Bertolt Hoover

Bertolt Hoover (ベルトルト・フーバー) is a graduate of the 104th Trainees Squad and former member of the Survey Corps. He ranked 3rd, and is described by others as a weak-willed and quiet person rarely seen without Reiner Braun, his childhood friend.

Along with Reiner and Annie, he is a person that possesses the ability to transform into a Titan and serves an as-yet unrevealed group. He comes from a mysterious homeland outside the Walls, and was on a mission to infiltrate the military in search of something that Reiner refers to as the "Coordinate". After his true identity was revealed, he becomes a major antagonist in the story.

Human Form
Bertolt is a rather tall, slender young man. He has short, dark hair and green eyes. In the anime adaptation, he has a slightly darker skin tone.

Titan Form
As the Colossal Titan, he possesses a very distinctive appearance and a number of unusual features. First of all, it is roughly 60 meters tall, making it around four times the height of any other Titan seen thus far in the series.

Bertholdt's Colossal Titan form is one of the more heavily deformed Titans seen in the series - it appears to lack skin entirely and its jaw and facial structure seem to be heavily altered from the human form. It is also constantly releasing jets of steam from the surface of its body, in a manner that parallels Bertholdt's frequent nervous sweating. Its feet are also quite different to those of a human and other Titans, as they are swollen and pillar-like in appearance. Its physiology is modeled after the male sex, but like all Titans, it lacks obvious sexual organs.

Personality
Bertolt is a quiet, young man, identifying himself as someone with a weak will that follows popular opinion. Likewise, their instructor noted him to be a person with great potential, but an utter lack of initiative. He is further described by Eren as being taciturn, and tends to remain in the background unless necessary. By his own admission, he is something of a coward and is noted for his low self-esteem.

His withdrawn behavior initially lead to the impression of him as the least emotionally compromised of the three Titan agents. He showed little attachment or remorse over his actions, seeming to care only about his partner, Reiner. However, when confronted by his former comrades and questioned about their friendship, he reveals himself to be far more conflicted and guilt-ridden than it originally appeared.

History
Bertolt comes from a mysterious location simply referred to as his hometown (or homeland), and began a mission to attack humanity in the year 845. Little is known about his life prior to undertaking his mission, other than the fact that Reiner and Berwick were his childhood friends. The exact nature of their group, and their mission is yet unknown. It is mentioned that their goal was to exterminate humanity, and that they are searching for both the Ape Titan and a "coordinate" which they believe may be Eren Yeager or possible to locate with the assistance of Historia Reiss.

At some point prior to attacking Wall Maria, he encountered Ymir's Titan form while traveling with Reiner and Berwick. Still in a mindless state, she attacked the three boys and nearly killed Reiner. Berwick ended up sacrificing his life to protect his friends, while Bertolt appears to have fled in terror and possibly abandoned the other two in the process.

Story
Bertolt first appeared as the Colossal Titan in the year 845, shortly after the history of the world and humanity's situation have been introduced, along with Mikasa, Eren and Armin. Its mere presence is enough to cause considerable panic amongst the population, as it is tall enough to see completely over the wall that is supposed to keep all Titans out. Within moments of its appearance, it attacks, repeatedly kicking the wall gates to the point that they rupture and open a hole large enough for other Titans to pass through. It then disappears after causing considerable structural damage to the wall, but does not attempt to participate in any meaningful way in the ensuing massacre itself.

Eventually, Bertolt joined the military, with aspirations of joining the Military Police and living in the safety of the inner wall. As part of the 104th, he was considered to be one of the best in regards to 3D Maneuver Gear, enough so that Eren Yeager came to him for advice when he was dealing with faulty equipment. After seeing Eren's determination and desire to join the Survey Corps, he considered himself a coward for wanting to get far away from them. However, Eren encouraged him, saying that after witnessing the attack on his village, no one would blame him for his decision. Eventually, he graduated in the top ten of his class coming in at third place, just under his friend Reiner.

He reappears as a Titan five years later in 850, again breaking through the walls so that its brethren can once again devour the humans inside. It is immediately attacked by Eren Yeager, however, it first repels and blinds him with vapor from its high temperature body before vanishing completely from view.

When Armin, Mikasa and Connie made it to the headquarters, with the help of the rogue titan, Armin devised a plan to get rid of the titans in the supply room. Bertholdt, part of the second group, came in from the ceiling and killed his target in one blow. The mission a success and everyone resupplied, he and the rest of the group leave the head quarters. On the way out, he joins Mikasa and others on the rooftop as they watch the rogue titan being attacked and eaten by other titans. Reiner suggests helping it out, but ultimately it ends up not being necessary as the titan fights his way out and kills the titan that ate Tomas. After the titan collapses, he is among the first people to know about Eren's ability. Bertolt joins the Survey Corps with Mikasa, Reiner, Eren, Connie, Sasha, Krista, Jean and a few others.

In the aftermath of the failed mission to capture the Female Titan, Bertolt was among the recruits placed under observation at an old mansion and suspected of being a potential spy. He was shown to have occupied his time playing chess with Reiner, and quickly becomes involved in the operation to investigate the Titans that appeared within Wall Rose. Reiner requests his assistance on the Southern squad headed for Connie Springer's village, which is later discovered to be deserted.

That evening, the Southern squad met up with a squad including Ymir and Christa and the decision was made to take refuge for the night in Castle Utgard. At some point during the night, the castle came under attack by Titans and the recruits were forced to defend the interior from the smaller Titans that had invaded. After Reiner took off on his own to investigate, Bertolt offered a strange observation of his friend's "bad habit" of risking himself for others. When a Titan managed to break through a stairwell door, he came to Reiner's defense with a pitchfork and helped fight it off. The two reaffirmed their promise to survive and return to their home together.

After a second Titan managed to enter and injure Reiner, he helped Ymir toss it out a window. Afterwards, he begins to behave in a withdrawn manner and responds to questions about how Reiner was in the past with a strange comment about how Reiner had changed and was no longer a "warrior". However, he refused to elaborate further on the subject.

Eventually, their superiors were killed by the attacking Titans and the rookies were left defenseless. This drove Ymir to reveal herself to be a Titan, using her powers to protect the others. He, along with Reiner, were shocked to recognize her as the Titan that had killed their friend, Berwick, several years earlier. The group was eventually rescued by Hanji Zoe's squad and evacuated to the wall, with the intention of regrouping with their main forces. Injured and distressed over their ordeal, Reiner broke down under the stress and confessed everything to Eren while Bertolt watched in growing distress.

Having been revealed at the Colossal Titan, Bertolt was attacked and nearly killed by Mikasa. Critically wounded and terrified, he transformed into a partial Titan form and began to attack the soldiers on the Wall while Reiner attempted to kidnap Eren. In the chaos, he managed to capture Ymir and an unnamed soldier, swallowing them both whole. Afterwards, he countered an attack by Hanji's squad through generating intense heat and steam, burning anyone that got too close. He remained in a skeleton-like state, burning to prevent attack, until Reiner roared to signal his distress. In response, Bertolt toppled from the wall and landed on top of Eren and Reiner, exploding upon impact.

The resulting explosion wounds most of the Scouts, and allows them to successfully capture Eren and flee the scene. He emerges from his Titan form carrying Ymir and wearing the stolen gear of a soldier he devoured, suggesting further unknown abilities possessed by his group. Several hours later, he takes refuge with Reiner and their two captives in the Forest of Giant Trees. However, he is mostly silent during the following arguments and discussions, only speaking up when prompted by Ymir or Eren.

Bertolt responds to Reiner's strange behavior with great distress, and is shown to have known about it long before anyone else. He is able to bring his friend back to reality by informing him that he is not a soldier, but rather that they are both "warriors". Ymir guesses this to have been the cause of previous tensions between them that she had observed.

Eren later confronts him about his role in the death of Carla Yeager, demanding to know what he thought when he learned about the suffering he'd caused. He responds with a vague comment about having felt sorry for him, horrifying Eren and leading him to scream at them both. While Reiner and Eren argue further, he remains silent and observes the efforts to sway Ymir over to their side.

Though she agrees to work with them, Bertolt remains unconvinced and warns Reiner that she cannot be trusted. He brings up the death of their friend, who was devoured by Ymir, though Reiner reassures them that she can be trusted since her only consideration is Christa's safety. Bertolt worries he may be slipping into his delusions again, but is reminded that Krista has value to them since she's a member of the Reiss family and may be able to provide them with important clues. They discuss their mission to find the "coordinate", which may or may not be Eren, and Bertolt expresses his eagerness to go home and never return to the human lands. Reiner responds by teasing him, demanding that he confess his feelings to Annie once they make it home. Bertolt attempts to protest, but Reiner claims his tendency to stare at her gave him away.

The pair notice a signal flare and realize the rescue team has already found them, and prepare to flee. While Reiner subdues Eren, Bertolt confronts Ymir over the death of his friend. She states she has no memory of having done it, but apologizes to him and asks if he hates her. He admits he isn't certain, but he can't hold her responsible since none of them wanted to devour humans. He asks how long she wandered as a mindless Titan, and implies that he and Reiner may have also spent some time trapped in their Titan forms in the past.

As the group flees, Ymir notices the signal flares and becomes agitated. She demands that they kidnap Christa, and attacks Bertolt when they refuse. They are forced to land in the trees, and she further physically intimidates and threatens Bertolt until they relent. Once Ymir returns from kidnapping Krista, he straps an unconscious Eren to his back and both cling to the Armored Titan's back as he runs from the pursuing troops.

Realizing how close the troops have already gotten, he shouts at Ymir about having delayed them so much. He demands to know what they've been doing all this for, and whether she intends to abandon Christa inside the Walls to save herself. His words get through to Ymir, and watches the exchange between the two women intently.

A short time later, Mikasa manages to get onto the Armored Titan's back and attacks first Ymir (and Christa) before turning on Bertholdt. To escape, he slips down onto the front of Reiner's neck and shouts for him to protect them. In response, Reiner cups his hands around his neck and encloses Bertolt and Eren safely against his neck. Eren, now awake, begins to struggle and ignores all efforts to calm him down. The other members of the 104th Trainees Squad climb onto the Armored Titan's shoulders and begin to shout at Bertolt in his hiding place.

He initially attempts to ignore them, as Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer alternately attempt to coax him out and confront him over his betrayal. At last, he breaks into tears and yells at them that he never wanted to kill anyone. He confesses to having truly thought of the 104th as his friends, stating that their time together was enjoyable. Even so, he refuses to surrender and return Eren, stating that "someone has to do it".

Before he can elaborate any further, Hannes screams a warning to the group as Erwin Smith leads a horde of Titans directly towards them. This forces them to retreat for a time, while Reiner attempts to charge through the oncoming horde in his Titan form. It ultimately proves hopeless, and the Armored Titan is quickly overwhelmed by the large group and forced to begin using his hands to fight. No longer protected by his partner, Bertolt is forced to defend himself when the soldiers return in force and attack him. Beginning to panic, he shouts to Reiner that they have to bring Eren back to their home.

He narrowly escapes another attack by Mikasa, and is confronted by Armin, who reveals that Annie has been captured. Taunting Bertholdt, he asks if they intend to abandon their comrade and claims that Annie is currently being tortured by the military. This drives Bertolt into a rage, and distracts him long enough for a wounded Erwin to launch a surprise attack and free Eren. Wounded, Bertolt can only watch in shock as the soldiers begin their retreat.

He remains perched on the Armored Titan's shoulder as it begins to hurl Titans at the fleeing soldiers, slowly healing his injuries. When Eren's power as the Coordinate activates, he senses it and reacts with shock. The partners begin to pursue Eren once freed from the Titan horde attacking them, but this freedom is short-lived. Taking advantage of his new-found power, Eren screams at them to stay away and threatens to kill them. Both react with shock and horror, sensing Eren's power and realizing that it has directed the horde at them once again. Reiner initially attempts to protect him from attackers, but they are quickly overwhelmed and he is forced to fight on his own.

His screams draw Ymir's attention, causing her to hesitate in fleeing with the soldiers. Just as a Titan is about to kill him, Ymir appears and rescues him. The three Titan Shifters begin to fight together, while the human soldiers retreat back to the Walls. The narration notes they did not pursue, leaving his fate in the aftermath of the battle unknown. Eren later expresses the desire to catch him and make him pay for his crimes, suggesting that he believes they survived.

Abilities
Bertolt graduated at 3rd position among the trainees, and was noted as the best user of the 3D Maneuver Gear among them. Due to his high level position, he is also likely to possess other military and combat skills.

Titan Shifting
Bertolt possesses the ability to transform into a unique, 60m Titan, referred to as the Colossal Titan (超大型巨人). Due to his massive size, he is the biggest Titan shown so far in the series. Also, due to this immense frame, his physical strength is tremendous being one of the only two Titans, the other one being the Armored Titan, who can damage and tear down the walls, such as Wall Maria. However with his immense size he is also incredibly slow, making it easy for anyone with 3DMG to move around him.

Bertholdt's Titan form also possess a powerful defense mechanism against close-range fighters, which involves him releasing large amounts of extremely hot and pressurized steam from his body, effectively repelling and/or burning whoever comes in close range to him.

His form is also noteworthy for being able to form and dissolve almost instantly, as opposed to most Titans. During the attack on Wall Rose, he was able to dissolve his Titan form literally within seconds, vanishing before Eren could react. This may be related to his ability to generate incredible heat, as he generates a massive cloud of steam before vanishing.

He also retains his intelligence as a Titan, as shown on a few occasions.

Relationships

 * Reiner Braun - Reiner is his childhood friend, and partner in their mission against humanity. The two are rarely apart, and Bertolt almost always follows along with whatever he decides. However, he's shown to be greatly bothered by Reiner's growing attachment to the others and mental problems. Even so, he rarely speaks up or takes any action to oppose Reiner.
 * Annie Leonhart - Reiner suggests that Bertolt has a crush on her, noting his tendency to always stare at her. In response, he blushes and offers a weak protest. When Armin claims that she is being tortured by the military, he flies into a rage and declares that he will kill everyone.
 * Ymir - He seems to have a mutual distrust of Ymir, acting wary of her and questioning whether or not she can be trusted. Likewise, Ymir does not seem to have much trust in him (or Reiner) and even physically threatens Bertolt in order to get her way. However, after discussing the death of Berik with her, he admits that while he isn't certain whether or not he hates her, he seems to forgive her past crime.
 * Eren Yeager - Though friendly, the two were not particularly close in comparison to Eren and Reiner's friendship. Bertolt expresses admiration for Eren's courage and the strength of his conviction to fight even after experiencing the horror of a Titan attack. After being revealed as the Colossal Titan, he behaves coldly towards Eren while the other becomes hostile towards him, calling him a "lackey".
 * Armin Arlert - Little interaction between the two has been shown, though his relationship chart in the official guidebook shows that Bertolt considers Armin a close friend. This, of course, sours once Bertholdt's true identity is revealed and he threatens to kill Armin when the other lies and claims Annie is being tortured.

Trivia

 * Bertholdt-Chara_Design.png episode 2, a young Reiner and Bertolt are in the crowd when the mission to reclaim Wall Maria is announced. This is an anime-only cameo.
 * The official site reveals his nickname is "Bertl".
 * He is the only Titan Shifter so far to be shown willingly eating a human, as he did so in order to obtain the victim's Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear.
 * Jean mentions the 104th Trainees Squad made a game of using Bertholdt's odd sleeping positions to predict the weather.
 * His name is Old German in origin, meaning "Bright Strength".