Discussion Compilation of the true history and facts about giants

[kkck]

Ok, the story seems pretty convoluted by now and even though it does seem like mysteries will be revealed shortly we still lack a lot of information.

I was thinking we could build a thread where members would link facts then I or a mod would add them to the OP and we could little by little gather all the relevant data concerning the parts of the plot we don't know about. Mainly I would like to compile the following:

Information on titans, their origins and their nature
Information about history of the manga and events concerning the overall plot (so far it seems a decent bit of what we know about history is made out of lies)
Hints about who the enemy really is(I get the feeling that we should already be able to at least grasp who the enemy really is, I just can't put my finger on it).


We could add a few topics to compile information on later on.

Now, the purpose of the thread would not be to just gather information but also to discuss it. I am of the idea that having every relevant piece of data readily available in the OP could help us get a better picture of what is going on here. I would love to get started this second but I really can't. I am hoping to get started tonight.

Another thing which I would like to be able to put here is information about Norse mythology relevant to the symbolism seen in the manga. I myself am not very familiar with Norse mythology so I would find this particularly useful. for example, linking the wikipedia page to castle utgard could be useful. Of course better sources are encourage, specially if they help us get some perspective of what is going on in the manga.

Hopefully tonight I will be able to add some stuff to the OP and with the help of everyone we can gather as many facts as possible. If anyone has any thoughts about other information we could compile information on I am more than open to suggestions.

_____________________________________

Spoiler: History of the manga and events concerning the overall plot

• Year 738 - the year titans showed up
• History of humanity before the walls
• Year 845 - Collosal and Armored titan attack Shiganshina, and break Wall Maria.
• Year 846 - Failed recovery of Wall Maria #2
  
• Year 849 - Ilse Langner expedition

Spoiler: Titans, their origin and nature

• Lack sexual organs
• Vast majority had a male-like physical makeup
• They are very light despite their height.
• Extremely high body temperature
• No interest in any creatures other than humans at all
• (Assumed) No inherent need to eat for survival
• Sunlight affects their activity.
• (Deduced) They're not hunting for food
• Sunny and bean were able to feel pain but expressed it differently
• Varying speed of regeneration
• Extensive damage dealt to nape (of neck) prohibits regeneration
• Titan Briefly speaks to ilse
• humans remains regurgitated once their bellies are full

Spoiler: History of the SnK World and specific plots/events

• "Back in the days, humankind was powerful enough to blow their heads off."
• The world has seas
• Year 844: Mikasa receives a clan tattoo
• Year 847 - Eren, Mikasa and Armin leave the landfills and join the trainees squad
• Mikasa's unusual strength
• Titan that looks like coonie's mom says "welcome back" to connie.
• Ymir reads characters supposedly unknown to other people.
• Ymir says she died.
• ymr saves reyner and berholt as kids
• Information on the walls
• 3d Gear Information

Spoiler: Relevant Norse mythology Symbolism information

• Castle Utgard
• Utgard-loki, a giant and resident of castle utgard.
• Ymir

List of contributors:
kkck
ImmortalZodd
Utsune
Demonspeed
Bandreus

 

[Utsune]

I think this is a brilliant idea kkck, I love it. Definitely using the full potential of our forum!


Sorry for sounding audacious, just want to input some small ideas:

In terms of presenting the information, I think when compiling the evidence, short bullet points will do the trick. In doing so, everything is easier to read/find. This also makes it much easier to compile/sort/write in the long run!


Regarding the thread, I wonder what is the best way to discuss the information. Going by the three suggested topics (History, Titans, Enemy,) discussion under the same thread could turn out pretty messy and difficult to navigate through. Not only so, the first few posts usually decide the topic of discussion and hence discourage the other topics until the current conversation die down.

While making 3 separate threads might start off tidily, they are destined to crossover at some point. Nonetheless, this will definitely promote discussion equally over the three topics, and discussion could gravitate back towards their original topic much easier.

In the latter case, maybe having a really informative first post as reference for each of the three threads will be much easier to sort/find/talk?

 

[kkck]

Bullets are certainly the easiest way to classify information here. I was thinking along the lines of that too. My idea was to have bullets for different points and levels so to speak and have each one give a brief description of a fact presented in the manga (not interpretations of the facts and no more than a line). For instance:

• Titans, their origin and nature
  • Titan first seen talking. In particular, he mentions ymir

Now, as for having 3 threads, I think that might be a future step depending on how this one turns out. If we gather enough facts on each topic then perhaps it would make more sense. Right now I would honestly rather focus on gathering facts and hints regarding the story and its plot.

 

[Utsune]

Ah right I see. Yeah I was wondering if I had misunderstood you ^^;

So basically a chronology-type of list of significant events referencing sources? I agree that should be the best way to go about it!

I can definitely help out whenever I find the time, especially when classes are finally finished!

 

[ImmortalZodd]

• History of the manga and events concerning the overall plot
  • Year 738 - the year titans showed up
  • History of humanity before the walls
  • Year 845 - Collosal and Armored titan attack Shiganshina, and break Wall Maria.
  • Year 846 - Failed recovery of Wall Maria #2
  • Year 847 - Eren, Mikasa and Armin leave the landfills and join the trainees squad
  • Year 849 - Ilse Langner expedition

So here's a bit to get things started. Not sure about year of Ilse's expedition. Hanji said it was last year, but I'm not sure when was the expedition in which Hanji and Levi found the journal.

 

[Utsune]

• Titans, their origin and nature
  • Lack sexual organs
  • Vast majority had a male-like physical makeup
  • Extremely high body temperature
  • No interest in any creatures other than humans at all
  • (Assumed) No inherent need to eat for survival
  • (Deduced) They're not hunting for food
  • Varying speed of regeneration
  • Extensive damage dealt to nape (of neck) prohibits regeneration

• History of the SnK World and specific plots/events
  • "Ever since the past*, humankind was powerful enough to blow their heads off."
  • The world has seas
  • Year 844: Mikasa receives a clan tattoo
  • Mikasa's unusual strength

More to be added later!


Edit: *My own translation

 

[kkck]

Thanks for the contributions.

Just a note though, mangareader is not available in many countries, in particular the united states. For some readers this would be a bit of an inconvenient. It is preferable to use mangapanda when possible, I will make changes to what already is in the OP as soon as I can to fix this.

 

[Utsune]

Thanks for the contributions.

Just a note though, mangareader is not available in many countries, in particular the united states. For some readers this would be a bit of an inconvenient. It is preferable to use mangapanda when possible, I will make changes to what already is in the OP as soon as I can to fix this.

Ah I have no idea! Good idea, thanks for the note

 

[kkck]

Ok, just added a few more things and changed the links so that they would open mangapanda pages. Keep information coming!

 

[Demonspeed]

Titans, their origin and nature

- They are very light despite their height.

- Sunlight affects their activity.

 

[kkck]

I was thinking of adding references of annie and reyner calling themselves warriors. I know where the references are however I am not entirely sure of where to add them in the list. I think this is relevant because it relates to their culture in regards to how they fight and deal with situation. They are warriors, not soldiers, I think this is extremely relevant(in particular to reyner being mentally unstable).

 

[Demonspeed]

Reiner and Bertolt said they were warriors in the last chapter but not Annie. And I don't think you should add them.

 

[kkck]

Annie said she was a warrior well before current chapters although unlike R&B she has only said it once.

---------- Post added at 07:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------

Added this:
http://www.mangareader.net/shingeki-no-kyojin/40/44
Ymir saves reiner and berholt as kids.

 

[Bandreus]

I was thinking of adding references of annie and reyner calling themselves warriors. I know where the references are however I am not entirely sure of where to add them in the list. I think this is relevant because it relates to their culture in regards to how they fight and deal with situation. They are warriors, not soldiers, I think this is extremely relevant(in particular to reyner being mentally unstable).

Since, in light of the latest facts, this seem to be extremely relevant info, I think you should add those references.

I guess adding a new section about Factions in SnK's world would work best. R&B&A all seem to be from the same Faction (warriors, or w/e), while it's pretty much clear Ymir isn't.

Also, there's the whole thing about the True Enemy, which I think is major enough to be mentioned as well.

EDIT: oh I noticed, under the History of the SnK World and specific plots/events spoiler, this event is listed
ymr saves reyner and berholt as kids

like, "saves"? are you sure? It looks more like Ymir was feasting on a friend of theirs. Also, by judging how they look scared as fuck in the following page, I have a hard time believing R&B consider Ymir as having saved them in any possible way.

Change that to "Ymir is shown devouring one of Reiner's and Bertholdt's friends in their childhood memories" or maybe "It's revealed Reiner and Bertholdt already met with Ymir in her Titan form when they were still kids" if you want to keep it more neutral-opinion oriented.

 

[Utsune]

Sorry for the rough formatting, gotta rush off in a sec but just two links I've saved up:

Someone called Keiji (Japanese name!? Oriental race??) (Fits under the SnK world section?)
http://www.mangapanda.com/shingeki-no-kyojin/34/4

Annie more or less calling herself a warrior:
http://www.mangapanda.com/shingeki-no-kyojin/31/40

Reiner and Bertholdt's 'warrior' talk is in volume 10, but I don't have time to find the links yet, will do later!

 

[Bandreus]

cross-posting this here while I'm working on something else entirely

humans remains regurgitated once their bellies are full




[tmod=Knifeshade]Added to OP[/tmod]

 

[kannazuki]

Interesting. Annie says "I'm a failure as a warrior" there when they're imploring her to come underground (into the dark). In the latest chapter, Reiner says there are some titans who are active at night, and looks to Ymir as someone who should know that very well already. I suppose all warriors are expected to be able to fight in the dark then. After all, we've seen Reiner and Bert do so in recent chapters, I believe... *goes to check*

*edit*
Actually it's dawn in chapter 42 (look at the sky) from what I can tell...

Spoiler

Still not a time when most titans are likely active though, since it was apparently safe enough for them to run to the giant forest between walls Rose and Maria.

 

[dabrickmaster]

Wouldn't it be easier to put all these facts in something like Google Docs or a Wiki?


Anyways, as for other facts I've noticed:

- The currently known Titan Shifters except Ymir (Annie, Reiner, Bert, Eren) have German names. Historia Reiss also seems to be a German name.

There is, however, possibility that Annie, Reiner and Bert falsified their names just like Historia who's currently under alias Christa​

- Some titans (Annie and the titans in wall) are capable of covering themselves over with an extremely hard material.

It seems to me like this is a form of hibernation, and some real life animals like water bears are capable of going into a similar defensive hibernating state for decades and then reactivate when conditions are better​

- Ape Titan didn't know what 3D gear tech is and didn't know that humans were aware of titans' weak point.

 

[Bandreus]

- The currently known Titan Shifters except Ymir (Annie, Reiner, Bert, Eren) have German names. Historia Reiss also seems to be a German name.

I'd like to point out it's not just Titan-Shifters. In fact the vast majority of the characters in SnK all have German (or otherwise Northern European) names/surnames, all down to minor characters from the main cast.

A few examples: Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Jean Kirstein, Connie Springer, Sasha Blaus, Thomas Wagner, Millius Zermusky, Erwin Smith, Ilse Langner, Auruo Bossard, Gunter Schultz.

So I guess no meaningful info can be derived from the origin of the characters' names other than the author simply decided to go for those kind of names.

Otherwise one would think ALL characters in SnK are Titan-Shifters in disguise. Which wouldn't be THAT far from a possible truth either, now that I think of it LOL xD

 

[dabrickmaster]

Well I thought Mikasa was a Japanese name, and they did say she was an Orient.

Now I realize that vast majority of names are German, but then there's some names like Ymir and Rivaille sounds French. Then there's Hanji and Keiji which are also Oriental names.

But point is, overall the fact wasn't supposed to suggest something ridiculous like "ALL characters in SnK are Titan-Shifters in disguise" but to suggest that there is probably something really significant or relevance of the races in the SnK world which could help in understanding what the world was like before/after or inside/outside the Walls. I mean we learn that in each of the villages within the walls, there's a lot of different kinds of people and cultures. You got mountaineers, you got Sasha's hunting people, the religious wall cult, Ymir's people, the Orients, etc. In fact I think that the fact that the vast majority of the people within the walls are German says something important about what happened 100 years or multiple centuries ago.