Highlights
- Thunder Spears, advanced weapons created by Hange Zoe, use explosives in a two-stage system to penetrate hardened Titan skin.
- Thunder Spears are effective but dangerous, requiring precise tactics to avoid endangering users and securing the target.
- Continuous development and training improved Thunder Spears, allowing enhanced destructive power used effectively in various battles.
In Attack on Titan, humanity finds itself cornered within walls by the seemingly unstoppable Titans. With the discovery that Titans like the Armored Titan possessed advanced armor, the Scout Regiment realized they needed a new type of weapon for combating such foes. Hange Zoe took on the task of developing such a device, creating the Thunder Spear. Drawing from secret technological knowledge preserved by the Interior Police, this weapon was designed specifically to battle the towering forces that once again threatened humanity within the walls.
The Thunder Spears played a key role against the significant threats posed by Reiner Braun and other Titans. Through precisely coordinated strikes, Survey Corps squads were able to penetrate the steel-like armor. But how exactly does the Thunder Spear work?
Attack on Titan: The Scout Regiment, Explained
The Scout Regiment ventured outside the walls, defending humanity for decades, facing countless titans. How did they develop into elite soldiers?
The mechanics of the Thunder Spear
How the Thunder Spear Works
Developed independently by Hange Zoe using technology uncovered after the coup d'état, the Thunder Spear harnesses explosives in a sophisticated two-stage system. According to Hange's schematics, it works similarly to the omni-directional mobility gear's guns and hooks, but with a strong spear loaded with explosives designed to shatter armor.
It's like a strike of lightning. Hence the name, "Thunder Spear."
The weapon works as a two-stage rocket: an initial charge launches the projectile by pressing a special trigger in the handle of the device. The projectile, connected by a string to the main engine, is launched with enough power to penetrate hardened Titan skin. When that string is cut, a safety pin is pulled, and the second charge is activated. This causes a tremendous explosion, which makes the projectile penetrate even more into the target. The time taken for the second charge to fuse and cause an explosion is near instantaneous, but nevertheless enough for users of the omni-directional mobility gear to safely retreat.
By sequencing the twin warheads in this manner, the Thunder Spear allows for amplified damage against targets like the Armored Titan, surpassing what conventional explosive techniques could achieve alone. This innovative design was a major breakthrough in the scout regiment's efforts to combat the armored threats facing humanity.
The Power and Peril of Thunder Spears
An Effective But Dangerous Weapon
While immensely effective against armored Titans, Thunder Spears require proper tactics to deploy safely. As Hange explained, they endanger users as much as targets without careful planning. Even the slightest miscalculation could trigger an explosion prematurely. Teams must also maneuver swiftly away using omni-directional mobility gear to avoid being caught in the follow-up blast. Simply put, close coordination between all soldiers involved is essential to emerge unscathed.
During the operation to retake Wall Maria, the Thunder Spears proved pivotal in defeating the Armored Titan. However, Hange noted that other situations may prove more precarious. Without positioning troops strategically first, it's possible they could fall victim to their own explosives instead of the Titan. This risk was demonstrated at Shiganshina, where stray shrapnel from Mikasa's near miss left her wounded. Their destructive force makes operators vulnerable if standard safety procedures aren't strictly followed for deployment and rapid exit from the blast zone. While a powerful new weapon, Thunder Spears still demands meticulous teamwork and tactics to wield without danger to humanity's forces.
Attack on Titan: The Great Titan War, Explained
The Great Titan War reshaped Paradis and the fate of the Eldians. How did King Fritz's betrayal lead to humanity's downfall?
Development of the Thunder Spear
Increased Destructive Power
While two waves of Thunder Spears during the Battle of Shiganshina were only able to destroy half of Reiner Braun's human head and expose him to his Titan's nape, later developments increased their power. During the Raid on Liberio, a single wave comparable in number to the first completely obliterated the Cart Titan and her Panzer Unit shelter in a much larger explosion.
This enhancement was twofold: later models could carry up to four Thunder Spears on each arm instead of one, increasing the total to eight. An alternate activation function also allowed launching Thunder Spears to explode on contact with hard surfaces instead of detonating immediately. Between battles, the Scouting Regiment trained further on utilizing the Thunder Spears in teams and continued developing the weapons.
Their final major usage was during the Battle of Heaven and Earth. Now led by Armin Arlert, the remaining members of the Scouting Regiment launched their remaining Thunder Spears stores against Eren Jaeger's summoned Past Titan Shifters. From their debut against the Armored Titan to the last stand against the Wall Titans, the Thunder Spear proved a versatile yet powerful anti-Titan system through continuous refinement by the Scouts.
Thunder Spears in Action
Thunder Spears Prove Their Might
Upon their debut in the Battle of Shiganshina District, the effectiveness of the Thunder Spears was still relatively untested beyond trials. All that changed as squads deployed them against the Armored Titan for the first time within the chaos of Shiganshina. Drawing from Hange's strategy of using three successive attacks, they first blinded Reiner by detonating spears around him. Then Mikasa, Sasha, and Connie attempted to crack his armor with successive strikes from their spears, though Sasha missed due to Reiner's counterattack. Finally, Mikasa fired the last Thunder Spear through his exposed mouth, directly striking his exposed human body within and removing him forcefully from his Titan. Their debut battle proved the weapons a valuable strategic asset and showed Mikasa's experience in deploying them effectively.
Four years later, during the Raid on Liberio, the Thunder Spears were again instrumental. Facing anti-Titan artillery set up as defense in the internment zone, Mikasa and others destroyed the fortified lines using their adapted maneuvering skills and explosives. When confronting the War Hammer Titan, Mikasa distracted it by repeatedly firing numerous Thunder Spears at once in an attempt to destroy its nape, though this was ultimately not enough on its own due to the mechanics of the War Hammer Titan. Later in the battle, Mikasa tried to destroy the War Hammer Titan's pilot's crystal with explosions from her spears, though it proved unsuccessful.
By this time, additional training and modifications had increased operators' capacity, with Mikasa shown carrying up to six Thunder Spears at once. This overwhelming firepower was put to devastating effect, such as assisting in the destruction of the Cart Titan's Panzer Unit during a coordinated attack. The Liberio raid showcased how years of additional training and modifications had further enhanced cooperation between operators and weapons.
Attack on Titan is available to stream on Prime Video.
Attack on Titan: The Okapi Titan, Explained
With an elongated tongue and speed to match, the elusive Okapi Titan evades pursuit after snatching its prey, leaving clues to its dark purpose.
Attack On Titan
Based on Hajime Isayama's widely popular manga, Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy anime set in a world where humanity lives behind walls to protect themselves from massive creatures known as Titans. Over the course of four seasons, the story takes plenty of unexpected twists and turns, almost evolving into a different type of series in the process.
