Marco Bott

Marco Bott (マルコ・ボット) 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, and given command of his own squad. His death serves to illustrate the grim reality of life for the soldiers, as even the most talented can meet an ignoble end while facing the Titans.

Personality
Marco was an idealistic person, valuing the good of the group above his own interests as well as understanding and coping with his own shortcomings and limitations. The others respected him greatly, and considered him to be a natural leader suited to his dreams of joining the Military Police Brigade. Unlike those who joined the Military Police Brigade for safety and privileges, his reasons for wanting to join it were genuinely faithful. He was shown to be an excellent judge of others, as he recognized Jean's potential as a leader and encouraged 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.

104th Trainees Squad arc
Marco was first introduced during the initiation of new recruits, and was intimidated by their instructor after he expressed his desire to join the Military Police Brigade. He later attempted to maintain order when the recruits questioned Eren about the attack on Wall Maria. He chided the others when their questions become too upsetting for Eren. During his time as a trainee, he befriended Jean Kirstein and the two were often seen together. He seemed to have been one of the only people to recognize Jean's potential, and encouraged him to embrace his natural abilities as a leader.

Battle of Trost District arc
After the Colossal Titan attacked Trost, Marco was assigned command of the 19th Trainee Squad and ordered to support the vanguard forces. He was eventually among the trainees stranded when the retreat order was given, and did not have enough gas to scale the Wall and escape Trost. When Mikasa and Jean rallied the others into charging headquarters, which had become surrounded by Titans, Marco was quick to join them. Inside the station, he became vital in Armin's plan to reclaim the overrun supply room and led the main group in the operation. Armed with rifles, the recruits acted as bait and lured the seven Titans who occupied the room into position. Marco managed to maintain order in the group, keeping everyone calm until they could fire and blind the attacking Titans.

He was later seen among the regrouped forces, and attempted to keep order when people like Daz gave into their fear. Marco did his best to comfort them and keep morale high, even when they were ordered to return to Trost. He joined the other recruits up on the Wall, acting as bait to distract the Titans from the main operation involving Eren Yeager. Later, he was among the recruits that went into the city to battle the Titans. There, he helped to rescue Jean when his gear malfunctioned and would eventually join the others in battling the Titans while Eren sealed the hole in Wall Rose.



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 was later cremated on a communal funeral pyre. This inspired Jean to abandon his selfish ways and join the Survey Corps, claiming that he didn't want to meet a "disappointing end with someone burning his bones without knowing why he died", a reference to how Marco died alone and went unnoticed for days. His 3D maneuver gear was later found to have been taken by Annie, though she refused to clarify how she "found it". This leaves the implication that his death may have involved foul play of some kind.

Relationships

 * Jean Kirstein - Marco and Jean were friends, and he often served as a confidante and voice of reason. He was the one who recognized Jean's potential as a leader, and encouraged him to believe in himself. When Jean found Marco's body, he went into a partially catatonic state. After Marco's death, Jean underwent a significant change and made the decision to honor his memory by joining the Scouts.
 * Daz - During the battle of Trost, Marco actively encouraged and comforted Daz. They struggled briefly when Daz considered trying to kill himself, and was later shown giving him encouragement when Daz decided to continue fighting.
 * Armin Arlert - After his death, Armin mentions that they usually performed equipment maintenance together. This became important, as it allowed Armin to recognize Marco's stolen gear when Annie presented it as her own.

Trivia

 * Marco-Chara_Design.png name means, roughly, "Messenger from the God of War", perhaps a nod towards his role in illustrating the cruel reality facing the recruits.

Navigation
Marco BottMarco Bott