Beast Titan (Anime)

"The Beast Titan is as potent as ever. Though slightly larger than the other Titans, its throwing technique is dreadful on another level. What's more, his blood seems to have hidden power."

- A Marleyan analysis of Zeke Jaeger's Beast Titan

The Beast Titan (獣の巨人) was one of the Nine Titans. It had a unique animal-like appearance and was slightly larger than most Titans.

Animal traits
Unlike the majority of other Titans, which retained a largely "human" appearance, the Beast Titan exhibited animal-like traits, which greatly varied depending on its holders: some of the various animal appearances shown from prior holders of the Beast Titan have included monkeys, birds, crocodiles, elk, bulls, wolves, snakes, rabbits, dinosaurs, okapis and goats. Zeke Jaeger's Beast Titan looked like an ape and Tom Xaver's contained traits found in bighorn sheep, while Falco Grice testifies that there once existed a Beast Titan with wings. Furthermore, Zeke's spinal fluid, which carried the power of the Beast Titan, was used to transform Falco into a Titan and evidently gave his Jaw Titan falcon-like characteristics similar to those of a Beast Titan.

Powerful and accurate throwing
The Beast Titan possessed the devastating ability to throw objects with great accuracy and immense destructive capability. This was notably used by Zeke Jaeger's Beast Titan during the battle of Shiganshina to wipe out most of the Scout Regiment soldiers with crushed rocks. On a previous instance, the Beast Titan used its pitching skills to throw a horse at Miche Zacharius with great precision from a far distance away. Towards the end of the Marley Mid-East War, it wiped out the entire naval fleet of the Mid-East Allied Forces stationed at Fort Slava.

Hardening
During the brief battle with Levi, the Beast Titan attempted to harden its nape; however, Levi cut the Beast Titan down before it could harden.

Eventually Levi fought Zeke again in a forest in which Zeke instantly hardened his nape after his previous defeat. This however, proved futile as Levi uses Thunder Spears to blow up the nape instead of cutting it, defeating the Beast Titan once again.

Titan creation
One of the most perilous attributes of Zeke's Beast Titan was the ability to turn Subjects of Ymir into Titans. This ability could be used to devastating effect on the unsuspecting, such as the initiation of the Wall Rose invasion after the residents of Ragako were turned into Titans with the Beast Titan's power, as well as during the battle of Shiganshina District to create a surrounding wall of Titans, and also the time when the Marleyan military made use of this power to drop Titans onto Fort Slava in an airstrike.

Titan control
Zeke's Beast Titan was able to exercise some control over Pure Titans. Through vocal commands, it was able to direct the actions of Pure Titans and could command them to refrain from eating humans and stay in place if necessary. Titans under Zeke's Beast Titan's control were even able to function using only moonlight without falling into fatigue. However, this ability was evidently imperfect in comparison to the Founding Titan. Titans under the control of Zeke's Beast Titan either seemed to be capable of ignoring orders or occasionally did not receive or comprehend orders given. Furthermore, Titans under Zeke's Beast Titan's control could not act upon the unspoken will of Zeke and had to be given some sort of direct verbal signal before taking action.

History
The Beast Titan, like all the Nine Titans, was brought into the world after the death of Ymir Fritz. In the 1,700 years following her death, the Beast Titan was held in the possession of one or several of the warring Eldian houses subservient to the Founding Titan. After these seventeen centuries when Karl Fritz, the 145th king of the Fritz family, abandoned the conflicts of Eldia and relocated to Paradis Island, the Beast Titan was taken by the nation of Marley during the Great Titan War.

In 829, Tom Xaver inherited the Beast Titan in order to research the Titan's memories. During his tenure, the Beast Titan would often stay in Marley, as Tom claimed he was not too useful in war.

After 13 years, Zeke Jaeger would inherit the power of the Beast Titan from Tom Xaver. Over a year later, after the other Warriors had inherited their Titans, Zeke made use of his Titan form in a war between Marley and an enemy nation, using his Beast Titan to slaughter retreating soldiers in the battle.

When the time came for the Paradis Island Operation, Zeke's Beast Titan stayed behind in Marley as deterrence against enemy forces.

Clash of the Titans arc
When Titans mysteriously appear within Wall Rose the Beast Titan is among them and is encountered by Miche Zacharius, who instantly notes the strangeness of its characteristics, mistaking the Titan for a regular Abnormal. As Miche's horse races back to him, the Beast Titan unexpectedly grabs it. After noticing Miche, the Beast Titan launches the horse at him to prevent his escape and knock him off the roof he was on. After Miche falls to the mouth of a Titan, the Beast Titan orders the other Titans to withhold eating him so that it can question Miche about the omni-directional mobility gear.

However, a Titan disobeys the Beast and it crushes its head to release Miche. The Beast Titan then proceeds to interrogate Miche, but as he neglects to respond out of shock, it theorizes that they do in fact speak the same language, but Miche is simply too frightened. After stealing the equipment, it allows the surrounding Titans to devour Miche. Miche screams in horror and pain while the Beast Titan is amused to see that he could in fact talk. It then leaves the grounds contemplating the ODM gear.

The Beast Titan is later seen again wandering around outside Utgard Castle where several members of the Scout Regiment are trapped by Titans, despite Titans usually being inactive at night. It then climbs up Wall Rose and watches the Titans surrounding the tower from a distance. After the Scouts kill most of the larger Titans, the Beast Titan begins throwing large stones at the tower, killing Lynne and Henning along with their remaining horses. Shortly afterward, twice as many Titans begin to advance on the tower while the Beast Titan roars at them from atop Wall Rose. Nanaba notices the unusually strategic method in their attacks, indicating that the Beast Titan is controlling the other Titans' actions. As the Titans swarm Utgard, the Beast Titan descends the other side of Wall Rose.

The next day, while Reiner and Bertholdt are holding Eren Jaeger and Ymir captive, Ymir notes how stunned the two had appeared when they first saw the Beast Titan at Utgard as if they knew what it was. She also theorizes that it is a key factor in their return to their hometown. Shortly afterward, the Beast Titan stops in Shiganshina District, and its operator emerges from its nape, seemingly anticipating something to come.

Royal Government arc
While waiting in Shiganshina District, the Beast Titan eventually meets up with the Warriors Bertholdt and Reiner. They try to convince him to work with them to free their comrade Annie Leonhart from captivity, but the Beast Titan refuses. Conflict arises, and Reiner uses his Armored Titan to try to force the Beast Titan's hand, however the Beast Titan brutally overpowers him. As Bertholdt helps Reiner out of his Titan body, the Beast Titan's operator emerges from his Titan, telling the two of them that Annie can wait until they secure the Coordinate. He then reveals his plan to ambush the Scout Regiment in Shiganshina with their help in order to capture Eren and the Coordinate.

Return to Shiganshina arc
When the Scout Regiment arrives in Shiganshina District as Zeke had predicted, the Beast Titan appears with a small army of Pure Titans. It hefts a boulder and throws it in a perfect arc at the Wall, plugging the hole in the inner gate and preventing the Scout Regiment from bringing their horses through. Afterward, Zeke commands the smaller Titans under his influence to attack the soldiers north of the Wall. Erwin orders Squad Levi to take down the Armored Titan, but he withholds Levi himself, whom he tasks with taking down the Beast Titan.

The Scouts battle with the smaller Titans for a short time, and upon hearing the signal roar from Reiner's Armored Titan within the district, Zeke's Beast Titan hurls Bertholdt Hoover into the city in a barrel that had been waiting on standby atop the Cart Titan.

After a brief delay, Bertholdt transforms into his Colossal Titan, and in the meantime Zeke begins a new assault on the Scouts north of the district, using crushed boulders as projectiles and sending them at devastating speeds into the houses and structures to the north of Wall Maria. This strategy leaves the soldiers north of the Wall completely immobile, and Commander Erwin Smith joins them to formulate a do-or-die strategy against the Beast Titan. In a last resort, the Scouts charge towards the Beast Titan using signal flares in an attempt to hinder its vision while Captain Levi maneuvers his way towards the Beast Titan, using the blockade of Titans as a path towards it.

The Beast Titan's bombardment strikes and kills all the charging soldiers, except for one. However, in Zeke's distraction, Levi successfully ambushes the Beast Titan, completely dismembering it with no time for Zeke to plan a defense. Zeke emerges from his ruined Beast Titan at Levi's mercy, but is soon afterward rescued by the Cart Titan.

Marley arc
Four years later, Zeke uses the power of his Beast Titan to transform a group of parachuting Eldian captives into Titans during the battle of Fort Slava at the climax of the Marley Mid-East War, creating a devastating airstrike. After Porco Galliard destroys the anti-Titan artillery, Reiner joins the combat on the ground and destroys the remaining anti-Titan artillery on top of a wall posing a threat to Zeke's Titan, he transforms into the Beast and uses leftover artillery rounds as projectiles against the navy of the Mid-East Allied Forces stationed in the bay near to the fort. The fleet fires upon the Beast Titan before it is destroyed, but Reiner's Armored Titan saves Zeke from fatal injuries.

During the Scout Regiment's assault on Liberio a month later, the Beast Titan approaches the plaza and enters the battle, ordering both Porco and Pieck to annihilate the enemy. Throughout the battle, the Cart Titan protects Zeke from the Scouts, in particular Levi, and is in turn defended by the Jaw Titan.

The Beast Titan provides the Warriors with artillery support, hurling crushed debris around the plaza, instantly stopping the battle and declaring that Eren Jaeger is not his enemy and that he wants to face Levi. He then turns his back which allows Levi to swiftly cut open his nape and detonate an explosive in his nape.

While much of the Marleyan military assumes Zeke to be dead, he is in fact boarded onto the Scout Regiment's airship. Hange reveals that Zeke and the Scout Regiment are working together, signifying a change in allegiance of the Beast Titan, and the airship moves out towards Paradis Island.

War for Paradis arc
According to Zeke's plan, Historia Reiss is supposed to inherit the Beast Titan. Initially, the military wanted Historia to inherit Zeke's Titan immediately but her pregnancy has delayed the succession. Despite this, while watching over Zeke in the Forest of Giant Trees, Levi begins making plans to have the Beast Titan temporarily held by a captured Jaegerist until the pregnancy is completed.

In the forest, Zeke uses the power of his scream to transform 30 nearby Scout Regiment soldiers into Pure Titans. This was possible as these soldiers, like many higher-ups in the military, had previously drunk alcohol that was mixed with his spinal fluid. Zeke uses the opportunity to escape from the custody of the Regiment. Confident that Levi would not slaughter his own subordinates, Zeke summons three of the newly created Titans and plans to have the Titans take him to the agreed upon meeting place with Eren.

Zeke is stunned to see Levi appear in front of him and quickly transforms into the Beast Titan. Tearing apart one of the Titans, Zeke scans the forest and throws the bloody Titan pieces towards Levi and notices many tree branches falling towards him. Although he hardens his nape, the Beast Titan is struck by several Thunder Spears that pierce through. Zeke can barely react before Levi detonates them, blowing apart the Beast Titan and critically injuring Zeke.

Zeke arrives in Shiganshina to find the district under siege from Marley's forces and Eren on the verge of being eaten by Reiner. Climbing to the top of Wall Maria in his Titan form, Zeke launches a volley of rocks which knock Reiner off of Eren and commends his younger brother for standing against Marley's forces, comforting him that he will now take care of the enemies.

After destroying many of the airships, the Beast Titan then spots the Cart Titan and shifts its attention to keep it at bay. Noticing the Attack Titan is in the act of getting ambushed by both the Armored and Jaw Titans, it continues its barrage and critically damages both. Just then, it gets shot through the shoulder by Theo Magath and the Beast Titan falls off the Wall.

Once Zeke reawakens, he declares his intention to transform those affected by his spinal fluid into Pure Titans. After a short delay due to a plea from Colt, the Beast Titan screams nevertheless, before ordering the transformed Falco Grice to attack Reiner. Soon after, the Beast Titan is shot in the nape again. Seeing this as an opportunity to play dead, Zeke exits his Titan form and hides in its steam.

As the Rumbling reaches Fort Salta, Zeke's Titan emerges from the Founding Titan to fight off the Marley bombers trying to stop it; it is soon destroyed and dissipates.

After Eren's death, the Beast Titan ceases to exist together with all Titans.

Trivia

 * The Beast Titan shares an English dub voice actor with Shikishima from the Attack on Titan live-action movies.
 * Zeke's Beast Titan's appearance resembled several, such as "Bigfoot," the Yeti, and Yowie.

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