Historia Reiss

Historia Reiss (ヒストリア・レイス) is an illegitimate child from the aristocratic Reiss family. She was raised, in isolation, on an estate of the Reiss family before being violently dispossessed after the fall of Wall Maria, and in doing so, she was coerced into entering military service (in the hopes of her death) and consequently renouncing her name and claim to Reiss heritage in order to assume a new identity as Krista Lenz (クリスタ・レンズ). Over the course of her childhood and isolation, she intentionally created a persona for herself that was to be in all things selfless and kind to those around her. In her innermost self however, she is a melancholy girl uncertain of her truest nature and personality, nor her purpose and meaning in the world. She becomes an important asset to the Survey Corps' and is pursued by the agents of the government (under orders of the King and the Inner Brigade) and the Titan Shifters. Ymir initially sought her out of curiosity to her past and in order to use her as a bargaining chip and over the course of this, befriended her and in turn fell in love with the Historia she saw underneath the emotional armour and false projections.

Appearance
Historia has a small nose, slender shoulders and arms, peachy-colored lips, and very fair, glowing complexion. Historia is very petite, standing as the smallest soldier in the series, with a delicate and lean figure. She has shoulder-blade length blonde hair and light blue eyes. Her complexion is fair and her lips have a similar peach look to Mikasa and Annie's. She wears the standard military uniform with the Survey Corps's emblem on both shoulders, back, and left chest. Historia is regarded as being very attractive by many of her peers. This, coupled with her kindness lead to many people calling her a Goddess, as well as many allusions to her peers having a crush on her. When on expeditions, she is seen to tie her hair into a low ponytail.

Personality
She is outwardly very shy and kind, quick to come to tears and without knowing how to react to people in certain situations (her social ingraces, likely coming from her isolation as a child); However, as revealed and later noted, her desire to perform kindnesses to others stems not only from a desire to gain honour through them, but also to gain the approval of those around and to be seen as a good person, something she values highly as a result of her childhood where she was denied both, and raised to believe herself to have been an unfortunate and unwelcome mistake. The strongest manifestation of this is her often severe suicidal inclinations, where she desires merely to die in a manner where others will not hate her for having existed at all, and will be spoken off, and remebered favourably.

Ymir, in understanding Historia and having an insight into her personality no one else was afforded, correctly deduced this inner side of her nature and resultantly worked to discourage her own self belief that it would be better were she to die. Ymir often and openly displays contempt at her for accepting her treatment and rejection, particularly at her having rejected her name and heritage, and enlisting in military service merely to please those whom rejected her. It is hinted that the tragedy of Historia's youth emanates strongly with Ymir due to similar childhood experiences. It is Ymir's empathy and outward care for Historia, that forges such a strong and uncompromising friendship between them, and this plays a strong role in her developing a romantic attachment to Historia.

Due to multiple layers and contradictions in Historia's personality, it is difficult to gain a definitive understanding of her innermost nature, as all her actions are a mere outward projection of a facade she feels the need to adopt, not just to be liked, but because she regards herself as being vacuous on the inside, lacking a true nature or identity. Though it should be noted, the fact she joined the Suvery Corps' was one of the few true expressions of her inner character. Despite her kind outer expressions to other, she is often determined, in a perhaps callous and calculated move to use the deaths of those around her as an excuse to pursue a death at the hands of the Titans. A poignant example of her overriding determination to die in circumstances she cannot be faulted, but in fact praised for, is in using the severe wounding of her fellow trainee Dazz as a means by which to die in a fulsome attempt to save him and be remembered as having died "for the sake of others". Ymir challenges Historia on this, and openly shows that she actually has no intention of saving Dazz's life in insisting to haul his body despite her physical size and constitution being unable to do so, whilst refusing to let Ymir help her, but instead hoping that Ymir would live, only to tell others of the tale of her heroic but ultimately failed sacrifice to save the life of another.

After being abandoned by Ymir (who had left to aid the escape and survival of Reiner and Bertolt) she lost all of her jovial and otherwise hopeful nature, instead regressing to a refrain of vapid disinterest to the world and events around her. She claimed that while the outward manifestation of Krista Lenz was a kind and deeply caring person (drawing from her belief that is how good girls should be), what she perceives to be her truest self is hopeless and devoid without Ymir acting as an anchor to identity.

History
Historia was born out of wedlock to a prominent nobleman, Lord Reiss, and a beautiful servant that was his mistress. She was raised on a ranch owned by the Reiss family, and primarily cared for by her maternal grandparents. Her mother was notably distant, always reading by herself and never aiding her parents or daughter with the chores. Historia was seriously neglected by her family, as her mother wanted nothing to do with her and her grandparents barely interacted with her unless instructing her on her chores. The local children terrorized and abused her, throwing rocks and teasing her until she became afraid to leave her family's ranch. She noted that her mother left the ranch at night to meet someone, always dressed in fancy clothing.

As she grew, she began to read in books about the normal bonds between a mother and daughter and attempted to interact with her mother. One day, she attempted to hug her mother and was violently slapped away. Her mother cursed herself for lacking the courage to kill her child, though a bruised-and-bloody Historia was happy because it was the first time her mother had ever spoken to her. After that incident, she would not see her mother again for several years. She came to understand that her existence was a curse for her family, though she did not understand the reason. The animals on the ranch became her only comfort and companionship.

However, in truth she had a single human friend: a Mysterious Woman that would visit her in secret. This woman taught Historia to read, and encouraged her to become a kind girl that everyone would love. She chided Historia for not being more lady-like, but became distressed when the girl expressed the desire to be like her when she grew up. The woman possessed a strange power to alter memories, using it to alter Historia's memories so that she would always forget about her when they weren't together.

Several days after Wall Maria fell, Lord Reiss and her mother came to see her and stated that she was going to live with him from now on. The family attempted to flee, but were surrounded by a mysterious group of men. When confronted, Lord Reiss denied any relation to either of them. Historia's mother was restrained by the men, and told that she had never existed, all while she desperately attempted to deny being Historia's mother. Her last words prior to having her throat slit were to state that she wished she'd never given birth to Historia.

But before the men could kill Historia as well, Lord Reiss spoke up and offered an alternative. If she were to disappear, they would spare her life. Lord Reiss gave her the name "Krista Lenz", and sent her to live in the refugee camps until she enlisted in the military.

104th Trainees Squad arc
After the arrival of the Colossal Titan and the breaching of Wall Maria, Historia began her training in the military. Upon graduation she had placed 10th, a rank under Sasha Blouse (this was due to Ymir giving her the spot).

Battle of Trost District arc
Following the graduation, Historia wasn't seen going into battle until attempting to help Armin overcome the dread of supposedly losing his friend. She helped Mikasa and the other trainees retake the supply room while the Rogue Titan kept the other Titans distracted.

The Female Titan arc
In the aftermath of the battle of Trost, she showed her Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear to the Military Police while they searched for the one that killed the two captured Titans.

Despite Historia's fears in facing the Titans again after going through the same thing as Jean, Connie and the others, she stayed put and became a member of the Survey Corps. There she helped save Reiner, Armin, and Jean by supplying them a horse after they were stranded from an encounter with the Female Titan.

She was seen up on the trees baiting the Titans and preventing them from entering the forest while the Survey Corps attempted to capture the Female Titan.

Clash of the Titans arc
Historia was later shown to be part of the group that is being suspected for being comrades of Annie, when the Beast Titan suddenly attacked with the other Titans.

When Pastor Nick revealed to the members of the Survey Corps that Historia may know about the Walls having Titans inside them because of her family, and that she went under an assumed name after being caught in the middle of her relatives' dispute. It wasn't long until Eren and the others realized that she was often around Ymir.

When she remembers being with Ymir when they were helping Daz in her hometown. She was confronted for living under an assumed name after being caught in the middle of a serious dispute between her families and relatives. Before transforming into a Titan to fight the other Titans attacking them, Ymir made Historia promise her to go back into living under her real name.

After Historia and the rest of the trainees watch Ymir fighting against the group of Titans nearly falling off the tower when Ymir transformed, to which Reiner questioned her if she knew about it but tells she didn't know herself despite being so close to her and refuses to believe it at first. When the Trainees question whose side Ymir is on, Krista remembers some events of her and along with the other watching Ymir's attempt to fight the other Titans and came to the conclusion that she is fighting to protect everyone. She begins to cheer for Ymir telling her not to die and to break down the tower and celebrates when Ymir does so. She, along with the others, ride on her back and land on the ground safely, except for Ymir who is eaten by the Titans. As Historia tries to make her way to Ymir to fulfill her promise she is nearly grabbed by a Titan but is saved by Mikasa. As everyone watches in disbelief at Ymir's wounds and the truth, Historia reveals her true name.

She reveals her true name as Historia Reiss to Hange Zoe and pleads with her to go easy on Ymir. While she knew what her friend did was wrong in hiding information that could have been useful to the Survey Corps, she understood she did it to protect her comrades. Hange tells Historia she understands Ymir being a Titan like Eren and being an ally of humanity, but the political and bureaucratic rules are not as simple as she thinks. She watches with horror as Reiner, in his Armored Titan form, grabs Eren while Bertolt snatches Ymir in his Colossal Titan form.

During the battle, she is assigned to provide care for the wounded. She insists that Ymir is still alive, and begs the other soldiers to rescue her. Later, she joins the rescue mission against Armin's advice. The team eventually manages to catch up with Reiner and Bertolt, but are unaware that Ymir has been convinced to ally with them in exchange for Krista's safety. When Ymir appears in her Titan form, Krista rushes to greet her and is swiftly ensnared in Ymir's mouth, so the Titans can kidnap her.

As the Titans flee from the military, Ymir finally spits her out and partially emerges from her Titan form so they can speak. Krista initially believes that Ymir is being forced to cooperate with the traitors, and begs to be released so that they can escape. However, Bertolt points out that Ymir is not being forced to work with them and demands to know if Ymir is going to change her mind again, abandoning Krista to save herself. At this point, Ymir breaks down and confesses to her that she intends to use Krista's status as the heir of the Reiss family and hopes to save herself from the traitors she served. Using Krista's true nature, Ymir begs her to please save her. In response, Krista smiles and states she will always be on Ymir's side.

When Mikasa arrives and attacks Ymir, Krista quickly steps forward to stop the fight. She pleads with her to spare Ymir, and refuses to back down even when Mikasa threatens her. It's only when Mikasa makes it clear she won't spare anyone who gets in her way, that Krista relents and talks Ymir out of fighting any further.

"I'll fight together with you! So release your hand! Even if you have your reasons and there are things you can’t tell me! No matter what! I’m on your side!”  '- Historia to Ymir. '

Erwin Smith uses a successful ploy to slow down the traitors' escape, leading a massive horde of Titans directly into the Armored Titan's path. While her former comrades retreat to safety, Krista chooses to stay with Ymir and quickly comes under attack by the mindless Titans. She is rescued by Ymir, and they quickly become separated from Reiner and Bertolt in the ensuing chaos.

During the fierce battle, she rescues Ymir from a larger Titan and proudly declares it her first Titan kill. As she lands and prepares to check on her companion, Connie Springer arrives on the scene and snatches her up. Krista initially struggles with him, stating that she doesn't need to be saved and has chosen to side with the traitors. She tells him that unless she goes, Ymir will be killed by the Titan Shifters' people. However, Connie saw through Ymir's lies and asks her if this is exactly what Ymir told her and points out that Ymir only acts seriously in order to protect her. He further points out the dangerous situation they're in, suggesting they retreat to safety together with Ymir. This seems to hit on and calm Krista, and they are quickly joined by Ymir running alongside them in Titan form. It is then that they notice Titans being thrown into the path of the main force, blocking off their retreat.

As chaos reigns around them, she uses her gear to jump onto Ymir's head and shouts at Connie to call her "Historia". She then confronts Ymir about what Connie had said to her, wondering if Ymir is still lying to her in order to protect her. With newfound resolve, she states that they should both live only for themselves from now on -- echoing Ymir's words to her before she leapt from Castle Utgard. With a smile, she declares that she will never fear anything as long as they can be together. With this, she charges into battle along with Ymir and Connie.

In the aftermath of the battle, she rejoins the main forces in fleeing back to the Walls. But Ymir hesitates and stops upon hearing Bertolt's screams, watching as the traitors fight for their lives against the Titan horde. Historia is shocked when Ymir utters an apology to her, reaching out to gently caress her hair before leaving to help the other Shifters. While Connie leads her horse, a heartbroken Historia watches Ymir join the battle and is forced to leave her behind within the Titan-infested lands of Wall Maria.

Upon their arrival back at the Wall, she collapsed from exhaustion and was provided with water by Rico Brzenska. Once she regained her strength, she joined the others and insisted that they needed to return to the interior. In the two weeks that passed, she and Eren were sent into hiding with the new "Squad Levi" (consisting of the surviving members of the 104th Trainees Squad's most prominent members) as their guards. On their first night in hiding, she shared with her squad the terrible events of her past. Afterwards, Eren noted that she had become withdrawn and rarely spoke to the others. Her faith in Ymir remained unshakable, as she assured Connie that the other woman's intentions in lying to him were good. She firmly stated that she understood the other woman, though clearly saddened by their separation.

While Levi and the others attempt to lure out the enemy, Historia is left behind with Eren in a safe location. While waiting, she falls asleep and has a dream about the Mysterious Woman she knew as a child. These memories fade once she wakes up, leaving her confused. She has an awkward conversation with Eren, discussing the differences between the "Kind" Krista Lenz and the "empty" Historia Reiss. She wonders if the others are disappointed by the real her, who is not as kind or sweet as the girl they knew. Eren surprises her by admitting he always found Krista "creepy", and reassures her that the real Historia is just a normal girl.

After the Survey Corps tortured members of the government, they discovered that the Reiss family is the true royal family and that Historia has a chance to claim the throne.

Relationships

 * Ymir - While Ymir's feelings are explicitly romantic, it is still unclear whether Historia's feelings are likewise romantic or simply platonic in nature. She states that Ymir has "the worst personality ever", but was willing to abandon humanity if doing so would help Ymir. She states her intention to be at Ymir's side, and trusts her above all others. While Ymir challenges her unhealthy behaviors, she likewise challenges Ymir on her worst aspects.
 * 104th Trainees Squad - Krista is admired by the rest of the trainees, and the most popular girl among them. Many of her male classmates have a crush on her due to her beauty and kindness, as demonstrated when she rescued Reiner Braun, Armin Arlert, and Jean Kirstein. Sasha Blouse also initially thought she was a goddess, and seems to have remained close to her during training.
 * Mikasa Ackerman - Little is known how Mikasa feels about Krista. However, she does make it clear to her that she won't be afraid of killing anyone who dares to attack. Although neither girls are aware of it, they are very much alike; both have their own important person to them, act on that person's behalf, and are willing to go any length to ensure their important one's wellness and safety.
 * Connie Springer - Krista is good friends with Connie, and he is the one to make her aware of the truth behind Ymir's actions. While they've had few interactions shown, it is clear she trusts him enough to take his word at face value.
 * Eren Yeager - Krista had always envied Eren for the fact that he always knows his goals and can work toward them, however Eren had initially always disliked Krista, seeing her as a phony. When her true side was revealed as Historia, Eren respects the fact that now she is a "Stupidly honest and regular person." Krista now considers Eren as a very close friend, after hearing his words.

Trivia

 * Krista-Chara_Design.png official site reveals that the majority of her male classmates had a crush on her, referring to her as the "Goddess" of the 104th.
 * In a Volume 11 sideart, Isayama portrayed Historia shifting into a Titan which resembled an Angel.
 * So far, she has been called a goddess twice in the story. The first time by Sasha in Episode 3/Chapter 15. Second time, in Episode 18/Chapter 24.
 * Her name Historia is Greek in origin and means "History" . Also, her pseudonym Krista is of Greek origin (greek: Χριστή), meaning "she who is the anointed one". In Hebrew, "the anointed one" is "messiah".
 * Her birthday, January 15th, was celebrated in Japan as Coming Of Age Day between 1948 and 2000. It is now held on the second Monday of the month, but continues to celebrate the entry into adulthood by those turning 20.
 * Her alias surname "Lenz" means "spring" in old German.

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