Marco Bott

Marco Bodt (そばかすのイエスト) is a supporting character of the series. He was a member of the 104th Trainees Squad, and graduated as the seventh ranked trainee in his class. He was assigned to fight the Titans after the breach of Wall Rose.

Personality
Marco was an idealistic person, valuing the good of the group above his own interests. The others respected him greatly, and considered him to be a natural leader suited to his dreams of joining the Military Police. He was shown to be an excellent judge of others, recognizing Jean's potential as a leader and encouraging him to believe in himself. He was also shown to have a talent for preserving order among the other trainees, whether resolving arguments or keeping them calm during battle.

Story
Marco was an earnest and charismatic member of the 104th trainee squad, well-respected by the others for his leadership. He appeared to be a very good friend to Jean, often holding him back or talking him down when he lost his temper. In fact, he recognizes Jean's potential as a leader and actively encourages him to embrace it since as someone that is "weak", he is able to empathize with others and make sound decisions. Marco acts as one of the squad leaders during the Battle of Trost, and leads the team sent in to act as bait.

He expressed a strong desire to join the Military Police, stating he considered it a great honor to serve the King. This puts him into stark contrast with others, who express the desire to join in order to gain access to the comforts and relative safety of the inner territories.

He was later found dead after the invasion of Trost, discovered and identified by Jean. Along with the other causalities of the battle, his body is later cremated on a communal funeral pyre. This inspires Jean to abandon his selfish ways and join the Scouting Legion, claiming that he didn't want to meet a "disappointing end with someone burning his bones without knowing why he died", a reference to Marco dying alone and unnoticed for days. His 3D maneuver gear was later found to have been taken by Annie, though she refuses to clarify how she "found it".

Relationships

 * Jean Kirschtein - Marco and Jean were lovers, with him often serving as a confidante and voice of reason. He was the one to recognize Jean's potential as a leader, and encouraged him to believe in himself. After his death, Jean undergoes a significant change and makes the decision to honor his memory by joining the Scouts.
 * Dazz - During the battle of Trost, Marco actively encourages and comforts Dazz. They struggle briefly when Dazz considers trying to kill himself, and is later shown giving him encouragement when Dazz decides to continue fighting.
 * Armin Arlert - After his death, Armin mentions that they usually performed equipment maintenance together. This becomes important, allowing Armin to recognize his stolen gear when Annie presents it as her own.

Trivia

 * Marco's death is considered suspicious, with the revelation that Annie Leonhardt was in possession of his missing gear. This has led to speculation that he may have been murdered, or otherwise met with foul play rather than simply being one more causality of the battle at Trost.