A member of the Grice family, Falco is a Warrior Cadet working for the Marley government. A candidate to inherit the Armored Titan's power, he ended up obtaining the Jaw Titan and the Pure Titan forms, showcasing tremendous power despite his small-statured appearance. That said, he's also known for getting involved with a plot once he starts a friendship with the mysterious "Mr. Kruger."
Falco is a character of contrasts; he can be both skilled and unskilled on the battlefield. He seems like a genuine character, but also has a few surprises up his sleeve. Even the inspiration for the character could be a surprise for fans.
10 His Cynical Nature Masks A Heart Of Gold
Falco can be cynical at times, seeing death on the battlefield as less of an honor and more of a tragedy. Despite this, he's regularly shown to be a kindhearted, selfless person.
He's gone so far as to help an injured enemy soldier, taking care of a war veteran, and behaving in a polite manner towards his seniors. In general, he's a person who can't condone seeing someone suffer in front of him.
9 His Kindness Isn't Always Rewarded By Fate
Falco once went out of his way to help a man whose armband was on the wrong arm. This man would turn out to be Eren Yeager in disguise.
Eren later makes use of this to befriend Falco as part of a plan to form a counterattack against Marley. Unfortunately, Eren's attack would eventually cause the death of Udo and Zofia, both of whom were Falco's friends.
8 He Is More Skilled Than He Looks
With his short build, Falco isn't too physically strong, at least in his human form. While not exactly cowardly, he does have trouble asserting himself and once needed to be saved by his brother, Colt.
Despite this, there are hints that he has more skill as a soldier than he first appears. For starters, he managed to survive for four years in the Marley Mid-East War. He's actually been shown to be pretty athletic and is capable of great speed on the battlefield. This is all in addition to the abilities he obtains in his Titan form.
7 As His Name Suggests, He Has Something Of A Bird Motif
His name is likely a play on the word "falcon." This bird motif is somewhat illustrated by his Titan forms. His mindless Titan form calls to mind a malformed baby bird, the Jaw Titan can be compared to a fledgling, and his winged form resembles a full-grown bird of prey. This is especially highlighted at various points with his Titan forms developing talons, feathers, and even a beak.
A working name for the character was "Falco Bach," with the intended surname possibly being a play on "beak."
6 His Family Name Comes From An Extinct Breed Of Pig
In spite of his bird motif, his family name is actually a bit more porcine. The grice was also the name of a breed of swine that lived within Ireland and Scotland that is now extinct. The name of the breed actually derives from a word for "young pig."
The family name, however, seems to be more associated with his uncle, who had been known only as "Grice," a figure that would mark Falco's life.
5 He & His Brother Had To Pay For The Sins Of The Family
Falco's mononymous uncle was a militant member of the Eldian Restorationists. He was notably the one who brought Grisha Yeager, the father of Eren Yeager, into the faction. Eventually, he would be arrested for going against Marleyan law, ultimately being eaten by Titans.
In order to prove the family's innocence, Falco and Colt, his nephews, had to enlist into the Warrior Unit. Given their shared family name, Grice was most likely their paternal uncle. Falco is also noted for his resemblance to his uncle.
4 He Ended Up Killing His Brother
Falco's older brother Colt was also a Warrior Cadet. He was a dedicated soldier and rather protective of his younger brother, even going after him after he was wounded while under enemy fire.
However, Falco accidentally caused the death of his brother during his transformation into a Titan, with the nearby blast burning him to death. Before his death, Colt was chosen to wield the Beast Titan power.
3 Gabi Seems To Be The Only One Not To Notice His Feelings For Her
Falco appears to have feelings for his friend and fellow warrior cadet, Gabi Braun. He appears heavily motivated to protect her, regularly risking his life to shield her. Other characters seem to quickly guess at his feelings for Gabi or at least correctly assume that he's trying to protect someone.
The main exception to this appears to be Gabi herself, who ironically seems to initially view him as a rival, even with characters commenting on his crush right in her presence. She also has an unintentional habit of walking out on a conversation before he confesses his true feelings. During the Marleyan raid, however, he does finally confess his feelings.
2 Most Of His Kills (& Attempted Killings) Were Unintentional
In his Titan form, Falco can be a very deadly force. In addition to his brother, he also took the life of Porco Galliard while as a Pure Titan, albeit unintentionally. He also killed two members of the Yeagerists.
That said, quite a few characters survived deadly attacks from Falco, including Jean Kirstein, Mikasa Ackerman, Pieck Finger, and Reiner Braun. That said, these failed attempts often occurred in the same chapter, meaning that this isn't necessarily indicative of Falco's skills. Regardless, most of these attempts were unintentional on his part.
1 He's Based On Another Famous Character: Jesse Pinkman
During a blog post, series creator Hajime Isayama confirmed that Falco was also partially based on a character from Western media: Jesse Pinkman from the television series Breaking Bad.
Some fans have discussed in what ways the two characters are similar, from suggesting that they look similar in design to both being innocent-minded characters who hide behind a mask of cynicism or immaturity.