All 11 Titan Types In Attack On Titan Explained

1 hour ago 7

Attack on Titan titans - Anime Featured Image

Updated Jun 14, 2026, 6:01 PM EDT

Warning: Spoilers for Attack on Titan

Few anime manage to balance sheer terror and deep worldbuilding the way Attack on Titan does with its Titans. What starts as a seemingly simple human-eating threat quickly evolves into a layered system of distinct Titan classifications, each with its own traits, origins, and implications for the world behind the Walls.

As Eren Yeager’s understanding of Titans deepens, so too does the scope of what they represent, shifting from mindless monsters to tools of war, carriers of memory, and even symbols of near-mythic power. From the instinct-driven Pure Titans to the reality-warping influence of the Founding Titan, each form reveals another piece of the series’ unsettling puzzle until the finale. Here are all 11 Attack on Titan Titan types explained.

The Pure Titans

Pure Titans resemble humans but with varying levels of enlarged forms. The majority of the observed Titans, both in the manga and the anime, belong to this category, their overarching feature being their inability to form and process thoughts.

Despite being made similarly to other Titan types, Pure Titans are mindless and tend to attack without discrimination. They are dangerous due to their sheer numbers, formidable strength, and enormous size. Pure Titans have been used as weapons of war, first by Eldia and then by Marley, and can only be killed by slashing the nape of their neck.

A notable example of a Pure Titan would be the humanoid dubbed Bean, who first appeared when the gates of Trost District were broken by Attack on Titan's epic Colossal Titan.

Bean was one of the two Titans kept alive for the sake of experimentation in an attempt to better understand the nature of these beasts and their innate weaknesses.

The Abnormal Titans

The Abnormal Titans are one of the most bizarre Titan types. Abnormals are Pure Titans that display unusual behavior and intelligence, allowing them to perform unpredictable moves. They often tend to ignore nearby humans and move on to strategic locations to inflict more damage.

Abnormals are adept at performing tremendous leaps, running, speed-walking, and in a few cases, communicating in human tongues. An Abnormal Titan’s ability to form thoughts and speech has been chronicled in the diary of Ilse Langnar, who had run into a hesitant Titan amid an expedition massacre.

After Hange Zoë and Levi’s squad find the diary, it is revealed that the Titan addressed Ilse as “Lady Ymir”, mistaking her for Attack on Titan's Founder, Ymir Fritz.

Confused by the possibility that a Titan can experience emotions, Ilse became increasingly frustrated during her attempts at communication, ending with the Titan crushing her skull whilst shedding tears. The existence of the Abnormal Titans forces humans to approach the beasts with a more nuanced perspective. This revelation proved to the remaining soldiers that not all Titans are mindless killers.

The Attack Titan

As the name suggests, the Attack Titan is an offensive powerhouse, standing at 15 meters tall and characterized by a highly muscular build and flesh-less jaws.

Eren Yaeger would later improve the Attack Titan’s metrics by drinking the Armor serum that allowed him to harden the Titan’s skin during pivotal moments.

As his default Titan Form, Eren was able to receive memories from those who possessed the Attack Titan and those who had yet to inherit it. This would later come to help him manipulate his father, Grisha, to cause his own Titan creation subsequently.

Although these memories allow the user to gain insights, they are often incomplete and short snippets.

The Armored Titan

Reiner Braun’s Armored Titan stands at 15 meters and was initially inspired to share a resemblance to WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar.

The Armored Titan has thick, hardened plates all over its body, acting as a natural defense against external attacks, including cannon hits, steel blades, and vertical maneuvering equipment, making it the most defensively strong of the Titan types.

In addition to this, these Attack on Titan Titans are able to harden their arms and feet, creating sharp claws in the process. The Armored Titan's only weakness seems to be the areas on the back of its exposed joints.

The armor is not capable of withstanding high-power weaponry, such as the Mid-East Allied Forces’ artillery.

The Colossal Titan

Users of the largest Titan type, the Colossal Titan, can control the energy produced during their transformation to create various effects, such as when Bertolt attacks the Trost District, and his transformation triggers a powerful wind blast.

The Colossal Titan can also create a mushroom cloud of dust and rubble, leading to the death of many Survey Corps members during the Battle of Shiganshina District. As indicated by its name, the Colossal Titan is known for its enormous size, able to peer over the edge of Wall Mari and powerful enough to take down the outer gate with a single kick.

Attack On Titan's Little-Known 3-Part Prequel Is Worth Your Time

An obscure three volume manga is a must-read for fans who loved the history and lore of Attack on Titan's uniquely terrifying world.

They possess a unique ability to control the steam emitted from their bodies, burning and repelling attacks in proximity. During his final moments in a fight against Armin and Mikasa, Eren's Titan form engages in a hand-to-hand fight with the former in his Colossal Titan form.

While Eren bests Armin in terms of physical and strategic prowess, Armin manages to immobilize him long enough for Mikasa to enter his Titan's mouth and kill him before kissing him goodbye.

The Female Titan

Much like other powerful Titans, the Female Titan exercises a certain degree of influence over Pure Titans through a scream-based ability. However, this attraction ability has its disadvantages: once arriving near the Female Titan, the others tend to attack and eat its body.

The Female Titan is known for its tremendous endurance and mobility, able to harden its skin at will in order to shatter blades of ultra-hard steel upon contact.

Interestingly, Annie can also come out of her Titan’s nape to create a hardened crystal cocoon around herself for protective purposes.

During the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission Arc, Mikasa succeeds in slicing the Female Titan's fingers off, allowing Eren to rip the Titan form apart. However, after winning the fight, he began to merge with the Titan and required Levi’s help to remove him and stop the process.

The Beast Titan

The Beast Titan is slightly larger than most and exhibits animal traits that depend upon the user. They are known to have displayed traits common in elk, birds, bulls, and wolves, among others, as shown in Attack on Titan's Season 2 opening, while Zeke’s Titan assumed an ape-like form.

An interesting note in the series indicates that because Zeke’s spinal fluid was used to transform Falco into a Titan, it later gave his Jaw Titan falcon-like epithets similar to those of the Beast Titan.

Moreover, Zeke’s Beast Titan possessed the formidable ability to throw objects with great accuracy and destructive capability, notably during the battle of Shiganshina District, wherein most of the Survey Corps were wiped out by crushed rocks.

Due to his royal blood, Zeke’s Beast Titan holds the ability to turn Subjects of Ymir into Pure Titans.

The Cart Titan

Possessing greater endurance levels than Pure Titans and other members of the Nine Titans, the Cart Titan can partake in longer missions without having to pause for rest.

This Titan’s absorption resistance allows it to maintain its beastly form and wear armaments such as battle armor, mobile machine gun platforms, and cargo packs. As opposed to most bipedal Titans, the Cart Titan assumes a quadrupedal form, which potentially hinders the user from walking upright in human form.

Crunchyroll · Anime Knowledge Edition The Official Crunchyroll
Anime Quiz

⚔ClassicsLegendary

✨New GenRising

🎬StudiosCreators

🏆AwardsBest of

▶StreamingWatch

START STREAMING! →

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?

AKaiju BTitans CHollows DDemons

✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.

Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?

AJujutsu Kaisen BAttack on Titan: The Final Season CChainsaw Man DDemon Slayer

✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.

Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?

AJin-Woo Sung BSung Jin-Woo CKim Dokja DYoo Joonghyuk

✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?

AJujutsu Kaisen Season 2 BFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End COshi no Ko DVinland Saga Season 2

✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?

ACreating gold BHuman transmutation (trying to revive their dead mother) CDestroying a Philosopher’s Stone DKilling a homunculus

✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.

Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?

AAgent Dusk BTwilight CShadow DNightfall

✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.

Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?

ANetflix Anime BFunimation CHIDIVE DAnimeLab

✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.

Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?

ASpirited Away 2 BThe Wind Rises CThe Boy and the Heron DPonyo Returns

✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.

✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.

REVEAL MY SCORE →

Binge Complete Your Anime Watch Level

/ 8

Are you an anime sensei — or still on episode one?

↻ REWATCH

In terms of weaknesses, the Cart Titan has lower defenses and slower regenerative abilities as opposed to the others, and is more likely to be taken down by a fatal blow.

However, similar to the Jaw Titan, the Cart Titan possesses immense speed, such as when it defeated Zeke and Reiner during the Battle of Shiganshina. This shocking characteristic even managed to catch Attack on Titan's strongest soldier, Levi, off guard.

The Jaw Titan

As indicated by its name, the Jaw Titan possesses a powerful set of jaws that can tear through almost anything, even if it is considered to be the weakest of Attack on Titan's Titan Shifters.

They can move fast enough to catch some of the Nine off-guard and cause severe damage to armored opponents. Those who hold the power of the Jaw Titan possess incredible speed and agility.

However, the jaw manifests in slightly varying forms with respect to different users, such as Ymir only having hardened teeth, while Falco and Marcel had hardened, armored masks and jaw plating that were almost bulletproof.

The War Hammer Titan

Attack on Titan's War Hammer Titan has powers that allow it to produce and manipulate structures made of hardened Titan flesh, weaponizing them in the form of spikes and blades with serrated edges.

Theo Magath states that while a formidable asset, the War Hammer Titan’s structural hardening should be used in moderation, as constant usage can lead to serious exhaustion.

However, unlike the rest of the Nine, the War Hammer Titan can remove its control center from its nape, connecting the Titan and the host with a long cable of flesh, a unique ability that the rest of the Nine in Attack on Titan do not possess.

Read Entire Article