In 2013, the anime adaptation of Attack on Titan debuted in Japan, and it instantly became a global phenomenon thanks to its animation and mature storytelling. Attack on Titan is set in a world where the majority of humanity lives in fear of massive humanoid monsters called Titans, and at any given time, there are usually nine individuals who can freely transform into unique Titans. These individuals are known as Titan Shifters.AoT is filled with strong characters who do not possess any Titan powers, but Shifters stand atop all of them in terms of sheer size and physical strength. The life of a Titan Shifter can be hard at times, and they have to deal with some pretty harsh realities, but being a Shifter comes with its set of perks as well.
10 Harsh Reality: Shifters Only Live For 13 Years
Every single Titan Shifter gains immense strength when they inherit the power of one of the Nine Titans, but a ticking clock begins as soon as they gain that power. As strong as a Titan Shifter is, they can only hold onto their power for 13 years before they die.
Ymir Fritz was the first person to obtain the Power of the Titans, which is why she is deemed to be the Founder. Ymir died 13 years after she gained her powers, after sustaining a fatal wound. Since no Titan can surpass the Founder, no Shifter can live longer than Ymir.
9 Perk: They All Have Unique Powers
Pure Titans may be scary, but they are nothing compared to the Nine Titans, who all come with their own design. Aside from their looks, each of the Nine Titans has a unique power or ability which makes them extremely dangerous, like the War Hammer, who can use its skin to create weapons and structures.
The Armored Titan's entire body is covered in armor, while the Beast Titan can assume the traits of any animal. The Jaw Titan can essentially bite through anything, while the Cart Titan specializes in endurance. The Attack Titan may be the best fighter, but the Colossus can destroy an entire city alone, while the Founding Titan can control other Titans and alter memories.
8 Harsh Reality: They Are Still Beatable
The Survey Corps sustained incredible losses, but they managed to help humanity a number of times. They successfully captured the Female Titan, and they were able to take the power of the Colossus during the battle to retake Shiganshina.
That battle also saw the Armored Titan get taken down, but Reiner was able to escape, and Zeke was decimated by Levi and on the verge of capture before he was rescued by the Cart Titan. Titan Shifters may be dangerous and hard to take down, but they are not invincible.
7 Perk: They Maintain Their Individuality
Most of the Titans that have appeared in AoT are called Pure Titans, and they are nothing more than mindless drones who only care about eating humans. When an Eldian turns into a Pure Titan, they lose their personality and memories, but Titan Shifters are different.
Unlike Pure Titans, Titan Shifters are expected to carry out tasks, which means that they require higher brain functions. Every Titan Shifter maintains their individuality when transformed, and best of all, their memories remain intact. A Pure Titan can also regain their humanity by inheriting one of the Nine Titans.
6 Harsh Reality: Only Someone Of Royal Blood Can Use Titan Powers To The Fullest Extent
Each of the Nine Titans has had their powers inherited by numerous people over the course of 2,000 years, but only a handful of those Shifters have been able to use the full extent of their Titan's power. This is because only individuals who possess royal blood can access these powers.
The Founding Titan can turn people into Pure Titans, and it can control those Titans, but that was something only a member of the Fritz or Reiss family could do. Zeke has royal blood, which is why he could control Titans even though he possessed the Beast Titan. Eren was only able to use the Founding Titan's power because Ymir allowed him to.
5 Perk: Memories From Past Inheritors Can Be Shared
The Attack Titan can see the memories of its past and future inheritors, but the ability to share memories is not exclusive to it. It turns out that every single Titan Shifter can see the memories of their predecessor if the opportunity presents itself.
These memories can be used to gather helpful information, and it would give current users the ability to study past actions and battles. Newly-made Titan Shifters can also access memories in order to get a better grasp of their powers if need be.
4 Harsh Reality: They Are Used As Weapons
AoT can now be considered one of the best war anime in existence. At first, the series made it seem like humanity was at war with the Titans, but it turns out that humans were simply fighting each other. The Colossus Titan is essentially a nuclear bomb if it transforms in the middle of a city, whereas the Armored Titan serves as a tank.
In the first half of the 4th season, the Cart Titan was equipped with multiple guns, turning it into a walking death machine, and the Jaw and Beast Titans were also used in the middle of a battlefield. Titan Shifters provide exceptional military might, but the downside is that they are treated more like weapons than people.
3 Perk: Being A Shifter Is Better Than Being A Pure Titan
If someone was given the chance to be a Pure Titan or a Titan Shifter, they would likely choose Shifter 100% of the time. Pure Titans are dangerous, but they live such meaningless lives since their only drive is to eat humans. Without humans, they would simply walk around doing nothing, or in Ymir's case, they would stop moving and hibernate.
Whether they fight for Marley or Paradis Island, Titan Shifters have a sense of meaning, and unlike Pure Titans, they have ways to defend themselves against 3D maneuver gear and cannon fire.
2 Harsh Reality: They Are Meant To Be Eaten
Most of AoT's Titan Shifters also happen to be some of the series' bravest characters, which makes sense since most of them know how they're going to die. The vast majority of Titan Shifters gain their powers by eating their predecessors-an act that started when Ymir's daughters were forced to eat her remains.
Being eaten is not a pleasant experience. In fact, it is quite painful. Most Titan Shifters know that they have only 13 years to live, and that would be fine if many of those same Shifters did not know that their final moments will be spent as food.
1 Perk: Injuries Regenerate Fairly Quickly
A Titan Shifter needs to draw blood in order to transform, and some, like Eren, bite into their hands. This can be a painful experience, but Shifters do not need to worry about these injuries because they will heal extremely quickly.
When someone inherits one of the Nine Titans, they gain the ability to regenerate. Cuts and gunshots can heal in a matter of moments, but more severe injuries will take longer. As long as a Shifter can get to safety afterward, they can lose an arm or a leg without much consequence.
