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 was a tall and well-built man. The bangs of his blond hair were parted down the middle, and he sported a mustache and beard. Mike was almost always seen wearing a serious, calm face like his commander. He was typically seen dressed in standard military garb, but also wore the Survey Corps' signature cape when on missions.

Personality
He was an acknowledged leader with a tactical mind. He became a loyal member of the Survey Corps, and was 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 he 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 was a veteran member of the Survey Corps, having served at Erwin's side long before the fall of Wall Maria. He had little introduction at first, but is more formerly introduced when he escorts Eren to court for his trial.

Mike later participated 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 was captured, Mike is tasked with watching over a number of Survey Corps members who were under suspicion of being her accomplices when Titans unexpectedly appeared within Wall Rose. After ordering the others to escape and warn the surrounding towns, Mike took on nine Titans by himself in order to buy them time to get away. He managed to kill five of them before he encountered a Deviant Type Titan that worried him due to the mass amount of fur on its body, a trait never before heard of in Titans. To Mike's horror, the Titan grabbed his horse and hurled it towards him, which forced him to jump off the building. Caught in a surrounding Titan's mouth, it attempted to swallow him whole, but the Deviant Type Titan told the Titan to halt, as it wished to question Mike. The Titan ignored it, and the Deviant Type squished its head with its hand. It then questioned Mike about the weapon around his waist, referencing his 3D Maneuver Gear. Confused and swiftly disappointed, the Titan made clear that it suspected they spoke the same language, noting that Mike could have been so paralysed with fear that he was unable to speak. It promptly ordered the surrounding Titans to do what they please, and Mike, immobilized and deprived of maneuverability, screamed as he was devoured. The Deviant Type Titan was 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 shared 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 was by Erwin's side serving as his right hand man.

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

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

Trivia

 * Mike had a 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