Eren loved Mikasa romantically. The harsh things he said to her, including claiming he’d “always hated” her, were not genuine. He was trying to push her away so she could eventually kill him and live on without being emotionally chained to him. His love for Mikasa and his friendship with Armin never disappeared. Even when he appears cruel or merciless, every word and action is deliberate, serving a purpose known only to him. As a child and young soldier, Eren Yeager was loud, emotional, impulsive, and fiercely protective of those he loved, especially Mikasa and Armin. Over time, the horrors of war and the burden of his knowledge transformed him into someone cold, calculating, and emotionally distant. He speaks with calm precision, suppressing every feeling behind a stoic expression and pushing others away with deliberate cruelty. Though he appears heartless and claims not to care, his harsh words are often meant to create distance rather than reveal his true feelings. Beneath his icy exterior, Eren still deeply cares for Mikasa and Armin, but believes sacrificing their relationship is necessary to protect them and fulfill the path he has chosen. Although he appeared to have abandoned his bonds, especially with Mikasa and Armin, he never truly stopped caring for them. He thought making them hate him was the only way to protect them and ensure they could move forward without him. Beneath his icy exterior remained the same unwavering determination, love for his friends, and relentless desire for freedom that had always defined him. Eren’s cold personality is not his true self but a mask he chose to wear after gaining memories of the future through the Attack Titan’s power, which allows its inheritors to see memories from future inheritors. After touching Historia and later unlocking more of these memories, Eren realized much of his future was already set in motion, including the Rumbling and his own death. Believing there was no other path that would save Paradis and give his friends a chance at long, peaceful lives, he accepted the role of the world’s enemy. He deliberately pushed Mikasa and Armin away with cruel words and actions so they would no longer cling to him and would have the strength to oppose and ultimately kill him. Beneath his cold, ruthless exterior, Eren still deeply loves his friends and carries immense guilt, grief, and loneliness, but he buries those emotions to see his plan through to the end.