Updated October 13, 2022 by Ernie
Ah yes, Attack on Titan, the anime that involves a lot of controversies and ambiguities. We gotta admit, no anime is fun without some spicy controversies. This anime will also make full use of your brain and you’d be wondering “Was my brain always this smart?”. Anyway, the character from Attack on Titan that involves some sort of controversy is Armin Arlert. A lot of people are confused about Armin’s gender and they should be. So today, we’ll be talking about whether Armin is a boy or a girl. Let’s get started!
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IS ARMIN A MALE OR A FEMALE?
The True Gender of Armin
Armin is a boy. Despite having features and a soft voice like a girl’s, Armin is actually a boy. Hajime Isayama himself confirmed that Armin is a boy and he was intended to be a boy from the start. But what led to the confusion about him being a boy or a girl? Let’s talk about where it all started.
Armin Arlert History
Armin is one of the most vital characters in Attack on Titan. He’s been a friend of both Eren and Mikasa ever since he was a child. He used to live with his grandfather in the Shiganshina District after his parents were executed for trying to escape the walls.
Armin used to get bullied a lot and was not strong enough to face the bullies. One day, while he was sitting alone, crying because of the bullies, Eren Yeager appeared out of nowhere. Eren asked Armin why he didn’t fight the bullies. Armin tells him that he gets beaten up, that it happens, and that he just never fights back. He also added that he viewed it as not losing since he didn’t run away from the fight. . That’s how Armin became friends with Eren.
Both Eren and Armin were not liked by other kids in the town. One day, Armin came across a book that was written by his grandfather. It was about the world beyond the walls. Armin showed the book to Eren and he got excited after he saw Armin’s enthusiasm. Armin would spend most of his time talking about the outside world to Eren. He expressed the desire to visit the outside world and live a normal life. However, he was often bullied by others whenever he expressed his wish to see the outside world.
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Why is There So Much Confusion Around Armin’s Gender?
Armin appeared feminine from the very start. He was given a round face, feminine features, and a frail body. He was not muscular at all and was not physically strong as well. He used to break down easily and was easily hurt. He was unable to conceal his tears. His vulnerable and soft nature leads to the confusion that he’s actually a girl. As most people believe that a boy should be a little aggressive, brave and daring. Armin had none of those qualities and he was confused as a female initially.
Another feminine trait that Armin possessed was the lack of self-esteem. He didn’t value himself and considered himself useless. He considered him not fit for the Survey Corps and people believed that he would die in every battle. However, he somehow managed to survive. He could not contribute much while slaying titans. However, the Survey Corps made great use of his exceptional intelligence and strategic brain. He filled the gap that Erwin left and to be honest, the Survey Corps wouldn’t be able to survive if not for Armin.
Armin never liked killing, another trait that is associated with females. His titan form was different from that of Bertholt’s. The sadness in the eyes of his titan form showed how he didn’t enjoy killing anyone. When he was forced to destroy the enemy ships, we could see the guilt he felt at that moment. No other character in Attack on Titan would’ve felt that kind of guilt. However, later in the series, Armin is shown to take extreme measures because of the situation he was in. He became brave and had to do what he had to do.
Now, coming to Armin’s voice, we can tell it sounds a bit feminine. Why? Because Armin is voiced by a girl named Marina Inoue in Japanese. Marina Inoue is known for her roles in My Hero Academia as Momo and in Gurren Lagann as Yoko Littner. However, Armin is voiced by a male voice actor in English. So why is he voiced by a female voice actress in Japanese?
We’ve noticed a lot of male characters voiced by female voice actresses in a lot of anime. Examples include Naruto from Naruto, Luffy from One Piece, Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, and Ash Ketchum from Pokemon. The Japanese dub values authenticity when it comes to voicing the characters. They are voiced according to their personality as well as physique. So, Armin was voiced by Marina Inoue because of these reasons. It doesn’t imply in any way that Armin is a girl.
There are a few points that dismiss the confusion entirely and confirm that Armin actually is a boy. The points are given below.
- He appears to be a male. We’ve even seen him shirtless. So there’s that.
- In Japanese, Armin uses the kind of language that a male would use. He refers to himself as “Boku”. It’s a male pronoun used by males.
- When we look at the Attack on Titan Official Wiki, his gender is male.
- In English, he’s voiced by a male voice actor. In Japanese, he’s voiced by a female voice actress because of his weak and fragile physique and nature.
- Lastly, Isayama himself confirmed that Armin is a boy when he was asked the question.
All these points make it crystal clear that Armin actually is a boy.
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But Why Does Armin Look So Feminine?
While Armin’s gender is confirmed to be male, he doesn’t really look like a male. If you look closely, Armin has feminine features and appears to be a girl at times. First of all, Armin’s haircut is feminine. He has long hair and bangs which most girls have. His voice is frail. He is gentle and fragile overall.
In most anime, characters like Armin who are gentle, weak, and need protection are often gender-fluid but are actually males. But still, Armin is not entirely a gender-fluid character nor he is an entirely feminine character. He only looks feminine because of the traits he has given as a character. And the visuals he has given match perfectly with his soft and gentle personality.
Armin’s Personality
As mentioned earlier, Armin is a soft, gentle, kind, and caring boy who doesn’t like any kind of violence. As he was bullied when he was a kid, he developed a lack of self-esteem and never saw anything special in him.
He had a curious nature. Ever since he saw his grandfather’s book about the outside world beyond the world, he wanted to see it desperately. It’s the only reason why he joined the Survey Corps and wanted to eliminate every single titan that made him and others confined within the four walls that protect themselves.
After letting other children know about his wish to see the outside world, Armin was branded a heretic. He couldn’t protect himself from the bullies so he always relied on Eren and Mikasa to protect him.
Armin was well-aware of his weaknesses and wanted to do better. He wants to prove his worth to everyone. That is also another reason why he joined the Survey Corps. During his training years, Armin suffered a lot. He was not as good as the other members. He didn’t have exceptional combat skills and always landed himself in danger while fighting titans. After graduation, he was able to recognize the true power of his mind. He believed that his brain would prove to be equally beneficial to the Survey Corps and it actually did. Armin’s strategic brain helped the Survey Corps a lot.
Despite being weak and fragile, Armin is fearless. He cares deeply about his friends and is always there to help them. He will never hesitate jumping right into the battlefield if it means he could contribute anything to his friends and loved ones. His selfless nature often landed him in dangerous situations. He almost died while saving Eren and others.
While Armin suffers from low self-esteem, he can give great pep talks. He is always there to listen to both Eren and Mikasa’s problems and gives his best advice to them.
Armin possesses exceptional intelligence. He’s perceptive of everything that’s going around him. He’s able to think outside the box and because of that, he has saved the Survey Corps many times. The Survey Corps also counts on him to take big decisions after the death of Erwin. They think of him as Erwin’s perfect replacement.
He struggled initially when he was given the role of a leader. He couldn’t give long and blood-pumping speeches like Erwin nor was he able to order others around like him. He slowly adapted to the leadership role but didn’t consider him as perfect as Erwin.
Armin is prone to breaking down easily because he’s emotionally sensitive. He feels for others and can’t see them in pain. He hates killing others and avoids using force unless he’s forced to. Overall, Armin is a true sweetheart and a good-natured guy.
Conclusion
I hope by now you’re clear of all the confusion revolving around Armin’s gender. Armin is a boy and that fact can’t be changed. Despite him appearing like a girl, acting like a girl, and sounding like a girl, Armin is distinctively a boy. I hope this blog helped you. We’ll come back with more Attack on Titan theory blogs. See you in the next one, guys!
