Attack on Titan: Founding Titan Explained

In “Attack on Titan,” the Founding Titan is a potent titan that controls the All AOT Nine Titans. Once in the possession of the Reiss family, the Coordinate can manipulate the thoughts of both Titans and humans through its screams. This ability, located at the intersection of all paths, is formidable, and Marley is determined to retrieve it. The ancient entity that manifests as Eren Yeager, also known as the Doomsday Titan, is the embodiment of this power. Ymir Fritz, after being killed and abused, discovered the ‘Source of all living matter’ inside a massive tree.

Inscribed on the walls of the Eldian settlement on Paradis Island are her descendants, Maria, Rose, and Sina. The Curse of Ymir, which condemns all Titan shifters to die within 13 years of developing their powers, originated with the loss of the Founding Titan’s power. Power struggles, royal bloodlines, and Eldian history all bear the influence of the Founding Titan. The pursuit of the Attack on Titan Founding Titan is a central theme driving the narrative.

Founding Titan

Attack on Titan Founding Titan Explained

In Attack on Titan, Ymir Fritz was sold into slavery 2,000 years ago by Eldians who lost her village’s tongues. Blamed of letting go of a pig, she was hunted down and harassed by both men and dogs. After taking cover under a tree, she fell into an underground body of water, where she was confronted by an enigmatic being that caused her to change into the first attack on titan Founding Titan. And Ymir worked for Fritz, the king of Eldia, using her Titan form to clear land, construct buildings, and drive out Marley’s army. She became Fritz’s concubine, and the two had three kids together. 

And Karl Fritz received the Founding Titan’s power to erase humanity’s memories of the outside world by constructing the Walls of Maria, Rose, and Sina. And Karl Fritz struck a deal with the Founding Titan to guarantee Eldia’s peace and ultimate destruction. Frieda Reiss occasionally used the Titan’s power after inheriting it for the Reiss family.

In Attack on titan, Only royal blood, specifically from the Fritz or Reiss royal families, could truly unleash the power of the Founding Titan. But even if the Founding Titan belonged to someone not related to the royal family, the power would still be usable if the inheritor had direct contact with a Pure or Intelligent Titan who was descended from the royal line. The dynamics of inheriting and using the Founding Titan became more complex due to the intricate nature of bloodline necessity.

Former Inheritors of Founding Titan in Attack on Titan

  • Ymir Fritz: Defines the start of the Eldian Titans and Acquires the power of Founding Titan following an enigmatic encounter.

  • Karl Fritz: Relocating Eldia’s conflicts, building the Walls, retiring the capital to Paradis Island and starting memory alteration.

  • Rod and Uri’s father: Important in transferring the Founding Titan within the Reiss family. 

  • Uri Reiss: Develops special relationships with Kenny Ackermann.

  • Frieda Reiss: Uri’s short-lived niece, who erases memories with Titan’s powers.

  • Grisha Jaeger: Kills Frieda Reiss in order to bring Eldia back to life.

  • Eren Jaeger: As a result of his father’s injection, Eren inherits the Founding Titan.

The Founding Titan Powers, Explained

The Founding Titan differed from other Titans in that its special powers activated through screams. The possessor of the Founding Titan could utilize its abilities without the need for physical changes, unlike ordinary Titans. The inheritor’s vocal expressions triggered these powers, and the volume or intensity of the screams had no impact on this process. Frieda Reiss illustrated the Founding Titan’s capacity to alter memory through casual conversation, demonstrating that even ordinary speech could have significant effects. This non-traditional method allowed the Founding Titan’s powers to be employed in deeper and more varied ways than traditional Titan transformations.

Controlling Titans of Founding Titan

The Founding Titan can command Titans at will and execute nearly any order due to its ability to control them. Eren Jaeger and Karl Fritz demonstrated that this power can strategically manipulate Titan behavior. Although it is effective against Pure Titans, those with Titan power can still somewhat resist its influence. In the past, this power led to the use of an army of Titans in combat. However, due to their uncontrolled release, Titans have evolved into deadly weapons of mass disaster.

attack on titan founding titan

Titan Creation Power

The amazing power of the Founding Titan to turn Subjects of Ymir into Titans includes the capacity to create Titans as massive as the Colossal Titan. And the Karl Fritz used this enormous power to build the imposing Walls that encircle Paradis Island, creating a powerful barrier for defense. The Attack on Titan storyline’s strategic elements hinged on the Eldians’ ability to create Titans, which ultimately determined their fate both inside and outside the Walls. One of the factors that indirectly led to Eren’s mother Carla Yeager’s death was this ability.

Founding Titan Memory Manipulation

The Founding Titan has the strong capacity to influence the Subjects of Ymir’s thoughts and memories. This power, which is directly related to Titan control, gives the inheritors the capacity to completely change memories. Karl Fritz created a fake history by using this power to erase the memories of the people living inside the Walls. This shows how the Founding Titan’s impact has affected Eldian memories as a whole as well as the Titans their own lives.

Founding Titan Telepathic Communication

The Founding Titan possesses the ability to create telepathic bonds via common paths with every Subject in Ymir. Inheritors like Eren can effectively communicate with every Subject of Ymir and spread messages or announcements to a wide audience through this special kind of communication. The development of the Attack on Titan plot heavily depends on the interconnection of these paths.