Mike Zacharias

Mike Zakariasu (ミケ・ザカリアス) was a trusted member of the Survey Corps and was considered the second strongest fighter after Levi.

Appearance
Mike is a tall and strong-built man. The bangs of his blond hair are parted down the middle, and he sports a mustache and beard. Mike is almost always seen wearing a serious, calm face. He is typically seen dressed in standard military garb, but also wears the Survey Corps' signature cape when on missions.

Personality
He was an acknowledged leader with a tactical mind. He was a loyal member of the Survey Corps, and an adamant vanguard for mankind's freedom, believing humans can only lose when they stop fighting. He also seemed to care a great deal for his squad, as he sacrificed himself to allow them to escape.

Despite his courage, Mike proved, in the end, to be human. Faced with certain death, even Mike could only weep and scream in horror of his fate.

He had a bizarre habit of "sniffing" people out when he met them.

Story
Mike is a veteran member of the Survey Corps, having served at Erwin's side long before the fall of Wall Maria. Having little introduction at first, Mike is more formerly introduced when he escorts Eren to court for his trial.

Mike later participates in the Survey Corps' first attempt at apprehending Annie Leonhart in her Titan form during their 57th expedition outside the wall. Once Annie was caught in their trap, Mike, alongside Levi, attempted to carve her out. While they were unsuccessful, Mike's inclusion in this part of the plan illustrated the amount of faith and respect Erwin had in him.

After Annie's capturing, Mike is tasked with watching over a number of Survey Corps members who are under suspicion of being her accomplices when Titans unexpectedly appear within Wall Rose. After ordering the others to escape and warn the surrounding towns, Mike takes on nine Titans by himself in order to buy them time to get away. He manages to kill five of them before encountering a Deviant Type Titan that worries him due to the mass amount of fur on its body, a trait previously unheard of in Titans. To Mike's horror, the Titan grabs his horse and hurls it towards him, forcing him to jump off the building. Caught in a surrounding Titan's mouth, it attempts to swallow him whole, but the Deviant Type Titan tells the Titan to halt, as it wishes to question Mike. The Titan ignores it, and the Deviant Type squashes its head with its hand. It then questions Mike about the weapon around his waist, referencing his 3D Maneuver Gear. Confused and swiftly disappointed, the Titan voices that it suspected they spoke the same language, noting that Mike could however be so paralyzed with fear he is unable to speak. It promptly orders the surrounding Titans to do what they please, and Mike, immobilized and deprived of maneuverability, screams as he is devoured. The Deviant Type Titan is amused to know that they do indeed speak the same language.

Abilities
His combat prowess was considered to be only second to Levi and the fact that he easily disposed of 5 Titans emphasizes that statement.

His olfaction (sense of smell) was extremely acute, to the point that he could detect approaching Titans before other members of the Survey Corps, such as Levi and Erwin.

Relationships
Erwin Smith - Mike and Erwin share a deep trust due to their lengthy time in service together, as well as a mutual respect for one another's skills as soldiers. For much of the story, he is by Erwin's side serving as his right hand man.

Levi - Mike and Levi do not have much association with each other, but when they are together, they are shown to compliment each other's outstanding fighting skills, creating a fairly formidable team.

Hange Zoë - Mike and Hanji are shown to have a mutual respect for each other, and are typically seen together serving directly under Erwin.

Trivia

 * Mike was the tallest human in the series.
 * Mike has the habit of sniffing people he's just met and then smirking.
 * Mike seemed to have smelt the titans coming when the female titan was captured.

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Mike Zakarius