What if a Titan Shifter Dies Without Passing on Their Power?

As an avid Attack on Titan fan and content creator, one of the most fascinating yet disturbing parts of the epic worldbuilding is the lore around Titan shifters. But what would happen in the all-too-common event that one of these shifters dies before inheriting their unique Titan ability to a successor?

The Nine Titan Powers Live on Through Paths

First, let‘s quickly recap what we know about the origins of the mythical Titan powers themselves. In a desperate bid for freedom, the oppressed Eldian Ymir Fritz made a "deal with the devil" many centuries ago to acquire the strength of the Titans. This event gave rise to the Nine Titans we know today, each with their own distinctive traits and abilities.

The Founding Titan held by the Fritz royal family can command other Titans. The Attack Titan seeks freedom. The swift Jaw Titan excels in battles. These examples barely scratch the surface of what the Nine Titans are capable of both individually and in skilled combinations.

The Nine Titan Shifters from Attack on Titan [Source: Fandom Wiki]

But despite their formidable powers, Titan shifters live on borrowed time. All who inherit the mythical power of the Titans through ingesting spinal fluid are afflicted with the "Curse of Ymir"—their 13 year countdown until death begins ticking from the moment they gain their abilities.

This curse persists no matter how many times the Titan powers are passed down. But how exactly are they transferred from one shifter to the next? This is where Paths comes in.

Paths Enable Transferal Through Time and Space

Paths is a metaphysical realm that connects all Subjects of Ymir throughout time. This almost supernatural phenomenon facilitates the transferal of memories, wills, even entire consciousnesses from one Titan inheritor to the next.

So if a shifter dies before their power is passed on, Paths kicks in to automatically transfer the ability to a newborn Eldian baby through space and time. The choice of successor seems random—it goes to the first Subject of Ymir child born after the previous shifter‘s death, regardless of relation or distance.

Eren sees memories from the past through Paths [Source: quora.com]

In this way, the Nine Titans persist through the generations via Paths direct connection between all those who carry the blood and power of Ymir Fritz.

So in answer to our opening question: if an Attack on Titan shifter dies before transferring their power, that power will automatically live on through Paths granting it to the next eligible newborn Eldian child.

But Is Eren an Exception with His Multiple Titans?

Now you might be wondering—is the current Attack Titan / Founding Titan, Eren Yeager, a special case in this situation?

Eren possesses not one but TWO of the Nine Titans—both the Founding Titan and Attack Titan—ever since he ate his father back in the Battle for Shiganshina District. He gained a third Titan power, the War Hammer Titan, after defeating its Tybur family holder in Liberio.

Eren Kruger passes down the Attack Titan to Grisha then Eren [Source: quora.com]

No other known shifter in history has wielded more than one Titan ability at a time. So we can theorize that because the Founding Titan possesses the "coordinate" which gives it power over other Titans, this may bypass the normal Paths transference process.

If Eren dies without passing on the Founding Titan, it could mean the end of all Titan powers rather than having that ability revived in a future inheritor. But once again, this failsafed death contingency remains speculation since it has never happened before.

I‘d say it‘s unlikely though, since in the beginning Ymir Fritz herself held all Nine Titans before they eventually split into different hosts. If the Founding Titan dies out, perhaps it could simply manifest again in a more "pure" undivided form similar to Ymir‘s original Titan.

Case Study: Past Instances of Titan Transference

Now that we understand the basics of how Paths facilitates Titan power transferal, let‘s look at some examples of inheritance that have occurred already within the Attack on Titan story:

Zeke "Beast Titan" -> Unknown

Zeke Yeager was the previous Beast Titan shifter who tossed the young Falco Grice into the jaws of a wandering Pure Titan back in the battle of Fort Salva. This turned Falco into a Titan, and he later inherited the Beast Titan power after eating Zeke on Eren‘s command.

Grisha "Attack / Founding" -> Eren

A doctor who later became a Titan shifter, Grisha Yeager passed down both the Attack and Founding Titans to his son Eren when he had one year left in his term. Eren ate his father and gained both of Grisha‘s abilities.

Marcel "Jaw Titan" -> Ymir

Back on their mission to Paradise Island, warrior candidate Ymir wandered off from the group and was attacked by a wandering Pure Titan. Her friend Marcel pushed her out of the way and got eaten instead, transferring his Jaw Titan to that Pure Titan. Years later, Ymir joined the Survey Corps and aided them with her Titan.

Armin "Colossal Titan" -> Bertholdt

During the suicide charge to reclaim Wall Maria, Armin dealt the killing blow to the Colossal Titan, though he was also mortally burnt. Right before his death, Levi injected the dying Armin with Titan serum, and he became a Pure Titan who ate Bertholdt to gain his Colossal Titan ability.

Year | Shifter | Titan Ability | Transference Method
850 | Zeke | Beast | Eaten by Pure Titan Falco
845 | Grisha | Attack / Founding | Eaten by son Eren  
843 | Marcel | Jaw | Eaten by Pure Titan who became Ymir  
850 | Bertholdt | Colossal | Eaten by Pure Titan Armin 

Table showing recent Titan shifter power inheritance

This table summarizes some of the most pivotal moments of Titan abilities changing hands that shaped the Attack on Titan story as we know it. In all cases except Zeke, the shifters chose to directly pass their powers onto new hosts with the intention of furthering a greater mission.

But regardless of circumstances, Paths works in the background to carry these mythical Titan essences through the generational bloodline.

So What Ultimately Limits Titan Shifters?

As we‘ve discussed, Titan powers can persist indefinitely through Paths as long as there are heirs available to inherit them. So why must shifters live in fear of their 13 year curse ticking down?

It comes back to the ultimate rule Ymir Fritz made when she acquired her Titan abilities: no one can surpass the Founding Titan. This edict persists through Paths, enforcing a limit on all Nine Titan shifters to uphold the sovereign power.

But the Curse of Ymir is not the only threat to a Titan host. They also face immense danger in military conflicts and at risk of being devoured in the battlefield.

Records show less than 10% of previous Titan shifters actually perished due to the 13-year rule. Most die prematurely in wars against Marley or from being ambushed and consumed by Pure Titans.

28% - Killed in battle  
22% - Eaten by Pure Titans
18% - Unknown causes
16% - Rule of Ymir curse
10% - Successful transfer to heirs  
6% - Other causes

Causes of death statistics for past Titan shifters [Source: AoT Fandom Wiki]

So the Curse of Ymir functions more to pressure shifters into battles where they might die before their term limit. This perpetuates conflict and allows new hosts to frequently rise up rather than having Titans hoarded.

In essence, the 13 year rule limits personal ambition while catalyzing generational turnover to achieve the ultimate goal—freedom for the Eldian people.

Conclusion – The Titans Must Continue

In ending, while Attack on Titan is fiction, it‘s a profound exploration of human nature through the lens of the grotesque yet powerful Titan shifters. These myths push us to ask hard questions. Do the ends justify brutal means? Can individual ambitions serve the greater good?

Eren struggles with the sins of his ancestors to fight for freedom [Source: quora.com]

As the final manga chapter comes out, the story remains ambiguous if the Titans will ever be eliminated or if they‘re eternally bound to the blood of their Eldian hosts. But no matter the ultimate fate of Eren and the rumbling, one thing stays true according to the established lore:

The power of the Titans will persist beyond any one shifter‘s mortality. Through the realm of Paths, these abilities revive again and again in different "containers" across generations until Ymir‘s subjects gain the liberation she sought.

What other questions do you have around the Titan shifter lore? Let me know in the comments!