Rico Brzenska

Rico Brzenska (リコ・ブレツェンスカ) is the Squad Leader of the 1st Division Elite Force of the Garrison. She is the only survivor of the elite squads assigned to protect Eren Yeager during the liberation of Trost District. Despite his success in sealing the breach, she does not trust Eren and still views him as an unstable threat.

Appearance
Rico is a rather short woman with a small but secure build. She has shaggy, cheek length, light blonde hair and silver-coloured eyes. She wears a small framed pair of glasses held on by bands placed around her head to keep them from falling off during combat. She also wears the typical Garrison uniform with a white button up shirt underneath and during a later mission she is seen wearing a green Garrison cloak.

Battle of Trost District arc
Rico is first seen when Eren, Armin Arlert, and Mikasa Ackerman are cornered by Kitts Woerman. She agrees that they should be executed because they could be dangerous. She later observes Eren Yeager in his Titan form going berserk and attacking Mikasa. She declares the mission a loss and signals to Dot Pixis that they have failed. She quietly comments that humanity has no secret weapon.

After pleading with Ian Dietrich to issue a retreat, she is ordered to take out an approaching 12m titan. Ian begins to shout at her when she questions him, demanding if she has a solution for the Titans. She admits that she does not, and eventually agrees that Eren is irreplaceable. When Eren recovers she, along with the rest of the elite squad, cuts a path to the breach. At one point, when a Titan is in Eren's path, Rico rams her swords into its eye and Mikasa finishes it off. When the rock is finally in place, she observes that everyone else is dead and tearfully fire the green Signal Flare indicating the success of the mission.

The Female Titan arc
Rico had given the report on their mission at Eren's trial, and testifies against him, convinced that he is a danger to himself and humanity. While at the trial, she convinces Mikasa to tell the truth, stating that lying would not help Eren's case.

Clash of the Titans arc
Rico does not appear again until the Garrison is deployed against the Titans which have mysteriously appeared within Wall Rose. Kitts Woerman is in charge of the Eastern line of defense, and is luring Titans into cannon fire while Rico uses her Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear to cut their necks during their recovery from the cannon blast.

The Uprising arc
After the Survey Corps returned from the massacre that occurred during Eren's rescue, she can be seen aiding and giving water to a dehydrated Historia Reiss and calmly assuring her there are no Titans. She is also concerned about Connie Springer who appears emotionally hurt from the events that transpired.

Abilities
She is considered one of the most skilled members of the Garrison, earning her a place on the Elite Squad during the mission in Trost.

Trivia

 * In the anime, she appears to gradually trust Eren a bit more than she does in the manga. When she sees Eren finally gaining control of his Titan form and carrying the boulder, she is moved by the sight and realizes the others did not die in vain. Her thoughts of suspecting Mikasa concealing and lying to testify against Eren was never made in the anime, and she seemed rather ashamed or disgusted that she had to write in how he attacked Mikasa in the report.
 * Her last name is traditionally a Polish surname.

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Rico Brzenska