Highlights
- The Titan serum transforms individuals into Titans quickly by injecting Titan spinal fluid.
- There are specialized serums that can influence specific Titan abilities, like hardening powers.
- The origins of the Titan injection are linked to the Reiss family and essential in inheriting the power of the Founding Titan.
The Titan injection has been a mysterious yet crucial element of the Attack on Titan story. This serum is able to transform subjects of Ymir into Titans. While the exact chemical composition is unknown, it is considered by the Marleyans to be Titan spinal fluid. When injected into a subject’s bloodstream or ingested, it triggers a transformation into a pure titan within moments.
The abilities of the Titan injection have proven more complex than initially thought. Multiple specialized serums exist that can influence the attributes of the resulting Titan. For example, Eren gained hardening powers after ingesting an “armor” serum. Rod Reiss ingested a “strongest” serum that transformed him into an abnormally large Titan. Other serums are suggested to impact factors like size and strength. But what exactly is made of the Titan injection, and how can specific serums produce Titans with certain abilities?
The Origins of the Titan Injection
While the precise origins of the Titan Injection are unknown, it is believed that the Titan Injection was used by the Reiss family, who ruled within the walls of Paradise Island, to pass down the power of the Nine Titans through successive generations since the time of King Fritz. As the royal family, they held the secrets of the Titans’ powers.
Historical accounts indicate the first documented use was around 60 years ago, before the fall of Wall Maria in Shiganshina District. At this time, Ymir and her cult of Ymir worshippers were discovered by Marley’s public security forces in Marley. Despite Ymir’s pleas, the cultists were arrested and sent to Paradise Island. As punishment, they were transformed into pure Titans using the Titan injection serum.
Marley’s Public Security forces continued regularly employing this fateful measure against rebellious Eldians on Paradis up until around 845. Notable examples include the Eldian Restorationists in 832, who were rounded up and sent to Paradise Island to roam as Titans. However, an officer named Eren Kruger saved Grisha Jaeger from this fate. Under Marley’s oppression, any Eldian found breaking laws could be turned into a Pure Titan as a punishment. They would then be exiled to Paradise Island to wander mindlessly for the rest of their days.
Look. That’s your people’s true form. All it takes is some Titan spinal fluid and you turn into gigantic monsters. The world needs to wipe out every last one of you Eldians. That’s the wish of humanity everywhere.
The Science Behind the Serum
The Titan injection contained what was considered to be Titan spinal fluid. Its exact chemical composition is unknown, but Hange Zoe theorized that whoever created it had access to technology beyond what was available to the Paradise military.
When injected into the bloodstream of a subject named Ymir, the serum immediately triggered a physical transformation into a pure Titan. It is speculated that the fluid alters the subject’s genetic structure, granting them the traits of a Titan. However, the method of injection was important, as Rod Reiss transforming improperly by ingesting the serum orally resulted in a disfigured 120-meter Titan.
The serum needed to be kept sealed in tightly-closed vials, as evidence shows both the serum and Titan corpses would quickly evaporate upon exposure to air. This is why the serums were always sealed for transport and storage.
Unlike the common conception, the transformations were not necessarily permanent for the subjects of Ymir. They could potentially regain human form by consuming a human with the power of the Titans, such as what the Scout Regiment intended to use to restore a wounded soldier. So, while difficult, it was possible for a pure titan to eventually return to human form with the right circumstances.
Uses and Applications of the Titan Injection
The Titan injection served several key functions. For the Reiss dynasty, it was the primary method of inheriting the power of the Founding Titan across generations. Successors like Uri and Frieda Reiss gained the Founding Titan’s abilities this way after being injected. However, Rod Reiss failed to inherit the full Founding Titan powers when he ingested a specialized serum meant to provide the “strongest” titan abilities, rather than following the proper injection process.
The Marleyans exploited the injection’s properties as a cruel punishment against the Eldians. They turned Eldians into mindless titans as a permanent sentence to roam Paradise Island for eternity. This included Eldian Restorationists like Grisha Jaeger’s friends. However, Eren Kruger saved Grisha and later injected him, allowing Grisha to inherit the Attack Titan.
After the fall of Wall Maria, Grisha injected his son Eren with the serum. This helped awaken Eren’s dormant Titan powers. Later, in the Underground Chapel, Rod Reiss prepared to use an injection on Historia to continue the royal bloodline.
Within the military, desperate situations led the Scout Regiment to consider injecting gravely injured soldiers. Later, Levi was entrusted with a Titan injection and used it to save Armin over Erwin after they were both severely injured in battle.
Controlling Titan’s Powers and Forms
Sergeant Major Gross claimed to be able to control the size of a subject of Ymir’s Titan to some degree after injection, stating he could turn an Eldian captive into a three- or four-meter Titan. This was shown to be true when he successfully transformed Dina Fritz into a pure Titan.
Rod Reiss possessed two special serums in addition to the normal injection. He labeled one “strongest” and the other “armor.” When ingested orally, the “strongest” serum unexpectedly transformed Rod into an abnormally large and deformed Titan. When Eren drank the “Armor” serum, it granted his Titan the unique hardening ability. Kenny later speculated that Rod’s abnormal form might have been a consequence of ingesting the serum orally instead of through injection.
Specialized serums appeared to be able to influence certain Titan characteristics, like size and hardening abilities. However, the process for developing distinct serums and the limits of controlling Titan traits remained scientifically mysterious. When the volunteers stole serum from Marley, they acknowledged reproducing it would be difficult without the original experts and equipment involved in its production, indicating its creation required advanced scientific understanding not yet achieved within Paradise.
Attack on Titan is available to stream on Prime Video.
Leave a Reply