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This article's content is marked as Mature Needlemouse found something very brutal for those with a weak heart. The page Fritz (Attack on Titan: Exodus) contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you're 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | Remember, if someone hates you for no reason: then you give that f--ker a reason. | „ |
| ~ One of Fritz’s personal matras |
| “ | I believe in strength. I believe in unity. I believe that strength enforces and reinforces unity and that the two are as inseparable as twins at birth. If that strength, that unity of purpose, demands a uniformity of thought, word and deed, then so be it. I will not hear talk of freedom, nor talk of liberation. They are luxuries. I do not believe in luxuries. I put an end to such. The only freedom left to my people is the freedom to starve. The freedom to die, the freedom to live in a world of chaos. Should I give them that freedom? I don’t think so. Not as long as there is breath in my body and a beat in my breast. Do I deserve for myself the freedom I deny to others? I don’t think so. I sit here within my own cage of which I am little more than a servant. I, who am master of all that I see. I see suffering. I see desire. I have so very much, yet so little. I am not loved, I know that. Not even in name. I have never known the soft whisper of endearment. But I am respected. I am noticed. And that’s enough. Because I love, even though I am not loved in return. I have a love that is far deeper than the empty gasps and convulsions of brutish coupling. Shall I speak of her? Shall I speak of my soulmate? Ymir, heavenly though she may be and heavenly she rests, is little more than a loving pet compared to the woman of my yearning. She has no eyes to flirt or promise. Yet she sees all, even more than me. She sees and understands with a wisdom that is divine in its scale, dwarfing mine and forcing me to stand at the gates of her intellect of which I am blinded by the light within. How childish I must seem to her. How stupid and naive. Her soul is pure, untainted by the snares of doubt or emotion. She does not hate. She does not desire. She is untouched by joy or sorrow. She does not respect me. She does not notice me. She... does not love me. They think she is hard and cold, soulless and without life. They do not know her, not like how I know her. She has not touched them… yet. She touches me, and I am touched by a goddess, by fate itself. The whole of creation courses through her every fiber and crevasse. I worship her, even though I am not worthy. I cherish the cleanliness of her disgust. I am her dutiful slave. No freedom was ever so fulfilling. My love, I would stay with you forever, would spend my life with you, and beyond. I would wait upon your every word and never ask the merest speck of affection. Fear… O fear… I love you. With every morsel of my being. | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s infamous “ode” to fear |
| “ | My name is Fritz, founder of Eldia, initiator of a two-millennia regime, master of Marley, father of all Devils, rapist of this world, a god born from man, and slave to no one but myself. I do whatever the f--k I want. | „ |
| ~ Fritz |
Emperor Fritz (in Japanese: フリッツ天皇, Furittsu-tennō), also known as Fritz the Founder, Fritz Eld, and Freddy the Falcon, is one of the two overarching antagonists of Attack on Titan: Exodus (alongside Eitr). He was the vicious and bloodthirsty founder of the Eldian Empire and the first person to ever wield the power of the Titans.
Born approximately 2000 years before the present storyline, Fritz was once an ambitious feudal lord who sought to establish a legacy for himself by overthrowing his Marleyan overlords and ruling the continent in their stead. Eventually, he would encounter a mysterious and primordial organism that would fuse to his very being and grant him unfathomable power, ultimately allowing him to conquer Marley and found his very own empire. Ruling with an iron fist for over 13 years, Fritz would use his god-like power to annihilate his enemies and wield absolute authority over his subjects. However, in a plot staged by his eldest son Helos and his closest confidant Akuman, the Titan emperor would be assassinated and his power divided up amongst his children; beginning the lineage of what be known as the Subjects of Fritz, the only humans capable of becoming Titans.
Despite his death, Fritz’s soul would remain intact, forming a pocket dimension known as the Coordinate where he would be able to weave the fates of his descendants and ensure the continuation of his legacy. However, Fritz would eventually grow bored with his empire’s and eventually the revived Marley’s stagnation, desiring a change in the millennia-old status quo that he had been forced to oversee for thousands of years. So Fritz sought to create a messiah-like figure who would both free him from the shackles of his own making and alter the world in a way that he believed would cure his boredom.
Fritz would watch over Grisha Yeager after the latter forcefully took the power of the Founding Titan from the true imperial family, the Reiss family, grooming him and pushing him along the path he desired until he was “succeeded” by his son, Eren. Donning the identity of “Freddy the Falcon”, he would visit Eren in his dreams, teaching him the truth of the world he lived in as well as sadistically torturing him to “toughen him up”. Eren would constantly forget his experiences with his “best friend” every time he woke up, leading to Freddy’s visits continuing every night for years until Eren enlisted in the military. Eventually, Eren would regain his lost memories regarding Freddy as well as visions into the future upon planting a kiss on the hand of the newly-ordained Empress of the Walls Historia Reiss.
Now having relived the forgotten trauma he had with Freddy as well as discovering his purpose for existing, Eren, with the guidance of the first emperor, set forth to bring an end to the world.
Biography[]
Characterized by the Eldian people as a heroic savior and a selfless ruler by virtue of being their progenitor, the figure of Fritz has been mythologized and deified throughout the ages as much as he has been demonized by the current world order. Ironically, it is the latter such depictions, especially by Marley propaganda, that serve as the closest thing to an accurate portrayal of the first emperor of Eldia. As revealed via the glimpses into the past both Eren and Zeke would experience during their time in the Coordinate, Fritz was a cruel, pitiless, and sociopathic individual with almost no regard for human life. Even before becoming a god-like entity, Fritz delighted in causing carnage and inflicting fear and despair into the hearts of any who would dare cross him, including his own subjects.
Past[]
However, curious about the history of the world and of their abrasive ancestor, the Yeager brothers (with permission from Fritz) ventured into the past to witness the creation of Eldia and its purpose, ultimately discovering Fritz’s tumultuous upbringing and descent into villainy:
Born into poverty as a lowly slave, Fritz grew to have an unquenchable thirst for power and excitement at an early age. As ambitious as he was arrogant, the one who would be the first user of the Founding Titan was exceedingly detached from empathy and attachment to people, demonstrating acute antisocial behavior even in his early youth as he would avoid interacting with other children and even displayed an unnerving sadistic streak, such as impulsively torturing and killing small animals. As a child, he fell under the illusion that he was the only true human alive and that every other person in his life was simply a prop existing solely to revolve around him. Later in his life, he discovered that he was a victim of the “Sacramental Curse”, a mysterious hex rooted in Marelyan folklore which befell any child born out of wedlock to a slave, resulting in said child being addicted with an aura that made everyone they encountered instinctively hate and fear them. Because of this, Fritz was targeted and mistreated by everyone he ever met during his childhood, save for Akuman, resulting in him constantly being blamed for things he did not do, such as being hamstrung for being wrongfully accused of stealing his master’s food. Shunned even by his slave brethren and restricted from ever making meaningful relations, a young and alienated Fritz gradually grew to internalize the person he was viewed as; resulting in him isolating himself from others and suppressing what little compassion he had in an attempt to spare himself from the loneliness he felt in spite of his solipsistic worldview as he secretly craved their validation. Despite this, his attempts at doing this through kindness were repeatedly foiled, such as the time when he was being beaten to an inch of his life for returning a dropped satchel of gold to some traveling merchants after being mistaken for stealing it. Having been severely beaten for attempting to do a good deed without expecting a reward, Fritz was punished for attempting to be kind, further disillusioning him from the prospects of compassion.
His disturbing tendencies were further explored in his youth when he mustered up the courage to engage in the burning of a heretic, something which made him feel a “marvelous burning in his loins”. By partaking in an act that previously terrified him, Fritz was taught how to overcome his fears by exploring them, as well as developing an enjoyment for destroying things he disliked.
Around this time, Fritz began to develop his first true fear: being forgotten. This mindset was unknowingly instilled within when he overheard one of the stories the local monks would tell the village children at night, that only figures of great accomplishments would be remembered past their death. Although not immediate, this small event would shape Fritz in a tremendous way. He would grow to rethink his life as a nameless and unimportant hermit and soon grow to desire to achieve glory by any way convenient as the prospect of “dying twice” haunted him. Although the figures in the tales the monks told were of heroes and valor, Fritz would grow to emulate the monsters or evil tyrants the heroes faced as he would soon learn that these reviled characters were just as remembered as their opponents for their many crimes. To Fritz, it mattered not how such figures may have been demonized by their scornful enemies, he connected with the scorn and resentment they elicited and genuinely believed that it was impossible for him to ever aspire to be a true hero as he felt he would never be loved. After all, if the people the villains hurt were never given names, who would truly care if he were to do just that to achieve the recognition he wanted?
His only solace in his childhood was in Akuman, a foreign boy his age who did not judge him based on his repulsive aura. Despite clearly demonstrating his dismissive attitude towards all other life that wasn’t him, as seen when Fritz tortured a small animal in front of Akuman while claiming that he had no reason to stop as he could never suffer from inflicting pain, the two would bond over their flaws and similarities, finding peace in the unspoken understanding they had towards each other. As the two grew close, Fritz was able to experience true companionship in the short time they knew each other, which encouraged him to seek out more potential friends to continue this feeling. However, the other slave children he “befriended” spitefully tricked Fritz into releasing the plantation’s pigs, an act which he was solely blamed for and scheduled to die because of. This act of malice by the only other children he knew planted within him the idea that other people were innately untrustworthy and unsympathetic. Although he was spared when a bolt of lightning struck down the post holding his noose, allowing him to escape while his masters were distracted, Fritz would never forget how his fellow slaves did nothing to stop his abuse or even object to his execution.
Having never once been shown genuine compassion throughout his childhood (aside from Akuman), instead being abused, mistreated, and falsely accused by virtually every adult he ever met, the ideas of empathy lost its merit to Fritz who eventually began to view humans as pitiless and willing to betray each other for their own personal benefit, as evidenced when he was blamed for releasing his master’s pigs by his fellow slaves in exchange for more rations. Additionally, at some point he was sold to a pedophilic aristocrat who would rape and gaol him for years, taking a significant toll on his sanity. He would be forced to engage in gladiatorial brawls with other slaves for the entertainment of the lord and his companions, eventually forcing a young and physically talented Fritz to indulge in his darker passions and release his pent-up rage towards existence; ultimately leading him to enjoy receiving pain as much as he inflicted it as a coping mechanism for his trauma.
He would eventually fall in love with the lord’s daughter, Ymir, who would visit him every day and tend to him. Being shown unconditional kindness for the second time in life, he grew to obsess over this girl, fantasizing about running away with her and starting a new life for himself. After confronting the girl after mustering up the courage to escape, Fritz was horrified to discover that his feelings for her were not mutual and that she only saw him as a pet. Blinded by despair and fury, Fritz violated and killed the poor girl before setting fire to his prison. With his one hope for a peaceful life stolen from him, he decided then that a life of bloodshed and hatred was his only possible future; vowing to never be powerless for as long as he lived.
He would eventually escape and join the military, desiring an outlet to vent his hatred for all of existence. Skilled on the battlefield as he was unhinged, Fritz would rise to power through military conquest, cementing him as a fearsome warrior who killed all who opposed him. His lack of self-preservation made him an excellent soldier, allowing him to rise the ranks of the Marleyan military. However, it was during his first time engaging in active warfare that he would experience true ecstasy for the first time in his life, as it would be there that he would develop his morbid satisfaction for the act of taking another life. Though not immediate, Fritz began to relish in the act of killing as it instilled with him a sense of empowerment that had remained alien to him for most of his life. As such, Fritz developed an addiction to carnage and battle-- engaging in warfare with an almost childlike glee and initiating his enjoyment with being feared as his opponents would flee from the crazed soldier in fear. As Fritz continued to engage in military pursuits—such as leading the front lines of suicidal charges and, despite usually being outnumbered three-to-one, consistently achieving victory with minimal loss—so too did his rise in social status; fueling his ego.
Fritz would become known to lead every one of his charges on the frontlines, consistently achieve victory regardless of the impossible odds, and never leave any survivors. He was also known never to discriminate against anyone in his military pursuits, ordering innocent civilians, such as women, priests, and children, to be tortuously killed and mutilated beyond recognition if it meant demoralizing his enemy. He would continue to pillage the lands of his enemy and kill their people even if they already surrendered as he refused to be seen as weak or sympathetic.
Throughout his life, he gained an intense hatred for being subservient, loathing the very prospect of needing to submit to anyone (possibly due to his experiences as a slave), let alone the lord he served under, as he felt as though it tampered with his cherished freedom. Fueled by the memories of being abused by authority figures as an impressionable child, Fritz’s pride refused to let him submit to anyone ever again lest he relive his trauma. Showing remarkable ambition, he eventually overthrew his lord and replaced him through force alone after he felt the latter outlived his usefulness. He would later cement his position as ruler by conducting many purges of his political enemies, mounting their remains on statues, crucifixes, and palaces across his lordship as monuments to his cruelty. He would kill supposed traitors and their families for perceived slights, taking those who had not been immediately executed to be personally tortured by him.
His hatred towards being servile eventually extended to encompass the ruling class in general. Upon engaging with the world of Marleyan politics, his views on humanity worsened as believed those in power would always abuse their position over the weak, the people they were meant to protect. As such, Fritz grew to have a severe distaste for authority figures and rulers, seemingly fueled by his traumatic encounters with an aforementioned aristocrat during his childhood. Having prior experience with working under numerous generals and nobles, Fritz had an incredibly sour impression of those in charge, viewing them as incompetent and self-serving cowards who didn’t earn their positions through hard work. Coming from humble origins, he took great pride in his rise in power as he thought it showcased his ingenuity and luck, even though he knew full well that it also made him a target for ridicule among his affluent peers. Gradually developing a meritocratic mindset, he viewed the generals he once worked under as undeserving to have authority over other people, not because they were willing to sacrifice countless lives in pursuit of a higher social standing, but because they were born into positions of power instead of earning it through hard work. Because of his growing hatred, he greatly desired to personally destroy their lives and humiliate them as he thought it deserving that they experience true hardship and from him no less. Upon usurping his lord, he kept true to his promise and took great pleasure in destroying the livelihoods and spirits of those who opposed him.
Another key aspect about Fritz prior to his ascension as Emperor of Eldia was his staunch nihilism and lack of belief in the supernatural. He firmly believed that there was no afterlife or any meaning to the suffering people experienced, finding it humorous whenever religious zealots would excuse the inexcusably atrocious state of their world as having a reason for existing. Despite this, he felt no pity or guilt when he sentenced innocent people to an early death, viewing everyone he killed as deserving of it and sincerely believing that it was an honor to die at his hands. Despite his otherworldly ability to allude death at every opportunity: such as when he was spared from being ritually sacrificed as a newborn due to a sudden downpour extinguished the bonfire which was when to cremate him or when a bolt of lightning struck down the noose meant to hang him after he was accused of releasing his master’s pigs, allowing him to escape; Fritz did not believe in the existence of any higher beings, or at least ones that cared about humanity. Fritz loathed the idea that benevolent deities existed, mainly due to his inability to reason why any god didn’t rescue him from his past traumas, believing that it was solely because of him that he escaped his suffering. Because of this, most of Fritz’s atrocities were dedicated to insulting the existence of such beings, portraying himself as an inexcusably evil tyrant who desired nothing less than to spread decay and suffering wherever he could and if the kind gods that his people worshipped truly were there, they would strike him down. Although, Fritz would later allude to Zeke and Eren that this may have been a last, feeble attempt at suicide as a part of him may have still believed otherwise.
Holding an unshakable desire to be remembered, Fritz would often terrorize his own subjects by hosting public executions or by stringing up the bloodied corpses of his enemies across his domain as a reminder of what it meant to cross him. He would greatly enjoy the feeling of dominance he felt whenever he had someone at his mercy, such as his free-time when he indulged in torturing prisoners. Having gained the fear of being forgotten early in life, the feudal lord would rely on terror to make his name known far and wide, as he had deduced that notoriety through cruelty was easier to manage than through benevolence. As such, the lord revelled in indulging in his darker impulses, as not only did it provide him a legacy but it also maintained his power as he knew that his subjects had grown to fear him more than they resented him. He earnestly thought that fear was the best way to control people. As such, Fritz was tickled at the prospect of now being able to utilize the instinctive fear people had towards him into benefiting him.
However, as he grew bored with the repetitive nature of his lifestyle, he decided to rebel against the king, the only person he was still subservient towards. Confident in his abilities due to his past accomplishments, outstanding luck on the battlefield, and controlling the most powerful army than any other lord, Fritz’s hubris refused to let him reconsider his actions and their potential consequences. Despite his miraculous military successes beforehand and unparalleled ferocity, Fritz, due to his constant expending of resources on pointless campaigns and overall lack of morale his impoverished soldiers had, would experience his first overwhelming defeat at the hands of those more powerful than he. Bewildered and terrified, Fritz would be forced to swallow his pride and retreat after his troops were whittled down to a few dozen. It was only then that he, bloodied and alone, did he reflect upon his hubris and begin to realize that he was never as special as he believed himself to be and that he allowed his pride to consume and cloud his judgement. In his quest for more, he doomed himself and his men by believing in himself too much.
However, upon fusing with a Eitr after collapsing into a tall tree, Fritz would gain godlike powers, reigniting his ego brighter than it had ever been. Now having no reason to doubt himself or consider his human vulnerabilities, Fritz wasted no time in cementing his name in history by toppling the Marleyan Empire and proclaiming himself as “emperor”, in order to distinguish himself from the defunct Marleyan title of “king”. During his rebellion against Marley as a god amongst men, he would personally level entire cities and scorch landscapes into glass, regardless if its inhabitants conspired against his inevitable reign as their supreme ruler. With his childlike glee for raw destruction resurfacing, Fritz revelled in the dominance his senseless mayhem caused and further convincing himself of his superiority towards all other life
Despite having gained his powers from thin air, Fritz stubbornly refused to believe that he owed his success to any guardian deity, instead deluding himself that he was a god all along and that it was his despair which awakened his dormant powers. With his penchant for dodging death and supernatural luck on the battlefield seemingly explained, as well as his solipsistic mindset virtually confirmed, Fritz, drunk on power, convinced himself that he was the one true god of the world, as no other god had dared to show themselves in the way he had. To spite the fictional pantheon he believed had denied him a peaceful life, he ordered the abolishment of all religion across his new empire, instructing his fearful subjects to worship him as their god.
To further expand upon his untouchable status, he oversaw the mass erasure of history prior to his reign, ordering that entire libraries be burned to the ground and any mentions of Marley or its civilization be blotted out. He did this because he believed that Marley’s existence downplayed his achievements, making it seem as if he relied upon the foundations of his Marleyan predecessors to get where he was and believed that his past as a mere feudal lord humanized him too much to his liking. Instead, he wanted to be seen as the sole progenitor of world civilization to add to his deification. He ordered that cults be created solely to worship and that temples reaching the sky to be erected for his glory; demanding of all his subjects to acknowledge and fear his very name, intending on passing on a history of blood and suffering for generations to come with him cited as its forefather.
Despite this, Fritz hungered for more and thus decided he had no reason not to expand his “teachings” across the globe. Now no longer needing to please his army or restrict his barbarism, a trait he believed would have gotten him deposed should he had exercised too much of it, Fritz waged an unprovoked war against all of humanity, ceaselessly laying waste to whatever empire his came into contact with. He would enslave the peoples who resisted him, destroy their cultures and forcefully conscript their children into his army. Although fully capable of destroying entire nations on his own, he felt obligated to allow for their existence as order still needed to be in his conquered territories, although a part of him may have still felt gratitude towards them for their supporting his rise to power decades prior.
As his empire grew, his sanity began to dwindle as he began to believe he was above consequence and that everything he did, no matter how needlessly cruel, was absolutely justified. This is best shown when he furiously belittled Akuman for asking him to spare the lives of the citizens whose countries refused to surrender, vowing that he would kill anyone in the world who breathed oxygen without his permission. This showed that he grew to have an enormous entitlement to everything that lived on the earth.
Now becoming more monster than man (much to his liking), Fritz was seldom seen in human form, instead preferring to remain in quasi-titan form to maintain the fear his presence elicited while being able to function as a ruler. In relation to his insatiable hunger for dominance and increased detachment from humanity, Fritz eventually grew to have a perverted appetite for human flesh, despite not requiring sustenance in titan form. He would delight in consuming those who irked or failed him, such as incompetent ministers or peace advocates. This habit would eventually turn from being a tool to discourage defiance to an uncontrollable obsession, as Fritz would develop an insatiable appetite for human flesh; often devouring entire cities worth of people whenever he had the slightest excuse to do so. Fritz even jokingly remarked that he would continue to dine upon humans even if he were to lose his powers overnight.
Now feared across the known world, Fritz allowed acts of pillage, rape and arson like if it was natural and also immensely enjoyed the physical and psychological suffering of those who dared to oppose him, mercilessly oppressing entire cities with high taxes and forced labor to create resources for his empire so he can make the civilians fear him in order to prevent rise of revolts. All those who openly opposed him were subjected to extremely brutal torture and then executed. His primary excuse behind his cruel treatment of his subjects, besides his solipsism, was that, just like everyone else, he was fully permitted to do with his life as he wished and that those unfortunate to be crushed beneath his “passions” were destined to suffer such fates and there was little to be done about it.
Not abandoning his hatred of elitism and those who practiced it, Fritz loved to terrorize the rulers of the kingdoms he invaded, cherishing the despair and powerlessness these formerly untouchable people felt before a being of true power. Even though he too enjoyed abusing those weaker than him, he felt that he was the sole outlier as he lorded over people because of the difference in raw power rather than wealth. Additionally, he would maintain the meritocracy he set up and see to it that all his citizens rose through the ranks of his society through merit rather than birth. Although he reigned as a tyrant, he viewed himself as a morbid parody of the ruling class: a demonic and bloated abomination constantly feeding upon the poor in an endless cycle of needless violence.
Despite his brutality, he was capable of showing mercy to those nations who swallowed their pride and surrendered to him, allowing their people to integrate into his with little question (although he never bothered to shield them from the growing xenophobia in his other citizens). Similar to any other ruler before him, he maintained order within his realm and enforced its laws (even if it was just an excuse to indulge in his sick power fantasy). Such as the case when he gladly returned the wares to a merchant that were stolen from him, admiring the man for boldly asking such a thing of him. However, when the wares were returned, Fritz told the merchant that he would have executed him if he lied and asked for more.
Regardless, his relationship with his close friend and viceroy Akuman inevitably began to deteriorate due to Fritz’s increased brutality, with the former desperately trying to curb the needless suffering of the imperial populace. Fritz would grow to hold Akuman in contempt, viewing him as weak-willed and annoying, growing increasingly frustrated by his constant pleas to stop his pointless hegemony and his refusal to see him as a monster, but as a friend. Although he would berate and threaten Akuman with torture or death, Fritz hesitated from truly harming the only person he could call a friend as he secretly feared losing the one connection to humanity he had. He would further cement his bond with Akuman by granting him a portion of his power; accelerating his already impressive physical skills to absurd levels. Fritz would eventually distance himself from Akuman, sending him to a distant part of his empire and out of his hair.
However, upon learning that Akuman had gotten married to a northern princess, Fritz’s mental health worsened as he soon discovered that this princess was identical to the young girl he killed in his youth in both appearance and name. Having since suppressed the guilt and trauma from that incident, Fritz soon became consumed with overwhelming emotions; obsessing over his colleague’s bride and causing further strain between the two. Soon, Ymir became all Fritz could think about, cursing his friend for taking something that he believed was rightfully his while cursing himself for being too weak to do anything about it. He would start to become more hostile with Akuman, often screaming at him with little to no provocation, and sexually harassing Ymir, offering to “show her heaven” and make her the matriarch of his divine lineage if she left her husband. The more the two refused him, the more frustrated Fritz became, spending his time away from terrorizing the world and in his own head: fantasizing about the many ways in which he would destroy them both, even genuinely humoring the thought of raping Ymir to death in front of a dying Akuman. However, the emperor would restrain himself, causing him to despise the power two mortals held over him despite all his power; leading him to dismiss Akuman and Ymir as the last obstacles to his freedom and craze any form of release. He would could to envy Akuman’s happiness when he learned that Ymir bore three daughters, leading him to take eight concubines hailing from illustrious lineages in retaliation, hoping to sire a child with each one of them in order to feel Akuman’s pleasure.
Upon hearing that the northern kingdoms were planning an attack on his empire, Fritz immediately declared war, not caring if the rumors were true or not, and saw to it that Akuman and Ymir were implemented. He would personally confront his life-long ally, whom he would taunt then callously kill before forcefully taking Ymir to be his bride. He sought to it to dismantle any power Akuman had over him, transforming his three daughters (who carried the powers of his Titan through their blood) into brainwashed elite soldiers devoted to serving him and sullying the beauty of Ymir.
Seeking to reenact the event that happened in his childhood, Fritz brutalized and raped Ymir every day, forcing her to endure excruciating torture and humiliation. Doing this made Fritz feel a different kind of power: that of not being bound by the expectations of those he “cared” about. He would also use his power to heal her injuries and sanity whenever she became too weak just so he could enjoy breaking her all over again. When Ymir bore him a son from her relentless abuse: Fritz surprisingly showed concern and lamented the possibility of raising a person just as hideous as he was.
He would soon refrain from interacting with Ymir or his son Helos, instead locking them away so he didn’t need to think of them. Terrified of the fact that he still dwelt under his shadow, Fritz attempted to curve such feelings by continuing in his conquests, this time by the help of his eight prior children (whom he bestowed individually with powers similar to his own). However, he could no longer enjoy what had brought such fulfillment to his life as not only was warfare no longer challenging for him, but I thought of Akuman began to eat away at him. However, Fritz refused to believe that he was feeling guilt over the death of his only true ally, even going so far as to disregard his hatred for superstition by proclaiming a vision of Akuman that visited him as a ghost rather than accepting any guilt.
When hearing that Ymir commuted suicide, Fritz felt a profound emptiness in his heart, goin as far as too forge a valiant tale of Ymir dying by defending the empire against its enemies as well as giving her a lavish burial ceremony. Fritz would also adopt a more direct role in Helos’ life upon his mother’s death. For reasons that eluded even him, Fritz refused to bestow Helos with any powers, although a future Fritz contemplated this a means to preserve his innocence as he did not want yet another monster amongst his progeny. However, when Helos began to share an uncanny resemblance to Akuman in both appearance and mannerisms, Fritz’s already fragile mental health deteriorated. He began to mistreat Helos, such as locking him in his chambers or starving him, until it escalated into having him flogged publicly and forcing him to watch as he had his fiancé raped by his soldiers. Fritz, although knowing that he was irreversibly destroying his relation with his youngest and most cherished child, couldn’t refrain from hurting the ones he felt had the potential to love him unconditionally, as he subconsciously felt that he was unworthy of such treatment.
His tyranny would increase tremendously as Fritz became little more than a mad god hellbent on spreading misfortune across the world. He began to completely any pragmatism as he started to destroy numerous vital areas across his empire without reason or provocation, as when he dismantled the dam that managed the east river, resulting in widespread famine. Knowing no one could stop or object him, Fritz continued to assert his dominance across all of civilization for the next several years. The emperor even considered at one point dividing up his empire amongst his children if he were to ever die, thus denying the continuation of a unified empire and preserving his legacy as the only person to have held and deserved the title of “emperor”.
Fortunately, Fritz’s reign of terror came to an end when Akuman, who survived his execution thanks to the abilities given to him by the emperor and had spent a decade honing his skills and gathering an army to defeat the mad god one and for all. Overwhelmed with emotion, Fritz gathered up his army to face his now mortal enemy and true rival, only to realize that Helos and his eight older siblings joined Akuman against their father due to the latter’s excessive tyranny. Despite having abused them their entire lives, Fritz felt deeply betrayed by their defection, calling them “heretics” for abandoning their god. Additionally, Fritz’s apathy towards provincial administration and the up-keeping of his army due his over reliance on his godhood, Akuman was able to steal away with half of Fritz’s empire, leaving the latter bewildered.
Upon learning that the consciousness of Ymir shared Akuman’s body due to him supplying her with his powers, thus connecting her to him, as well as discovering that the Walls of Fritz (the daughters of Akuman and Ymir whom he groomed to be his elite soldiers) also defected to the rebellion. Now completely alone, deterioration of the empire he tried so hard to build up, the resurgence of Akuman and Ymir and his entire family’s betrayal, Fritz mentally regressed, becoming capable of only speaking in simple sentences and losing any capacity for rational thought, viewing everything and everyone around him as shadowy monsters.
Now beginning to find himself in the same hopeless situation over a decade before, Fritz would begin to lay waste to his own empire without regard for consequences, all out of the petty desire to leave nothing for Akuman to salvage from him. Fritz would target populated areas and level them to the ground, hoping to eliminate as many shadows as he could before they “swallowed” him. Regardless, Fritz would ultimately be confronted by Akuman and his treacherous family and defeated. Having spent his entire life attempting to overcome his fears by becoming stronger and more terrible than them, Fritz’s fears would resurface and overpower him after being submissive for so long. Before dying, Fritz realized how Akuman, now the last thing he would see, was the only person who genuinely cherished him regardless of any curse he may have had and how he was the only person who he could call a friend.
Curiously, a figure resembling Fritz in human form would appear to taunt a dying Akuman decades later, admonishing him for his supposed failures to undo the devastation left by the mad emperor and the inevitable path of bloodshed the future led to. This figure would refer to mankind as being unsalvageable and demanding that it would only be until he gave up on his ambitions that he could ever truly be at peace.
Present[]
Initially characterized as an immature, foul-mouthed, talkative, demented and high-strung individual upon his encounters with Grisha and his sons, Fritz quickly proved himself to not be the omnibenevolent deity the Eldians worshipped for millennia, instead being a malicious entity who held no love for his descendants or their culture, viewing them merely as a means of entertainment as it was through them that he could interact with the world. Throughout his many directionless, one-sided and noncoherent ramblings, Fritz greatly treasures his status as a god and enjoys the power he holds over humanity and takes apparent pride in the way his regime changed history, claiming that all the atrocities committed by the Eldians were “work(s) of art that only (he) could understand.” Despite claiming to be above all aspects of the human mentality, Fritz is incredibly boastful and proud of his status as a god, demonstrating a constant eagerness to brag about the incalculable amount of knowledge he has and how incomparable all of humanity is to him. He even went as far to claim he was the one true god as he stated that no other supernatural force had interacted with humanity as much as he had, and that he would have known by then if there were any other beings like him after exploring the cosmos for eons. When Grisha questioned his supposed divinity, Fritz was greatly offended, going on a long tangent on his superiority to humanity and even threatening those who didn’t acknowledge him with divine punishment, which he likened to being “barbecue(d) extra crispy.” His pride often manifested itself in his demeaning attitude towards people powerful and successful in their own right, namely Eren, downplaying their accomplishments or dismissing them entirely, often stooping to using juvenile insults.
Possessing a sadistic sense of humor, Fritz greatly enjoyed verbally abusing those who contacted him, mocking them for perceived slights and making light of their misfortunes, such as his constant harassment of Eren’s loss of his mother and Grisha’s guilt over the deaths of the Reiss family. His insults and taunting, deduced by Eren, are a means Fritz employs to maintain the attention of those who interest him and leave a lasting impact on them long after their encounter. This is seemingly proved as seen by Fritz’s behavior when he is ignored, such as his violent tantrum when he felt that Zeke and Eren were spending too much time conversing with each other instead of focusing on the god before them. With this in mind, Eren jokingly remarks how Fritz, despite claiming that his mind is beyond human comprehension, is still just as needful as anyone else.
However, behind the childish and almost psychotic façade he presents lies an incredibly cold and calculating interior: a mastermind willing to employ whatever means it takes to see his desires through to the end. Due to his seemingly limitless amount of knowledge he gained of the inner workings of the universe, Fritz is able to predict and manipulate history and causality to a degree that is virtually imperceivable to the human eye. As such, Fritz’s portrayal of himself to those who encounter him is strongly hinted throughout the series to be an elaborate manipulation ploy meant to elicit weakness: such as spite, a desire to prove oneself, or apathy— mindsets which he can exploit for his personal gain. Additionally, Fritz has soon to not be above manipulating others to his side, such as his insistence on Karl Fritz’s anti-nationalist conviction and his pressuring of Eren towards the idea that genocide was the only means of peace. Lastly, his role in “raising” Eren as his imaginary friend “Freddy the Falcon” was shown to be incredibly abusive and controlling, torturing the poor child in his dreams by being devoured by titans to reliving his past traumas; with his treatment of Eren becoming less about preparing him for the inevitable Rumbling and more about emotionally stunting him by discouraging certain behaviors that didn’t complement his desires so he could better take advantage of him in the future.
Quotes[]
| “ | Oh that’s right, the selfish are the ones who rule this world… | „ |
| ~ Fritz contemplating to himself after being blamed for releasing the pigs |
| “ | FRITZ: Stop? Stop what?
AKUMAN: You’re hurting it! It was minding its own business and you hit it! You can not kill whenever you feel like it! (Picks up the hare Fritz was torturing) |
„ |
| ~ Fritz, as a child, sharing his thoughts on empathy with Akuman after the latter catches him torturing a small rabbit |
| “ | Whoops, my hand slipped. | „ |
| ~ Fritz “accidentally” killing the chief general after being told to capture him alive by his lord |
| “ | So, this is how this feels. How… dull… | „ |
| ~ Fritz contemplating his feelings on finally getting to sit at the generals’ council table |
| “ | Death? No, I do not fear death. Dying too soon: that’s what I fear. | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s views on his mortality |
| “ | FRITZ: It’s no use. They’re already long gone.
AKUMAN: …! |
„ |
| ~ Fritz being confronted by Akuman after the former was found to have killed the lord’s family |
| “ | PRISONER: M-MERCY! I’VE T-TOLD YOU EVERYTHING! FRITZ: A man is but a miserable pile of secrets, but a flayed man keeps none. |
„ |
| ~ Fritz before torturing a prisoner |
| “ | My foe is so vast, my land so small. Where will I find space to bury them all? | „ |
| ~ Fritz to himself before being invaded by the Marleyan royal army |
| “ | You humans fear the unknown; you fear what you cannot explain. Like the arrogant insects you are, you cannot fathom what lies beyond yourselves so you shelter yourselves from it by any means: such as turning to sex, food, or God for comfort. You indulge in your basic carnal desires like filthy animals and not like the civilized apes you claim yourselves to be! As such, your kind all secretly recognize how worthless they all are as they do not hesitate to kill or rape one another if it means gratifying themselves! Pitiful! But yet you… You think that you, out of all your oafish kind, are deserving of mercy?! What delusions have led you to believe that you are any different from them?! I see none! I loathe that entitlement of yours! I’ll tell you now: I am the unknown and I am your God! So learn to be humble and bow to me, or discover the true meaning of oblivion! | „ |
| ~ Fritz to the king of Marley |
| “ | Look upon my visage, ye wicked, and depart! | „ |
| ~ Emperor Fritz, in Titan form, after leveling an entire city |
| “ | Damn… I can’t believe I ate the whole thing. | „ |
| ~ Fritz after he devoured every member of a hostile barbarian tribe |
| “ | Mewling creature, be silent! My blessings are far more real than any fictional deity you worship. Toilers of my anathema toil no longer. The material veil of this world has been rendered to me alone, showing me the happenings of what is to come. Your resistance? Nominal. The power of your faith? Negligible. The prognosis of you and your wretched ecclesiarchy? Oh dear me, I fear it’s TERMINAL. | „ |
| ~ Fritz taunting a priest before slowly eating him alive |
| “ | I was born into this life. Why shouldn’t I do whatever I want with it? | „ |
| ~ Fritz expressing his egomania |
| “ | I am the mighty king of the greatest empire in history. I control the vastest territory in the world. I will not relinquish it to any mortal! Even if it is smeared with blood and dirtied, this world belongs to me and me alone! I will rebel against any god that may oppose me, defile their throne, and reign in their place! | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s descent into madness |
| “ | Remember: no survivors! | „ |
| ~ Fritz to his army |
| “ | Your lives are precious, never forget that. Learn to treasure it; for it they can be snuffed out at any moment. | „ |
| ~ Fritz terrorizing his children |
| “ | This world… How rotten, repugnant! Filled with such bickering, impudent creatures! Out of all places, why was it that I was born here? Was it so I could save it? So I could rescue these creatures and teach them the error of their ways? I think not. For a world capable of creating a monster like me should deserve no such fate. | „ |
| ~ Fritz reflecting on his life’s purpose |
| “ | Humans. Humans are born only for play and nothing else. Every man, woman, and child knows that play is greater than any toil. They also know that the value of a game is not inherent to itself but rather in the worth of what is placed at stake. Games of random chance require a wager to have any meaning at all. Games of strength involve the skill of the opponents and the humiliation of defeat and the satisfaction of victory are in themselves sufficient stakes because they adhere to the worth of the rules and define them. But the trial of chance or trial of worth all games aspire to the condition of war for here that which is wagered swallows up game, player, all. War is the ultimate game because war is at last a forcing of the unity of existence. War and its all-consuming carnage help in exposing the true animal that lies anxiously in wait behind all human visages; clawing at its loose constraints and howling for war to rescue it. Like any good mother, war heeds the call of her children and breaks them from the fiendish confines that hold them. Play is war, and war is absolute. | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s monologue to Akuman |
| “ | FRITZ: Tell me, why are people… so unpleasant?
AKUMAN: I don’t know. |
„ |
| ~ Titan Fritz personally confronting a beaten Akuman after he was convicted of treason and tortured |
| “ | Such amusing fiction, the stories they tell. It always comes to this. If they really had a desire to live, they would have been more aware of how easy it is to die., would have chosen their actions more wisely. In these moments, you can tell they are not truly remorseful. They get so loud. They make so much noise. I try to wait until I’m out of the room before I start laughing. A blur of sweating… screaming… crying… human… drama… Heh. But, every once in a while, they say things that sound like words. They make me think about what I’m doing. The noises start to make me uncomfortable. So uncomfortable… that… I wonder… why I don’t just cover my ears. | „ |
| ~ Fritz recalling the times in which he tortures people |
| “ | Oh no, don’t stop now, your screams are what keeps the fire in my loins burning bright! | „ |
| ~ Fritz abusing Ymir |
| “ | Stop worrying about what others may think, you’ll only cause more problems for yourself. Who cares if you hurt someone as long as you remain unhurt? Do not be afraid of the heads you must trample, the lives you must ruin, or the trusts you must break. They may whine, cry, or curse your name as they will, but if they cannot muster words into action, it is of no concern. If you bring them to ruin, you will be safe. Trust me, I did not get where I am today by caring about others. | „ |
| ~ One of the few lessons Fritz taught his son Helos |
| “ | Do not shut your eyes. Look upon what you have brought upon yourself! You may grow to hate me, but learn this: love is painful. Ignore it and suffer, or realize it and grow stronger! | „ |
| ~ Fritz to Helos while forcing him to watch his lover being raped by his soldiers |
| “ | I feel your despair in your heart. It FEEDS every fiber of my being. Your festival of weeping shall be turned to cinder, its aftermath to be duplicated and spread across this realm! Taken from you, like so much I have already stolen… So struggle! Struggle at the feet of your MASTER! Once you are but ichor beneath my heel, your scattered corpses shall serve as a monument to my infamy! Your daughters? Turned into breeding stock for my army to mother generations upon generations of warriors, loyal to my lineage, to forever serve my legacy! | „ |
| ~ Fritz taunting Akuman after he seemingly decimates his forces and foils his assassination attempt |
| “ | FRITZ: Life and the world are darkness. Inside the darkness where nothing can be seen… Frightened. Threatened. Crawling. Writhing. Ignorance, that is life. I just wanted… to be safe, to be free of fear. The pain, if only I was never born. I never wanted to live… (opens eyes) Light, it is bright. Can’t see. It is warm, but… I can’t feel it. I’ll get burned.
VOICE: You can see! Because people who carry the light, are inside the deepest of darkness. In the darkness, only then can you truly discover light! FRITZ: The light… envelops me. (Notices Akuman standing above him) Akuman. Throughout all the jeering faces I have encountered throughout my fleeting life; you’re the only one that has ever truly cared… |
„ |
| ~ Fritz’s thoughts before dying |
| “ | FRITZ: Wishing impossible things, are we? What a funny little curse you have, in being only efficient, in knowing how insufficient you are. Tell me, why do you bother staying here? AKUMAN: I have a beating heart, and it will do so as long as it needs to. |
„ |
| ~ A vision of Fritz taunting a dying Akuman for the futility of his accomplishments |
| “ | ♪WE COME
WE COME~ |
„ |
| ~ Fritz singing while being summoned |
| “ | FRITZ: Well, you sure took your damn time!
GRISHA: Wha-? Where am I? |
„ |
| ~ Fritz to Grisha after the latter killed most of the Reiss family and was brought to the Coordinate |
| “ | FRITZ: And know you know how babies are made!
GRISHA: … |
„ |
| ~ Fritz when questioned about his divinity by Grisha |
| “ | Hey, hey! Don’t cry! I know the future looks bleak now, but if you persevere and focus on what’s ahead, nothing will ever hurt you again and you’ll be able to kill every last one of those monsters by yourself! Chin up bud. As long as I’m with you, I promise, you and everyone you love will be alright. Oh right! The name’s Freddy. Freddy the Falcon. Would you like to be my best friend, Eren Yeager? | „ |
| ~ “Freddy the Falcon” visiting Eren Yeager in his dreams after the fall of Wall Maria |
| “ | Just focus on the path ahead of you and move forward. I do that. Worry less about the perils that may lie ahead along the path and more about the trek itself. That way, sooner or later, you’ll wind up at your destination before you even thought of where you wanted to go! | „ |
| ~ “Freddy” to an impressionable Eren |
| “ | FREDDY: Being born really isn’t all that special. Everyone’s down it. Even still, everything that has been born is destined to die. Every life that has existed has no more importance than a grain of dirt in the earth. Should that even be counted as existing? Death is natural, so why the hell should anything live?
EREN: My dad once told me that the world is a cruel place, filled with injustice and apathy. Innocent people are punished while the monsters who killed them get away with it. But… despite that, despite everything, the world is beautiful. It’s because we were born that proves the miracle of life. It’s through our choices that we change the world. It’s through us that the world becomes kind and just!
FREDDY: Really now? Well, did you ever ask to be born? Who did? Certainly not you. If no one called for you… then no one wanted you. |
„ |
| ~ “Freddy” discussing his nihilism with Eren |
| “ | FREDDY: Hey bub, it’s been a while! Y’know, a kid your age shouldn’t be getting into opium; heard it really clogs the bowels. (hacks uncontrollably before clearing his throat) Alright, you honestly thought you could spin my plates that easily? I’m honestly surprised you were able to maintain yourself even after you wake up? Color me impressed. Guess I was right to choose you after all. EREN: Wait! No… |
„ |
| ~ Freddy meeting Eren after the latter tried to repress his sleep |
| “ | Oh hey, good morning sleepyhead. I didn’t expect you’d wake up so soon. Zeke was it? Good. I believe there’s no need for introductions, I bet you can figure out on your own who I am. So, you know my number, and I know enough about you to make a duplicate that even your grandparents wouldn't be able to tell apart from the real you. Not a threat, just a fact. Oh no, don’t try to speak. See-- I dissolved part of your larynx into the stuff around you. (lifts up sand in an empty palm; pouring it onto Zeke) Nothing personal, I just like to work in peace and quiet. Speaking of work, the reason I made you conscious here was so I could discuss something with you in person. Me and you, we’ve got big plans; plans that involve a lot of people dying in horrible ways. Don’t get me wrong, I know all about how you plan on ridding the world of the Eldians “peacefully without a drop of blood shed”. But how exactly will you get to that point? Will you be able to achieve the power of the gods “peacefully” as well? Nah, I didn't think so. See, you’ve been focusing so much on the future you’ve been ignoring the present. All those innocent lives. Anyhoo, seems to me we’re getting a bit off-topic, so I’ll just skip to the chase-- I’d like to help you out bud. I know this might sound surprising, but I too wish to rid the world of devils like us. Remember good ol’ Helos? Folk hero and mythical liberator of all we know and love? Yeah, me and him had a conversion not too different from this one long ago, except neither of us was eviscerated by shrapnel-- seriously, though, that was metal as hell. He, just like you, wanted to make the world a better place, and he too wanted all of us devils gone. Yeah see, since our thoughts aligned, I allowed him to overthrow the evil king Karl and save the world. But, as you may know, that wasn’t enough, as the devils continue to threaten our precious world to this very day from the blasted island of theirs. So here I am, proposing to you. You, of imperial blood, capable of manipulating the Founding Titan itself, how would you like to save the world like our old pal Helos once did? | „ |
| ~ Fritz manipulating a 20-year-old Zeke upon their first encounter in the Coordinate after the latter was heavily injured during an air-raid |
| “ | Eren Yeager. Son of Grisha, wielder of three Titans, usurper of the imperial family, and soon the liberator of this world. Rise, for you are in the presence of your creator. Every action you have taken, as well as those taken by the people you know and those you don’t, every decision made by Eldia and those of the nations past its borders; every event, for decades up until now, even before your birth, has led to this moment (Eren rises silently, slowly shifting his hands to shield his eyes from a bright light. The light dims, revealing a figure in its place standing before Eren). I am the First King of your people, Father of the Titans, Master of Eldia (approaches Eren). Throughout your entire life, I have seen your actions, heard your words, felt your emotions. Why have I brought you, of all people, here before me? Why you, of all people, did I choose to inherit my will: the Founding Titan? You see, (turns around) I was thinking of building a bar, right over there (points), and I was wondering what would happen when the Attack Titan, War Hammer Titan, and Founding Titan walked into it. (A long pause ensues, eventually to be broken by Fritz bursting into laughter) I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I ruined it. (Turns around to face Eren, extending his hand) Welp, impressions aside, the name’s Fritz, Fritz the Founder. But if you want to be polite: Big Daddy Big Boss would be fine too! | „ |
| ~ Fritz introducing himself to Eren for the first time in the Coordinate after the latter came into physical contact with Zeke |
| “ | FRITZ: Y’know, all this talk about eugenics has got me thinking. If every Subject of Fritz is my descendant, doesn’t that, and I know this is rich coming from a royal, doesn’t that mean that every marriage between two Subjects is incest? ZEKE: Wh-? |
„ |
| ~ A typical conversion between Zeke and Fritz |
| “ | If I had a single regret from out of all the atrocities I committed throughout my life: it’s that I died. | „ |
| ~ Fritz expressing his “remorse” |
| “ | Nothing exists without my consent, kid. | „ |
| ~ Fritz to Eren |
| “ | I will never follow a rule. That is my rule. Do you follow? I won’t. | „ |
| ~ Another of Fritz’s mantras |
| “ | FRITZ: Eitr, a being of both unknowable power and unfathomable potential. She is not of this world but instead hailing from the stars themselves, having been birthed from the darkest corners of the deepest recesses of space not yet documented by mankind. Although most of the details have remained elusive for a long time even to herself, what can be understood is that she is one of the last members of a dying race capable of fusing with a host and accelerating their evolutionary genealogy to a degree that transcends reason, logic, and even doubt. She arrived on this world millions of years ago, in a hail of volcanic brimstone and unholy murderflame, with the purpose that compels most animals, including humans, that live on the earth: to spread. No one knows the extent of her abilities, no one knows her origin, and no one knows her plans. Is she humanity’s greatest hope? Or their greatest threat? No one can say………. Except for me, who could explain it - but alas, comprehending the incomprehensible is reserved for galaxy-brains such as I. You are but dough-brains, to whom I will explain squat. However, one thing is certain: she is super mysterious and the cutest and most lovable little runt you could ever get to know in several hundred lifetimes. Little Miss Priss~.
ZEKE: That was two things, really. |
„ |
| ~ Fritz explaining Eitr to Zeke and Eren |
| “ | My propensity for observation is far beyond your reckoning you half-pint mama’s boy! | „ |
| ~ Fritz insulting Eren |
| “ | Okay, maybe I haven’t been completely honest. Not that I consciously lied or anything. It’s just… Well, my story has been bent over backward to show… Well, who’s not gonna have sympathy for an abused child, right? Here’s my problem: a lot of people are abused as kids! It doesn’t give them the excuse to go out and… and, well… do what I did. Normally, any sane person would be horrified by even an ounce of what passed through my head in those days; followed promptly by violent vomiting and intensive therapy, of course. But physically it feels so damn good! Especially when I’m not supposed to do it! Pure animal lust! The taste of bloody meat on my lips from a well-earned game! It’s great, innit? Whew, it takes a lot out of you! But my destructive shadow is too full of bull, too. It has its dark “ax-to-grind.” I realized a long time ago that I had to accept good and evil as part of my collective family. But wait! It’s not working! I’m getting sucked into the shadows! HEL- (Fritz is swallowed up by the dark void that had slowly crept its way towards him. A long pause ensues before Fritz re-emerges) See?!! You can’t assimilate the evil! There’ll always be that part of my soul where everyone’s just asking for it! Including me! Now I'm even scaring myself! What kind of monster would think a child capable of such carnal thoughts?!… The kind that doesn’t regret it. Even after all this time, after all the eons of reflection I could’ve done, I know, that deep down, I would’ve done it all again if I had the chance. So, whatever it is you’re about to ask me, you better be prepared to live with yourself for all of eternity. | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s analysis of himself after showing his past to the Yeager brothers |
| “ | I have existed for thousands of years; undying, untouched, and trapped within a void of my own creation, forced to enforce an ideology knowing that had lost any semblance of merit a millennia ago. With nothing but the deafening memories of a stupid young fool to keep me company, I have mindlessly droned onwards, racing endlessly forward to climb the ever-expanding summit that motivates the ambition of all earthly men in a futile attempt to feel anything. Surrounded on all corners the ever-expansive and all-encompassing void of absolution, the null pit that devours all life that passes on, the fear of one day succumbing to the empty promises and seductive urges it bellows incessantly and the relief of knowing the fate I have been able to escape are feelings I have not only come to understand and cherish but embody. Existing past the confines of the tangible, forever separated from the concrete and definable by an opaque, bottomless pool of infinity; my grasp on the material world has faded and my separation between fact and fantasy muddied beyond all confines of the notion. I have gazed past time itself, viewing the end of reality and its beginning as one, endlessly repeating loop incapable of change or the slightest alternation: forever doomed to cycle itself for eternity and beyond in the directionless path it constantly paves for itself. I have seen the largest of stars and mightiest of civilizations extinguished under the weight of time. The inevitability of decay and hopelessness of existence has been ingrained into my very being. So I, as the only one capable of seeing such faults, such… futility, have rightfully fled to the darkest recesses of reality, back to the backwater cesspool that shat it out in the first place for the smallest ounce of warmth left for it. The king Fritz, the paradoxically enslaved god, fled back to humanity. Suckling, like a small babe, upon their teat of hate, vitriol, and horror, nourished by the black tar from whence it was born, it grew-- the king Fritz grew! Past the confines of humanity, sans desire, and into the THING you see before you! That’s the price I paid for my power! And you… boy... whelp... CHILD!... come before me, a being existing beyond your fragile understanding, down on your f--king knees, big fat crocodile tears in those big ol’ puppy-dog eyes of yours, hands clasped, BEGGING me for the EXACT power that violated my mind and soul worse than any rapist ever could? Really? REALLY!!? ARE YOU THAT DEDICATED TO THIS DREAM OF YOURS THAT ARE YOU WILLING TO PISS AWAY EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU “YOU”?!!! Oh well, what’s the harm? Knock yourself out. | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s speech to Eren after the latter asks for his power. |
| “ | Go. Entertain me. Show me what you’ve learned. | „ |
| ~ Fritz’s farewell to Eren |
| “ | Akuman. Even in death you still haunt me. | „ |
| ~ Fritz upon learning that the spirit of Akuman has been guiding Mikasa |
| “ | See you again soon~. | „ |
| ~ A monstrous Fritz’s “promise” to Akuman and Mikasa after they escape his subconscious with the power of the Winged Titan |
| “ | FREDDY: A little young, but I guess you’ll do fine as my first~.
FALCO: The light… it’s bright! What’s going on? |
„ |
| ~ ”Freddy” confronting Falco after he gains the power of the Winged Titan |
| “ | The light… it envelops me once again… | „ |
| ~ Fritz shortly after cheating death by forming his body from Eren’s corpse |
| “ | Sorry it had to end this way, kid. To answer your question before: no. You were never quite in control. | „ |
| ~ Fritz to himself while posing as a Rumbling survivor on a train to Hizuru |
Trivia[]
- The term “Eldia” is derived from Fritz’s posthumous title of Eld (lit. “the Elder” or “the First”).
- As such, Fritz’s empire was simply referred to as “The Empire” or “Fritz’s Empire” during his reign and it was until long after his death that it began to be known as the Eldian Empire.
- Despite his monumental role in the story, Fritz seldom interacts with the main cast; having confirmed to have only conversed with the Yeager siblings, their father Grisha, and Falco.
- Every time Fritz has appeared, he has been depicted with shaded, hollow eyes, even during his own flashbacks when other characters, especially Akuman, were depicted with visible and lifelike eyes. This is seemingly done to illustrate Fritz’s detachment from humanity and his lack of emotions.
- Interestingly, the only times Fritz’s eyes have been non-opaque were when he engaged in acts of violence or malice: such as when he drowned a rat as a young boy, fought in an arena for the amusement of the unnamed Marleyan lord, participated in warfare, and taunted Eren for his failures.
- The name Fritz dons, Freddy, is a nickname for Fredrick, to which the name Fritz is also a nickname.
- Fritz’s motif of avians, namely falcons, stems from his deep-rooted jealousy of them due to his admiration of the freedom he thought they possessed.
- Fritz’s Founding Titan form is the second-largest Titan Shifter in the series, just behind Eren Yeager’s Founding Titan form.
- Fritz shares numerous parallels with Eren Yeager, the main protagonist of the series:
- Fritz and Eren strongly resembled each other as young children.
- Eren, a Subject of Fritz, rescued Mikasa, an Ackerman, from being kidnapped by killing her attackers; while Fritz, ancestor of all Subjects, did the same for Akuman, founder of the Ackerman lineage.
- Both are obsessed with the concept of freedom and the desire to pursue their own destiny.
- Both use their Titan powers to subdue and vanquish those who opposed them.
- However, unlike Eren whose motivations were ultimately altruistic, Fritz used his power for his own personal gain.
- Both were ultimately betrayed and killed by the Ackerman they rescued and befriended.
External links[]
- Fritz on the Near Pure Evil Wiki