Mikasa Ackermann (Anime)

"There's only so many lives that I actually care about. My enemies made deciding that easy six years ago. So...you're mistaken to seek any compassion from me. Because right now, I'm all out of time and room in my heart to care."

- Mikasa on saving Eren

Mikasa Ackermann (ミカサ・アッカーマン) is the adoptive sister of Eren Jaeger, and is the main female protagonist of the series.

After her biological parents were murdered by bandits, she was rescued by Eren and lived with him and his mother and father for approximately a year before the Fall of Wall Maria.

Though she desires only to live a peaceful life with Eren, Mikasa chose to follow him into the military—where she is considered the best soldier among the 104th Cadet Corps. She later joined the Scout Regiment to continue following and protecting Eren.

Appearance
Mikasa is a fairly tall, physically fit, and very muscular teenage girl with chin-length black hair she initially wore longer, but cut short at Eren's suggestion, despite Jean telling her it was beautiful. She is of Asian heritage, with pale skin and calm, black eyes. Her eye color is not consistent and often varies, depending on the light and surroundings, between shades of gray and occasionally blue. Her body has been depicted as extremely well-toned, with little, if any, in the way of body fat and muscles lined throughout her arms, legs, and abs. Mikasa also has a small scar below her right eye, which she received after Eren unknowingly attempted to kill her in his Titan form.

As a soldier, Mikasa often wears a uniform consisting of a short, light-brown jacket with the badge of the Scout Regiment on both shoulders, on the front left pocket, and on the center of the back, a white shirt, a brown sash around the waist covering the hips, white pants, and brown knee-high leather boots. She also wears a green cape with the symbol of the Scout Regiment after entering the faction. A unique part of her attire is a dark red scarf, which was given to her by Eren after saving her from human traffickers. Because of that, it is very precious to her, and she almost always has it with her.

Personality
A few years before joining the Jaeger family, Mikasa appeared to be a cheerful, outgoing, yet unusually perceptive child. From an early age, Mikasa was aware of the harshness of nature, witnessing the manner in which predators would hunt and kill weaker prey. However, her innocence allowed her to push these thoughts to the back of her mind, and she continued to live happily with her parents. This illusory peace was shattered when a band of criminals brutally murdered her parents before her eyes in a failed kidnapping attempt on herself and her mother. To save herself and her rescuer, Eren Jaeger, Mikasa managed to abandon all inhibition and hesitation, allowing her to kill one of her assailants. Following this traumatic event, Mikasa would gain a generally cynical outlook on life and accept the world as a cruel place where only those who are strong are able to survive.

After the murder of her parents, Mikasa has become noticeably emotionally withdrawn and serious, but she still loves and cares deeply for her friends, especially Eren and Armin, seeing them as the last remnants of a family she cannot afford to lose. Her personality as a teenager is very much influenced and molded by Eren, who told her she stood no chance of survival if she did not fight for it. His words continue to stay with her, and her mind automatically recalls them to spur her on when she is close to death. Her determination to protect Eren as much as possible may also have contributed greatly to her phenomenal skills as a soldier. Though she is among the best of the best, she remains humble and refrains from putting on airs or displaying arrogance.

Mikasa has a strong sense of right and wrong, but she is also very protective of Eren and does all she can to advise him to follow what she deems to be the right track. Despite that, she knows well that she cannot always sway Eren in his decisions, and she makes a point to follow Eren to almost everywhere he goes and stick by whatever final decisions he makes, just so that she can be around to help him out when he is in trouble. The sole reason she enlisted in the military and joined the Scout Regiment after her graduation was to keep an eye on Eren, despite the fact that she truly wished to live out the rest of her days in relative peace within the Walls alongside him. She also takes Eren's opinion seriously, so much so that when he once said that her hair was too long, she immediately had it cut, even though Jean had just commented that it looked beautiful.

Despite all her blind loyalty, Mikasa is quite stoic and level-headed. Her will is remarkably strong, and she is rarely seen to lose her cool or be at a loss of what to do, no matter how bleak a situation seems to be. Even when she believed Eren to be dead, outwardly she managed to remain so calm that only Armin could tell that she was battling with the pain of losing Eren. However, she is not completely immune to the effects of her emotions. Her strong feelings for Eren, particularly when he is in harm's way, does at times cloud her judgment - sometimes to the endangerment of herself and others. A notable example is the occasion she briefly gave in to her grief over Eren's apparent demise and lost the will to live - forgetting her responsibility for the lives of the soldiers she had taken upon herself to lead in the process. However, she was reawakened by her memories of Eren, after which she made a conscious decision to never give up again, as if she were to die, her memories of Eren would die with her. When she found him alive and well, she completely lost her composure and wept tears of joy.

Mikasa's bond with Eren is undoubtedly her most important relationship, and one that defines Mikasa. For Eren's sake, Mikasa has expressed a variety of emotions such as compassion, concern, anger, embarrassment, sadness, and tenderness. She has openly wept tears of relief at his safety, and developed vengeful grudges towards those who harm him. She relentlessly attacked the Female Titan in a murderous fury as it attempted to abduct Eren. Mikasa blushed when it was insinuated she and Eren were lovers, and has suffered crippling distress at the thought of losing Eren forever. Mikasa also wears the red scarf Eren gave her when they first met, holding on to it as a source of strength and comfort when she is upset.

History
Mikasa was born to an Asian mother and father who is an Ackermann. Before her parents' death, she lived peacefully with them in the farmlands of Wall Maria. When she was a child, her mother taught her an Asian style of embroidery. Being the last of their race made them high value targets to human traffickers, who killed Mikasa's parents and attempted to kidnap her for the purpose of selling her as a slave to the people in the Capital when she was only nine years old.

She was rescued by Eren, who tricked and killed two of the slavers. He was then overwhelmed by the third trafficker and was on the verge of being strangled. Desperately, Eren urged Mikasa to fight to win. Although she was initially frightened, she came to realize that, "This world is a callous and merciless place," dispatching the bandit who was trying to kill Eren. When Eren's father arrived with members of the Military Police Brigade, she was given the scarf by Eren and accepted into his family. This event awakened the fighting instincts and perfect self-control that would later turn her into a formidable soldier. She lived with Eren's family in Wall Maria's Shiganshina District until it was destroyed by the Colossal Titan.

The Fall of Shiganshina arc
Mikasa appears for the first time in year 845 somewhere inside Wall Maria. She is seen waking Eren up, telling him that they need to return to home. She is surprised to see tears in his eyes and asks why he was crying. On their way home, they meet Hannes. Mikasa watches as Eren complains about the soldiers slacking off while on duty. Later, both Eren and Mikasa watch the return of the Scout Regiment forces, witnessing yet another failure of their expedition. After returning home, Mikasa tells on Eren, revealing to his parents his desire to join the Scout Regiment. Annoyed, Eren leaves, with Mikasa following him. They save Armin, who is being beaten by local bullies and together discuss their desire to go outside the Walls.

At that moment, the three kids witness the sudden appearance of a Colossal Titan that breaches the Wall's gate. Mikasa and Eren run back to their home to find it crushed and their mother trapped under the debris. In spite of their attempts, Mikasa and Eren are unable to free her, Hannes rescuing them as a Titan devours their mother. Mikasa and Eren are placed on a ship just as the Armored Titan breaks through the inner gate, letting the Titans inside Wall Maria. Eren's vows to kill all the Titans as they are transported to safety. Once inside the safety of Wall Rose, Eren confronts a soldier from the Garrison who manifests his annoyance for having to share their food with outsiders. The short beating the soldiers give Eren cause him to claim that he will retake Wall Maria with his own hands. He insults Armin for his doubt and Mikasa punches him to bring him back to his senses. She then declares that she will do everything to keep him alive, forcing him to eat the rations he had previously discarded out of anger.

Humanity's Comeback arc
After the events of the Wall Maria's destruction, the government's desperate attempt to reclaim the lands using the refugees leads to nothing but more casualties. This prompts Mikasa, Eren and Armin enroll with the army and become members of the 104th Cadet Corps.

During their training, Mikasa helps Eren as much as she can as he initially fails to grasp the basics of the omni-directional mobility gear. They manage to pass the qualifying tests, Mikasa quickly proving her skills and is praised as one of the best cadets in military history. At one point, Mikasa asks Annie Leonhart, a fellow cadet with exceptional skill, to teach her a self-defense technique that she was teaching Eren, which eventually calls for a bet with the 104th Cadet Corps to see who is the stronger fighter. At the 104th Cadet Corps' graduation, she is ranked first in the class.

Distress
In the year 848, Mikasa takes part in a group navigation training exercise under Thomas Wagner's command. Part way through the exercise, the group's ODM gear is stolen by a band of thieves. The group decides to speed up their exercise to warn Marco Bodt's group. The next day, Mikasa's group rendezvous with Marco's group, and help them in disarming the remaining bandits they had been engaging.

A Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse of Adolescence
In the year 849, Eren and Mikasa confusedly watch a brewing fight between Sasha and Jean. Afterward, she and Eren work to unload crates from a wagon. Carrying a number of them with ease, Mikasa notices that Eren is struggling and offers to help him with his, but he angrily refuses.

The Struggle for Trost arc
Before having the chance to fully apply in the Scout Regiment so she can keep Eren safe, the Colossal Titan breaches Wall Rose the same way it did with Wall Maria. Much to her dismay, Mikasa is assigned to the rear guard to help fend off the Titans while the civilians escape into the safety of Wall Sina. Before fulfilling her duty, she makes Eren promise her not to do anything reckless.

Later on, as an abnormal Titan approaches the escaping civilians who are blocked at the gate. Mikasa kills it, saving everyone. She then witnesses why the civilians are taking too long to escape; an overloaded cargo cart is blocking the way. Mikasa asks the businessman to move the cart so that the people could escape, but when he refuses, she has to resort threatening him after knocking his guards unconscious, which scares the man enough to relent and move his goods. Seeing a mother and daughter show their gratitude for saving them, Mikasa flashes back to the time she lost her own parents and realizes that Eren is the only family she has left. Thus, with the evacuation of Trost District citizens complete, she heads to the front guard in order to aid her comrades. However, the sole cadet survivors are low on gas, making them unable to scale the Wall while the supply team inside the headquarters has barricaded themselves in against the onslaught of multiple Titans. After hearing of Eren's supposed death from Armin, Mikasa regroups the survivors and insults them, saying she will break through the Titans assaulting the headquarters.

Because of her grief over Eren's death, she fights irrationally and does not notice that she is running out of gas. As two Titans close in on her, she contemplates giving up and begins to remember her time with Eren, recalling Eren's cries of fighting back against her kidnappers, which gives her motivation to fight once more. When Mikasa stands up to kill the Titan in front of her, another Titan comes running from behind and saves her. This Titan, which ignores Mikasa, gives Armin enough time to rescue Mikasa and they both continue heading to the supply HQ. As they watch this rogue Titan continue killing other Titans, they hatch a plan to lure it to the HQ and relieve the siege there. With its help, the cadets manage to successfully refill their gas tanks and have clear access to the Wall.

However, as they watch the rogue Titan disposes of the last Titans surrounding them, Eren appears out the nape of its neck. Overcome with relief that Eren is alive, Mikasa quickly rescues and embraces him, everyone leaves for the Wall. However, Jean, along with Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt are ordered to hand Eren over to superior officers under the command of Kitz Woermann and to treat the incident as something confidential. Their refusal to do so causes Mikasa and her friends to be accused of treason and find themselves surrounded by Captain Woermann's men, who are prompt to execute them. Mikasa attempts to defend Eren by drawing her blades and threatening to kill anyone who would try to harm Eren, but witnessing Eren's Titan form fighting in Trost District, Woermann does not hesitate and orders a cannon to fire at them in spite of the latter's claim that he is a human. Eren uses his power to block the cannonball and tries to think of a plan of escape. He proposes that they either try to flee over the Walls and escape into the Titan territory or have attempt Armin persuade the soldiers to spare them, leaving him to choose. Armin tries his best to convince the soldiers that Eren's Titan abilities could help to save humanity, but realizes the commander is far too scared to think rationally. Before the order can be given to fire upon them once more, they are saved when Commander Dot Pyxis, head administrator of the southern region, intervenes. They are sent on a mission to plug the breach in the Wall with a rock that only Eren in Titan form can lift.

As the mission commences and Eren goes into Titan form, he loses control, attacking Mikasa, and eventually knocking himself out. The elite team, led by Ian Dietrich, Rico Brzenska and Mitabi Jarnach, designated to defend Eren as he carries the rock quarrel among themselves about what to do next. Mikasa is on the verge of attacking them until Ian orders everyone to continue protecting Eren until he recovers. Thanks to Armin's intervention, Eren eventually regains his senses and successfully places the rock down, albeit with many casualties. At that moment, they are saved by Levi as he kills the Titans approaching them.

Eve of the Counterattack arc
After the battle of Trost District is over, Eren is brought before a military tribunal to decide his future. Despite Mikasa's best efforts to defend him, she is forced to testify against Eren as his reckless actions have frightened many people in the courtroom. She is also forced to watch helplessly as Eren is assaulted and humiliated by Levi.

Some time later, Mikasa and everyone else have their omni-directional mobility gear inspected in order to find out the culprit who killed the two captured Titans. Later on, Commander Erwin Smith comes to recruit new members for the Scout Regiment which is scheduling an expedition within a few months. Many leave except for Mikasa, Reiner, Armin, Sasha, Christa, Conny, Jean, Bertholdt and a few others.

Mikasa is then seen to be a part of the 57th expedition.

The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission arc
Shortly after leaving for Wall Maria, the Female Titan appears and defeats numerous Scout Regiment members. The formation eventually reaches the Forest of Giant Trees, with Mikasa being stationed at its outskirts, making sure that no Titans enter the forest. Eventually, she attempts to approach Eren as she hears his roar in his Titan Form. Upon reaching Eren's location, she witnesses the Female Titan devouring Eren's human body. After overcoming the initial shock, Mikasa charges at the Female Titan, cutting it up in order to rescue Eren. However, she is unable to do so until she teams up with Levi. They manage to take Eren back and join the rest of the rest of the formation. While heading to the Walls, the formation is attacked by multiple Titans brought by a couple of rookie soldiers who disobeyed a direct order from Commander Erwin, and Mikasa must save the rookies who are caught by the Titans.

Assault on Stohess arc
Following the Scout Regiment's failure, Armin manages to convince Annie to help him and Mikasa sneak Eren out of Stohess District until they can gather evidence to prove to the King that the Walls need to be protected better. However when Annie makes excuses not to go underground with them, Mikasa gets fed up and draws her blade.

Even after Annie transforms into the Female Titan, Eren has trouble convincing himself to fight her, so Mikasa runs out to try holding her off. Eventually Eren manages to turn into a Titan and attacks Annie. When he begins to overwhelm her, she attempts to climb over Wall Sina to escape. Mikasa uses her omni-directional mobility gear to hurl herself high enough up the Wall to catch up with the Female Titan and cuts off all her fingers. She then proceeds to push Annie off so she falls to the ground.

Later that day, Mikasa watches over Eren in a room until he wakes from from his battle with Annie. She expresses joy at his survival and remains at his bedside as Armin and Jean head down to a meeting.

Clash of the Titans arc
Following the supposed breach of Wall Rose, Mikasa, Eren, and other members of the Scout Regiment come to rescue Reiner, Bertholdt, Conny, Historia, and Ymir from Titans at Utgard Castle. She is among the others who learns that Christa's real name is Historia. After the Scouts regroup on top of Wall Rose, Mikasa is outraged when she overhears Reiner confessing that he and Bertholdt were the Titans responsible for the attack on Wall Maria and want Eren to join them. She takes them by surprise, striking them with her swords, and tells Eren to run. However, her heart is not completely in her attack and she fails to kill them. Their injuries allow them to transform into the Armored and Colossal Titans.

Eren transforms into his own Titan to fight Reiner's Armored Titan and Mikasa, regretting her earlier hesitation, attempts to help him, but her blades have no effect against his armor. Hange theorizes that he must have gaps in his protection though, since he moves too fast to be uniformly armored. While Eren grapples with Reiner, Mikasa takes advantage of Hange's suggestion and cuts through the exposed backs of Reiner's knees, further weakening his ability to fight. However Reiner unexpectedly roars, signalling Bertholdt's Colossal Titan to fall down on top of him and Eren.

The resulting blast is strong enough to throw back any Scouts nearby. Mikasa regains consciousness five hours later to discover that Eren has been been kidnapped and the Scouts are in no shape to mount a rescue. She had been able to help Levi save Eren from the Female Titan before because they could pursue her right away, but that is not possible this time.

Hannes offers her and Armin rations to chew on while reminding them that Eren has always been running away and getting into trouble like this, and that Mikasa and Armin have always come to bail him out. He reminds them that Eren always fights, even if he is going to lose, so he should be able to hold out until the two of them can rescue him again. Reassured, Mikasa eats her rations to regain her strength.

She joins the joint military operation to rescue Eren and heads to the forest of giant trees where they hope to find Reiner, Bertholdt, and their captives. Once they arrive she joins Hannes and a number of her fellow Scouts in searching the inside of the forest where they encounter Ymir in her Titan form. Ymir kidnaps Historia and flees while Mikasa and the others chase after her. At the forest's edge, Reiner transforms into the Armored Titan. Ymir jumps on his back and Bertholdt, carrying an unconscious Eren, rides on his shoulder.

The soldiers follow the group on horseback and try to free Eren from Bertholdt, but Ymir interferes with their attempts. Realizing that Ymir needs to be out of the way before they can focus on saving Eren, Mikasa prepares to attack her, but Historia jumps in the way, saying that Ymir does not have a choice but to help Reiner and Bertholdt. Mikasa is unmoved, having decided six years ago who was important to her, and she is out of time and room in her heart to care for more.

Fearing that Ymir will be killed, Historia convinces her to back down, leaving the rest of the 104th free to try talking Bertholdt into letting Eren go, though Mikasa is considerably less forgiving than the others. Though Bertholdt expresses regret over their betrayal, he refuses to hand over Eren and the Scouts are forced to jump off the Armored Titan when Erwin leads a horde of Titans into Reiner. After the Armored Titan is immobilized by the sheer number of them, Erwin calls for the soldiers to charge in and recover Eren.

Mikasa rides her horse at a gallop, weaving around the intimidating number of Titans between her and Eren, and launches herself at Bertholdt, but she misses and sees Eren watching her in panic. Her trajectory carries her straight into another Titan that grabs her hard enough to crush her ribs. Jean, who had been riding just behind her, attacks the Titan, burying his blade in its eye and allowing Mikasa to get free.

With Armin's help, Erwin is able to cut Eren free from Bertholdt and Mikasa catches him in the air. The two of them flee on horseback, but are knocked to the ground when Reiner begins throwing Titans at the retreating soldiers. As they look up, they see the smiling Titan approaching them is the one that ate Eren's mother. Mikasa is unable to defend Eren due to her injury, but Hannes buys them time in attempt to avenge Carla Jaeger. Eren shouts for Mikasa to free his arms so he can help fight, but when he tries biting himself to transform nothing happens.

As Hannes is killed and the battle turns against the soldiers around them, Eren falls into despair, feeling that he has never had the power to do anything. Mikasa asks him to listen to her. He showed her how to live with purpose and he wrapped his scarf around her, and for that she is grateful. She smiles, with tears in her eyes, and Eren vows to wrap that scarf around her as many times as she wants.

He punches the smiling Titan, triggering something that causes all the other mindless Titans to attack it. In the resulting confusion, he carries Mikasa away on his back and also sends the Titans after Reiner and Bertholdt. They escape with the rest of the surviving soldiers and return to Trost District.

The Uprising arc
Some time later, Mikasa is selected to be a member of the new Squad Levi assigned to safeguard Eren and Historia in an isolated forest cabin. Much to her friends' surprise, she rapidly recovers from her broken ribs, able to chop and lift firewood as well as performing sit-ups. Sasha is afterward caught trying to steal a loaf of bread, and her friends confront her.

Later that day, Levi Squad assist Hange in running a series of tests on Eren's Titan powers. The tests go poorly and Eren reaching the point of exhaustion, only partially forming while being unresponsive. Mikasa jumps off her horse and runs up to him before Hange tries pulling Eren's body out of his Titan. Mikasa notices Eren's disfigured face and hurriedly cuts him free despite Hange's eagerness to make a sketch.

The next night, Nifa brings a message from Commander Erwin, prompting Levi to tell everybody to clear the cabin immediately. Outside, he reveals the central government has put a freeze on Scout Regiment activity outside the Wall and are demanding they hand over Eren and Historia. Levi Squad and three of Hange's subordinates make for Trost. There, a carriage comes crashing through and seemingly kidnaps Eren and Historia, though the kidnapped victims are actually Jean and Armin in disguise.

On the roof above the kidnappers hideout, Mikasa talks to Levi and tells him that Armin's disguise is on the verge of being uncovered. Levi notes that the kidnappers are seemingly amateurs and leaves the situation in her hands.

As the lead kidnapper and his henchmen enter the warehouse where Jean and Armin are being held, they notice the guard is missing. Mikasa and the other squad members, including Jean and Armin, who she had already freed, attack the remaining kidnappers. Mikasa personally restrains their leader and informs the rest of the squad that after tying them up they are to meet with Levi.

Shortly after, Mikasa and the others hear the sound of gunshots and go to investigate. They spot the wagon carrying an unconscious Eren and Historia with Levi in pursuit. To their shock, there is another soldier tailing Levi, who aims a gun at his captain. Levi kills the soldier and orders his squad to chase the wagon and kill their opponents, given the chance. Mikasa knocks over the soldier driving the wagon, allowing Armin to take control of it. However, the Military Police still manage to escape with Eren and Historia. Mikasa tries to follow them, but Levi stops her.

Returning to the warehouse, Mikasa comforts Armin as he has a mental breakdown of killing another human. Once he has calmed down, they enter the warehouse, where Levi consoles Armin as well, albeit in such a way that Mikasa becomes angry with him.

When Dimo Reeves tricks two Military Police of the First Interior Squad to come with him to a remote cabin, Mikasa and other members of Levi Squad take them hostage at gunpoint. Mikasa and the rest of the squad listen uncomfortably to the screams as Levi and Hange conduct their interrogation. When the two are through, Mikasa and the others are informed that Eren and Historia are likely being held near Rod Reiss. Hange also informs them of her theory that Eren will soon be eaten. Mikasa tries to leave immediately to find Eren, and Levi is forced to talk her down.

After the Scout Regiment is accused of trying to monopolize Eren's Titan powers, the government begins arresting all members of the organization. Mikasa and the rest of Squad Levi avoid being captured, and camp out in the woods outside of Stohess. Sasha informs them of approaching MPs, and Mikasa and Levi ambush them while Armin distracts them as bait. Mikasa and Armin take their uniforms and put them on with the intention of infiltrating the Military Police to find out where Eren and Historia have been taken, but the two soldiers, Marlo and Hitch do not take their capture quietly, and eventually gain the squad's trust, leading them to a nearby MP checkpoint.

After crippling most of the personnel, Levi and his squad escape with a hostage. They interrogate him about Eren and Historia's location until the name "Kenny Ackermann" comes out, surprising Mikasa and Levi with the man's apparent relation to her. Before they can question their hostage further, they hear people approaching on foot. To the entire squad's delight, it is Hange, who informs them that the Scout Regiment has been exonerated, and that they have a lead on Eren and Historia's whereabouts.

On the way, Levi warns his squad that Kenny Ackermann will be their biggest obstacle, because fighting him will be like fighting Levi himself. He asks Mikasa if she thinks Kenny might be related to her since they share the same last name. She thinks about it and tells him that she knows that her father's family was persecuted, but not the reason why. Levi then asks her whether she experienced a moment when she felt a sudden power awaken inside her and she remembers the moment she took up the knife to kill her kidnapper. She reveals that she did, and upon confirming this, Levi tells her that he and Kenny also experienced such moments in their lives.

They arrive at the chapel and find the secret door leading underground. The team makes preparations for facing the Anti-Personnel Control Squad, which is waiting for them below. When they are ready, they send barrels of gunpowder and bags of oil down the stairs. Sasha sets fire to them with a flaming arrow and fills the underground chamber with smoke, reducing visibility and the usefulness of firearms. Most of the squad provides additional cover with signal flares while Mikasa and Levi scout out their enemies using vertical maneuvering gear. Levi calls for his squad to take out the Interior MPs and the team springs into action. After a concerted push, they manage to force the Anti-Personnel Control Squad into a retreat.

Lost in the cruel world
Mikasa stands atop the Wall with Eren and Armin, as a guillotine-like device crushes the head of a Titan below. She thinks back at a time and place with the two, where they reminisced about the old days before the fall of Wall Maria. She recalls another time during the Struggle for Trost, when Armin first informed her of Eren's apparent death. Mikasa experienced a vision of an alternate reality shortly after.

In the year 844, Dr. Jaeger and his son, Eren, visit the Ackermann family for a checkup on Mikasa's pregnant mother. Eren is introduced to Mikasa and the two begin wandering the nearby forest. Eren tells Mikasa that he heard her mother is pregnant, to which Mikasa confirms and says her mother believes it to be a boy. He then reveals to her his desire to join the Scout Regiment and explore the outside world. Their conversation is cut short when they hear the barking of wild dogs that have killed a trio of travelers. Eren and Mikasa return home and inform their parents of the bodies they saw.

Afterward, Dr. Jaeger began returning to check on Mikasa's mother more often, bringing Eren with him each time. In these later visits, the two avoided the forest and played around the house. On one of these visits, Mikasa learns about Eren's friend, Armin, who Eren says is very intelligent. Mikasa wonders if Armin knows how babies are made, and Eren tells her that they are brought to mothers by a bird that puts the child in the stomach. Eren tells Mikasa that one day, he and Armin will see the outside world.

During the next visit, Eren arrives with many injuries to his face. He tells Mikasa about the outside world and describes the ocean as being a large amount of salt water that is big enough to the point merchants could never sell all of its salt. Mentioning that the people who fought him are cowards who are content with living ignorant within the Walls, Eren reiterates his desire to join the Scout Regiment to see the outside world. Mikasa worries that he might end up in an even worse shape, but knows she cannot stop him, and wishes that she at least be by his side.

Sometime later, Mikasa is sent to Shiganshina to return a hat Dr. Jaeger had forgotten at her house. Arriving by a ferry boat, Mikasa is happy to find Eren waiting for her upon docking. Hearing the bell that signals the return of the Scout Regiment from an exterior scouting mission, Eren eagerly heads to see the Scouts, which return in shambles.

Seeing the state of the Scouts, Mikasa grows even more worried for Eren's sake and asks him if he still plans to join. Eren suddenly strikes a citizen speaking against the Scouts, causing him to get beaten by the man while Mikasa watches helplessly. That night, Eren is taken to his home and his wounds are treated. Mikasa sits by his bed and is relieved as he wakes up.

During Dr. Jaeger's subsequent visits to Mikasa's house, Eren is not present. Winter comes and passes by and Eren is still not visiting. Mikasa wishes that she could see him. Sometime later, she overhears Dr. Jaeger telling her father that her mother has an infection, and that they need to be moved closer to his house in Shiganshina. Feeling that her wish to see Eren is what caused her mother to become sick, Mikasa rushes to her mother's side and apologizes to her.

In Shiganshina, Mikasa questions why Eren stopped visiting her, and he tells her that the Scout Regiment has been disbanded for the lack of results, with the gate leading to the outside of the Wall being sealed off. Mikasa is relieved that Eren will not be able to leave the Walls, but he adds that he will be leaving with Armin using a hot air balloon they are building, and it is why he could not visit her house. Mikasa asks Eren to take her with him, and he responds by wrapping his scarf around her and mentioning a path to a nearby forest, telling her that she can return it to him there in three days.

A festival is held in Shiganshina as celebration of the sealing of the gate. Remembering Eren telling her that they will be leaving at the third ring of the bell, Mikasa rushes through the street as she hears the first ring, but is suddenly grabbed by a masked man. The man urges the crowd to look at him as he attempts to turn Mikasa into a murderer. Mikasa begs him to let her go so that she can see her friend, and the man agrees at first, but then tells her that he does not want to be made a liar.

He suggests for Mikasa to kill him right away, since hypnotizing her would take more time. Mikasa hears the second ring of the bell, and the masked man warns her that she will not be able to meet her friend anymore. Mikasa is shocked to learn that the man knows Eren, and starts to question him of his identity. Handing Mikasa a knife, the man says that he knows that she is lost, and is here in this world she created because she could not accept Eren's death, telling her that she cannot save him.

Hearing the third ring of the bell, Mikasa questions why the man is getting in her way. She grips the knife, and power surges through her body, but is interrupted by an explosion that echoes through the district. When Mikasa returns her focus to the man, she finds him lying motionless, with blood all over her. He gets up, announcing his success and revealing his death to be an elaborate stunt.

Mikasa arrives to where Eren told her to meet him, but finds Armin alone. He begins to cry and apologizes to Mikasa, informing her of how Eren died to save him from the hot air balloon accident. Back atop the Wall in the present, Mikasa believes that Eren will be able to reclaim Wall Maria, kill every Titan, and see the ocean one day. She acknowledges to herself that no one can stop his fate, but resolves to be by his side no matter where he goes.

Physical strength
Owing to the need to protect her adoptive brother who often runs off looking for trouble, Mikasa had honed herself to be a talented fighter at a very young age, often throwing boys bigger than her with ease, gaining her reputation. An example of this is when Armin was being bullied and Eren came to his rescue. The boys were preparing to take Eren on when they saw Mikasa behind him and promptly ran away, even though the bullies had superior numbers. She is strong enough to lift Eren off the ground without effort.

Omni-directional mobility gear
While she was still training, Keith even noted that Mikasa's performance is exemplary in every subject, and that she is truly a genius. Combined with her prodigious skill in omni-directional mobility gear, she can easily take down Titans with speed and efficiency. This has lead to her being mentioned as a military genius many times and "her prowess is equal to that of a hundred ordinary soldiers." With such prodigious skills coupled with her own remarkable will, she displays lethal force against Titans rarely seen among soldiers, recruits, or veterans alike. This has been proven true in the two times she fought Annie in her Titan form, who had killed numerous experienced veterans with ease before, and survived both encounters.

Relationships

 * Eren Jaeger - Mikasa considers Eren to be her "family," since she was adopted into his home following the death of her own. She always wears a scarf, given to her by Eren, as a token of the moment when he first wrapped it around her in an attempt to comfort her when she had first lost all hope. From the time he saved her life and accepted her into his home, Eren has been a great source of strength and comfort for her, and when she had thought him dead, she very nearly allowed herself to die as well, but kept living on to remember him. She became distraught when learning Eren had been abducted, wrapping the scarf over her face to hide her sadness. Because he is the only "family" she has left, she will go to any lengths to ensure his safety, and vows to follow him wherever he may go, stating her only wish is to remain by his side; this often results in Eren becoming annoyed whenever she becomes too protective, and telling her not to treat him like her "little brother." Due to the intensity of her devotion to him, several characters, from Ian to Jean and even Levi, are confused about the nature of their relationship. Interestingly, Mikasa only ever blushes when Eren is involved. Examples of this include her embarrassed blush when Ian mistook him for her lover during the reconquest of Trost, and Armin leaving her alone with Eren after capturing the Female Titan. When she realizes she and Eren will die by the Smiling Titan, she thanks him for everything he has done for her all this time.
 * Armin Arlelt - Mikasa is a very close friend of Armin's. She frequently helped Eren fend off the older boys who bullied him when they were children. Mikasa recognizes Armin's ability to reason out the best solution and come up with the best strategy during dire situations, and is faithful to him and trusts him deeply, as shown when she refused to leave him behind to his death during the Battle of Trost. She encouraged him to have more confidence in himself whenever he doubted or criticized himself. Her faith in him, along with Eren's, were responsible for Armin's boost in confidence from the time he attempted to convince a hostile brigade of soldiers of Eren's value as a military weapon.
 * Annie Leonhart - Their relationship is implied to be some sort of rivalry. Their animosity deepens when Annie was found to be the Female Titan and was responsible for the deaths of countless soldiers and Eren's attempted kidnapping. Things came to a peak as Mikasa became fed up with Annie's games and called her out as the Female Titan that had attacked them. With that exposed, Mikasa stopped Annie from escaping by cutting off her fingers and forcing her to fall off of the Wall.
 * Jean Kirschtein - Her primary interactions with him relate to his rivalry with Eren, and it is unclear whether she is even aware of his affections for her. When he grimly admonished Eren for attacking her, Mikasa felt Jean was attempting to discredit Eren, and quickly became defensive on his behalf.
 * Levi Ackermann - Their relationship began in a negative fashion, as she witnessed him beat Eren during a military trial. She once swore to make him pay for his abuse and lashed out at him when the Female Titan managed to kidnap Eren after slaughtering Levi's squad. Regardless, he expresses an understanding of her and is wounded saving her life—while temporarily sidelined, he repeatedly offers her advice, and she herself agonizes over causing his injury.
 * Grisha Jaeger - Though he initially hoped Mikasa would get along with Eren as a friend, in the end Grisha took in Mikasa after the brutal murder of her parents. He treated her kindly as if she were his own daughter, and for that Mikasa respected and gratefully relied on him as her father figure.
 * Carla Jaeger - Carla took care of Mikasa during her stay in the Jaegers' household. Much like her husband and son, she treated Mikasa as a family member and took care of her. The two seemed to have an implicit understanding between them when it came to keeping Eren out of trouble. Carla urged Mikasa to look out for her reckless brother and give him help when he needed it. During the Titans' assault on their hometown, she desperately tried to lift the roof beam preventing Carla from running away from the danger. Despite Carla's pleas, she tearfully refused to leave her, and could not bring herself to watch as a Titan eventually killed and ate her.
 * Hannes - it was implied that Mikasa was grateful towards Hannes for rescuing her and Eren from being killed by the Titan that ate their mother. Despite admitting to his cowardice in front of her, she did not resent him for failing to rescue Carla, and she valued him as one of the few people left with whom she shared memories of more peaceful times.
 * Father and mother - Mikasa shared a loving bond with her biological parents, and was happy with the simple life they shared. Mikasa's father was a kind father to Mikasa, and she was very relaxed around him. She was not shy about asking either parent anything she did not know and trusted them completely. The day a trio of bandits attacked and killed her parents in front of her, Mikasa lost all hope and believed her world had gone cold until Eren's father decided to adopt her.

People killed

 * One unnamed bandit
 * Three members of the Anti-Personnel Control Squad

Failed attempts

 * Annie Leonhart
 * Reiner Braun
 * Bertholdt Hoover
 * Caven

Trivia

 * Misaka-Chara_Design.png Mikasa's surname is derived from the German name "Ackermann" meaning "fieldman."
 * Mikasa ranked third in the First Character Popularity Poll.
 * According to an interview with Isayama, Mikasa will opt to not wear her scarf if it is too hot out.
 * Mikasa's red scarf may be a reference to the "red string of fate," which in Japanese folklore represents an unbreakable connection between soulmates or lovers.
 * According to Isayama, if the 104th Cadet Corps had an arm wrestling competition, Mikasa would place first.
 * The name Mikasa has several significant links in Japanese culture:
 * The name Mikasa, literally meaning "three bamboo hats," was a unique pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and served as a flagship during the Russo-Japanese War. The manga's author, Hajime Isayama, supposedly named Mikasa after this vessel due to his belief that series' with female characters named after famous warships come to be successful.
 * Mount Mikasa in Nara, Japan. An annual festival involves burning the dead grass on the mountain.
 * The princely house of Mikasa-no-miya, a branch of the Imperial family in Japan.
 * Mikasa is one of the Attack on Titan characters who were made into Nendoroid figures, along with Eren, Levi, and the Colossal Titan. A Nendoroid playset of the Attack on Titan setting was also made.
 * In the game Age of Gunslingers Online, a special Titan Mode was made as a tribute to the series. It features Elsa, an NPC modeled after Mikasa and voiced by . A trailer of this mode can be viewed here. A special skin for the Blade Class is also available for purchase.
 * In The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror XXV," several other incarnations from other animated franchises of the family are shown, each one with a respective theme. In the anime theme, each of the family members were depicted as a specific anime character. Lisa portrayed Mikasa, with her traditional hairstyle and military outfit using the omni-directional mobility gear.

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Mikasa Ackermann (Anime)