Floch Forster (Anime)

"In order for others to not become victims, we needed people to become the victims themselves. Who will be that brave soldier? When I was asked that, I actually believed I could be that someone! But I never thought...that being sent to my death...would turn out to be so utterly meaningless in the end! Now that I think about it, I bet almost everyone ends up saying the same thing as me. Why did I ever think that I'd...somehow be different?"

- Floch despairs during the Battle of Shiganshina District

Floch (フロック) is a recruit (新兵) of the Scout Regiment. He joined the regiment after the crowning of Historia Reiss.

Appearance
Floch appears to be of average height with short, tousled red hair. He wears the standard Scout Regiment uniform.

Personality
Floch is, by his own admission, a coward. Part of Floch's cowardice seems to stem from a belief that his death should not be "meaningless," as he expressed during the Battle of Shiganshina District. Despite this, Floch has proved himself to be capable of acting courageously. He was willing, despite his fear, to participate in Erwin Smith's suicide charge against the Beast Titan, and was willing to stand up to his fellow soldiers when they suggested allowing Erwin to die in favor of saving the life of Armin Arlelt, even going so far as to risk being attacked by Mikasa Ackermann to keep her from taking the Titan injection from Levi.

One of Floch's most evident personality traits is his respect for Erwin Smith. He argued passionately for Erwin to receive the life-saving Titan serum, believing that only Erwin was capable of making the choices necessary to guarantee victory for humanity. He openly criticizes the choice to save Armin over Erwin, and claims that the choice was a result of those involved allowing their emotions to cloud their judgment.

Floch is also very honest with others, to the point of being insensitive. He admits to Hitch that Marlowe must have regretted entering the Survey Corps in his final moments, and informs Armin that most Military personnel who have read the Scouts' report from the Shiganshina battle agree that Armin's survival was a mistake. It is possible that Floch's value of the truth stems from his experiences in Shiganshina, as he insists that any future recruits be informed of what they will be signing up for, so that "cowards" like him will know not to join.

He believes that those who cannot give up something important to them for the greater good and refuse to listen to reason are childish. By that virtue, he thinks of those who know when to back off and restrain themselves from acting on their emotions as "adults." This is evident when he criticizes Eren and Levi on their decision to save Armin instead of Erwin, while praising Mikasa, who though acted on impulse at the start, reigned herself in eventually and made the logical choice.

The Uprising arc
During the feast before the expedition to Shiganshina District, Floch overhears Jean Kirschtein badmouthing the new recruits who have transferred to the Scout Regiment and jokingly confronts him, noting that they all trained together in the 104th. Floch is left uneased by Jean's nonchalant attitude toward him, noting that the cadets who joined the scouts after graduation have changed greatly since the last time he saw them. He begins to ask what happened to them, before thinking better of it and leaving.

Return to Shiganshina arc
Floch, along with other scouts, takes part in the operation to retake Shiganshina District. He and the rest of the recruits enter Shiganshina on foot while the rest of the soldiers use their ODM gear to make their way on top of the Wall. They are ambushed by Beast Titan, who appears with an army of Titans and throws a boulder into the side of Wall Maria, causing a collapse which blocks the scouts' entrance to Shiganshina, leaving Floch and the other recruits unable to enter with their horses. Floch and his squad mates are left in charge of the scouts' horses, and are ordered to defend them from any approaching Titans.

The Beast Titan suddenly begins targeting its throws at the Scouts themselves, and Levi orders the recruits to take the horses closer to the Wall, where they can use buildings for cover. Floch begins to panic, and Levi has to force him along to the base of the Wall. Marlo scolds him for letting some of their horses run away in the attack, but Floch in a frantic state says that it would be pointless to watch them if no one is going to survive for the return home.

Thinking back on the ceremony where he decided to join the Scout Regiment, he remarks that he thought he could be a brave soldier willing to give up his life for humanity, only to realize now that he is not and that his death will be meaningless.

When Erwin Smith gives his plan of a suicide charge against the Beast Titan to the recruits, Floch asks if they are going to die and if it is better to die fighting, wondering if it all would mean nothing. Erwin agrees that they are all likely to die, but he urges the recruits to fight for the good of humanity nonetheless so that the living can give meaning to their deaths. Floch participates in the suicidal charge against the Beast Titan.

Although he is knocked off of his horse during the charge, Floch miraculously survives the charge. Shocked by his survival, Floch begins to wander the battlefield searching for anyone else who may have survived.

After finding Erwin wounded and bleeding on the battlefield, Floch treats the Commander's wounds as best he can before pursuing Captain Levi. As Levi prepares to give Eren Jaeger the Titan injection needed to heal Armin Arlelt, he arrives with Erwin hanging unconscious on his back. While the others begin to argue over who should receive the serum, Floch looks on in confusion. As hostility grows in the group, he gives his opinion that Erwin should be the one to receive the serum, saying that only a "devil" like Erwin can overcome the Titans. He states that ensuring Erwin's survival has become his purpose, but before he can interfere with the situation, Hange Zoë arrives to calm Mikasa's tension.

When Eren tries to dissuade Levi from giving Erwin the serum by telling him about Armin's dream to see the ocean, Floch forcibly restrains him to stop him from interfering. Levi orders that he be left alone to inject Erwin and Floch forcibly moves Eren to another house rooftop. After Armin is given the serum instead of Erwin, Floch is left dismayed and asks Levi why he chose Armin over Erwin.

Floch helps search for more survivors in Shiganshina while Armin recovers atop Wall Maria. After receiving a smoke signal from Levi to return, Floch keeps watch of the district while Armin is filled in on the events of the battle.

After returning home victorious, Floch attends a meeting with the rest of the survivors of the expedition where they are debriefed on the information they recovered from Eren's basement.

As the remaining Scouts prepare for a ceremony in their honor, they are approached by Hitch, who has come to watch the ceremony. Jean assures her that Marlo acted bravely on their mission, and asks Floch to recount the events to her. Although Floch praises Marlo for staying calm and encouraging his fellow recruits, even after they had given up hope, he admits that Marlo likely regretted his actions his final moments. As Hitch leaves, an appalled Jean demands to know why Floch said such a thing to Hitch, and Floch tells him that someone should be honest about what happened. Armin admits that he knows Floch wanted Erwin to live, and Floch claims that everyone who has read the Scouts' report believes Erwin should have lived.

Eren tries to defend Armin, but Floch accuses him, along with Levi and Mikasa, of allowing his personal feelings to keep him from making a rational choice. Floch accuses Eren of behaving childishly and praises Mikasa for having the maturity to give up on saving Armin. Before things can escalate further, Jean intervenes. Floch, growing agitated, asks that they inform any future recruits of what they are truly signing up for, so that no more cowards like him join. Armin agrees that Erwin should have lived, but Eren insists that there is no way of them knowing for sure what the future has in store.

Roughly a year after the Struggle for Trost, after the Executioner from Hell has dispatched all of the Titans in Wall Maria and Shiganshina has been repopulated, the Scouts embark on their first scouting mission beyond the Walls in six years. They encounter a deformed Titan which has been dragging itself towards the Walls and leave it alive to follow the trail it has left, despite Floch's protests that they should kill it.

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Flocke (Anime)