Thomas Wagner (Anime)

"Don't be so embarrassed. You're not the only one."

- Thomas decides to join the Scout Regiment

Thomas Wagner (トーマス・ワグナー) was a graduate of the 104th Cadet Corps who fought during the battle for Trost District and was assigned to the middle guard after the Colossal Titan's second attack.

Appearance
Thomas had blond hair with pronounced sideburns, light brown eyes, and was usually seen wearing the standard cadet uniform, or simple casual attire when off-duty.

Personality
Thomas was initially quite pessimistic about defeating the Titans, believing that humanity ultimately stands no chance, but he would later change his way of thinking after hearing an inspiring speech from Eren. As a cadet, Thomas admitted to still being a bit cowardly, as he was too frightened to immediately act upon witnessing the Colossal Titan for the first time. Despite this, Thomas was also somewhat of a leader, rallying his team into turning their first battle into a hunting competition despite the inherent uncertainty.

Humanity's Comeback arc
Thomas Wagner is introduced as hailing from the Trost District. A member of the 104th Cadet Corps, he first meets Eren Jaeger while questioning him about the Colossal Titan. Later, he operates the training equipment for the omni-directional mobility gear during Eren's second attempt at his aptitude test. At Keith Sadies' orders, Thomas exchanges equipment with Eren and it is discovered that Eren's equipment was defective.

Distress
In the year 848, Thomas is placed in charge of a group of cadets on a wilderness hunt to sustain themselves in times of peace. When it is discovered that the group's ODM gear has been stolen by a band of thieves, Thomas suggests returning to the training grounds to alert Sadies, before agreeing to Reiner's plan to speed up their mission in order to alert Marco Bodt's group of the thieves.

The next day, Thomas and his group come upon Marco's group, who have been engaging the kidnappers, and help them disarm the remaining men.

A Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse of Adolescence
In the year 849, while the Cadet Corps is performing a mock defense mission in Trost, Thomas takes the opportunity to visit his family.

After graduating, Thomas asks Eren if he is seriously not going to join the Military Police even after getting into the top ten. Eren replies that he did not train all this time to live in the interior, and that he did it to fight the Titans. Thomas angrily says that they cannot beat them, and that the answer was clear after they lost 20% of the population. Eren then asks him if he is going to give up just because he thinks humanity cannot win, stating that the information gained in battle against the Titans will lead to further hope and that humanity has not been truly defeated yet. The following morning, Thomas plans to join the Scout Regiment.

The Struggle for Trost arc
He is seen cleaning out the cannons with his comrades atop Wall Rose. When the Colossal Titan appears outside Trost District, he can only watch in horror as the burst of steam from its body knocks the cadets off the Wall. He is present when Eren Jaeger orders them to attack the Colossal Titan, but is too shocked to immediately react. After the breach, he is assigned to the middle guard along with Eren, Armin Arlelt, Milieus Zeremski, Nack Tierce, and Mina Carolina. He suggests they have a contest on who can kill the most Titans. After witnessing the alarming amount of Titans in the middle guard, an abnormal Titan lunges itself in mid-air and the group scatters onto a rooftop, but unfortunately, Thomas is caught and swallowed whole, while his team mates watch in horror. Enraged at the loss of his friend, Eren angrily goes after the Titan on his own to kill it and avenge Thomas, only to have his leg bitten off by a Bigmouth Titan and then later get eaten by a Bearded Titan saving Armin. Armin would later report his demise to the remaining members of the 104th Cadet Corps, saying he died valiantly in the line of duty.

As with Eren, Thomas most likely would have still been alive inside the Titan's stomach for some time as he was swallowed without being injured. It could be said that he eventually died due to the extreme body temperature of Titans but he may have still been alive, even when Eren attacked in his Titan form, however this is very unlikely.

Eren, in his Titan form, would later avenge Thomas' death by brutally killing the Titan responsible, by biting through the nape of its neck.