Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) builds its whole mythology around nine Titan powers that have been passed down among Eldians for almost 2,000 years. Each of these Nine Titans has a unique ability, a different size and a chain of holders that changes more than once over the course of the story. This guide breaks down what each Titan is, what it can do and who holds it by the end of the story, without drowning you in loose names.
The series began as a manga in 2009, created by Japanese author Hajime Isayama, and ran in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine until wrapping up at 34 volumes in 2021. The anime premiered in 2013 courtesy of Wit Studio, which produced the first three seasons, before MAPPA took over for the Final Season, split into several parts and specials that closed out with the episode broadcast in November 2023 under the title Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters Special 2.
What is Ymir's power, and why are there only nine Titans?
According to the series' mythology, almost 2,000 years ago the first holder, Ymir Fritz, gained the ability to transform after a pact with an entity known as the Source Titan. Upon her death, that power split into nine fragments that have since passed among Eldians, as long as whoever receives the power devours the body (specifically the spine) of the dying holder. A holder without royal blood can only use the power for thirteen years before dying, the so-called "Curse of Ymir", except for the Founding Titan, which requires Reiss royal blood to unlock its full potential.
Founding Titan and Attack Titan: Eren Jaeger's powers
The Founding Titan is the most powerful of the nine: it can control every pure Titan and, in the hands of someone with royal blood, manipulate Eldian memories and even unleash the Rumbling, the march of millions of Colossal Titans. Eren Jaeger obtains it by devouring his father, Grisha Jaeger, who had in turn inherited it from Frieda Reiss. The Attack Titan, which Eren also holds, has a trait unique among the nine: its holder can glimpse fragments of future holders' memories, letting Eren plot much of the final storyline years in advance.
Armored Titan and Colossal Titan: Marley's warriors
Reiner Braun holds the Armored Titan, covered in hardened bone plating that works like natural armor, ideal for charging in and withstanding direct hits in service of the nation of Marley. The Colossal Titan, standing roughly 60 meters tall (the largest of the nine), first belongs to Bertolt Hoover and vents a scalding steam burst on transformation, enough to level entire walls; after Bertolt's death in the Battle of Trost, Armin Arlert inherits the power and becomes its second holder.
Beast, Jaw, Cart, Female and War Hammer Titans
Zeke Jaeger controls the Beast Titan, ape-like in shape, with extremely long arms, remarkable throwing accuracy and the rare ability to give voice commands to nearby pure Titans. The Jaw Titan, the smallest and fastest of the nine, passes through several hands over the story until reaching Porco Galliard, standing out for its cutting jaws and claws. Pieck Finger holds the Cart Titan, quadrupedal, with great stamina and the ability to haul heavy equipment, while Annie Leonhart controls the Female Titan, agile and able to harden parts of her body and lure pure Titans with a scream. The last one to appear is the War Hammer Titan, which Lara Tybur activates during the final war: it lets its holder create weapons and hardened-bone structures remotely, without ever exposing their own body.
The 9 Titans of Attack on Titan and their holders
This table sums up the main power of each of the Nine Titans and who holds it by the end of the series.
| Titan | Main power | Final holder |
|---|---|---|
| Founding Titan | Controls every pure Titan, lets a royal-blood holder manipulate memories and unleash the Rumbling | Eren Jaeger |
| Attack Titan | Access to future holders' memories and an innate fighting instinct | Eren Jaeger |
| Armored Titan | Hardened bone plating that armors the whole body | Reiner Braun |
| Colossal Titan | About 60 meters tall, releasing a scalding steam burst on transformation | Armin Arlert (previously Bertolt Hoover) |
| Beast Titan | Extremely long arms, precise throwing aim and voice command over pure Titans | Zeke Jaeger |
| Jaw Titan | Extreme speed with cutting jaws and claws | Porco Galliard |
| Cart Titan | Quadrupedal form, great stamina and heavy-equipment hauling | Pieck Finger |
| Female Titan | Agility, partial hardening and a scream that draws pure Titans | Annie Leonhart |
| War Hammer Titan | Creates weapons and hardened-bone structures remotely without exposing the user's body | Lara Tybur |
Common mistakes about the Titans of Attack on Titan
- Confusing pure Titans with the Nine Titans: pure Titans have no intelligence and are created with the Founding Titan's power, while the Nine Titans always have a conscious holder.
- Assuming Eren only has the Attack Titan: he also inherits the Founding Titan from his father, Grisha Jaeger, and ends up holding both at once.
- Believing any Eldian can activate the War Hammer Titan: only the Tybur family can inherit it, and for generations they chose not to transform until Lara does so in the final war.
- Assuming the Colossal Titan always belonged to Armin: Bertolt Hoover was its first known holder until the Battle of Trost, when Armin inherits it.
Where to watch Attack on Titan legally
All four seasons of the anime, including the Final Season, are available on Crunchyroll with dubbing and English subtitles. The original manga by Hajime Isayama is complete at 34 volumes and lets you revisit at your own pace the details of the Nine Titans' powers that the anime sometimes condenses.
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Official trailer for Attack on Titan Final Season
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Frequently asked questions about the Titans of Attack on Titan
How many Titans are there in Attack on Titan?
There are nine distinct Titan powers, known as the Nine Titans, plus pure Titans, which have no conscious holder or intelligence of their own.
Who holds the Founding Titan at the end of the series?
Eren Jaeger, who inherits it by devouring his father Grisha Jaeger, who in turn obtained it from Frieda Reiss.
Can one person hold two Titans at once?
Yes. Eren Jaeger simultaneously holds the Founding Titan and the Attack Titan after his father's death, something exceptional among the Nine Titans.
What happens if a Titan's holder dies and no one devours them?
The power stays dormant inside the corpse until another Eldian eventually devours it, even years later; that's how several of the Nine Titans change hands over the course of the story.
Are the Founding Titan and Eren's Attack Titan the same thing?
No. They are two separate powers with different abilities; Eren simply holds both at once after inheriting them both from his father.
When does the story of Attack on Titan end?
The manga ended in 2021 at 34 volumes, and the anime wrapped up with the special The Final Chapters Special 2, broadcast in November 2023.
Do you need to watch the first three seasons to understand the Final Season?
Yes, it's highly recommended: the Final Season assumes the viewer already knows the characters, geography and conflicts set up in the earlier seasons.