Yelena (Anime)

Yelena (イェレナ) is a former Marleyan soldier and a follower of Zeke Jaeger. She was one of the Marleyan soldiers on board the first survey fleet to Paradis Island after Marley's failed attack operation.

Appearance
Yelena is a very tall woman with her blonde hair styled in a short bob with straight bangs. She has large dark gray eyes and somewhat androgynous features due to her build and style. She also sports a chinstrap beard, which is later revealed to be fake. Originally, Yelena wore the standard Marleyan military uniform, but after disaffiliating she began wearing a casual white button-down with a dark blazer and pants.

Personality
Yelena is a fervent follower of Zeke Jaeger, holding great admiration and respect for him. She is usually calm and collected, her demeanor remaining unchanged even when Jean Kirschtein yelled at her for failing to see her job through. Nonetheless, she is willing to take responsibility and apologizes should she fail in her task. Yelena appears to maintain a very relaxed demeanor while having dry, humorous undertones to much of her actions.

History
When Yelena's home country was taken over by Marley, she was one of many who were forcibly conscripted into the Marleyan army to serve as a soldier.

Marley arc
During the Marley Mid-East War, Yelena and her comrades are placed in a situation where they completely lose their will to rebel against Marley. However, Zeke saves them from the clutches of death, rejuvenating their fighting spirit, and inspiring Yelena. She becomes a devoted follower of Zeke, to the extent that she considers him a God. She and her group join with Zeke and begin planning a rebellion in earnest.

As she works with Zeke, she and the other members of the Volunteers are notified by Zeke of his half-brother Eren, who has possession of two Titan abilities. Yelena volunteers to go to Paradis Island as part of the crew serving aboard a survey ship. In 851, the ship arrives at Paradis and is promptly captured and beached by Eren's Titan form. They are confronted by Hange Zoë, offering to negotiate with them. When her commanding officer refuses to listen, Yelena promptly kills him and, along with Onyankopon, accepts Hange's offer to talk.

Meeting with Hange and Levi Ackermann, Yelena and Onyankopon allow the two to inspect their weapons, explaining that Marley has not yet launched a full assault on Paradis Island due to a war they are currently caught in. Hange guesses that Yelena and her comrades are sleeper agents who have infiltrated the Marleyan army, but Yelena explains to them that they are simply conscripted soldiers who have chosen to rally around Zeke Jaeger in opposition of Marley as the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. Forming an alliance with Paradis Island, Yelena and her comrades begin sharing their technology with the islanders, and prepare to fight back against Marley.

While attending a banquet to celebrate the opening of the rail system in Trost District, Yelena's personal guard is abruptly changed, being replaced by Floch Forster. She has also, as noted by Dot Pyxis, taken up lodgings near Eren's home.

Yelena disguises herself as a Marleyan soldier from the Lakua military base in the west and arrives at the Warriors' seating area during Willy Tybur's production. Claiming that Magath called for them, she asks that Pieck, Galliard, and Zeke follow her. Soon after, she sends Zeke off in another direction while continuing to lead the other Warriors. They stop temporarily when Pieck suddenly hugs one of the Panzer Unit soldiers that they meet on the way. She leads them into a room, where she traps the two in a hole.

At the end of the Raid on Liberio, she joins the Scouts on their airship. Standing in a room along with Zeke, Eren Jaeger, Armin Arlelt, Levi, and Mikasa Ackermann, she takes her fake goatee off when Levi asks her to, joking that people seemed to like it. They are soon joined by Jean Kirschtein, who brings two captives with him. Jean yells at her for not carrying out her duty of locking up the Jaw and Cart Titan, causing more soldiers than necessary to die, for which she accepts responsibility.

After returning to Paradis, Yelena and her fellow Volunteers turn over a stock of Titan serums they managed to steal from Marley to the Garrison. After receiving the serums, Dot Pyxis has his soldiers capture the Volunteers, revealing that Paradis is not willing to trust Zeke and his followers yet. Yelena is unconcerned with the betrayal, confidently declaring that the Volunteers and the Eldians will soon dine at the same table.

War for Paradis arc
After some time in confinement, Yelena receives a visit from Pyxis. Yelena quickly admits to meeting with Eren, apologizing for keeping the meeting a secret. She claims that she only met with Eren to persuade him to do something that forces the military into action, but Pyxis points out that she could have just talked to the military directly. He accuses her of trying to influence Eren to Zeke's will, but Yelena passionately argues that she did not, and that she only wanted to meet Eren out of curiosity due to his unique traits as the Founding Titan and as Zeke's brother. Revealing that none of the other Volunteers were aware of her meeting with Eren, Yelena claims that she only wants what is best for Eldia. Pyxis remains unconvinced, telling her that she is a terrible liar.

People killed

 * A Marleyan captain

Trivia

 * Yelena is the Anglicized form of "Jelena" which is, in turn, a Slavic derivation of a Greek name "Helénē" (Ἑλένη).

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