Eldia (Anime)

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Eldia
Name	Eldia エルディア Erudia
Information
Territory	Eldia
Region	Paradis Island Continental mainland (formerly)
National language	Eldian
Status	Destroyed
Notable inhabitants	Subjects of Ymir Ackermann family Azumabito family Marleyans
Debut
Anime	That Day
Anime movie	Attack on Titan: Chronicle

	After defeating the great nation of Marley, they ruled over the continent. Thus began the Dark Ages...
— Jaeger teaching young Grisha Jaeger

Eldia (エルディア Erudia^?) was a nation that was located on Paradis Island which was chiefly populated by the Subjects of Ymir, a race that used to be able turn into Titans if injected with a serum.

In ancient times, the Eldians used Titans to build their empire, slaughtering countless peoples and taking their land. Eventually, the Eldian Empire grew unstable due to internal conflicts between the families with the power of the Titans, and collapsed during the Great Titan War a century ago. Eldia lost most of its land as well as seven of the Nine Titans to a newly reborn Marley, and many Eldians retreated and confined to its remaining territory of Paradis Island off from the coast of the mainland. King Karl Fritz raised the Walls to protect Eldia from Marley and the other nations of the world, and erased the memories of Eldia from the Subjects of Ymir inside.

After discovering the truth from Grisha Jaeger's basement in the year 850, the Eldians on Paradis Island embraced their true identities. Although they were officially the nation of "Eldia," the Jaegerists wanted to institute a New Eldian Empire (新生エルディア帝国 Shinsei Erudia Teikoku^?) by the time of the Rumbling.

After Eren Jaeger's death during his attempt to wipe out all of humanity beyond the island in order to save its inhabitants from the threat posed by the Global Alliance, whose death resulted in the Titan power completely disappearing from existence, Eldia continued to exist and prosper for a long time before eventually being embroiled in a destructive conflict that ended with Eldia's defeat and the total collapse of its civilization. Many generations later, what consituted Eldia on Paradis Island has now long been left in a state of decay, with entire cities being reclaimed by nature and scavenged by descendants of those who survived that final war.

History

Ancient Eldians enslaved and burned the village of Ymir

In ancient times, the people of Eldia existed as a primitive tribe. The Eldian tribe pillaged and raided opposing peoples, even cutting out the tongues of those they took for their slaves and gouging out the eyes of disobedient slaves.

Around 2,000 years ago, a slave girl named Ymir gained the power of the Titans. The ruler of the Eldian tribe used Ymir's newfound powers to war against enemy nations such as Marley, and he would later take Ymir to mother his children in the Fritz family. 13 years later, Ymir Fritz died in defense of her king, and her powers were inherited by her three daughters when they cannibalized her body. Her powers would spread until there were Nine Titans. With their Titan powers, the Subjects of Ymir established the Eldian Empire.

The Nine Titans building the Eldian Empire

The Eldians used the Titans as weapons of mass destruction to conquer other nations, wiping out countless cultures in the process. It is estimated that the number of people the Eldians have slaughtered is over three times the world population as of the year 854. Allegedly, Marley was once again victim to Eldia's warmongering around 1,200 years ago, when Eldia assaulted Marleyan cities during the "Fall of Lago", the "Devastation of Monte", and the "Ravaging of Valle". Survivors from the Fall of Lago fled into the wastes, but were caught by Titans who had been awaiting their retreat. However, the historical validity of these Eldian attacks against Marley are a matter of debate.

Around the year 240, the Subjects of Ymir within the Eldian Empire were spared from widespread death from a worldwide epidemic through the actions of the King of Eldia. Using the power of the Founding Titan, the Subjects of Ymir were altered in their biology, rendering them immune to the disease.

At some point in later history, the Eldians made allies with Hizuru.

Eventually, the Eldians ran out of enemies and began fighting each other. The eight of the nine houses with the Nine Titans remained in a state of conflict, but the Fritz family maintained order with the Founding Titan.

The Great Titan War

After 1,700 years, the Founding Titan came into the possession of Karl Fritz, the 145th King. The King believed that Eldia's sins cannot be atoned for, and that Eldians and Titans should not have existed in the first place. He pitied the Marleyans and devised a plan alongside the Tybur family, the keepers of the War Hammer Titan, to end the Eldian rule. The King abandoned the internal conflicts, and without the Founding Titan to keep order, the Eldian Empire collapsed. The Eldians fought and weakened themselves during the Great Titan War, while the King and the Tybur family presented the legend of Helos, a Marleyan hero who joined with the Tybur family to defeat the King. The Tybur family fought to restore Marley in the war; other noble families would evidently follow suit. They succeeded and Marley gained seven of the Nine Titans as a result. The King moved the capital to Paradis Island, Eldia's last remaining territory, and gathered as many Eldians he could on the island.

King Fritz used the Founding Titan to erase the memories of Eldia

On Paradis Island, the King used the Founding Titan to cause Colossal Titans to form three concentric Walls around their territory: Maria, Rose, and Sina. Afterward, Karl Fritz, now known as the First Reiss King, used the Founding Titan once more to erase the Subjects of Ymir's memory of the Great Titan War and all of history before the raising of the Walls. For the next century, the Subjects of Ymir in Paradis Island lived on in peace, unaware of their past conflicts, their history as the Eldians, and the world outside the Walls. On the other hand, the Subjects of Ymir who were left behind in the continental mainland and the outside world at large were chased out from their respective native lands, with the vast majority being placed into internment zones throughout world, where they would endure severe oppression for the next century.

However, some Eldians attempted to resist and restore Eldia. The remaining members of the Fritz family still on the mainland led a revolutionary army against Marley, but the army was crushed and its members were executed, including Eren Kruger's family. Others, such as Grisha Jaeger, met together in secret, plotting to venture to Paradis Island and retrieve the Founding Titan in order to bring back the Eldian nation. Few Eldians were allowed to keep their status after Marleyans conquered them. One notable example is the Tybur family, who retained their status and wealth because they fought for the Marleyans in the Great Titan War.

Society

Ancient Eldia

Tribal era

Before Ymir acquired the Titan powers, Eldia was a small warlike tribe that regularly indulged in attacking neighbouring villages and tribes, plundering their homes and taking portions of them as slaves. Mistreatment of those slaves were very frequent, such as cutting their tongues out as soon as they were conquered, most likely in order for them to be unable to organize potential escapes or rebellions from their captors.

Roads being built by the Eldian tribe

After Ymir Fritz awakened the Titan powers, her abilities were used by Fritz in order to cultivate the roads, build bridges, and cultivate the wastelands. This, on top of the expansion of the Eldian tribe as her powers were also used to wage war against the powerful nation of Marley, gave the Eldians a sudden prosperity which made the whole tribe grow in numbers, territory, and power. In only 13 years, the tribe of Eldia completely metamorphosed as a society, becoming a more civilized kingdom, with entire new cities being built as proof of the tribe's newfound grandeur.

Eldian Empire

In the 13th year after her awakening of the Titan powers, Ymir Fritz was assassinated by a surrounding Marleyan officer, and the king Fritz of the time ordered her body to be consumed by their three daughters Maria, Rose, and Sina, in order for her powers to not be lost. These three became the first Subjects of Ymir in history, and their descendants established the Eldian Empire.

A new city built at the time of Ymir Fritz during the early expansion of Eldia

With this new status, the Eldians continued to use the Titan powers in order to conquer the entire world. This eventual global domination led to the Eldians, eventually the Subjects of Ymir who eventually managed to outnumber the original non-Subjects of Ymir Eldians spread throughout the entire world. During the golden age of the Eldian Empire, simply being born as a Subject of Ymir assured one's position into nobility in non-Eldian countries around the globe. This most likely resulted from or resulted in the belief that Subjects of Ymir were a superior race above all others, being the ones having contributed to Eldia going from a small primitive tribe to an unbreakable empire dominating the whole world.

Marleyans attacked by the Eldian Empire's Titans

Over the centuries, many civilizations, nations, tribes, and peoples would be conquered and subjugated by the Eldians or outright exterminated, due to them being completely powerless against the Titans at such times in terms of technological development. Many nations and peoples suffered under Eldian rule, which caused a lot of resentment amongst the subjugated peoples. It is said that the Marleyans were the ones that have suffered the most and the longest under the Eldian Empire, having been the first nation in history to have suffered at the hands of the Titan powers. Though the Eldians didn't solely oppress other nations, as seen with Hizuru, the eastern nation that they allied with until as recently as a couple years before the Great Titan War.

During the Eldian domination of the world, Ymir Fritz was hailed as a God, and praised for having utilized her powers for the betterment of Eldia. Entire books were written about her, praising the merits of her exploits for having given wealth and prosperity for the people of the continent, a narrative that Marley would discredit fanatically and many Eldians would hold on to countless generations later.

In the 1,700 years between Ymir Fritz's death and the Great Titan War, the Eldian Empire was divided into various major houses, each possessing one or more inheritors of the Nine Titans which split from Ymir's "soul". These houses warred against each other within the Eldian Empire, though conflicts in the Empire were nonetheless maintained with the power of the Founding Titan held by the Fritz family, the royal house.

Marley

A group of Eldians from Liberio

After having lost the Great Titan War, the Eldians descended from those who remained on the continental mainland were regarded as low-class citizens by the nation of Marley, considered "filthy-blooded" and inhuman. Eldians were segregated from the main population into the designated areas such as the internment zone in Liberio, with Subjects of Ymir as a potential selection of Titan weapons. Eldians in these internment zones evidently possessed no system of currency. However, many amongst the Marleyan population who were aware of this contingency opposed it, believing that it would be better to exterminate the Eldians in order to rid the world of the Titans altogether.

On occasion, Eldians could be given permission to exit the internment zone with special permits distributed by Marley Public Security. Furthermore, all Eldians both within the internment zone and beyond in Marley territory were required to wear armbands denoting them as Eldian when appearing in public. Even the Warrior Unit were required by law to wear their armbands at all times, though those who receive the power of the Titans are granted special red armbands to denote their status, as honorary Marleyans. Families of these Warriors also received red bands. The Tybur family, with their honorary status as Marleyan nobility, were not required to wear any armbands despite their Eldian heritage. In comparison to the Warrior Unit who wore red armbands, Eldian civillians and Warrior Candidates wore white and yellow armbands respectively. Most Eldians seemed content with this existence due to brainwashing and fear-induced acceptance and self loathing, though on numerous occasions resistance forces had been organized in order to restore the Eldian Empire, though all known attempts have failed.

Eldian cultists lynched by Marleyans

Besides resistance movements, other secret Eldian organizations included a cult dedicated to the worship of Ymir Fritz a couple decades after the fall of the Empire, the first Titan and a goddess in the eyes of several of her subjects. The followers of this cult were fanatic in nature to the point of resorting to worshiping a homeless girl by the name of "Ymir," though the leader of said cult seemed to lead the group only for profit. Eventually, the cult was discovered and captured by the Public Security Authorities, in which the cult's leader turned against Ymir without hesitation, and all were exiled to the borderline of Paradis Island as Pure Titans. However, their devotion to their goddess was strong enough to cause one follower to display great reverence even in Titan form to a soldier who resembled Ymir.

Because they were treated as second-class citizens, many young Eldians strived to join the Warrior program in order become honorary Marleyans. These Eldians also served as potential candidates to inherit the power of the Titans under Marley's control.

There were organizations that wanted to protect the rights of Eldians but they were considered to be freaks no one took seriously. One of their spokesman believed that only the Subjects of Ymir outside of Paradis Island deserved compassion since they are the victims of the Eldian Empire's contrived breeding, considering that they have never been Eldians.

Paradis Island

The King's Lie

The Eldian Empire within the Walls

When the Eldian Empire was isolated to the Walls on Paradis Island off the east coast of the continental mainland, Karl Fritz made use of the Founding Titan to force his subjects to believe they were the last remnants of the human race in a world overrun by Titans. The Fritz monarchy remained as the royal family over Eldia, however they went into hiding as the Reiss family while a pretender bloodline was placed upon the throne under the Fritz name.

Members of the Ackermann clan inside the Walls

Other Eldian races unrelated to the Subjects of Ymir also lived within their new territory, such as the Oriental clan. Due to the nature of the Founding Titan, these bloodlines interfered with King Fritz's plan for a perfect peace. Most of these bloodlines complied with King Fritz's orders keeping silent concerning the history of the world beyond the Walls, becoming the nobility within the interior of Eldia's new territory, however the Asian clan along with the mysterious Ackermann clan objected to the King's ideology and rebelled. Both bloodlines were subjected to extermination, and those who survived fled into hiding in places such as the underground beneath Eldia's capital of Mitras or in the isolated wildernesses beyond the towns.

As an additional measure to ensure the Eldians within the Walls would never be able to venture beyond them without authorization, the Royal Government placed firm restrictions on the technological progress that could be achieved by the craftsmen and engineers of Eldia. Those who broke this regulation would be secretly targeted by the First Interior Squad, the elite force within Eldia's Military Police Regiment, who received orders directly from the monarch of Eldia. Due to this restriction of progress, Eldian technologically would fall behind the rest of the world as the decades passed.

A majority of the Eldians within the Walls were content with their isolated existence under the King's rule. Those who desired to see humanity's territory reclaimed or explore the outside world would join the Scout Regiment, the military branch authorized to exit the Walls periodically, though many civilians considered the act of leaving the Walls to be a foolish and wasteful gesture. During the entirety of its existence, the Scout Regiment faced intense pressure from both the government and the people due to having suffered countless defeats at the hands of the Titans sent by Marley, and at many times faced complete dissolution.

Information was spread throughout the territory within the Walls through various newspapers such as the Berg Newspapers. However, until the coup d'état which overthrew the old system of government, the newspaper industry was heavily influenced by government interference, disallowing the publication of any information which conflicted with the motives of the government. Information was at times also spread through the merchants' association, which as its name implies gathers information solely from civilian merchant groups such as the Reeves Company. Before the overthrowing of the government, it was at a civilian's discretion whether to trust the official word of the government or the hear-say of the merchants.

The True History

After the battle of Shiganshina in which the Eldians on Paradis Island managed to discover their true identities and ancestral history thanks to Grisha Jaeger's basement in the city, the entire society inside the Walls quickly adapted to these new revelations. The population rapidly accepted their nationality as Eldians and their racial identity as Subjects of Ymir, while also realizing that their true enemies weren't the Titans, but the vast majority of humanity living beyond Paradis Island, which universally agreed on Eldians being a "race of devils" deserving of being wiped out from the face of the Earth.

This, coupled with Grisha's biography in one of his confidential books being revealed to public in which he went into detail about the suffering of fellow Eldians in the outside world, led to many Eldians on Paradis Island adopting a revanchist mindset, with the most extreme ones outright stating their desire to build a "New Eldian Empire", and to slaughter the Marleyan people in revenge for their numerous acts of aggression on Paradis.

Eren Jaeger became the idol of the Eldian people, a symbol of the struggle against Marley and other enemy nations. The vast majority of the population believed him to be only one able to save Eldia from annihilation when he was alive, and supported his radical methods in fighting back against the encroaching Marleyan aggressors. After his death during the Rumbling, his legacy had been cemented amongst the Eldians of Paradis Island, who considered him to be a martyr and formed a militaristic society in order to fight off against the remnants of humanity who survived the onslaught. Fear of genocide and extermination drove the Eldians of Paradis Island into fervent nationalistic paranoia, which explains the birth of the Jaegerists at that time and how their regime held unchecked power over Eldian society post-Rumbling.

Paradis Island Technology

A Military Police Regiment buckshot rifle

The firearms used by the military of Paradis Island before the year 850 were mostly based on the flintlock mechanism, where a piece of flint ignites the gunpowder and fires the gun, which must be reloaded after every shot. These came in the form of muskets, pistols, buckshot rifles, hand cannons, and flintlock sniper rifles. The firearm technology had not progressed much as guns were proved ineffective against the Titans. Part of the reason was due to the Military Police First Interior Squad stopping firearm advancements in technology to maintain order within the Walls, with two of the advancements that were suppressed being the development of revolvers and metallic bullet cartridges. The Scout Regiment and the Garisson also use flare guns to communicate over long distances. Furthermore, cannons lined the top of the Walls. While each one originally had its own track so it could be pushed to the outer edge or the inner edge, tracks were later laid along the entire Wall to connect them all and enabled them to be pushed to different positions. Four years later, the Scout Regiment were able to incorporate semiautomatic and bolt action firearms into their arsenal with the covert aid of the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, while Thunder Spears became standard issue equipment for anti-Titan and anti-fortification warfare.

One of the most sophisticated pieces of technology the Eldians of Paradis used was the Omni-directional mobility gear. The advances needed for the system to work included steel wire, compressing gas under pressure derived from iceburst stone, and blades made of ultrahard steel, a substance which could only be manufactured in the blast furnaces of the Industrial City.

The port in the southern coast of Paradis in the year 857

Transportation within the Walls is derived primarily from horses. Furthermore, sailless boats guided by pulleys and rails connect some districts by river, such as the boats providing transport between Shiganshina District and Trost District. In the year 851, a port along the coastline began development, allowing Paradis to use captured Marleyan ships. At the same time, the Eldians were introduced to locomotives and obtained access to an airship, later used by the Scout Regiment for their mission in Liberio.

Other forms of basic technology have been shown to exist within the Walls, such as pocket watches, pulley-based lifts, metallic water pumps, and the printing press. Photography was not something that the people inside the Walls initially knew about, as Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackermann, Hange Zoë and Levi Ackermann were not able to identify what a photograph was without Grisha's note written on the backside.

Architecture

Ancient Eldia

In its earliest days, during its tribal age, the Eldians primarily lived in communities and small villages made of numerous wooden homes exhibiting a rustic and traditional architectural style. The homes had steeply pitched, a-frame roofs made of thick layers of thatch, including chimneys constructed from rough stone that were broad and solid.

As the Eldians expanded and gained more resources thanks to the use of Ymir's powers, they built new cities with more polished and distinguished architecture. At the time of Ymir's death, Eldian architecture had evolved significantly, reflecting a newfound prosperity and sophistication. The buildings showcased a grand, classical style architecture, which was a stark contrast to the rustic, tribal structures seen in the earlier Eldian period. The prominent use of large, fluted columns with capitals, supporting expansive entablatures and pediments, demonstrated a desire for monumental, symmetrical structures that convey power and stability.

Ancient Eldians building a new city

Roofs were gently sloped and covered with clay or ceramic tiles, which gave a warm, golden tone that complemented the stone walls. The tiles were meticulously arranged, creating a uniform, polished look. Eldia's new cities also incorporated stylish courtyards and open porticos which were integral to the aesthetic, creating transitional spaces between the interior and exterior and allowing for open areas where people could gather.

Paradis Island

Pre-Rumbling

The architecture on Paradis Island served as a vivid reflection of the social hierarchy and class divides that characterized the society built by Karl Fritz and the Eldians who fled there during the Great Titan War. The layout and design of buildings varied significantly across the different districts, especially when comparing the outer, more vulnerable districts like Shiganshina to the affluent, protected cities closer to the capital, like Stohess. This variety in architectural styles mirrored the socioeconomic status of their inhabitants and the inherent classism within the walls, where proximity to safety and affluence went hand in hand.

In each of the three walls on Paradis Island—Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina—there were four primary districts that acted as the largest urban centers within the walls. These districts, positioned at the cardinal points (north, south, east, and west), served as both strategic and residential hubs. They were built to be of similar size and shared many architectural characteristics, reinforcing a sense of uniformity and cohesion across the island. These large districts housed significant populations and were designed with a strategic layout to support the kingdom's military infrastructure. At the heart of each district was a military headquarters, which functioned as both an operational base and a symbol of security and authority. The military bases in the center of these districts served as a rallying point in the event of a Titan attack, as well as the administrative center for managing the district's defenses and public order.

A river passed through each district, which was an intentional feature in the design of these cities. They served a strategic purpose, creating a natural barrier within each district that could be used defensively if needed, and also as a means to escape eventual Titan attacks by boat, which was the case during the Fall of Wall Maria in 845.

A residential district in Shiganshina in 845

The four districts of Wall Maria and those of Wall Rose held a near identical architecture, in which their buildings materialized the social status of most of its inhabitants, who were from the middle- and lower-classes. This translated in uniformized buildings throughout the districts, with houses presenting a medieval style, in the use of timber-framed houses with steeply pitched roofs and decorative half-timbering, while the military headquarters of each district towered above the others, mostly built in stone materials and having imposing watch towers overlooking the towns. These districts were densely packed together, rendering most streets extremely narrow.

Stohess' skyline in 850

Inside Wall Sina, the architecture reflected the wealth, status, and relative safety enjoyed by its inhabitants. As the innermost wall on Paradis Island, Wall Sina was home to the elite and ruling class, including government officials, merchants, and nobility. This created a stark contrast between the grand and elaborate structures within Wall Sina and the simpler, utilitarian buildings in the outer walls. In particular, the districts in Wall Sina boasted larger, more ornate buildings, reflecting the privilege and security of their residents. Here, resources were allocated to create a refined and comfortable environment, with architectural styles inspired by classical and neoclassical designs, which gave the districts a sophisticated atmosphere.

Residential buildings in Wall Sina were expansive and intricately detailed, decorated with elaborate facades and carved motifs. Many homes featured large windows with decorative frames, spacious balconies, and intricate iron railings, showcasing the prosperity of their owners. Roofs were often more elaborate, with tiled surfaces that sloped elegantly, adding to the aesthetic grandeur of the district. Wealthier neighborhoods also included private gardens and courtyards, adding green spaces within the dense urban layout. The homes and mansions in Wall Sina were set apart from the dense rows of houses seen in other districts, instead appearing as individual structures with ample space, giving a sense of privacy and exclusivity.

Public buildings in Wall Sina, such as government offices, courthouses, and guildhalls, were especially grand, with wide stone staircases, tall columns, and arched entrances that conveyed authority and power. These buildings were often set in spacious plazas, designed to make a statement of strength and sophistication. Many public structures were topped with domes or other architectural embellishments, and interiors included marble floors, large windows, and vaulted ceilings. Decorative statues and carvings adorned the facades, adding layers of grandeur. These buildings were designed to impress, with carefully balanced proportions and symmetrical layouts that emphasized formality and stability.

The streets in Wall Sina's districts were wider, paved with cobblestones, and lined with streetlamps and trees, creating a polished and orderly atmosphere. In some areas, wide boulevards connected important landmarks, while quieter side streets led to residential quarters. Unlike the straight, functional grid patterns in the outer walls, Wall Sina's streets meandered in a more organic layout, offering scenic routes through the affluent areas and enhancing the visual appeal of the districts. Public spaces like plazas and parks were also more common here, providing leisure spaces for the elite and enhancing the district's aesthetic quality.

Post-Rumbling

In the decades and centuries following the Rumbling, the already existent Eldian cities became larger. This also resulted in changes in architecture over the ages. For example, Shiganshina went from the regular medieval architecture that it had prior to the Rumbling, to a continuous advancement in technology thanks to industrialization, which impacted its architecture. A couple decades afterwards, Shiganshina's skyline became filled with modernized skyscrapers, before transitioning even later into a futuristic metropolis with even larger and taller skyscrapers incorporating neon lighting at nightime.

Language

Eldian was the country's national language which was also used in Marley and other nations across the world due to the Eldian Empire's imperialism in the past. However, other nationalities such as the Marleyans used a different alphabet unrecognizable by the people of Paradis. Various accents also existed in Eldia and still existed inside the Walls after the Great Titan War. For example, the inhabitants of a small isolated village named Dauper spoke with an accent which is also found in present day Southern Marley even as late as the year 854.

Geography

Pre-Great Titan War

The tribe of Eldia originated in the continental mainland of Marley more than 2,000 years ago. After Ymir awakened her powers and used it for the benefit of the tribe, the Eldians conquered vast swathes of land for multiple centuries continuously and integrated them into the Eldian Empire. It was said by Willy Tybur that at one point, the Eldians conquered so much of the world that they ran out of enemies and turned towards infighting.

The existence of Subjects of Ymir all around the world is the proof of Eldia's expansion reaching many far away lands beyond just the continental mainland of origin. The capital city of the Eldian Empire was said to have been in the continental mainland before being relocated to the remote island of Paradis during the 145th King Karl Fritz's rule.

Post-Great Titan War

After Eldia's complete defeat in the war, all of the territories that the Eldians used to control were taken back by the different nations that arised afterwards. With Subjects of Ymir being chased away from their respective native homelands out of revenge, they effectively lost all political power. Eldia was thus reduced to the single minuscule territory deep inside the island of Paradis for the next century.

After defeating Marley's Warrior Unit in Shiganshina in 850, the Eldians of Paradis resumed control over the entirety of the island, effectively expanding their territory.

Demographics

Due to Eldia's 2,000 long history, the country has had an extremely complex and heterogenous demographic distribution over these two millenias. Starting as a small primitive tribe in ancient times with few numbers, they eventually grew in size over the centuries as they conquered many lands in the world during a long continuous era of imperialism which shaped the whole world's demography. After the Great Titan War, the nation of Eldia was reduced to the single island of Paradis in which the total population only numbered a little bit more than 1 million people in the following century. After the Rumbling, Eldia continued to thrive and develop itself for many centuries afterwards, its population most likely exploding over many generations until the complete destruction of Eldian society after a final war in the far future.

Original Eldians

Eldian tribesmen witnessing Ymir's first transformation

The tribe of Eldia predated the existence of Ymir, who was originally a slave from a neighbouring tribe that was not Eldian. Those original Eldians thus predated the Subjects of Ymir, and held complete control over the tribe and during the very early stages of the Eldian Empire. Their numbers at that time are unknown, but they were small in size before the use of the power of the Titans, and eventually grew in terms of population thanks to the use of Ymir's powers to increase the tribe's scope, development, and influence in the continental mainland. These Eldians would eventually reproduce with the Subjects of Ymir as the first King Fritz wanted.

Subjects of Ymir

Main article: Subjects of Ymir (Anime)

A newborn Subject of Ymir during the Eldian Empire

The Subjects of Ymir are the Eldians who can transform into Titans. They came to exist after Ymir's powers were passed on to her three daughters after her deaths. When her daughters married and eventually had children of their own, these same children also inherited the capability of being able to transform into Titans. The first King Fritz of Eldia's wish was for the Subjects of Ymir to multiply in numbers for eternity so that Eldia would rule the world forever. They eventually grew in power and influence over Eldia as they gradually controlled the country and the whole world thanks to their Titan powers, with the Fritz family being comprised of Subjects of Ymir with special royal blood which granted them incredible privileges.

The Subjects of Ymir eventually became so populous that they were interchangeably called Eldians, due to representing the vast majority of the Eldian population in the modern age so much that the two terms seemed synonymous.

Ethnic minorities

As Eldia has had a long history of imperialism and conquest, countless nations and peoples have been subjugated. As early as during its tribal age, the Eldians held considerable populations of slaves, made of members of neighbouring tribes that have been conquered and whose villages were destroyed.

The racial and ethnic dynamics during the Eldian Empire are mostly unknown, but at the time of Karl Fritz's exodus to Paradis Island, a considerable amount of people considering themselves as Eldians but that were not Subjects of Ymir fled with him, and were given positions of nobility in the new society he created behind the Walls in order to keep the truth about their history and the outside world hidden from the rest of the population. Some Eldians descended from these non-Subjects of Ymir would continue to exist and hold considerable political power over Eldian society thanks to their family heritage as late as the year 850 before the coup d'etat enacted by the Scout Regiment.

Eldia's racial and ethnic dynamics

The country has had a complex demographic makeover, both in terms of number and ethnic diversity over the ages due to its long history. Part of these dynamics is the distinction between "Subjects of Ymir" and "Eldians," two terms often used interchangeably, though they carry different nuances. Because almost all Eldians were Subjects of Ymir, the two groups were typically conflated. However, it is important to note that technically, "Eldian" historically referred to the people belonging to or originating from the Eldian Empire. Consequently, while Eldians and Subjects of Ymir overlapped almost entirely, they represented two distinct concepts: one based on racial heritage and Titan lineage, and one based on national identity.

A speaker of the Subjects of Ymir Protection Group expressing his ideals in an international forum in the year 854

"Eldian" had become after the fall of the empire a label almost exclusively used as a derogatory term, conflating racial heritage with historical guilt. Marley and other anti-Eldian nations enforced this identity as a means of control, and the term itself serves as a reminder of the Subjects of Ymir's unique, often feared powers. Regardless of whether or not they were born within the borders of what was once Eldia, Subjects of Ymir were treated as a collective threat and are denied full citizenship or equal rights in places like Marley. The legacy of the Great Titan War, therefore, not only stripped Eldians and Subjects of Ymir of their political power but transformed their ethnic and racial identity into one of widespread marginalization and scapegoating. Some people countered these views by holding the opinion that the Subjects of Ymir of the outside world had never been Eldians, and were only victims of the empire's forced racemixing policies, holding that as proof that they deserved compassion from the different nations of the world, with the only ones deserving of hatred being the only Subjects of Ymir who were actual Eldians, the ones inhabiting Paradis Island.

On the other hand, due to these generalizing narratives and the negative connotations associated to these two identites, many self-loathing Subjects of Ymir in Marley who adopted the discriminatory narratives developed around the world regarding their race strived not to be considered Eldians anymore, such as sending their children to fight as Warriors for Marley in order to one day obtain the privilege to be considered honorary Marleyans.

Government

Ancient Eldia

King Fritz as the ruler of the Eldian tribe a couple years after Ymir's awakening of the Titan powers

Eldia was ruled by the Fritz family even before the awakening of the Titan powers, when the Eldians were still a primitive tribe. After Ymir obtained her powers and was used by the ruling Fritz of the time to give power and prosperity to the tribe, she became his concubine and mothered three children. Over the generations, her direct descendants were part of the royal family, that continued to rule Eldia for the next 2,000 years, with the wielder of the Founding Titan as the supreme monarch, and the Fritz family acting as the royal bloodline over the Subjects of Ymir. However, due to the nature of the "Curse of Ymir," no monarchs could rule over Eldia for longer than the 13 years allowed for inheritors of the Nine Titans. Based on the succession rituals of the later Reiss family, it is likely that in ancient times successors were chosen around every 13 years, and succession could occur in a non-linear fashion, as was the case with Uri Reiss and his niece Frieda in later years.

Outside of the Fritz bloodline, the remaining eight Titans were kept within various families subservient to the monarchy. Conflict frequently arose between the houses that were locked in an endless cycle of alliances and betrayals, though the exact influences each had over Eldia as a whole is unknown.

Marley

While under the authority of Marley, the Eldians descended from those who were left behind on the mainland after the Great Titan War held no political influence in the nation, being segregated into internment zones separate from the population. The only government information received by the average Eldians of Marley's internment zones came through public announcements or secret information sent from spies such as "the Owl."

The Tybur family in the year 854

The only exception was the Tybur family, who were given honorary Marleyan status after the Great Titan War, following their conspiring with Karl Fritz to cause the fall of the Eldian Empire, and thus the freedom of Marley from their millennia-long subjugation. Unbeknownst to the average Marleyan and Eldians citizens, the family controlled Marley from the shadows, even though they gave the freedom to the Marleyan government to enact any policy in order to atone for the "sins" perpetrated by the Eldians when they were in power.

Paradis Island

Main article: Royal Government (Anime)

The royal government of Paradis Island

When the last remnants of Eldia after the Great Titan War were isolated within the Walls, the Royal Government served as the head of power throughout the land. The main body of the Royal Government consisted of the monarch of the Walls as well as an assembly of noblemen subservient to the monarch. However, soon after the founding of the Walls, the King, Karl Fritz, took his family into hiding under the new name of the "Reiss family," playing the role of a house of nobles in Wall Sina. While in hiding, the Reiss family would still communicate with the assembly while a false monarch held the public throne. This would continue until the coup d'etat in the year 850, with Historia Reiss taking power as the new queen of the true royal bloodline. In 854, the Jaegerists took control of the entire government and establish a new regime focused on militarism against Eldia's potential enemies.

Politics and Diplomacy

Little can be said of the diplomacy of the Eldian Empire in ancient times, due to slander spread by the Marleyan government after the war. What is known is that the Eldian Empire was once allies with Hizuru. After the Empire's downfall at the hands of Marley, the Eldians of the outside world held no political positions of power, with the known exception of the Tybur family and "the Owl," an Eldian spy within the Marleyan Public Security.As King Fritz had wanted, the Eldians of Paradis Island who lived within the Walls made no interactions with any nation of the outside world, believing themselves to be the last surviving remnants of humanity in a world conquered by the Titans.

Eldia's queen Historia Reiss alongside foreign ambassadors awaiting peace talks in the year 857

After the end of their century-long ignorance inside the Walls, the Eldians of Paradis Island brought back their alliance with the nation of Hizuru, in the hopes of trying to save Eldia from war and the threat of extinction through diplomacy. These diplomatic efforts were thwarted by Eren Jaeger's decision of attacking Liberio and enacting the Rumbling, which increased the world's fear and hatred towards Eldia a tenfold.

Three years after the Rumbling and Eren's death, the Jaegerist-ruled Eldia resumed diplomacy with the remnants of humanity in the outside world, while still arming itself in fear of retaliation.

Military

Ancient Eldia

Tribal era

Ancient Eldian warriors preparing for battle

In its very early ages, Eldia's military consisted in legions of warriors in minimal primitive armor and equipment. Each Eldian warrior had very different gear, some wielding axes while others wielding swords and shields, and most were shirtless. Most of the warriors at that time also were on foot when on the battlefield.

As Ymir's powers were used by the Fritz in order to give the tribe of Eldia more resources and power, its military might increased exponentially. By the time of Ymir Fritz' 13th year as the first Titan, the Eldian warriors in general received better armor and more uniformity in terms of attire, with each soldier wearing a helmet with two small horns for protection. Each warrior also wore a full torso armor, possibly made of metal or layered leather, alongside a long blue cape and long spears.

Eldian Empire

Very little can be said of the military possessed by the Eldian Empire in the days before the building of the Walls. Evidently, the Nine Titans under Eldia's control played a great part in the nation's conquering of the known world centuries ago. These Titans may have served as leaders or commanders for ground infantry in ancient times, as portrayed in the history books in Marley. Furthermore, the Founding Titan was able to command armies of "Pure Titans" on the battlefield, with great destructive potential. While nothing is known exactly of the Eldian military at the time of the Great Titan War, it is highly likely that its technology would be comparable or equal to that of the military of the Eldians who would live within the Walls by the end of the war, since technological advancement was suppressed by the Royal Government after the raising of the Walls.

Marley

After the downfall of the Eldian Empire and the rise of Marley on the continental mainland, the Eldians under Marleyan rule ceased to have a standing military, but they did make organized attempts to fight off their new rulers. At some point in Eren Kruger's childhood, an Eldian revolutionary army was raised by the remnants of the Fritz royal family remaining on the mainland. However, it was unable to withstand the Marleyan onslaught and was utterly crushed. All its members, including Kruger's parents, were executed by being burnt alive. In Grisha Jaeger's youth, open rebellion had become a thing of the past. Militant-minded Eldians largely went underground or chose to continue the fight by infiltrating the ranks of Marley's government and military forces.

Members of the Eldian Unit during the battle of Slava in 854

Some time after the Great Titan War, Marley abolished conscription for ethnic Marleyans, replacing them by conscripting Eldians en masse in all colonial conflicts against enemy nations. Countless Eldians have thus been used as expendable meat shields, in which they were usually put in the most dangerous frontlines, such as being forced to march on bomb-filled minefields, or being placed under suicide squads with no consideration of their lives, believing that suffering for the sake of Marley would rid them of the "sins" they had inherited from their ancestors. By the time of the Marley Mid-East War, other than the Warrior Unit, there would also be the "Eldian Unit", a regiment made up of Eldian soldiers.

Most of the Eldians of Marley, as low-class citizens, would have no possession of serious military power until the time of the Warrior program, where Eldian children were given the opportunity to inherit the seven Titans in possession of the Marleyan government.

Paradis Island

Main article: Military (Anime)

Officers of the Eldian army formed by the Jaegerists in 857

After the raising of the Walls, the Eldians of Paradis Island possessed a three-branch military with each branch serving specific functions: the Garrison Regiment, which safeguards and reinforces the three Walls; the Scout Regiment, who ventured beyond the Walls into Titan territory as a means of researching the Titans; and the Military Police Regiment, which exercised control and order over the citizens of the Walls. The latter-most branch was a position of privilege available only to the top ten graduates of each yearly Cadet Corps. After the revelation in Grisha's books, these three branches focused on fighting against human enemies such as the Marleyan military.

Three years after the Rumbling, a new Eldian army was formed by the Jaegerist regime on Paradis Island, integrating all three military branches into one, with the objective of protecting Eldia from a retaliation from the outside world after the genocide enacted by Eren Jaeger.

Story

Return to Shiganshina arc

Upon finally reaching the basement in the Jaeger family household in Shiganshina, the Scout Regiment discovers three of Grisha Jaeger's books, describing all his knowledge of the history of Eldia and his own experiences in joining the Eldian resistance in Marley. These findings are later discussed in a meeting between the surviving members of the Scout Regiment as well as the highest military leaders, where the nation of the Walls is acknowledged by its people as Eldia for the first time in over a century.

Marley arc

Eldians with the Marleyan POWs

In 851, the Eldians of Paradis Island come into contact with a group of rebelling Marleyan soldiers, the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. The two sides would work in parallel to each other in order to modernize the island in the hopes of freeing it from Marleyan agression. In the following months, a new railroad is built, with the inauguration ceremony being held in Trost, while a port is built on the southern side of the island, in the hopes of making trade with various nations around the world. Marleyan survey ships sent after the Warrior Unit's defeat in Shiganshina are captured by the Eldian military with the help of the Volunteers, to which many Marleyans are brought to the Walls as POWs. Some of these soldiers would be convinced by the Eldians to help them modernize their military equipment, which would greatly help Paradis in fighting against Marley.

Meeting between the Eldians and the Azumabitos

In 852, the Azumabito clan of Hizuru visit Paradis Island in a historic meeting in order to revive the old alliance between Eldia and Hizuru which existed before the Great Titan War. They propose a 50 year old plan that has been put on the table by Zeke Jaeger, who is working behind the backs of Marley with the intention of restoring Eldia. The plan would consist in making the queen Historia Reiss mother many children in order for the Founding Titan to be passed down safely, a partial-Rumbling to scare off potential invaders and agressors, while Hizuru would help the Eldians modernize their whole society in order to become a self-sustaining industrialized nation, which causes many heated discussions within the military government. The Eldians would also try to use Hizuru in order to engage in diplomacy with other nations, though it reveals to be extremeley difficult as Hizuru wants to keep a hold on Paradis Island's ressources, while many other nations find it convenient for the Eldians of Paradis to be viewed as the universal enemy.

Unbeknownst to the government, many schemes would concurrently happen behind the scenes. Zeke Jaeger utilized the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers in order to bring huge quantities of Marleyan wine that has been laced with his spinal fluid to Paradis Island and distribute it to the high-ranking military officers of the island, while Eren would be approached by him through the Volunteer Yelena in order to agree to a plan where the Founding Titan would be used in order to render all Subjects of Ymir incapable of reproducing, eventually solving the Titan problem once and for all. On the other hand, Eren would feign agreeing with Zeke's secret plan, with his own goal being the use of the Rumbling in order to wipe out all of humanity beyond the island in order to perpetually free the Eldians of Paradis from the threat of annihilation and end the cycle of hatred that has been going on for 2,000 years between Eldians and the rest of humanity. He would detail his plan in secret to the queen Historia Reiss and the fellow soldier Floch Forster. The latter then secretly gathers comrades from within the military that have been fed up with the way the military has been doing things recently, in the hopes of helping Eren use the Rumbling and re-establish the Eldian Empire.

The Scouts group in an international conference in Marley

A couple months later, a small portion of the Scouts led by Hange embark on a political mission to Marley after the discussions started by Hizuru ended in failure. At an international conference led by the Subjects of Ymir Protection Group, its speaker reveals to the audience that they only want to help the displaced Subjects of Ymir scattered accross nations due to believing that they are not and never been Eldians, while maintaining that the only ones deserving of hatred are the only Subjects of Ymir who are Eldians in their eyes : those from Paradis Island. This causes Eren to go AWOL, contact Zeke, and infiltrate the Marleyan army in the guise of an enlisted Eldian conscript. The two brothers then collaborate in secret in order to force the military government on Paradis to enact a coordinated attack in the city of Liberio in order to cripple the Marleyan military, and bring Zeke to the island, such as to have both the Founding Titan and a Titan with royal blood under their control, which would help the restoration of Eldia.

The raid on Liberio is enacted in 854, with the battle ending in a complete Eldian victory. Following a declaration of war made by Willy Tybur in front of a large crowd where numerous diplomats, journalists and military officers from around the world have been gathered in the Liberio internment zone's plaza, the primary naval fleet and port of Marley in Liberio, alongside its entire military hierarchy are wiped out by the coordinated efforts of Eren and Armin in their Titan powers, while the Warhammer Titan is snatched from Lara Tybur by Eren. This attack, which caused the death of the globally acclaimed Willy Tybur, and many journalists and ambassadors from various nations confirms the threat of Eldia from the POV of the world, leading to the formation of a Global Alliance with the objective of enacting a scorched earth operation in order to annihilate Paradis in the next six months.

War for Paradis arc

The return of the Eldian soldiers to Paradis Island with the news of the victory over Marley sent the population in a euphoria, with extreme praise being directed towards Eren, who is now seen by many as a saviour and the one deserving of ruling over Eldia as the Founding Titan. But things quickly go out of order on the island, as the government faces pressure from dissenting soldiers and civilians considering that they are taking way too much time instead of capitalizing on their recent victory, leading to the birth of the Jaegerists. A group of soldiers led by Floch Forster reveal to the public of Eren's arrest, which leads to many public demonstrations against the military regime, urging for the freedom of Eren. The latter frees himself using his newfound Warhammer Titan powers, and in the same day the Premier Zachary is assassinated by the Jaegerists, intensifying the fanaticism throughout the population inside the Walls.

In the following days, the newly formed Jaegerists cooperate with the Volunteers in taking control of the entire military regime, revealing that they have ingested Zeke's spinal fluid, and bring them all to Shiganshina's District, which has already been emptied of its residents in preparation for a partial Rumbling. In the same day in which Eren arrives with the Jaegerists in Shiganshina, Zeke escapes capture from the Scouts led by Levi, while Marley launches a surprise attack without waiting for the Global Alliance in retaliation from the raid on Liberio, with the objective of putting down the Founding Titan as quickly as possible.

A devastating skirmish then ensues in Shiganshina, with the Jaegerists led by Eren and Zeke fighting off against the Marleyan invaders, but it ends in only a couple hours during the climax of the fighting when Eren and Zeke finally come into contact. Unbeknownst to everybody else, in this once instant of contact Eren and Zeke would ideologically fight in the PATHs realm, a fight that Eren would eventually come out as victor after freeing Ymir Fritz from her mental enslavement, acquiring the full powers of the Founding Titan and enacting the Rumbling. All Subjects of Ymir, no matter where they live in the world are telepathically communicated by Eren, who announces his plan of devastating the entire world for the sole benefit of the people of Paradis Island.

This announcement is logically received with huge amounts of praise by the Eldians of Paradis, who already viewed Eren as a savior. The Jaegerists are also celebrated as the ones who followed Eren's plan from the beginning, profiting from the fact that the entire military leadership has been transformed into Titans when Zeke screamed in Shiganshina during the battle, paving way for them to take control over the whole society on Paradis Island, including its military.

In the following days, Eren goes on to wipe out 80% of humanity beyond the island, including countless Eldians from the outside world without distinction, until he is slain by Mikasa Ackermann after she and his closest friends decided to stop the genocide no matter the cost. Knowing that the rest of humanity would never forgive Eldia for the Rumbling, paranoia sweeps throughout the entire country, with the overwhelming support for the Jaegerists growing even more fanatical. By the year 857, Eldia has formed a new army ruled by the Jaegerists in the fear of suffering retaliation from the humans that survived Eren's onslaught.

Shiganshina's skyline many centuries after the Rumbling

Eldia would continue to exist as a country and prosper for many centuries after the Rumbling, with a city like Shiganshina going from the known regular town, to a bustling modern city, and finally turning into a vast, sophisticated and impressive futuristic metropolis with extremely high skyscrapers. But conflict eventually comes to Eldia, with the country being bombarded by enemy forces to oblivion, leaving cities like Shiganshina abandoned and subsequently reclaimed by nature over a long period of time. It is unknown how many times goes on after the wholescale destruction, but descendants of Eldians would continue to exist, scavenging through the ruins in landscapes where buildings have been completely buried by vegetation.

Trivia

Eldian armband bearing the nine-pointed star

• The emblem of Eldia is a nine-pointed star, most commonly found on the armbands of Eldian citizens in Marley.
  • Nine is also the number of Titan powers created after Ymir Fritz's death.
  • However, the ancient King Fritz wore a crown decorated with five nine-pointed stars about 2,000 years ago, even before the existence of the Nine Titans.
• The name Eldia in Japanese, Erudia, is similar to the Latin word "erudio," a word that has multiple translations such as instruct, educate, and enlighten. Both the Eldians and the Marleyans have a mix of Latin and Germanic names.
• The relationship between the Marleyans and the Eldians features many real-world reflections of Nazi Germany and the Jews, namely their use of armbands to identify Eldians.
• The history of Marleyans and Eldians is comparable with that of the Rwandan populations of Hutu and Tutsi. By 1700, the Rwandan populace coalesced into around eight kingdoms, of which the Tutsi Kingdom of Rwanda became dominant and oppressed the Hutu, fueling a hard relationship between the two races that lasted for centuries. In 1994, during the Rwandan Civil War, the then Hutu majority government perpetrated a genocide against the Tutsi which resulted in the extermination of around 70% of the Tutsi population.
  • Rwanda was also a German territory from 1884 until World War I.
• The Eldian Empire's imperialistic past resembles the British Empire's. Their belief in eugenics mirrors that of Nazi Germany.
  • Eldia also has Germanic influences, such as its people having German names (Eren, Heinz, etc.), Ymir from Nordic mythology, and their ancient culture being similar to Germanic people of Antiquity along with conflicts with Marley being a nod to our world's Germanic Tribes' tension with the Roman Empire.

Old Eldian uniforms

• The technology of the Eldians within the Walls appears to roughly correspond with the technology of pre-Industrial or early Industrial civilization in the Western world.
• If mirrored vertically, the territory of the old Eldian Empire is very similar to Africa.
  • Marley's placement in an alternate Africa also coincides with the Rwanda parallelism, as Rwanda is a country within the mainland of Africa some distance northwest of Madagascar. When turned mirrored vertically, Rwanda is at the southwest, and it is said that Titans primarily target the southern regions of the Walls.