Pure Titans

Lore & Background

The origin of Pure Titans lies in the power of Ymir Fritz and the curse she passed down to her descendants, the Eldians. When an Eldian is injected with Titan spinal fluid and suffers physical injury while experiencing strong emotion or intent, they transform into a mindless Pure Titan. This transformation is irreversible unless the Titan consumes one of the Nine Titans, which restores their human form and grants them that Shifter's abilities. If a Pure Titan does not consume a Shifter before death, they remain trapped in this state indefinitely, wandering as hollow shells. The story reveals that many of these beings were once villagers within Wall Rose who were mysteriously transformed, highlighting the cruel cycle where victims become predators. The Nine Titans themselves possess unique powers, such as hardening their bodies or controlling other Pure Titans, but Pure Titans lack any such control, acting only on instinct.

In Their Own Story

The narrative arc of Pure Titans begins with the Fall of Wall Maria in 845, when two new types of Titans breached the outermost wall, forcing humanity into isolation. During this incident, Eren Yeager witnessed his mother being eaten by a grinning Titan, a moment that fueled his vow to exterminate all Titans. Later, in the Battle of Trost, soldiers faced the horror of realizing that these mindless creatures were once their fellow citizens. As the story progressed, revelations about the true nature of Titans transformed the conflict from a simple survival struggle into a deeper tragedy. The discovery that Pure Titans are actually transformed Eldians, and that many were victims of forced transformation by Marley, added layers of complexity to the war. Key moments include Eren's use of 'the Coordinate' to control Pure Titans during his fight with Reiner and Bertholt, and the eventual revelation that all Pure Titans on Paradis Island could be eliminated through strategic operations.

Reader's Guide

Pure Titans are characterized by their lack of intelligence and predictable behavior, making them easier to kill compared to Abnormal or Nine Titans. Their defining weakness is the nape; severing this area destroys the spinal cord containing the transformed human, killing the Titan instantly. They regenerate rapidly when exposed to sunlight, but this ability does not extend to the nape once destroyed. To combat them, soldiers use Vertical Maneuvering Equipment (VME) for mobility and ultrahard steel swords for precision strikes. Later developments introduced Thunder Spears, rocket launcher-like weapons developed by Commander Hange Zoë, which proved effective against larger Titans. Despite their overwhelming numbers, Pure Titans are not invincible; they can be defeated through coordinated attacks targeting their weak points. Understanding their origins as transformed Eldians adds a moral dimension to every encounter, reminding soldiers that each Titan was once a person.

Did You Know?

• Pure Titans are created by injecting Eldians with Titan spinal fluid and causing physical injury while they experience strong emotion or intent.
• If a Pure Titan consumes one of the Nine Titans, it reverts to human form and gains that Shifter's powers.
• The nape is the only part of a Pure Titan that must be destroyed to kill it; all other parts regenerate rapidly when exposed to sunlight.