Attack on Titan's Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, more commonly known as ODM gear, is the weapon of choice for the soldiers behind the walls. Humans designed and developed the gear to help fight against the Titans. The gear allows the user to fight off against the man-eating giants in a 3D space rather than in the 2D space on the ground. Learning to control, manipulate, and excel with ODM gear takes training and years of practice.
A few in the series have been praised for their exceptional gear usage: Levi Ackermann, Miche Zacharius, and Mikasa Ackermann. These soldiers have been commended as the best users of ODM gear. Levi is considered the best of the three, with speed and sword ability that compares to no one. More than once, Levi's ability was compared to that of an entire brigade, but how does this extraordinary gear work in aiding the soldiers?
The Workings of ODM Gear
ODM gear is made up of different complex and simple machines allowing the user to shoot out and retract a steel wire. Not everything is known about how ODM gear works; many components within the swords' hilts or the gear's controllers are kept secret. Generally speaking, the gadget has three main features; the main chamber, gas cylinders, and controllers. The main chamber is located at the back of the wearer, and it is here that steel wire coils are stored. Whenever the user pushes the required triggers on the controller, the wires will shoot out or retract with the help of the gas-propelled turbine.
The gas cylinders used to power the turbine on the ODM gear are strapped to the wearer's hips. These cylinders house compressed gas that allows ODM gear to run. When activated, the cylinder will release gas into the turbine, which powers the release and retraction of the steel coils. To control all of these mechanisms easily, the controllers were designed into the hilts of the swords. Each hilt has two buttons and a lever. The top trigger launches the anchor and wire while the bottom controls the amount of gas released. When anchored, the user will pull the lever causing the steel wire to reel back into the base.
This gear, accompanied by the steel blades, allows the soldiers to have a better chance of fighting against the Titans before humanity was stuck on the ground fighting against Titans that range in height, some as tall as 15 meters. Instead, well-trained soldiers can zip through the air faster than some of the Titans can move with ODM gear, providing a glimmer of hope for humanity. The gear also allows easy access to the nape of the neck, the location that kills Titans. Skilled users have made some amazing attacks, proving how beneficial ODM gear can be when used correctly.
ODM Gear Pushed to the Limit
Episode 17 of season three showed fans how skilled Captain Levi is with his ODM gear. Facing off against Zeke Jaeger in his Beast Titan form, Levi uses the 17-meter body as leverage points. Allowing Ackermann to move about the field is a difficult task with no buildings or trees to be seen. However, it isn't just Ackermann's ability to keep moving without the aid of trees or buildings that made this fight so memorable. Levi pushed the gear's capabilities, allowing him to use the momentum of the gas to fly around Zeke's Beast Titan.
On its own, ODM gear is a display of humanity's will to keep fighting against the Titans, but as many fans have seen, using the gear on its own isn't enough. ODM gear is a tool. Without an experienced user who is willing to think outside of the box, it stays just a tool. When fighting Zeke during episode 17 of season three, Levi knew the Beast Titan's intelligence from previous encounters. Instead of using the ODM gear for its intended purpose, getting to the nape of the neck, Levi utilized his tools to incapacitate the behemoth. Unable to move or see, Levi had the opportunity to release Zeke from the Beast Titan and severely injure him before he was rescued by the Cart Titan.