Who is the Colossal Titan in Attack on Titan? Explained

In Hajime Isayama's popular manga and anime series Attack on Titan, few events match the dramatic first appearance of the Colossal Titan. Towering 60 meters over Wall Maria, the Colossal Titan kicks open Shiganshina’s gate and vanishes in a cloud of steam.

Viewers quickly understand two facts: this Titan is powerful, and its identity is key to the story's mysteries. The gradual reveal that a quiet cadet named Bertholdt Hoover controls the creature changes how people see heroes, monsters, and the moral complexity in a world built on lies.

People in the story call the Colossal Titan a disaster, but fans soon learn that some Titans are tools controlled by a human. Discovering who that human is reveals the governmental structures supporting the story and is essential for understanding the long conflict between Marley and Eldia.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the Attack on Titan manga.

Inheritance and abilities of the Colossal Titan in Attack on Titan

The Colossal Titan, as shown in anime (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA)

Experts on Eldian history track the Colossal Titan's origins to the Titans created after Ymir Fritz's death, but few details remain of its first holder in Attack on Titan. By Bertholdt's time, the power had been passed among regular Eldian warriors under Marley's control, reflecting their practical approach to warfare.

They used replaceable Eldian children to take over from fallen fighters. As a candidate from the Liberio internment zone, Bertholdt was taught that his heritage was a sin to be redeemed through service. This training ensured his loyalty upon inheriting the 60-meter form after consuming the previous holder.

When the mission started, Marley sent Bertholdt, Reiner Braun, Annie Leonhart, and Marcel Galliard to Paradis with made-up histories. Bertholdt spent three years in the 104th Cadet Corps, hiding his true nature. His control of the Titan came from a soldier's duty, not a hero's conviction.

The Colossal Titan's most obvious trait is its huge height. Standing over four times taller than regular Titans, it makes normal walls useless. This height lowers enemy morale and gives its holder a commanding view of any battlefield, allowing for superior strategic awareness.

The muscle strength supporting this size, however, offers very poor stamina. This forces the holder to use the form for short, impactful periods, as it burns through muscle mass much faster than the other Nine Titans. This trade-off is a key strategic factor in its deployment.

The Titan also has a special heat-based attack system. By releasing pressurized hot steam, it creates vapor blasts capable of incinerating soldiers and structures. This terrifying display of heat is often more effective at routing enemies than direct combat, despite its high energy cost.

Narrative impact and legacy of the Colossal Titan

While its initial attack establishes Attack on Titan as a survival story, the later reveal of its wielder's identity shifts the narrative toward a global conflict of disloyalty. The 104th Cadet Corps' training sessions later take on disturbing hints, as they realize their shy roommate was the source of their shared trauma.

That feeling further intensifies when Reiner breaks down and admits the truth on top of Wall Rose. The Colossal Titan transforms from a monster into a symbol of foreign government invasion. Every subsequent appearance carries this symbolic weight in addition to its direct destructive power.

During the Return to Shiganshina arc, Bertholdt uses the Colossal Titan for the last time. It acts as both a physical barrier and a thematic mirror to Armin's self-sacrifice. When Armin eats Bertholdt, the Titan becomes a new tool, wielded by a strategist as a planned deterrent, rather than an instrument of empire.

Bertholdt's death marks only the midpoint of the Colossal Titan's story. In the final arcs, Armin's explosive transformation destroys Marley's fleet at Liberio's harbor. He turns the terrifying form into a key part of his allies' desperate strategy to even the odds.

This emphasizes Isayama's main idea: weapons are not inherently good or evil; their morality is defined by the wielder. Bertholdt's role foreshadows Armin's later struggles as a keeper of peace who understands the immense cost of unleashing such a devastating power.

The legacy also lives in the memories of Paradis. Survivors recall the Titan's shadow, connecting Bertholdt's quiet nature with the monster.

Conclusion

The Colossal Titan appears for the first time in Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio, MAPPA).

The Colossal Titan's identity is found not just in its 60-meter form, but in the human situations each holder brings to it. From Bertholdt’s reluctant service to Marley to Armin’s desperate defense of his allies, the same weapon shapes history based on its wielder's choices.

Recognizing the person inside the nape is essential to understanding how Attack on Titan balances scale, memory, and morality. The Titan is more than a monster; it is a reflection of the person inside and the world that created them, making its story a pillar of the series' narrative.