Marco Bott

Marco Bott (マルコ・ボット) was a member of the 104th Trainees Squad, and graduated as the seventh ranked trainee in his class. He was assigned to fight the Titans after the breach of Wall Rose, and given command of his own squad. His death serves to illustrate the grim reality of life for the soldiers, as even the most talented can meet an ignoble end while facing the Titans.

Personality
Marco was an idealistic person, valuing the good of the group above his own interests as well as understanding and coping with his own shortcomings and limitations. The others respected him greatly, and considered him to be a natural leader suited to his dreams of joining the Military Police Brigade. Unlike those who join the Military Police Brigade for safety and privileges, his reasons of joining it were genuinely faithful. He was shown to be an excellent judge of others, recognizing Jean's potential as a leader and encouraging him to believe in himself. He was also shown to have a talent for preserving order among the other trainees, whether resolving arguments or keeping them calm during battle.

104th Trainees Squad arc
Marco is first introduced during the initiation of new recruits, and is intimidated by their instructor after expressing his desire to join the Military Police Brigade. He later attempts to maintain order when the recruits question Eren about the attack on Wall Maria, chiding the others when their questions become too upsetting. During his time as a trainee, he befriends Jean Kirstein and the two were often seen together. He seems to have been one of the only people to recognize Jean's potential, encouraging him to embrace his natural abilities as a leader.

Battle of Trost District arc
After the Colossal Titan attacked Trost, Marco was assigned command of the 19th Trainee Squad and ordered to support the vanguard forces. He was eventually among the trainees stranded when the retreat order was given, without enough gas to scale the Wall and escape Trost. When Mikasa and Jean rally the others into charging headquarters, which had become surrounded by Titans, Marco is quick to join them. Inside the station, he became vital in Armin's plan to reclaim the overun supply room and leads the main group. Armed with rifles, the recruits acted as bait and lure the seven Titans occupying the room into position. Marco managed to maintain order in the group, keeping everyone calm until they could fire and blind the attacking Titans.

He is later seen among the regrouped forces, attempting to keep order when people like Daz give into their fear. Marco did his best to comfort them and keep morale high, even when they were ordered to return to Trost. He joined the other recruits up on the Wall, acting as bait to distract the Titans from the main operation involving Eren Yeager. Later, he was among the recruits that head into the city to battle the Titans. There, he helped to rescue Jean when his gear malfunctioned and would eventually join the others in battling the Titans while Eren sealed the hole in Wall Rose.



He was later found dead after the invasion of Trost, discovered and identified by Jean. Along with the other causalities of the battle, his body is later cremated on a communal funeral pyre. This inspires Jean to abandon his selfish ways and join the Survey Corps, claiming that he didn't want to meet a "disappointing end with someone burning his bones without knowing why he died", a reference to Marco dying alone and unnoticed for days. His 3D maneuver gear was later found to have been taken by Annie, though she refuses to clarify how she "found it". This leaves an implication that his death may have involved foul play of some kind.

Relationships

 * Jean Kirstein - Marco and Jean were friends, with him often serving as a confidante and voice of reason. He was the one to recognize Jean's potential as a leader, and encouraged him to believe in himself. When Jean found Marco's body, Jean goes into partially catatonic state. After his death, Jean undergoes a significant change and makes the decision to honor his memory by joining the Scouts.
 * Daz - During the battle of Trost, Marco actively encourages and comforts Daz. They struggle briefly when Daz considers trying to kill himself, and is later shown giving him encouragement when Daz decides to continue fighting.
 * Armin Arlert - After his death, Armin mentions that they usually performed equipment maintenance together. This becomes important, allowing Armin to recognize his stolen gear when Annie presents it as her own.

Trivia

 * Marco-Chara_Design.png name means, roughly, "Messenger from the God of War", perhaps a nod towards his role in illustrating the cruel reality facing the recruits.

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Marco Bott