Bertolt Hoover

"What a strange feeling...I'm barely even scared. I can see...everything around me...I feel like...any outcome would be acceptable. That's right...no one's at fault here...Nothing could have made a difference. Not in a world...that is this...cruel."

- Bertolt talking to himself about his vision of the world

Bertolt Hoover (ベルトルト・フーバー) was an Eldian and one of Marley's Warriors. He possessed the ability to transform into a Titan known as the Colossus Titan. In the year 845, he, Reiner Braun, and Annie Leonhart breached Wall Maria in an attempt to lure out and acquire the Founding Titan for Marley. After that, he joined the military and graduated the 104th Training Corps, ranked 3rd, and later joined the Survey Corps, until his identity as the Colossus Titan was revealed. He was described by others to be a weak-willed and quiet person.

Human form
Bertolt was a rather tall, slender young man. He was the tallest of all currently known holders of the power of the Titans. He had short, dark hair, brown eyes, thin eyebrows and an elongated face. He was seen mainly in his Trainee uniform, and after he entered the Survey Corps, he used their uniform. After his encounter with the Beast Titan, his hair appeared shorter.

Titan form
As the Colossus Titan, he possessed a very distinctive appearance and a number of unusual features. He grew up to roughly 60 meters tall, making him around four times the height of any other Titan seen so far (with the only exception of Rod Reiss's Titan form and Eren Yeager's new Titan form).

Bertolt's Colossus Titan form is one of the more heavily-deformed Titans seen in the series - he appeared to lack skin entirely and his jaw and facial structure seemed to be heavily altered from the human form. He was also constantly releasing jets of steam from the surface of its body, in a manner that parallels his frequent nervous sweating. His feet were also quite different to those of a human and other Titans, as they were swollen and pillar-like in appearance. His physiology was modeled after the male sex, but like all Titans, he lacked sexual organs. He had slim and disproportionately long arms in comparison to his head, body, and legs.

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

His withdrawn behavior initially led to the impression of him being the least emotionally compromised of the three Titan warriors. He showed little attachment or remorse over his actions, seeming to care only about his partner, Reiner Braun. However, when confronted by his former comrades and questioned about their friendship, he revealed himself to be far more conflicted and guilt-ridden than it originally appeared.

He showed great devotion to both of his fellow warriors, Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart, and was easily driven to action or anger when he felt either was threatened. Initially, he showed himself to be wary of others and acted as a voice of reason to Reiner, repeatedly cautioning him about lowering his guard down. His interactions with Ymir also reveal that while his actions have caused considerable suffering, he was not a cruel person and was capable of showing genuine kindness towards others.

Bertolt underwent a serious change in character shortly before and during the Battle of Shiganshina. He became detached, indifferent and cold, allowing him to fulfill his savage duty more efficiently. Bertolt remained calm and composed, and did not feel sorry or bad when he told his former friends that he will kill them and all humans inside the Walls because he had decided to do so. He was unfazed by Armin Arlert's attempt at manipulating him by bringing up Annie, did not feel panic or dread when other Survey Corps soldiers were going to kill the helpless Reiner and he had to leave him to himself. He noted how Armin is unable to do anything to him as long as he shakes in fear of his presence.

Bertolt did not show complete disregard for the human race and his 104th Training Corps friends. He showed panic and slight tears when he, Reiner, and Annie left Marco Bott to die. When confronted by Armin, he referred to his former comrades as "cherished friends" and repeatedly stated that they are not at fault. This leaves the impression that Bertolt's reasons for wanting them to die were not personal, and were due to unknown factors outside of their current comprehension or knowledge. Bertolt once more showed sympathy for his old friends by expressing his disappointment in the waste of Armin's intelligence as he dies. He then decided to burn him as quickly as possible to put him out of his misery.

Bertolt came to accept his villainous self, and rationalized that none of it was his or anyone's fault, but that the world is cruel, and all of it was inevitable. When the blast of his transformation failed to kill all of the soldiers, he expressed his disappointment at his former friends' continued survival.

Despite his calmness and utter fearlessness in the face of death and destruction, he was absolutely terrified of dying by himself. As Armin's Pure Titan approached him, Bertolt begged his former friends to save him then cried and screamed for Reiner and Annie before being brutally devoured.

History
Bertolt was an Eldian born in the continent of Marley. At some point in his childhood, he joined the Marleyan military as a Warrior candidate. He was praised for his shooting abilities and was selected along with Annie Leonhart and Marcel Galliard to become Warriors and candidates to inherit the power of the Titans. Bertolt one day noticed a fellow candidate named Porco Galliard bullying Reiner Braun, a smaller candidate. After Porco left, Bertolt helped Reiner to his feet and formed a lifelong friendship with him. Upon acquiring the power of the Colossus Titan, he learned to use its power almost immediately.

He, along with Reiner, Annie and Marcel, began a mission to attack the walled Eldians in the year 845. The main objective of the mission was to steal the power of the Founding Titan and bring it to the Marley government. The day they were about to breach Wall Maria, the Warriors encountered Ymir's Titan while traveling. 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 appeared to have fled in terror possibly abandoning the other two in the process.

They later regrouped and were about to abandon the mission but Reiner stopped them, reminding them of the consequence. Annie, enraged, attacked Reiner whilst Bertolt could only watch the scuffle. After Reiner took the lead and decided that they would continue the mission, the remaining Warriors headed to the Wall and began their operation. Bertolt, upon witnessing the might of the wall, questioned if he could actually destroy it.

Fall of Shiganshina arc
Bertolt transforms into his Colossus Titan form at Shiganshina District, terrorizing its population and kicking a hole in the district's gate. The attack leads to falling debris scattering across the town, crushing houses in the process. Immediately after his attack, Bertolt reverts to his human self, while Titans enter the city from outside the walls, resulting in the population being set on by them. After exiting his Titan, Bertolt comes in close proximity with a Pure Titan, but is ignored as it instead entered Shiganshina District. He sits atop Wall Maria, after being carried up the Wall by the Armored Titan.

After the Armored Titan breaches Wall Maria, Bertolt manages to enter along with Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart. During the abandonment of the Wall, Bertolt and the other two forge their family records. Bertolt and Reiner find work as lumberjacks for two years, whilst Annie gathers information inside Wall Sheena. Together, they masquerade as refugees from deep in the mountains south of Wall Maria, who learned of the attack at dawn as their village was under assault by Titans, a tale stolen from a deceased colleague. The trio later discuss their discovery that King Fritz and the nobles are puppet rulers and not actual subjects of Ymir. They then decide to enlist as soldiers so that they can join the Military Police and get close to the interior.

104th Training Corps arc
Eventually, Bertolt enlists in the military academy as part of the 104th Training Corps, with aspirations of joining the Military Police Brigade 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 vertical maneuvering equipment, 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 Braun.

Battle of Trost District arc
Five years after his attack on Shiganshina District, Bertolt transforms into the Colossus Titan at the entrance of Trost District. He immediately repels the Military trainees on top of Wall Rose with vapor from his high-temperature body and then breaches the gate into the city; he takes note of Eren Yeager preparing to attack, but disregards him for the time being. As he sets his eyes on the Wall's fixed artillery, the Colossus Titan swings his arm and destroys the Wall's defenses. Surviving the assault, Eren launches himself at the Colossus Titan's neck and attempts to attack his nape, leading to Bertolt dissolving his Titan's body and Eren missing his target. His attack prompts the Garrison to begin the Colossus Titan contingency plan for Trost District, and results in Titans entering the city.

Bertolt escapes unnoticed under the cover of steam by using his vertical maneuvering equipment. Upon re-entering Trost, Bertolt takes part in the attack against the Titans. However, with the supply team stuck in Trost's Military headquarters, he is essentially immobilized with many of his teammates on a rooftop. He, Reiner Braun, and Annie Leonhart discuss what to do next, with Reiner suggesting that they wait for the Titans to gather to them before they make a move. Mikasa Ackerman asks them if they have seen Eren, and Reiner points out Armin Arlert, telling her he was in Eren's squad.

Mikasa takes charge, leading an attempt to get to the military headquarters in Trost, which Bertolt takes part in. Connie Springer, Mikasa, and Armin arrive shortly afterward, with an abnormal Titan in tow that promptly begins killing the Titans swarming the outside of the building.

Bertolt takes part in Armin's plan to clear out the smaller Titans that have infiltrated the headquarters' armory. After the Titans are lured together by the cadets and blinded via gunfire, he and six other cadets attack them, in an effort to clear out all of the Titans in one move. As the other cadets move out after resupplying, Bertolt is among the soldiers that stay behind to observe the abnormal Titan as it is overwhelmed by the mindless Titans. Suspecting that the Titan is intelligent, Bertolt, Annie, and Reiner argue that they should help it and prevent it from being eaten. They are silenced when the Titan breaks away from the Titans devouring it to kill one final Titan, before collapsing. They prepare to leave, but are shocked at the sight of Eren emerging from the Titan's nape. Bertolt, Jean Kirstein, Annie, and Reiner are placed on standby with their fellow cadets, and are ordered not to tell anyone what they witnessed.

Later, after seeing what appears to be Titan vapor from inside the city, he and the soldiers that witnessed Eren's emergence from the Titan's nape scale the Wall to see what is happening. Over the Wall, they see Eren protecting Mikasa and Armin from cannon fire, with a shield made from the torso of his Titan form.

Soon after, Eren transforms into the Attack Titan to seal the breach in Trost and Bertolt discusses the events with Reiner as their plan is foiled. Their conversation is overheard by Marco Bott, leading to Reiner immobilizing him while Annie removes his vertical maneuvering equipment. As the three abandon Marco, Bertolt looks on in shock as he is partially eaten by a Titan.

The Female Titan arc
After the ordeal, Bertolt joins the Survey Corps with Reiner Braun alongside Mikasa Ackerman, Eren Yeager, Connie Springer, Sasha Blouse, Krista Lenz, Armin Arlert, Ymir, Jean Kirstein and a few others, instead of following the Warriors' original plan to join the Military Police Brigade alongside Annie Leonhart.

Bertolt participates in the Survey Corps' 57th Expedition Outside the Walls. The mission is fairly slow paced for him until he arrives at the Titan Forest with his group and is ordered to be on standby. He waits atop the trees with his comrades so that they may stop any Titan from entering the forest where their superiors are. After a while of little events, a loud Titan scream can be heard from within the forest and several Titans begin to charge in.

After the Titans are gone beyond the soldiers watch point, Bertolt sees the smoke signal indicating the time for retreat. He regroups with his comrades, and they head back to the walls. Upon re-entering the gate, the Survey Corps receives comments and criticisms for their loss of life and lack of results.

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 Leonhart. When Titans are discovered within Wall Rose, he is one of the soldiers placed on the squad headed sent to evacuate villages in the south.

That evening, the southern squad meets up with Ymir and Krista's squad, and they decide to take refuge for the night in Utgard Castle. 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 Braun 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 of a window. Afterward, he begins to behave in a withdrawn manner, commenting that 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. Bertolt, along with Reiner, are shocked to recognize her as the Titan that had killed their friend, Marcel Galliard, several years earlier.

The group is eventually rescued by Hange Zoë's squad and evacuate 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 Yeager while Bertolt watches in growing distress. When Eren tries to tell Reiner that he is just tired and making things up, Bertolt agrees but Reiner then confirms their identities by tearing off his bandage and showing his injured arm is rapidly healing. Bertolt, shocked by his actions, asks if they are really going to reveal themselves now; however, the two of them are viciously attacked by Mikasa Ackerman before they are able to transform.

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. Afterward, 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.

Directly below, the Armored Titan is overpowered by Eren's Titan, and begins roaring. In response, the Colossus Titan topples from the Wall and lands on top of a fighting Eren and Reiner, exploding upon impact. The resulting explosion wounds most of the Survey Corps soldiers 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 equipment of the soldier he devoured. Several hours later, he takes refuge with Reiner and their two captives in the Titan Forest. However, he is mostly silent during the following arguments and discussions, only speaking up when prompted by Ymir or Eren.

Bertolt is greatly distressed by Reiner's strange behavior, and is shown to have known about it long before anyone else. He is able to bring his friend back to reality by reminding him that he is not a soldier, but rather that they are both "Warriors."

Eren later confronts him about his role in the death of Carla Yeager, demanding to know what he thought when he learned about the suffering he would cause. He responds with a vague comment about having felt sorry for him, horrifying Eren and leading him to scream at them both.

Though Ymir agrees to work with them when offered, 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 him 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 is a member of the Reiss family and may be able to provide them with important clues. They discuss their mission to find the "Coordinate," and Bertolt expresses his eagerness to go home and never return to the Walls. 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 that he is not certain, but he can not hold her responsible since none of them wanted to devour humans. He asks how long she wandered as a Pure 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 for having delayed them too much. He demands to know what they have 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 Ymir 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 Training Corps 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 Arlert, 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 for information, with great care being taken to ensure that she does not die. 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 Titans begin to fight together, while the human soldiers retreat back to the Walls.

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 hometown, Bertolt struggles to hold back his tears while thanking her.

Eren later expresses the desire to catch him and make him pay for his crimes, suggesting that he believes they survived.

The Uprising arc
Two months after Historia Reiss was crowned queen, Bertolt and Reiner Braun encounter the Beast Titan in Shiganshina. After witnessing Reiner's defeat at the Beast Titan's hands, Bertolt quickly pulled Reiner from his battered Titan form as the Beast Titan declared that the rescue of Annie Leonhart could wait until after they had acquired the Coordinate from Eren Yeager.

Return to Shiganshina arc
Around the time the Survey Corps departs for their operation to retake Wall Maria, Bertolt and Reiner Braun sit atop the Wall amongst a small campsite they made. The two watch the sunset as they await the arrival of their enemies and prepare to begin their own operation.

Prior to the arrival of the Survey Corps, Bertolt, Reiner, and Zeke Yeager wait patiently atop Wall Maria, above Shiganshina. Zeke assures them that Annie Leonhart is not being tortured and reminds them of their mission, and Bertolt agrees to put aside thoughts of Annie for now, claiming that no one else has to go through hell except for them. Remembering the pain of Annie, Marco Bott, and Reiner, Bertolt expresses a desire to end all the fighting. Pieck Finger, in her Titan form, appears below and alerts them of the Corps's imminent arrival, and the three Warriors share a last toast before preparing for battle.

As Bertolt and Reiner jog along Wall Maria, Reiner notes that the two of them will be in separate positions, and that Bertolt will have to think and act for himself, rather than wait for Reiner's signal. Reiner admits that he never thought of Bertolt as particularly reliable before, as he tends to leave things to others when it matters in spite of his immense ability, but not anymore. Bertolt affirms his desire to end things, and Reiner tells him to keep up that attitude until he can be reunited with Annie. The two part ways.

When the Survey Corps makes it to Shiganshina District, they begin rushing the gate with 100 soldiers to confuse the enemy. As Eren Yeager flies up above the breach in Wall Maria's southern gate, he prepares to transform. Just as this is happening, he watches from an unknown location, equipped with his vertical maneuvering equipment. As Bertolt stands by, he wonders about the outcome of the surprise attack and when Reiner will give out the signal. Soon after, Reiner lets out a roar, signaling Bertolt to be thrown in a barrel towards his position by Zeke.

After some time, he wonders why Reiner has not given the signal, and whether he is okay or not. Upon hearing the Armored Titan's roar, the Beast Titan throws the barrel with Bertolt inside towards Reiner's position. Bertolt prepares to transform, but upon seeing Reiner's damaged Titan form, he abandons the plan and rushes over to check on his friend. He discovers that while Reiner survived the Thunder Spears, he was forced to transfer his consciousness to his Titan body. He tells Reiner that he will need to move a little, and if he cannot, then he will have to prepare for the worst. Bertolt declares that he is ending this and heads towards the soldiers.

As he approaches, Armin Arlert calls out to him and asks to negotiate. Bertolt gives him the Warriors' conditions: Eren, and the demise of humanity within the Walls. He calls this the harsh truth of reality, and claims it has already been decided. When Armin asks who decided this, Bertolt admits that he did. Armin tries to bait him by telling Bertolt about Annie's supposed torture again, but Bertolt no longer falls for it and expresses doubt the Military Police even has her.

When Armin tries to leave, Bertolt cuts him off, taunting him about wanting to talk. He asks if Armin thought talking about Annie would upset him, because Bertolt is supposed to be meek and timid. Bertolt knows that Armin's "negotiation" is actually just buying time for the soldiers to surround him and finish off Reiner. He only agreed to talk to Armin because he wanted to see if he would break down and ask for forgiveness, like the last time he was faced with his former comrades. But he no longer feels conflicted about what he must do, and tells Armin that even though the soldiers are his cherished comrades, he still intends to kill them all. He acknowledges that they are not devils, and they have not done anything wrong, but they still need to die regardless.

Without warning, Mikasa Ackerman appears behind Bertolt and tries to go for the killing blow, but Bertolt quickly blocks her blade. Despite losing an ear, Bertolt manages to escape using his vertical maneuvering gear. He maneuvers high into the sky, noting that he barely feels any fear and thinks to himself that no matter how things turn out, he will be able to accept the outcome, as nobody is truly in the wrong: the world is just simply cruel. He transforms, and the resulting blast engulfs all of the nearby soldiers except for Levi's Squad and levels the central portion of Shiganshina. The Colossus Titan then starts to pick up buildings damaged from the blast and throws them all over the district; many of them have burst into flames due to the heat from his Titan, spreading the fire to the rest of the district.

As the Colossus Titan, he begins to toss flaming houses and buildings around the district, setting nearly the entire city ablaze. He then heads north towards Commander Erwin Smith's position but is intercepted by Eren and the 104th recruits. Eren charges at Bertolt's leg, attempting to stop him in his tracks. With little effort, Bertolt lifts the leg with Eren's Titan dangling from it before sending Eren crashing into the top of Wall Maria with a swift kick. The group charge at him to create a diversion for Mikasa to launch the Thunder Spear at his nape. He emits a searing hot gas which forces Mikasa to retreat and injures Connie Springer in the process. After the group has sought temporary safety, he continues to destroy the district.

As Reiner recovers and begins to fight the Levi Squad, Bertolt notes that he was hoping to kill everyone with his transformation, but calmly shrugs it off, saying he is used to such trials. He approaches Eren and Armin, wondering what Armin will do. Seconds later, Eren loses his balance and falls to the ground, motionless. Bertolt, thinking Eren is already beaten, decides to blow Armin away, and unleashes a burst of steam from his body. However, much to his surprise, Armin latches onto his teeth and refuses to let go. He questions what Armin could possibly hope to achieve with Eren already beaten, but decides to finish him quickly and launches one final burst, charring Armin's skin and burning his hair off, sending him falling lifelessly to the rooftops below.

After observing Armin's burnt body, Bertolt moves over to Eren's Titan body, only to find it a hardened shell. He then realizes too late that Armin was buying Eren time to get out of his Titan form and used Bertolt's attack as a smokescreen. At that moment, Eren, in his human form, appears from behind, latching onto the Colossus Titan's nape and slicing it open, severing Bertolt's arms and legs, before ripping him out and dragging him down to the roof below where a ravaged yet alive Armin is lying.

After being defeated and dragged out of his Colossus Titan, Bertolt is approached by Zeke and his Titan mount. Anticipating capture, Eren begins to slit Bertolt's throat, but Zeke tells Bertolt that he can not save him this time. When Levi pursues Zeke, Eren urges him to give Armin the Titan injection so that Bertolt can be fed to Armin to turn him into a Titan and save him from death. However, another soldier arrives with Erwin who is unconscious but also alive. The soldiers debate who should be given the Titan serum between Erwin or Armin, as Bertolt lies unconscious and at their mercy.

After a fair bit of debating, Levi is left with the decision and finally decides on who to give the serum to. Bertolt awakes to find himself at the complete mercy of the Pure Titan of Armin. He screams, begging his former allies to save him as they watch, tears in their eyes. Bertolt cries out for Annie and Reiner before he is eaten alive by Armin. Armin has a nightmare about Bertolt before he wakes up. He dreams that the Colossus Titan is crying. He is told by Eren that he ate Bertolt in order to stay alive, to which Armin is mortified to learn.

Marley arc
When Mr. Leonhart and Karina Braun attend Willy Tybur's festival in Liberio, Mr. Leonhart reveals that Bertolt's father had been bedridden, and heard he had died. Karina confirms this and says he had passed away peacefully, further saying he always spoke of how proud he was that Bertolt devoted his all to Marley.

Abilities
Bertolt graduated in 3rd position among the trainees and was noted as the best user of the vertical maneuvering equipment among them. He managed to kill a small Titan without the use of the vertical maneuvering equipment. Due to his high-level position, he is also likely to possess other military and combat skills. Furthermore, he had outstanding marksmanship skills when he was a child training among the Warriors. Bertolt was also able to defend against and even temporarily overpower Mikasa Ackerman in combat, despite her attacking from behind.

Power of the Titans
Bertolt was able to transform into a 60 meter Titan referred to as the Colossus Titan (超大型巨人). In this form, Bertolt was able to look over the Walls. He was also able to retain his intelligence when he transformed as shown when he targets the network of cannons that line the top part of Wall Rose first as a means to quickly cripple the Wall's defense. The Colossus Titan form, due to its large size, is incredibly slow which made it easy for anyone with the vertical maneuvering equipment to move around him. Like Eren, Bertolt was able to induce partial transformation, as he was able to manifest the upper portion of his Titan form on top of Wall Rose to fight against the Survey Corps. His form was 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 generated a massive cloud of steam before vanishing.


 * Regeneration: Bertolt, like all other Titans, had the power to automatically regenerate any wounds sustained and even entire parts of his body that were lost. This power also extended to his human form, as shown in 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 Titan Forest, Bertolt was 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 Colossus Titan was 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 were 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 Rose 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 not even in his complete form. This strike was strong enough to also leave an enormous crater in the ground.
 * Steam Generation / Heat Channeling: Since Bertolt's Titan form was far too slow to catch more agile opponents with the vertical maneuvering equipment, he possessed a powerful defense mechanism that involved him releasing large amounts of extremely hot and pressurized steam from his body. The steam had enough force to deflect any cables shot from the vertical equipment and burn away or repel close-range fighters. It was shown that Bertolt could 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. Although all Titans possess very precise internal temperature control, Bertolt's took this to a new level. Despite the Colossus Titan's high temperature, Bertolt did not sustain heat damage inside his Titan, and aside from the aforementioned steam generation, he was capable of channeling massive amounts of heat into very fine points and weaponizing it. The super-heated air released from its head area was enough to sear the flesh from Armin Arlert's muscles within moments and fuse his vertical equipment straps to his legs.
 * Explosive Transformation: Although all Titans generate enormous amounts of heat and energy when transforming, Bertolt took this to the next level. He could control the energy produced during his transformation to create various effects. For instance, when he attacked Trost, his transformation only caused a wind blast who knocked some trainees over the Wall. However, during the retake of Shiganshina, Bertolt releases a similar amount of energy to a small nuclear device, creating a mushroom cloud of dust and rubble, and also ravaging part of the district and killing a great number of Survey Corps members.
 * Instant Form Dissipation: Although all holders of the power of the Titans produce their enormous Titans in moments, and Bertolt was no exception, he was the only one shown able to disappear entirely in moments. It is unknown exactly how he did this, but it was a fast enough process to avoid attacks by Eren Yeager, who had latched onto his Titan's nape and struck thin air when the body vanished in less than 10 seconds.

Relationships

 * Reiner Braun - Reiner was his childhood friend, and partner in their mission in the Walls. The two were rarely apart, and Bertolt almost always followed along with whatever Reiner decided. However, he was shown to be greatly bothered by Reiner's growing attachment to the others and mental problems. Even so, he rarely spoke up or took any action to oppose Reiner. As he was being eaten by Armin in his Pure Titan form, he screamed out for Reiner and Annie to help him.
 * Annie Leonhart - Like Reiner, Annie was a childhood friend of Bertolt's. Reiner suggested that Bertolt had a crush on her, noting his tendency to always stare at her. In response he blushed and offered a weak protest. Reiner said that once their mission was complete, Bertolt would have to tell Annie how he felt about her. When Armin claimed that she was being tortured by the military, he went into a rage and declared that he would kill everyone. As he was being eaten by Armin in his Pure Titan form, he screamed out for Reiner and Annie to help him.
 * Marcel Galliard - 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, they both vowed to complete their mission and return to their hometown.
 * Ymir - He was initially distrustful of her, warning Reiner that she once killed their friend and was dangerous. His fear of her continued to be a major aspect of their shaky alliance, though he seemed to have changed his opinion after she saved his life. Afterward, he expressed his gratitude to her and was visibly distressed by her willingness to further risk her life by returning to their hometown.
 * Eren Yeager - Though friendly, the two were not known to often interact with the other. Bertolt expressed 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 appeared above Trost District and breached the gate, and he and Eren briefly fought before Bertolt disappeared completely. After his identity was revealed, he behaved hollowly towards Eren while the other became hostile towards him, calling him a "lackey." Eren questioned what Bertolt thought of his mother's death, as he was directly responsible, and Bertolt said he felt sorry for him. This enraged Eren, and he later vowed to see them both die in the most painful way possible. Eren eventually made good on this vow, personally ripping Bertolt out of the Colossus Titan and leaving him to be eaten by the Pure Titan of Armin Arlert.
 * Armin Arlert - Little interaction between the two had been shown, though his relationship chart in the official guidebook shows that Bertolt considered Armin a close friend. This, of course, sours once Bertolt's true identity was revealed and he threatened to kill Armin when the latter lied and claimed that Annie was being tortured. He was hostile toward Armin when they faced off in Shiganshina, once again coldly expressed his desire to kill him and all of his friends. Despite this, Bertolt showed a respect of Armin's intelligence, and attempted to put him out of his misery with a blast of steam not long after. Later, when Armin received the Titan injection, Bertolt's final moments were daunting, as he was devoured by Armin in his Pure Titan form.
 * Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer - Both alternately attempted to appeal to their friendship and confront him during the mission to rescue Eren. They mentioned several fond memories from their time as trainees, and Bertolt was visibly distraught by their words. When he finally broke down, Bertolt stated he genuinely thought of them both as his friends.

People killed

 * Previous inheritor of the Colossus Titan (as a Pure Titan)
 * Black-haired soldier
 * Moblit Berner
 * At least 17 unnamed Survey Corps members

Indirectly

 * Carla Yeager
 * Thomas Wagner
 * Mylius Zeramuski
 * Mina Carolina
 * Nac Tias
 * Franz Kefka
 * Hannah Diamant
 * Tom
 * Marco Bott
 * Mitabi Jarnach
 * Ian Dietrich
 * Ruth D. Kline
 * Countless Shiganshina District citizens

Failed attempts

 * Mikasa Ackerman
 * Sasha Blouse
 * Connie Springer
 * Jean Kirstein
 * Armin Arlert
 * Hange Zoë

Trivia

 * Bertolt ranked fourteenth in the First Character Popularity Poll.
 * Bertolt ranked ninth in the Second Character Popularity Poll.
 * Bertolt tied with Mikasa Ackerman for sixth in the Third Character Popularity Poll.
 * The official site reveals his nickname is "Bertl" (ベルトル).
 * He is the only human-controlled Titan known to willingly eat a human without the intention of stealing a Titan power. Instead, he did so in order to obtain the victim's vertical maneuvering equipment.
 * The 104th Training Corps 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 Colossus Titan and is fought atop a massive structure. A trailer of this mode can be viewed here.
 * Hajime Isayama stated in his blog that if there was a song for Bertolt it would be "The Season I Want to Die", by Japanese rock band.

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