History Fanfic / WeAreTheNine

** Eren’s first transformation in Trost is largely driven by the pAttack Titan, who celebrates his return to the battlefield by killing every Mindless he can, in increasingly brutal ways. Eren subconsciously approves.

** Rod Reiss’s cowardly attempts to escape Eren , Historia, and Ymir end up making them look much better in the public eye. [[spoiler: His death as a monstrous False Founder convinces everyone that Reiner now has the Founding Titan, buying Paradis some time to find allies.]]

** Cart’s outsider status and reputation as a “jumped-up horse” mean they know how to operate without any of the networks, people, and resources the other Wills had access to in Eldia. They also have a keep understanding of economic systems and have given Pieck and her family investment advice.

** Annie to the Female Titan, after the latter manipulated events to get them stuck on Paradis “for her own good”.

* RelatedInTheAdaptation: Turns out that Annie is also a Leonhart by blood making her a distant relative of her adoptive father. Their name comes from the fact that they were the original holders of the Beast Titan (which appeared as a lion).

** Everyone saw Reiner eat Rod Reiss, so obviously he has the Founding Titan. [[Eren actually has the Founder and Rod just licked up the last spinal fluid from his bag.]]
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Annie gets this when she has to tear Eren out of his Titan and accidentally gets a glimpse of her own future by copying the Attack Titan’s [[Seer future sight]].

** Duke Abelard has one during the Royal Convocation that starts the Battle of Mitras, challenging the people of the Walls to DaretoBeBadass and throw off the chains of the Founding Titan.

* WalkingSpoiler: Ymir, which is part of why YMIR freed her. The NewWarriors no longer have an information advantage and it’s much harder for them to lie now. Because of her, Historia doesn’t listen to Rod Reiss for a second. A significant portion of what might have been a dramatic scene is instead played for comedy because Rod is lying about the Power of the Titans to someone who already knows how it works.

** A common epithet thrown at the New Warriors in Paradis, and again in Marley. The relentless dehumanization has Eren and Mikasa seeking new friends in the other Warriors, despite technically being enemies.[[spoilers: This is part of Marley’s plan to truly gain their loyalty, but they underestimate the Eldian’s resolve and strength of character.]]

** The Warhammer Titan creates a long blade to fight a dragon-ish Beast Titan and its description brings to mind ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', another famous dragonslaying sword. The Attack Titan also performs a one-handed somersault using his own great cleaver, one of Guts’s famous moves upon donning the Berserker Armor.

** The Ackerman’s “synchronization” with their Guardians to increase combat effectiveness is described similarly to synchronization in NeonGenesisEvangelion. The “bullet time” resulting from their increased reaction time and perception is similar to many moments in TheMatrix.

** The Warhammer Titan’s favorite music is [[{{Irony}}“The Nutcracker Suite”.]]

* StagesofMonsterGrief: Mikasa is going through them after realizing she feels no pity or mercy when killing other humans, asking Eren if she’s a monster. Since Eren also has little pity for people who try to fight him, he says they can be monsters together. The other New Warriors are a little freaked out by this.

* TookALevelinBadass: Happens once an Ackerman is “awakened”, but the process takes three to five seconds and requires life-threatening danger.

* TrainingfromHell: Annie’s training under her (adoptive) father to master the Yoddanah Yawe martial art was abusive mentally and physically, but she came out the other side as someone who can go toe-to-toe with the Ackermans.

* TrialByFire[=/=]SinkorSwimMentor: Kenny’s training methods for members of the First Interior and for Levi were mostly this.
** The New Warriors undergo this while being hunted by Kenny. Mikasa says it feels like he’s testing them.

** The Warhammer Titan creates a long blade to fight a dragon-ish Beast Titan and its description brings to mind {{Berserk}} another famous dragonslaying sword. The Attack Titan also performs a one-handed somersault using his own great cleaver, one of Guts’s famous moves upon donning the Berserker Armor.

* TheRemnant: Paradis is what remains of the Eldian Empire’s noble class along with just over a million refugees from the Great Titan War, living ignorant of the outside world thanks to the Founder. While the people survived, their culture was erased by the Founder. Some of them want to cut ties with Eldia in a national version of ThatManisDead.

* RelationshipUpgrade: Thanks to her guardian wills urging, Mikasa kisses Eren before the Battle of Trost. Later they start dating.

* RoaringRampageofRevenge: Eren and the Attack Titan both love these. When and how they should start is a matter of debate.

* RuleofSymbolism:

** [[spoilers: Armin loses his right eye in the Battle of Mitras and has started wearing an eyepatch.]]

** Annie gets a headache when she realizes part of the reason she’s trying to be friends with Hitch is because she saw the girl in a FutureVision. Many Attack Titans got lost in the causal loop caused when they received similar future memories.

** The Warhammer Titan creates a long blade to fight a dragon-ish Beast Titan and its description brings to mind [[ {{Berserk}} another famous dragonslaying sword.]] The Attack Titan also performs a one-handed somersault using his own great cleaver, one of Guts’s famous moves upon donning the Berserker Armor.

* LastofHisKind: Kenny thought he was the last Ackerman for a long time and while they were never a huge clan, Mikasa’s Guardian thinks there are perhaps 20 “awakened” Ackermans on the entire planet.

* LockedOutoftheLoop: Tons of characters are keeping secrets from each other and keeping track of who knows what is important.

* MoreTeeththantheOsmondFamily: The distinguishing feature of Eren’s Attack Titan, he’s always grinning. Also applies to Beast, Jaw, and Cart.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:Mikasa’s Guardian during the Slaughter at Trost when she realizes that by focusing on glory to distract her grieving host, she’s pushed the other Wills away and is without gas or backup, running from a Titan.

** Armin has his seconds after [[spoilers: stabbing Connie]] in self-defense. Sasha and Annie’s moments follow in quick succession. [[spoilers: Sasha shoots Armin in the face. She has this feeling as soon as the arrow leaves the bowstring. In retaliation, Annie beats her so badly she leaves permanent scars, which is HER moment.]]

* NoConservationofEnergy: The lightning generated by Titan Shifters and especially Bertholdt’s new power are a manifestation of Paths energy. While said energy is handwaved away as something passed among all living Eldians, it’s never really explained.

* NotEnoughtoBury: The casualties from the Slaughter at Trost and the Battle of Mitras. People are reduced to paste. This is the common fate of humans who fight Titans.

* OblivioustoLove: Eren only realizes Mikasa loves him when she kisses him on the lips. Even then it takes some convincing.

* OffscreenMomentofAwesome: The Titan Wills talk about these frequently Highlights include:

* ForDoomtheBellTolls: The Attack Titan punches a Mindless opponent into a bell to draw the attention of his siblings, who are relieved Eren’s alive.

* IHatePastMe: When talking to Eren and Mikasa about the Armored Titan (while keeping his cover) he describes the person who got it (his younger self) as an idiot who didnt understand anything and thought everything would end up being like a storybook. [[ThatManIsDead He expresses disgust with himself for how he used to be and tells Eren that that kid is dead]].

* ExoticEyeDesigns: When synchronizing with their Guardians, Ackermans gain a white ring in the middle of their iris. What purpose this serves is unknown but is hinted to play a part in their enhanced reaction time and AwesomenessbyAnalysis.

* DeclarationofProtection: The purpose of the Armored Titan’s Will, and he uses this to help heal Reiner’s fractured psyche following the Slaughter at Trost. Warrior and Soldier personalities are fused into “Protector” which is why Reiner and Eren’s relationship begins to mirror the one between their Titan Wills.

* EvenEvilhasLovedOnes: The Attack Titan may seek to drown the world in blood but he’s a Mama’s Boy through and through. He also shows more open affection for Jaw and is implied to have been in some kind of romantic relationship with the Female Titan, though it’s Ancient History by now.

* ChekhovsSkill: The Attack Titan is mentioned to heal with green fire instead of steam. [spoiler:Eren weaponizes this to break free of cloth bindings during the Battle of Mitras.]]

* BecauseYouWereNicetoMe: The initial reason Annie starts spending more time with Armin.

* ChangingoftheGuard: The main focus of Chapter 34 and 35, focusing on the fall of the old monarchy and the main cast’s efforts to build an alternative. Some compromises are necessary.

-->'''"Are we the prey? No, we are hunters!"'''

-->''"Are we the prey? No, we are hunters!"\\

''"Are we the prey? No, we are hunters!"''

"Are we the prey? No, we are hunters!"

* AncientConspiracy:Arguably the Titan Wills themselves, as the Founder ordered them to never interfere with their Shifters or take control, only able to whisper into the host's subconscious.[[spoiler:This changes after the Battle of Mitras.]]

* AnimalMotifs:This is the Beast Titan's entire shtick.
** [[spoiler:The Leonhardt's used to hold the Beast Titan and most of them had lion or big cat transformations.]] Annie is unaware of this.

** The Attack Titan's plan to save Dinah Fritz, the Founder's plan to slowly downsize the Eldian Empire.

* AdvancingWallofDoom: This is what everyone is afraid of with the Rumbling.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Both the Scouting Legion and [[spoiler:Jean’s New MPs]] are full of them. Sasha, Caven, and Kenny stand out.

* TheyLookJustLikeEveryoneElse: A major source of paranoia for Paradis when the New Warriors are on the run and there are several cases of unrest or lynch mobs which the Garrison and MPs have to put down.

** The Pro-Rebellion Nobles realize they will either get caught by the MPs or killed by Titans, joining the New Warriors to save their own skins.

** ”Devil-blood” or “devils” is the most common insult to hear directed at Eldians. Bertholdt refers to Armin this way because as an Honorary Marleyan, that makes Annie and Bertholdt a better person, literally.

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMommas: Part of the Attack Titans motivation is to free YMIR (who the nine consider their mother) from the Paths.