Marlo Freudenberg (Anime)

"I picked the wrong regiment to join. As long as you guys have it in you to risk your lives and keep fighting...I will trust you."

- Marlo to Jean about the Scout Regiment

Marlo Freudenberg (マルロ・フロイデンベルク) was a recruit (新兵) in the Scout Regiment, and a former private (二等兵) in the Military Police Regiment stationed in Stohess District. He was a graduate of the 104th Cadet Corps, though he was not from the same division as Eren Jaeger.

Appearance
Marlo was a young man whose hair was in the style of a bowl cut and usually wore the standard Military Police Regiment uniform. He was rarely seen without a stoic and serious expression on his face. He was also quite tall, especially when compared to his comrades. His hair was black and he had silver-colored eyes.

Personality
Marlo was a very righteous person. While most who join the Military Police Regiment do so because they want a safe position far from the danger of the Titans, Marlo did so because he wanted "to uphold justice and do what's right." His goal was to rise to the top of the organization so he could stop the pilfering of taxes and misappropriation of land. Though steadfast in his idealism, he could make moral compromises to achieve his goal, confessing a willingness to act like "scum" in order to move up in rank. Due to his passion towards his ideals, he had often been compared to Eren Jaeger by people who know the both of them.

He initially held a belief that human beings are naturally benevolent and righteous, accompanied by something of a black-and-white view of morality. He was aware of the Military Police's corruption and had the intention of making its members feel shame for their transgressions when he rose to the top, comparing them to animals that defecated wherever they felt like. He soon came to realize, however, that the system itself is the one that encourages the corruption and inherent selfishness of human beings.

Wall Sina, Goodbye: Part One
When Annie Leonhart is tasked with searching for the missing girl Carly Stratmann, she consults Marlo for information concerning the Stratmann family and Marleen Company, owned by Elliot G. Stratmann. Marlo informs her of the company's profitable business between Wall Maria and Wall Sina and the inevitable decline in business following the fall of Wall Maria, reducing the company to a carriage business. Annie wonders if Marlo is being forced to pursue the investigation like she has been, but Marlo insists he is keeping records for the good of the Military Police, unlike his peers.

Assault on Stohess arc
A few days after the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Marlo is assigned to guard the Scout Regiment convoy transporting Eren Jaeger as it passes through Stohess District. When he questions why they need to accompany the Scout Regiment through town, his superior leaves Marlo in charge of the mission.

Frustrated by the higher ranking officers' lack of morals and duties, Marlo explains his motivation for joining the Military Police to the other recruits. He goes on a tirade about how the Military Police are no better than animals, and when he is in charge he will make them into what humans are supposed to be. This prompts Annie to speak up, commenting that she believes having someone like Marlo in charge would only be a detriment. She compares Marlo to an acquaintance of hers, commenting that they are both idiots trying to go against the flow of the world. Marlo simply retorts that if her friend is an idiot then they are nothing alike, before ordering the squad to begin their assigned patrol.

While on duty, Marlo sees and confronts higher ranking officers that are illegally selling omni-directional mobility gear to the merchant association. When he threatens to report them, they beat him up. Annie and Hitch intervene, and the officers decide to let him off the hook. Enraged, Marlo begins to reach for his rifle, considering executing them while their backs are turned. As he wrestles with his desire to kill them, Annie offers to help him, reminding him of his desire to punish the corrupt. Annie's words cow Marlo, and he allows the officers to leave. Frustrated with himself for not following through, Marlo asks if the friend Annie had compared him to would have killed them. Annie confirms the possibility, and Marlo laments that he is just like the others in their squad, going with the flow of the world.

After the fight between Annie and Eren begins, Stohess is in utter ruin and Hitch can be seen on a rooftop with Marlo and other soldiers, questioning why there would be Titans fighting inside of Wall Sina.

Clash of the Titans arc
After the aftermath of Eren and Annie's brawl in Stohess, Marlo and Hitch are seen looking at the rubble from the buildings and bodies scattered all over. Marlo wonders why they are being kept in the dark when they had just fought a Titan this far inside the Walls and Hitch replies that it is business as usual and notes that there is not an "official" reason why all these people died.

The Uprising arc
Marlo and Hitch are assigned to patrol a forest outside of Trost, in search of Scout Regiment fugitives. The two at first exchange satirical responses about being placed with one another, but the talk progresses into a discussion about the Scout Regiment, both surprised that the Regiment has murdered civilians. Hitch comments on the destruction the Regiment caused to Stohess District, blaming the bodies they had to pick up as their fault. Marlo points out that the Scouts captured one of the Titans, something no other Military branch could have done.

The conversation is cut short when they encounter Armin Arlelt, who is apparently gathering water into bowls. They order him to raise his hands but are jumped by Levi and Mikasa, who take their guns and strip them of their weapons and uniforms. Marlo is held with Hitch as they are both questioned of the positions they hold within the Military. Hitch blames the deaths of those in Stohess on Levi and the Scout Regiment, while Marlo is shocked at her courage.

Upon blaming them for Annie's death, Levi reveals to Hitch and Marlo that Annie was the Female Titan that caused significant damage to the city and that she is alive and in custody. Marlo bursts out that he wants to help Levi and the others, but Levi refuses and orders Sasha to take them somewhere, but Jean offers instead. He threatens Marlo and Hitch with a knife while taking them deeper into the forest.

Upon arrival to a rocky enclose, Jean reveals that he intends to kill them both as they are a threat and can not be trusted. Marlo and Hitch beg for their lives, but Jean raises his knife and prepares to stab them to death. He trips and drops the knife, and Marlo grabs the knife and tells Hitch to run. Jean struggles with Marlo for the knife, warning Marlo that he has a gun and it would shoot faster than a knife could stab.

Marlo says he is really on their side and confesses his discontent with the Military Police, saying that he trusts the Scouts to lead humanity to victory. They both stop struggling, and Hitch ambushes Jean, bashing him in the head with a tree branch. She attempts to hit him again but Marlo stops her, explaining that Jean was only testing him, and that he never really intended to kill them. Marlo asks Jean why he trusted him, and Jean says because he reminds him of a kid he hates.

Marlo and Hitch lead Squad Levi to the Interior Brigade Compound, so that the squad can attack it.

After the military successfully overthrows the royal government, Marlo attends Historia Reiss's crowning as the new queen.

Following the coup, Marlo transfers to the Scout Regiment. As the day of the mission to reclaim Wall Maria nears, Marlo speaks of his enthusiasm for the upcoming mission. Sasha questions Marlo about Hitch, asking if she tried to stop him from joining the Scouts, giggling with Conny as she implies that the two are romantically linked. Not understanding her laughter, he responds by telling her that Hitch berated him, saying it was not for him and to stop trying to act cool. She went on to say that they could live the easy life in the Military Police since they were recognized for their service during the coup. Marlo then claims that his opinion of her, which was just starting to improve, lowered when he heard this and sorrowfully notes that he had been forced to tell her that he misjudged her as a person. Jean, Armin, and Sasha are appalled, and insult him for treating her so carelessly, though Eren and Conny do not see any fault in his words.

Later, the night before they leave for Wall Maria, Marlo gets into a debate with Jean over his place in the Scout formation. He does not understand why the recruits are not placed in the vanguard where they would have the most opportunity to learn. Jean informs him that if they treated their recruits like cannon fodder they would die before they have a chance to learn. That is why Marlo is assigned to the rear.

Return to Shiganshina arc
Marlo, along with other soldiers from the scouts, takes part in the operation to retake Shiganshina District. He and the other recruits enter Shiganshina on foot while the rest of the soldiers use their ODM gear to make their way on top of the Wall. They are ambushed by Beast Titan, who appears with an army of Titans and throws a boulder into the side of Wall Maria, causing a collapse which blocks the scouts' entrance to Shiganshina, leaving Marlo and the other soldiers unable to enter with their horses. Marlo and his squad mates are left in charge of the scouts' horses, and are ordered to defend them from any approaching Titans.

In the ensuing chaos, Marlo quickly becomes the de facto leader of his fellow recruits, with his comrades looking to him for advice on where to tie up their horses. He is momentarily mesmerized at the sight of Titans up close, but is quickly jolted back into action, ordering his fellow recruits to move the horses while Levi defends them.

The Beast Titan begins targeting his throws at the soldiers themselves, and Levi orders the recruits to take the horses closer to the Wall, where they can use buildings for cover. Erwin joins them at the base of the wall, and informs them that, as far as he can tell, they are the only soldiers that have survived the Beast Titan's onslaught. As his fellow recruits panic, Marlo tries to keep them in line. Floch lets one of the horses get away, and Marlo tries to chastise him, but Floch argues that there is no point in protecting the horses, as no one will survive the battle to ride them home.

As Marlo begins to lose hope himself, Erwin addresses the recruits, informing them of his plan to defeat the Beast Titan. He and all of the recruits will mount a head on charge against the Beast Titan, drawing his attention by making themselves targets and firing signal flares. This distraction will allow Levi enough time to sneak up on the Beast Titan and slay it. Although the recruits are terrified, they are steeled by Erwin's words and take part in a suicide charge against the Beast Titan led by Erwin.

Though Marlo survives the first barrage of rocks thrown by the Beast Titan, he prepares for death when he sees the second wave coming for him. At this moment, he thinks about the enthusiasm he had for this mission, and wonders what Hitch is doing right then. He theorizes that she is probably still sleeping at that time but then stops himself and wonders why this is coming to mind at such a moment. Before he can finish his thought, a rock obliterates the right side of his head and kills him.

Abilities
His exact abilities were not shown, but presumably he was skilled enough to gain entry into the Military Police Regiment.

Relationships

 * Hitch Dreyse - Marlo did not expect much of a serious attitude from Hitch, since she was usually someone who was carefree and lighthearted towards Marlo. She was extremely protective of Marlo; however, and showed that she cared about him deeply. This is shown when Jean attacked Marlo, and Hitch saved him by striking Jean with a nearby branch squarely on the head.

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Marlo Freudenberg (Anime)