One of the most successful manga and anime series to ever be released is Attack on Titan. The series is set in an alternative universe where the human population is under threat by humanoid giants known as Titans.
The story specifically follows protagonist Eren Yeager whose main goal in life is to destroy the Titans and wanting to join the main resistance against them.
However, after a series of unfortunate events which includes the tragic death of his mother at the hands of a Titan, Eren finds himself mysteriously changing into a Titan himself numerous times and his quest becomes one of identity and trying to understand why this happens and how.
In this guide, we’ll be taking you through everything you need to know about each time Eren became a Titan, why this happened, and how it happened so you can understand it better.
By the end of this article, you’ll be able to riff off all kinds of interesting facts about Attack on Titan with ease and become an expert on the subject.
The best place to start is looking into the first time Eren became a Titan. This is revealed later on in the series and happened when Eren’s father, Grisha, injects him with a mysterious Titan serum that only works on the Subjects of Ymir.
The Subjects of Ymir are descendants of a slave called Ymir Fritz who worked under the Eldian Kind and was the first person who was able to gain Titan powers. This is why the serum only works on his descendants.
There are several ways to apply the serum as it can be injected into the back of the neck or forearm as well as swallowed. This is because the serum is quickly entered into the bloodstream and changes the recipient into what is known as a Pure Titan.
Pure Titans are the most basic of Titans as they don’t have a high level of intelligence and can only advance to a better Titan form if they consume one of the humans that has the Power of the Titans which means that they can develop certain abilities and characteristics which then turns them into one of the Nine Titans.
The first time Eren turned into a Titan was when he was injected with the Titan serum. Unfortunately, Grisha’s plan backfired as Eren transformed into a Pure Titan who then ate his father.
Because Grisha has the Power of the Titans, Eren then developed the powers of both the Founding Titan and the Attack Titan which made him one of the most powerful Titans in the series.
Attack Titan
Having the powers of the Attack Titan has many advantages and disadvantages due to the amount of stamina that is involved.
Among the many benefits of the Attack Titan’s powers are that the holder has a higher level of strength as well as endurance, regeneration, and memory inheritance as Pure Titans don’t remember their form.
Physically, Eren grew to be around 15 meters tall with his features including black, shoulder-length hair, a long pointed nose, pointed ears, and a skeletal-shaped jaw.
The appearance resembles the Titans in some forms with some distinct differences that set him apart from Pure Titans because he has more muscle definition which clearly makes him more powerful.
Because Eren is able to remember his position as a soldier in the military, he knows which Titans are on their side and which ones he needs to fight against.
The downside to Eren’s experience as the Attack Titan is that there are signs of physical exhaustion when he turns back to his human form.
These side effects included labored breathing, a nosebleed, and a pale complexion so it was important that he trains as hard as he can to forego these side effects so he could be as effective as possible when fighting as the Attack Titan.
Founding Titan
As mentioned before, Eren was also injected with the powers of the Founding Titan as well which is what makes him one of the most powerful Titans in existence.
The Founding Titan has the power to command the Pure Titans with some examples including the attack on the Armored Titan and the death of Dina Fritz’s Titan.
The character of Dina Fritz is a complicated one as she was Grisha’s first wife and the mother of Zeke but turned her back on them and became an Abnormal Titan, a Pure Titan that is a bit different but without particular skills.
The Founding Titan is known in Japanese as the Progenitor Titan and, unsurprisingly, was the first Titan and one of the Nine. When the Founding Titan screams, it has the power to command and manipulate Pure Titans to follow orders as well as creating new Titans.
In the past, members of the Royal Family were the only ones capable of using the screaming power which they would use to control the Subjects of Ymir.
It doesn’t matter whether the Founding Titan is in Titan or human form when using the screaming power and the scream itself only has to be loud enough to be heard. This ensures that they have complete control over any Titan in hearing distance.
How Was Eren Turned Into A Titan And Why?
We’ve delved into how Eren was first injected with the Titan serum by his father, Grisha; however, there is a lot of history behind this that is important to learn to fully understand how it works.
Grisha was a doctor and a member of the Eldian Restorationists which was a group that wanted to dismantle the Marley nation. Grisha was sent on a mission to take the Founding Titan from the Royal Family which had to be done by eating the Queen.
He recorded everything he did in books that he kept hidden in the basement and although he had a close relationship with Eren, he banned his son from entering the basement.
However, when Wall Maria falls and Eren’s mother is killed, Grisha gives Eren a key that lets him into the basement which allows him to explore more about his past and tap into his powers so he can defeat the Titans.
How Eren Became A Titan When He Was Eaten
When watching the show, the first time we see Eren become a Titan is when he is consumed by a Titan which then triggers him to transform. This occurs around five years after Wall Maria fell and Eren has finished his training as a member of the Scout Regiment.
The Scouts are ordered to protect Wall Rose from falling and the Battle of Trost District occurs.
In what is one of the most shocking scenes in the first season, Eren is suddenly eaten by a Titan and we see him inside the Titan’s stomach where he is alive among other victims.
Due to the amount of rage and anger Eren was feeling, it triggered his transformation into Titan form and bursts out of the other Titan’s stomach.
Eren managed to stay alive while in the Titan’s stomach because the Titan did not break his spinal cord as he swallowed him whole after snapping one of his arms off.
A Titan is not able to regenerate if its spine is broken as this is where the majority of its power comes from. Therefore, Eren was able to completely heal from his injuries by regenerating his missing arm and transform himself into a Titan.
How Eren Obtained The Power Of The War Hammer Titan And Why
Another Titan that Eren manages to obtain the power of is the War Hammer Titan. He did this by eating Willy Tybur’s younger sister.
The War Hammer’s main abilities come in the form of defensive tactics such as creating caltrops and pikes meaning that he can minimize the amount of damage he faces when fighting other Titans.
We don’t learn much about this sister but it is assumed that she has the same values as Willy meaning that she was tasked with killing Eren.
The backstory of Willy’s sister gaining the War Hammer Titan’s power is that she never met the previous holder and her position of power was only known by a select few to prevent any exposure.
Eren manages to defeat her by using the Jaw Titan’s jaws to crack the protective crystal around her which then kills her and transfers the powers over.
One of the Nine Titans, the War Hammer Titan is one that can manipulate its skin by changing the shape and texture to protect it from harm.
Seen as a powerful weapon, the War Hammer Titan was one of the prized possessions of the Eldian Houses and was shared among them so they could maintain their power.
After being placed in the care of the Tybur family, it was then sent to Paradis Island where it was held under a lot of protection after the Eldian throne was abdicated.
Conclusion
So now you know everything about Eren’s experiences when he transforms into a Titan as well as the background history as to why and how it happened so you can say with confidence that you’re an expert on the subject.
So whether you’re planning to rewatch the show, watch it for the first time, or want to impress your friends with some interesting facts, this is important information for any Attack of Titan fan to learn.
