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Attack On Titan has become a cultural phenomenon since its anime adaptation came out in 2013. The series is full of fan-favorite characters, from the complicated anti-hero Eren Yeager to the endearingly stoic Levi Ackerman. Unfortunately, several characters get lost in the shadows of some of the more popular characters.
Many of them deserve just as much, if not more, recognition than some of the series' most popular characters. They're underrated gems who made some significant contributions to the plot and if not for them, the main cast may not have discovered the truth about what lies beyond the walls.
10 Bertholdt's Role In The Story Is Underappreciated
All the warriors dealt with guilt and trauma because of their actions, and their arc revealed a lot about the truth of the world. Perhaps the most underrated of the three is Bertholdt. Despite playing such a prominent role, he tends to go unmentioned in discussions about the story. Instead, much of the attention is directed to Reiner, who had more screentime overall.
Bertholdt was in a tough situation. Reiner had difficulty coping with his guilt for tricking the Survey Corps, while Annie acted detached and selfish to avoid her emotions. Meanwhile, Bertholdt never led any of their missions. Instead, he played a passive role in most of them, but he clearly dealt with a ton of guilt since he tore apart Shiganshina.
9 Hitch's Character Growth Deserves More Attention
While Hitch garnered a lot of attention, fans don't talk about her character development much. Her friendship with Annie was wholesome, and she's one of the most likable characters in the series, but there's more to her personality.
Even though most of the Military Police have authoritarian personalities and don't care to listen to what others might have to say, it was apparent that Hitch disagreed with most of what was happening. Though life in the interior was comfortable, she couldn't ignore how much she disagreed with the unnecessary violence and abuse of others. Marlo's death furthered her character development by forcing her to grow into a stronger soldier.
8 Hannes Grew Out Of His Cowardice
Hannes was a total coward at the beginning of the series, but both of his scenes with the Smiling Titan proved that he grew out of it. At first, he was terrified of facing off against it, so he fled the scene with Eren and Mikasa instead of saving Carla.
Later on, Hannes put his life on the line to protect Mikasa and Eren from the Smiling Titan. He died defending them so that Eren's Titan had more time to regenerate his fingers to deliver the finishing blow.
7 Marco Deserves To Be Remembered Differently
Though Marco's death was important to the story, many fans remember him the wrong way. Most viewers recall him as a tragic victim of the warriors' betrayal, left to die alone after the trio abandoned him and stole his ODM gear. He's also remembered as one of Jean's closest friends.
However, people forget that Marco was one of the highest-ranking cadets in the Corps and led a squad throughout the Battle of Trost. He was a calm, collected leader who acted as the voice of reason during chaotic events.
6 The Battle Of Shiganshina Would Have Been Lost If It Weren't For Moblit
Moblit often goes forgotten about in discussions about the series' most pivotal battles, despite leading the Corps to one of the most important victories. The Battle Of Shiganshina would have been lost, and Hange would have been a goner if Moblit wasn't there to save the day.
Aside from that, dealing with Hange's chaotic personality and experiments every day wouldn't be easy, yet Moblit never stopped looking out for them. He seems to take accountability for their reckless actions and always tries to ensure their fascination with Titans never went haywire.
5 Shadis Died Heroically
In the beginning, Shadis was just an instructor for potential new members of the Survey Corps. He fostered their potential and had a keen eye for who had the most Titan-killing prowess. Later, it was revealed that he met Grisha and helped him assimilate to living inside the Walls.
After the Jaegerists took over, Shadis was essentially ousted. However, he made one final reappearance to save his ex-trainees and died heroically to help stop the Rumbling. He and Theo stayed behind to blow up one of the ships before the Jaegerists could get to it.
4 Niccolo Had An Important Role In The Story
Though it's easy to chalk Niccolo's entire personality up to his feelings for Sasha and being a good cook, there's much more to his character than that. He played an important role in the story by giving the spinal fluid to Falco and going to great lengths to protect the rest of the Corps from it.
Plus, Niccolo's feelings for Sasha mirror Reiner's feelings for Historia. They both fell in love with someone they were told was the devil for their entire lives, so it was like their intuition was fighting against the propaganda.
3 Mr. Blouse Was A Genuinely Kind Person
Sasha's father was a genuinely kind person who would share his crops and horses with anybody in need. He even opened his home up to orphaned children and refugees from the fallout of Wall Maria.
Even though Gabi killed his daughter, Mr. Blouse realized the situation she was in and forgave her. He even blamed himself for letting Sasha join the Corps in the first place. Instead of killing her for retribution, Mr. Blouse lets her live so that there would be no more senseless violence. He wants the constant warfare to stop and seeks to protect children from the world's brutality.
2 Connie Tends To Be An Afterthought
Even though he seems like one of the most "normal" characters in the series because of his cheerful attitude, fans often forget that Connie endured trauma of his own. His entire family was turned into Titans, but his mother was left lying on top of their family home for years.
Connie would have done anything to find a cure for her, even if it meant sacrificing Falco so she would inherit the Jaw Titan. While he isn't mind-breakingly complex and doesn't have any earthshattering end goals, Connie is still a solid character who never became hardened by the world's cruelty.
1 Jean Kirstein Deserves To Be Recognized As A Natural Leader
When things started getting murkier during the Battle for Shiganshina, Jean was left in charge of commanding the Scouts for a short period of time. Though he hesitated, he made some pretty good judgments and got the gang to safety, despite the widespread calamity.
Jean's character arc felt realistic throughout the series. He went from a typical hot-headed, rude kid with a smart quip for anything to a natural leader and someone who understands people from all walks of life. Marco once told Jean that he can empathize with the weak since he isn't strong. Not many people view weakness as a badge of honor, but that sentiment became Jean's motto.