Attack on Titan features a bunch of different Titan types, making it a little difficult to keep track of all of them. This article will cover all the Titan types seen in the series, along with their special abilities.
Explaining All Titan Types in Attack on Titan
Pure Titans
The vast majority of titans seen in the series, Pure Titans are mindless naked humanoid creatures ranging in height anywhere from 2 to 15 meters. They are transformed Subjects of Ymir whose sole purpose is to find and devour humans, although they can’t digest or obtain nutrition from them.
Pure Titans lack reproductive organs, and although they resemble humans, their body proportions are unnaturally deformed. Like all other titans, these titans can regenerate from any injury that doesn’t cut the base of the neck, which is where the human body of the transformed Subject of Ymir lies.
Abnormal Titans
Abnormal Titans are a subtype of Pure Titans that display unpredictable behaviors like ignoring isolated humans, running, speed-walking, and jumping large distances. Some of them also display unusual intelligence, like the Abnormal Titan in the OVA, Ilse’s Notebook, who was capable of human speech.
Other than the above-mentioned features, Abnormal Titans are similar to Pure Titans in appearance, with the same desire to devour humans (although they may be able to temporarily resist it) and the same weaknesses.
Attack Titan
One of the Nine Titans, the Attack Titan is an intelligent titan with the ability to access the memories of both its past and future holders. It was the only Titan other than the Founding Titan to never fall into Marley’s hands, and was passed on to Attack on Titan’s protagonist Eren Yeager through his father Grisha Yeager, and predecessor Eren Kruger.
The Attack Titan’s appearance varies depending on the holder, but it generally takes the form of a 15-meter tall, muscular nude humanoid. It lacks reproductive organs and has body proportions closely resembling those of a human. And while lacking any special abilities other than its future sight, Eren’s Attack Titan can harden itself after consuming a special serum.
Armored Titan
Also 15 meters tall, the Armored Titan is one of the intelligent Nine Titans characterized by a layer of hard armor-like skin plates all over its masculine humanoid body. These plates offer it the ability to withstand direct canon hits, ultrahard steel blades, and even the Colossal Titan’s transformation explosion. Although it did take damage from the Mid-East Allied Forces’ anti-Titan artillery.
Other than its defensive benefits, the Armored Titan is also great for dealing high amounts of damage. We see this when Reiner Braun used it to break through Wall Maria’s north gate. This Titan can also harden its hands and feet into crystal-like claws. Although it’s slower than some other titans thanks to its increased weight and restricted movement.
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Colossal Titan
The tallest of the intelligent Nine Titans, the Colossal Titan, stands at an impressive 60 meters. Resembling a skinless humanoid with disproportionately long arms, this Titan can emit large amounts of super-hot steam at will, as well as control the explosion created during its transformation.
But despite its destructive power, this titan does have some weaknesses. Most notably, the Colossal Titan burns through its muscle mass to produce steam. As such, if this ability is used repeatedly, it will result in progressively decreasing muscle mass until only the Titan’s bony skeleton remains.
Female Titan
Inherited by Annie Leonhart, the Female Titan is a 14-meter-tall intelligent Titan with the ability to mimic other intelligent Titans’ abilities by consuming parts of them. Appearance-wise, the Female Titan resembles a giant muscular female lacking reproductive organs.
Its displayed abilities include crystal-like hardening on any part of its body and a scream that attracts Pure Titans to its location, at which point they try to eat her. It’s difficult to say if these abilities were always a part of the Female Titan’s skill set or were externally acquired.
Beast Titan
At 17 meters, the Beast Titan is slightly larger than most of the Nine Titans. But what really sets it apart is its animal-like appearance. Zeke’s Beast Titan greatly resembles an ape, although previous holders had forms with varying animal traits, ranging from rabbits to goats.
We don’t know much about the normal abilities of the Beast Titan, although they likely depend on their animal trait. Thanks to his royal blood, Zeke’s Beast Titan has the special ability to convert Subjects of Ymir into Pure Titans using his spinal fluid and control them. He can also harden his nape and accurately throw large objects like boulders to cause mass destruction.
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Cart Titan
The only quadrupedal member of the Nine Titans, the Cart Titan’s special ability is its high endurance which lets it transform repeatedly and remain transformed for long periods of time. Pieck Finger claimed to be able to consecutively transform hundreds of times before she felt fatigued.
Often used to carry supplies and troops in battle, the Cart Titan is exceptionally fast despite its lower regeneration speed and defenses. When equipped with harnesses holding various weapons, this titan can act as a mobile gunnery platform, greatly increasing its combat abilities.
Jaw Titan
As its name suggests, the Jaw Titan’s special attributes are its powerful jaws and claws that can tear through everything from the Warhammer Titan’s almost impenetrable crystal shell to armored man-made structures like turrets. At just 5 meters, this Titan resembles a short and stocky humanoid and is probably the smallest of the Nine Titans. Although its small size also makes it the fastest.
Other than this titan’s typical abilities, Falco’s Jaw Titan featured wings and a tail that allowed it to fly. This was likely a result of the Beast Titan’s spinal fluid that triggered Falco’s transformation into a Pure Titan.
Warhammer Titan
Held by the Tybur Family for generations, the distinctively white-skinned Warhammer Titan specializes in producing structures using hardened Titan flesh. This ability is most often used to create spikes, bladed weapons, the Titan’s signature war hammer, and even flexible weapons like bows and arrows.
Other than that, this 15-meter-tall titan also has the unique ability to remotely operate its Titan body. The human operator is hidden in crystal with a cord of Titan flesh connecting to the Titan body, eliminating the weak point at the nape.
Founding Titan
Also known as the Progenitor Titan, Ymir’s Founding Titan was the first Titan in history boasting a bunch of unique abilities. It’s scream can create and control Titans, and alter the memories and anatomy of all the Subjects of Ymir excluding Ackermans.
The Founding Titan also can telepathically connect with all the Subjects of Ymir, allowing for telepathic mass communication. Much like the Attack Titan, it allows its holder to inherit the memories of future inheritors, making it so the holder perceives time as non-linear. But all these abilities can only be used by those of royal blood.
