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His three Walls, named after the three daughters of Ymir, the Founder. Wall Maria. Wall Rose. Wall Sheena. These Walls, both shield and spear...are made of what must be millions of Colossus Titans. | ||
— Willy Tybur[1] |
The Walls (壁 Kabe?) were three large structures located on Paradis Island that guarded the remnants of Eldia.[2][3] They were built by the 145th King of Eldia, Karl Fritz, a century ago using countless Colossus Titans.[1] They stalled the other nations from attacking Paradis, under the false threat that the King would unleash the Titans inside upon the world if they did so.[4][5] The Walls crumbled about a century later when Eren Yeager used to the power of the Founding Titan to free the Titans within them.[6][7]
Description
The Walls reached about 50 meters in height from bottom to top and were incredibly strong in substance, but not indestructible.[8] The Female Titan was able to damage part of Wall Sheena when she attempted to climb over it,[9] and the Beast Titan was able to break off pieces of Wall Rose and throw them.[10]
The Walls were too long to be guarded in their entirety. The tops of the Walls were lined with cannons mounted on rails which could fire on approaching Titans; however, they were not particularly effective due to the Titan's regeneration abilities.[11] To account for this, each Wall had four towns on their periphery known as "districts." As Titans are drawn towards large concentrations of people, humanity could focus its defenses on these districts and repel the Titans more effectively. The districts were considered the worst places to live as they were at greater risk of Titan invasion.[12]
Few people knew about the Titans within the Walls, or that they were created from said Titans.[13] The Survey Corps learned of their existence when the Female Titan damaged the surface of Wall Sheena, exposing the face of a huge Titan. Minister Nick, the foremost member of a cult which considers the Walls to be holy, knew of the Titans within them but did not reveal any more information - even when threatened with death by Hange Zoë.[14][15] It is unknown how commonplace this knowledge is within the Church of the Walls.
History
One hundred and seven years ago, it was said that humans were brought to the brink of extinction at the hands of the Titans "almost overnight." In response to this, the survivors made huge Walls to protect their last stronghold.[16] In reality, however, The 145th King Karl Fritz decided to end the Great Titan War and the fighting within the Eldian Empire by withdrawing to Paradis Island, taking as many of his people with him as he could. He then used the power of the Founding Titan to create Colossus Titans to form and enclose within three concentric Walls,[17] which would be named after Ymir Fritz's three daughters; Sheena, Rose, and Maria.[1] After Marley started sending Pure Titans to the island,[18][19] the Eldians inside were taught that they are the last of humanity who built the Walls to escape the Titans.[20]
In an attempt to isolate his people and create a peaceful utopia for them as long as possible, Karl Fritz told the world that any attempt to attack the Walls would result in him unleashing millions of Colossus Titans to flatten the earth.[21][22] Then, to ensure the Founding Titan would never be used for war, he made a vow to renounce it, and his will was passed down to all his descendants.[23]
Fritz realized that this would leave his people defenseless, but decided that if Marley wished to exterminate all Eldians, they should accept it because of how grave the Eldian Empire's crimes against the world had been. But until that day, he wished for his people to have a paradise without conflict.[24]
Story
Prologue arc
In 845, Shiganshina District is the first district to fall when Wall Maria is breached, leading to a massive slaughter and prompting humanity to abandon the entire perimeter and the remaining cities along the Wall as they attempt to consolidate their losses. After the fall of Wall Maria, the survivors take refuge in Wall Rose.[25]
Battle of Trost District arc
A massive campaign to retake Wall Maria is launched with nearly 250,000 conscripted soldiers to fight alongside the Survey Corps. This campaign was, in actuality, a means of population control to alleviate the food shortages caused by the massive influx of refugees. The campaign ends in disaster and sees the near-total annihilation of the army. Despite its failure, the massive loss of life had alleviated the food shortages and ultimately helped the people within the Walls.[26]
Five years after that, Trost District is breached, though it ultimately survives due to the intervention of Eren Yeager, while also ensuring the local population's survival.[27][28]
The Female Titan arc
Some time later, Wall Sheena and Stohess District are heavily damaged when Eren battles the Female Titan. At this time, the Titans within the Walls are discovered.[29]
Clash of the Titans arc
On the same day, the population of the small village of Ragako is overtaken by Titans.[30]
Royal Government arc
After the military overthrows the Royal Government,[31] a Titan twice the size of the Colossus Titan appears and causes major damages to Orvud District.[32]
Return to Shiganshina arc
After the successful coup d'état, the Survey Corps returns to Shiganshina District and successfully seals the hole in Wall Maria.[33] They fight a prolonged battle with the Colossus, Armored, and the Beast Titans to ensure the Wall's protection, but at the cost of nearly the entire expedition and massive damage to the ruined city. The battle results in a massive loss by the Warriors, as well as the death of Bertolt Hoover at the hands of Armin Arlert, transferring possession of the Colossus Titan. With the battle over, the nine surviving members of the Survey Corps returns to Trost District.[34]
After the military's victory over the Warriors at Shiganshina, the next nine months are spent wiping out the surviving Titans within Wall Maria. This is done with minimal risk to soldiers through the use of the Executioner from Hell, which is designed through the use of Eren's hardening ability.[35] Their installation at Trost and other Walled cities finally pave the way for human settlers to repopulate their abandoned cities inside Wall Maria. The Survey Corps then ventures beyond the Wall to find the outside lands largely unpopulated by Titans, who had been drawn inside Wall Maria to get closer to humanity. The Corps finally reaches the ocean shore signaling that, for the time being, they have regained full control of Paradis Island.[36]
Marley arc
In the proceeding months, the Walls make contact with Hizuru and the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, who assist them in matters such as intelligence gathering, and infrastructure development. Marleyan POWs are also captured and forced to aid the Walls effort.[37] A plan is developed such that the Walls would spend the next fifty years modernizing, all while keeping the threat of the Rumbling as a deterrent to foreign aggression.[38]
War for Paradis arc
Three years after reaching the ocean, discord is sent throughout the Walls after word of the arrest of the volunteers, Eren and Zeke Yeager is leaked to the public.[39] Disagreement turns into chaos following the rise of the Yeagerists, and the assassination of Darius Zackly.[40] This comes as the outside world band together and prepare to launch a devastating invasion on the island, following the Corps strike against Liberio.[41]
Following the contact of Zeke and Eren, the Walls begin to crumble. Eren is able to awaken the Titans lying dormant within the three Walls - revealing an army of Wall Titans. Subsequently, all three Walls have collapsed.[42][7]
Names and other information
Name | Description | Known Districts | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Wall Maria was the outermost Wall of the human kingdom. Like the other Walls, Wall Maria was approximately 50 meters in height. In 845, it was breached by the Colossus Titan and Armored Titan and its territory is lost to the Titans.[43] Six years later it was repopulated, after the hole in Shiganshina District was sealed by Eren Yeager and all the Titans inside the Walls were killed.[44] | |||
Wall Rose was the second outermost Wall following Wall Maria. It was breached by the Colossus Titan in 850, but the breach was later sealed by Eren Yeager with assistance from the military. It was thought to have been breached again after Titans appeared inside it a little over a month later, but the Titans turned out to have emerged from another source.[45] | Utopia District (north) |
||
Wall Sheena was the innermost Wall protecting the kingdom where the king used to reside along with other noblemen. The cities of Wall Sheena are protected by the Military Police serving under Rod Reiss at the time. The underground is poorer and more prone to criminal activity. | Stohess District (east) Ehrmich District (south) Yarckel District (west) Mitras (Inner) Underground |
Other Media
The Science of Attack on Titan
In Rikao Yanagita's analysis of the Attack on Titan manga, an estimation of the amount of Wall Titans residing within the Walls is given. Using the dimensions given in Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Rikao estimates that, if the Wall Titans are all approximately 45 meters in height with a proportional 13-meter shoulder width with all Titans lined up shoulder to shoulder, there are approximately 246,000 Colossus Titans within Wall Maria and a total of 585,000 Titans within all three Walls combined.[46] This conflicts with information given much later in the manga in Chapter 86, in which King Fritz's ultimatum given to Marley states that he would unleash the "tens of millions of Titans that sleep inside the Walls" if war was declared against Eldia.[47] It is unknown whether the King's claim was accurate to the Wall Titans' numbers or was hyperbole.
Trivia
- Titans primarily target the southern region, even before the loss of Wall Maria. As such, they are considered the most dangerous and least desirable places to live in.[48]
- The northern districts are considered the most desirable regions, due to minimal Titan activity. However, the weather is brutally cold and makes life for residents very difficult. Hajime Isayama suggested they may have hot springs to make up for the harsh weather.[48][49]
- Isayama has described the northern region as relatively cold, rarely exceeding 30° C even on the hottest summer days.[50]
- "Rose" was East Germany's secret codename for the plan to build the Berlin Wall.[51]
- In the early draft of Chapter 1 presented by Isayama to the editors of the Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Wall Maria and Wall Rose were switched, so Wall Rose was the outermost Wall breached by the Colossus Titan, and Wall Maria was the second outermost Wall to where the survivors retreated.[52]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 100 (p. 13)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 86 (p. 32)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 99 (p. 24 - 26)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 86 (p. 41 - 42)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 99 (p. 24)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 122 (p. 39-45)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 123 (p. 40)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 1 (p. 17)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 33 (p. 43-44)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 39 (p. 45)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 4 (p. 22)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 2 (p. 40)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 37 (p. 8)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 34 (p. 12 - 27)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 37 (p. 3)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 2 (p. 1-2)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 99 (p. 36-38)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 89 (p. 27)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 106 (p. 12)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 2 (p. 1 - 2)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 86 (p. 41-42)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 99 (p. 38)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 99 (p. 39)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 99 (p. 40-42)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 2 (p. 34)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 3 (p. 8)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 3 (p. 37)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 14 (p. 35 - 44)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 34 (p. 1 - 12)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 37 (p. 40-43)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 61 (p. 29-38)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 68 (p. 23-25)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 74 (p. 1)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 85 (p. 43)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 70 (p. 10-16)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 90 (p. 36)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 106 (p. 30 - 37)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 107 (p. 21 & 22)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 109 (p. 9 - 12)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 111 (p. 1 & 2)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 108 (p. 40 - 45)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 122 (p. 38-45)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 2 (p. 35 - 37)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 90 (p. 33)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 34 (p. 45)
- ↑ The Science of Attack on Titan (p. 130 - 140)
- ↑ Attack on Titan manga: Chapter 86 (p. 42)
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 Bessatsu Magazine, September 2013 issue
- ↑ Attack on Titan: OUTSIDE Osamu
- ↑ Bessatsu Magazine, November 2013 issue
- ↑ "50th anniversary of the Berlin Wall".
- ↑ Attack on Titan Guidebook (p. 335)