Attack On Titan Introduces New Titan Shifter

Warning! Major spoilers for Attack on Titan rest below!

In the latest episode of Attack on Titan, fans were met with a stunning story. “Soldier” followed a familiar group of Scouts as they took refuge within Wall Rose to escape a hoard of Titans. Soldiers such as Krista, Reiner, and Connie found safety within the ruins of Utgard Castle, but their peace was quickly disrupted. Despite the late hour, the gang found themselves bereft of weaponry and under siege from new Titans who were being controlled by the Beast Titan. And, with a large body count on their hands, one of the characters revealed themselves as a Titan Shifter in order to save everyone.

Despite having a low profile during season one, Ymir revealed herself as a Titan Shifter during the final moments of “Soldier.” Its closing followed the group as they watched Mike Zacharius’ squad get brutally eaten alive, and it was only a matter of time before the Titans were able to climb up where the gang was perched. Taking a knife from Connie, Ymir pleaded for Krista to live a life she would be proud of before she flung herself off the castle’s roof. The quiet character then used the knife to cut herself, letting enough blood to trigger her Titan Shifting abilities.

If you are not a fan of the manga, then the reveal surely came as a surprise. Ymir was not the most overly friendly character, and her longtime status as a secondary character made fans write her off. Ymir has a rather complicated history behind her Titan form. The character was originally another one of the mindless Titans meandering about, but that all changed when Ymir ate Marcel, a close friend of Reiner and Bertholt. The boy was a Titan Shifter, and Ymir was able to absorb his abilities when she ate him. The result left Ymir with the ability to shift at will, and her petite Titan form should not be underestimated. Though it may be small, Ymir’s Titan has razor-sharp teeth and pointed claws which make her lethal in battle.

The synopsis for Attack on Titan‘s new season can be read below:

Eren Jaeger swore to wipe out every last Titan, but in a battle for his life he wound up becoming the thing he hates most. With his new powers, he fights for humanity’s freedom facing the monsters that threaten his home. After a bittersweet victory against the Female Titan, Eren finds no time to rest—a horde of Titans is approaching Wall Rose and the battle for humanity continues!

If you are not familiar with Attack on Titan, then you should know the popular anime is renowned for its intense action and gritty storylines. The anime follows a boy named Eren Yeager in an alternate world overrun by massive creatures known as Titans.

These mindless beasts have all but wiped out humanity, and mankind is left to cower in fear behind massive walls. When their sanctum is infiltrated by a slew of Titans, Eren and his friends Armin and Mikasa join the military to help eradicate the blood-thirty monsters. But, as they grow older, they learn that the beasts are not what they appear as long-held government conspiracies make themselves known.