Hannes

"Eren... The reason you couldn't save your mother is that you lacked the strength. The reason... The reason I didn't fight the Titan was that I lacked the courage!"

- Hannes to Eren

Hannes (ハンネス) was a Captain (隊長) of the Garrison. He was also a lifelong friend to the Yeager family and was responsible for saving Mikasa and Eren from the Smiling Titan.

Appearance
Hannes was a tall, well-built man with short blond hair, a thin dark moustache, and golden hazel eyes. He wore the typical uniform of the Garrison Regiment along with a grey v-neck shirt underneath.

Personality
Hannes was a very kind, good-natured man, but he always drank irresponsibly. Although somewhat cowardly, he was determined to die if it meant freeing Eren from his captors. He was greatly ashamed of lack of courage five years ago, and waited to encounter the Titan who killed Eren's mother, Carla Yeager, again, in order to slay it and make up for his past mistakes.

Hannes cared deeply for Eren and Mikasa and looked out for them after Carla was eaten. He ultimately gave his life to protect them.

History
From Keith Shadis’ account of finding Grisha outside the Wall 20 years before Historia's coronation, Hannes expressed his view that anyone wandering outside the walls was insane. He was countered by Shadis who said there was equivalent stupidity of drinking on his Garrison duties. Hannes partially sympathised with Grisha over his memory loss and situation blaming alcohol abuse.

He was later shown thanking Grisha profusely over the recovery of his wife at his hands from the disease; a debt to the Yeagers he became determined to repay. Hannes was also present at Grisha and Carla’s wedding later on.

Fall of Shiganshina arc
Hannes is first introduced as being drunk while on duty, in the Shiganshina District shortly before Wall Maria fell. He and a fellow Garrison member, Hugo, are chided by Eren, who thinks they are being reckless by drinking as the Walls could fall any day. Hannes however is relaxed, saying that the Walls have stood for a century without a breach.

During the fall of Wall Maria and subsequent Titan invasion, Hannes arrives at the scene with Eren, Mikasa and Carla Yeager as she is trapped underneath her house that was hit by the rubble caused by the Colossal Titan's attack. She begs him to take the children and run but he wishes to instead kill the approaching Titan and rescue Carla as well. Horrified by the distinct wide, grinning face of this Titan, Hannes saves Mikasa and Eren from certain death, despite the fact that he doesn't have the courage to fight the Titan who devours Carla.

Moments after the traumatizing event, Eren punches Hannes repeatedly, crying out why he couldn't save Carla, and Hannes throws him to the ground. Eren continues his blind efforts of attacking Hannes, with Hannes tearfully explaining that the reason Eren couldn't save his mother was because he lacked the strength, further infuriating Eren, but Hannes says that the reason he himself couldn't save Carla was because he lacked the courage. He escorts the two away from the chaos.

Hannes escorts Eren and Mikasa on the boat escaping the district and shortly after participates in the evacuation of Shiganshina. He tries to reason with the other Garrison members, saying that if they close the gate the people outside the Walls will be devoured, however the other argues that the Titans will invade the entirety of Wall Maria if they don't. Hannes attempts to stop the command, but the conflict is short-lived as an Armored Titan breaks through the Shiganshina gate, and Hannes watches in horror of the aftermath of the blow.

104th Trainees Squad arc
Eren meets Hannes again five years later in Trost District and is surprised to learn that Hannes has been promoted to the rank of Captain. Hannes reveals that he owes a debt to Grisha Yeager for saving his wife and many others who were ill with a disease by bringing in an antibody, and he regrets that he was never able to repay the favour.

Clash of the Titans arc
Hannes appears once more apparently giving a report to Dot Pixis when a Garrison member bursts in and informs them that Wall Rose has been breached. He is the commander of the Wall Rose counter squad and heads out to find the breach. Hannes is surprised to find no sign of a breach and in fact no Titans near the Wall itself. After relaying this information to Hange Zoe, who is equally surprised, he begins to leave.

Hannes is unable to leave because he becomes involved in the battle with the revealed Armored Titan and Colossal Titan, and expresses shock once he witnesses Eren in his Titan form for the first time. He tries to warn Eren about the falling Colossal Titan but Eren reacts too late. In the aftermath, he is one of the few commanding officers left unharmed and helps to reassure the distressed Armin and Mikasa. Together, the three remember their formerly peaceful lives in Shiganshina and Hannes states his desire to return to such peaceful times. Along with Erwin and a commander from the Military Police, he helps lead the joint mission by the three military branches to rescue Eren. When they arrive at the Forest of Giant Trees, Hannes commands his forces and joins those heading into the forest in search of the traitors. Their arrival is too late, and he quickly takes to horseback in pursuit of the fleeing Armored Titan. He swears that he will rescue Eren, even if it costs him his life.

As the confrontation becomes more chaotic, he ends up separated from Armin and Mikasa. He later arrives at the feet of the Armored Titan, and shouts a warning to the former members of the 104th that Erwin has set up a trap. Along with them, he retreats from the oncoming Titan horde and watches in horror as they attack the traitors. After Eren is retrieved successfully, he is among the soldiers who attempt to flee to safety when the Armored Titan begins to hurl other Titans at them. He comes to the rescue of Eren and Mikasa, when the same Titan that killed their mother 5 years prior attacks them once more. He proclaims that he has dreamed of this day, and promises to kill it. However, his efforts are ultimately in vain and the two children he once rescued are forced to watch as he is bitten in half and devoured by the Titan.

In the aftermath of the battle, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin grieve his death while they recall their childhood spent with him.

The Uprising arc
While speaking to Historia under the Reiss chapel, Eren mentions Hannes as being among the victims he and Grisha Yeager are responsible for killing by stealing the Titan's power.

Return to Shiganshina arc
When Eren and the others pay a visit to Keith Shadis in order to tell them what he knows about Grisha Yeager, he also tells minor information about Hannes.

The night before the reconquest of Wall Maria, Eren, Armin and Mikasa mistake an old Garrison with Hannes, which makes them think about the past.

Failed attempts

 * Smiling Titan

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Hanneth Hannes