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Fans Love Onyankopon on Attack on Titan [Season 4 Episode 9]

Onyankopon
Onyankopon

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Onyankopon may be one of the most loved characters on Attack on Titan so far. He’s been in more than one episode so far, but he really caught fans’ attention in Season 4 Episode 9. Here’s what we know so far about Onyankopon and his role in the anime.

Onyankopon already has a lot of fans on #AttackonTitan, and for good reason. ❤️️ Share on X

This article will have spoilers for Season 4 Episode 9, but the article itself is manga-spoiler-free. Please don’t add spoilers from the manga in the comments. Thanks. 🙂 

He Works with Yelena

Onyankopon is Yelena’s right-hand man, and he has earned the Paradisians’ trust. We saw him flying the airship with Hange to provide backup for Eren in Marley, along with providing an escape for all the Paradisians who were part of the battle.

As part of the original scout ship group, he has been by Yelena’s side for years.

Based on Yelena’s and Onyankopon’s interactions, it seems that he likely has the same background as Yelena. We learned in Season 4 Episode 9 from Yelena’s conversation with Hange that Yelena is not an Eldian native, like I had previously thought. She was from one of the nations that Marley conquered and, as she told Hange: “We were powerless. Marley took our homes and forced us to be soldiers. We were close to losing hope at ever striking back. Until we met him. A Titan that the people of the world feared, calling it a devil. But I saw something completely different. A god. One that gave hope to the powerless. Under Zeke Jaeger’s command, we shot our superiors… We’re the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. Our goal: To free the Eldian people.”

It appears, at least from what we’ve been told so far, that Onyankopon has the same general history as Yelena and is deeply trusted by her.

Let’s not forget that some fans believe he has captured Hange’s heart, which is a beautiful idea. 🙂

He’s a Man of Faith

Onyankopon also appears to be a man of faith. When he was asked in a meeting with the Paradisians why he has dark skin, he responded: “Because our creator thought, ‘It’s more interesting with a mix of people.’ You, Subjects of Ymir, are the same. We exist because we were wanted.”

Armin then asked him: “Who created us?”

And he replied: “The one who gave the Founder Ymir power. God. That’s what some people believe. Aren’t we free to think what we want?”

This was a particularly pointed statement, seeing that the Paradisians themselves only recently (within the last five years or so) gained the ability to think for themselves. King Fritz had used his Founding Titan powers to mind wipe the people of Paradis into forgetting their roots and believing they were alone in the world. It took considerable time to uncover the truth (which the Royal Family never volunteered.) And once they did, it took even more debating before they decided to let all the people know the truth. Just like Tybur’s family lied to the people of Marley about the truth of Fritz’s vow of peace, King Fritz also took away his own people’s ability to think independently. And he hunted down the Ackermans and the Eastern clan for daring to be independent.

Yes, Onyankopon’s innocent statement touched on a nerve in a way that he had no idea. I really can’t wait to see what’s next with his character.

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    Stephanie Dwilson started Post Apocalyptic Media with her husband Derek. She's a licensed attorney and has a master's in science and technology journalism. You can reach her at [email protected].

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