Almost every aspect of Hajime Isayama's Attack On Titan is met with high praise from both fans and critics alike. Its dark universe is enthralling despite its merciless nature, and early plot points that felt random and unrelated ended up being fleshed out later on. One of the most dynamic and compelling parts of Attack On Titan's universe by far, though, has to be its colorful cast of characters.
Attack On Titan's characters are dynamic, with many becoming nearly unrecognizable versions of themselves by the fourth season. A great example of this is Annie, who starts out cold and further ruins her reputation due to her actions as the Female Titan. However, she's humanized in many of the series' later scenes, and a more favorable side of her is shown through her unlikely relationship with Armin.
10 Annie Warmed Up To Eren And Offered To Teach Him Her Techniques
Annie was initially cold and kept her distance from other cadets. It's assumed that this is because she is antisocial, but fans later learn it's because of her true identity and mission. Despite this, she seems to open up to Eren, after he attempts to mimick one of her signature moves and earn her praise.
She mocked his performance, causing Eren to ask her where he went wrong. She smiles for the first time, and even offered to teach him directly, despite being someone who prefers to stay away from others.
9 Annie Easily Graduated In The Top Five Of Her Class
Attack On Titan's training arc has the lowest stakes in the series, which makes it the perfect point to establish Annie's skills and work ethic, as well as the other cadets. Annie easily placed fourth in her group, despite the fact that she slacks off and only puts in the minimum amount of effort needed.
Specifically, it's Annie's skills with the blade that caused Shadis to rank her so highly. This increased fans' interest in Annie, as they were excited to see how she might contribute to the upcoming Struggle For Trost arc.
8 Annie Respects Those With A Deep Sense Of Duty
Annie claims to want an easy life, which is why she's particularly drawn to the Military Police. Her apathetic nature adds to this, as she's unwilling to involve herself in activities that she deems meaningless.
Even so, Annie doesn't look down on those who have a deep sense of duty and righteousness. She understands how much courage it requires to do so, and though Annie states that it might be stupidity that drives people to be so dedicated, she can't help but admire them.
7 Annie Expressed Guilt And Remorse Over Her Actions
As one of the candidates trained to be a Warrior from a young age, Annie became used to committing cruel acts. She spies on others, and is part of the group that leaves Marco for dead – not to mention all the lives she claims as the Female Titan.
Even so, Annie doesn't completely lack guilt concerning her actions. She displays shock and remorse after Reiner manipulated her into leaving Marco for dead, and she apologized to a corpse after playing a part in that person's death.
6 Annie Understands Her Own Limits And Shortcomings
Annie claims to be a realist – she understands her limitations and doesn't expect more from the world than what it shows her. While others such as Eren might charge onto the frontlines regardless of how unlikely his survival is, Annie is more likely to take her own strengths and weaknesses into consideration before acting.
During one of her undercover missions, Annie entertained the idea of possibly seducing a member of the Fritz family. However, she quickly realized how out of her element such a task would be and dropped it. She's also more than willing to admit her faults, calling herself worthless and evil without a shred of self-loathing, even to a complete stranger.
5 Everything Annie Did Was For The Sake Of Her Father
It's hard not to feel sympathy for Annie, despite all the heinous acts she committed. This is due to her motivation for completing her mission as a Warrior – her desire to return home, meet her father once again, and live an easy life alongside him.
She doesn't have any love for Marley, specifically, and she doesn't fall for their anti-Eldian propaganda, either. Though she views everything else with a cynical lens, Annie truly believed that she'd be able to complete her mission and return to her father, and it's hard not to root for her despite the actions she has to take to do so.
4 Annie Put Her Past Behind Her To Stop The Yeagerists
In order to carry out her mission as a Warrior, Annie is forced to turn against the friends she made during training. Though she tried to distance herself from the other cadets, Eren and Armin specifically were incredibly hurt by the revelation that she was the Female Titan.
Annie goes through a significant character change at the end of the series. She becomes more willing to work with her former comrades in order to put an end to Eren and the Yeagerists' reign of terror.
3 Annie Tried Multiple Times To End The Warriors' Mission Early
Between Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt, Annie had the least amount of personal drive when it comes to their mission. With no dedication towards Marley or their cause, Annie simply wanted to be granted permission to return home and live an easy life with her father.
Because of this, Annie tried not once, but twice, to end the Warriors' mission early. The first is before Shiganshina's wall is ever breached, after Marcel dies saving Reiner's life from a Pure Titan. The second time Annie brings this up is just before graduation, but both times, her proposal is brushed off by Reiner. If Annie had been successful either time, she would have prevented countless casualties.
2 Annie Never Wanted To Be A Warrior
Annie's status as a Warrior, and all the heinous acts that she committed as such, made her more sympathetic when her backstory is finally explored. It's revealed that Annie was abandoned at birth and taken in by Leonhart, who trained her to become a ruthless Warrior candidate – and he only does so because of his desire for a wealthy life.
It's not until the day Annie leaves to fulfill her mission as a trained Warrior that her father's feelings change. Leonhart apologized to Annie for everything he put her through, viewing her as his genuine daughter and begging for her safe return, even if it isn't as an honorary Marleyan. Annie is genuinely moved by this, and promised to return home, even if it meant acting as a spy and a traitor.
1 Annie's Relationship With Armin Revealed Her Human Side
Annie remained cold and distant in most of her relationships, with one notable exception, Armin. Annie tried to dissuade Armin from joining the Survey Corps in an attempt to stop him from being caught in the crossfire of their later plans. After failing to do so, Annie spared his life. This resulted in Armin identifying her as the Female Titan.
After finally being freed from her crystal, Annie had a heart-to-heart with Armin, who'd been visiting her and confiding in her since gaining control of Bertolt's memories through the power of the Colossus Titan. Armin confessed to not seeing himself as a good person as, like Annie, he'd committed monstrous acts while fighting for what he believes in. This conversation painted Annie in a sympathetic light.