What Are Titans?

In Attack on Titan (AOT), Titans are giant, humanoid creatures that terrorized humanity for centuries. Initially, they appear as mindless, man-eating monsters, but the series later reveals they are transformed humans with a complex history dating back 2,000 years. 

Rules and Characteristics of Titans

Rules for All Titans

• Weakness in the Nape of the Neck: The only surefire way to kill any titan is to sever the back of its neck, or nape, where the human is fused to the body.

• Regeneration: All titans possess the ability to rapidly regenerate from almost any injury, as long as the human's consciousness remains intact.

• Heat Emission: A titan's transformation is accompanied by an explosive release of heat and steam. Once fully formed, titans continue to emit heat.

• Subjects of Ymir: All titans, whether pure or shifter, are subjects of Ymir—Eldians who have been transformed by the "Power of the Titans".

Rules for Pure Titans

• Mindless Nature: Pure Titans are mindless creatures driven solely by the instinct to seek out and devour humans.

• Perpetual Life: Pure Titans can live indefinitely, surviving without food as long as they are not killed.

• Reversion to Human Form: A Pure Titan can regain its human form only by consuming one of the Nine Titans. 

Rules for the Nine Titan Shifters

• 13-year Lifespan (Curse of Ymir): A titan shifter can live for only 13 years after inheriting their power, based on how long Ymir Fritz lived after becoming the Founding Titan.

• Transformation Limits: A shifter can transform multiple times in a row, but each use strains their body. Repeated or rapid transformations can weaken the titan and risk absorbing the human consciousness into the titan's flesh.

• Memory Inheritance: Shifters can access the memories of their titan's past inheritors, which sometimes appears in dreams or can be triggered by touch.

• Power Transfer: If a shifter dies without passing on their power, it is randomly inherited by a newborn Eldian.

Special Rules for the Founding Titan

• Royal Blood Requirement: The Founding Titan's full power, which includes controlling other titans and altering Eldians, is only accessible to those with royal blood.

• Royal Blood Contact: If a non-royal shifter inherits the Founding Titan, they can temporarily use its power by making physical contact with a titan or human of royal blood.

• Vow of Renouncing War: Any royal blood inheritor of the Founding Titan is bound by the will of the first king to remain pacifistic and not use its full military power.

Special Rules for the Attack Titan

• Future Memory Inheritance: Uniquely, the Attack Titan can receive memories not only from past inheritors but also from future ones. This enables the current holder to see glimpses of events to come.

• Timeline Manipulation: Eren Jaeger, who possessed the Founding Titan, used the paths to influence past Attack Titan inheritors, including his own father, to follow the timeline he desired.

Types of Titans

The primary types of Titans include Pure Titans, Abnormal Titans, and the powerful Nine Titans.

Pure Titans

• Origin: All Pure Titans were once humans, specifically the "Subjects of Ymir," who were transformed by injecting Titan spinal fluid. They can only return to human form by consuming a holder of one of the Nine Titans or through the direct influence of the Founding Titan.

• Behavior: Most Pure Titans mindlessly seek out and devour humans, often exhibiting little to no intelligence.

• Physiology: They range in height from 3 to 15 meters and can regenerate lost body parts. The only surefire way to kill them is by slicing the nape of their neck.

• Wall Titans: Within the walls of Paradis, millions of Colossal-sized Titans were created by the first king to protect the inhabitants. They are a form of Pure Titan, remaining dormant and immobile inside the walls until Eren Yeager unleashes them as part of "the Rumbling".

Abnormal Titans

• Origin: These are Pure Titans who show unusual and unpredictable behavior, sometimes ignoring nearby humans to charge at more important targets.

• Behavior: The nature of their "abnormality" can vary, from moving in unique ways, like running on all fours, to possessing strange intelligence, such as speaking human language.

The Nine Titans

The Nine Titans are a special class of powerful, intelligent Titans. A person who inherits one of these powers retains their human consciousness and can transform back and forth at will. The Nine Titans each possess unique abilities and are named after their specific characteristics. 

• Founding Titan: The progenitor of all Titans, it can control other Titans and alter the memories and bodies of the Subjects of Ymir.

• Attack Titan: It can see memories of its past and future inheritors.

• Colossal Titan: Standing at a massive 60 meters, it is a devastating force that can control the steam it emits from its body.

• Armored Titan: Covered in hardened, armor-like skin, it possesses immense defensive capabilities.

• Female Titan: Known for its speed, stamina, and agility, it can attract Pure Titans with a scream and selectively harden parts of its body.

• Beast Titan: Its form varies depending on the user, often taking on characteristics of different animals, such as an ape or bird.

• Jaw Titan: The fastest of the Nine Titans, it features a powerful jaw and sharp claws.

• Cart Titan: This quadrupedal Titan has high endurance, allowing it to stay transformed for long periods.

• War Hammer Titan: It can create and manipulate structures and weapons from hardened Titan flesh.