[86] From atop the Wall, he witnesses Bertolt being thrown into the district by Zeke[87] as well as his subsequent transformation into the Colossus Titan. A brief chapter shows Ilse Langnar, a member of the Survey Corps, When the Titans are first reported to be within Wall Rose, Reiner and Bertolt look at each other in a state of panic and confusion, with Reiner asking Bertolt if the wall really has been breached. For the 26th chapter of the Attack on Titan manga, see Erwin Smith (Chapter). Erwin's song is called Hope Of Mankind. She has her own mission she intends to carry out. After hearing this, Levi gives up and realizes that he will unfortunately not be able to change the Commander's mind. When the Garrison pushes back, Hange explains that this particular Titan is so abnormal that if the citizens are evacuated inside Wall Sheena it will likely ignore Orvud entirely and break through the Wall, eventually arriving at the capital, Mitras, which would be a disaster. [43], A wounded Erwin releases Eren from Bertolt, He returns to the battle as Armin is baiting Bertolt and Reiner into losing control, and takes the opportunity to cut Eren free of Bertolt as well as severing one of Bertolt's grappling lines. [18], In the year 845, Erwin takes part in an expedition beyond Wall Maria. While he cared deeply for his men, he did not hesitate to sacrifice them for the good and prosperity of mankind, and his men proved more than willing to stake their lives at his order. With Eren retrieved, Erwin bellows for all soldiers to retreat. [39] As Titans continue to approach, Erwin tries to maneuver the formation, but they end up being hemmed in on both sides as well as ahead of them. After the Battle of Trost, when the recruits are retrieving the bodies of the fallen/eaten comrades, the usually stoic, detached Annie seemingly breaks and starts apologizing to the corpses. However, they are overwhelmed and unable to keep up. When this turns everyone innocent, he begins planning the next expedition to capture the spy, guessing they have abilities similar to Eren and are intent on sabotaging the expedition. It is hot enough to ignite trees and Erwin orders his soldiers to get back and evacuate any nearby civilians. By the next day, Erwin's forces arrive in Trost District where he meets up with Dot Pixis. [30] When Levi and Mike try to cut through the Female Titan's hands to the nape, Erwin notes that it can selectively harden its body, similar to what he has heard about the Armored Titan. Following the rebellion, he admitted he understood his audacious actions and questioned constantly if what he was doing was the right thing. [34], Erwin and the Survey Corps are heckled after their defeat. Erwin decides to entrust the vial to Levi because he is their strongest soldier with the highest chance of survival. Regardless of their corruption and selfishness, humanity had survived this long under their guardianship. Reiner refers to himself and his allies as short-lived mass murderers. [50] He recounts the events of his childhood and how his father was killed for getting close to a truth the government wanted to be hidden. In pain and near death, Erwin throws his head forward and smiles in determination shortly before his now dead horse collapses. It's easily mistaken as a visual indication of his embarrassment and frustration rather than his Titan healing abilities manifesting. Additionally, to keep Walls' civilians calm, he agrees to hand Eren over to the Military Police if the boy proves to be a failure on his first expedition. During it, Reiner, Bertolt and Annie are shown turning to face the opposite direction than the others. Erwin listens as Hange explains that Grisha Yeager had the power of the Titans from outside the Walls. [41] Knowing that the Titans will be just as happy to attack the Armored Titan, he shouts for all soldiers to disperse and get away, leaving Reiner to deal with the brunt of the Titan attention. When Erwin asks her why, she explains that even though they can change into Titans, they probably are exhausted and will need to rest somewhere ordinary Titans are not able to reach them before making a run for the outside of Wall Maria. Lastly, they immediately rush toward the site of Eren's partial transformation instead of being stunned by the sudden sound like everyone else, hinting that they are familiar with the tell-tale signs of Titan-shifting. [58], Zackly tells him that he threw his lot in with the coup because of an intense desire to humiliate the king and his men, and he had planned to eventually give it a try with or without Erwin. When the new trainees are being questioned on their goals, Marco earnestly voices his desire to serve under the king. Comes chapter 133 and we see the first flying titan. As the Beast Titan's forces begin attacking, Erwin predicts that they will attack the Corps' horses next in order to completely remove any option of retreat. Eren repeats: 'a monkey?' Which was rather strange, considering he had already seen the scene once before when Historia touched him under the Reiss chapel. He cared more about discovering the secrets hidden in Eren's basement and finally proving his father's theories correct - possibly as a means to alleviate his guilt for the part he played in his death - than he did about retaking the lost territory of Wall Maria. Although he feels some guilt, Erwin quickly turns his attention towards Eren's basement and beings trying to work out a way to reach it even if the Corps' are defeated in battle. [77] Erwin and other high-ranking soldiers salute to members of the other branches and head to the Wall. He tries to convince him, with the threat of breaking his legs, to stay behind in the Trost District due to the fact that his missing arm would make him "Titan food," especially on the front lines. Bertolt in particular is recoiling in fear, but his hand is close to his open mouth, as if he were about to bite his hand to transform. After Eren seals the breach in the southern gate of Wall Maria, Armin informs the Commander of the remains of a campsite atop the Wall as well as cold cups lying on the ground. Erwin had a commanding presence, standing tall above most members of the Survey Corps, and had a quite muscular build with his blond hair kept neatly parted on the left side. In one page of chapter 113, Zeke thinks that Eren is the only one who understands his plans. Erwin rides over to them and finds out that only Hange is hurt, and not too badly. Despite the risk to civilians, Erwin pledges to do everything they can to prevent the loss of any non-combatants and suggests an emergency evacuation drill be held so people will be prepared to leave should the need come. After dinner, Bertolt asks Eren and Armin about their motivations to gauge their reactions to the fall of wall Maria. [78] Erwin, seeing the best sends off the Survey Corps has ever received, cheers a loud scream back at them as he raises his one arm into the air, leaving his subordinates surprised for this unusual reaction. During return to Shiganshina, Armin finds a coffee grinder and three cups with residual 'black liquid' that he can't identify. [15] The two of them planned to enter the Survey Corps together, but they fell in love with the same woman at their favorite bar. Normally, After the supposed fall of Wall Rose, Reiner tries to be even more. After the first barrage of rocks is thrown, Erwin is struck and a rock flies through the left side of his waist and through his horse's head and neck. All of the Survey Corps are shocked, but understanding about, Furthermore, as Connie laments who can do such a thing to children, the camera, Kruger mentions Mikasa and Armin while urging Grisha to take his Titan and fulfill his mission, when none of them were even born by then. Though badly injured, Hange gets a map and shows Erwin where a Titan Forest is. Throughout Willy's speech about the true history of Eldia and Paradis Island, he is profusely sweating. [70], After the meeting, Erwin, Pixis, Hange, Levi and Zackly have a private meeting. Levi will have the freedom to use it based on his judgment of the situation. During the ceremony where the recruits choose their military branch, several recruits agonize internally about the decision. Disheartened, Erwin realizes that he has done all he could and there is only one gambit left. This due to the massive fanfare and commercial success it's had ever since it first debuted. In Chapter 54, Frieda Reiss reads a picture book to Historia on which she exemplifies the subject (a little girl receiving something from a cloaked figure) as a kind and gentle individual whose actions should be followed; later in Chapter 86, Grisha Yeager attests that he had read a similar book during his research into the subject of the Eldian Empire. Then we learn that he knew that agents from Paradis (specifically Eren) would try to assassinate him during the event. [9], These views of Erwin proved, in the long run, to be true. The battle turns against the military as the soldiers are hemmed in and the Armored Titan recovers enough strength to begin moving again. As he surveys the Beast Titan's forces, Erwin notices a quadrupedal Titan carrying luggage on its back and theorizes that it was the scout that warned the other Warriors of the Corps' arrival. [33], As Erwin watches the Titans devour what remains of the Female Titan, he admits to Levi that he did not expect their enemy would be willing to sacrifice themselves. Levi decides to make the choice of action on Erwin's behalf: Erwin must give up on his dreams and die with the recruits while Levi battles the Beast Titan. The steam emitting from the remains of the Female Titan causes him to think of the Colossus Titan, which had also vanished in a cloud of steam. Erwin rightly speculates that the enemy had foreseen their arrival, and he gives Armin authority over an investigation of the Wall. [62], Erwin tells Historia she cannot take part in the operation due to her status as future queen, and is intrigued when she questions his order, The Titan arrives at dawn and the opening cannon volley by the Garrison does little to slow Rod despite being the best effort Orvud could scrape together, but Erwin still has a strategy. You'd have to be able to understand Japanese to catch it, but one of the verses of the second season opening is about traitors. The Survey Corps is blamed for the death of Dimo Reeves and Erwin is taken away. [52] However, Pixis is reluctant to participate because they do not understand the reasons behind the government's secrecy and they could have valuable skills or knowledge the military would be unable to replace. He makes an impassioned plea that the Survey Corps and Eren represent the hope of humanity, although he is very realistic in telling them that a sizable number of them will die. [89], When Zeke begins assaulting the Survey Corps to the north with a barrage of stones and boulders, Erwin orders their retreat and joins with them at the base of the Wall. This begins a war and Erwin states that only one of them, the humans or the Titans, will leave alive. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. While the Survey Corps is clearing a town inside Wall Maria, it is discovered that Titans are moving north, towards the Trost District of Wall Rose, and Erwin orders a retreat. There are a lot of subtle hints foreshadowing the situation outside the Walls. Hange and Levi sit with their fallen Commander and friend, Upon arriving, the realization that Erwin is still alive causes a conflict between the remaining soldiers, who are divided on whether to save him or Armin with the only Titan injection that they have. During the mission to recapture Eren after he's been kidnapped by Reiner and Bertholdt, Armin gets under their skin by claiming to them that Annie's being tortured. In addition to finding no survivors, the number of Titans discovered inside Wall Rose was equal to the population of Ragako. The others being Armin, Bertholdt, Eren, Jean, Levi, Mikasa and Reiner. The Survey Corps will only have until nightfall when other Titans cannot move. During his final expedition in Shiganshina, when faced with the prospect of sacrificing his own life in order to defeat the Beast Titan, Erwin proved reluctant to act, even considering abandoning his comrades for a slim chance of reaching the basement. The third season of the Attack on Titan anime television series was produced by IG Port's Wit Studio, chief directed by Tetsurō Araki and directed by Masashi Koizuka, with Yasuko Kobayashi handling series composition and Kyoji Asano providing character designs. Deciding that it would take too much time to make a detour, Erwin orders the soldiers to force their way through. Understanding that the abnormal Titan destroying his ranks is intelligent, Erwin plans to deal with it inside. Rod clings to the Wall and begins to pull himself over it, exposing his Titan's face for the first time. While he was implied to be important figure to Zeke by the fact that the latter wears his glasses, his full involvement was only revealed in chapter 114. When all is said and done, Erwin's body is laid to rest in an abandoned house with his cloak draped over his body and flowers set next to the bed where he lays.[96]. There is a lot of clues with regards to Zeke and Eren's ultimate goals that were only revealed by symbolism or clever use of paneling: During chapter 100, Willy' proclamation that "he wished for the extinction of all Eldians" is followed by a panel of Zeke, but his retort that "he does not wish to die... because he was born into this world" is followed by a panel showing Eren. [49], Unsatisfied with the results of his summons, Erwin meets with Dot Pixis and proposes that the military stage a coup d'etat. with his hand near his mouth. The second is them being unusually interested in finding out more about the Rogue Titan and making use of it, instead of wanting to get away from it like everyone else. ", Isayama modeled Erwin after one of the secret service members who appears in a music video by. Before they depart for the capital, Armin shares his suspicion with Erwin that Annie Leonhart is the Female Titan. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. His eyebrows were also quite noticeable, being very thick and bushy. Hajime Isayama is particularly fond of foreshadowing, being inspired by its usage in Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. Erwin orders Dirk, Marlene, and their squads to join with Klaus Squad in protecting the horses north of the district, Hange and Levi's squads to engage the Armored Titan, and orders Levi to attack the Beast Titan directly and kill it. [31], Erwin orders his soldiers to defend the Female Titan, Before that can happen, the Female Titan screams and Mike alerts Erwin to multiple Titans approaching from all directions. His ultimate goal was for humanity to once again rise up and become the dominant species over the Titans, a goal he was willing to sacrifice anything for, such as when ordering everyone to save Eren even after being caught in the jaws of a titan, resulting in the loss of his right arm.[6]. [64] Erwin disapproves, but admits that due to his missing arm he cannot stop her. [47], Since Erwin has been out of commission, Levi informs him that he has taken the liberty of recruiting his new squad, consisting of Armin, Connie, Eren, Historia, Jean, Mikasa and Sasha. [76], Erwin leads the expedition towards Shiganshina, The day of the operation, all soldiers are ready at dawn. The second opening of season one has a sequence briefly showing each of the surviving 104th cadets. [75] When the meeting ends, Levi closes the door behind the other members and begins to warn Erwin. Erwin sends the cart team to intercept the first wave of Titans, but they ignore the soldiers and break through. Erwin appoints Hange the next Commander of the Survey Corps should anything happen to him and heads outside to meet the Military Police. Only after being coerced by Levi did he reveal his strategy. He recovers quickly (in one night!) Erwin's right arm is now cut off just below the shoulder and bandaged with a makeshift tourniquet. Nonetheless, he thrived as a soldier and eventually was given subordinates under his command. At his signal, they fire the gunpowder loaded carts into Rod's hands, throwing him off balance and allowing Eren to run up in his Titan form. This article is about the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps. [71] Pixis then decides that it must be used for the purpose it was made for, to allow a human to become a Titan and then take the power of the Titans. One might think it is simply stage fright. His dream of understanding the world was so strong that he confessed to Levi that he considered it more important than the victory of humanity. He is found by Floch, who carries him back to Shiganshina District. [29], The Special Operations Squad leads the Female Titan into Erwin's trap, where he orders the firing of the Special target restraining weapon. Erwin asks if Nile knew that Minister Nick was tortured to death by the Military Police's Interior First Squad. When the Rogue Titan goes after the Titan that killed Thomas, his right arm is bitten off, like Eren's was. A subtle one is during training, Eren injures his head during 3DMG training. He shared this unique stoic quality with men such as Garrison Commander Dot Pixis, team leader Ian Dietrich, and Commander-in-Chief Darius Zackly. Attack on Titan has been lauded as one of the best animes to come out of Japan in recent years. The Beast Titan launches a rock at Shiganshina's inner gate and traps the Survey Corps' horses outside, making escape into the district impossible. Erwin apologizes to Eren for Levi's treatment of him before commending him for unwittingly giving them the perfect argument to convince the military to turn him over to the corps, formally welcoming him to the Survey Corps. However, Pixis disagrees both with Zackly's fondness for torture and Erwin's own penchant for risk. Attack on Titan Wiki is a FANDOM Anime Community. The reason is that Bertholdt can control the extent of transformation. The Beast Titan likes using baseball terms. During the siege of Castle Utgard, after Reiner saves Connie, Bertolt says that Reiner used to be more like a warrior before, to which Reiner reacts with confusion, foreshadowing both their true identities and Reiner's split personality. If they also equipped vertical maneuvering equipment then they are likely wearing the Survey Corps uniform and are camouflaged as a fellow soldier. [32] He realizes that they are after the Female Titan and orders the Corps to defend it. Despite his dreams coming to a bitter end, Erwin is relieved. Despite the evidence that the village buildings had exploded from the inside, there was no blood found. [51], When Nifa arrives, confirming the Reiss family as the true royal bloodline, Erwin proposes that they meet with Rod Reiss, and if that does not work, replace the King with Historia. Refugees are already on their way to Wall Sheena. While he trusted his men, he was the first to realize that there was a spy interfering with the Survey Corps, and was able to come up with a reasonable criteria to determine which of his soldiers to trust with vital information, and which to keep in the dark. Hange theorizes that Titans are humans, pointing out the fact that the weak point of Titans correlates to the spinal cord of a human. [72], In the Trost District, the Survey Corps' head members are having a meeting about Keith Shadis' revelation. [85], As he observes the battle from atop Wall Maria, Erwin notes the Corps' lack of manpower, prompting him to reflect on the lives lost under his command, being sent to their deaths for his own ambitions of proving his father's theories of the outside world right. At the end of the same episode, Shadis mentally tells Grisha that he should be proud of Eren. [42], Once Reiner is immobilized beneath the weight of all the other Titans, Erwin calls for the soldiers to attack, because they must recover Eren if humanity is to have a future. [45], Eren strikes a Titan attacking him and Mikasa, triggering something that causes all the other mindless Titans present to tear it apart. Enraged, Bertholdt calls the Survey Corps "Children of The Devil." Pixis reacts immediately, calling for soldiers to secure an evacuation route, which causes the officials in the room to reveal their true colors. This allows new weapons to be created that allow soldiers to kill Titans without taking risks. Erwin Smith is the Commander of the Survey Corps and the creator of the Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation. He explains to Eren that his Titan powers have caused an uproar within the Walls. Baseball as a sport was only developed during 19th century. When Eren then claims Grisha to be wrong and agrees with Zeke's sterilization plan, his panels immediately start leaning to the right, implying that he is lying at the moment. He accepted all news, good or bad, mockery or praise, with the same stoic attitude. At a war council after defeating the Mid-East Union, general Calvi snarks if there is any possibility to exists any winged titans. In Chapter 89/Episode 59, when Eren's friends were celebrating as they finally made it to the ocean, Eren notes in despair that their battle is not over and wonders 'if they killed everyone on the other side of the ocean, they would be free or not'. [74], Erwin then announces that the operation to retake Wall Maria is ready and will commence in two days, promising to see the basement. [54], Erwin is led away to the gallows after his impassioned plea, Despite his persistent defense of the Survey Corps, even in the face of the Interior Military Police's questioning, Erwin's words fall on deaf ears. Hange suspects Reiner and Bertolt have gone there. The corps' stand by and prepare for the closing of the Wall as Eren flies up above the gate and prepares to transform.[82]. Before Levi can call back his team, Erwin tells him to refill his gas and blades. His speech and other factors succeed in recruiting every remaining member of the top 10 graduates except Annie, who joins the Military Police Brigade. [37], Pixis congratulates Erwin on capturing Annie. Based on his father's theories, and the evidence they have gained concerning the Titans, the Walls, and Eren's powers, Erwin concludes that 107 years ago, the memories of humanity were altered to erase knowledge of the outside world. This becomes a lot less about survivor's guilt after you realize she's a Titan spy. Original Video Herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Um6okMHcEAnyway Thx For Watching.I'am Happy. and can be seen with small amounts of steam leaving his head. [84] As Reiner begins climbing the wall, Erwin orders the soldiers to avoid engaging with him. To explain simply, remember Hange's theory? He hears that an additional three trainees of the 104th can change into Titans and asks what happened when their forms were revealed. [40], Erwin spots the Armored Titan escaping at the edge of the forest and calls for all squads to follow him and let the Titans chase after them. Given that this means they are responsible for Eren’s mother’s death and Vogel im Kafig was the song played during that moment, this makes the placement of YouSeeBIGGIRL/T.T here perfect because it makes the reveal and Carla’s death mirror each other. Bertolt and Reiner also mention their goals of going to the interior and returning home respectively, which foreshadows Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie's goal of finding and retrieving the Coordinate. Levi explains that it was ultimately him that chose to save Armin. Erwin admits that the decisions of the recruits to fight or abandon their duties are meaningless, but the lives of the soldiers who will die are not without meaning. They arrive as the sun is setting and when they see the light from a Titan transformation inside the forest Erwin notes that they have arrived in time. So, please, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. [56], When they give the order to shut the gates to Wall Sheena, sacrificing half of humanity, Nile Dok throws his lot in with Wall Rose, as does Commander-in-Chief Zackly, who arrives with group of armed soldiers and announces that the panic was just a fabrication. Both of these parts are played in the incredible twist that Reiner and Bertholdt were the Armoured and Colossal Titans the entire time. Erwin also has the idea to use Eren as bait to lure Reiner away from the Corps' horses, and orders Armin to relay the plan to Hange. None of them participates, rather tellingly. The recruits are distraught at the plan, asking if it is even worth the effort if they will die anyway. Furthermore, despite his desire to understand the truth of the world being stronger than humanity's victory, Erwin made the selfless decision to go charging in the front lines alongside his soldiers and sacrifice the chance of knowing what was in the basement, effectively abandoning his dream. [73] They theorize about what may be hidden in the basement of Grisha's house as Erwin suggests that it may be the memories of the world that the Reiss family tried to erase. [91], Erwin leads the charge against the Beast Titan, Standing before the panicked recruits, Erwin announces their plan to charge head-on against the Beast Titan using smoke signals as cover while Levi moves in from the side to confront him, using the line of Titans as a means of clearing the distance. Undeterred, Historia asks if he thinks people are naive enough to follow someone who is a ruler only in name. Their priority is to recover and retreat, not to fight the numerous Titans swarming around them. The Scouts nickname the ape-looking titan 'Beast titan', since they have never seen an ape. A coffee grinder also has a cameo during Reiner's flashback to Marcel being eaten. When Titans begin to approach from the right flank, Erwin has the formation pull in on that side rather than change direction as they cannot afford to lose any time. He expresses second thoughts about having deposed the monarchy. He was willingly setting himself up as a martyr to turn Marley against Paradis, so he was sweating because he knew he was about to be killed soon. Erwin gave up on a relationship with Marie so he could continue pursuing the truth and Nile changed his plans to marry her. Erwin typically dressed in the standard military uniform, donning the Survey Corps' signature green cape when on missions. Shadis and Grisha's prior relationship becomes important in season 3. During the battle at Utgard Tower, as the tower is about to collapse and all seems lost, when Ymir's Titan climbs up to the top and tells them to grab onto her, you can a fearful reaction shot of everyone. Pixis congratulates him for finding one of their "mice" even though the plan did not succeed as well as hoped. The order is given to take him to the gallows. Since he was able to make such commitments, he was a master strategist, shown multiple times through actions like capturing the Female Titan and leading a group of Titans to distract the Armored Titan so the military could save Eren. It bothers Pixis that if the crown had been worthy, he would have fought against Zackly instead. Erwin always wore a calm and collected expression on his face, with his icy blue eyes being one of his most striking features. Herring is a. Bertolt and Reiner also mention their goals of going to the interior and returning home respectively, which foreshadows Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie's goal of finding and retrieving the Coordinate. [80] Erwin is aware that their enemies know about the operation to seal the Wall and investigate the basement, so he has 100 soldiers covered by their hoods rush the gate so that the enemy will be unable to know which soldier is Eren until he has sealed the gate. [81] The corps' becomes wary of the complete lack of Titans in the area, but they choose to continue with the mission anyway, aware they are playing into the enemies' hands. Levi gives Armin the serum instead, allows him to eat Bertolt, and tells Erwin that there will be a delay in his promise to kill the Beast Titan, as Erwin dies peacefully. [28], Despite the decimation of the formation's right flank by an abnormal Titan, Erwin continues the operation to the surprise of his soldiers. During the Battle of Trost, there are three instances of subtle foreshadowing regarding the Titan Shifter nature of Annie, Bertolt, and Reiner. He has taken the key to Eren's basement and asks if the secret to Titans is located in the basement, to which Eren replies that he believes so.