In season 4, part 2, episode 3 of Attack On Titans, a glimpse of the past is shown when the Yeager brothers meet. Zeke discusses his plans with Eren and passes his baseball to him. But Eren didn't catch the ball intentionally. Why did Eren drop the baseball and what does it depict?

Nothing happens in an anime without a hidden meaning behind it. Especially when we are talking about an anime like Attack On Titan, where the intensity of the show and story is on the next level, we can't take scenes like this one for granted. In fact, the ball-dropping scene is not just shown in the anime, but it is also illustrated in chapter 128 of the manga.

• More: What Is Vow Renouncing War In Attack On Titan?

Why Did Eren Drop The Baseball?

Eren and Zeke are discussing the plan that would end the oppression of the Titans once and for all. In order to do that, Zeke convinces Eren to be a part of his Euthanisation plan. According to the Euthanization plan, Zeke somehow wants to change the biology of the Eldian people so they can never reproduce again and the reign of Titans can be put to an end.

Eren admits to Zeke's plan and assures him of his full assistance. As a symbol of their partnership, Zeke takes out a baseball from his pocket and tosses it to Eren. But Eren intentionally drops the ball and blames his weakness for dropping the catch. Zeke was shocked to see Eren dropping the catch and he understands that something fishy is going on in Eren's mind.

Basically, the ball symbolizes the partnership between the brothers. And Eren dropping the ball meant dropping Zeke's plan at some point or the other. Don't know if Eren wanted Zeke to figure out the symbolic meaning behind dropping the ball or not, but Eren was clear that he will not put the life of Eldians at stake. And, Zeke's reactions were enough to explain that he has a clear picture of Eren's intentions now.

And that's what we get to see at the ending of the show. Eren steps back from Zeke's plan, but given that Zeke already knows about Eren's intentions, he has worked out everything to work in his favour.