My friends got killed, yet I didn't feel any sadness or hate at all! Deep down, I just felt glad it wasn't me! | ||
— Daz admits his cowardice[1] |
Daz (ダズ Dazu?) was a soldier of the Scout Regiment and former member of the Garrison Regiment, who participated in the Raid on Liberio in 854. He later joined the Jaegerists that same year.
Appearance[]
Daz had a short crop of spiky brownish-gray hair and light brown eyes. He had noticeable wrinkles around his mouth, apparently from his perpetual anxiety. He wore the normal uniform of the 104th Cadet Corps with a black shirt underneath.
In 854, the wrinkles on Daz's face had become more prominent. He was seen wearing the black Scout Regiment uniform with Anti-Personnel ODM gear.
Personality[]
Daz was constantly terrified and had an ever-present fear of something bad soon to happen regardless of circumstances. He admitted to being so afraid of the Titans that he was glad to see his comrades be eaten rather than himself, and repeatedly attempted to either desert his post or commit suicide rather than face the Titans again. To his credit, however, Daz was at least selfless enough to return to active duty after realizing that refusing to defend Trost District would guarantee the deaths of his family at the Titans' hands.
By the year 854, Daz seemed to have matured slightly. Although he was still in a constant state of anxiety, he seemed less prone to emotional outbursts in times of conflict.
Story[]
Humanity's Comeback arc[]
Daz is seen listening as Eren Jaeger describes the fall of Wall Maria and the Colossal Titan's appearance.[2]
At some point during training, the cadets of the 104th Cadet Corps complete a snowstorm training exercise, arriving at a base at the foot of a mountain. During the exercise, Daz loses consciousness due to overexertion and Christa and Ymir are forced to pull him along on a cot. After separating from Christa, Ymir uses her Titan powers to quickly return Daz to the base.
When Christa eventually arrives, she asks about Daz, and Ymir shows her that Daz is safe indoors.[3]
Distress[]
In the year 848, Daz is placed in a group of cadets led by Thomas Wagner to go on a wilderness hunt that will teach the cadets to sustain themselves in times of peace. He is the first in his group to notice when their ODM gear goes missing. Determining that their gear must have been stolen, the group decides to speed up their mission to warn the other group of cadets on the mission about the thieves.
The next day, Daz and his group come upon Marco's group, who have been engaging the kidnappers, and help them disarm the remaining men.[4]
The Struggle for Trost arc[]
After the Colossal Titan breaches Trost District's outer gate, Daz is seen among the cadets getting instructions from the Garrison captain, and is assigned to the middle guard.[5]
Daz is among the cadets that are left stranded in the middle of Trost, low on gas and unable to reach the Titan-infested headquarters to resupply. When Mikasa takes charge, Daz joins the cadets in making an attack on the headquarters.[6]
Inside the Walls, Daz is one of the soldiers put on standby. He tells Marco that he is unable to fight anymore, as his comrades were devoured right in front of him while he was just happy not to end up like them. Knowing that he might be the next one to die, he takes out his sword in an attempt to commit suicide, but Marco stops him.[1]
As the soldiers are gathered together so Dot Pyxis can inform them of the plan to reconquer Trost District, Daz begins to panic and Marco tries to calm him. A commanding officer overhears and threatens to execute him for abandoning his duty but Daz is left unfazed, claiming that execution would be preferable to being eaten by a Titan. Their altercation is interrupted by Pyxis' announcement that the military will use Eren Jaeger's Titan ability to reseal Wall Rose. Daz accuses the commander of lying and when Pyxis offers to pardon any soldiers who abandon their posts he readily accepts. However, Pyxis' reminder that all potential deserters will be abandoning their families to the Titans convinces Daz to return to participate in the operation. During the operation, Daz and Sasha's team are assigned to lead Titans in the district toward the wall and away from Eren.[7]
Eve of the Counterattack arc[]
The 104th cadets attend a Scout Regiment recruitment ceremony. Daz is one of many cadets who refuse to join the scouts after hearing their high mortality rates.[8]
Marley arc[]
Daz participates in the Scout Regiment's raid on Liberio in the year 854. As the Scouts retreat from the battle Daz joins his comrades in celebrating their overwhelming victory against Marley. Their celebrations are interrupted by a girl boarding the airship and shooting Sasha Braus, prompting Daz and the others to beat her and her companion mercilessly.[9]
War for Paradis arc[]
Daz is among the Paradis soldiers deployed to defend Shiganshina District during Marley's surprise attack.[10]
Daz and Samuel Linke-Jackson are among the Jaegerists stationed at Paradis Island's harbor to prevent anyone from attempting to use the island's airship. The two stop Armin Arlelt and Conny Springer from commandeering the airship, explaining that they are suspected of working with Marley to undermine Eren's plan to destroy the world outside of Paradis.
Armin and Conny explain that they want to use the ship to pursue the Marleyan soldiers fleeing Paradis and Daz, relieved, disarms the explosives placed on the ship.
Shortly afterwards, Floch Forster announces to the Jaegerists that Armin, Conny, and Mikasa Ackermann have betrayed Paradis. Daz begins rearming the explosives on the ship while Samuel shoots Armin and attempts to fend off Conny. Despite his injuries, Armin tries to stop Daz and Daz threatens to kill him. In response, Conny takes Samuel's gun and shoots Daz in the head.[11]
Legacy[]
While on the flying boat with the other Alliance members, Conny laments killing Daz and Samuel, saying it was to save humanity.
Abilities[]
Daz was an unexceptional member of the 104th both in confidence and in physical ability, being unable to complete the mountain training when someone as petite as Historia Reiss was. That being said, he was at least skilled (or lucky) enough to survive one or more encounters with Titans during the battle of Trost.
Trivia[]
- Hajime Isayama has stated that Daz is the character that he is most similar to.[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Attack on Titan anime: Episode 10
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 3
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 30
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: OVA 3
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 5
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 7
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 11
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 16
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 67
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 80
- ↑ Attack on Titan anime: Episode 85
- ↑ "ISAYAMA HAJIME'S NHK INTERVIEW (MAY 5TH, 2018)". snknews.com.