WARNING: This page contains HUGE unmarked spoilers from manga Chapters 86 and on. Beware if you are not updated with the manga.

Marley

The national emblem of Marley, a seashell with seven divisions

Marley is a massive imperialist nation from beyond the Walls which dominates most of the continent west from the island of Paradis, where the Walls are located. Formerly a kingdom, in their history, they claim to have been the subjects of persecution and ethnic cleansing by the Eldian Empire, until the latter became fractured and the Eldian clans started fighting each other, which they used as an opportunity to steal seven of the Nine Titan powers from the Eldians. With those, they were able to turn the tables on their oppressors and made them flee to Paradis, thus leading Marley to become the new dominant superpower through military might. After eighty years of their victory (and roughly twenty years before the start of the story), they set their sights on the island of Paradis to secure its strategic natural resources and to eradicate the Eldians of the Three Walls.

Marley was formally introduced through Grisha Yeager's written testimony found in his basement in Chapters 86 through 90, though there have been scattered hints of Marley's existence earlier in the manga, and even earlier in the anime ^note. They are the main engineers of the Titan attacks on the Three Walls of Paradis, intended to besiege the Eldians, and later, appropriate the Coordinate Titan for their own purposes and take control of the island through the use of the Warriors, indoctrinated Eldians holding the Titan Powers the Marleyans appropriated during the Great Titan War.

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Marley

Tropes that apply to Marley as a whole.

Map of the northern territories of the Kingdom of Marley (large landmass) with the island of Paradis to the north-east

*Note: Due to Marley's story being shown almost exclusively from the Military's perspective, exposing little of its society, this section covers tropes for both the Marleyan military, and its population as a whole.

Adaptational Early Appearance: Thanks to Season 2 of the anime Marley's existence is hinted at far earlier than it was in the manga:
- Season 2 included Ymir's flashback which occurred 2 arcs later in the manga, after Marley had been properly introduced, and in it we see glimpses of the Liberio Ghetto and actual Marleyan soldiers. To illustrate the point, the anime showed these scenes not even six months after they appeared in the manga.
- The battle of "The Tragedy of Lago" was actually depicted in the ED of Season 2 before it was properly described in manga Chapter 114, almost 2 years later.
A Lighter Shade of Black: According to Udo, compared to how his Eldians parents were treated in an internment zone in another country, the Marleyans are, in fact, more tolerant of them and, by extension, other Eldians, which is saying a lot considering what Marleyans have done to Eldians, individually or widespread.
Applied Phlebotinum: They have blood tests to determine who is of Eldian descent. Thing is, all it takes to skew the results is a willing doctor and crappy bureaucracy. The fact that this is put into question and taking into consideration that the Eldians forcefully mated with the Marleyans during centuries of ethnic cleansing makes the existence of these "tests" somewhat arbitrary and sheds some light into the political bias of the whole ordeal. You can skew whatever result you want and discriminate against anyone if you're the person who controls the methods that justify the discrimination.
Arch-Enemy: Of the Eldians. This even dates back into Ymir Fritz's timeline, where they were rival nations that were eventually conquered by the Ancient King Fritz.
Asshole Victim: Zig-Zagged. Eren assassinates most of Marley's leaders and later orders the Wall Titans to destroy the nation, leading to the destruction of the vast majority of the Marleyan empire. However, while it was obviously reprehensible to indiscriminately massacre so many innocents and civilians, the Marleyan leadership were unrepentantly, genocidally racist against the Eldians, making it hard to feel too bad for them.
The Band Minus the Face: Triple-fold. After the Paradians attack Liberio, Marley is left without military leaders^note, the Tybur family, and Zeke, the head of the Warrior Unit. That's not including the hundreds of deaths and the destruction of their navy.
Became Their Own Antithesis: They consider themselves heroes for defeating the “wicked” Eldia who they accuse of trampling the world with Titans in their conquest and looking down on other races (especially theirs). Now, they are aggressive expansionists that use Titans for the exact same thing and arrogantly look down on other countries while considering theirs the best (all while continuing to spite the Eldians).
Berserk Button: Just SEEING an Eldian is enough to put many Marleyans in a bitter mood because of the taught hatred their society influences. For example, in Grisha’s flashbacks a group of Marleyans throw bottles (while the rest cheer) at Eldians working on a road for them. In Zeke’s flashback a friendly janitor becomes extremely hostile at his family (who got a permit to visit his tower) just for being Eldian. Throwing dirty water on them before ranting on how they shouldn’t be breeding and should be wiped out for what “their kind” did. They are verbally assaulted by civilian Marleyans as they leave with one even saying that they ruined his day just for showing up.
Big Bad: Of the entire series, sharing the role with Zeke Yeager, and eventually the latter's younger brother, Eren. They are the ones responsible for sending the Warriors to invade Paradis Island as a means to seize their resources, and ultimately wipe out the entire Eldian race (including the Warriors themselves). While the Greater-Scope Villain throughout the first half, they step up to embrace this trope after the Warriors' defeat in Shinganshina and the reveal of the outside world through Grisha's writings. The failure of the Paradis Island Operation has them allying with other nations in declaring war against Paradis, serving as the last straw in Eren slowly descending to villainy.
Blatant Lies: Played With. As Eren Kruger argues, if actual ethnic cleansing against the Marleyans had taken place, then they should've been driven completely extinct after far less than 17 centuries. It's just too much time for the claim to be true; not only that, but also the fact that there are thousands, if not millions of Marleyans alive only one century after the supposed cleansing ended. If there was indeed an ethnic cleansing, it was remarkably ineffective. And there's also the problem that none of the current Marleyans can transform into Titans, but the history says that Eldians forced them to reproduce with them to make more citizens of Ymir, which doesn't appear to be possible. But in chapter 122, the flashback does show that The Eldians really did brutalize the Marleyans with their Titan powers. It's left ambiguous what actually happened to the Marleyans that lived under Eldian rule, but the implication seems to be that it's all so mired in hearsay and the Cycle of Revenge that it hardly matters.
- The attacks on Paradis are under the guise of exterminating the "demons" living on the island. In reality, the Marley Government are after the island's natural resources for their own economic purpose and the Coordinate so they can improve the efficiency of their Titan conquests.
Boring, but Practical: In the war against Paradis, modern rifles and machine guns are ironically more effective than Marley's prized Titans. While ODM equiped soldiers can make mincemeat out of Titans, it only takes a single bullet to take down an elite Scout. It takes three years to train a soldier to use ODM gear properly, while a rifleman needs only a few weeks. Marley's high command is fortunately too stupid to realize that they could easily drown Paradis in easily replaceable soldiers. This changes once Eren kills most of their generals, which allows Magath and Reiner to come up with a plan to counter ODM gear. During the Second Battle of Shinganshina their liberal use of airships, rifles, and machine guns actually had them winning against the Scouts. If it wasn't for Zeke's intervention they probably would have won.
Bullying a Dragon: Their constant attacks on Paradis, a nation with walls literally built of millions of their own most powerful titan, eventually bite them in the ass when Eren gains control of the Founder and makes good on the First King's promise to sic the Wall Titans on the world if they continued their assault.
Can't Kill You, Still Need You: The majority of the general Marelyan population hates Eldians to the point that they think they should all be exterminated while the military and government keep them around solely to turn them into Titans to use in their wars (and to a lesser extent, put them on the front lines as soldiers to "soak up the bullets" for them). Pieck straight up tells Gabi that with the Power of the Titans becoming obsolete Marley will likely exterminate them all too after they wipe out Paradis.
The Cake Is a Lie: As of the timeskip, the Marleyans have taken to promising Eldian "recruits" that if they rack up enough war accomplishments and merits, they can earn freedom for their ghetto-bound kinsmen. Considering what we've seen of Marley to date, this is highly unlikely to be true, but the conscripts, many of whom are children, don't have any choice but to believe it, regardless of the evidence to the contrary.
Crippling Overspecialization: Somewhat. Marley became the dominant world powers in its region thanks to its extensive use of Titans. However, much of its technology is outdated compared to the rest of the world, to the point that even with the Titans, they stand a good chance of eventually losing. The rest of the world is adapting to the Titans and is coming up with multiple different ways to fight them, meaning that the country's military dominance is threatened unless they can take the other Titan powers that are under the control of Paradis.
Curb-Stomp Battle: For all their technological superiority, the Marleyan military is quickly and utterly wrecked by the Survey Corps' new 3D maneuvering gear and Thunder Spears; even the Warriors were sitting ducks. Granted though, the Survey Corps also had the element of surprise.
Deadly Euphemism: To be "sent to Paradise" is not even remotely as pleasant as it sounds. It means to be sent to Paradis Island, to roam endlessly as a mindless Titan. The euphemism is mainly used to threaten and punish dissenting Eldians in the ghettos.
Deadly Gas: It's revealed that that was part of the method used by the Marleyan military to transform the inhabitants of Ragako village in to Titans: By spraying the village with gas laced with Zeke's spinal fluid, followed by him shouting to trigger their transformation. As it was not administered through syringe (like in Rod Reiss' case), it further explains why the Titans of Rakago came out so deformed.
Didn't Think This Through:
- They've spent a hundred years throwing Mindless Titans at the Walls for no other reason than to harass the Eldians and keep them stuck in the Walls that they're already trapped in. However, now that technology is marching on and they're in need of the natural resources on the island, they find themselves cut off from those resources by the very Titans they've been flooding the island with. Hence, their need for the Coordinate.
- Their aforementioned effort to gain the Coordinate unwittingly provided the Paradian Eldians with the means to fend off their attack and successfully repelled the Warriors sent to recover it. The Warrior Unit sparked movement from the Eldian Restorationists, which (in the long run) resulted in the sending of Grisha Yeager towards the Three Walls with the Attack Titan on board.
- Just as the Mid-East Alliance War showed, there are several factions of their minted empire that are not content with the Marleyans ruling over everyone. It's further implied that some country (or countries) might have colluded with the Paradian Eldians to carry out the infiltration and attack of Liberio, or were at the very least aware or warned that Liberio would be attacked. So, it's not only the Eldians that Marley should be worrying about.
- Considering that all they have to prove that Eldians are Eldians is blood tests that can be easily forged, there's a significant possibility that a portion of the Marleyan population have Eldian genetic traits without their knowledge; this is particularly egregious, considering that Eldia and Marley share a collective history together for two millennia, and even worse, the next best thing they have to identify Eldians is the armbands... which are just a piece of cloth.
The Empire: They've been colonizing the rest of the world by using Titans as weapons. Unfortunately for them, the failure to retrieve the Coordinate and loss of several Titan Shifters was seen as a sign of weakness by other nations, who are starting to openly fight back in the four year timeskip.
Enemy Civil War: They seized the opportunity of in-fighting among the Eldian clans to steal the Titan Powers from them.
Fantastic Racism:
- Marley brutally persecutes the Eldian people (the ancestors of those within the Walls), rounding them all up into ghettos, repeatedly calls them devils, violently and harshly beats anyone found outside the ghettos, and turns a blind eye to the murder of Eldians. One group of soldiers even feeds a young Eldian girl to their dogs alive for fun. Their reasoning is that the Eldian people had, in the past, enslaved and brutalized the people of Marley in turn.
- As the Scouts discover, even Marleyans who campaign for the interned Eldians to be granted equal rights still hate and fear the Paradisian Eldians, or "Island Devils." Though this is mainly because they believe that they will unleash the rumbling at any time since they don’t know the truth about King Fritz.
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Marleyans being a militaristic and imperialistic nation using Italian and Latin names for people and locations, a cuisine focused on pizza and seafood, and the ancient Marleyans wearing Roman-style legionnaire armour make Marley one for Fascist Italy. Moreover, Marley's service personal uniforms burrow from those of Mussolini's regime, with the Public Security Authority's showing a more striking resemblance to the OVRA (Organisation for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism). Marley's strategies of conquest in Paradis are comparable to Mussolini's leading of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, with their usage of gasified Titan spinal fluid bearing some striking similarities to Italy's using sulphur mustard gas against Ethiopians. Even the threat of Eldians getting "sent to Paradise" evokes a Deadly Euphemism used by Ethiopians "he went to Rome", which referred to rebels that Italian troops executed during Italy's occupation of Ethiopians.
From Nobody to Nightmare: They went from being oppressed and (supposedly) ethnically cleansed by the Eldians to enact that same oppression and enslavement upon obtaining power.
Full-Circle Revolution: The Marleyans overthrew the oppressive rule of the Eldians, who had controlled them with the might of the Titans. They proceeded to brutally oppress the Eldians while using the might of the Titans to conquer their neighbors.
Greater-Scope Villain: Of the first half before their reveal through Grisha's flashback. They are behind all the major events that kickstarted the plot:
- They are the ones who a hundred years ago stole seven of the Nine Titan Powers from Eldians.
- They're the reason the Eldians fled to Paradis Island and secluded themselves behind the Three Walls.
- They constantly send hordes of mindless Titans to hound those Eldian exiles who are living behind the Walls.
- They are the ones who sent the Titan Shifters to breach Wall Maria and infiltrate the society behind the Walls.
Hate Sink: Initially, the upper government in Marley is this. As more of the situation is revealed, they become far more nuanced, but the fact that they're basically the Nazis makes it difficult to really sympathize with them.
Hidden Agenda Villain:
- They claim that they keep the Eldians alive in the ghettos because they are being graceful, but it's really because Eldians can be turned into Titans and used as military assets.
- Subverted with their current motivations: they claim that the reason that after eighty years they're going to the offensive against the Eldians living in Paradis Island is because King Fritz has announced his intention of reclaiming the Eldian Empire's lost territories, in reality no such announcement has been made and King Fritz has never made contact with the outside world in all this time. It is said by an informant in the Marleyan government that the real reason for it is to claim the Island of Paradis for the fossil fuels they'll need to maintain their military supremacy in a world where technology is beginning to render the power of the seven Titans obsolete.
  - After the Time Skip, it's revealed that their defeat at the battle of Shinganshina and the loss of the Female and Colossal Titan powers dealt a tremendous blow to their military strength, which their other enemies took advantage of, and they've been at war with them for the last four years, putting their plans for Paradis Island on hold. During this time they came to realize how much they depended on the Titan powers for their military might, which now made their goal to capture the Coordinate an even greater priority and essential to keep their military supremacy.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Their constant assaults on Paradis are what prompt Eren to pursue the start of the Rumbling, with the explicit intent on stopping the world's constant harassment of the Eldian people by destroying it outright, just as the First King warned would happen if they ever attacked again. Worse still, they violated this truce knowing full well that if such an apocalypse was realized that they'd be powerless to stop it.
Hypocrite: They constantly whine about how Eldia oppressed and brutalized Marley and the rest of the world with their Titans... all while forcing innocent Eldians to become Titans that will help them expand their empire. To make it even worse, they're not even grateful to the Eldians for giving them the power to forge an enormous empire. Instead, they spit on and oppress the Eldians, calling them inhuman demons who don't deserve equal rights.
Idiot Ball: The Marleyan military's high command completely ignores the input of the "Warriors" regarding the island of Paradis, even though they are their front-line troops and the backbone of their military might. This is, of course, because they cannot go beyond their ingrained racism towards Eldians. This happens to be one of the reasons Willy Tybur and Magath conspire together to get rid of them.
If You Thought That Was Bad...:
- The Marleyans are in an arms race, though it's not outright stated that it's being driven by their efforts against Eldia; as such, there's a possibility that the kingdom is simultaneously at war with a different country. As a matter of fact, there are two known conflicts:
  - They engaged in a conflict with southern countries and a war of conquest in the West that earned them transcontinental territories that amounted to a great swath of land and resources. This occurred during the period after the Titan War on which they gained the power of seven of the Nine Titan Powers of the Eldians.
  - As a result of the failure of the Warriors at Paradis, various nations threatened to raise war against Marley, with the Mid-East Allied Forces fighting against them in a conflict that lasted four years; this, and the venture in Paradis, made them realize that anti-Titan weaponry was developed under their noses and the foundation of their power is effectively in peril.
- The whole purpose of the Warrior Unit's venture in Paradis was to recover the Coordinate and exterminate the Eldians on the island; the Coordinate would grant them the ability to control the Eldians in Marley to use them in warfare, and control of the mindless Titans, which cannot be effectively managed otherwise, gaining the resource of gigantic, unstoppable cannon fodder.
Ignorant of Their Own Ignorance: Marleyans are extremely proud and boastful of their role in defeating the Eldian empire. Considered rationally, however, there is no way their soldiers could have beaten back even a fractured Eldian empire in the heroic manner they show. They only won because the very rulers of Eldia betrayed and abandoned its people instead of fighting.
- Because of how war is glorified in their newspapers the general populous has no grasp on the harsh realities of war. Nor do they know how much they really rely on the Eldians (both as Titans and conscripts) that they despise and actively say should be wiped out.
Irony: For all those years of referring Eldians as "Devils" and treating them like lower-class citizens, their true rulers just so happens to be an Eldian family themselves (though the Tyburs highly respected for their role in Eldia's downfall). And that's not counting the reveal that King Karl Fritz, the 145th King Marley despised the most, was their main ally all along.
It's All About Me: Annie flat out tells Reiner that for all Marley's talk about greatness and Eldia being demons they (and Eldia and really everyone) only really care about themselves and are willing to be hypocrites and stomp on the other side while deluding themselves if it benefits them. In fact, they're willing to potentially damn the rest of the world in order to maintain their military supremacy by attacking Paradis, as doing so would cause the Rumbling.
Jerkass Has a Point:
- Invoked. The Marleyans justify their apartheid and persecution of the Eldians by claiming that Eldia conducted eugenics on them. Even if this were true, the propagandistic nature of everything they do puts this fact in question. As Eren Kruger states, it's too big and too farfetched of a claim for it to be true.
  - There is historical evidence on both sides that seems to point to Marley being beaten badly by Eldians in war. While organized eugenics may be a stretch, their belief that their ancestors suffered numerous atrocities at the hands of Titans is likely true.
- Surprisingly, the part of Marleyan propaganda about the evil King Fritz siccing monsters to conquer and enslave Marleyans in the past turns out to have been true all along, but also shows they were rival nations that had fought until Eldia got the upper hand through King Fritz's slave, Ymir. Not that it excuses the evils that Marley commits against Eldians thousands of years after that, especially as they do everything they accuse the Eldians of having done.
Laser-Guided Karma: The Marleyan Government was so eager to eradicate the populace on Paradis and was gathering other nations for that purpose. Just over a month after officially declaring war on Paradis, the world faces its worst nightmare in the form of the Rumbling. By the time it comes to an end, all that seems to remain of the hypocritical, warmongering empire that Marley was so keen on keeping in power is a poxy little military outpost.
Let Us Never Speak of This Again: They force a narrative on the Eldian ghettos in Marley which states that they must abide to their every rule without question by guilt-tripping them for their ancestors' sins.
A Lighter Shade of Black: In comparison to the Yeagerists, thanks to the latter more blatantly Putting on the Reich. Made more obvious when the remaining Scouts choose to side with them when Eren activates the Rumbling.
Meaningful Name: "Marley" seem derived from the Latin word mare, which means "sea"; this fits with their image to the people from Paradis Island of being from across the sea. Also their coat-of-arms depicts a seashell.
Meet the New Boss: Even with the Eldians out of the way, the Marleyans are just as warmongering and imperialistic as their historical oppressors were.
Mook Maker: They are shown to have access to large quantities of the spino-cerebral serum that is used to transform Eldians into mindless Titans; they are even knowledgeable of the doses required to transform into the different types of Titans.
Moral Myopia: The biggest case of such in the entire story. Their extensive propaganda about Eldians being "Descendants of the Devil" because of their ancestors using the Power of the Titans to conquer the world is incredibly hard to swallow when Marley actively uses those exact same powers to greatly expand their own empire across the world.
My Country, Right or Wrong: The overwhelming majority of Marleyans believe in their supremacy and consider dying for the country the greatest honor even if there's no benefit to it. This extends to resident Eldians, who, aside a small La Résistance group, have been educated to being a Slave Race for so long, they are repulsed by the idea of disobedience.
A Nazi by Any Other Name: They forced the remaining Eldians who didn't flee to the island of Paradis into ghetto conditions reminiscent of the treatment of Jews during The Holocaust. Later it's shown it's the best treatment the Eldians ''ever'' get in the world. Punctuated in the first opening of the final season of the anime, which has a shot of goose-step-marching Marleyan soldiers.
Non-Indicative Name: The Kingdom of Marley was the country that was subdued by the Eldians centuries ago. Whether it remains a "kingdom" is not quite clear, as it became more a military dictatorship by the time the Eldian exile to Paradis happened. However, it's implied that they retained their nobility as well.
Propaganda Machine: They make use of extensive propaganda to paint the Eldians as "descendants of the Devil" who are deserving of their fate in serfdom, while accusing the ones who fled to Paradis as cowards who escaped their "just punishment" and are just waiting for an opportunity to strike back and enslave the world again. This could be why Grisha was so surprised to see how different was the state of things and the way of life behind the Walls.
Puppet King: Despite officially being a Kingdom, whoever's officially in charge of Marley doesn't seem to have much importance or power. In practise, it's more of a stratocracy where the military holds all the power with the Tybur family manipulating everyone else from the shadows.
Pyrrhic Victory:
- How the battle of between Marley and the Mid-East Allied Forces is seen In-Universe. While Marley was ultimately able to destroy the allied forces fleet as well as Fort Slava and win the war it came at the cost of revealing to the world that it is possible to actually defeat the Titans with weapons powerful enough to even take down the Armoured Titan. The Marshal in Chapter 93 even asks Zeke if they can consider it a victory.
- Their victory against the Eldians left them with seven of the Nine Titan Powers, which meant a lot less when one of the two remaining powers is a god incarnate, while the other is an overpowering and rampaging Wild Card... and now they're both inside the same dude.
The Remnant: The garrison at Fort Salta is likely all that remains of their military after the Rumbling destroys most of their territory. Given 80% of the human species is dead by the end of the Rumbling, it is possible they are nearly all that is left of Marley itself.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: They sell the idea to the world that they must appropriate the Coordinate from the Eldians of Paradis in order to prevent the Rumbling with the Wall Titans, all while their intention is to exploit Paradis for its resources. Little did they know, the Rumbling ended up happening because they prodded at the ribs of the Eldians a little too much.
Sadistic Choice: They are not in a good position regarding options by the modern day, caught between having to deal with potential downfalls from different areas; either they attack Paradis and risk the Rumbling in order to gain resources and remain the strongest nation in the world, or they count the days until the might of even their Titans is overcome by the advancing weaponry of other countries.
Sins of the Father: The Marleyans justify their cruel and oppressive treatment of the Eldians in Libero by saying that they deserve it for the sins committed by their ancestors and the fact that they aren’t “directly” responsible doesn’t matter.
- Whenever an Eldian does something wrong, their whole family is punished as well, unless one of them sells their relative out to prove themselves loyal to Marley.
- According to Reiner's father, there is a rule that says if a Marleyan has an relation with an Eldian that results in a child, the Marleyan will be killed along with their family. His reaction to Reiner's Warrior status implies that even being an “honorary Marleyan” doesn’t exclude this, regardless of Kariana’s belief.
So Last Season: They're about to be hit pretty hard with this. While they've used Titans in the past to expand their territory, the rest of the world in response has developed military technology that can rip through even the Armored Titan like wet toilet paper from far away. While Marley managed to defeat the Mid-East Allied Forces, they struggled to bypass the anti-Titan weapons and realize it's only going to get worse since the world now knows that Titans can be defeated and technology is going to improve even more.
Sufficiently Analyzed Magic: It is mentioned that they have an entire research institute for studying the Titans and their powers; the Warrior Unit is one of the fruits of their research applied into practice.
Technologically Advanced Foe: Unlike the original Eldians (who relied on the Titan powers to make their lives easier) and the ones behind the Walls (who live in a technological stasis), the Marleyans and their rivals are shown having industrial age technology including photography, coal-burning factories, revolvers, cartridge-firing rifles, steam trains, automobiles, paddle steamers, zeppelins, and tri-planes. Come Chapter 93, the Marleyans realize that they have fallen into the same trap as the Eldians. Relying so heavily on Titan powers to maintain their geopolitical influence caused the rest of their technological advancement to stagnate, and their military rivals are now more advanced.
Too Dumb to Live: Double Subverted. Despite the fact that the First King and his people retired on Paradis as punishment for their ancestors’ sins with the condition of releasing the Wall Titans to the world if the truce wouldn’t work, Marley keeps harassing Eldians and attacking their island both to exterminate them and to take their resources. While it's eventually revealed that Willy Tybur knew all along that the First King's threat was an empty one, thus implying that the Marleyan leadership knew this too, and he even plots a military invasion of Paradis knowing that Eren has obtained the Coordinate, he and his co-conspirators end up grossly underestimating the threat Eren poses. In the end, the Tybur family winds up dead, and the Marleyans prove to be utterly powerless to fight back once Eren decides to unleash The Rumbling to exterminate all life outside Paradis.
Walking Spoiler: Their existence turns many of the series' core plot elements up on their head:
- It reveals that humanity is actually thriving beyond the Walls, not extinct as it was stated from the start.
- It also sheds light on the outside world which upon that point was completely unknown.
- It reveals who's behind the looming threat that's been alluded previously on the series.
Villain with Good Publicity: Following the Great Titan War, the Marleyan government rewrote history to slander the Eldians and to make themselves the heroes. By the present day, all Eldians on the mainland (including those under the Warrior Unit) come to believe their lies and despise their Eldian heritage while worshiping the Marleyans. Furthermore, the government makes up the excuse that the Eldians on Paradis are preparing for an attack to the citizens when in reality it is just an excuse for them to harvest the island's natural resources.
We Have Become Complacent: In Chapter 93, Magath and the War Council conclude that Marley has become too dependent on the Titans (not unlike the Eldian Empire had) and that because they decided to sit on their laurels, they allowed their military technology to stagnate behind other countries. Because of this, they were unprepared for a naval offensive and, if their intelligence is right, soon other countries will start developing planes that can drop bombs to decimate their ground forces, making the Titans virtually useless.
We Have Reserves: Almost literally, they can keep sending Titanized Eldians to Paradis Island as long as they find subjects in the ghettos for it; it is also hinted that they have more reserves of "warriors" that can be used for Titan power vessels.
- In Chapter 92, it is shown how the Marleyan army uses mindless Titans as cannon fodder, by literally dropping Eldians from the sky (some of them shown to be either comatose or lobotomized, implying that not all of them are willing subjects) and Titanizing them mid-fall.
Won the War, Lost the Peace: The outcome of the war against the Mid-East Alliance; Marley may have won the war but the rest of the world now praises the Mid-East Alliance technological advances in anti-Titan weaponry, and it will be a matter of time until more advances are made and Marley's dominance is challenged again.
Written by the Winners:
- Marley underwent a considerable historical revisionism after the Great Titan War, which saw them as the "winners" of the war and over-blowing their own importance in the conflict. This came courtesy of the Tybur Family and the King of the Eldians, as Willy Tybur reveals, as the King willingly gave them most of his power in a silver platter. As such, absolutely none of Marley's supposed triumphs were due to their own merit.
- Eldian Restorationists claim that the conflicts between Eldia and Marley were rewritten to cast Eldians in a bad light and justify their own brutality. While Owl thinks Eldia probably wasn't as saintly as they depicted themselves, he also thinks they weren't as monstrous as Marley claims.

Marleyan Military

The closest thing to Marley's government that has been seen. For all intents and purposes, they are the force controlling the country unknowingly just below the Tybur family.

Leadership

General Calvi

Voiced by: Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi (JP), John Gremillion (EN), Roberto Mendiola (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 93 (Manga), Episode 61 (Anime)

"Do we not have any Titans with wings?"

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/calvi_anime.png

A high-ranking member of the Marleyan military, and the commander-in-chief of the Marleyan Army and Navy; he gives Zeke the green-light to invade Paradis before his time is up.

Comically Missing the Point: When Magath and the War Council make the case to him of Marley's military becoming too dependent on the Titan Powers by briefing him on the future developments in bombing aircraft which could strike at Titan ground forces with impunity, he nonchalantly suggests developing a Titan with wings to counter them, drawing an awkward silence from the rest of the council. But then when they try again to explain him the point he cuts them off and makes it clear that he understood what they were trying to convey.
Death by Irony: Right before he dies, he finally gets to see that flying Titan he always wanted... as in Eren's Titan "flying" right at him and crushing him with a massive belly-flop.
Face Death with Dignity: While his men were panicking and screaming when Eren was about to crush them in Titan form, Calvi quietly accepted his fate.
Foil: To Darius Zackly and Dot Pixis, his Eldian counterparts. Much like Zackly, his success and high position hinges on the actions of the Titan Shifters, but like Pixis, he is a Reasonable Authority Figure. In hindsight, they are subject of the very same failures as well, as they lose control of their Titan assets, who turn against them; in the case of Calvi and Zackly, it costs them their lives.
Foreshadowing: His nonchalant "flying Titan" line ends up foreshadowing two things. The first being Eren's Titan "flying" right at him and crushing him with a massive belly-flop, and the second being Falco's Jaws Titan being a Winged Humanoid that can indeed fly.
Greater-Scope Villain: Or so it seems. Calvi is the highest-ranking Marleyan official seen so far and represents the higher powers in control of the Warriors (and considering the country is run by a military junta, he might as well be their commander-in-chief). He's ultimately just a subordinate to the Tybur family, the true power of Marley.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Looks like a carbon copy of Mads Mikkelsen, complete with the icy demeanor and Villainous Cheekbones.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Is surprisingly this, holding no question to Zeke's loyalties approving his proposal to invade Paradis Island despite his initial failure and being an Eldian.
Surrounded by Idiots: He is one of the few high-rankers who realizes that the high echelons of the Marleyan military are incredibly short-sighted. Nevertheless, and as a matter of fact, his apparent unwillingness to do something about this in spite of knowing about it is what brings his eventual demise, as he is strategically seated in Willy Tybur's Rally alongside his cabinet so that he too becomes a victim of the Attack Titan's rampage.

Marleyan Army

Commander Theo Magath

Commander/General Theo Magath

Voiced by: Jiro Saito (JP), Neil Kaplan (EN), Raimundo Aramijo (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 91 (Manga), Episode 60 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theo_magath_anime.png

"Everyone, remember this: I'm the one who dealt the first blow."

A captain from the Marleyan army and the commanding officer of the Warrior Unit. He led the Eldian unit assigned to take Fort Slava.

Anger Born of Worry: When Gabi is reunited with the Marleyan forces, he hugs and scolds her for recklessly going into enemy territory and getting herself captured.
As You Know / Mr. Exposition: He explains to Falco (again) and the readers the predicament Marley has been stuck in the last four years. In-universe, this is explained away as Falco being dizzy from taking a blow to the head and needing to be reminded of what was going on.
Batman Gambit: While he didn't specifically plan it, both he and Willy Tybur knew there was a high chance Eren would attack the Marley high command, and positioned himself to avoid it.
Drill Sergeant Nasty: A flashback shows that he berated and yelled at the Warrior trainees, to motivate them to work harder.
Everyone Has Standards: He heavily criticized Marley's decision to send four children alone to retrieve the "Coordinate" ability under the assumption that everything will go exactly as planned.
A Father to His Men: Played with. Despite being a Marleyan, he holds his Eldian subordinates in comparatively high regard, treating them with respect and refusing to accept needless sacrifices from them. However, he still looks down on them as subservient beings to Marley. Until he truly goes into this trope by telling Shadis he realized how happy he would be if the kids he commanded could live normal lives, and helps them escape via Heroic Sacrifice.
Field Promotion: After Eren kills Willy and pancakes the high command of the Marleyan military during Willy Tybur's rally at Liberio, Magath assumes command of the military and formally declares hostilities with the Eldians of Paradis by shooting the Attack Titan with his rifle. Following the Eldians' blimp retreat, he's both the head honcho of the whole country and the military, or at least of what little is left of those.
Foil: To Keith Shadis, the veteran Instructor of the 104th. Both men conceal a fondness for their troops beneath their Drill Sergeant Nasty routine, and personally oversaw the training of one of Grisha's sons. But while Shadis was once a forward-thinking man that retired to the Trainee Corps after a lifetime of failure and resentment, Magath is a man of the system that goes along with the grooming of children into living weapons in spite of expressing some misgivings about it. Ironically, their best students end up befriending and later fighting one another. And finally, they both die lighting the gunpowder on a ship to help their troops get away, exchanging names for their final words.
Four-Star Badass: He grumbles during the Battle for Paradis that the best hunter ends up being the military's supreme commander, noting that Marley has fallen quite low since it came to that. This is after he fired an artillery shell right through Eren's Titan's brain, greatly crippling the latter.
Frontline General: After taking command of the Marleyan Army, he personally leads the assault on Shiganshina, and plays an active part in it by operating the cannon mounted on the Cart Titan's back.
Heel Realization: Before they attack the port after the Rumbling, Magath tells the remains of the Survey Corps that he finally realized that Marley's actions are no different then the actions of the Eldians and that they were not responsible for the sins of their ancestors.
Heroic Sacrifice: While the Survey Corps along with their Marley and Azumabito allies flee with a ship dragging a plane they hope to get operational elsewhere, Magath stays behind to light the gunpowder hold of a ship that could have pursued them.
Hidden Depths: He's actually quite frustrated with Marley's current course, recognizing how destructive it has become and how nothing will change because the people are apathetic and unaware of the true cost of war. He seeks to change Marley before it destroys itself, by advocating for the revival of the old conscription programs.
Ignored Expert: Prior to the Paradis Operation, he expressed misgivings about tasking children with carrying out such a vital mission. His superiors brushed his concerns aside, pointing to how powerful the latest batch of Warriors were compared to their predecessors. Magath's concerns proved correct, with his child subordinates unable to withstand the emotional and mental toll their mission took on them.
Improbable Aiming Skills: Describes himself as the best artilleryman in the Marlaeyan Army, and has the skills to back it up, as seen when he snipes at Eren from atop Wall Maria, using a cannon mounted on the Cart Titan.
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Upon learning the Wall Titans had already made their way to Marley, he starts breaking Yelena's arm to force her to tell them where Eren is headed.
Man Behind the Man: As the commanding officer of the Warrior Unit, he is the mastermind behind all Titan attacks on the Walls throughout the story.
My Greatest Failure: In his final moments, he tells Keith Shadis that sending Bertolt, Reiner, Annie, and Marcel to destroy the Walls was the worst decision he ever made in his life and muses how happy he would've been if they got to live normal lives.
My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Magath seems to be the only Marleyan introduced thus far that doesn't buy into the usual propaganda of the rest of the population. When discussing Willy Tybur's False Flag Operation he tells him that Eldians truly are the children of the devil but then again the Marleyans are devils as well.
Nice Guy: In all of his stern and Drill Sergeant Nasty attitude towards the Warriors and their candidates, he ultimately cares for their well-being, which is saying something considering he's a Marleyean.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: He acts on Reiner's advice to go ahead with the Marley's scorched-earth policy against Paradis sooner than initially anticipated, launching a massive assault on Shiganshina with the explicit intent of killing or capturing Eren's Founding Titan. With Eren's successful activation of the Rumbling, it's safe to say that all of Magath's efforts have done is hasten Eren's imminent assault on the world, effectively dooming his nation.
Noble Bigot: He treats his Eldian subordinates well, even bantering with Zeke in a casual manner. That doesn't change the fact he still believes that Eldians are inferior beings with demonic blood. Though it's also implied that he does this because it's the only way he can live with himself; wouldn't be the first example in this manga.
Oh, Crap!: When he realizes that the Titan Shifters and Survey Corps of Paradis are far more coordinated and technologically advanced than anyone in Marley had suspected.
Pet the Dog:
- When it's suggested they should shut down the Eldian troops' celebration because it's too noisy, he allows it to continue.
- When the Eldian troops under his command re-enter the Internment camp to greet their families, Magath stays at the gate to watch the happy reunions.
- He personally saw the four Warriors off on the Paradis mission, and asked them to all come back safely. While saying this, he averted his gaze from them and stared off into the distance.
- During the battle in the Plaza, he repeatedly prioritizes the safety of his young subordinates. He tries to order Gabi and Falco away from the battle, physically shielding them from danger even though both are "expendable" Eldians that have already experienced combat.
Rank Up: Becomes the General of the all the Marley military after the Marleyan High Command is destroyed during the raid in Liberio.
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- He accepts the good reasoning behind Gabi's plan, and allows her to carry it out on her own.
- During the battle of Fort Slava he listens and values Colt's tactical advice.
- He is Zeke's superior officer and has known him for a good two decades, making him the closest thing to a Marleyan "friend" of the Eldians.
Sole Survivor: He is the last member of the Marleyan military high command who survived the Eldian attack on Liberio. However, this was engineered by both himself and Willy Tybur in order to flush out the extremely conservative members of the high command.
The Starscream: Magath joins forces with Willy Tybur, knowing the strong likelihood of an attack by the Eldians of Paradis, and deliberately ensures that he is not with the senior members of the Marleyan military so that when they are killed in Eren's rampage he can swiftly take command.
Token Good Teammate: He's one of the very few Marleyeans and perhaps the only known member of the Marleyean military that shows care and empathy toward the Eldians. This is clearly shown when he's willing to admit the Marleyeans are no different from their former oppressors in the past, and in his final moments with Keith Shadis wishing that his Warrior Unit would just live a normal life without war.
Toilet Humor: He exchanges jokes with Zeke about Eldian asses, and the secret techniques of how he wipes.
War Is Hell: He recognizes how detached the average Marleyan is from the reality of war, since they just read about it in the papers and don't have to fight. He hopes to change this, to turn Marley away from its path of constant warfare.
You Are in Command Now: After General Calvi and the rest of the senior military staff are killed by Eren's rampage Magath takes over as the acting head of the Marleyan Military.

Koslow

Voiced by: Tooru Nara (JP), Mick Wingert (EN), Eleazar Muñoz (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 91 (Manga), Episode 60 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/koslow_anime.png

A Marleyan soldier who fought with Magath's unit against the Mid-East Allied Forces.

Adaptation Expansion: Continues to appear in Shiganshina as Magath's right hand man despite no longer appearing in the manga. Which also leads to...
Death by Adaptation: He is slain by Mikasa in the anime after Armin blows up Magath's anti-titan artillery.
Fantastic Racism: He has considerable disdain for Eldians, even those fighting alongside him in the trenches.
Fire-Forged Friends: Completely averted. He fights alongside Eldian soldiers in the war, facing danger with them in the trenches. But this doesn't change his attitude towards them, still viewing them as monsters even after Udo tended his wounds and Gabi risked her life to save everyone.
It's All About Me: After being wounded by enemy gunfire at Fort Slava, he complains that only Eldians are supposed to be on the front lines and that as a Marleyan, he shouldn't even have to actually fight.
Jerkass: He seems to exist solely to demonstrate the typical attitude of a Marleyan citizen, mocking and bullying the Eldian soldiers he's forced to work with.
Kick the Dog: All of his scenes involve this behavior. He laughs mockingly when a wounded enemy calls the Eldians tending his wounds "devils", and later shouts to frighten a group of traumatized Eldian soldiers for his own amusement.
Mugging the Monster: One of the soldiers he was picking on turns out to be Eren Yeager. Lucky for Koslow, the "Suicidal Bastard" had mellowed out since we last saw him and wasn't going blow his cover just to stomp the little cocksucker, so nothing happened.
No Sympathy: As he's leading a group of Eldian soldiers suffering from PTSD to a hospital for treatment, among them one who lost a leg, Koslow berates them for not being able to walk straight. Although, he might have changed his tune a bit had he known who that one-legged "Soldier" really was.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Last time seen he was helping Pieck tend her wounds in Liberio and is not seen in subsequent arcs. Subverted very heavily in the anime where he joins Magath in their surprise attack on Shiganshina and is killed by Mikasa.

Panzer Squad

Marleyan soldiers belonging to a specialized unit, serving as the crew for the Cart Titan.

Boom, Headshot!: Sasha takes one of them out with a precise shot to the head.
Cruel and Unusual Death: Thunder Spears are deployed against their turrets, blowing the men inside to pieces in a very messy fashion.
Fantastic Racism: Averted. They treat the Warriors as respected comrades, and even seem to be a little smitten with Pieck.
Gatling Good: They operate the machine guns mounted on to the Cart Titan's harness.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Their act of freeing Porco and Pieck far earlier than intended allowed Eren to successfully steal the War-Hammer Titan after finding out that Porco's Titan was capable of damaging Lady Tybur's crystal cocoon.
No Name Given: Other than Carlo, (see below) none of their names are given.
Pretty Little Headshots: Carlo gets one from Sasha, which is downright merciful compared to the others getting blown to bits.
Red Shirt: They don't last long, once things take a violent turn.
Sniping the Cockpit: Sasha is able to shoot one of them through the window of his gun turret.
True Companions: The entire unit is very close-knit, demonstrating a strong bond and commitment to each other.
We Hardly Knew Ye: They are killed off a few chapters after being introduced, just long enough to demonstrate their devotion to Pieck.

Public Security Bureau

Sergeant Major Gross

Voiced by: Ikkyuu Juku (JP), Bradley Campbell (EN), Jesse Conde (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 57 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gross_28anime29_character_image.png

"If you leave rats in your household alone, you might be infected with a disease sooner or later, so the desire to eliminate them is natural."

A member of the Public Security Bureau overseeing the Liberio Ghetto in Marley. He later is shown to have risen in rank as a Sergeant Major tasked with sending off the captive Eldian revolutionaries to Paradis Island. A stocky, mustached man.

Asshole Victim: After everything this guy pulled, no one shed any tears when the Kawaii Titan bit his face off.
The Bad Guys Are Cops: He pretty much has carte blanche to do whatever he wants with Eldians as a member of the Public Security, since opposing him means to oppose the Marleyan establishment.
Break Them by Talking: He spends a great deal of time sadistically tormenting Grisha by making it explicitly clear that he believes vicious brutal sadists like himself are "normal" while those who value peaceful coexistence "have something wrong with them."
Condescending Compassion: Of a sort. When pressed by Grisha, he admits that his gruesome murder of the 8-year-old Faye was "a shame" but adds in "if only she wasn't an Eldian".
Dastardly Whiplash: He easily fits the bill of a mustache-twirling villain.
Dirty Cop: Citizen, civilian, superior and subordinate. Nobody from his own nation can trust him because he's too corrupt, hedonistic, and sadistic.
Disproportionate Retribution: He let a little girl be mauled by dogs because she and her brother left their designated ghetto without permission.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He said that it would break his heart if his sons died.
Fantastic Racism: Invoked. He argues that Faye being Eldian was the main reason he killed her. Gross has a deep rooted hatred for Eldians, though he also states that he does not align with peaceful practices even when Marley is not in a state of war anymore.
Fat Bastard: He's a stocky, fat-bellied bastard.
For the Evulz: He has a history of throwing Eldians off the dyke into the sand bar, right in front of their recently Titanized friends and loved ones because he needs "entertainment".
Harmful to Minors: He claims that he made his sons watch as he fed Faye Yeager to their dogs alive "to teach them a valuable lesson about the world."
Hate Sink: For the most part, Marleyans are portrayed as complex characters who are antagonistic because of the poisonous anti-Eldian propaganda they've been raised with... and then there's this guy, who's basically all the worst traits of Marley wearing a hat; he's a sadist who tortures and murders Eldians and feels justified because they're 'subhuman'. Don't feel too bad that he only lasts a few chapters before his gruesome demise.
Hoist by His Own Petard: His insatiable desire for entertainment led directly to his Karmic Death in the jaws of the very Titan he created to kill Grisha.
Jerkass Has a Point: Invoked and subverted. His extreme xenophobia against the Eldians is more understandable once you realize that he doesn't consider them human in the first place, but rather monsters; this is what Marleyans in general think, but Gross actually uses it as an excuse to amuse himself while exterminating Eldians.
Karmic Death: He dies by being devoured by a Titan when previously he had fed a little girl to the dogs.
Kick the Dog: He personally killed Faye Yeager, a little girl, by throwing her to be mauled by dogs.
Laser-Guided Karma: He attempted to have Grisha eaten and wanted to see him scream in agony. He ends up being eaten instead.
Meaningful Name: Gross is a "gross" human being.
Mr. Exposition: He dropped several important pieces of information regarding the Titan serum while tormenting Grisha; it's spinal fluid extracted from Titans themselves, the dosage dictates the size of the Titan produced after injection, and it only works on people of Eldian descent.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: With his actions, he singlehandedly made Grisha Yeager rebel against the Marley establishment. By doing so, in the long run, he gave the Eldians inside the Walls a fighting chance that they would not have had otherwise. Also applies to Nice Job Breaking It, Rivals!.
"Not So Different" Remark: He delivers one to Grisha by saying that he is fine with wiping out the Eldians from the face of the Earth and then pointing out that Grisha would also be okay if upon achieving victory, the Eldian Restoration Movement exterminates all the Marleyans.
Police Are Useless: Not only is he impeding a further investigation into the death of Faye, he's actively blaming her parents for the death. So he's not only useless; he's downright evil.
Sadist: He gleefully joins in on the racism against Eldians mostly because it gives him an acceptable target to do horrible things to, like leaving them to be Eaten Alive by former friends and family.
Small Role, Big Impact: The entire plot line would have been drastically different had he simply taken Faye back home.
Spanner in the Works: His penchant for sadistically killing Eldian people for his own amusement ended up being the catalyst for Grisha to rebel against Marley by joining the Eldian Restoration Movement. This ended up triggering a massive series of events causing the Marley Kingdom's mission to exterminate the Eldians residing in the Walls on Paradis Island to be fraught with numerous complications.
Tempting Fate: During his Hannibal Lecture, he matter-of-factly states that he knows everyone will die someday, including him. He tells Grisha he has made peace with that fact and will face fate head on as he creates the Kawaii Titan. When he is pushed off the wall, he is screaming and struggling as his face is bitten off. "Face fate" head on, indeed.
Undignified Death: For all his bluster to Grisha about being able to accept his own death when the time comes, he nevertheless goes out screaming and begging when Kruger transforms and shoves him down to be eaten by a Titan. It is similar to how Bertholdt said in an inner monologue to himself how he was barely scared at all and could accept whatever outcome happened during the Return to Shinganshina battle, but nevertheless went out screaming and begging when a Titanized Armin was about to eat him.
Villain Has a Point: As detestable and hypocritical as Gross is, he's spot on when he responds to Grisha's anguished cries of why. The Eldian Restorationists were essentially planning to annihilate Marley and kill thousands if not millions of innocent people, who only believe what their government tells them, in retaliation. In Gross' eyes, a few dissidents being turned into Titans is certainly the lesser of evils.
What Measure Is a Non-Human?: He uses this to attempt a justification of his bigotry against Eldians, by pointing out that no other race on earth can turn into mindless human-devouring monsters; as such, in his view, Eldians are Not Even Human to begin with.
Would Hurt a Child: Threw a child to the dogs, so yeah.

Eren Kruger

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (JP), Ray Chase (EN), José Gilberto Vilchis (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 57 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eren_kruger_28anime29_character_image.png

"How about it? Is this entertaining for you?"

Gross' right-hand man and second-in-command. A lanky, morose man. He's interested in personally interrogating Grisha instead of just transforming him into a mindless Titan like the rest of the revolutionaries. Kruger is actually "The Owl", the hidden informant of the Eldian Restorationists. He was also the Attack Titan before giving it to Grisha.

The Anti-Nihilist: A possible example of one. Kruger admits that his initial goal in life was to destroy Marley from within and restore the Eldian Empire. A lifetime of unspeakable acts however has ground away his fanaticism and he displays a mostly objective and detached personality in his interactions with Grisha. His goal now as displayed by his actions is to stop the useless cycle of violence that has plagued humanity and the Titans for centuries. He acknowledges the flaws in both Marley and Eldia but cares for neither. All he hopes to do now is prevent the suffering of the present from infecting the future.
Becoming the Mask: He plays the part of an uncaring officer as far as he can take it, but ultimately saves Grisha's life from Gross by throwing him into the island to be eaten by a Titan.
Call-Forward:
- His Titan form resembles the Rogue Titan, albeit more muscle-toned and considerably bigger (20 m or so). His, Grisha's and Eren's Titan form are all the same Titan power, classified as the Attack/Attacker Titan.
- He mentions to Grisha that due to their profession, doctors can move easily between societal strata, which make them perfect to serve as spies. Grisha would later use his medical skills to gain access to the Capital and root out the Royal Family.
- Just before he injects Grisha with the Titan Serum to transfer the "Attack Titan" power to him, he tells Grisha that if he wants to save Mikasa and Armin, he must complete his mission, which was exactly what Grisha recited before passing the "Attack" and "Founding" Titan powers to Eren. The only issue is that at this point in time, they weren't even born yet.
The Chessmaster: It's implied that he's been playing Grisha like a fiddle since the death of Faye.
Cryptic Conversation: He engages in a one-sided example with Grisha right before injecting him with Titan serum. He tells Grisha to make a family and to love someone when he enters the Walls or the same mistakes are doomed to be repeated, much to Grisha's understandable confusion. This is topped off with Kruger telling Grisha to carry out his mission to the end if he wants to save Mikasa and Armin, who weren't even born yet. Kruger didn't have a clue who those people were when he uttered their names, or why he even did it in the first place.
Double Agent: He is The Owl, and it's shown that he is a Titan Shifter; as such, it's revealed that he's an Eldian mole within the Marleyan military.
Dragon with an Agenda: He's not exactly loyal to the Marley party line or his superiors.
Foreshadowing: Kruger's final lines regarding Mikasa and Armin hints at the true ability of the Attack Titan: to inherit future memories.
Hidden Heart of Gold: He glares at Grisha during Gross' testimony of Faye's demise to her parents, almost daring the boy to say something. Him being revealed as The Owl later, though, sheds an entirely different light to what he was thinking at that very moment.
Hidden Purpose Test: Invoked. He takes personal interest in Grisha and prevents him from being killed or Titanized until the very end under the pretense of interrogating him; he also makes sure that the young man is the very last standing out of the Restorationists and the Marleyan soldiers.
Identical Stranger: Looks like an older Eren Yeager, and was very likely his namesake. In fact, Eren looks almost identical to when Kruger was a boy despite not being close relatives. However, the fact that Grisha ate Kruger and the "invisible bonds" between each Eldian may have to do something to do with this.
I Did What I Had to Do: He originally infiltrated the Marleyan military to enact revenge upon them following the death of his family in a failed coup similar to what Grisha experienced. But as he maintained his act as an interrogator, he was forced to torture countless fellow Eldians, all while believing he still did it for Eldia's greater cause. Needless to say, it broke him into the apathetic double agent he appears as to Grisha.
Im Dying Please Take My Macguffin: Grisha asks him why he can't be the one to infiltrate the walls and find the Founding Titan. Kruger has to explain to him that the Curse of Ymir makes it so that all Titan Shifters are doomed to die thirteen years after they inherit a titan, and he got the Attack Titan thirteen years ago. The only way forward is for Grisha to take it, before Kruger dies and it's reborn into some random Eldian.
Ironic Echo: He asks "do you find this entertaining?" as the Kawaii Titan is biting Gross's face off. After Gross had mentioned how much "humanity" needs "entertainment" by doing cruel and sadistic things.
Lean and Mean: He's rather lean and tall, standing at 6'2''. Ultimately Subverted because he's not actually evil, though he certainly uses his intimidating presence to help with his mission.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In order to motivate Grisha to take his final mission to reach the Walls and retrieve the "Coordinate" ability, Kruger tells Grisha that he must carry on where his comrades have fallen because he began this entire story the day he went past the gate when he was a child.
Meaningful Name: Eren Yeager's name more likely than not came from Eren Kruger himself, which makes sense given his impact on Grisha. Also, Kruger means "tavern-keeper" in German and Dutch, with a tavern being the exact place where Grisha first met Carla, who is Eren's mother.
Mr. Exposition: He reveals details in person to Grisha that he withheld from the intel he slipt to the Eldians. Information such as Titan Shifters dying within 13 years of receiving their powers and that the Marleyans have a full science division for studying Titans. He also reveals that should a Shifter pass away without being eaten, the power will be reborn in a random Eldian, due to the link they share as "Ymir's People".
"Not So Different" Remark: He had reached the very same conclusion as Grisha did when it came to the Warrior Unit, and fully intended to back him on those plans from the inside... only that this didn't work out for either of them. Out of options, he gives Grisha the Attack Titan and the mission to restore Eldia.
Not So Stoic: He throws Gross to be devoured by the Kawaii Titan. Not only to save Grisha, but also because of his taunting annoyed him.
Perpetual Frowner: His face is in a constant state of anguish.
Police Are Useless: He remains quiet as Gross lies his ass off about Faye's death. Turns out he was just biding his time.
Posthumous Character: His story is only told in a flashback, and he was the Titan Shifter Grisha ate to acquire the power of one of the Nine original Titans.
The Power of Love: Invoked. He tells Grisha that in order to finally break the cycle of hostility that has brought the Titan Powers to constant war with humanity and among themselves, he has to stop proselytizing and love, start a family and live a virtuous life. According to Kruger, this has always been the factor that is missing from the formula, though it's not yet known what difference does it make in terms of how it affects the Titan Powers. It has worked in a certain way, as Grisha failed in his rebellion against Marley because he did not love Zeke, while his love for Eren caused Eren to embrace his father's mission.
Small Role, Big Impact: He only appears in four chapters, on which he made Grisha Yeager what he became. He seized Grisha's resentment towards Marley and dictated every impacting moment of his life (lured him to the Restorationists, sent Dina to him, fed him all the leaked information he had from the inside), that is, until it completely backfired on both of them. Out of time and options, he finally entrusted his own mission and the Attack Titan to Grisha.
Smoking Is Cool: First introduced having a smoke on a hillside.
Take Up My Sword: He allows Grisha to eat him, not only because he's dying, but because of their shared circumstances. He wants Grisha to claim the first Titan's power.
The Unreveal:
- It is not yet known how he inherited the Titan power in the first place.
- It's also not known how he learned of the Will of the First King, though it's implied that he knows about it through tapping the ancestral memories from the previous Attack Titan power holders, or if his Wham Line below is anything to go by, future holders.
Unwitting Pawn: To Eren Yeager's Attack Titan.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: In a setting of global, millennia-old, and perpetual back-and-forth racism, he's the only character shown openly advocating for different ethnic groups actually trying to coexist. Even then, he had tortured many Eldian prisoners, such as cutting their fingers, and turning many Eldians into Titans, including his own men, all without trying to save them to keep his cover and accomplish his goals better.
Wham Line: He says this to Grisha in a flashback, and while its implications to the plot as a whole are not yet known, the fact that he uttered it is quite significant:
If you want to save them all...Mikasa, Armin, and the others...carry out your mission to the end.
Would Hurt a Child: The first thing he does when Grisha tells him he has no permit to be outside the ghetto is to knee him in the gut, although it's revealed that this is the absolute minimum punishment he could have gotten away with inflicting on young Grisha for "trespassing" outside the official Eldian zone without the proper permits. Years later, he admits to torturing children and titanizing them. Something he regrets, lamenting over his lack of strength.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Invoked. He tells Grisha that he pretty much did exactly what Kruger wanted from him in terms of Dina, Zeke and the Restorationists, and that Kruger too thought that Grisha's plans were sound and intended to back him up on those until everything crumbled down like a house of cards, meaning that Kruger was at his wits' end as well at that point. As such, he tells Grisha that he has to fight on and persevere because he's altogether spent, both in ideas and physically (as Kruger was approaching the 13-year mark from the Curse of Ymir), encouraging him to reach the Three Walls and carry out the mission.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Does this to the entire Eldian Restorationist Movement, letting them get transformed into mindless titans, with the only exception being Grisha who he had picked out as his successor for the Attack Titan. He then does this to himself, letting Grisha devour him to gain the Attack Titan, due to nearing the end of his lifespan.
Your Days Are Numbered: He states that once someone inherits the power of the Nine Titans, they only have thirteen years to live. When he tells that to Grisha, thirteen years have already passed since he originally got his powers, and he can be seen starting to bleed and collapse from exhaustion. He refers to this as "Ymir's Curse".

Liberio Gatekeepers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/liberto_gatekeepers.jpg

A pair of Marleyan soldiers responsible for overseeing the checkpoint into Liberio Internment Zone.

Boom, Headshot!: The taller guard ends up getting his brains blown out by Sasha.
Fantastic Racism: Downplayed. They're still part of the system, but treat the Candidates like ordinary kids and worry for their safety.
Fat and Skinny: One is tall and lanky, and the other is short and stout.
Foil:
- To Major Gross: The two are gatekeepers and policemen that are suppose to keep an eye on the Eldians to make sure they don't leave the ghettos, just like Gross, but instead of taking it as an opportunity to torment the Eldians, the two treat it as just a day job and is even on friendly terms with the regulars they see.
- To Theo and Koslow: Both work with the military and with the kids involved with the Warrior program. But while Theo and Koslow only see the kids as weapons (to the point that Theo was only concerned for the safety of the kids was because they might lose the titan powers), these two laid down their lives to protect Gabi.
Heroic Sacrifice: Both are killed while trying to protect Gabi, doing everything in their power to prevent her from joining the battle.
Mauve Shirt: Minor characters in the Marleyan army, there just to further traumatize Gabi when they are killed and fuel her desire of revenge.
Noble Bigot: Implied. They are active participants in Marley's oppression of the Eldians, but also genuinely care about the kids under their charge.
No Name Given: They are never referred to by name.
Punch-Clock Villain: Even though both are soldiers keeping an ethnic minority imprisoned in an internment camp, their interactions with the Candidates humanize them considerably and there's nothing in their attitude that suggest they don't see their duty as anything more than a job, and they lack the overt sadistic or racist actions of other Marleyan soldiers. Thus, when they die to Sasha's bullets it tugs at the audience's heartstrings just as much as it does for Gabi's.
Shipper on Deck: They take an active interest in Falco's crush on Gabi, teasing the kids over it.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: They have a lot in common with Hannes, especially his earliest appearance in the series. They're easy-going town guards that enjoy teasing their young charges, but ultimately do their best to keep the kids safe when push comes to shove. It ends up costing them their lives, during a desperate battle.
Those Two Guys: Always together, and basically there to provide running commentary on the Warrior Candidates' personal lives.

Tybur Family

The Tybur Family

Tybur Family / House Tybur

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tybur_family.png

The Tybur family is a wealthy and influential family of Eldians living in large mansions on sprawling grounds as "honorary Marleyans" in the Kingdom of Marley, far removed from the ghettos that most Eldians are forced into. They are renowned worldwide for being the first noble Eldian family to rebel against King Fritz during the Great Titan War 100 years ago. However, they have historically taken a stance of non-intervention in politics and war since, and as such are implied to be highly divisive figures for Marleyans and the subjugated Eldians alike. In the aftermath of the Great Titan War, it's revealed that the head of the Tybur Family is the true power behind Marley but before Willy none of them have actually tried to run the country.

They are currently in possession of the "War Hammer Titan", one of the Nine Titan Powers of Ymir. Though they have never used their Titan Power to directly assist Marley in war before, they are allegedly planning to help attack the Island of Paradis to reclaim the Founding Titan for Marley.

Achilles in His Tent: Since aiding Marley in the Great Titan War, House Tybur has retreated to their estates and refused to involve themselves (or their Titan) in politics or warfare. Zeke hopes to coax them into taking action alongside the Warriors.
Ambiguous Situation:
- At the moment, it's rather unclear what their true intentions are. Zeke mentions that they "rose to the occasion (to assist Marley)" against King Fritz during the Great Titan War, but Pieck also says that they apparently have not used their Titan Power to help Marley since then either. Now, for whatever reason after 100 years of isolating themselves, they're claiming to be willing to help the Marleyans capture Paradis island within the next year.
- After the attack at Liberio, their status is unknown, but considering that many of their family members were killed by Eren's rampage and their Titan was stolen from them, it seems likely that the Tyburs are history now.
Blue Blood: The only other Eldian nobility that have survived the fall of the Empire, and retained their high position in society.
Foil: To the Reiss family. They are both rich Eldian families who rule their kingdom from the shadows, suffer from a severe case of Achilles in His Tent and possess a Titan they refuse to share that gets stolen by a Yaeger. However, on top of being on opposite sides of the war, the Reiss family had a decent reason for their inaction and likely would use the Rumbling if they did come under threat, while the Tybers are content to inaction and living in comfort. While the Reiss’ death is concealed from the rest of the walls with very few even knowing the Founding Titan was taken at all, the Tybers die in front of their entire nation.
Idle Rich: Their reputation among the other Eldians is that of a wealthy clan that lazes around their mansions, doing absolutely nothing to aid Marley or their kin living in the ghettos.
Last of His Kind: They are the last remaining clan of Eldian nobles that still retain their ancestral Titan Power. Other nobles were presumably vanquished during the Titan War and their Titan Powers were re-purposed to Eldians loyal to Marley, while the Royal Family lost their Titan Power to Grisha Yeager. However, with Eren killing Lady Tybur and taking the War-Hammer Titan with him, the Tyburs have joined the rest of the fallen Eldian families in the history books.
Les Collaborateurs / La Résistance: They are either traitors that sold the Eldians out to Marley, or heroes that bravely rose up against the tyranny of King Fritz. Which they are depends heavily on which version of history one considers true. Either way, they are famous for having played a pivotal role in the collapse of the Eldian kingdom and King Fritz fleeing to Paradis.
- According to Willy, it turns out that the Tybur family worked alongside with King Fritz in implementing his pacifist policy following his voluntary exile, then re-wrote history to make it look that the Tyburs had rebelled alongside with Marley against King Fritz.
The Man Behind the Man: While we never see any public ruler for Marley, it's clear that they are the real ones in charge, although to what extent is unclear.
Praetorian Guard: They're shown to have their own private guard, consisting on tall and imposing Marleyan soldiers. Most of them are killed by Eren's rampage.
The Starscream: They acted as this as leaders of the opposition against the Kings of Eldia, and were left as noble holders of their Titan Power.
Uncertain Doom: As mentioned above, it's unknown what happens to them after the raid on Liberio. Then there's the Rumbling...
Walking Spoiler: The true rulers of Marleyan Kingdom.

Lord Willy Tybur

Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue (JP), Jonah Scott (EN), René García (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 95 (Manga), Episode 63 (anime; in-person)

" Here and now, as representative of the Marleyan government, I proclaim to the enemy forces of Paradis a declaration of war!"

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/willy_tybur_anime_character_image.png

The current head of the Tybur family. He travels from his family's estate to attend the festival, and announces his intention to make an important speech.

All-Powerful Bystander: By his own admission, he and the previous holders of the War-Hammer have simply stood on the sidelines and watched as Marley oppressed the Eldians and spiraled into war-mongering. As the true masters of the nation, and owners of one of the Nine Titans, they could have intervened and acted to change things. He claims that he's going to abandon this policy, and finally take action.
Armor-Piercing Response: Magath confronts him over Marley's violent path, correctly guessing that he is the true power behind the country. He admits that the Tyburs have controlled the nation, but the decision to become a militaristic empire was made entirely by Marley itself.
The Bait: The festival and his grand performance are all to lure Eren out, adding fuel to the fires of war. He knew that he was being targeted, and intends to use his presence to force an attack that will provoke the entire world into rallying behind Marley.
Bastardly Speech: He puts on a grand performance, with a play telling the history of the world and makes an impassioned speech to the gathered dignitaries, military officials, and reporters. All as part of a larger plan to declare war on Paradis, and unite the world under Marley's authority.
Big Bad Wannabe: He's supposedly a Titan Shifter wielding the War Hammer Titan who is the face of the true power behind Marley and unites the entire world against the Paradisian Eldians, before publicly declaring war against them. So that should make him the series' Big Bad, right? Not only is he swiftly taken care of by Eren's Attack Titan, but his sister, Lara, just so happens to be the true holder of the War Hammer. And this is before both Yeager brothers emerge as the biggest threat to the protagonists in the final arc, with Eren as the Final Boss. Though, it's worth noting that Willy did plan this to happen as a final straw to paint Eren as the villain to the world, which Eren himself takes to heart and does exactly that by unleashing the Rumbling.
Blatant Lies: In hindsight, had Karl Fritz indeed allowed for the Marleyans to take the power of the Coordinate in order to make the Eldian Race wither away like Willy argued, the Marleyans shouldn't have had to try to seize it by force like they did and through underhanded methods like espionage and infiltration. There's certainly something missing on his rhetoric.
Boomerang Bigot: Both during public events and in private conversation, Willy expresses a complete disgust for his own people. He claims that his desire is to see the extinction of the Eldian people, but notably draws a distinction between himself and the others. The people of Paradis are of course "devils", but he's also setting up the Liberio ghetto for a massacre.
The Chessmaster: The entire festival is a set-up, luring Eren into acting and using it to his own advantage. The ghetto is filled with Eldians he hopes to use as disposable "victims", and the military brass brought in are also people he hopes will be eliminated to make room for Magath's takeover. The presence of foreign diplomats and press serves to fuel the fires of war, by framing Marley as the "victim of an attack by Paradis" and then getting the world to rally behind their leadership.
Decoy Leader: His sister is the actual holder of the War Hammer, having Willy serve as the public face of the family and a decoy to lure Eren out so that she could kill him.
Didn't See That Coming: He planned for himself and the Marleyan top military brass to be killed by the forces of Paradis Island, so that Magath and the surviving military would rebuild and implement his desired policy changes. What he didn't account for was that the remaining military would be also taken out by the highly mobile Survey Corps and their 3D maneuvering gear. Or for his sister to be killed and consumed by Eren, making him even more powerful.
Disc-One Final Boss: He's set up as the Big Bad: A Titan Shifter in control of Marley who seeks to lead a global alliance to destroy Paradis and steal the Founding Titan. On top of not being the War-Hammer, he dies the moment he declares war.
Dramatic Irony: For four years before he initiated his attack on Marley, Eren had been desperately trying to come up with some other solution for peace besides the Rumbling and had also been trying to see if the future could be changed. However, as the true leaders of Marley, the Tybur family's refusal to change the situation of the Eldians and Willy's own decision to further demonize them is what truly convinces Eren that nothing else could be done and solidified his resolve to go through with slaughtering the world, thus confirming Willy's fears that he would do exactly that and becoming somewhat of a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.
Exact Words: In the original Japanese version of the manga, astute readers noticed that due to careful wording at no point does Willy say to Magath that he was the actual owner of the Warhammer Titan, only that it was under his control. This nuance seems to have been Lost in Translation, however.
Expy: His design is nearly identical to that of the MCU's Thor. Not to mention his connection to the War-Hammer Titan.
False Flag Operation: Zigzagged. Willy sets the entire festival up to become the target of an attack, counting on the enemy making a move while he's on stage as bait. His intention is to become an Inspirational Martyr to the world, with the location and audience selected to maximize both the carnage and reaction from the rest of the world. He orders Magath to select "incompetent" officials to attend the event, intending for them to be killed in the chaos. The Internment Zone hosts the event, so that the majority of victims will be Eldians. And foreign dignitaries and press are invited, to ensure the entire world will be outraged when Eren assassinates him.
Foil: To Rod Reiss, the former King of Paradis. One is relatively taller and classically handsome, while the other was short and aging and balding. Willy expresses a desire to change the status quo, while Rod was obsessed with maintaining the King's Will. However, both are ultimately the shadowy rulers of their respective lands, controlling the lives of the people while hiding their true authority, and act as the public face of their families while another female member serves as the vessel of their families' Titan Power that was ultimately stolen by a member of the Yeager family.
Greater-Scope Villain: Being the face of the Tybur family, he is, by default, Marley's commander-in-chief (and considering his age, it's probably been that way since the Warriors invaded Shinganshina), though his method of authority is continuing to allow the military junta to govern the country the way that pleases them. It's not until post-Time Skip that he begins to take a more active role stepping out of the shadows, with his rally of the world against Eren and the Paradis Eldians that serves as the final straw in Eren attacking Liberio and ultimately unleashing the Rumbling.
Genghis Gambit: He frames Eren as an Omnicidal Maniac that has conquered Paradis, and calls upon the entire world to unite in order to defeat him. With Marley leading the alliance, of course.
Half the Man He Used to Be: The state of his mangled body after Eren's Titan burst out and crushed him from behind the stage. Since he turned out to not be the War-Hammer Titan, this was the end of him (and even if he had somehow survived, his body was eaten by Eren shortly thereafter anyway).
Hypocrite: With a dash of Irony for good measure; he thinks of his fellow Eldians as "devils", yet he himself quite heinously draws hundreds of diplomats into a crowd (including a few of his own childhood friends) just so they can get slaughtered by Eren and/or witness the carnage in order to more firmly unite the world in destroying Paradis Island. This isn't lost on Magath.
Hypocrite Has a Point: Despite his less than stellar attitude towards his fellow Eldians and dubious Ghengis Gambit that resulted in hundreds of innocent diplomats being killed, Willy wasn't exactly wrong in his attempt to stop Eren. After all, it turns out that Eren was planning to destroy the world, he is fully capable of carrying it out, and millions of people do die at Eren's hands once he activates the Rumbling. However, it was in part Willy's own actions and attitude towards Eren and the Eldians that ensured the young man felt he had no other choice but to proceed with that course of events to protect what mattered most to him, even if he desperately didn't want to do it.
Inconsistent Spelling: While his given name is officially spelled "Willy", an alternate reading is "Vili", which further adds to the Norse mythology references.
Inspirational Martyr: His plan hinges on becoming one to the world, with a very public assassination while making a speech to the assembled foreign diplomats and press corps.
Ironic Echo: He echoes Eren's word in an eerie moment, declaring that he doesn't want to die because "I was born into this world!". While Eren's words declared his intention to continue fighting for freedom, Willy uses it to manipulate the audience.
Large Ham: Willy really knows how to work the crowd. At the climax of his declaration of war, he's dramatically shouting and gesturing.
Manipulative Bastard: With his charisma and positive reputation, and fear of the Rumbling on everyone's minds, he works up the rest of the world into joining forces to attack Paradis before they start the apocalypse. Not only is this notable as him getting them to attack an island of largely innocent people, but he's pretty much tricking them into ensuring Marley's own continued military dominance, as this would enable them to claim Paradis' resources for themselves.
Meaningful Name: In a case of Lost in Translation, "Willy" is derived from Vili from the Norse Mythology. Vili is one of the brothers of Odin, and alongside him and Vé, they slew the primordial giant Ymir to build the universe out of his body parts in order to end the rule of the Giants over reality. This is quite likely as the characters used were intended to start his name with a "Vi" sound instead of a "Wi"^note.
Mythology Gag: Not of Attack On Titan, but of Norse Mythology. Much like in the original myth, both Vilis (Odin's brother/the Tybur family) vanquished the Ymirs (the primordial giant/titan) to build the world from their parts.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Willy organizes the festival in the Liberio District in order to draw out Eren into killing him front of the world's leaders, cementing the threat Paradis poses to the world. However, his plan backfires horribly as he had no way of knowing that Zeke was a traitor and the Survey Corps would also intervene, allowing Eren to succeed in his objective of devouring the War-Hammer Titan.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: He bears a very striking resemblance to Chris Hemsworth.
The Quisling: Subverted. While on the surface it looks like Willy enjoys his status as an "honorary Marleyan" due to selling out his fellow Eldians, he in fact is the true power controlling Marley, and comes to regret how the country has developed due to his family's noninterference.
Red Herring: We're led to believe that Willy is the War-Hammer Titan and the true power behind Marley. In reality, it's his sister.
Senseless Sacrifice: He allows himself to be killed in order to become a martyr that will rally the world behind Marley to destroy Paradis. Eren however starts The Rumbling and annihilates the Global Alliance Willy died to create along with most of Marley.
Shadow Dictator: He claims to be pulling the strings of Marley, granting it power and freedom while observing their actions from afar.
Thanatos Gambit: It is very heavily implied that Willy planned on being publicly assassinated during his speech, which would not only bait out Eren, but also kill a large number of Marley's upper brass and Eldians in front of the international community.
Tom the Dark Lord: The practical ruler of Marley and the current owner of the rarely-seen and near-mythical War-Hammer Titan is named... Willy? Still, regardless of his plain-jane name, it's clear that he's not a man to be taken lightly. Subverted, as he's actually the decoy for his sister, the real War Hammer.
Universally Beloved Leader: Lord Tybur is absolutely adored by the international community, with the officials greeting him warmly and referring to him as the descendant of their "savior". While the Marleyan officials are tolerated and the Eldians treated with open contempt, Willy is the life of the party. He exploits this status to the fullest by setting himself up to being assassinated during his announcement so that every nation in the world would unite together under Marleyan authority against Paradis Island.
Villain with Good Publicity: He is beloved by the whole world, and frames himself as a heroic figure. But even his disclosure of the "truth" (which he could have leveraged to truly tear apart Marley's prejudice against Eldians) is a ploy to rally the world under Marley's authority, for the purpose of exterminating the Eldian people. He's quite willing and even eager to see innocents die, especially if they happen to be Eldians.

Lady Lara Tybur

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (JP), Suzie Yeung (EN), Rommy Mendoza (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 97 (Manga), Episode 63 (anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lara_tybur.png

The sister of Willy Tybur, lingering quietly at his side. The true identity of the War Hammer Titan.

Action Girl: Obliterates Eren in a one-on-one fight.
Any Last Words?: She asks Eren this word for word, while poised to crush his human form. Ironically, this ends up being her last words.
Bit Character: She served as little more than an obstacle to be overcome, and a power-up for Eren to collect.
Bond Villain Stupidity: She had the perfect opportunity to kill Eren after decapitating his Titan and forcing his human body out of it, but instead of just getting it over with, she gives him a chance to say any last words he might have. This ends up being the opening Eren needed to signal Mikasa to save him.
Cruel and Unusual Death: She's crushed into an explosion of blood and crystal shards, after Eren uses the Jaw Titan's mouth to smash her crystal cocoon.
Death Glare: She gives one to Eren while she is in the crystal cocoon from where she controls the War Hammer Titan, just before reactivating the Titan.
Didn't See That Coming: For all her confidence, she ends up repeatedly being blindsided. Eren lures her into an ambush that allows Mikasa to blast out the Titan's nape with Thunder Spears. Then, things get much worse for her once Eren discovers the one thing capable of destroying her crystal cocoon. She spends her last few moments shocked and terrified, when Eren shoves her crystal into the Jaw Titan's mouth and forces it shut, crushing her in the process; to add insult to injury, she just provided Eren with the power to shatter crystal when she was consumed.
Fatal Flaw: Pride. She is assured in her superiority to Eren when it comes to combat. Though not without reason as she completely dominates him throughout their fight. Unfortunately, her arrogance leads to the above mentioned Bond Villain Stupidity and Didn't See That Coming. This overconfidence leads to her death.
Heir Club for Men: Invoked and subverted. While Willy poses as the leader of the Tybur family and Marley as a whole, she's the actual leader acting behind the scenes; just like with the Royal Family, the Tyburs didn't quite adhere to primogeniture or gender.
Irony: After decapitating the Attack Titan, she asks Eren if he has any final words. That question ended up being her final words.
Last of Her Kind: She is the last Tybur that held the War Hammer, and the very last noble Eldian from the original Nine Families ever that held an ancestral Titan Power. With her, Ymir's Nine Titan Powers are effectively outside of the nobles' hands, as the rest of the other families fell during the Titan War and the Survey Corps rebellion—that is, unless either Historia or Zeke eat Eren to recover the Coordinate for the Royal Family.
The Man Behind the Man: She is the actual master of the Tybur family, and holder of the War Hammer Titan. Willy merely acts as her stand-in and decoy.
More Deadly Than the Male: The quiet, submissive noblewoman is the true power behind Marley. When she makes her move, she devastates Eren with her power.
Named by the Adaptation: Has no name in the manga, but a "Currently Publicly Available Information" in the anime adaptation reveals her first name to be Lara.
No Name Given: Her first name is never revealed in the manga but the anime reveals she is named Lara.
Oh, Crap!: Lady Tybur's horrified realization that Eren was going to force Porco's jaw to crush her crystal cocoon.
Pet the Dog: Even while badly injured, she still takes a moment to thank Willy for his "incredible, honorable" work as the decoy and as an Inspirational Martyr.
Prim and Proper Bun: She wears her hair in a tight, neat bun.
Proper Lady: She is the very image of a high-born woman, standing quietly to her brother's side and supporting his actions.
Unskilled, but Strong: Somewhat. Her War Hammer titan form is extremely versatile with its Spontaneous Weapon Creation abilities, and against most opponents, such as mindless titans, it would be unstoppable. However, the longer her fight with Eren goes on, the more it becomes apparent that she uses said weapons in terms of pure destructiveness rather than strategy. Eren himself also notes that she's wearing down far faster than he is. She likely hasn't had nearly as much combat experience, whereas Eren has had his titan form for years and actively been training with it. That said, her mastery of the War Hammer and its sheer power is still enough to overpower Eren and in a straight one on one without the Survey Corps' interference and Porco's ill-timed attack she likely would have been victorious, and even after Eren obtains the War Hammer himself, he only uses its spike-creation ability in a rather less-than-elegant fashion before more or less abandoning direct combat entirely upon gaining the Founding Titan's full power.
Walking Spoiler: A very significant one, once she steps out of the shadows.
We Hardly Knew Ye: She dies a few chapters after her introduction.
Widow's Weeds: Her style of clothing heavily resembles a mourning gown, which is appropriate considering her plan requires her brother to become an Inspirational Martyr in a very gruesome assassination.

Others

Karina's Ex-Lover

Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi (JP), Charlie Campbell (EN), Guillermo Romano (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 95 (Manga). Episode 62 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reiners_father_anime.png

A Marleyan civilian, employed by the military as a laborer that works in the barracks kitchens. He had an illicit affair with Karina Braun when they worked together, resulting in the birth of their son.

Broken Pedestal: Karina painted a picture of a man desperate to reunite with his lover and child. The man Reiner actually met proved to be a disappointment.
Disappeared Dad: Literally only met his son once, and made it clear he wants nothing to do with him and his mother for being Eldian "devils".
Even Evil Has Standards: He's hardly a good person, but he expresses disgust at Karina grooming their son to become a Warrior. He suggests she's doing it for her own benefit, and hopes to get Revenge by Proxy for him leaving her.
Fantastic Racism: Like most other Marleyans he hates Elidians considering them spawn of the devil. Its unknown what events lead to him having an affair with one but its clearly something he greatly regrets and this is part of the reason he wants nothing to do with their son.
Foil: To Historia's mother, Alma. Both were involved in an illicit relationship that resulted in a child desperate to reconnect with them, but they resented that child because their relationship would get them executed. But his position as a Marleyan citizen allowed him to abandon his child, and deny any relation to avoid punishment while Alma was a servant to the royal family and killed to remove any loose ends.
Heroic Build: Isayama explained that he's a powerfully-built man, passing those traits down to his illegitimate son.
Jerkass: A rather unpleasant person who had no remorse for abandoning his mistress and son. Even considering the circumstances, his behavior toward Reiner is rather callous. Especially considering that when Reiner first meets him he expresses hope of them living together as a family, only for him to yell at the poor boy and harshly say he wants nothing to do with him.
Jerkass Has a Point: In Marley, a Marleyan having a relationship with an Eldian and birthing a child is a crime worthy of executing said Marleyan and their family, which is half the reason he wants nothing to do with Reiner. Though the other half is pure racism and he made no attempt to let Reiner down easy, it's implied that Karina had Reiner against his wishes, and he argues that she enlisted the boy into the Warrior Unit in order to spite him for leaving her, thus putting his real family in danger. Though what he did is not morally justifiable by any means, Karina is indeed enacting Disproportionate Retribution on him, this being the reason he attempts to sever all connections with Reiner by lashing at him.
No Name Given: His name is never provided, with Karina avoiding referring to him by name.
My Greatest Failure: Invoked and played with. He argues that his relationship with Karina was by far the greatest mistake he'd ever done, as Karina is not a particularly stable woman to begin with. His relationship with her, and the son she bore him, have put his actual family in danger of being found out and brutally punished by the Marleyan authorities. However, his reasons for attending the parade where Reiner was shown as a Warrior are murky at best, though it's implied that by attending and seeing Reiner, he definitely verified how far Karina was willing to go to make his life completely miserable.
Mysterious Past: Virtually nothing about him, including his name, is known except that he used to work with Karina, got her pregnant and to this day resents her and Reiner while fearful of one day being discovered and executed for their relationship.
- Given that he's just as racist towards Eldians as most other Marleyans, it is unknown why he even entered a relationship with Karina in the first place.
  - Did she hide her Eldian heritage from him until he got her pregnant? Or did he know all along and he just feel like tasting "forbidden fruit"?
  - In either case, was it an actual "relationship" or was it just a one-night stand and Karina deluded herself into believing it was more than it actually was?
- He also mentions that in addition to himself being executed "his family" will also be screwed. Was he just referring to his parents and other relatives or is he married with another (Marleyan) woman and they have children of their own?
  - If so, were they married AFTER he met Karina or was his relationship with Karina an affair?
Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: In his version of events, Karina is the psycho ex that wants to see his entire family executed for leaving her.
Secret Other Family: Karina and Reiner are the other family, while it seems he has a legitimate Marleyan one that he thinks Karina is out to get.
Secret Relationship: He had an affair with an Eldian, in violation of the law. The mere thought of his secret being exposed makes him hysterical.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Averted. While Karina painted them as tragic lovers unable to be together, he expresses disgust for his former lover and their child.
Strong Family Resemblance: Reiner looks quite a bit like him, with his heavy build and strong features. This allowed him to recognize a complete stranger as the man his mother always told him about. It's implied that this is one of the reasons he never tried to contact Reiner before, as the apple does not fall that far from the tree. They resemble each other so much that if they're seen together, it can put the guy's actual family in danger of being exposed to legal repercussions.
The Paranoiac: Aside from his hatred of Elidians, the other reason he wants nothing to do with Reiner and Karina is because their relationship was illegal and he is terrified of the Marley police executing him and his family for his affair. He is also convinced that Karina wants revenge on him for leaving her and when he first meets Reiner he accuses him of being sent by his mother and becoming a Warrior in the first place just to torment him and then runs away.
That Thing Is Not My Child!: Rejects Reiner completely, calling him a demon and slamming the door in his face. He also refers to Reiner as "her" (Karina's) child.
What Happened to the Mouse?: He's never seen again after Reiner meets him before going to Paradis and his fate is left up in the air, but he most likely perished during the Rumbling if he was still alive by then.

Warrior Unit

See the Warrior Unit character page for tropes about the Warrior Unit.

Liberio Internment Zone

Liberio Internment Zone / Liberio Ghetto

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TOP: Liberio's checkpoint; LEFT: The Eldian Nine-Pointed Star; RIGHT: A young Grisha Yeager wearing an armband identifying him as an Eldian at Liberio

The nation of Marley keeps its Eldian citizens in designated Internment Zones, or Ghettos, one of which is located in the Marleyan city of Liberio (AKA Rebellio depending on the translator). The residents live in lackluster and, for some, impoverished conditions and are subject to inhumane treatment. Many of the residents are believers in the tale of Eldian atrocities, and vocally express support for Marley... at least to avoid being reported to authorities. The families of the Warriors and Warrior candidates all dwell here. The Eldians of the ghettos are identified by their armbands depicting the Nine-Pointed Star, the symbol of Eldia outside Paradis.

As mentioned earlier in this page, most, if not all, of the members of the Warrior Unit come from Liberio.

A Million Is a Statistic: Liberio is selected as the location for the festival, because no one will care about Eldian civilians dying or losing their homes. The carnage and destruction will remain in the internment zone, with Magath and the Tyburs counting on the world only caring about their own officials being harmed and not the dozens of civilians dead or homeless.
Big Brother Is Watching: All it takes is an offhand comment that doesn't fall in line with the Marleyan propaganda, to have an Eldian individual reported and him/her along with their families transformed into mindless Titans to either roam Paradis Island or serve as cannon fodder for the army.
Boomerang Bigot: Most Subjects of Ymir don't even sympathise with their brethren in Paradis and instead blame them for their suffering, denouncing them as Island Devils that need to be mercilessly eradicated.
Conditioned to Accept Horror: Nearly a century of constant mistreatment has resulted in a population that will readily accept whatever Marley throws at them. The Warrior Unit seems to be hailed by the residents, in spite of the horrors involved in it.
Fantastic Ghetto: It's a ghetto created to contain a race of people that can turn into Titans. The treatment heavily resembles the exclusion policies enacted by the Nazis against the Jews during The Holocaust. As stated in Applied Phlebotinum previously in this page (at the Kingdom of Marley section), there are blood tests to find out who's Eldian, though their effectiveness is dubious at best.
Does This Remind You of Anything?: The Internment Zone and the overall theme of the Eldian's being forced to live in this zone is a very clear representation of the Jewish Ghettos set up during the Holocaust.
Sins of Our Fathers: They have it drilled into their heads by Marley that just being of the same racial group/descended from the same people that oppressed and supposedly tried to exterminate them means they are guilty of the same crimes and deserve their inhumane treatment. Grisha’s father told him that “it doesn’t matter if we’re not directly responsible for the sins”. Some like the Brauns redirect their shame onto the Islanders while also deeming the current inhabitants responsible for their ancestors unintentionally abandoning theirs in Marley.
- There is also a law that if just ONE member of an Eldian family commits a crime (specifically treason) then the ENTIRE family is punished. In fact some sign up for the Warrior program just to keep their families from being sent to Paradis.
If You Thought That Was Bad...: As Udo states, the treatment of Eldians at Marley is nowhere as abusive as the atrocities committed against them in other countries. At the very least, the Eldians at Marley have some semblance of a social status and a place in society as a whole.
Ironic Name:
- "Liberio", coming from liberty. The most oppressive of settlements sports the most freedom-related name that can be fathomed.
- In other translations, the ghetto is named "Rebellio", from rebel, which is not quite better.
Our Nudity Is Different: Eldian women always cover their hair with a scarf when outside the home, much like the real world modesty taboo. The only exception seems to be children and female soldiers, while women on Paradis do not observe this rule. It's not known whether Marleyan women also cover their hair, or if it's solely something done by the Eldian minority.
People Farms: Eren Kruger states the Internment Zones exist to maintain a captive population of Eldians, serving as fodder for the nation's military. Every single Eldian born is a potential weapon. However, this policy was put on hold in regards to Paradis when the Warriors lost at Shinganshina, and altogether stopped when the exploratory missions to Paradis became MIA, as it was deemed that the Eldians took control of the island. Titanization as a penalty was still used during the war against the Mid-East Alliance.
The Unreveal:
- It's not known why the Warrior Unit is focused entirely on Liberio, which has offered the bulk of the Warriors so far. This implies that there are policies enacted exclusively on the Eldians at Liberio, like the enforced education on fervent nationalism imparted upon the children candidates of the program; also, the appearance of Zeke Yeager at Liberio, who is considered a prodigious Warrior, might have skewed the program to Liberio in an effort to find more candidates like him.
- It's not known what the Eldians that remained in Marley after King Karl Fritz's exodus hoped to accomplish by staying behind, especially considering that they did not count with the Titan Powers to defend themselves. This might be the responsibility of the faction of the Eldian Royal Family that chose not to leave, the stragglers being their followers. However, it's implied by Willy Tybur that their choice to stay might have not been voluntary and was planned by both King Fritz and the Tybur Family. However, this does not explain why the members of the Royal Family that stayed were not immediately eliminated, as their potential for harm to the plan was astronomical (they were hunted down, but it took Marley almost a century to flush them out).
Urban Segregation: The internment camps are barricaded with sentries and checkpoints to prevent Eldians from escaping.
Wrong Side of the Tracks: If an Eldian is found to have crossed the checkpoints without permission, there can be grave consequences for both the individual and their family.

Residents of the Liberio Internment Zone:

Mr. and Mrs. Yeager

Voiced by: Seirou Ogino (Mr. Yeager), Tomo Sakurai (Mrs. Yeager) (JP), Randy Pearlman (Mr. Yeager), Cynthia Cranz (Mrs. Yeager) (EN), Moisés Palacios (Mr. Yeager), Love Santini (Mrs. Yeager) (Latin American Spanish)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grishas_father_anime_character_image.png

Grisha and Faye's parents and, by extension, Eren and Zeke's grandparents. A physician with a practice in Liberio and his wife, they lived with and raised their children in the Marley's Liberio ghetto, and several years later they were left with the care of a young Zeke after Grisha and Dina were convicted of conspiring against the Marleyan government.

Adaptation Expansion: Their fate in the manga is left unclear. The anime gives them a Death by Adaptation.
Anger Born of Worry: Mr. Yeager unloads on Grisha for putting himself, his sister, and their parents in danger.
Coattail-Riding Relative: Played with. It's not actually known whether they have a preferential treatment by the Marleyan authorities due to Zeke's position as the leader of the Warrior Unit, as it's shown that the members of the Program are not treated particularly better than the people in the ghettos.
Death by Adaptation: They are imprisoned due to Zeke's betrayal, and unable to board the train with the rest of the Eldians.
Face Death with Dignity: Left behind in prison and knowing that their end has come, they spend their last moments of life embracing each other, waiting for the Colossal Titans to come.
Foil: To the Braun family. Both are sycophantic towards the Marleyans, however while the Yeagers are only doing it for the sake of survival the Brauns are completely radicalized by the propaganda.
Freak Out: Mr. Yeager has a complete meltdown when talking to Eren, wailing over the loss of his children. The other hospital staff quickly rush out to escort him away, offering reassurances to him. It seems this is hardly the first time they've had to deal with him breaking down.
Hidden Depths: They are not actually "loyal" to Marley, but they are given little choice on the matter. They indeed have to live with what they're given and nothing more.
It's All My Fault: Losing both his children has left Mr. Yeager a broken man. When he talks to a disguised Eren at the hospital, he breaks down and hysterically wails that he is to blame for everything.
Jerkass Has a Point: Eren Kruger tells Grisha that his father was not wrong in adopting his sycophantic attitude toward the Marleyans, as it is the mechanism that kept his family alive. This is in stark contrast to what Grisha did with his own family for the "right" reasons, meaning that Grisha was in no position to judge his father for his actions.
Killed Offscreen: In the anime, as they are last seen embracing each other as the Rumbling comes closer towards them.
Locked Out of the Loop: Due to the confidential nature of the "Warrior" missions to Paradis, neither of them are aware that Grisha survived his Titanization and became the man that prevented the Eldians of Paradis from being totally exterminated by the Warriors. They are also completely unaware that Zeke knows this for a fact as well, and the fact that they have a second surviving grandchild in Eren.
Missed Him by That Much: He sits right next to "Mr. Kruger" at the hospital, not knowing that the young man is none other than his second grandson Eren Yeager.
Mr. Exposition: Mr. Yeager functions as this after being told by Gross that they haven't "educated" their children enough about the sins of their Eldian ancestors which Gross cites as the reason why their daughter Faye was killed.
My Greatest Failure: Mr. Yeager considers the death of Faye and the resulting Titanization of Grisha and Dina as his own fault, to the point that he went mad from the sheer guilt. This is, added to the fact that Grisha became Public Enemy No. 1 in Marley.
Outliving One's Offspring: They've lived through this nightmare not once, but twice. Their daughter was killed in a violent fashion for disobeying the law, and later they had to helplessly watch as their son and daughter-in-law were arrested for treason. Then, Grisha allows Eren's Pure Titan to eat him so that the latter can inherit the Attack and Founding Titans. And that's not counting their second daughter-in-law, Carla, who was eaten by Dina's Pure Titan, and Dina herself being eaten by Pure Titans under Eren's command via coordinate — all of which happened during their lifespan. Given that Zeke and Eren are the holders of Titan powers, had Mr. and Mrs. Yeager not perished in the Rumbling, they would probably have outlived their two grandsons as well.
Parents as People: They care about their children and are desperate to avoid having them run afoul of the authorities, but the way Grisha's father enthusiastically parrots the anti-Eldian propaganda causes him to not understand what his father's trying to do until it's too late.
Promotion to Parent: They had to take care of Zeke after Grisha and Dina were arrested for treason.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: Of course they were upset with the death of Faye, but their struggle focuses in "survival" rather than "revenge". Not everyone has wrath to spare like Grisha had. Their situation is not even remotely OK and they are basically slaves, but between that and death, or worse, Titanization, the choice is not quite that easy, is it?
So Proud of You: They commend their grandson, Zeke, for performing his duties admirably when welcoming him back from the war.
The Stoic: While Mrs. Yeager was so torn by grief to say anything about Faye's death, Grisha noted that Mr. Yeager on the other hand seemed remarkably talkative for someone who had just lost his daughter.
Sycophantic Servant: Contrary to Grisha, they willfully submit to the Marleyans, and don't question the anti-Eldian propaganda — parroting it further on to Grisha. This is justified however, as their situation is very precarious and trying their best to fall in line with the Marleyans is the only way to guarantee survival.
This Is Unforgivable!: While Grisha did eventually understand why his father was so sycophantic (as their lives depended on it), he never forgave him for how he groveled to the Security Bureau people who killed Faye. In his account, Grisha makes a point of not referring to his father fondly.
Tranquil Fury: While he is sycophantly lecturing Grisha, it's shown that Mr. Yeager is actually furious at Grisha for the death of Faye and endangering all of them even when he was warned.
What Happened to the Mouse?: It's implied that they might have perished during Eren's attack on Liberio. This is brought up by Levi, who admonishes Zeke due to his willingness to sacrifice the people that raised him.
- In the anime they die during the Rumbling, after being locked up because of Zeke's treason and then left behind when the titans reach Liberio.
What the Hell, Hero?: Mr. Yeager confronts Eren Yeager over involving Falco in his business, warning him that the Grice family is already in a precarious situation as it is. Eren doesn't listen.

Faye Yeager

Voiced by: Chiyuki Miura (JP), Sarah Wiedenheft (EN), Lili Vela (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 56 (Anime)

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Grisha's eight year-old younger sister, who was taken beyond their ghetto by him, separated from her brother, and later found dead.

Cruel and Unusual Death: The Marleyan officer Gross fed her to his son's dogs for leaving her ghetto without permission.
The Cutie: She's an adorable little button.
Cynicism Catalyst: Bonus points for being the old trope name, Dead Little Sister.
Death by Origin Story: Grisha's reason for being part of a revolution is because he trusted an officer to take her home. The officer brutally killed her instead.
Make an Example of Them: Her death was used as a deterrent for Grisha's parents to behave; later, Sergeant Gross admits to Grisha that he purposely fed her alive to his dogs in order to teach his own sons a lesson about how to treat Eldians.
My Greatest Failure: Grisha considers her death as the point where he started hating the Marleyans, though it's not until he learns of the nature of her demise that he begins plotting against them.
Sacrificial Lamb: Killed to show Grisha how the land he lives in views his bloodline.
Small Role, Big Impact: The series would not have happened if she and Grisha didn't trust a certain officer, who betrays them and gets her killed.
Undignified Death: She was a little girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was butchered for it, and was left to rot at a riverbank.

Dina Yeager (née Fritz)

Dina Yeager

Voiced by: Nozomi Kishimoto (JP), Erika Harlacher (EN), Rebeca Gómez (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 57 (Anime)

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A member of the Fritz family and one of those who didn't flee to the Walls, Grisha's first wife, and the mother of Zeke.

For tropes related to the Eldian Royal Family in Paradis, see the Eldia character page.

Abusive Parents: She, like Grisha, treated Zeke poorly, forcing him to become a Warrior and the hope of the Eldian restorationist movement and having little consideration for his feelings. She at least wasn't as bad as Grisha, as she would defend Zeke's poor performance in training by saying he is doing his best, while Grisha would be much more dismissive of his efforts.
Blessed with Suck: By virtue of her royal lineage, Dina's family were wiped out and she remained in hiding until she reached adulthood. She joined the Eldia Restorationists with the hopes of making her life have some use, but it ended up biting her in the rear end. As a matter of fact, Dina is one of the most important people ever to be turned into a mindless Titan sent to besiege the Three Walls.
Blue Blood: She's the last direct descendant of the line of Ymir Fritz that remained in the mainland.
Call-Forward: Like most of the revolutionaries shown in the chapters taking place in Grisha's past, she resembles one of the Titans that attacked Shinganshina and later Trost, namely the Smiling Titan that ate Grisha's second wife Carla Yeager. It turns out that they're one and the same.
Contrived Coincidence:
- The fact that her Titan happens to end up killing and eating her husband's second wife out of the literal thousands of other victims she could've come across certainly seems to count. However, this is turned on its head when Chapter 96 shows that her Titan specifically ignored other humans and headed straight for Carla. Seeing as how some business about invisible "paths" and "connections" between all Eldians have been alluded to before, it's quite possible that her going for Carla wasn't exactly a coincidence at all.
- A combined effort by both Eren Kruger and Zeke Yeager prevented Dina from becoming a Baby Factory for Marley. Zeke neglected to tell the Marleyan authorities of her Royal lineage, while Kruger withheld the information once Dina was captured. Neither Kruger nor Zeke were aware of each other's roles in the deed, though Kruger was at least somewhat aware that this information was not conveyed in any way by Zeke, but was unaware of his intentions.
- She ends up getting killed by the son of her husband's second marriage, unwittingly using her Royal Blood against her by summoning a barrage of nearby Titans that devoured her.
Early-Bird Cameo: Her photograph with Grisha and Zeke, as a family together, back in Marley appears in The Stinger of Episode 12, Season 3; whereas this isn't revealed in the manga until near the end of the Return to Shiganshina Arc.
Fate Worse than Death: When they were caught and arrested, the members of the revolution were sentenced to be turned into mindless Titans and wander aimlessly around the Three Walls. Dina was no exception.
- It gets worse. She was turned into the Smiling Titan: the same one that ate Carla, and was later ripped apart by a horde of Titans under Eren's control (mirroring the death of Faye). Even for this series, it's an incredibly cruel twist.
- Kruger implies that had the Marleyans realized who she really is, based on what he knows from Zeke's intel, Dina would have been turned into a tool for the Marleyans due to her being of royal blood. He believes that at least letting Dina roam around the island as a mindless Titan would have saved her from an even worse fate.
Gone Horribly Right: Dina promises Grisha that she will find him even after she is Titanized. Years later, as a mindless Titan during the Fall of Shinganshina, she finds Grisha's house and eats Carla, his second wife.
Go Out with a Smile: Her last act as a human before transforming into a Titan forever is to smile at Grisha as she's being shoved off the wall- which, in hindsight, is probably the origin of her Titan's permanent, distinctive smile.
Happily Married: It's very telling how happy she was with Grisha, given how sullen she looks otherwise.
Hoist by Their Own Petard: As a mindless Titan, her reaching for Eren ended up triggering the Coordinate upon making contact - due to her royal blood - which is what ultimately gets her killed.
I Will Find You: Before being forcefully turned into a mindless Titan Dina calmly tells Grisha, that there's no need to worry, as no matter what she becomes, she'll eventually find him again. As the Smiling Titan, this final wish manifests itself in her subconsciously pursuing him all the way to Shiganshina, where Grisha lived a peaceful life with his new family.
Impoverished Patrician: Due to her keeping her royal status hidden from Marley's authorities, she was subject to the same conditions as every other Eldian in the ghetto.
King Incognito: She lived among her Eldian subjects with no one suspecting her royal blood.
Last of Her Kind: Of the members of the Fritz family who didn't escape the continent, she was the last one still alive.
Missed Him by That Much: Had Eren not used the Coordinate against her during the Clash of the Titans when she was reaching for him to devour him, making several Titans devour her instead and causing her demise.
Morphic Resonance: Her hair style was transferred over to the Smiling Titan, and her petite frame manifested into an emaciated Titan body. Her Titan's signature smile is also likely the result of her smiling at Grisha immediately prior to transforming..
Springtime for Hitler: The Marleyans unknowingly Titanized Dina, the most important Eldian in Marley, and appropriated her son for their own ends. The kid ends up being a prodigious Titan Shifter and the model to follow by virtue of his Royal heritage, yet the Marleyans are none the wiser as Zeke neglected to tell them of his mother's Royal origins. Thus, they are reaping benefits from stuff that they don't even know.
Strong Family Resemblance: Downplayed; like most of the Fritz/Reiss family, she happened to be a short, petite person.

Karina Braun

Voiced by: Atsuko Yuya (JP), Casey Casper (EN), Marylú Castellanos (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 94 (Manga), Episode 61 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karina_braun.png

The mother of Reiner Braun, who once had an affair with a Marleyan. She is a fierce supporter of Marley, indoctrinating her son from an early age.

Abusive Parents: She's emotionally abusive by indoctrinating both Reiner and Gabi into the mindset that they are inherently inferior to Marleyans and must give up their lives to atone for the Sins of Our Fathers.
Ambiguous Situation: Was Karina really just trying to spite her ex-lover by having “their” child become a warrior or was she really just that deluded to believe that becoming an “honorary” Marleyan would make them exempt from that law and/or that he did/would actually love her.
Blatant Lies: Before seeing her son off, Karina tells him how his father will be praying for his success and promising the family will be together. Reiner had already met his father by then, and knew she was lying... but doesn't say anything. Of course Karina could just be that delusional. See ambiguous situation above.
Boomerang Bigot: She's incredibly vocal in her hatred of the Eldians living behind the Walls as a result of her lifetime of brainwashing by Marleys propaganda, raising her son to want to exterminate them. She also deeply resents having been born an Eldian.
Coattail-Riding Relative: She's quite eager to benefit from her son being a Warrior, as she's always resented not being a Marleyan. She pushes Gabi to follow in Reiner's footsteps, and doesn't seem the least bit concerned about her son's impending death (or his damaged mental state).
Didn't Think This Through: That her son is a Warrior doesn't mean that the Marleyans would overlook the fact that she had an affair with a Marleyan and had a son of his. She's still a filthy minority to them, and bearing Reiner invited an enormous amount of exposure, so big that Reiner's father is terrified of the consequences it can carry. If anything, this shows how unstable and delusional Karina is, and how fragile is the bubble that she lives in.
Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: She outright tells her son that she wishes that she had been born a Marleyan. Furthermore, she despises the Eldians that live on Paradis, calling them demons, because that is what Marley made her believe during the entirety of her life. In addition to the fact that she blames them for all her suffering throughout her life, from their ancestors "abandoning" hers to stay in Marley while they fled to a "paradise" to them supposedly "staining" the name of "good" Eldians by threatening the world with the Rumbling. While Gabi and Reiner were more driven to exterminate the Paradisians to gain praise as heroes and be accepted by Marely, Karina comes to realize that it was more out of revenge on her part.
Greater-Scope Villain: Downplayed. She's really minor in the grand scheme of things, but she's the one who indoctrinated Reiner and Gabi into her fanatical anti-Eldian rhetoric, thus causing their villainy (and breakdowns when confronted by the truth).
Hidden Agenda Villain: She personally indoctrinated Reiner into the "Paradian Eldians are demons" ideology, getting him into the Warrior Unit so that she could become an honorary Marleyan.
Insane Troll Logic: She's willing to sacrifice her son and niece to the Marleyan cause and advocate for the extermination of a whole nation of people to regain what seems to have been little more than an iffy, illegal relationship. In fact, Reiner's father has a family and wants nothing to do with them.
- She honestly believes that once the “bad” Eldians on Paradis are all wiped out then “good” Eldians like her will stop being persecuted. (In addition to preventing the supposed threat of the Rumbling).
Karma Houdini: Despite being a detestable human being, she's apparently this as for the finale. She survived the Rumbling as well as reuniting with her family like Reiner, with them still holding her in their good graces.
Les Collaborateurs: Most Eldians are obedient to Marley out of fear. Karina, on the other hand, teaches her son to worship the Marleyans and threaten to report others over offhand comments.
Misplaced Retribution: She taught her son and her niece that the Eldians of Paradise are solely responsible for the atrocities of the Eldian empire despite the fact that her ancestors were part of the empire too (likely to shift blame that Marley taught her to feel for herself). She also resents them for “abandoning” the other Eldians to suffer for “their” crimes in Marley (in reality, it was solely King Fritz that made that decision and he set the walked people up to be exterminated someday anyways).
Morality Pet: Inverted. The affection her son has for her is what drives him to continue the mission, and lash out at his comrades. Her influence brings out the worst in him.
My Beloved Smother: Dominated her son's life, and gives him a horrified look of disapproval when he slips from the party line while talking about his former comrades.
My God, What Have I Done?: Faced with the oncoming wall titans trampling everything in their path, she falls to her knees in tears, realizing and regretting her treatment of Reiner as a tool for her own advancement.
No True Scotsman: She and the rest of her family consider themselves “True Eldians” for serving Marley and opposing Paradis.
Outliving One's Offspring: Unless something happens to her in the next 2 years, she will outlive her son. Unlike a normal parent, she doesn't seem bothered by her son's impending death and in fact celebrates the thought that her niece will be the one to kill him and inherit the Armored Titan.
Secret Relationship: She secretly had an affair with a Marleyan, in violation of the law. She makes Reiner promise to never tell anyone.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Reiner's father is a Marleyan, and she gives him the impression that they loved one another. In reality, Reiner's father wanted nothing to do with them and has his own family. He even tells Reiner that she got Reiner into the Warriors just to spite him.
Sycophantic Servant: She greatly admires (and is jealous of) the Marleyans, sucking up to them and happy that her son is being "recognized" by them.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: A series of flashbacks into Reiner's childhood revealed that it was almost entirely her who drove Reiner to enlist into the Warrior Unit. Despite Reiner's low ranking, he was selected to be the next holder of the Armored Titan courtesy of Marcel pulling strings behind the scenes in order to spare his brother Porco. This ends up leading to disaster after disaster for their mission on Paradis Island resulting in complete failure along with losing the Colossal Titan and Female Titan, the former now under enemy control. This eventually leads to Eren infiltrating Marley to exact his revenge.
Vicariously Ambitious: She encourages first Reiner, and later her niece Gabi, to become Warriors and earn military achievements.
Woman Scorned: Reiner's father claims she is one, and actually pushed their son to become a Warrior in order to expose his indiscretion. He's horrified at the thought of how far she'd go for revenge, and swears to keep running away from her as long as he lives.

Mr. Leonhart

Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka (JP, Season 1), Kouji Ishii (JP, Season 4), Bill Jenkins (EN), Alfredo Tovar (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 17 (Manga), Episode 23 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mr_leonhart_6.png

The adoptive father of Annie Leonhart, who subjected her to harsh combat training as a child.

Abusive Parents: He clearly loved Annie, but he was merciless as an instructor. He later came to regret it.
Adaptation Dye-Job: The anime portrays him as a blond in his cameo, but the manga reveals him to have dark hair.
Broken Pedestal: According to Annie, he was an idealist that truly believed in their cause. It's clear he no longer feels that way, bitterly speaking of his "honors" and no longer blindly faithful towards Marley as the other Warriors' families seem to be.
Curse That Cures: He, like all of the Eldian Libero survivors is turned into a Pure Titan as part of the Titan Parasite's final gambit to survive. Upon being cured and regaining his human form, he sprints towards Annie, implying that the Titan Healing Factor restored full functionality to his leg.
Handicapped Badass: During training, Annie broke his leg. He never fully recovered, but continued to give her harsh combat training.
I Will Wait for You: He is still waiting for his daughter to return home, in spite of the government considering her dead. When Ms. Braun attempts to offer condolences over his loss, Mr. Leonhart cuts her off and states firmly that Annie is alive.
Morality Pet: Zigzagged. While her affection for her father starts out as a humanizing aspect of her character, it's later revealed that every terrible thing Annie has done was for him.
My God, What Have I Done?: Annie recalls him breaking down into tears, and begging her forgiveness for everything.
No Full Name Given: His first name is never stated.
Retcon: Originally he was depicted as living in a cabin in the woods, which alluded to some kind of special status among Eldians. But it was later clarified by the anime that he and Annie did indeed live in Liberio, just a run down part of it.
Strong Family Resemblance: Downplayed. He doesn't particularly look like Annie since he's her adoptive father, but he does have that same exact "disinterested and depressed" look on his face that his daughter always had.
Tears of Remorse: Annie recalls her father weeping as he apologized to her for his actions.
Training from Hell: He subjected his daughter to harsh training, in order for her to be selected as a Warrior.
Uncertain Doom:
- In Chapter 125, he along with many other Eldians in Liberio try to warn the Marleyan guards that the Rumbling was activated on Paradis and that they all need to evacuate. The guards dismiss his warnings and try to arrest them on charges of conspiracy, but Mr. Leonhart fights back. The scene ends with a single image of a gunshot being fired before immediately transitioning back to Paradis, leaving it up in the air as to whether or not that shot was a warning shot or an execution. Chapter 133 transitions back to a train convoy with Marleyan and Eldian refugees alike in the wake of the Rumbling, with Mr. Leonhart keeping tabs on the train driver. There are bruises on his face indicating a brawl with the guards, but otherwise he's alive and actively watching over the refugees.
- In Chapter 136, he is dead-center in a standoff between the remaining Eldians and Marleyans in Fort Salta. One of the Marleyans draws a pistol seemingly at Mr. Leonhart, and the panel cuts back to Survey Corps only hearing gunshots.
You Are Worth Hell: How Annie feels towards him, even after all the abuse she suffered under him and all the horrific things she did whilst on the Paradis mission.

Grice

Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (JP), Robbie Daymond (EN), Eduardo Martínez (Latin American Spanish)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_psu92qdyzy1w914szo7_r1_400.png

Grice was a militant member of the Eldia Restorationists and the person responsible for bringing Grisha Yeager into the faction. Grice was the uncle of the Warrior candidates Falco and Colt Grice.

Attack! Attack! Attack!: In almost every meeting of the movement, Grice proposes the martial way. Had he not brought Grisha into the fold, the movement would have been caught by the authorities an awful lot sooner than it did.
Bearer of Bad News: He relayed the events of the slaying of Faye Yeager to Grisha, which caused the young doctor to join with the Restorationists.
Cruel and Unusual Death: Instead of being Titanized, Grice is thrown from the bordering wall of Paradis in order to lure his Titanized comrades into the island towards The Walls.
The Dragon: After enlisting Grisha, and recognizing the young doctor's intellect, he becomes his second-in-command.
Hot-Blooded: Though calm in demeanor, it's shown that he leans on the side of wrath when there's pressure; this is one of the reasons he relinquishes leadership to Grisha.
La Résistance: He is one of the leaders of the Eldia Restorationists, a separatist movement in the Liberio Ghetto.
Only One Name: Only his last name was revealed in the manga.
Posthumous Character: He is mentioned in Grisha's account and Zeke's childhood memories.
Sins of Our Fathers: His nephews Falco and Colt had to enlist into the Warrior Unit to atone for his crimes and avoid retribution against the Grice family, and fortunately, they were successful.
Small Role, Big Impact: He brought Grisha into the Eldian Restorationists, introduced him to Dina, and his criminal actions posthumostly led Falco and Colt to enlist in the Warrior Unit.
Strong Family Resemblance: His nephews look exactly like him.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Albeit it's implied that he did it under The Owl's instructions, Grice bringing Grisha into the Restorationist movement spelled their eventual gruesome fate. Grisha was too blinded by hate to have realized his own shortcomings, leading to his mistreatment of Zeke.
What the Hell, Hero?: He berates Grisha for raising a son in such a bad way that led him to sell them out to the Marleyans.

Volunteer Soldiers

Anti-Marley Rebel Faction / Volunteer Soldiers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anti_marleyan_volunteers.jpg

A faction of individuals within Marley's military forces, secretly opposed to the government and organized under the leadership of Zeke Yeager. They are responsible for providing Paradis with modern technology and kick-starting the island's industrialization.

Conscription: Many of the Volunteers were conscripted into Marley's militiary after it conquered their homelands.
Create Your Own Villain: The group exists because of Marley's imperialism, and its practice of forcing the people they conquered to fight in their military. Little surprise these people would want to see Marley destroyed.
Enemy Mine: They form an alliance with Paradis Island, and advocate forming diplomatic relations with the many nations opposed to Marley.
Faking The Death: Intentionally done by most, if not all, of them so that they could establish a rapport with the Eldians of Paradis.
Hidden Agenda Villain: As followers of Zeke, it's pretty much implied that their intentions might not entirely align with Eldia's. The Eldian militiary brass doesn't entirely trust them, and it's later revealed that they could have instigated the pro-war faction inside the Eldian military.
Hope Bringer: Zeke serves as one to the group, inspiring them to believe freedom from Marley is possible.
La Résistance: A secretive resistance movement within Marley's armed forces, seeking to overthrow their masters. In a way, the group is a successor to the Eldian Restorationists, and led by Zeke Yeager.
Mook–Face Turn: Zeke seems to be the only high-ranked individual, while the others are low-ranked conscripted soldiers that have turned against their masters.
Walking Spoiler: The group's existence is a major twist, coming at the very conclusion of the Marley arc.

Yelena

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (JP), Anairis Quiñones (EN), Jahel Morga (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 99 (Manga), Episode 64 (Anime)

"Two brothers are going to remake the world. I just want to have a good view of the action."

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yelena_anime_character_image_5.png

Zeke's right-hand woman, a foreign soldier in the Marleyan army that establishes an alliance with Paradis Island.

Agent Provocateur: She's accused of this by the military junta, being suspected of instigating the pro-war faction inside the Eldian military.
Bad Boss: She is implied to be this, not letting many of her fellow volunteers know the full scope of her plans and is evidently feared by many of them. This is especially evident by Onyankopon's behavior in her presence, where he acts considerably colder to the members of the 104th but once she is gone he admits he was only this way because she would've likely shot him in the head if he showed any signs of disobedience.
Boomerang Bigot: Connie is perplexed when Yelena acts unnaturally cool when faced with the issue that Eren would be indiscriminately destroying the world outside Paradise, which would include her own homeland. Magath and Pieck then reveal that, no, Yelena is not from a country annexed by Marley, but a pure-blooded Marleyan instead; disappointed in her everyday Marleyan life, Yelena constructed a fake backstory to approach Zeke in hopes of leaving a mark in history as a savior.
Boom, Headshot!: Evidently her preferred method of execution.
Break the Haughty: The failure of Zeke's plan, as well as Zeke's disappearance seems to have completely sucked the wind out of her sails, as she is quickly arrested along with the rest of the volunteers by Floch and offers absolutely no resistance, even after he casually murders one of her comrades when he refuses to swear allegiance to Paradis.
Broken Pedestal: With the failure of Zeke's plan and her imprisonment by the Yeagerists, she no longer wields any authority and is subsequently recaptured by the remaining Survey Corps members and their newfound Marley allies, among whom she has little control.
Conscription: After her nation was conquered by Marley, she was forced into military service. She resents being forced to serve the country that destroyed her homeland. Pieck, however, reveals during Chapter 127's campfire that it's a lie and that Yelena truly is a Marleyan who's disappointed by her country, going along with Zeke's plan since saving the world is a fantasy she entertains.
Death Glare: She gives an absolutely bizzare one to Armin that scares Connie and Mikasa so much the latter almost draws her sword. It seems to imply she knows Armin isn't on her side, but is letting him go free for reasons unknown.
Despair Event Horizon: She may have reached this after witnessing Eren's activation of the Rumbling, as she quickly comes to realize that Zeke's euthanasia plan has failed and that he is no longer controlling the Titans under his command. By the time Floch returns and arrests her at gunpoint, she has become completely despondent.
Didn't Think This Through: She clearly underestimated Eren's sheer force of will and never anticipated that he'd betray Zeke's euthanasia plan; when he finally activates the Rumbling, effectively overruling Zeke's control Yelena is left at a total loss of what to do.
Dissonant Serenity: Yelena has an unnerving smile and an almost unreadable disposition. True to the trope, her first action when she met the Eldians at Paradis was to shot her commanding officer on the back of his head while wearing a sunny smile. Onyankopon later reveals her tendency to execute Marleyan soldiers to "prove" herself to everyone, always with a eerily calm expression.
The Dragon: She is Zeke's second-in-command and his most trusted ally, entrusted to speak in his behest to the Eldians of Paradis. It's due to her that an alliance is formed with Paradis. She is also the one responsible for carrying out Zeke's years-long plan, acting as an Agent Provocateur to stir up revolution under the Yeager name, bringing Eren over to Zeke's side, and distributing tainted wine to officials so that Zeke can effectively destroy the leadership of Paradis with a single scream.
Empty Eyes: Her eyes are dark and perpetually dull. The only time her eyes start shining are when she's praising Zeke and Eren.
Everyone Has Standards: As shown in Chapter 116, she dislikes the prejudices Marleyans have against Eldians, as she shoots a Marleyan comrade in the head after he badmouthed the late Sasha for being Eldian.
Faking the Dead: She faked her death several years earlier, when her ship vanished off the coast of Paradis Island. It's implied that the multiple mission convoys that were wrecked by the Paradian Titans were Zeke's method to hide her infiltration to the Marleyan authorities.
Fantastic Racism: Subverted. Initially rude towards the Warriors, this turns out to be a ruse to fool them. In reality, she is utterly loyal to Zeke in spite of his Eldian heritage, and she genuinely wants to get along well with the people of Paradis, despite her mission requiring a lot of deception that makes it difficult for either side to trust each other. When a fellow Volunteer starts mocking Nikolo for his feelings towards the late Sasha (in his words, "the devil whore who smelled like potatoes"), Yelena promptly shoots said Volunteer in the head since she won't tolerate any further racist talk.
Foil: To Mikasa. Both are soldiers who are completely devoted to each of the Yeager brothers (Eren for Mikasa, and Zeke for Yelena). They're both Statuesque Stunners (though even more so in Yelena's case), and even adopt boyish features like a short hair and, in Yelena's case, a fake beard; however one has Asian ancestry while the other is a Caucasian. Personality-wise, Mikasa is more quiet and reserved, while Yelena is more talkative and sociable.
Glory Hound: Her actual motivations for aiding Zeke and Paradis essentially boils down to this; she's more interested in securing her place in history rather than actually fighting for what's right.
Hoist by Her Own Petard: Winds up very nearly killed by the Titans she had a hand in creating with the tainted wine.
Horrible Judge of Character: Like Zeke, she failed to anticipate that Eren would betray the euthanasia plan, and when the Rumbling is finally started, Eren commits to the destruction of every non-Eldian alive to save his people.
Kick the Dog: Beyond her whole 'shooting unarmed people to prove my loyalty to your country' thing, when Pieck and Mcgrath reveal that she's actually a full-bloodied Marleyan who was aiming to give herself a Historical Hero Upgrade, and thus she's been executing her own countrymen and actively working towards the destruction of her own country all to benefit herself, Yelena in response brings up the various grievances, lies and deaths both sides of the uneasy alliance between the scouts and the warriors have towards each other mainly out of spite towards them, and jealousy that they're now on a path that will result in them saving the world from Eren's ommicial rumbling plan, effecting taking the role of the 'hero' that she wanted for herself. She does succeed in pushing Jean past his Rage Breaking Point towards Reiner for Marco's death, but he quickly cools off after giving him a No Holdsbarred Beatdown, and otherwise both sides ignore her provocations. Having lost Zeke and any hope she had of getting seen favourably due to helping Eren, plus having no place nor reason to run away, Yelena's actions stand out for having no reason to go so far beyond petty spite towards her captors and wanting to see them fail like she did.
Laser-Guided Karma: Yelena helped Zeke commit atrocity upon atrocity and indirectly enabled Eren to kill eighty percent of humanity, all so she can become more than a footnote in history. Her repentance for this is being made to help the twenty percent who survived and suffered under her actions; a menial role as another face in the crowd.
Like a God to Me: Has said this of Zeke.
Locked Out of the Loop: Fully committed to Zeke's plans and is convinced that Eren is too. It ultimately proves to be the case that Eren never intended to follow through on his promise to Zeke, and through sheer force of will takes full control of the Coordinate to commence his assault on the world.
Manipulative Bastard: She's suspected of numerous schemes, manipulating key members of the military over the course of several months. Pixis suggests she is personally responsible for the actions of Eren, Floch, and possibly even Queen Historia. She insists she's still an ally to "Eldia", but her actions have caused considerable problems.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: She sided with Zeke and facilitated an uneasy alliance with Paradis with the intent of seeing that the Yeagers would activate the Rumbling when the time was right and force the Marley to their knees for their many years of oppression against the world, albeit at the cost of the people on the island which she considered an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice; when Eren finally does activate the Rumbling, he not only overrules Zeke's control but has declared that he doesn't mean to merely destroy the Marleyan military, but the entire world beyond the walls, effectively dooming her own country as well. Slightly subverted when it's revealed she is Marleyan and that she has no concern over Marley's destruction whatsoever.
Nightmare Face: She gives a very frightful one to Armin from behind after hearing his speech to help Eren and Zeke save the world, which is so damn unsettling that everyone looking from the front is stunned into silence from sheer horror...only then her face goes back to normal and she tearfully smiles, supporting his plan to aid the brothers.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Appears to be partially modeled after Gwendoline Christie, especially on her portrayal of Brienne of Tarth. Much like Brienne herself with Renly Baratheon, Yelena idealizes Zeke to the point of total devotion, to the point of almost being an Expy of Brienne in that respect.
Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Yelena was not, in fact, from a small country conquered by Marley and forced into their servitude; she was born in Marley and only approached Zeke about his plans through her own selfish desire to be forever remembered in history for saving the world. Everything about her desire to free Eldia from persecution was a facade: her only true goal was the fame and prestige that came with liberating them.
Number Two: Zeke's most trusted subordinate, responsible for carrying out sensitive missions.
Oh, Crap!: She clearly never anticipated an ambush by Reiner, Porco, Pieck, and their Marleyan allies in Shiganshina and is left at an utter loss when Eren is forced to do battle with them. It doesn't take her long to realize that they failed to kill all of the Marley's military leaders in Liberio.
- She may have been dealt an even bigger one with Eren's activation of the Rumbling, as she has no idea what has become of Zeke and Eren's newly awoken army of Colossal Titans are now beginning their assault on the outside world. Unfortunately for her, her plan almost certainly did not call for the imminent extermination of the entire world.
Red Herring: The clever angles used to hide the soldier's face led many to suspect it was a member of the Survey Corps in disguise, only for it to be revealed to be a totally new character.
Scared of What's Behind You: Armin gives a short speech to his comrades about how they have to help Eren and Zeke save the world by ending the Eldian race. Connie and Mikasa immediately recoil in fear, and the latter draws her sword. Armin, confused, turns around to be confronted with this.
Silk Hiding Steel: Played with. Behind that gentle smile lies a person more disturbing, sinister and bloodthirsty than it appears at first glance, or at least, that's what Onyakopon says.
Small Role, Big Impact: It's implied that she was crucial in Zeke and the Survey Corps' liaison as an infiltrator. Later, it's revealed that she fueled the fires of revolt that started Eren's treason against the military government.
Spanner in the Works: Her presence alerted Pieck to the foul play that would be incurred onto her and Porco. Eventually, when Pieck recovers from the carnage after the attack on Liberio, she remembers Yelena as being a devotee of Zeke, potentially shedding some suspicion onto his role in the attack and his survival after his "death" on Liberio.
Spotting the Thread: Pieck finds the soldier odd at first, having a faint memory of his identity; eventually she puts two and two together and remembers that this bearded dude is a "she", and that "she" had disappeared during the Marleyan exploratory missions to Paradis years before.
Statuesque Stunner: At 190 cm, she towers over most people, and is quite good looking once she removes her fake beard.
Sweet Polly Oliver: She disguises herself as a man, including wearing a fake beard.
The Rival: Pieck certainly seems to treat her like one, who has eyeballed her as Zeke's most loyal follower and is especially unimpressed with both her betrayal of Marley and her quest for personal glory.
Undying Loyalty: She is described by Pieck as being a "devotee" of Zeke, carrying out his orders without fail.
Walking Spoiler: Her existence is part of the larger reveal concerning Zeke's plan.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She is fully aware that Zeke's plan will eventually lead to the Eldian race dying out on Paradis as a result of age upon being sterilized, but she insists that the plan is necessary in saving both the remnants of their kind and of those still forced to live under Marley rule by ensuring the success of the Rumbling.
What Happened to the Mouse?:
- Yelena was last seen on a lifeboat with Lady Kiyomi, and her whereabouts after the three-year Time Skip are not mentioned.
- Subverted in the anime. Yelena is shown after the three-year timeskip helping the outside world rebuild.

Onyankopon

Voiced by: Kouji Hiwatari (JP), Zeno Robinson (EN), Ditter Ruiz (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 104 (Manga), Episode 66 (Anime)

"We all exist because we were wanted, just the way we are."

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onyankopon_28anime29_character_image.png

A foreign soldier in the Marleyan army that went to become allied with the Survey Corps, serving as their airship pilot.

Ace Pilot: He's a rather skilled pilot, he's able to transport the Anti-Yeagerist forces to their final battle against Eren even under fire and with a damaged fuel tank, which he manages to survive afterwards.
Black and Nerdy: Though a soldier, his skill set is aimed at less combat-oriented specialties. Besides his skills as an airship pilot, he spear-headed the introduction of Marleyan technology to Paradis Island and spends much of his time working with Hange.
Black Dude Dies First: Averted; in fact, he's among the few named characters who make it all the way to the very end of the manga.
Conscription: Like Yelena, he was forced into military service after Marley conquered his homeland.
Cool Airship: He pilots one for the Survey Corps, demonstrating their enormous leap in technology and foreign alliances.
Defiant to the End: When he's about to be executed, he refuses to be cowed and calls out the Yeagerists. He's only saved when Jean fires four bullets into the ground, resulting in Pieck arriving and saving him.
Fantastic Racism: Completely averted, which has some interesting indications. He's the first foreigner confirmed to be working with Paradis, and clearly doesn't buy into the centuries' old propaganda about the Eldian "devils".
First Contact Faux Pas: Invoked and subverted. Sasha immediately asks him how it is that his skin is black, which would have been seen as insensitive in any other context; he proudly explains that he and his people were made as such by the being who imbued Ymir Fritz with her powers, God himself.
Locked Out of the Loop: He seems to be innocent of whatever Yelena and her supporters have been up to, expressing shock when he learns the reason for his house arrest.
Meaningful Name: His name comes from a Ghanaian sky god.
Nice Guy: He's a Token Good Teammate who bears no prejudice against Eldians, and gets along very well with the Survey Corps, sincerely want to work along side them without any ulterior motives unlike the rest of Zeke's soldiers and takes no offense when Sasha is Innocently Insensitive about the color of his skin.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Appears to be partially modeled off John Boyega. Boyega himself is a fan of the anime and is even aware of this.
Nominal Importance: His presence is a demonstration of Marley's far-spread imperialism, with a military composed of conscripts from all over the world. He is the first Black person to step foot on Paradis, proving to them the continued existence of other races. It has been mentioned that Marley has conquered a vast amount of territories in their expansionist campaigns.
Replacement Goldfish: There's shades of it in his relationship with Hange, having taken Moblit's place as the commander's near-constant companion and science buddy.
Token Good Teammate: While Yelena and other Volunteers were secretly undermining Paradis on Zeke's orders, Onyankopon seems to be a genuine ally to the Survey Corps. He's shocked to learn about the conspiracy, and ends up arrested by the Yeagerist faction.
Token Minority: His existence is used to demonstrate that humanity outside the Walls is diverse, with many races and ethnic groups.
Token Religious Teammate: Implied. He tells Sasha that different ethnicities and the Titan powers were created by God as a way of making the world more interesting.

Nikolo

Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa (JP), Billy Kametz (EN), Brandon Santini (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 106 (Manga), Episode 68 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nicolo_anime_character_image.png

A Marleyan soldier sent to survey Paradis Island. He is initially xenophobic against the Eldians upon being captured at the Paradis shoreline. A cook by trade, Nikolo abandons his military mission in order to become a chef after meeting Sasha Braus, thus coming directly under the employ of the Eldian military high command as their personal chef.

Because You Were Nice to Me: He fell in love with Sasha because she was the first person to treat him with kindness and respect after he got captured. Specifically, she wins him over by not caring about the prejudice happening between both races, but just viewing him as a Supreme Chef by praising his cooking. While telling Gabi how horrible she is for murdering Sasha, he tells her that Sasha saved him from despair by encouraging him to make people happy with his cooking instead of fighting wars for Marley.
Becoming the Mask: As a Marleyan soldier, he merely cooks for the port workers as one of his tasks. Later after being inspired by Sasha to make people happy with his cooking, he becomes an actual chef working for a restaurant.
Befriending the Enemy: The 104th did this, slowly winning him over with their kindness.
Berserk Button: Speaking ill of Sasha is a big one for him, especially after her death, as a fellow Marleyan soldier finds out while mocking his affections for her before said soldier is executed by Yelena.
Butt-Monkey: Since his introduction, he's first held hostage by Hange who toys with him while flaunting his capture to the Marleyan expeditionary forces; later he is made by Yelena to cook for the Eldians, a race he (initially) despises.
Defrosting Ice King: While he was involved in Yelena's conspiracy, he came to genuinely care about the Survey Corps. Another member of the conspiracy states he wasn't told vital information, because he was compromised.
Due to the Dead: He risks his safety to visit Sasha's grave, mourning the first person to make him feel welcomed on the island. Afterwards, he asks the Braus family if he can cook for them in Sasha's honor.
Fantastic Racism:
- He initially believes Marleyan propaganda, referring to the Eldians as devils and calling for their deaths. But during his captivity, he slowly begins to warm up to them thanks to Sasha. This ends up coming full circle when he receives treatment similar to that of Eldians on the mainland, being subjected to physical violence and verbal abuse for being a Marleyan.
- Subverted also when he acts rude and bigoted towards Jean and the Survey Corps, when the latter attempts to take a sip from the special wine reserved for the Military Junta higher-ups. Turns out he did it to protect them from drinking the tainted wine.
Foil: To Reiner's father. Both were blonde Marleyan men who worked as cooks and had a relationship of sorts with a Eldian woman. However, he and Sasha never entered a true romantic relationship, he genuinely loved her and got over his xenophobia because of it. Reiner's father, despite atleast getting physical with Karina, never got over his xenophobia and didn’t care at all about her or Reiner.
Grievous Bottley Harm: Upon realizing that Gabi was the one who killed Sasha, he immediately attacks her in rage with a wine bottle.
Inconsistent Spelling: Is it "Nikolo" or "Niccolo"?
Locked Out of the Loop: He was unaware of the tainted wine when asked by Grior to serve it to the high-ranking members of the Paradis military. He eventually figured out enough to suspect what was happening, but didn't have any proof, and by then it was too late anyway.
The Lost Lenore: He was in love with Sasha, and is left devastated by her loss. Kaya states the two were most likely dating.
Luminescent Blush: He starts blushing, and quickly warms up when Sasha compliments him.
My God, What Have I Done?: After watching Sasha's father opting to spare Gabi and stop the Cycle of Revenge despite Nikolo trying to let him avenge his daughter, Nikolo expresses horror at having nearly killed Falco, and is remorseful about his part in Zeke's larger conspiracy as he is tended to by Jean.
Revenge by Proxy: His Roaring Rampage In Revenge against Gabi involved him threatening to slit the unconscious Falco's neck to get her to answer, as well as realizing that Falco may be someone important to Gabi.
Shoot the Hostage: Subverted, he encourages his unit's captain to shoot him too to in order to take out his Eldian captors, the latter almost does it but he's killed by Yelena before that can happen.
Supreme Chef: An extremely skilled cook, specializing in Marley's seafood cuisine.
Through His Stomach: He becomes a cook on Paradis Island, and his culinary skills woo Sasha and is likely the start of them presumably dating later (another factor is also Sasha treating Nikolo with respect), according to Kaya.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He took part in the plot to spread tainted wine to the Paradis military brass as leverage against the islanders, but was likely coerced by Yelena as he clearly takes no pride in having carried out the act.
Would Hurt a Child: He attempts to kill Gabi in a vengeful rage, when he misses and hits Falco, rendering the boy unconscious; he then punches her in the face and threatens to kill the limp Falco with a knife to make Gabi answer his questions. As Gabi confesses, he gives the knife to Mr. Braus to kill Gabi. This is all because Gabi was the one who killed Sasha, the girl he was in love with. Though he later expresses regret for almost killing a child in his vengeance after watching Sasha's father refusing to take revenge.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: He says that Sasha saved him from wasting his life fighting in pointless wars by showing him that instead he could make people happy with his cooking.

Griez

Voiced by: Jun Miyamoto (JP), Stephen Fu (EN), Kristoffer Romo (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 108 (Manga), Episode 69 (Anime)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greiz_28anime29_character_image_4.png

Another Marleyan soldier who was sent to survey Paradis Island. Upon capture, his was placed in a restaurant as a waiter for the military officials on Paradis Island.

Asshole Victim: His unwavering prejudice towards Eldians combined with saying disgusting things about Sasha right in front of her parents and comrades ensured no one would miss him after Yelena shoots him in the head.
Bit Character: His tirade against Eldians and subsequent death at Yelena's hand prompts her to tell the remaining 104th members about Zeke's true plan.
Boom, Headshot!: After going on a racist tirade against Eldians, Yelena casually blows his brains out without batting an eye.
Killed Mid-Sentence: Before he can finish one final insult to Sasha's memory, he's shot in the head by Yelena.
Hate Sink: Unrepentantly racist and fully committed to the belief that the islanders are devils to be slaughtered; turns out not even Yelena has the patience for his hateful sentiments.
Speak Ill of the Dead: He refers to Sasha as "the whore who smelled like potatoes" just to taunt Nikolo's feelings toward her.
Tampering with Food and Drink: He's been involved in serving tainted wine to military officials, as part of Zeke's larger plan.

Others

Helos

Debut: Chapter 97 (Manga), Episode 60 (Anime)

Statue at Liberio depicting Helos slaying the Devil of the Earth

A Marleyan soldier who is said to have killed the Devil of the Earth and successfully driven the King of the Eldians and his people into exile during the Great Titan War. He is considered the national hero of Marley.

Adaptational Early Appearance: A rather peculiar example in this case. A decapitated statue of Helos can be seen briefly◊ during Eren's cryptic dream in Episode 1 of the anime which aired in 2013, 4 years before his debut chapter was released, as the anime's sequence is different from the manga, which didn't show Eren's dream.
Composite Character:
- Implied Trope. He is used to symbolize the victory of Marley over Eldia, unifying the sentiment. Considering that he didn't actually exist, he was put together as a triumphant symbol for Marley's power.
- He may have been based on the Marleyan general who two millennia before attacked the ancestral King Fritz with a hidden lance, and who wound up striking Ymir Fritz, who threw herself in front of the king.
Fake Ultimate Hero: He was a fabrication by the Tybur family, who actually conspired with King Karl Fritz to subjugate the Eldians.
Historical Hero Upgrade: As stated in Composite Character, he may have been based on the Marleyan general who killed Ymir Fritz two millennia before. The main difference is that said general took down Ymir while she was in human form and wound up dying to several Eldian soldiers after chucking his spear, while Helos "killed" the Devil of All Earth in Titan form and managed to survive and continue.
Mysterious Past: He is said to have slain Titans in single combat, so his identity is subject of great speculation. The fandom initially speculated him to have been an Ackerman in service of Marley due to his fantastic feats, but this was promptly shut down when it was revealed that Helos is a fabrication of the Tybur family.
Rage Against the Heavens: It's said that he fought and slew the Devil of the Earth, and that he conspired with the Tybur Family to revolt against, and overthrow the King of the Eldians.
Shrouded in Myth: His many feats are shrouded in legend, even considering that they happened about a century before the events of Attack On Titan. Subverted in that it turns out he isn't shrouded in myth so much as woven from it whole cloth, being a complete fabrication by the Tybur family.

Characters / Attack on Titan: Marley

Edit Locked

Marley

Tropes that apply to Marley as a whole.

Marleyan Military

Leadership

General Calvi

Voiced by: Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi (JP), John Gremillion (EN), Roberto Mendiola (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 93 (Manga), Episode 61 (Anime)

Marleyan Army

Commander/General Theo Magath

Voiced by: Jiro Saito (JP), Neil Kaplan (EN), Raimundo Aramijo (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 91 (Manga), Episode 60 (Anime)

Koslow

Voiced by: Tooru Nara (JP), Mick Wingert (EN), Eleazar Muñoz (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 91 (Manga), Episode 60 (Anime)

Public Security Bureau

Sergeant Major Gross

Voiced by: Ikkyuu Juku (JP), Bradley Campbell (EN), Jesse Conde (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 57 (Anime)

Eren Kruger

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (JP), Ray Chase (EN), José Gilberto Vilchis (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 57 (Anime)

Tybur Family

Tybur Family / House Tybur

Lord Willy Tybur

Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue (JP), Jonah Scott (EN), René García (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 95 (Manga), Episode 63 (anime; in-person)

Lady Lara Tybur

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (JP), Suzie Yeung (EN), Rommy Mendoza (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 97 (Manga), Episode 63 (anime)

Others

Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi (JP), Charlie Campbell (EN), Guillermo Romano (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 95 (Manga). Episode 62 (Anime)

Warrior Unit

Liberio Internment Zone

Residents of the Liberio Internment Zone:

Voiced by: Seirou Ogino (Mr. Yeager), Tomo Sakurai (Mrs. Yeager) (JP), Randy Pearlman (Mr. Yeager), Cynthia Cranz (Mrs. Yeager) (EN), Moisés Palacios (Mr. Yeager), Love Santini (Mrs. Yeager) (Latin American Spanish)

Faye Yeager

Voiced by: Chiyuki Miura (JP), Sarah Wiedenheft (EN), Lili Vela (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 56 (Anime)

Dina Yeager

Voiced by: Nozomi Kishimoto (JP), Erika Harlacher (EN), Rebeca Gómez (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 86 (Manga), Episode 57 (Anime)

Karina Braun

Voiced by: Atsuko Yuya (JP), Casey Casper (EN), Marylú Castellanos (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 94 (Manga), Episode 61 (Anime)

Mr. Leonhart

Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka (JP, Season 1), Kouji Ishii (JP, Season 4), Bill Jenkins (EN), Alfredo Tovar (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 17 (Manga), Episode 23 (Anime)

Grice

Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (JP), Robbie Daymond (EN), Eduardo Martínez (Latin American Spanish)

Volunteer Soldiers

Anti-Marley Rebel Faction / Volunteer Soldiers

Yelena

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (JP), Anairis Quiñones (EN), Jahel Morga (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 99 (Manga), Episode 64 (Anime)

Onyankopon

Voiced by: Kouji Hiwatari (JP), Zeno Robinson (EN), Ditter Ruiz (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 104 (Manga), Episode 66 (Anime)

Nikolo

Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa (JP), Billy Kametz (EN), Brandon Santini (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 106 (Manga), Episode 68 (Anime)

Griez

Voiced by: Jun Miyamoto (JP), Stephen Fu (EN), Kristoffer Romo (Latin American Spanish)

Debut: Chapter 108 (Manga), Episode 69 (Anime)

Others

Helos

Debut: Chapter 97 (Manga), Episode 60 (Anime)

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