Movie
Description
Bertholdt Hoover is a character from the anime Attack on Titan Part 2 – Jiyuu no Tsubasa. He is a graduate of the 104th Training Corps, where he achieved the third-highest rank, and is a childhood friend of Reiner Braun. Originating from Marley, Bertholdt is an Eldian who was sent to Paradis Island on a mission to recover the Founding Titan, which required him to infiltrate the military within the Walls. He is the human inheritor of the power of the Colossal Titan, a form he used to breach the gate of Shiganshina District, an act that led to immense suffering and directly made him a major antagonist.
Physically, Bertholdt is notably tall and slender, possessing short dark hair and dark eyes. In his human form, his personality is defined by a quiet and reserved nature. He is often described as taciturn and lacking in initiative, with a self-admitted weak will that causes him to follow popular opinion rather than assert himself. He considers himself a coward, preferring to remain in the background, a view that was noted by his instructor Keith Shadis who saw great potential in him that was hindered by his lack of resolve. Despite this passive exterior, Bertholdt is driven to action when his comrades, particularly Reiner, are threatened, revealing a deep-seated devotion to his fellow Warriors, Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart.
Bertholdt's motivations are rooted in his life as an Eldian in Marley, where he and his family were subjected to a regime that required service as a Warrior to gain any measure of security or rights; it is understood that he joined the Warrior program partly due to his father's illness, as being an honorable Marleyan was necessary to receive proper medical care. His primary mission was to eradicate humanity within the Walls and retrieve the Founding Titan, a goal he rationalized as an unavoidable reality rather than a personal choice. This mission created a profound internal conflict, as he formed genuine bonds with his fellow cadets in the 104th Training Corps, including Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert, and Mikasa Ackerman. He refers to these individuals as cherished friends, and his actions are carried out with visible guilt and sorrow, insisting that none of them are at fault but that they must die regardless.
Within the story of the movie, which compiles events from the first season of the anime, Bertholdt serves as a sleeper agent hiding in plain sight. His role is initially that of a quiet and supportive background figure within the 104th Corps, but he is secretly responsible for the catastrophic breach of Wall Maria and the subsequent invasion of Titans. Key relationships defining his character include his bond with Reiner Braun, which is central to his sense of purpose and identity. The two are inseparable and share the burden of their mission, often discussing their desire to return to their hometown. His relationship with the protagonist, Eren Yeager, is defined by tragedy, as Bertholdt was the instrument of the destruction of Eren's home and the death of his mother, Carla Yeager. Despite this, he shows Eren a degree of respect, once offering him advice on using vertical maneuvering equipment.
Bertholdt undergoes significant development as the series progresses, transforming from a passive, guilt-ridden individual into a more detached and cold executor of his duty. In critical moments, he is able to suppress his emotions to efficiently carry out his mission, rationalizing the violence as an inevitable part of a cruel world and expressing disappointment when his former comrades survive his attacks. This shift allows him to face his friends as a determined antagonist rather than a hesitant spy.
As the Colossal Titan, Bertholdt possesses abilities that are unparalleled in scale and destructive power. His Titan form stands approximately 60 meters tall, making it the largest Titan encountered, and it is characterized by a lack of skin, exposing its underlying muscle tissue, and constantly emitting superheated steam. The Colossal Titan can produce a massive explosion upon transformation and can release this steam at high pressure as a defensive mechanism to burn attackers and obscure vision, though this act consumes its muscle mass and limits its mobility. Unlike smaller Titans, the Colossal Titan cannot move quickly, but its sheer size allows it to easily destroy fortified gates, as it did in Shiganshina and Trost Districts. Bertholdt's proficiency with his Titan form is such that he could use its power almost immediately after inheriting it, and he is also noted for his skill with firearms and sword fighting in human form.
Physically, Bertholdt is notably tall and slender, possessing short dark hair and dark eyes. In his human form, his personality is defined by a quiet and reserved nature. He is often described as taciturn and lacking in initiative, with a self-admitted weak will that causes him to follow popular opinion rather than assert himself. He considers himself a coward, preferring to remain in the background, a view that was noted by his instructor Keith Shadis who saw great potential in him that was hindered by his lack of resolve. Despite this passive exterior, Bertholdt is driven to action when his comrades, particularly Reiner, are threatened, revealing a deep-seated devotion to his fellow Warriors, Reiner Braun and Annie Leonhart.
Bertholdt's motivations are rooted in his life as an Eldian in Marley, where he and his family were subjected to a regime that required service as a Warrior to gain any measure of security or rights; it is understood that he joined the Warrior program partly due to his father's illness, as being an honorable Marleyan was necessary to receive proper medical care. His primary mission was to eradicate humanity within the Walls and retrieve the Founding Titan, a goal he rationalized as an unavoidable reality rather than a personal choice. This mission created a profound internal conflict, as he formed genuine bonds with his fellow cadets in the 104th Training Corps, including Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert, and Mikasa Ackerman. He refers to these individuals as cherished friends, and his actions are carried out with visible guilt and sorrow, insisting that none of them are at fault but that they must die regardless.
Within the story of the movie, which compiles events from the first season of the anime, Bertholdt serves as a sleeper agent hiding in plain sight. His role is initially that of a quiet and supportive background figure within the 104th Corps, but he is secretly responsible for the catastrophic breach of Wall Maria and the subsequent invasion of Titans. Key relationships defining his character include his bond with Reiner Braun, which is central to his sense of purpose and identity. The two are inseparable and share the burden of their mission, often discussing their desire to return to their hometown. His relationship with the protagonist, Eren Yeager, is defined by tragedy, as Bertholdt was the instrument of the destruction of Eren's home and the death of his mother, Carla Yeager. Despite this, he shows Eren a degree of respect, once offering him advice on using vertical maneuvering equipment.
Bertholdt undergoes significant development as the series progresses, transforming from a passive, guilt-ridden individual into a more detached and cold executor of his duty. In critical moments, he is able to suppress his emotions to efficiently carry out his mission, rationalizing the violence as an inevitable part of a cruel world and expressing disappointment when his former comrades survive his attacks. This shift allows him to face his friends as a determined antagonist rather than a hesitant spy.
As the Colossal Titan, Bertholdt possesses abilities that are unparalleled in scale and destructive power. His Titan form stands approximately 60 meters tall, making it the largest Titan encountered, and it is characterized by a lack of skin, exposing its underlying muscle tissue, and constantly emitting superheated steam. The Colossal Titan can produce a massive explosion upon transformation and can release this steam at high pressure as a defensive mechanism to burn attackers and obscure vision, though this act consumes its muscle mass and limits its mobility. Unlike smaller Titans, the Colossal Titan cannot move quickly, but its sheer size allows it to easily destroy fortified gates, as it did in Shiganshina and Trost Districts. Bertholdt's proficiency with his Titan form is such that he could use its power almost immediately after inheriting it, and he is also noted for his skill with firearms and sword fighting in human form.