OVA
Description
Ilse Langner was a soldier in the Survey Corps who participated in the 34th expedition outside the Walls, serving as a member of the left wing of the second brigade. Physically, she bore a notable resemblance to another character, Ymir, possessing short black hair parted to the side, lightly tanned skin, and gold-colored eyes with small patches of freckles below each one. She stood 160 centimeters tall and wore the standard uniform of the Survey Corps, complete with the signature green cape.
During the disastrous 34th expedition, Ilse's entire flank was massacred, leaving her as the sole survivor. With her horse lost and her omni-directional mobility gear broken beyond use, she was forced to flee on foot toward a nearby forest, hoping to find a route back to the Walls. Knowing that her chances of survival were slim, she took out a notebook and began documenting her experiences, hoping that her notes might prove useful to humanity even if she did not survive. This action revealed a meticulous nature and a strong sense of purpose, as she continued writing even while fleeing for her life.
Her personality emerges vividly in her final moments. Ilse appeared to be quite emotional yet brave, attempting to stand firm even in moments of despair. She was a devoted and intelligent soldier who thought of herself as a proud member of the Survey Corps and resolved to do whatever she could to benefit humanity. She also cared deeply for her family, regretting during her last moments that she had not been able to give anything back to her parents. Official statistics for Ilse rate her abilities as follows: inquisitiveness 10, brain war 7, cooperation 7, power of action 6, martial arts 6. Her exceptionally high inquisitiveness score reflects her drive to record and understand the world around her.
After fleeing into the forest, Ilse inadvertently encountered a Titan that chased her and cornered her against a tree. However, instead of immediately eating her, this Titan hesitated and behaved unexpectedly, leading Ilse to question if it was an Abnormal. Astonishingly, the Titan began to speak, saying "a subject of Ymir" and "Lady Ymir... Well met," while bowing in what appeared to be reverence. Confused by this unprecedented event, Ilse questioned the Titan about the nature of Titans and their origin, writing every question and the Titan's reactions in her notebook. The Titan did not respond coherently but instead moaned in increasing frustration. When Ilse angrily yelled at it, asking why Titans eat humans and calling them useless lumps of flesh that should disappear from the world, the agitated Titan began tearing off its own cheeks in a gruesome display of distress. Horrified, Ilse attempted to flee but was quickly caught. She continued writing even as the Titan prepared to devour her, documenting the situation until her death. After killing her, the Titan did not consume her body but instead placed it inside a tree.
Ilse's notebook was discovered one year later by Hange Zoë and Levi Ackerman during another expedition. The contents of her notebook proved to be of immense value, documenting what may have been the first recorded instance of a human communicating with a Titan. This discovery motivated Hange to formally request that Commander Erwin Smith restart operations to capture Titans alive, an initiative that had been suspended for fifteen years. The notebook thus became a key piece of evidence in humanity's struggle to understand the true nature of Titans. Hange personally returned Ilse's belongings, including the notebook and her jacket with its identifying armband, to her parents. Later, during the Battle of Shiganshina District, Ilse appeared among the fallen Survey Corps comrades in Erwin Smith's mind as he questioned whether their deaths had meaning. The Titan that killed Ilse was eventually slain by Levi Ackerman when the Survey Corps returned to the location where she had died. The encounter reveals that the Titan had once been a human who worshipped Ymir, and it mistook Ilse for Ymir due to their physical resemblance, which explained its reverent behavior.
During the disastrous 34th expedition, Ilse's entire flank was massacred, leaving her as the sole survivor. With her horse lost and her omni-directional mobility gear broken beyond use, she was forced to flee on foot toward a nearby forest, hoping to find a route back to the Walls. Knowing that her chances of survival were slim, she took out a notebook and began documenting her experiences, hoping that her notes might prove useful to humanity even if she did not survive. This action revealed a meticulous nature and a strong sense of purpose, as she continued writing even while fleeing for her life.
Her personality emerges vividly in her final moments. Ilse appeared to be quite emotional yet brave, attempting to stand firm even in moments of despair. She was a devoted and intelligent soldier who thought of herself as a proud member of the Survey Corps and resolved to do whatever she could to benefit humanity. She also cared deeply for her family, regretting during her last moments that she had not been able to give anything back to her parents. Official statistics for Ilse rate her abilities as follows: inquisitiveness 10, brain war 7, cooperation 7, power of action 6, martial arts 6. Her exceptionally high inquisitiveness score reflects her drive to record and understand the world around her.
After fleeing into the forest, Ilse inadvertently encountered a Titan that chased her and cornered her against a tree. However, instead of immediately eating her, this Titan hesitated and behaved unexpectedly, leading Ilse to question if it was an Abnormal. Astonishingly, the Titan began to speak, saying "a subject of Ymir" and "Lady Ymir... Well met," while bowing in what appeared to be reverence. Confused by this unprecedented event, Ilse questioned the Titan about the nature of Titans and their origin, writing every question and the Titan's reactions in her notebook. The Titan did not respond coherently but instead moaned in increasing frustration. When Ilse angrily yelled at it, asking why Titans eat humans and calling them useless lumps of flesh that should disappear from the world, the agitated Titan began tearing off its own cheeks in a gruesome display of distress. Horrified, Ilse attempted to flee but was quickly caught. She continued writing even as the Titan prepared to devour her, documenting the situation until her death. After killing her, the Titan did not consume her body but instead placed it inside a tree.
Ilse's notebook was discovered one year later by Hange Zoë and Levi Ackerman during another expedition. The contents of her notebook proved to be of immense value, documenting what may have been the first recorded instance of a human communicating with a Titan. This discovery motivated Hange to formally request that Commander Erwin Smith restart operations to capture Titans alive, an initiative that had been suspended for fifteen years. The notebook thus became a key piece of evidence in humanity's struggle to understand the true nature of Titans. Hange personally returned Ilse's belongings, including the notebook and her jacket with its identifying armband, to her parents. Later, during the Battle of Shiganshina District, Ilse appeared among the fallen Survey Corps comrades in Erwin Smith's mind as he questioned whether their deaths had meaning. The Titan that killed Ilse was eventually slain by Levi Ackerman when the Survey Corps returned to the location where she had died. The encounter reveals that the Titan had once been a human who worshipped Ymir, and it mistook Ilse for Ymir due to their physical resemblance, which explained its reverent behavior.