Let's countdown the girls who deserve the fan-bestowed honorary title, 'Best AoT Girl'
One thing to be loved about Attack on Titan is that the story doesn’t forget about its female characters, yet it doesn’t make any special effort to put the spotlight on them. Each character grows naturally, as is the case in the real world, and as it should be.
What this means for us is that there’s no shortage of characters to relate to, be they male or female. Well in this article, we present the top ten best girls in Attack on Titan. Enjoy.
10. Petra Ral
Best girl Petra
A girl with dirty-blonde hair, probably in her early twenties, Petra had a bubbly personality that’s easy to fall in love with. She had the skill to match too - she was one of four soldiers hand-picked by Levi himself to be in his special operations squad.
What is awesome about her
When Eren was put under the watch of Levi and his squad, Petra was the one to make him feel most comfortable. In a sense, she took him under her wing. She’s also (quite understandably) the most popular person in Levi’s squad.
Even though Petra died along with her squad in their fight against Annie the female titan, the execution of her co-op attacks with her teammates was amazing to watch.
Current Status
Petra was killed by Annie. Stomped to death by Annie. She had so much future ahead of her too…
Apparently Petra's death is the only thing the internet knows...
9. Hange Zoe
Hange may be a tad crazy, yes, but she's still best girl
Hange is a squad leader in the Survey Corps, and next in line to become Commander, so named by Commander Erwin himself. She’s in charge of titan research and inventions that help the Survey Corps in their missions.
What is awesome about her
Hange’s intelligence is very well up there with the smartest, and she’s got the craziness to match. It is this interesting combination of quirkiness and ingenuity that led humanity to capture titans alive for the first time. She’s also brought up important strategies for the Survey Corps. An example is when she speculated, after Eren was captured, that Reiner and Bertholdt would need to rest in a forest on the path of their escape. This meant they’d still have till night time to catch up to them, even though the enemy had a 5-hour head start. Later on after the uprising arc, Hange applies Eren’s newfound hardening ability and invents a titan killing guillotine.
Hange has also shown that there is a darker side to her. During the second battle to capture the female titan, she menacingly threatened Annie, after trapping her, that she’d ‘devour’ all the information she held. After Pastor Nick was murdered by the Interior Police, her threats to take revenge against his killers dripped venom. And after capturing Nick’s killers, she seemed to take delight in torturing Sannes, even pulling out his nails before asking any questions. Savagery at its finest.
Her skills with the ODM gear are also top-notch, as is expected of any squad leader in the Survey Corps.
Current Status
Hange is part of the mission to retake Wall Maria. We can expect to see great things from her in the coming bloodbath.
Hanji's the best
8. Sasha Braus
The Potato Girl's at it again
Sasha comes from one of the mountain villages within the walls, so she’s used to life in the woods and has great skill with the hunting bow. She loves to eat, and being a huntress, her favourite thing to eat is meat.
Her family has a heavy accent, which she’s somewhat embarrassed about, so she’s mostly hidden this from everyone else by using an extremely polite style of speaking. We see Ymir calling her out for this in a flashback.
What is awesome about her
Sasha really brings some life to the otherwise dark world of Attack on Titan, so it’s no surprise that fans love her. Many of us held our breaths when she had to fight a titan solo (with only a bow and some four arrows to defend herself). This particular battle was all for the sake of a little girl she was trying to save. Respect for her definitely shot through the roof after this brave display of guts from Sasha.
We also can’t forget her superb aim and assists during the battle against Kenny’s squad. She literally saved Connie from certain death with an arrow straight to the heart of his would-be-killer. Best girl right there.
Current Status
Currently Sasha is part of the huge army formed by the Survey Corps, on the way to reclaim Wall Maria. Here’s to hoping she makes it back in one piece.
Who doesn't love Sasha? That's right. No one.
7. Nanaba
"Time to show off our Maneuver Gear..."
Nanaba was an elite member of the Survey Corps, and part of Mike’s squad. She’s a skilled fighter, as shown in the battle at Utgard Castle.
What is awesome about her
It seems she had a rather abusive relationship with her father, since the memories and deeply buried fear quickly resurface as she is being torn apart by titans, even overriding the fear of the titans. In that light, it’s hella impressive that even after such a childhood, she turned out to be such a dependable and strong character, earning the trust of the likes of Erwin and her captain, Mike.
Current Status
Nanaba died at the battle at Utgard Castle, and only because she fought until her gas and blades all ran out.
We'll miss you, Nanaba
6. Ilse Langnar
Keeping a journal while running... Respect
Very little is known about Ilse, except that she was part of the 34th expedition outside the walls, during which her entire squad got wiped out. She also lost her horse and her ODM gear, so she was forced to try to return to the walls on foot. She seems to be a natural born journalist, and put her ordeal into writing the entire time she was running back.
What is awesome about her
Ilse’s efforts to record everything was both praiseworthy and very helpful to the Survey Corps, once they discovered her journal still intact a year later. It is because of this journal that we know her story, and a very important clue regarding the true makeup of the titans.
She’d met a random titan on her way back to the walls, while running through a forest. This titan didn’t immediately eat her, however, and instead bowed to her, saying two things: “People of Ymir” and “Lady Ymir... well met.” Ilse managed to rise above her shock and fear and put as much as she could into writing, even attempting to question the titan.
She became the one to document the first ever recorded instance of a titan showing the ability to form understandable speech. Her efforts made it somewhat suspect that titans may be humans, something which was only later confirmed after Connie’s village was turned into titans.
Current Status
Ilse is long dead, killed by the talking titan, but the results of her bravery still live on.
A titan speaks? Thank Ilse for that discovery.
5. Rico Brzenska
A woman of principle, this one
Rico is a short woman, a member of the Garrisons. Her skills though have earned her place as a squad leader and a member of the Garrison’s 1st Division Elite Forces.
While she first comes across as a cold hearted person ready to execute Eren and his friends after the revelation that he was a titan (read, ‘had the power of the titans’), it soon becomes clear that she’s simply a woman of pure logic, choosing to be pragmatic instead of being led by emotion.
What is awesome about her
She’s the one to question Pyxis’ relying on Eren’s experimental power on the (quite reasonable) grounds that it’s too risky. However, she also showed great dedication in protecting Eren as a titan from the other titans. This was even after she deemed the mission a failure. Her skills and dedication saved a few of her comrades, and helped ensure Eren’s safety as he plugged up the hole in Wall Rose. Even her relief after the hole was sealed was something we all felt as well.
Current Status
Rico’s current whereabouts are not explicitly stated, but it’s obvious she’s doing what she can under the command of Pyxis for humanity’s sake.
Rico gets her moments too
4. Annie Leonhart
Annie, ever the icy cool girl
Annie is a girl with a smallish build, but whose set of fighting skills is a force to be reckoned with. She is part of a group of ‘warriors’ who seem to have been sent to wipe out humanity within the walls. She exudes a calm, calculated demeanor, rarely losing her cool. She seems to be disinterested in and bored with almost everything, except (as noted by Eren) when she’s showing off her fighting skills.
What is awesome about her
Annie’s character is quite complex, and what gets her best girl status. She’s clearly good natured. She taught Eren how to fight, believes Eren to be a good person, and respects his fiery resolve. When her military police teammate Marlow expressed his desire to punish the corrupt higher ups, she offered to help him. She agreed to help Armin with Eren’s ‘escape’ even though she knew it was probably a trap.
Then on the flip side, you have the way she ruthlessly killed countless soldiers of the Survey Corps. Whatever she’s doing, she really seems to believe in it, that it’s for some greater good. She legit cried when she failed to capture Eren in the forest of giant trees. If that didn’t give you chills… I dunno man. It gave me chills.
After an epic fight against an enraged Eren, Annie was forced to crystallise herself in order to protect whatever information the Survey Corps might force out of her. During all this, we get to see this weird student-trainer relationship she has with her father, and her father asking her to forgive him and promise to return home. The plot thickens, eh?
Current Status
Annie is still alive, but she can’t do much else in her crystal prison.
Buckle up guys, this is all of Annie's noteworthy moments
3. Ymir
Ymir finally gets a breath of fresh air
Ymir first comes off as a selfish and calculating girl who’s quick to insult others just for the fun of it. Her last name is unknown. As the series progresses, we get to see a kinder person, one who can’t help but put the needs of others ahead of herself. This is especially apparent in her dealings with Christa (Historia).
Her past is shrouded in mystery, as is her goal. What we do know is that at some point in her childhood, she was picked off the streets as an orphan, made to put on the goddess ‘Ymir’ persona for some group of people, was later betrayed by those same people, and then turned into a titan to roam for 60 years.
What is awesome about her
Ymir has always been one to cautiously linger in the background, so her best girl status may not be so in your face (not counting her awesome titan transformation and subsequent battle). However, she’s had major impact on a number of characters in the story. Take Historia. Ymir’s influence on her lingered long enough to motivate her to reject her father’s brainwashing.
“Live a life that you’re proud of.” Those words ring so true.
Current Status
Ymir’s status currently is somewhat unknown. Last time she was seen, she had just saved Reiner and Bertholdt from a bunch of murderous titans. Her chat with them later that night implied that she knew she had not too much longer to live. As to why, or if this is even true, we’ll have to wait and see.
Ymir at her truest self
2. Mikasa Ackerman
Badass Mikasa
The exceedingly calm and overprotective Mikasa. Very, very few people would not adore Mikasa by the 8th episode of season 1. Mikasa was taken in by Eren’s father when her family was murdered. She grew very attached to Eren, and goes to great lengths to protect him from any harm, a trait that can honestly get on a few nerves sometimes.
What is awesome about her
Her skills on the ODM gear are probably second only to Levi (debatable, I know). She’s been called a 100-man army, whose loss would be a serious blow to humanity. Mikasa actually went solo against the female titan and even managed to topple her for a moment. Again and again, she’s demonstrated her superior combat ability and battle sense. Little wonder then that she’s survived so long even after fighting so many times on the frontlines.
Current Status
Mikasa, as always, remains close to Eren with the goal of protecting him, and we can be 100% sure this will continue to be the case as the Survey Corps head out to the final battle to reclaim Wall Maria.
Some of Mikasa's greatest moments
1. Historia Reiss
And the best girl crown goes to...
She used to go by the name ‘Christa Lenz’. Historia is a quiet girl who was easy to dismiss as a background character of little importance, but that was before it was revealed that she has deep ties to the core plot of Attack on Titan. However, she’s always looking out for others, putting them ahead of herself, and so is in turn loved by everyone.
What is awesome about her
So what gives Historia best girls status? Man, do you even have to ask? First of all,... she’s cuuuute. Alright case closed.
. . .
Okay seriously though. Off the top of my head, these are some of the amazing things best girl Historia has to her name:
- She brought an exhausted Sasha bread and water after Sasha was punished and made to run all evening without food. Mind you, Historia had to smuggle this, and Sasha had been forbidden to eat anything.
- After Jean and Armin lost their horses during the female titan arc, she’s the only one who saw Armin’s emergency signal. PLUS, she came back with enough horses for them both.
- Her loyalty to Ymir even if when Ymir tried her hardest to make her hate her. Honest, how many of you would stick around that long?
- She stood up to her father’s brainwashing.
- She stood up to Erwin (kinda), insisting that she wanted to fight on the frontlines.
- She delivered majorly in that fight, dealing the killing blow to her titanised father.
- She went straight from side character to Queen of the walls!
- … ‘nuff said.
Really, Historia was set up from the beginning to be a very important character, we just didn’t notice it early enough.
Current Status
Historia is currently using her position as Queen to help out orphaned children, with some help from Levi’s bureaucratic skills, and will not be participating in the battle to retake Wall Maria.
Historia's Most Badass & Cutest Moments
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