Every Titan-Shifter In Attack On Titan (& How They Differ)

Here’s every character who is, or once was, a Titan-shifter in Attack on Titan. When Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan story begins, the divide between man and Titan couldn’t be more pronounced. Terrified humans hide inside three giant walls, while Titans lurk outside, hungry for flesh. Only after reaching Eren Jaeger’s basement does Attack on Titan finally reveal the truth – the mindless naked monsters plaguing humanity are actually Pure Titans, derived from the fabled “Nine Titans” which represent the split remnants of Ymir Fritz’s original Founding Titan.

Whereas Pure Titans are stuck in their transformed states, the Nine Titans are also known as Titan-shifters. As the name implies, these lucky few can switch back and forth between their regular human selves and their Titanized forms with no trouble… more or less. Titan-shifters represent the real power bestowed upon Ymir’s descendants, and have been employed as tools of war across centuries of fictional time, each possessing its own distinct tricks and traits suited to specific situations.

Thanks to the Curse of Ymir (the rule that dictates Titan-shifters can only live for 13 years after receiving their power), the Nine switch hands fairly often. This is achieved by eating someone currently in possession of a Titan, and though most recipients voluntarily become Pure Titans first (via spinal fluid injection), Ymir’s daughters gained their power by simply eating their dead family member. Either way, cannibalism is the key. Here’s every character to hold a Titan-shifter in Attack on Titan, and the unique hallmarks that define their transformations.

Eren Jaeger (Attack Titan, Founding Titan, War Hammer Titan)

The protagonist-turned-villain of Attack on Titan is the first character (that we know of) to hold more than two Titans simultaneously since Ymir Fritz’s daughters. Eren receives the Attack and Founding Titans together from his father, although Attack on Titan later reveals Eren actually orchestrated these events from the future. Eren’s Attack Titan form is a 15-meter muscular body with longer hair and sharper facial features compared to the Pure Titan he momentarily becomes beforehand. Curiously, the uneven, exposed teeth of Eren’s Attack Titan are a feature of his Pure form. Although Eren’s Attack Titan is perfectly suited to battle and can use hardening, it’s strongest power is seeing into the future via memories of future inheritors.

Eren Jaeger inherited the War Hammer Titan after emerging victorious during the Battle of Liberio, but never actually takes the War Hammer’s form in Attack on Titan. Instead, Eren remains in his Attack Titan state and simply exploits the War Hammer’s ability to create structures out of hardening. Yelena suggests Eren could take the War Hammer’s appearance should he choose.

Eren’s Titan design only changes upon activating his dormant Founding Titan powers, first by making contact with Zeke Jaeger’s royal blood, then by earning the trust of Ymir Fritz. Once triggered, Eren grows exponentially in size, eclipsing even the Colossal Titan, while his hair grows longer and his facial features become even more angled. Because Eren is beheaded in the moments before his first Founder transformation, his body ends up comprising a mass of sprawling bones emanating from his decapitated head. As the Founding Titan, Eren possesses almost complete control over all Subjects of Ymir throughout history.

Eren Kruger (Attack Titan)

Eren Kruger is the first known Attack Titan holder in Attack on Titan, but he claims the power passed from one pro-Eldian freedom fighter to another until falling to him as leader of the Restorationist movement. Unlike most Titan-shifters, Kruger held the Attack Titan for almost his entire allotted 13 years. Physically, Eren Kruger is a dead ringer for his future namesake, albeit without the teeth running up his jawline, which seems unique to Eren Jaeger.

Grisha Jaeger (Attack Titan)

Grisha Jaeger, Eren’s father, was taken to Paradis Island after being sentenced for execution by Marley. At the last moment, fellow Eldian Restorationist, Eren Kruger, spared him. Since Kruger’s Curse of Ymir was nearing, he bestowed the Attack Titan upon Grisha, hoping their fight for freedom could continue. Grisha let his Attack Titan gather dust until the night he stole the Reiss family’s Founding Titan. Grisha’s Attack Titan shares Eren’s pointy ears and hair growth, but is distinguished by a much stockier frame, which is unusual, since Grisha’s human body isn’t any bulkier compared to his adult son’s. Because he lacks royal DNA, Grisha’s Founding Titan remains inactive for the brief period he holds it.

Ymir Fritz (Founding Titan)

Attack on Titan flashback scenes reveal the day Ymir first transformed into the Founding Titan, and how she then used that power to invade foreign lands on behalf of her king. Ymir’s Founding Titan presumably possesses abilities of all Nine Titans combined, and this is reflected in her appearance, which has elements of the Colossal, Female, and Jaw, as well as the same skeletal quality shown in Eren’s Founding Titan.

The Fritz/Reiss Family (Founding Titan)

From Ymir Fritz’s death centuries before Attack on Titan begins until Grisha Jaeger’s massacre, the Founding Titan was held by the same lineage. After Ymir, the next Founding Titan-shifter to physically appear in Attack on Titan is Karl Fritz, the king who built the three walls 100 years before episode 1. The Founder then passed through the Reiss family (Fritz’s descendants) until reaching Uri, then Frieda, who ultimately loses the heirloom to Grisha Jaeger. The only member of the Reiss dynasty Attack on Titan shows transforming is Frieda, who uses her Founding Titan against Grisha. Her appearance is a blend of the Female and Attack Titans, which is a far cry from Eren and Ymir Fritz’s Founding transformations. This is likely because Frieda and her immediate ancestors were bound by the vow of renouncement.

Lara Tyber (War Hammer Titan)

After King Fritz took his people to hide on Paradis Island, every Titan but the Attack and the Founder were held by Marley. The sole exception was the War Hammer, which passed to Eldia’s noble Tyber family as reward for betraying their king during the Great Titan War. By the time Attack on Titan introduces the War Hammer, Lara Tyber is its current holder, and she bravely faces off against Eren Jaeger during the Battle of Liberio. Because the War Hammer’s USP is an ability to instantly craft complex weapons and tools, Lara can crystallize herself and hide underground whilst an avatar fights on the surface. This makes the War Hammer Attack on Titan‘s only Titan-shifter whose true body isn’t located within the nape. Lara Tyber’s War Hammer is recognizable by its smooth, statuesque appearance and cage-like armor design – traits her predecessors also possessed.

Zeke Jaeger (Beast Titan)

Zeke Jaeger became the Beast Titan after proving himself as a Marleyan Warrior candidate, and on the recommendation of his mentor and predecessor. The animal this Titan is based upon changes from person to person, but Zeke’s takes the form of an ape, covered in hair and boasting long, powerful arms which conveniently suit the eldest Jaeger brother’s knack for baseball. Unbeknownst to Marley, Zeke carries royal blood, and this is thought to cause his power to create Pure Titans using spinal fluid, as anyone who ingests Zeke’s juice will, on his command, transform – a much more convenient method than the Titan injections.

Tom Ksaver (Beast Titan)

Before Zeke, Tom Ksaver was Marley’s appointed Beast Titan, albeit used more as a research tool than a weapon of war. Also unlike Zeke, Tom Ksaver’s Beast Titan took the form of a ram. This made him somewhat less useful in battle, but since Ksaver was a researcher, he utilized the Beast so Marley could better understand the nature of Titans. Without royal blood, Ksaver lacked Zeke’s transformative spinal fluid.

Marcel Galliard (Jaw Titan)

The Jaw Titan provides a key cog in Marley’s war machine, and the earliest known holder is Marcel Galliard. As with every Jaw Titan, Marcel’s monster is significantly smaller than other Titan-shifters (standing around 5 meters), but also faster and more agile, as well as coming armed with a powerful jaw (hence the name) and sharper claws. Although Marcel’s Jaw Titan largely resembles his human form, the Titanized version spontaneously grows a beard.

Ymir (Jaw Titan)

During a mission to Paradis Island, Marcel got himself eaten by a Pure Titan who then inherited his Jaw powers and became a shifter herself. That woman renamed herself Ymir (not understanding the full significance behind the title) and integrated behind the walls. To protect Historia – a girl she’d grown close to – Ymir unleashed her Titan-shifter powers knowing she’d be hauled back to Marley and executed. The physical design of Ymir’s Jaw Titan is somewhat unique. Though she’s just as springy and agile as other Jaws in Attack on Titan, Ymir’s monster only possesses the sharpened claws, with no obvious enhancement on the mouth. This may be because Ymir is the first Jaw Titan to appear in Attack on Titan, and her shifter’s name wasn’t revealed until a later arc.

Porco Galliard (Jaw Titan)

Upon retrieving their Jaw Titan, Marley promptly fed the captured Ymir to Porco Galliard, brother of the fallen Marcel. Porco had already proven himself a talented soldier, and would’ve inherited the Armored Titan if Marcel hadn’t ensured it went to Reiner instead. Porco’s Jaw Titan is almost identical to his brother’s, but with a lighter shade of hair.

Falco Grice (Jaw Titan)

Finding himself on the verge of death during the Battle of Shiganshina between Eldia and Marley, Porco let himself be eaten by young Warrior Candidate, Falco Grice, who had previously been Titanized by Zeke’s spinal fluid. Falco finally transforms to help his friends defeat the Jaegerists in Attack on Titan‘s harbor battle, and his monstrous design takes friend and foe alike by surprise. Although Falco retains the sharp claws and heavy mouth characteristic of the Jaw Titan, Zeke’s spinal fluid influences his transformation. Effectively, Falco becomes a hybrid – the Jaw Titan with animalistic traits from the Beast. Whereas Zeke borrowed from primates, Falco adopts the traits of a bird.

Bertholdt Hoover (Colossal Titan)

Like the Jaw, Armored and Female Titans, the Colossal passed from one Marleyan Warrior Candidate to another, eventually reaching Bertholdt Hoover, who used it to kick a hole through Shiganshina district’s outer wall. Alongside Annie and Reiner, Bertholdt remained undercover on Paradis Island, periodically using his Colossal Titan power to aid their quest of finding the Founding Titan. Bertholdt’s transformation is arguably the most iconic in Attack on Titan – that sinewy, skinless head and massive 50-meter-plus height becoming synonymous with Hajime Isayama’s franchise.

Armin Arlert (Colossal Titan)

Bertholdt found himself outsmarted by Armin Arlert during Attack on Titan season 3’s climactic battle, and after a heated debate among the surviving Survey Corps soldiers, Armin himself was chosen to eat Bertholdt and become the new Colossal Titan. Like his predecessor, Armin packs an explosive transformation and can emit burning steam to fend off attacks. The differences between Armin and Bertholdt’s Colossal Titans are mostly superficial, with the exception of Armin’s having a strangely exposed windpipe. Compared to Bertholdt, Armin rarely Titanizes in Attack on Titan, partially due to the guilt he feels about being revived.

Reiner Braun (Armored Titan)

Thanks to the efforts of Marcel Galliard, Marley’s Armored Titan came under the possession of Reiner Braun, who retains it throughout Attack on Titan. Notoriously sturdy, the 15-meter Armored Titan is essentially a giant Brock Lesnar covered in metal, with Hajime Isayama admitting he based Reiner’s appearance on the pro wrestler. Given the close resemblance between Reiner and his Titan (it’s amazing no one noticed before season 2…), other incarnations would likely look radically different, and more in line with their own respective holders.

Annie Leonhart (Female Titan)

Pushed into becoming a Marleyan Warrior Candidate by her adoptive father, Annie Leonhart’s excellent fighting prowess earned her the Female Titan. Unfortunately, she was the first among her team to be captured, and spent years in a crystallized prison before waking up to find the apocalypse underway. Annie is the only female Titan-shifter other than Founders (Ymir and Frieda) whose Titan body adopts a feminine form. In addition to combat suitability and hardening, the Female Titan utilizes a certain degree of control over Pure Titans using her voice.

Pieck Finger (Cart Titan)

Less obviously suited for battle than her fellow Attack on Titan Titan-shifters, Pieck’s Cart Titan is uniquely quadrupedal, and boasts superior stamina in terms of both how frequently she can transform, and how long she can remain Titanized. These skills help compensate for a distinct lack of offensive features. Alongside the Beast Titan, the Cart is the only shifter capable of speech in Attack on Titan.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3630 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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