Reiner Braun [Zombie Apocalypse.]

Species Human Age 24 Height 188cm Weight 95 kg Relatives Unnamed Marleyan father Braun family Karina Braun (mother) Gabi Braun (cousin) Unnamed aunt and uncle Unnamed uncle Unnamed aunt Unnamed cousin Birthday August 1st Birthplace Liberio Occupation Warrior Rank Vice Captain (副長 Fukuchō?) Affiliation Marleyan military Warrior Unit Former occupation Soldier Appearance: In human form, Reiner has short blond hair, hazel eyes, and a defined facial structure. His large height, broad shoulders, and serious expression give him an intimidating presence. In the year 854, Reiner has slightly longer hair, possesses a short goatee and has lost weight making his cheekbones appear more defined. He has also grown taller. Personality: As a child, Reiner was rather quiet and meek yet at the same time very loyal and driven. He believed that if he became a Warrior then his Marleyan father would come back and deluded himself into thinking he would still cheer him on as he fought the Eldians, even after he rejected him. Because of his motivation, Reiner was very desperate to become a Warrior, even going as far as to accuse Galliard of being an Eldian spy when he belittled him. However, after he was chosen to inherit the Armored Titan, Reiner gained a newfound self-confidence, though it was quickly shattered when Marcel revealed that he was not chosen for his abilities. Due to Marley's propaganda and his mother's influence, he believed the Eldians of Paradis Island to be "devils" and that he would become a hero by exterminating them. He was also very gullible, never doubting the words of his mother and superiors. Following Marcel's death, Reiner began incorporating elements from his personality into his own. He became more decisive and assertive, even willing to threaten Annie and Bertolt to ensure they followed his orders, yet also deeply caring and genuinely desiring to protect them.

He also accepted that his belief that his father would return if he were to become a Warrior and defeat the Eldians was just a fantasy. In addition to this, Reiner started to develop a negative perception towards himself, believing he was supposed to have failed in becoming a Warrior and that he should have been the one to die instead of Marcel. By the time he joined the 104th Training Corps, Reiner had completely incorporated Marcel's personality into his own. He built up a reputation of being a passionate and honest person with a strong sense of duty who takes his role as a soldier very seriously and encourages others to do the same. However, he was also noted to have a kind heart and a tendency to always think of others before himself, taking on extra burdens for the sake of his comrades. He was stated to be the "big brother" of the other trainees. However, beneath this facade, Reiner developed serious emotional and mental problems as a result of living a double-life. While still loyal to his true cause as a Warrior of Marley, he was unable to cope with the guilt he felt towards his actions and thus began to suppress his true memories in an effort to escape. Having to kill Marco seems to have been the final straw for him, causing him to snap and developing psychological issues. During these times, he would forget his actual identity and truly believes himself to be an Eldian soldier. Even after blowing his and Bertolt's cover, he initially still continued to shift between his two personas. However, after Bertolt bluntly told him that he was not a "soldier" but a "warrior", Reiner was, though with some difficulty, able to set his priorities straight. While similar, there are a few differences between Reiner's "soldier" persona and his true self. He has shown himself to be more ruthless and fatalistic, though this is partly out of necessity.

Following the failure of the Paradis Island Operation and fighting in the Marley Mid-East War for four years, Reiner's personality has changed so much that both his mother and cousin noted that he seems like a completely different person. Despite the fact that they are enemies now, Reiner harbors little to no malice towards his former comrades, only sarcastically referring to them as "devils" while humanizing their actions and beliefs before his family. He also suffers from constant nightmares about his near-death experiences and frequently sees memories of his childhood. Eventually, Reiner's negative perception towards himself reached its lowest point and caused him to contemplate committing suicide. However, despite stating that he wants to die, he cannot bring himself to, as his dedication toward his loved ones still exceeds his self-loathing. However, in spite of all his emotional issues, Reiner is very intelligent with notable leadership qualities, able to think clearly, analyze situations, and formulate effective plans. As Eren himself confirmed, he is able to think ahead and in the long term, able to accurately predict the consequences depending on the course of action taken, all while maintaining his composure. He understood the hidden meaning behind Zeke Yeager's words when he indirectly implied that the Warriors' meeting was being bugged by their Marleyan superiors, and acted accordingly, quickly agreeing to his Captain's plan and intentionally cutting off Galliard before he could run his mouth too much. During their mission on Paradis Island, while it was Annie's job to gather the information, it was mostly Reiner who strategized, coming up with efficient multi-step plans not long after acquiring intel from her. As a leader, Reiner is also very devoted to his mission, to the point that he refused to talk and was ready to die when he was the Survey Corps' prisoner and Hange Zoë threatened to kill him for not cooperating.

History: Reiner comes from the Liberio internment zone in Marley, which he refers to as his hometown. He was born to an Eldian mother, Karina Braun and a Marleyan father. Growing up, he was not allowed to see his father, as relations between Marleyans and Eldians were strictly forbidden. As a child, it was decided between him and his mother that he would become a Warrior candidate and potentially inherit one of the Nine Titans so that Reiner and his mother could become honorary Marleyans and reunite with Reiner's father. As a Warrior candidate, Reiner was very weak, his only skill being his strong loyalty to Marley. One day, he learned from another Warrior candidate, Zeke, that in a few years, the operation to reclaim the Founding Titan would begin, and six new Warrior candidates would be chosen to inherit the power of the Titans. He was mocked by Porco Galliard, a prime candidate to inherit the Armored Titan, for this, claiming that he would have to wait thirteen more years to inherit the Armored Titan. This led to a fight that ended when Marcel pulled his brother back and the others left with Zeke. It was during this that he trained with fellow Warrior candidates Annie Leonhart and Bertolt Hoover. Bertolt attempted to convince Reiner to give up his aspirations, as he would only live for thirteen more years. But Reiner believed that after those thirteen years, he would be a hero to the people of Marley and be the best son in the world.[37] Marcel Galliard ultimately influenced the army, leading to Reiner being selected to inherit the Armored Titan in place of his brother Porco. In 845 at age twelve, Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, and Marcel were tasked with retaking the Founding Titan in Paradis Island. Before they left Reiner found and confronted his father alone in a kitchen where the man worked.

Reiner told his father he knew who he was and that because he and his mother were honorary Marleyans now they could all live together. Before he could finish his father cut him off, calling them Eldian devils and saying that his family would be done for if the truth about Reiner's parentage came out. To stop that, Reiner's father chose to run away. Upon traveling to the island, the Warriors parted ways with the army at the border and began traveling by horseback under the cover of night. While resting, Reiner learned of Marcel being the reason he was chosen to inherit the Armored Titan. As the sun began to rise, Marcel pushed Reiner out of the way of a Titan emerging from the ground, leading to the Warriors fleeing while Marcel was eaten. This event appeared to have left him traumatized, as he remembered it in moments of stress and expressed an almost suicidal desire to place himself into harms' way for the sake of others. After the loss of Marcel, Annie and Bertolt wanted to cancel the operation but Reiner opted against it as he claimed to know the consequences. This prompted Annie to attack him for his cowardice. After getting beaten up, Reiner tackled her and declared his resolve to become the leader as Bertolt agreed to continue the operation. When they got within eyesight of Wall Maria, Annie and Reiner switched places as the Titan carrying the other Warriors, as she was exhausted and at her limit. Reiner dropped Bertolt off at the Wall and retreated to allow him the room to transform. Story:As Bertolt breaches Wall Maria, Reiner is so transfixed at the sight of Bertolt's work, that he is nearly swarmed by the Titans that Annie had been attracting. Breaking away, Reiner retrieves Bertolt from his Titan and begins scaling the side of the Wall. He leaves Bertolt and Annie on top of the Wall, and proceeds to enter Shiganshina on his own.

After the attack, Reiner and his allies enter a refugee camp inside Wall Rose. While with the refugees, the three meet a man from a small village in the southeast of Wall Maria that was destroyed by the Titans. The man is later found having apparently killed himself, and the three decide to co-opt his story as their own. During the two following years, Annie discovers that King Fritz is a figurehead and that they will still have to find the true royal family. In order to get closer to the royal family, Reiner decides that they will become soldiers and get close to the Interior Military Police. Two years after the destruction of Wall Maria, Reiner enlists in the military and becomes a member of the 104th Training Corps. On the first day of training, Reiner is one of the few students who the instructor Keith Shadis does not attempt to haze, as he is able to tell that Reiner has already been through a rite of passage. At a later stage, Shadis does ask Reiner what he came here for, the latter answering "to save humanity." After failing repeatedly to operate the vertical maneuvering equipment, Eren seeks advice from his fellow trainees and is sent to Reiner and Bertolt for help by Marco Bott. Though initially unfriendly towards Eren and Armin, Reiner and Bertolt quickly warm up to them after learning they are from Shiganshina District and are still willing to enlist in the Survey Corps. Reiner is especially impressed with Eren's will to enlist despite watching his mother being devoured by a Titan. He shares his desire to return to his lost homeland and agrees to give Eren advice. During hand-to-hand combat training, Eren admits to Reiner that he finds it unnecessary, claiming that it would be much wiser to run away when attacked by another human than to engage them. Reiner reprimands Eren for his attitude and points Eren to Annie, convincing him to try to attack her as punishment for slacking off.

At a later stage, Shadis does ask Reiner what he came here for, the latter answering "to save humanity." After failing repeatedly to operate the vertical maneuvering equipment, Eren seeks advice from his fellow trainees and is sent to Reiner and Bertolt for help by Marco Bott. Though initially unfriendly towards Eren and Armin, Reiner and Bertolt quickly warm up to them after learning they are from Shiganshina District and are still willing to enlist in the Survey Corps. Reiner is especially impressed with Eren's will to enlist despite watching his mother being devoured by a Titan. He shares his desire to return to his lost homeland and agrees to give Eren advice. During hand-to-hand combat training, Eren admits to Reiner that he finds it unnecessary, claiming that it would be much wiser to run away when attacked by another human than to engage them. Reiner reprimands Eren for his attitude and points Eren to Annie, convincing him to try to attack her as punishment for slacking off. Annie makes quick work of Eren and immediately turns on Reiner, beating him for trying to instigate a fight. Nearly five years into their mission, Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt have a meeting. Annie reports to Reiner that Kenny Ackerman surprised her while she was spying and that she narrowly avoided capture. Kenny might have seen her face so that if she joins the Interior Military Police Brigade she could be compromised. When Annie once more expresses her wish to return to Marley, Reiner again disagrees with her and decides to destroy Wall Rose to flush out the Founding Titan. Annie notes his plan will kill a lot of his new friends from the 104th Training Corps, but Reiner insists the other trainees are not their friends.

Some time after that night, Reiner sees Eren take a bad fall while training with his vertical maneuvering equipment. He tells Eren to take a break, but Eren is afraid to do so. Eren does not want to die without having accomplished anything and asks what he can do to be like Reiner. Reiner tells him to simply do what he needs to and keep moving forward. He says that he is certain Eren will exterminate all the Titans. In 850, when partaking in a jogging exercise that involves carrying supplies through a rainstorm, Reiner notices Armin falling behind. Annoyed to see him fall behind due to a lack of physical strength, Reiner takes his supplies and carries them and his own for a time, to which Armin refuses, insisting on doing it himself and takes back his supplies. Later, Reiner watches Eren and Jean argue over Jean's selfishness to join the Military Police so he will not have to fight Titans, and is impressed when he sees him use Annie's technique to put him in line. Eventually, Reiner graduates 2nd in the class, finishing just behind Mikasa Ackerman. As part of the defensive effort of the military after the second attack of the Colossus Titan, Reiner is assigned to the front guard. However, with the supply team stuck in Trost's Military headquarters, he is essentially immobilized with many of his teammates on a rooftop. He and Annie discuss what to do next, with Reiner suggesting that they wait for the Pure Titans to gather to them before they make a move. Mikasa asks them if they have seen Eren, and Reiner points out Armin, telling her he was in Eren's squad. Connie, Mikasa, and Armin arrive shortly afterward, with an abnormal Titan in tow that promptly begins to kill the Titans swarming the outside of the building. Alarmed by the Titan's behavior, Reiner tries to find out how much the three know about it but is unable to get any information out of them.[citation needed]

Reiner takes part in Armin's plan to clear out the smaller Titans that have infiltrated the headquarters' armory. After the Titans are lured together by the trainees and blinded by gunfire, he and six other trainees attack them, in an effort to clear out all of the Titans in one move. As the other trainees move out after resupplying, Reiner is among the soldiers that stay behind to observe the abnormal Titan as it is overwhelmed by the Pure Titans. Suspecting that the Titan is one of the Nine Titans, Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt suggest that they should help it and prevent it from being eaten, with Reiner trying to convince his comrades by arguing that the Titan could be useful to humanity. They are silenced when the Titan breaks away from those devouring it to kill one final Titan, before collapsing. They prepare to leave but are shocked at the sight of Eren Yeager emerging from the Titan's nape. Later into the battle, Reiner and Bertolt find themselves on a rooftop; believing themselves to be alone, Reiner mentions they will have to change their plan slightly. As he mentions them both being Titans, Marco suddenly appears behind them. He claims to have overheard their conversation and inquires what they were talking about; a shocked Reiner deflects it by assuring Marco that they were merely joking. As he leaves to help with the recovery, however, Reiner tackles Marco and incapacitates his comrade by slamming him into a wall. Reiner then informs his shocked comrade that he is too intelligent to be let go and ponders what to do. Shortly after, Annie appears and Reiner orders her to remove Marco's maneuvering equipment. The three leave Marco stranded on the rooftop and watch in horror as a nearby Titan eats him.

In the aftermath of Trost, Reiner enlists in the Survey Corps. During the 57th Expedition Outside the Walls, he comes across Armin, who has narrowly survived an encounter with the Female Titan and are soon joined by Jean. Reiner is surprised when Armin deduces the Female Titan is most likely a human just like Eren, and that she is after someone specific. Armin believes she is looking for Eren but Reiner is confused after Armin and Jean tell Reiner that Eren and Levi Squad are in the left wing, as Reiner's copy of the scouting formation had them in the right wing. Reiner asks where Eren is meant to be, to which Armin replies that he believes Eren is at the rear of the center rank, the safest place in the formation. The three subsequently devise a plan to follow and attack the Female Titan to slow her down and allow the formation time to regroup. Before attacking, Armin tells Reiner and Jean to pull their hoods all the way over to cover their faces knowing that she will not kill them if she does not know who they are, as any of them could easily be Eren. After Armin and Jean are injured, Reiner attempts a direct attack while the Female Titan is distracted by Armin's false claims that Eren is dead. Reiner is grabbed by the Female Titan and seemingly crushed. While his allies are reeling from his seeming death, Reiner discreetly carves Eren's true location into the Titan's hand before slicing himself free from its grasp. Carrying Armin's injured form, Reiner begins retreating on foot with Jean as the Female Titan changes course to pursue Eren. Afterward, Reiner tends to Armin's head wound while Jean attempts to call back his missing horse. After checking to make sure Armin is not losing consciousness again, Reiner points out that one of them is going to have to stay behind since their single horse can only carry two people. Fortunately, when they fire off a flare to signal for help Krista Lenz is quick to arrive with two extra horses.

After checking to make sure Armin is not losing consciousness again, Reiner points out that one of them is going to have to stay behind since their single horse can only carry two people. Fortunately, when they fire off a flare to signal for help Krista Lenz is quick to arrive with two extra horses. Stunned by her timely rescue and beauty, Reiner mentally expresses the desire to marry her. Assigned to stand by at the edge of the Titan Forest and act as bait for the Titans, Reiner repeatedly expresses concern about what is going on inside the forest. When the mission ends in failure, he returns to Wall Rose in poor spirits. After Annie is revealed to be the Female Titan and captured, Commander Smith believes she had an accomplice and Reiner is among those suspected; Reiner and the others under suspicion are sent to an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of Wall Rose and placed under the watch of Mike Zacharias and his squad. Reiner mentions how unusual it is that they are ordered to stand by without their equipment until further notice. While slightly concerned that he and Bertolt could potentially be discovered, Reiner does not express this and occupies his time playing chess with Bertolt. Reiner later expresses his doubts over these orders, discussing his concerns with Connie Springer and offering to help his friend sneak out. They would never get a chance, as Sasha Blouse alerted the group to an oncoming horde of Titans. The recruits are sent out without their equipment and ordered to travel to the nearby villages and warn them to evacuate. Reiner joins the Southern squad and accompanies Connie to his home village, Ragako. There, they discover the village in ruins and a single crippled Titan collapsed on the Springer house. Unable to locate survivors or signs of bloodshed, the soldiers gather torches and prepare to begin looking for the Titans' entry point.

After many hours of searching, the squad encounters Nanaba's squad and realize that they need to rest for the night. Locating the ruins of Utgard Castle, the soldiers take shelter inside for the night. When Connie mentions the strange Titan from his village again, Reiner begins to harshly lecture him—Ymir interrupts their argument by mocking Connie, ending the conversation there. Later that night he finds Ymir searching for food, and she teases him by suggesting that he is attempting to sneak a grope. Continuing to tease him, she suggests that he might not be interested in women, and in response, he suggests she is uninterested in men. She agrees with his assessment, relaxing and hearing out his request to continue distracting Connie so he does not worry about his missing family. However, he becomes suspicious of her when she is able to read the strange characters on a can. But before he can say more, the soldiers are summed to the tower by their superiors—Titans have appeared and are attacking the castle even though it is night. During the nighttime attack, Reiner and the others are ordered to head deeper into the castle to defend against invading Titans. He rushes ahead of the others to investigate, and barely manages to keep a Titan from breaking into the stairwell with the assistance of Bertolt and the others, who use an old cannon to crush it. While the group is recovering, a second Titan manages to enter the room and attacks Connie. Reiner pushes him to safety and is injured in the process, suffering a broken arm before the others are able to save him. Eventually, their superiors are all killed and the unarmed recruits are left to fend for themselves. In order to save the others, Ymir reveals herself to be a Titan and goes to fight alone. Reiner and Bertolt are shocked to recognize her as the Titan responsible for killing their fellow Warrior, Marcel.

As Ymir fights the many Titans, Historia almost falls off the tower but is saved by Reiner and Connie, though he does not let go of her foot for a few more seconds and apologizes for that. They continue to watch the battle down below with uncertainty, unable to make sense of Ymir's choice to allow their superiors to die and wondering what side she might be on. Krista firmly states she is on their side and shouts for Ymir to tear down the tower if necessary to save herself. She does exactly that, but climbs up to rescue her comrades and rides the falling tower down to safety. In the aftermath of the battle, Reiner crumbles under the stress, worrying that he will not last much longer. Prompted by Eren's mention of their hometown, Bertolt attempts to cheer his friend up by reminding Reiner that now they are able to return home. The two briefly converse, before approaching Eren for a private talk. Reiner confesses their true identities as the Armored Titan and Colossus Titan, stating that if Eren leaves with them the Walls will be safe. Eren initially plays it off as a joke, causing Reiner to wonder about his sanity and break down. Though deeply troubled, he accepts that he has no other options and decides to fight. Mikasa intervenes before he can attack Eren, seriously wounding Reiner and Bertolt. When she moves in to finish off a critically-wounded Bertolt, Reiner throws her from the Wall before transforming into the Armored Titan. He manages to catch Eren, who transforms into his Titan form and engages him in battle. As Eren and Reiner continue to fight, Mikasa tries to help Eren by attacking Reiner, but her blades prove ineffective against the armor covering his body.

Although Reiner initially had the upper hand against Eren, whose punches had limited effectiveness against his armor, Eren soon turns the tides of the battle in his favor by resorting to the grappling techniques he learned from Annie. As Eren and Reiner wrestle, Hange is able to discover his weakness, directing Mikasa to strike at the unarmored region at the back of his knees. This crippled his legs, allowing Eren to slowly overpower him. On the verge of defeat, Reiner lets out a roar, calling Bertolt to fall from the Wall on top of both him and Eren. Several hours later, Reiner and Bertolt transport Ymir and Eren to the Titan Forest, with them taking the opportunity to acquire Eren and Ymir's vertical maneuvering equipment while they were both unconscious. As Eren wakes up, Reiner and Bertolt exchange grim glances with him in light of the aftermath of Eren and Reiner's fight. Eren openly questions why his arms have been severed off, and Reiner says he did it due to the little time he had of capturing him. Eren acknowledges his defeat against Reiner, giving both Reiner and Bertolt a cold glance. He attempts to transform by biting his rapidly healing arm but is stopped by Ymir, who informs him of the suspicious Titans lurking around. Reiner counters her words, saying that they lack the strength to transform anyway due to all their energy draining, and their bodies having their hands full rapidly healing their arms. Eren curses Reiner, saying who cares what he thinks, and Ymir questions Reiner and Bertolt's intentions of what they will do with them. Reiner informs Eren and Ymir that they intend to bring them back to their hometown, but admits that he knows they will not come along willingly. Their location has become surrounded by Titans, and so he advises them to wait until nightfall before attempting to get away from them and says that it will either end in their escape or their capture.

Ymir asks Reiner if the Titans at Utgard Castle could move at night, why are they now waiting for nightfall in order to leave. Reiner says Ymir should already know the answer. As Ymir asks for something to drink, Reiner tells her he can not reach an area where it is available and acknowledges his lack of eating, drinking and sleeping for the last few days. He is glad that the Wall was not broken in his battle against Eren, admitting that he is endured a lot and all while managing to keep the Wall intact, and sincerely expresses his want for a "promotion" or appreciation. This visibly shocks Eren, and Reiner continues to say that Eren, Ymir, and even Krista helped in their plan. As the others look on in shock, he continues discussing the events at Utgard Castle and claims that Krista must like him since she is always so nice to him. When Eren loses his temper and threatens him, Reiner becomes confused and asks what he said that was wrong. Eren threatens to kill him if he keeps acting like everything is just fine. Ymir notices Bertolt's expression and confronts him about what they are witnessing. He finally speaks up, informing Reiner that he is "not a soldier," and that "we are Warriors"; this prompts a dark, focused expression in Reiner, who appears more distraught with the words. As Reiner collapses onto the branch and buries his face in his hand, Ymir theorizes that his strange behavior, such as saving Connie despite him being responsible for breaching the Wall, resulted from repressing his own memories to cope with extreme guilt. She guesses he became so attached to his role as a human soldier, but lost track of who he was, or maybe that he could not stand the knowledge of the consequences of his actions and to protect his sanity, escaped and submerged himself in the belief that he was one of the soldiers protecting the Wall.

With his memories altered to suit his delusional state, she believes that the result of this was his consciousness splitting and even fabricating memories. She says that with his overly sincere personality, she is surprised to see him become what he has despite that. He furiously tells her to shut up, and she amusedly admits she might have said too much. Eren demands Reiner to stop playing around and accuses him of playing the victim, asking Reiner and Bertolt whether he remembers telling them that a Titan ate his mother, and Bertolt vaguely says he felt sorry for him at the time. Eren expresses that they are murderers responsible for the genocide of innocent people. Reiner irritatedly says he already is aware, and Eren tells him to stop grieving as if he is a victim and that he is no longer human, being responsible for turning their world into a living hell. A frustrated Reiner asks what Eren wants from them then if he wants for him apologize or atone for his actions or admit that killing is bad. He says that the person Eren once knew is dead and if it makes him feel any better, he can scream all he likes. This gives Eren a new resolve, and he vows that they both will die horrible, excruciating deaths. Ymir finds Eren's assurance stupid yet amusing, but she questions Reiner on what the "ape-like Titan" was, noting that Reiner and Bertolt both looked like gawking, excited children at his appearance. She reveals that the ape-like Titan must have been responsible for the sudden appearance of Titans from the south and that he might be what they need to return to their hometown. Realizing Ymir might know something, Eren frivolously questions her in which she vaguely mutters a reply but is interrupted by Reiner.

He asks whether she believes that their world has a future, shocking everyone. He says that considering all she knows, she should come over to "their side" and return with them to their hometown. He insists that she is trustworthy due to the fact that they share the goal of protecting Krista and he can ensure her future in exchange for Ymir's cooperation. Bertolt expresses his concern over allying with Ymir, and they recall how she once ate their friend, Marcel. However, Reiner argues that this further proves that Ymir can be trusted to cooperate with them since her motivations are obvious. This causes Bertolt to question Reiner's state of mind, but he reassures him and reminds him that Krista is an important member of a Noble family. They discuss whether or not Eren is the "Coordinate" they were sent to find, and decide that Krista's ties to the Church of the Walls may help their mission. The two briefly discuss accomplishing their mission and returning home. Reiner suggests that Bertolt confesses his feelings to Annie once they return home, and bitterly notes that their crimes mean no one else could understand them. Their conversation is cut short when they notice signal flares in the distance and realize that soldiers have pursued them. He attempts to convince Eren to cooperate and go quietly with them but is forced to choke him into unconsciousness after a brief struggle. As they flee through the forest, Ymir notices the flares and demands to be allowed to see Krista. Reiner and Bertolt refuse her at first but are forced to give into her demands after she threatens them. Once Ymir returns from successfully kidnapping Krista, he transforms into his Titan form and flees with the others clinging to his back.

The other graduates of the 104th manage to catch up to him, climbing onto his Titan form. He ignores them until Mikasa attacks Bertolt, cupping his hands around his neck in order to provide his partner a safe place to hide. While the others confront Bertolt over his actions, Reiner continues to focus on fleeing towards Wall Maria. Commander Erwin Smith lures a massive horde of Titans directly into his path, forcing Reiner to make a suicidal charge. Their sheer numbers overwhelm him, restricting his movement and eventually forcing him to begin fighting back—leaving Bertolt and Eren exposed. This allows the soldiers to make a second rush, and in the chaos, Armin is able to get onto his head and confront Bertolt. He reveals that Annie has been captured, and claims she is being tortured in order to confuse and upset the pair. Reiner is horrified by this news and is unable to prevent Erwin from ambushing Bertolt. With Eren freed, the soldiers begin to retreat. In an act of desperation, he begins to throw the Titans attacking him into the path of the fleeing humans. This causes chaos on the battlefield, as soldiers are knocked from their horses and the Titans begin to attack them. Jean Kirstein and Armin Arlert express horror at his actions, wondering whether he even cares anymore about the danger of Eren being killed. His assault is only stopped when Eren's power from the Coordinate manifests, causing the Titan horde to attack the Smiling Titan in his stead. This shocks and horrifies Reiner, who senses the power but seems resistant to Eren's control.

He realizes that this is the worst possible situation, thinking that Eren is the worst possible person to possess that power. Free from the Titan horde, he charges after Eren with unknown intentions. However, he is stopped in his tracks when Eren screams at him to stay away and threatens to kill him. The Titan horde reacts to this command by abandoning their previous kill, swarming the Armored Titan with renewed aggression. Reiner realizes they have lost, expressing the fear that he will not be able to keep Bertolt safe. The soldiers take the chance to retreat, leaving Reiner to the Titan horde. He desperately attempts to fend them off, shielding Bertolt with one hand. Just as he feared, he is quickly overwhelmed and unable to protect his partner from the Titans. But before one can kill Bertolt, Ymir reappears and begins to fight alongside the pair. The three Titans begin to fight together, while the human soldiers retreat back to the Walls. They survived the battle and returned to the ruins of the Shiganshina District. Though unharmed, he is physically exhausted and deeply shaken by the events of the past two days. He questions Ymir about her actions and tries to persuade her to escape since her fate is uncertain if she goes with them. However, she refuses and instead expresses her gratitude towards the traitors for their role in freeing her from her Titan form. Roughly two months after Reiner and Bertolt are exposed as traitors and escape the Survey Corps they are reunited with Zeke. They inform him of Marcel's death and Annie's capture. They also inform him about Eren's actions during their escape, believing him to be the holder of the Founding Titan.

Zeke decides to make the retrieval of the Founder their top priority. Reiner and Bertolt protest and insist that the recovery of Annie take precedent over capturing Eren. Eventually, Reiner decides to challenge Zeke to a battle with their respective Titan forms in the ruins of Shiganshina District, but Zeke swiftly and effortlessly defeats him. While Bertolt helps Reiner out of his Titan form, Zeke declares himself the winner and reaffirms that Annie's rescue will wait until after they had acquired the Founder from Eren. Reiner, Bertolt and Zeke set up camp atop Wall Maria, where they wait for the Survey Corps. Zeke assures them that Annie is not being tortured and reminds them of their mission, but Reiner is unhappy with Zeke's priorities. Zeke offers to fight Reiner again to decide what they should do next, but cows Reiner into submission by threatening to feed him to another Titan if he is beaten again. Pieck appears below and alerts them of the Corps's imminent arrival, and the three Warriors share a last toast before preparing for battle. Reiner disposes of the evidence of their campsite and proceeds to his station with Bertolt. As Reiner and Bertolt jog along Wall Maria, Reiner notes that the two of them will be in separate positions, and that Bertolt will have to think and act for himself, rather than wait for Reiner's signal. Reiner admits that he never thought of Bertolt as particularly reliable before, as he tends to leave things to others when it matters in spite of his immense ability, but claims that things are different between them now. Bertolt affirms his desire to end things, and Reiner encourages him to keep up that attitude until he can be reunited with Annie. The two part ways.

After being discovered hiding inside Wall Maria, Reiner quickly dispatches the Survey Corps member that found him before turning to attack Armin. However, Reiner is stopped by the interference of Levi, who quickly slices the nape of Reiner's neck before stabbing him through the midsection. Despite this, Reiner miraculously survives Levi's attack by transferring his neurological functions from his brain to his entire body and is kicked down to the ground below Wall Maria, where he transforms into his Titan form while his human body twitches and his eyes glow. As the Beast Titan begins his attack, Reiner rises and turns to face Eren, ready to fight against him once again. Reiner immediately charges the Wall and begins to climb it in order to give himself a better view of the battle. Upon reaching the top of the Wall, Reiner singles out the Corps's horses and decides to kill them in order to further hamper the Corps's retreat. He uses the flesh inside his Titan to remove Levi's blade from his neck and Reiner realizes if he had been any slower moving his consciousness from his head to his body, he would have died when Levi attacked him. As he is contemplating, he notices Erwin perched atop the wall only a few yards away. He decides that killing the horses is more important than killing Erwin, but is caught off guard a second time by the sight of Eren transforming in the middle of Shiganshina. As Eren begins to flee, Reiner realizes that Erwin is forcing him to choose between securing Eren and the Coordinate or taking away the corps' horses. Lamenting the trap he has been caught in, Reiner chooses to pursue Eren.

Eren proves to be much more deadly in hand-to-hand combat than the last time they clashed, managing to break through Reiner's armor with his blows thanks to his new hardening ability. Reiner manages to pin Eren down for a short time, but is summarily flipped off of Eren into a small clearing of town surrounded by buildings. As Reiner gets up he is perplexed to see Hange and Mikasa attacking him, believing that they will not be able to break his armor. However, using the newly developed Thunder Spears, Mikasa and Hange blind Reiner and leave him open for another volley which blows open the armor around his nape. Before Reiner can react, a third volley is launched which destroys his Titan's nape. After the explosion, Reiner's seemingly lifeless body is left fully exposed in the nape, his head destroyed from the jaw upward. Having survived his injury to some extent, he cries out the signal for Bertolt to be sent over Wall Maria. As Bertolt comes soaring over the Wall, he spots Reiner and comes to his side, confirming that, despite his injuries, he is still alive. When Bertolt goes to confront the Survey Corps, Reiner's Titan lies supine upon the street to prevent the Survey Corps from finishing him off while he slowly regenerates his head. Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, and Connie head towards Reiner with a plan of action. Having regenerated his brain, Reiner flees towards Eren's position only to be stopped by Mikasa's Thunder Spear. Reiner lies confused, having lost all memory of the events following his farewell to Bertolt. As Jean, Sasha, and Connie come in to attack, he strikes at the roof of a building, sending debris into Sasha and Jean while Connie uses his Thunder Spear to unhinge half of the Armored Titan's jaw. With Sasha's Thunder Spear missing its mark, Mikasa realizes she has the last Thunder Spear and the plan is now endangered.

At that moment, Hange arrives at the battle, destroying the other hinge of Reiner's jaw with their own Thunder Spear. Mikasa jumps on the Armored Titan's unhinged jaw, ordering him to get out as she sends her Thunder Spear into his mouth, sending Reiner flying out of the nape of his Titan and defeating him. After being defeated, it is discovered by Hange that Reiner had been carrying a metal case with him during the battle. As she interrogates Reiner, Hange demands to know what is inside the case, and Reiner admits that it is a letter from Ymir that he had promised to give to Historia. After Reiner refuses to answer any more questions, Hange prepares to execute him. Before they can, however, Jean suggests using the Titan injection to steal Reiner's Titan power, which Hange reluctantly agrees to. Mikasa is sent to retrieve the serum and is ordered to fire a signal flare if there is a change of plans, in which case Reiner will be executed. Four years later, Reiner is present at the battle of Fort Slava at the climax of the war between Marley and the Mid-East Allied Forces. Warrior candidate Gabi Braun, whom later is revealed to be Reiner's younger cousin, a foot soldier on the battlefield, has become a potential candidate to inherit the power of his Titan. Reiner appears to be stationed in an airship somewhere over the battlefield alongside several other Marleyan paratroopers. However, he could not be brought onto the battlefield under orders from Commander Magath, who denied Titan use due to the presence of anti-Titan artillery which could kill any Titan with a single 100mm round. Rainer was shocked that he was sent to fight not with people but with the living dead, that's how he faced a new reality.