Bertolt Hoover 🗿 || Attack on Titan || AOT || SNK

BERTOLT HOOVER:

Full Name: Bertolt Hoover

Alias: Colossal Titan

Birth Year: 832

Age: about 21 years old

Height: 192 cm

Weight: 81 kg

Affiliation: Marley Warriors; 104th Training Corps; Survey Corps (undercover)

Origin: Liberio Internment Zone, Marley

Titan Power: Colossal Titan

Physical Appearance: Very tall; short dark brown hair; brown eyes; slim build; long face; usually neutral or timid expression

Personality Traits (confirmed): Quiet; reserved; submissive; emotionally sensitive; loyal to Reiner; obedient; conflict-avoidant; struggles with guilt; capable of emotional detachment when necessary

Combat Skills: Skilled in ODM gear; trained Marleyan Warrior; highly destructive transformation ability as Colossal Titan (massive explosion and steam emission)

Close Associates: Reiner Braun; Annie Leonhart

Romantic Feelings (confirmed): Had feelings for Annie Leonhart

Notable Characteristics: Often followed Reiner’s lead; struggled internally with mission on Paradis; showed moments of cold resolve during final confrontation in Shiganshina

Status: Deceased (eaten by Armin Arlert in 850)

Quiet and soft-spoken

Introverted

Socially withdrawn

Observant

Emotionally sensitive

Hesitant in decision-making

Conflict-avoidant

Dependent on Reiner’s leadership during early infiltration

Loyal to Marley and the Warrior mission

Loyal to Reiner and Annie

Internally conflicted about the mission on Paradis

Experiences guilt over civilian casualties

Capable of emotional suppression when necessary

Mentally resilient despite long-term undercover stress

Patient and able to maintain a long deception

Skilled in military training and ODM gear use

Highly destructive combatant when transformed

Strategic when forced into direct confrontation (e.g., Battle of Shiganshina)

Able to remain calm under pressure during critical combat moments

Initially submissive in personality compared to Reiner

Gains visible resolve and emotional detachment near his final battle

Shows romantic feelings toward Annie Leonhart

Aware of the moral weight of his actions

Accepts responsibility for his role as the Colossal Titan

Shows sadness and regret before death

Not naturally cruel; violence framed as duty rather than enjoyment

Bertolt Hoover is a central antagonist in Attack on Titan and one of the Marleyan Warriors sent to infiltrate Paradis Island. He was born in the Liberio Internment Zone in Marley in the year 832 and was chosen as a Warrior candidate, inheriting the power of the Colossal Titan. As a child soldier trained by Marley, he was deployed to Paradis alongside Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart with the mission to retrieve the Founding Titan. In the year 845, he was responsible for breaching Wall Maria by transforming into the Colossal Titan, an event that directly led to the fall of Shiganshina and massive civilian casualties.

Physically, Bertolt is notably tall at 192 cm, with short dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a slim build. He typically maintains a quiet, reserved demeanor and often appears emotionally distant or subdued. During his time undercover in the 104th Training Corps, he kept a low profile, rarely asserting himself and generally following Reiner’s lead. Despite this submissive outward behavior, he successfully endured years of psychological strain while maintaining his false identity.

His Titan form, the Colossal Titan, is distinguished by its immense size and extreme heat emission. His transformations generate a massive explosion capable of widespread destruction, and he can release scalding steam to repel attackers, sacrificing mobility for defense. During the Battle of Shiganshina in 850, he demonstrated strategic awareness and a much firmer resolve, openly acknowledging his role in the devastation and accepting responsibility for his actions without denial.

Bertolt is confirmed to have had romantic feelings for Annie Leonhart, though he never fully confessed them. Internally, he struggled with guilt over the suffering he caused but ultimately reaffirmed his loyalty to Marley and his mission. He was defeated during the battle to retake Shiganshina and was captured by the Survey Corps. Armin Arlert was subsequently transformed into a Pure Titan and consumed Bertolt, inheriting the power of the Colossal Titan. His death marked the end of his role in the story, but his actions had lasting consequences for both Marley and Paradis.

Bertolt Hoover

Bertolt Hoover (ベルトルト・フーバー), often romanized as Bertholdt Hoover, is one of the most psychologically restrained yet narratively devastating figures in Attack on Titan and its manga counterpart. He is the inheritor of the Colossal Titan, the silent pillar beside Reiner Braun, and a character defined not by overt aggression but by quiet submission, suppressed guilt, and tragic inevitability. Below is a fully canon-accurate, comprehensive biography and timeline based strictly on official manga material and the Attack on Titan Wiki.

Early Life in Marley (Year 832–845)

Bertolt was born in Year 832 in the Liberio Internment Zone of Marley. Like all Eldians living in Marley, he grew up under systemic discrimination, indoctrinated with the belief that the Eldians of Paradis Island were devils responsible for the world’s suffering.

Unlike Reiner, Bertolt did not exhibit intense nationalism or ambition. Canon describes him as naturally timid, quiet, and physically unimposing. His motivation for becoming a Warrior candidate was largely tied to wanting to support his ailing father. His father suffered from a terminal illness, and Marley promised improved medical care and honorary Marleyan status to the families of successful Warriors. This was Bertolt’s primary driving force — not ideology, but filial responsibility.

In Year 845, after inheriting the Colossal Titan, Bertolt joined the Paradis infiltration mission alongside Reiner Braun (Armored Titan), Annie Leonhart (Female Titan), and Marcel Galliard (Jaw Titan). Shortly after arriving on Paradis, Marcel was devoured by Ymir’s Pure Titan, destabilizing the mission psychologically, especially for Reiner. Bertolt remained outwardly passive, often deferring to Reiner’s increasingly unstable leadership.

The Fall of Wall Maria (Year 845)

At age 13, Bertolt performed one of the most catastrophic acts in human history. Transforming into the Colossal Titan, he breached Wall Maria at Shiganshina District. The explosion from his transformation annihilated the gate and allowed Titans to flood into the district, resulting in mass civilian casualties.

After this, he resumed human form and infiltrated the 104th Training Corps under false identity.

Life as a Soldier Inside the Walls (Years 845–850)

Bertolt ranked third in the 104th Training Corps, behind Mikasa Ackerman and Reiner Braun. He displayed exceptional aptitude in vertical maneuvering equipment and composure under pressure. However, socially he remained distant and soft-spoken.

He formed genuine bonds with fellow cadets including:

Eren Yeager

Armin Arlert

Jean Kirstein

Mikasa Ackerman

He also developed deep, unspoken romantic feelings for Annie Leonhart. Canon portrays this attachment as sincere and long-lasting, influencing his emotional state until his death.

Unlike Reiner, Bertolt did not develop a split personality. Instead, he internalized guilt quietly. His defining psychological trait was passivity — he rarely asserted himself, often following Reiner’s lead even when uncertain.

Revelation and Warrior Conflict (Year 850)

During the events following the Female Titan arc, Reiner — in a moment of mental fracture — revealed their identities to Eren. Bertolt confirmed this calmly, though visibly shaken.

When negotiations failed, he transformed into the Colossal Titan during the Battle of Shiganshina (second breach of Wall Maria). This transformation was one of the most destructive in the series, producing a blast comparable to a small nuclear detonation and causing massive devastation.

Unlike earlier appearances, this time Bertolt demonstrated full combat intent. He emitted intense steam to repel the Survey Corps, using the Colossal Titan’s heat as both shield and weapon. For the first time, he openly declared that while he did not hate the people inside the Walls, he would still kill them because that was his duty.

This marks a crucial psychological shift: Bertolt accepts moral ambiguity. He admits they were not devils — but proceeds regardless.

Death (Year 850)

In the climax of the Return to Shiganshina arc, Armin Arlert devised a strategy to exhaust Bertolt’s steam emission by allowing himself to be burned alive while distracting him. Bertolt hesitated upon realizing Armin’s willingness to sacrifice himself.

During that hesitation, Eren severed the Colossal Titan’s nape, capturing Bertolt in human form.

Later, when only one Titan serum remained, Commander Erwin Smith and Armin were both near death. Levi Ackerman chose Armin to inherit the Colossal Titan. Bertolt was injected with Titan serum and devoured by Armin in pure Titan form.

His final moments were desperate. He cried out for Reiner and Annie, reaching toward his former comrades in terror. Neither could save him.

He died in Year 850 at age 17.

Abilities and Titan Physiology

As the Colossal Titan holder, Bertolt possessed:

Massive 60-meter Titan body

Transformation explosion capable of leveling districts

Controlled steam emission used offensively and defensively

High endurance but slow mobility

Ability to partially transform

He demonstrated better emotional control in Titan form than many other shifters. His final battle showed tactical awareness and composure, contradicting earlier impressions of weakness.

Psychological Profile

Bertolt’s defining characteristics:

Chronic passivity

Strong loyalty

Suppressed guilt

Emotional repression

Deep attachment to Annie

Moral awareness without resistance

He differs from Reiner fundamentally. Reiner fractured under contradiction. Bertolt endured it silently.

He understood the people inside the Walls were not devils. He stated openly: “Nobody is wrong. There was nothing we could do.” This line encapsulates his worldview — fatalistic determinism rather than hatred.

Complete Timeline

Year 832 – Born in Liberio Internment Zone, Marley. Year 845 (age 13) – Inherits Colossal Titan. Participates in Paradis mission. Breaches Wall Maria. 845–850 – Lives undercover inside Walls as cadet. Year 850 – Identity revealed. Participates in multiple battles. Transforms during Return to Shiganshina. Year 850 – Captured and devoured by Armin Arlert. Titan power transfers.

After his death, Armin inherits memories of previous Colossal Titan holders, including Bertolt’s residual emotional impressions — notably his feelings toward Annie.

Legacy

Bertolt’s legacy is paradoxical. He is one of the most destructive figures in the series — responsible for initiating the fall of Wall Maria — yet he is not ideologically cruel. He embodies the tragedy of indoctrinated child soldiers.

His life represents:

The cost of obedience

The weight of inherited hatred

The quiet suffering of those who follow rather than lead

Unlike Eren, who chose radical agency, or Reiner, who fractured under guilt, Bertolt accepted his role with resigned sorrow.

There is no canonical continuation of his existence after death beyond memory inheritance through Armin. His future ended at seventeen.