Anyone who has watched Attack on Titan knows the unfortunate misery of a life that Titan shifter Reiner Braun had to live through. Being a Subject of Ymir who grew up as an oppressed citizen of Marley with limited options to achieve a successful life, Reiner was shipped off with the power of the Armored Titan to infiltrate Paradis. He struggled with his conflicting personalities as his young life got twisted with the Scouts. The poor guy just wanted peace and the end to the lifelong war he couldn’t escape from.
As the final season of Attack on Titan comes to a close, fans of the heart-pounding series can take a look back on some of the most tragic and disheartening moments that Reiner Braun faced in the series. Whether viewers love or hate Reiner, these scenes are devastating enough to make any person feel for him.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADfor Attack on Titan, now streaming on Funimation, Crunchyroll & Hulu.
6 Liberio Raid
At the start of the final season, viewers get the first look at the new Marleyan characters in the world outside Paradis. Reiner is one of the older Warriors, who is struggling with his trauma as he tries to carry on living for his family. When Eren Jaeger and the Scouts attack the city of Liberio, Reiner all but gives up and is ready to be killed, wanting to escape the cruel realities of the world. His body remains motionless after saving Falco, unconscious and unhealing due to his lack of will to live.
The only thing that snaps him out of it is the sound of his young cousin Gabi and Falco screaming for him to help, though he does beg them to be quiet and let him die in peace before coming back to his senses. This episode sees how Reiner’s character evolved from wanting to fight for his country, to wanting to die in spite of his country.
5 Giving Up for Falco
Back in Paradis during the attack on Shiganshima in Episode 78, Reiner is nearing the end of his battle against of the Attack Titan. He is brutally damaged and knocked down to the ground. After witnessing the tragedy of Falco turning into a Titan at the sound of Zeke’s scream, Reiner stays put as Titan form Falco attacks the nape of his neck. He knows as soon as he releases his hardening, Falco will eat his body and will inherit the Armored Titan’s powers, something he is more than prepared for.
He sadly asks himself, “I can just let it happen now, right?” It isn’t until Porco emerges from the battle to take Reiner’s place as the one Falco will eat, further traumatizing Reiner.
4 Revealing His Dual Personalities
One of the biggest plot twists in the entire series takes place when Reiner so casually reveals that he and Bertholdt are the two Titans who destroyed Eren’s hometown and caused the death of his mother. This strange, out-of-the-ordinary interaction is explained to both Eren and viewers by Bertholdt and Ymir in Season 2, Episode 9.
Ymir deduces that Reiner has formed a split personality where he forgets about Marley and thinks he’s a true Scout, which protects his emotions from being hurt by the crushing responsibility he has to continue the war. It’s revealed throughout the rest of the show that Reiner has to come to terms with the fact that all of his close, beloved Survey Corps members were originally his enemies. He has a hard time accepting that his own friends are the people he is supposed to hate.
3 Attempted Suicide
In Season 4, Episode 3, Reiner gives up on any hope of feeling happy again following his many years undercover in Paradis. He had tried to find a reason to live for the past four years back home, but decides to end his life to escape the pain. He sits in a chair and props a large rifle pointed up in his mouth, fully prepared to pull the trigger.
This is clearly the lowest point in Reiner’s life so far, as he is finally ready to commit suicide. He is stopped by the sound of Gabi and the other young Warriors in training outside his window. His death wouldn’t help them in any way, and he couldn’t spring the mourning of his death upon his young cousin. It’s an incredibly grim scene that shows the devastating state Reiner is in at that point in his life.
2 Reuniting With Eren
The last thing Reiner Braun wanted to do after leaving behind the destruction at Paradis is to see the face of the people he betrayed. When Falco leads Reiner down in the basement to meet who he thinks is an innocent Mr. Kruger, he is horrified to come face to face with Eren Jaeger himself.
Reiner loses it, a plethora of terrified and guilty emotions swarming over him. Eren explains that he knows how Reiner felt and understands him, but is still scarred by what Reiner and his team of Warriors did. Reiner breaks down to the floor and reveals that he was wrong and nothing he did was justified. He screams to the other Titan wielder: “I’m sick of this… of myself! Just kill me!”
1 Telling Jean The Truth About Marco
Once the final few leading forces of both Marley and the Scouts join up o stop The Rumbling from wiping out the entire world, Reiner and Annie reveal the truth about Marco’s death all those years ago. Jean and Marco were the closest of friends, making Marco’s cause of death an incredibly heartbreaking thing for him to hear. Jean proceeds to beat the life out of Reiner, filled with rage and sadness after hearing the truth.
Reiner, having gone through all stages of grief and pain since committing his crimes in Paradis, feels nothing but regret and disgrace and allows Jean to beat him near death, knowing that he deserves it. This is just one more example of how Reiner is a shell of a human being after being the source of so many war crimes.
