Reiner Braun
Reiner Braun is a central character in Hajime Isayama's manga series Attack on Titan and its adaptations. Graduating second in the 104th Training Corps, he initially serves as a dependable soldier with impressive physical strength and mental fortitude. He is later revealed to be a Warrior from the nation of Marley who holds the power of the Armored Titan. As the narrative progresses into the Marley arc, Reiner serves as a primary perspective character, described by the series creator as another protagonist of the story.
Overview
Reiner Braun is a central character in Hajime Isayama's manga series Attack on Titan and its adaptations. Graduating second in the 104th Training Corps, he initially serves as a dependable soldier with impressive physical strength and mental fortitude. He is later revealed to be a Warrior from the nation of Marley who holds the power of the Armored Titan. As the narrative progresses into the Marley arc, Reiner serves as a primary perspective character, described by the series creator as another protagonist of the story.
Appearance
Reiner is a tall, muscular man with short blonde hair, golden eyes, an angular jawline, prominent brow bones, and a distinct nose shape. At seventeen years of age, he stands 185 centimeters tall and weighs 95 kilograms; by age twenty-one, his height increases to 188 centimeters, while his weight drops to 83 kilograms due to physical and emotional strain, leaving his face noticeably gaunt. In later years, he also sports facial hair. His attire includes the standard uniforms of the 104th Training Corps and the Survey Corps, as well as Marleyan military dress featuring an armband.
Personality
Reiner is naturally calm, responsible, and deeply caring toward his comrades, earning immense trust as an elder-brother figure during his training days. He also harbored a quiet romantic attraction to Krista Lenz. However, the crushing guilt of causing mass destruction while bonding with his wall-dwelling peers fractured his mental state, leading to a split personality between his identity as a wall-defending soldier and a Marleyan warrior. In his later years, although severely tormented by remorse and suicidal despair, his protective nature remains steadfast toward younger warrior candidates such as Gabi Braun and Falco Grice. Following the end of the conflict, he regains his relaxed demeanor, exchanging friendly banter with his former allies.
Abilities
Reiner possesses top-tier physical strength and hand-to-hand combat abilities among his peers, alongside mastery of Vertical Maneuvering Equipment and standard military gear. As the inheritor of the Armored Titan, his titan body is encased in dense armor plates, earning him the title of Marley's Shield for his exceptional defensive endurance and ability to breach fortified gates through sheer force. He can selectively shed sections of his armor to gain speed. Additionally, Reiner can transfer his consciousness into his Titan's nervous system, allowing him to survive otherwise fatal head injuries.
Background
Born in the Liberio Internment Zone to a Marleyan father and an Eldian mother, Reiner enlisted in Marley's Warrior candidate program to achieve Honorary Marleyan status, hoping to reunite his broken family. Evaluated for his endurance and loyalty, he inherited the Armored Titan and was deployed to Paradis Island alongside Bertolt Hoover, Annie Leonhart, and Marcel Galliard. Following Marcel's death en route, Reiner insisted on continuing the mission, personally breaching Wall Maria before infiltrating the wall military as a recruit in the 104th Training Corps. After his identity was exposed, he engaged in multiple battles against his former comrades until retreating back to Marley as the sole original shifter survivor. He later fought in Marleyan conflicts, ultimately joining an alliance with his former 104th peers to halt the Rumbling. Following the eradication of Titan powers, he served as a diplomatic ambassador for peace.
Relationships
Reiner shared a deep bond of mutual respect with Eren Yeager during training, which transformed into a bitter rivalry upon the revelation of his Titan identity, though both ultimately developed a profound mutual understanding of each other's painful burdens. Bertolt Hoover and Annie Leonhart were his fellow Warriors from childhood; Reiner later expressed genuine remorse to Annie for forcing their mission forward. During his recruit days, he harbored a quiet affection for Krista Lenz (Historia Reiss). He acts as a protective mentor to his younger cousin Gabi Braun and candidate Falco Grice, desperate to spare them from inheriting the Armored Titan. His mother, Karina Braun, eventually reconciles with him after realizing the depth of his suffering. Though his past actions caused severe grief to 104th Corps comrades like Jean Kirstein and Connie Springer, they eventually achieved reconciliation and fought side by side.
Trivia
The name Reiner is derived from Old Germanic roots, carrying the meaning of "decisive warrior." Due to his prominent role and the narrative focus given to his perspective in later story arcs, creator Hajime Isayama has referred to Reiner as another protagonist of the series. He consistently ranked among the top characters in official popularity polls, securing positions such as eighth, ninth, and tenth across various votings.
