Bertolt Hoover

Bertolt Hoover (ベルトルト・フーバー) is a graduate of the 104th Trainees Squad and former member of the Survey Corps. He ranked 3rd, and is described by others as a weak-willed and quiet person. He is rarely seen without Reiner Braun, his close childhood friend, both of whom originate from their mysterious "homeland" outside the Walls.

Along with Reiner and Annie Leonhart, he is a person that possesses the ability to transform into a Titan and serves an as-yet unrevealed group. In the year 845, he was on a mission with Reiner to breach Wall Maria and infiltrate the military in search of something that Reiner refers to as the "Coordinate". As the Colossal Titan, he serves as a major antagonist—however, the revelation of his true identity illustrates the moral uncertainty of the series.

Human Form
Bertolt is a rather tall, slender young man. He is the tallest of all currently know Titan Shifters, both in human and Titan form. He has short, dark hair, green eyes and elongated face. In the anime adaptation, he has a slightly darker skin tone.

Titan Form
As the Colossal Titan, he possesses a very distinctive appearance and a number of unusual features. First of all, it is roughly 60 meters tall, making it around four times the height of any other Titan seen thus far in the anime.

Bertolt's Colossal Titan form is one of the more heavily deformed Titans seen in the series - it appears to lack skin entirely and its jaw and facial structure seem to be heavily altered from the human form. It is also constantly releasing jets of steam from the surface of its body, in a manner that parallels Bertolt's frequent nervous sweating. Its feet are also quite different to those of a human and other Titans, as they are swollen and pillar-like in appearance. Its physiology is modeled after the male sex, but like all Titans, it lacks sexual organs. He has slim arms in comparison to the body and his legs. He appears to be the only one who doesn't leave a Titan body behind after returning to human form, seeming to evaporate into thin air.

Personality
Bertolt is a quiet, young man, identifying himself as someone with a weak will that follows popular opinion. Likewise, their instructor noted him to be a person with great potential, but an utter lack of initiative. He is further described by Eren as being taciturn, and tends to remain in the background unless necessary. By his own admission, he is something of a coward and is noted for his low self-esteem.

His withdrawn behavior initially lead to the impression of him as the least emotionally compromised of the three Titan agents. He showed little attachment or remorse over his actions, seeming to care only about his partner, Reiner. However, when confronted by his former comrades and questioned about their friendship, he reveals himself to be far more conflicted and guilt-ridden than it originally appeared. His claims of not having a choice add a further level of ambiguity to his character, leaving many of his actions in question.

He shows great devotion to both of his fellow agents, Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart, easily driven to action or anger when he feels either is threatened. Initially, he shows himself to be wary of others (for good reason) and acts as a voice of reason to Reiner, cautioning him repeatedly about lowering his guard. His interactions with Ymir reveal that while his actions have caused considerable suffering, he is not a cruel person and is capable of showing genuine kindness towards others.

History
Bertolt comes from a mysterious location simply referred to as his hometown (or homeland), and began a mission to attack humanity in the year 845. Little is known about his life prior to undertaking his mission, other than the fact that Reiner and Marcel were his childhood friends. The exact nature of their group, and their mission is yet unknown. It is stated that their goal was to exterminate humanity, but their mission also involved locating and retrieving the Beast Titan and the mysterious ability called the Coordinate, possessed by Eren Yeager. At some point prior to attacking Wall Maria, he encountered Ymir's Titan form while traveling with Reiner and Marcel. Still in a mindless state, she attacked the three boys and nearly killed Reiner. Marcel ended up sacrificing his life to protect his friends, while Bertolt appears to have fled in terror and possibly abandoned the other two in the process.

Fall of Shiganshina arc


After one hundred years of peace and prosperity, Bertolt would first appear over Wall Maria as the Colossal Titan in the year 845, with Eren, Armin and Mikasa as witnesses. His mere presence is enough to cause considerable panic amongst the population, as he is tall enough to see completely over the Wall that is supposed to keep all Titans out. Within moments of his appearance, he lifts his leg and breaches a large portion of the Wall, opening a hole large enough for other Titans to pass through.

The rubble from the impact further threatens the inhabitants of the Wall, remnants of it kill people and crushing houses, one of which being Kalura Yeager's. He then disappears after causing considerable structural damage to the Wall, but does not attempt to participate in the ensuing massacre itself. After these events, the Colossal Titan is not seen for five years. At some point during the abandonment of Wall Maria, Bertolt passed himself off as a refugee and infiltrated human territory. He was seen with Reiner as the campaign to retake Wall Maria was announced, wearing a shocked expression.

104th Trainees Squad arc


Eventually, Bertolt joined the military, with aspirations of joining the Military Police and living in the safety of the inner wall. As part of the 104th, he was considered to be one of the best in regards to 3D Maneuver Gear, enough so that Eren Yeager came to him for advice when he was dealing with faulty equipment.

After seeing Eren's determination and desire to join the Survey Corps, he considered himself a coward for wanting to get far away from them. However, Eren encouraged him, saying that after witnessing the attack on his village, no one would blame him for his decision. Eventually, he graduated in the top ten of his class coming in at third place, just under his friend Reiner.

Battle of Trost District arc


Bertolt reappears as the Colossal Titan five years later in 850, breaching Wall Rose so that his brethren can once again devour the humans inside. He is almost immediately attacked by Eren Yeager, but Bertolt first repels and blinds him with vapor from his high temperature body before vanishing completely from view. This attack prompts the Garrison to create the Colossal Titan contingency plan for Trost District.

When Armin, Mikasa and Connie made it to the headquarters, with the help of the rogue Titan, Armin devised a plan to get rid of the Titans in the supply room. Bertolt, part of the second group, came in from the ceiling and killed his target in one blow. The mission a success and everyone resupplied, he and the rest of the group leave the headquarters.

On the way out, he joins Mikasa and others on a rooftop as they watch the rogue Titan being eaten by other Titans. Reiner suggests helping it out, but ultimately it ends up not being necessary as the Titan fights his way out upon seeing the Titan that ate Thomas. After the rogue Titan kills it, the Titan collapses, and Bertolt is among the first people to learn of Eren's ability.

Post-Trost, Bertolt joins the Survey Corps with Mikasa, Reiner, Eren, Connie, Sasha, Krista, Armin, Ymir, Jean and a few others.

Clash of the Titans arc
In the aftermath of the failed mission to capture the Female Titan, Bertolt is among the recruits placed under observation at an old mansion and suspected of being a potential accomplice to Annie. He is shown to have occupied his time playing chess with Reiner, and quickly becomes involved in the operation to investigate the Titans that appeared within Wall Rose. Reiner requests his assistance on the Southern squad headed for Connie Springer's village, which is later discovered to be deserted.

That evening, the Southern squad meets up with a squad including Ymir and Krista and the decision is made to take refuge for the night in Castle Utgard. At some point during the night, the castle comes under attack by Titans and the recruits are forced to defend the interior from the smaller Titans that have invaded. After Reiner takes off on his own to investigate, Bertolt offers a strange observation of his friend's "bad habit" of risking himself for others. When a Titan manages to break through a stairwell door, he comes to Reiner's defense with a pitchfork and helps fight it off. The two reaffirm their promise to survive and return to their home together.

After a second Titan manages to enter and injure Reiner, he helps Ymir toss it out a window. Afterwards, he begins to behave in a withdrawn manner and responds to questions about how Reiner was in the past with a strange comment about how Reiner has changed and is no longer a "warrior". However, he refuses to elaborate further on the subject.

Eventually, their superiors are killed by the attacking Titans and the rookies are left defenseless. This drives Ymir to reveal herself to be a Titan, using her powers to protect the others. He, along with Reiner, are shocked to recognize her as the Titan that had killed their friend, Marcel, several years earlier. Ymir manages to save them and to kill many titans. When she is overwhelmed, the Survey Corps save her and the group.



The group is eventually rescued by Hange Zoë's squad and evacuated to the Wall, with the intention of regrouping with their main forces. Injured and distressed over their ordeal, Reiner breaks down under the stress and confesses their identities to Eren while Bertolt watches in growing distress. The two are viciously attacked and almost killed by Mikasa, and Bertolt asks if they're to transform right now. Reiner obliges, saying that as a warrior, he must do his duty till the bitter end.



Critically wounded and terrified, Bertolt transforms into a partial Titan form and begins to attack the soldiers on the Wall while Reiner attempts to kidnap Eren. In the chaos, he manages to capture Ymir and a random soldier, swallowing them both whole. Afterwards, he counters an attack by Hange's squad through generating intense heat and steam, burning anyone that gets too close. He remains in a skeleton-like state, burning profusely to prevent any attack against him.



Reiner then roars to signal his distress. In response, Bertolt topples from the Wall and lands on top of a fighting Eren and Reiner, exploding upon impact. The resulting explosion wounds most of the scouts, and allows Reiner and Bertolt to successfully capture Eren and flee the scene. Bertolt emerges from his Titan form carrying Ymir and wearing the stolen gear of a soldier he devoured. Several hours later, he takes refuge with Reiner and their two captives in the Forest of Giant Trees. However, he is mostly silent during the following arguments and discussions, only speaking up when prompted by Ymir or Eren.

Bertolt responds to Reiner's strange behavior with great distress, and is shown to have known about it long before anyone else. He is able to bring his friend back to reality by informing him that he is not a soldier, but rather that they are both "warriors". Ymir guesses this to have been the cause of previous tensions between them that she had observed.

Eren later confronts him about his role in the death of Kalura Yeager, demanding to know what he thought when he learned about the suffering he'd caused. He responds with a vague comment about having felt sorry for him, horrifying Eren and leading him to scream at them both. Eren expresses that they are murderers responsible for the genocide of innocent people. Reiner irritatedly says he already is aware, and Eren tells him to stop grieving as if he's a victim and that he is no longer human, being responsible for turning their world into a living hell. A frustrated Reiner asks what Eren wants from them then, if he wants for him apologize or atone for his actions or admit that killing is bad. He says that the person Eren once knew is dead and if it makes him feel any better, he can scream all he likes. This gives Eren a new resolve, and he vows that they both will die horrible, excruciating deaths. Bertolt remains silent at this point, as Ymir finds Eren's assurance stupid yet amusing, but she questions Reiner on what the "ape-like Titan" was. Noting that Reiner and Bertolt both looked like gawking, excited children at his appearance, she reveals that the ape-like Titan must have been responsible for the sudden appearance of Titans from the south. She thinks that it might be what they need to return to their homeland. Realizing Ymir might know something, Eren frivolously questions her on who the enemy is, in which she vaguely mutters a reply but is interrupted by Reiner. Reiner asks whether she believes that their world has a future, shocking everyone. He says that, considering all she knows, she should come to "their side" and return with them to their homeland. He insists that she is trustworthy, since they share the goal of protecting Krista and he can ensure her future in exchange for Ymir's cooperation.

Though she agrees to work with them, Bertolt remains unconvinced and warns Reiner that she cannot be trusted. He brings up the death of their friend, who was devoured by Ymir, though Reiner reassures them that she can be trusted since her only consideration is Krista's safety. Bertolt worries he may be slipping into his delusions again, but is reminded that Krista has value to them since she's a member of the Reiss family and may be able to provide them with important clues. They discuss their mission to find the "Coordinate", which may or may not be Eren, and Bertolt expresses his eagerness to go home and never return to the human lands. Reiner responds by teasing him, demanding that he confess his feelings to Annie once they make it home. Bertolt attempts to protest, but Reiner claims his tendency to stare at her gave him away.

The pair notice a signal flare and realize the rescue team has already found them, and prepare to flee. While Reiner subdues Eren, Bertolt confronts Ymir over the death of his friend. She states she has no memory of having done it, but apologizes to him and asks if he hates her. He admits he isn't certain, but he can't hold her responsible since none of them wanted to devour humans. He asks how long she wandered as a mindless Titan, and implies that he and Reiner may have also spent some time trapped in their Titan forms in the past.

As the group flees, Ymir notices the signal flares and becomes agitated. She demands that they kidnap Krista, and attacks Bertolt when they refuse. They are forced to land in the trees, and she further physically intimidates and threatens Bertolt until they relent. Once Ymir returns from kidnapping Krista, he straps an unconscious Eren to his back and both cling to the Armored Titan's back as he runs from the pursuing troops.

Realizing how close the troops have already gotten, he shouts at Ymir about having delayed them so much. He demands to know what they've been doing all this for, and whether she intends to abandon Krista inside the Walls to save herself. His words get through to Ymir, and watches the exchange between the two women intently.

A short time later, Mikasa manages to get onto the Armored Titan's back and attacks first Ymir (and Krista) before turning on Bertolt. To escape, he slips down onto the front of Reiner's neck and shouts for him to protect them. In response, Reiner cups his hands around his neck and encloses Bertolt and Eren safely against his neck. Eren, now awake, begins to struggle and ignores all efforts to calm him down. The other members of the 104th Trainees Squad climb onto the Armored Titan's shoulders and begin to shout at Bertolt in his hiding place.

He initially attempts to ignore them, as Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer alternately attempt to coax him out and confront him over his betrayal. At last, he breaks into tears and yells at them that he never wanted to kill anyone. He confesses to having truly thought of the 104th as his friends, stating that their time together was very enjoyable. Even so, he refuses to surrender and return Eren, stating that "someone has to do it".

Before he can elaborate any further, Hannes screams a warning to the group as Erwin Smith leads a horde of Titans directly towards them. This forces them to retreat for a time, while Reiner attempts to charge through the oncoming horde in his Titan form. It ultimately proves hopeless, and the Armored Titan is quickly overwhelmed by the large group and forced to begin using his hands to fight. No longer protected by his partner, Bertolt is forced to defend himself when the soldiers return in force and attack him. Beginning to panic, he shouts to Reiner that they have to bring Eren back to their home.



He narrowly escapes another attack by Mikasa, and is confronted by Armin, who reveals that Annie has been captured. Taunting Bertolt, he asks if they intend to abandon their comrade and claims that Annie is currently being tortured by the military. This drives Bertolt into a rage, and distracts him long enough for a wounded Erwin to launch a surprise attack and free Eren. Wounded, Bertolt can only watch in shock as the soldiers begin their retreat.

He remains perched on the Armored Titan's shoulder as it begins to hurl Titans at the fleeing soldiers, slowly healing his injuries. When Eren's power as the Coordinate activates, he senses it and reacts with shock. The partners begin to pursue Eren once freed from the Titan horde attacking them, but this freedom is short-lived. Taking advantage of his new-found power, Eren screams at them to stay away and threatens to kill them. Both react with shock and horror, sensing Eren's power and realizing that it has directed the horde at them once again. Reiner initially attempts to protect him from attackers, but they are quickly overwhelmed and he is forced to fight on his own.



His screams draw Ymir's attention, causing her to hesitate in fleeing with the soldiers. Just as a Titan is about to kill him, Ymir appears and rescues him. The three Titan Shifters begin to fight together, while the human soldiers retreat back to the Walls. The narration notes they did not pursue, leaving his fate in the aftermath of the battle unknown. Eren later expresses the desire to catch him and make him pay for his crimes, suggesting that he believes they survived.

This is confirmed in an epilogue, which reveals that he survived and fled back to the ruins of Shiganshina District. The group, exhausted from their two-day ordeal, rest atop Wall Maria while attempting to make sense of things. He questions Ymir about her decision to save his life, and is shocked that her actions were motivated by gratitude for having been saved from her "eternal nightmare". Knowing that she faces an uncertain future when they return with her to their homeland, Bertolt struggles to hold back his tears while thanking her.

Abilities
Bertolt graduated at 3rd position among the trainees, and was noted as the best user of the 3D Maneuver Gear among them. He managed to kill a small titan without the use of the 3D Maneuver Gear. Due to his high level position, he is also likely to possess other military and combat skills.

Titan Shifting
Bertolt is able to transform into a 60 meter Titan referred to as the Colossal or Colossus Titan (超大型巨人 Chō ōgata Kyojin) and is the second largest Titan shown in the series so far. In this form, Bertolt is able to look over the Walls that protect the last remnants of mankind. He is also able to retain his intelligence when he transforms as shown when he targets the network of cannons that line the top part of Wall Maria first as a means to quickly cripple the Wall's defense. The Colossal Titan form, due to its large size, is incredibly slow which makes it easy for anyone with the 3D Maneuver Gear to move around him. Like Eren, Bertolt is able to induce partial transformation as he is able to manifest the upper portion of his Titan form on top of Wall Rose to fight against the Survey Corp. His form is also noteworthy for being able to form and dissolve almost instantly, as opposed to most Titans. During the attack on Wall Rose, he was able to dissolve his Titan form literally within seconds, vanishing before Eren could react. This may be related to his ability to generate incredible heat, as he generates a massive cloud of steam before vanishing. He also has the ability to trigger a partial transformation, in which only appears a part of the Titan and not the entire being, but it is unknown if this is made at will or it is just a mistake.


 * Regeneration: Bertolt, like all other Titan Shifters and Titans, has the power to automatically regenerate any wounds sustained and even entire parts of body that were lost. This power also extends to his human form, as shown with the fight against Mikasa on top of Wall Rose with Bertolt losing part of his arm and suffering a critical slash to his neck. Later on, in the Forest of Giant Trees, Bertolt is seen with his arm regenerated, and his neck fully healed. He also received a deep cut in the chest at hands of Erwin Smith, but he regenerated anyway.
 * Enhanced Strength: The Colossal Titan  is physically the strongest Titan shown so far in the series due to its immense size and along with the Armored Titan, they are the only ones who are capable of damaging and tearing down the gates of Walls. With a single strike of his Titan foot, Bertolt was able to breach the south gate of Wall Maria easily, damaging nearby buildings in the Shiganshina District. A sweeping motion with one of his arms was enough to destroy all the cannons on top of Wall Maria as well as damage the upper portion of the Wall. Bertolt’s strikes had enough force to similarly damage the upper portion of Wall Rose and create a shock wave able to push back people, wounding them in the process. He was able to stop Eren's titan form by simply jumping off a wall and no even in his complete form. This strike was strong enough to also leave an enormous crater in the ground.
 * Steam Generation: Since Bertolt’s Titan form is far too slow to catch more agile opponents with the 3D Maneuver Gear, he possesses a powerful defence mechanism that involves him releasing large amounts of extremely hot and pressurized steam from his body. The steam has enough force to deflect any cables shot from the 3DMG and burn away or repel close-range fighters. It is shown that Bertolt can sustain the effort of producing large quantities of steam for a timed/limited duration, as seen in the fight on the top of Wall Rose.

Relationships

 * Reiner Braun - Reiner is his childhood friend, and partner in their mission against humanity. The two are rarely apart, and Bertolt almost always follows along with whatever he decides. However, he's shown to be greatly bothered by Reiner's growing attachment to the others and mental problems. Even so, he rarely speaks up or takes any action to oppose Reiner.
 * Annie Leonhart - Reiner suggests that Bertolt has a crush on her, noting his tendency to always stare at her. In response he blushes and offers a weak protest. Reiner says that once their mission is complete, Bertolt will have to tell Annie how he feels about her. When Armin claims that she is being tortured by the military, he flies into a rage and declares that he will kill everyone.
 * Marcel - Reiner and Bertolt's childhood friend, Marcel sacrificed himself to save Reiner and was eaten by Ymir at the start of their mission. Upon remembering his sacrifice, the both vow to complete their mission and return to their homeland.
 * Ymir - He is initially distrustful of her, warning Reiner that she once killed their friend and is dangerous. His fear of her continues to be a major aspect of their shaky alliance, though he seems to have changed his opinion after she saved his life. Afterwards, he expresses his gratitude to her and is visibly distressed by her willingness to further risk her life by returning to the Titan Shifters' homeland.
 * Eren Yeager - Though friendly, the two were not particularly close in comparison to Eren and Reiner's friendship. Bertolt expresses admiration for Eren's courage and the strength of his conviction to fight even after experiencing the horror of a Titan attack. After graduation, Bertolt appears above Trost District and breaches the gate, and he and Eren briefly fight before Bertolt disappears completely. After his identity is revealed, he behaves hollowly towards Eren while the other becomes hostile towards him, calling him a "lackey". Eren questions what Bertolt thought of his mother's death, as he is directly responsible, and Bertolt says he felt sorry for him. This enrages Eren, and he later vows to see them both die in the most painful way possible.
 * Armin Arlert - Little interaction between the two has been shown, though his relationship chart in the official guidebook shows that Bertolt considers Armin a close friend. This, of course, sours once Bertolt's true identity is revealed and he threatens to kill Armin when the other lies and claims Annie is being tortured.
 * Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer - Both alternately attempt to appeal to their friendship and confront him during the mission to rescue Eren. They mention several fond memories from their time as trainees, and Bertolt is visibly distraught by their words. When he finally breaks down, Bertolt states he genuinely thought of them both as his friends.

Trivia

 * In Episode 2 of the anime, a young Reiner and Bertolt are in the crowd when the mission to reclaim Wall Maria is announced. This is an anime-only cameo.
 * The official site reveals his nickname is "Bertl".
 * He is the only Titan Shifter so far to be shown willingly eating a human, as he did so in order to obtain the victim's Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear. He is also thus far the only Shifter not shown transforming multiple times in a single day, leaving it unknown whether or not he's capable of doing so.
 * Jean mentions the 104th Trainees Squad made a game of using Bertolt's odd sleeping positions to predict the weather.
 * His name is Old German in origin, meaning "Bright Strength".
 * In the game Age of Gunslingers Online, a special Titan Mode was made as a tribute to the series. The final boss is heavily based upon the Colossal Titan, and is fought atop a massive structure. A trailer of this mode can be viewed here.

Quotes

 * (To Jean and Connie) "I really did think of you as comrades!"

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