Bertolt Hoover
Bertolt Hoover is a central character in Hajime Isayama's manga series Attack on Titan and its adaptations. Hailing from Marley as a key member of the Warrior unit, he secretly possesses the power of the Colossal Titan. Within the walls, he graduates third in his class from the 104th Training Corps before eventually joining the Survey Corps alongside his peers. Despite demonstrating exceptional soldiering skills and physical potential, Bertolt exhibits a remarkably passive nature, often deferring decisions to his childhood companion Reiner Braun. Beneath his quiet demeanor lies the heavy burden of an infiltrator torn between his duty as a Warrior and his bond with his fellow cadets.
Overview
Bertolt Hoover is a central character in Hajime Isayama's manga series Attack on Titan and its adaptations. Hailing from Marley as a key member of the Warrior unit, he secretly possesses the power of the Colossal Titan. Within the walls, he graduates third in his class from the 104th Training Corps before eventually joining the Survey Corps alongside his peers. Despite demonstrating exceptional soldiering skills and physical potential, Bertolt exhibits a remarkably passive nature, often deferring decisions to his childhood companion Reiner Braun. Beneath his quiet demeanor lies the heavy burden of an infiltrator torn between his duty as a Warrior and his bond with his fellow cadets.
Appearance
Bertolt is a strikingly tall young man standing 192 cm with short black hair and slightly drooping eyes described as dark or greyish-green. In animated adaptations, he is depicted with a tanned skin tone and is frequently shown sweating. As a cadet and soldier, he wears the standard military uniform consisting of a jacket, inner shirt, and knee-high boots. Even in his Titan form, his bodily contours retain the shape of his human facial structure.
Personality
Bertolt is quiet, modest, and naturally reserved, often describing himself as lacking a strong individual will and relying on others to make decisions. Despite his distant posture, he is deeply empathetic and harbors genuine affection for his fellow soldiers, feeling overwhelming guilt for his deceptive actions. He secretly holds an unrequited romantic interest in Annie Leonhart. Additionally, he exhibits an unusual habit of sleeping in extraordinary, convoluted positions that his peers humorously use to forecast the weather. When pushed to fully embrace his objective, however, he demonstrates unexpected resolve and cold focus, suppressing his personal attachments for the sake of his mission.
Abilities
Graduating third in the 104th Training Corps, Bertolt possesses exceptional physical capacity and mastered all basic combat techniques. His proficiency in marksmanship originally earned him selection as a Warrior candidate in Marley. In human combat, his reflexes allow him to hold his own against elite fighters like Mikasa Ackerman. As the holder of the Colossal Titan, he commands immense physical power, capable of breaching wall gates with kick attacks, producing scorching steam clouds to repel attackers, and generating explosive heat waves upon transformation.
Background
Raised in Marley as a Warrior candidate, Bertolt was chosen to inherit the Colossal Titan and dispatched to Paradis Island alongside Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhart, and Marcel Galliard to reclaim the Founding Titan. At ten years old, he initiated the attack on Wall Maria. Infiltrating human society under the cover of a displaced villager, he enlisted in the 104th Training Corps. While he originally targeted the Military Police to gain access to the royal government, the discovery of Eren Yeager's Titan powers prompted him to join the Survey Corps instead to monitor Eren. Throughout his deployment, he suffered under the intense moral conflict between his duty to Marley and his affection for his fellow cadets.
Relationships
Bertolt shares his closest bond with Reiner Braun, his childhood friend and fellow Warrior who frequently leads their joint operations. He nurtures a quiet, unrequited affection for Annie Leonhart, showing deep concern for her well-being. Among his 104th Training Corps comrades, he holds deep respect for Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert, envying their clear convictions and intellect, though their relationship inevitably fractures into tragic opposition. He also crosses blades with Mikasa Ackerman during close-quarters engagements, recognizing her dangerous martial prowess.
Trivia
During his enlistment in the training corps, Bertolt was excused from Instructor Keith Shardis's harsh initiation ritual due to his claimed history of surviving the Titan attack five years prior. His erratic sleeping positions became an amusing daily routine for his fellow cadets, who treated his body postures as informal weather forecasts and fortune readings. Despite his subdued and non-confrontational reputation among soldiers, his original acceptance into the Marley Warrior candidate program was largely owed to his outstanding marksmanship.
