Highlights
- Falco’s Jaw Titan has the ability to fly, which was hinted at by his name “Falco” meaning falcon, and his bird-like design.
- The Jaw Titan is the fastest and most agile of the Nine Titans, making it ideal for precise strikes and evading enemy attacks.
- The transference of Titan powers can result in the acquisition of new abilities, such as hardening, through the consumption of spinal fluid. Falco’s unique situation allowed him to inherit the flying ability of a previous Beast Titan holder.
Although the foreshadowing in Attack on Titan might not have conveyed it in the most calculated it way, the fact that Falco’s Jaw Titan possesses the ability to fly might not be a major surprise. Falco’s name can itself be traced back to the Latin word for “falcon,” which offered a hint of what his Titan would be capable of. That being said, the manner in which he actually gained this ability is far more complicated, and has heavy implications on the process through which individuals can acquire the power of each of the Nine Titans.
Unlike his predecessors Marcel Galliard, Ymir, and Porco Galliard, Falco’s Titan has a design that is very bird like in many respects, especially with its protruding maw that resembles the beak of a bird of prey. In the Attack on Titan manga, this has been heavily attributed to the unique circumstances under which Falco became a Titan shifter. Additionally, this abnormality in the Jaw Titan’s design also provided a convenient means for certain members of the main cast to participate in the final battle, which is why it may sometimes be overlooked.
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What Are The Jaw Titan’s Abilities?
Previous versions of the Jaw Titan were relatively small, when compared to most of the other Nine Titans, who generally rose above 12 meters in height. In fact, the Jaw Titan’s diminutive stature at five meters, made its size comparable only to the Cart Titan, which was the smallest of them all at four meters in height. Fortunately, this deficiency in size — which is usually the main combat advantage of being a Titan shifter — was more than compensated for in other respects.
The Jaw Titan is undoubtedly the fastest and most agile of the Nine Titans, able to swiftly cross long distances in moments, leap between buildings, and deliver attacks with a great deal of momentum behind them. As such, it is ideal for precise strikes on designated targets to catch them off guard, as it can avoid enemy fire with its acrobatic physical abilities. This mobility is particularly advantageous in rugged, uneven terrain, urban areas with many built structures, or regions such as Titan Forests, where the Titan can easily swing between tree branches.
Most importantly, the Jaw Titan’s greatest strength was its biting and crushing power, which was a result of its powerful claws and teeth. The way in which these abilities manifested was not always consistent, as Ymir’s Titan only had hardened teeth, whereas Falco, Marcel, and Porco all had armored masks and claws which aided in shielding against enemy attacks by virtue of being hard enough to withstand bullets. The crushing strength of this Titan’s jaws and claws were also no joke, as it was able to easily bite and cut through the hardened crystal shell of the War Hammer Titan — something that not even the Attack Titan was able to do.
The Transference Of Titan Powers
While the reasoning behind it has not been officially confirmed, several Titan shifters in the series were able to manifest abilities that were not associated with their specific Titan power. For instance, Eren’s ability to use hardening only manifested when he consumed the “armor” serum in the Reiss Chapel, in the climax of the Uprising Arc. Hence, it is quite certain that this was not an innate ability of the Attack Titan, which invites questions about what the serum actually contained.
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From one perspective, it could easily be assumed that the serum contained the spinal fluid of a previous holder of the Armored Titan or War Hammer Titan, which are the only ones among the Nine Titans who appear to have an innate hardening ability. This implies that the consumption of spinal fluid can alter the abilities possessed by a Titan. In effect, this theory was somewhat confirmed by Rod Reiss’ massive albeit poorly formed Titan, which he generated after improperly ingesting the “Strongest Titan” serum in the Reiss Chapel.
Similarly, Annie Leonhart’s Female Titan and Zeke Yeager’s Beast Titan also possessed hardening abilities resembling those of the War Hammer, indicating that they might have consumed another kind of “armor” serum to gain these abilities. Finally, Zeke’s Beast Titan also had the ability to create Pure Titans that were subservient to him with his spinal fluid, which stemmed from his royal lineage.
Taking To The Skies
The last fact was crucial to Falco’s case, where he was turned into a Pure Titan after accidentally ingesting Zeke’s spinal fluid through tainted Marleyan wine. On hearing Zeke unleash his scream in Shiganshina — as the Warrior unit and Survey Corps were fighting to stop Eren and Zeke from accessing the Founding Titan’s power — Falco turned into a Pure Titan. Fortunately for him, a critically injured Porco allowed himself to be eaten by Falco’s Titan, allowing him to inherit the Jaw Titan.
At the very end of the manga’s storyline, as the battle between the Survey Corps, Warriors, and Eren’s Founding Titan raged, it was hinted that Falco had seen a memory from a previous holder of the Beast Titan who was able to fly. Since the design of Zeke’s Titan held many references to the bodies of primates, it was not a stretch to think that other holders may have gained Titans whose abilities were aligned with different animals. Falco’s Jaw Titan also has a distinct coating of feathers unlike any other version of the Jaw Titan, which reinforces this theory, as such characteristics are normally associated with the Beast Titan.
In this vein, Falco’s is a unique situation where he was able to gain the abilities of a specific Beast Titan to augment his Jaw Titan, much like how Eren, Annie, and Zeke obtained hardening abilities. This also invites speculation on whether Zeke’s royal blood boosted the transfer of special Titan abilities, as such a situation was practically unheard of prior to Falco’s first winged transformation. Moreover, the fact that his Titan was initially depicted without wings is also questionable, as such abilities generally manifest at the first instance itself. Regardless of what the truth may be, the plot contrivance here served the final battle of Attack on Titan fairly well, allowing important members of the main cast to play their part in taking down Eren.
Attack on Titan is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
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