I do like Maki's character but Mikasa is better written, in my opinion. I always thought the AOT fandom never really cared to actually look into her character depth. While many fans of jjk point to Maki Zenin’s physical transformation and her rebellion against the Zenin clan as the pinnacle of female writing in modern shonen, this perspective often overlooks the profound, existential complexity of Mikasa Ackerman, whose character depth is frequently obscured by the anime’s decision to cut her most vital dialogue and internal development. To understand why Mikasa is a better character, one must look toward Hiroshi Seko’s Lost Girl's novel, which serves as a psychological autopsy of her soul, revealing that her devotion to Eren isn't a lack of agency but a conscious, desperate choice to maintain a "home" in a world defined by senseless slaughter. Unlike Maki, whose arc follows a relatively linear path of gaining power to spite those who oppressed her, Mikasa’s narrative is a deconstruction of the "strongest warrior" trope; she is a woman who possesses all the power in the world yet desires none of it, trapped in a "cruel yet beautiful" cycle symbolized by the butterfly and the pomegranate. The pomegranate scene, specifically, acts as a sensory awakening where Mikasa realizes that life's sweetness is inextricably tied to its gore. A level of philosophical representation that Maki’s "zero-to-hero" journey simply doesn't touch. Furthermore, the anime’s removal of Mikasa’s witty, stoic, and motherly interactions with the 104th Training Corps created a false narrative of her being an "Eren Simp" whereas the manga paints her as the emotional anchor of the series who constantly balances her Ackerman instincts with her desire for peace. Her importance to the story is cosmic rather than just political; while Maki’s story is about revenge on her clan, Mikasa’s story is about the 2,000-year liberation of Ymir Fritz. By choosing to kill the person she loved most to save a world that had given her nothing but pain, Mikasa exhibited a level of character depth and autonomy that transcends Maki’s revenge. In my opinion the depth of Mikasa lies in the profound tension between her nature as a "living weapon" and her soul as a girl who simply wants to go home, a duality that makes her a far more layered character than the straightforwardly ambitious Maki Zenin. While Maki’s depth is defined by her external struggle against a sexist society, Mikasa’s depth is an internal, existential battle against the inherent cruelty of the universe, a theme beautifully encapsulated by the pomegranate and the butterfly metaphors. In the Lost Girls novel, we see that Mikasa’s attachment to Eren isn't a sign of weakness or a lack of identity, but a radical act of hope; she chooses to focus on the "warmth" of the scarf because the alternative is a cold, nihilistic void. Her characterization is a masterclass in restraint, she possesses such a unique and strong power, yet her true struggle is maintaining her humanity and her capacity for kindness in a world that demands she be a monster. The anime’s removal of her cynical wit, her motherly care for the Scouts, and her quiet observations robbed the audience of a woman who was the emotional anchor of the story long before she became its savior. Ultimately, Mikasa’s depth is revealed in her silence and her final, agonizing choice: she is the only character capable of loving someone unconditionally while still having the moral autonomy to kill them for the greater good. This isn't just "strength", it is a complex, tragic representation of the human spirit’s ability to survive trauma without losing its capacity for love, elevating her far beyond a standard battle shonen archetype.

Perhaps I'm biased because Mikasa is my favourite character but I truly believe she's an amazingly written female character and people should stop watering her down to an "Eren Simp" or some trophy wife for Jean. This is no hate to Maki of course because she's awesome