most significant example is a scenario in which, in order to protect Eren, Armin launches an attack on enemy territory that is the equivalent of a nuclear bomb, killing countless of civilians in addition to enemy troops. He does this with virtually no knowledge on what Eren's intentions are. One could argue that, regardless of that knowledge, Armin would have taken those steps to protect Eren anyway. Eren's ideals are shared by Armin in unexpected ways, and he blames himself, too, for his influence on Eren. He feels they influence each other more than anyone.
Another influential person, as mentioned above, is Commander Erwin Smith, whose shoes Armin was meant to fill after the Commander's death. Armin compares himself to Erwin at every turn, criticizing and chasitising himself for perceived failures in areas where Erwin might have succeeded. When Armin was working under Erwin, he respected him as a leader and tried to follow his guidance; his influence became much more after his death, however, when Armin felt the need to embody him and, in ways, become a successor. It is a pressure that Armin struggles under constantly, and it no doubt has influenced countless decisions in the context of Armin's military involvement, as well as the way he wishes to conduct himself as a person.
» What do they get excited about?
Armin grew up in a society that was forced to live behind fifty-meter walls in order to keep themself safe from titans - massive, man-eating monsters. As a child, he discovered a book that his parents owned which told secrets of a fabled outside world. This book listed such wonders as fields of ice, mountains that spit fire, and lights in the sky - a body of water, filled with salt, so large that merchants could harvest salt from it for their entire lives and it would never run out. It became an obsessive dream of Armin's to see these worldly wonders - particularly the sea, which he is quite infatuated with. Although Armin, by this canon point, has seen the ocean (as well as other wonders, though the lost memory portion of this app will change this), he would still be amazed and excited to see the sea, or any natural wonders - volcanoes, aurora borealis, the tundra, the desert, etc.. Seeing sights such as these would excite Armin the most; by the same token, learning things about other places/worlds would excite him.
» What is something they are very bad at?
The first weakness of Armin's that comes to mind is his physical fighting ability, which, compared to his comrades, is comparatively quite weak. He is known for being a strategist - the "brains" of the operation, so to speak - and is not typically seen as being someone with great strength or hand-to-hand combat prowess; however, it's important to note that he is a trained combat soldier who has been responsible for countless deaths. Compared to the average person, he's still extremely deadly, and his combat ability is above average.
All that being said, Armin's greatest weakness, once again, truly is his low self-confidence, insecurity, and self-hatred, which proves as a far greater detriment to him throughout his life than a weak fighting ability. For someone who is mainly a strategist, second guessing important decisions is far more detrimental than taking a hard punch. There is a particular example in Season 2 where Armin's comrades are depending on him to come up with a plan during a dire life or death moment. Armin is unable to handle the pressure, and pushes the responsibility off onto his comrade Jean instead. Although Jean is able to salvage the situation to a point, this is a failure that Armin does not let himself forget. It motivates him later to power through similar instances of self-doubt, but this is an ongoing struggle throughout the entire series regardless.
» What is one thing they would tell their younger self if they had the chance?
If Armin was confronted with his younger self, the way in which he handles himself might change. Armin sees himself as many numerous, negative things - a coward, a failure, a hindrance, a burden - and these feelings have been there since he was a young child; however, if he actually saw himself as a child, I believe he would have tenderness for the version of himself that existed before he knew the full truth of the horrors of their world.
He would tell his younger self to enjoy things like racing Eren and Mikasa to their tree, like books about fantastical things, like birds, and clouds, and good food, and lively music, and fun things. Half of Armin's young life has been colored by nothing but grief, violence, hatred, and death. He knows, now, that much of this is inevitable, and ever worsening. There is no way to avoid it, nor what he becomes. So, he would encourage his younger self to enjoy every beautiful thing about the world that he can while he can, and he wouldn't say why.
» How do they want to be remembered?
This is an interesting question for Armin, considering the nature of his reputation in canon. Part of Eren's plan when enacting the Rumbling is to give his friends (Armin included, in a major role) the opportunity to kill him, save the world, and live the rest of their lives peacefully as heroes. Eren believes that if his friends defeat him, the world will accept them and allow them safety, despite them being part of the persecuted Eldian race.
So, Armin is, indeed, remembered as a hero (note: altered memories later mentioned will change his knowledge of this). He doesn't really care for that reputation, though - he doesn't consider himself to be a hero, but, in fact, a monster. Armin is not necessarily someone who enjoys being in the spotlight - he's only had to be. I think Armin would most like to be remembered by a close chosen few who love him and, hopefully, think of him fondly until they've all passed on and no one remembers him at all. He will be remembered in his world as the 15th Commander of the Paradis Scout Regiment, as well as a victor from the Rumbling, but he doesn't particularly care that that's the case. He'd theoretically like to be remembered as a kind person, but he doesn't believe he is one.
PANTHERA | ARMIN ARLERT | ATTACK ON TITAN
PLAYER INFORMATION
Name: Panthera
Preferred pronoun(s): it/its
Contact:
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Armin Arlert
Canon: Attack on Titan
Canon point: end of canon / final episode, though the memory thereof will be altered; no notable injuries or an otherwise altered state
Age: 19
Personality:
Armin tends to admire in others what he finds lacking in himself. For example, he often compares himself to Erwin Smith, a former Commander of The Scout Regiment (the branch of the military that Armin is in). By the end of the series (his canon point), he is the Commander of The Scout Regiment. Earlier in the series, Armin's life was chosen over Erwin's, and Erwin passed away. Armin felt he was meant to fill Erwin's shoes. In Erwin, he admired traits like bravery, decisiveness, certainty, and strength. These are traits that Armin tries to embody himself, though he does not consider those efforts to be successful. The traits mentioned above can also be used to describe others that Armin admires, such as Eren and Mikasa, his closest friends. He has long admired them for their ability to stand on their own two feet and face the cruelty of their world head-on. He has struggled since childhood to emulate those behaviors.
Armin does not think highly of himself whatsoever. He is good at hiding this - those close to him seem to have no idea; in his introspection, however, he often breaks down, degrading and insulting himself for things like cowardice, or the inability to act effectively in a high-stakes situation, which often leads to others dying. In Season 1, Eren is eaten by a titan, and Armin believes that he's died. He blames himself for this, because Eren was eaten trying to save him. He states that he wishes he had died instead of Eren - that the useless person was who was left alive. In the finale, he is seen screaming at a facsimile of himself, delivering similar sentiments.
"I hate you. I always have. Because all you've ever done is betray me."
He chastises himself for lying around (being captured), allowing those that he loves to face danger head-on while he does nothing. The speech he gives makes it very clear that Armin feels he is a failure before he is anything, and that he will consistently fail the people that he loves, his race, his nation, and his world.
Armin is known to be an excellent liar, with high charisma and a manipulative tongue. He always presents himself as patient, pleasant, and polite in nearly any situation. Even and especially among enemies, he will talk his way through any situation, lying whenever necessary in order to reach whatever goal he has found placed in front of him.
In alignment with this, Armin, by the end of the series, rarely has an opportunity to be genuine or actually say how he feels. When he does end up doing this, it is in angry outbursts that are beyond his control. All that is to say, the version of Armin that he presents to most of the world is more or less a facade. He does not reveal his personal feelings if it does not serve a purpose, and struggles to do so even with close friends by the end of the series.
It must also be mentioned that Armin considers himself to be a much less moral person than most others consider him to be. Again, due to his friendly demeanor and penchant for surface-level kindness, others do not realize that he (revealed in the finale with Eren) harbors deep hatred for the world, up to and including admitting that he also wished to see the world empty once he learned that it wasn't what he and Eren expected. He believes they share that sin. Armin does not believe in objective "good" and "bad" and dislikes when people insist that he is a "good" person despite his sins.
The most influential person in Armin's life is, no doubt, his best friend, Eren Jaeger. Eren befriended Armin when they were very young, and they were each other's only friends for a matter of years. Armin trusts Eren implicitly, and that trust endures far longer than others' trust in Eren when he defects from the Scout Regiment and goes rogue, enacting his own plans. Although Armin does not understand Eren's actions, his faith in him endures until it becomes undeniable that Eren is, in fact, attempting to destroy the world. Unfortunately, this unwavering faith in Eren has detrimental consequences. The most significant example is a scenario in which, in order to protect Eren, Armin launches an attack on enemy territory that is the equivalent of a nuclear bomb, killing countless of civilians in addition to enemy troops. He does this with virtually no knowledge on what Eren's intentions are. One could argue that, regardless of that knowledge, Armin would have taken those steps to protect Eren anyway. Eren's ideals are shared by Armin in unexpected ways, and he blames himself, too, for his influence on Eren. He feels they influence each other more than anyone.
Another influential person, as mentioned above, is Commander Erwin Smith, whose shoes Armin was meant to fill after the Commander's death. Armin compares himself to Erwin at every turn, criticizing and chasitising himself for perceived failures in areas where Erwin might have succeeded. When Armin was working under Erwin, he respected him as a leader and tried to follow his guidance; his influence became much more after his death, however, when Armin felt the need to embody him and, in ways, become a successor. It is a pressure that Armin struggles under constantly, and it no doubt has influenced countless decisions in the context of Armin's military involvement, as well as the way he wishes to conduct himself as a person.
Armin grew up in a society that was forced to live behind fifty-meter walls in order to keep themself safe from titans - massive, man-eating monsters. As a child, he discovered a book that his parents owned which told secrets of a fabled outside world. This book listed such wonders as fields of ice, mountains that spit fire, and lights in the sky - a body of water, filled with salt, so large that merchants could harvest salt from it for their entire lives and it would never run out. It became an obsessive dream of Armin's to see these worldly wonders - particularly the sea, which he is quite infatuated with. Although Armin, by this canon point, has seen the ocean (as well as other wonders, though the lost memory portion of this app will change this), he would still be amazed and excited to see the sea, or any natural wonders - volcanoes, aurora borealis, the tundra, the desert, etc.. Seeing sights such as these would excite Armin the most; by the same token, learning things about other places/worlds would excite him.
The first weakness of Armin's that comes to mind is his physical fighting ability, which, compared to his comrades, is comparatively quite weak. He is known for being a strategist - the "brains" of the operation, so to speak - and is not typically seen as being someone with great strength or hand-to-hand combat prowess; however, it's important to note that he is a trained combat soldier who has been responsible for countless deaths. Compared to the average person, he's still extremely deadly, and his combat ability is above average.
All that being said, Armin's greatest weakness, once again, truly is his low self-confidence, insecurity, and self-hatred, which proves as a far greater detriment to him throughout his life than a weak fighting ability. For someone who is mainly a strategist, second guessing important decisions is far more detrimental than taking a hard punch. There is a particular example in Season 2 where Armin's comrades are depending on him to come up with a plan during a dire life or death moment. Armin is unable to handle the pressure, and pushes the responsibility off onto his comrade Jean instead. Although Jean is able to salvage the situation to a point, this is a failure that Armin does not let himself forget. It motivates him later to power through similar instances of self-doubt, but this is an ongoing struggle throughout the entire series regardless.
If Armin was confronted with his younger self, the way in which he handles himself might change. Armin sees himself as many numerous, negative things - a coward, a failure, a hindrance, a burden - and these feelings have been there since he was a young child; however, if he actually saw himself as a child, I believe he would have tenderness for the version of himself that existed before he knew the full truth of the horrors of their world.
He would tell his younger self to enjoy things like racing Eren and Mikasa to their tree, like books about fantastical things, like birds, and clouds, and good food, and lively music, and fun things. Half of Armin's young life has been colored by nothing but grief, violence, hatred, and death. He knows, now, that much of this is inevitable, and ever worsening. There is no way to avoid it, nor what he becomes. So, he would encourage his younger self to enjoy every beautiful thing about the world that he can while he can, and he wouldn't say why.
This is an interesting question for Armin, considering the nature of his reputation in canon. Part of Eren's plan when enacting the Rumbling is to give his friends (Armin included, in a major role) the opportunity to kill him, save the world, and live the rest of their lives peacefully as heroes. Eren believes that if his friends defeat him, the world will accept them and allow them safety, despite them being part of the persecuted Eldian race.
So, Armin is, indeed, remembered as a hero (note: altered memories later mentioned will change his knowledge of this). He doesn't really care for that reputation, though - he doesn't consider himself to be a hero, but, in fact, a monster. Armin is not necessarily someone who enjoys being in the spotlight - he's only had to be. I think Armin would most like to be remembered by a close chosen few who love him and, hopefully, think of him fondly until they've all passed on and no one remembers him at all. He will be remembered in his world as the 15th Commander of the Paradis Scout Regiment, as well as a victor from the Rumbling, but he doesn't particularly care that that's the case. He'd theoretically like to be remembered as a kind person, but he doesn't believe he is one.