Last updated: 15 November 2026. This guide contains full spoilers for Attack on Titan.
There are nine Titans in Attack on Titan: the Founding, Attack, Colossal, Armored, Female, Beast, Jaw, Cart and War Hammer Titans. Each is a unique power that passes from one person to the next, and each holder dies thirteen years after inheriting it. Here is what every one of the nine can do and who holds it during the story.
Table of Contents
The Nine Titans at a glance
| Titan | Signature power | Holders in the story |
|---|---|---|
| Founding Titan | Controls other Titans and can alter the memories and bodies of Eldians | Frieda Reiss, Grisha Yeager, Eren Yeager |
| Attack Titan | Sees the memories of future holders; always pushes forward for freedom | Eren Kruger, Grisha Yeager, Eren Yeager |
| Colossal Titan | Enormous size; releases explosive heat and steam when transforming | Bertholdt Hoover, Armin Arlert |
| Armored Titan | Hardened plating over the whole body | Reiner Braun |
| Female Titan | Versatile fighter; selective hardening and a scream that draws Pure Titans | Annie Leonhart |
| Beast Titan | Takes an animal form; Zeke’s throws objects with deadly accuracy | Tom Ksaver, Zeke Yeager |
| Jaw Titan | Small and fast, with jaws and claws that can break almost anything | Marcel Galliard, Ymir, Porco Galliard, Falco Grice |
| Cart Titan | Four-legged, with huge endurance; can stay transformed for months | Pieck Finger |
| War Hammer Titan | Creates weapons and structures from hardened Titan flesh | Lara Tybur, Eren Yeager |
Where the Nine Titans come from
All nine trace back to Ymir Fritz, the first Titan, who lived about 2,000 years before the story. When she died, her power was split among her descendants and eventually became nine separate Titans. Only Eldians, the people descended from her, can inherit them.
A Titan passes on when its holder is eaten by a Pure Titan, which then turns back into a human with the power. If a holder dies without being eaten, the power is reborn in a random Eldian baby.
The Curse of Ymir
Ymir Fritz died thirteen years after gaining her power, and no holder can outlive her. Anyone who inherits one of the nine has thirteen years left. This is why Marley’s Warriors are chosen as children, and why time is running out for Eren, Armin and Reiner through the final seasons.
Each Titan explained
Founding Titan
The most powerful of the nine. Its scream can command every Titan and reshape Eldian memories, but it only works fully for someone of royal blood, or a holder in contact with a royal-blooded Titan. Eren uses that loophole through Zeke to start the Rumbling.
Attack Titan
Eren’s first Titan. Its hidden ability is that a holder can receive memories from those who come after, which is how Eren influences his father Grisha in the past.
Colossal Titan
Around 60 metres tall. Bertholdt uses it to breach Wall Maria in the first episode. Armin inherits it at Shiganshina and its transformation blast becomes a weapon in itself.
Armored Titan
Reiner’s Titan, covered in hardened armour that makes it a living battering ram. It breaks the inner gate of Wall Maria.
Female Titan
Annie’s Titan is the best all-rounder: fast, skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and able to harden parts of its body at will.
Beast Titan
Its form depends on the holder. Zeke’s is ape-like and fights from range by hurling crushed boulders. Zeke’s royal blood also lets him turn Eldians who have taken in his spinal fluid into Titans.
Jaw Titan
The smallest and quickest. Its jaws can bite through hardened Titan crystal, which is how the War Hammer Titan is finally cracked. It changes hands more than any other Titan in the series.
Cart Titan
Pieck’s Titan walks on all fours and carries weapons and cargo on its back. Its strength is stamina: Pieck can remain transformed far longer than any other holder.
War Hammer Titan
Held in secret by the Tybur family for generations. It builds spikes, hammers and crossbows out of hardened flesh, and its operator can control it from a crystal at a distance. Eren takes it in Liberio.
Is the Smiling Titan one of the nine?
No. The Smiling Titan that eats Eren’s mother is a Pure Titan, a mindless one with no special power. It is later revealed to be Dina Fritz, Grisha’s first wife. Because she has royal blood, Eren touching her is what first triggers the Founding Titan’s power.
Nine Titans FAQs
Which is the strongest Titan?
The Founding Titan, because it can control all the others.
How many Titans does Eren have?
Three: the Attack, Founding and War Hammer Titans.
Who has the Jaw Titan at the end?
Falco Grice.
Who is the Beast Titan?
Zeke Yeager, Eren’s half-brother, for most of the story. Tom Ksaver held it before him.
What happens to the Titans at the end?
The power of the Titans disappears from the world, and every holder and Pure Titan becomes human again.