Thread by @whofavoredfire

It's apparently the anniversary of "Midnight Sun" so quick thoughts on why this chapter is one of my favorites -

#aotmangaspoilers

"Midnight Sun" is by far one of my faves because it does so much for the series as a whole (foreshadowing, developments, motifs, etc.) while also being largely character-driven

Specifically Mikasa, Eren, Levi - and also Floch, Erwin, Hange, and Armin's characters

The conflict between Eren, Mikasa, Levi, Hange & Floch over who should be saved tell us a lot about these characters, their values & future developments

And despite being pitched as a "strategic" debate, it quickly becomes personal, emotional, even by those claiming otherwise

Very quickly it becomes obvious that despite people claiming they want to save either Erwin or Armin because they're "better for humanity", there's personal feelings involved that makes no one impartial- including Floch, traumatized over the charge and looking for meaning of it:

Eren and Levi even acknowledge this explicitly- which isn't to say that, despite having personal feelings, they don't believe their own words, because given Eren and Levi's faith in and experiences with Armin and Erwin respectively, they have every reason to feel this way

But as is made clear, there's no "bad" choice presented- in that Erwin & Armin are both acknowledged to be strategic geniuses who have significant wins in-series (and also beloved people with loved ones fighting for them)

(The big difference discussed is leadership/experience)

Which only highlights the underlying personal aspects more

Multiple dynamics are given significant weight during the conflict, from more subtle (like Mikasa's newfound respect for Levi making her hesitate & listen despite everything; Levi's care for Armin) to extremely important

Erwin & Levi and EMA are the main dynamics explored

-Eren's insistence on Armin's value, the differences between their "dreams"

-Mikasa's desperation to save one of her childhood friends

-Levi's desire to let Erwin be at peace, not be forced to be a monster

This chapter also sets up many character developments/arcs post-time skip like:

Armin and Hange grappling with the shadow of Erwin's legacy- Hange forced into an unwanted role and Armin's feelings of unworthiness

And Levi's feelings of unfinished business with his vow to Erwin (that kick off his monologue in 136), which he also brings up to Erwin in this chapter (as his last real words to him)

Moreover, Levi's choice here is a precursor to the choice that Mikasa will later make with Eren in the climax of the series.

And also Mikasa's development in this conflict, where she accepts Armin's death for a greater good after hearing Hange's words, that is a precursor to opposing the Rumbling

In terms of overall story importance, this is the chapter that codifies Kenny's words on how "everyone's a slave", emphasizes the importance of Kenny's speech, as Levi relates it to Erwin as a reason for his choice, which relates to how the story deconstructs notions of "freedom"

Hange also has a speech with great importance on the inevitability of loss and how you must keep moving on- a major motif of AoT imo

It's also fitting to me that Hange says this and moves Mikasa given Mikasa's ending and her childhood trauma's impact on her

Levi also thinks back to this chapter within his monologue about whether the OG Survey Corps would support the Rumbling & solidifies his "no regrets", owning his choice & believing in a hopeful future (through the next gen), a major motif for Levi, the Survey Corps, and AoT

Moreover, I like the contrast of Eren's view that Armin's worth saving because he has dreams & Levi accepting Erwin's humanity over Levi's own wants and Erwin's pragmatic value vs. Floch's utilitarian view of Erwin's value (that actually decouples Erwin's life from his humanity)

The value of Erwin & Armin as beloved people wins over the desire to use someone for a purpose

This ties in well with the value of life explored with Zeke & Armin imo

People's lives are worth more than what they can do for you. People are special inherently for having been born

And the chapter name - the sun never sets, which ties to Hange's words triggering Mikasa to think of her memories of Armin as she lets go

And especially with Erwin- someone who lives on in the minds of those who admired him (Hange, Armin) and those whose lives he changed (Levi)

This chapter has such meaning and emotion for me, I didn't even scratch the surface of my thoughts as I wrote this in 10 minutes, but wanted to share part of why Midnight Sun is one of my favorite chapters