Zeke's Beast Titan Powers From Attack On Titan Explained

Among the unique Nine Titan forms which certain humans can possess in the popular anime series "Attack on Titan," few are as threatening as the Beast Titan. Wielded by Zeke Jaeger, the Beast Titan becomes one of the primary antagonists for Eren and his allies. Different in appearance from most other Titans, the Beast Titan possesses many animalistic features, varying from user to user, as previous Beast Titans resembled different animals. While Zeke most closely resembles an ape while in Titan form, Beast Titans of the past resembled goats, wolves, and more.

But the Beast Titan's abilities go beyond simply being a tall, primate-like man. As one of the Nine Titans, the Beast Titan retains its sapience while transformed, and has access to many abilities both common among Titans and unique to itself. Combined with his intelligence, the Beast Titan's powers allow Zeke to pose a serious threat to anyone he might consider an enemy.

Like the hominids from which humans evolved, one of the Beast Titan's most powerful combat abilities is its throwing skills. We see this ability to its fullest extent in Season 3, Episode 53 of "Attack On Titan," in which Zeke uses his long, ape-like arms to whip handfuls of boulders at members of the Scout regiment. These aren't your average flying boulders, however. Thanks to the centrifugal force provided by Zeke's freakish monkey arms, the boulders in question fly with enough velocity to smash through entire blocks of buildings. On top of that, Zeke chooses to crush the boulders slightly in his hands before throwing, creating a scattershot effect that tears through entire towns with ease. Many members of Eldia's Scout Regiment are left either dead or mangled in the destruction. Even their most skilled warrior, Levi, is forced to take cover as Zeke repeatedly hurls rocks.

It's debatable as to whether this is a true power of the Beast Titan, given that almost any sapient Titan with opposable thumbs has the potential to throw objects. However, Zeke performs this skill to far greater effect than any Titan before him. Regardless of its qualifications, the last place anyone would want to be is at the opposing end of one of Zeke's fastball pitches.

A common ability shared by many of the Nine Titans is the ability to harden one's skin by growing a crystalline material on top of it. Zeke displays this ability briefly in Episode 54 of Season 3, using it in an attempt to protect himself from Levi's attacks after he manages to bypass Zeke's long-range assaults. The defensive measure fails, as Zeke fails to grow the crystal quickly enough or in the right place. Levi cuts Zeke from his Titan shell in mere moments.

However, had Zeke attempted this ability sooner and more thoroughly, he may have successfully protected himself from Levi's attacks. Zeke is not the first Titan Shifter to use this power, and it has proven itself much harder than the swords used by the Eldian military before. Unfortunately, the hardened crystal can still be penetrated by Eldia's thunder spears, which were designed to penetrate the unbreakable skin of the Armor Titan.

One ability which Zeke frequently uses throughout his appearances in "Attack on Titan" is the Beat Titan's control over lesser Titans. While only capable of giving them commands verbally, the Beast Titan can direct other Titans to follow most orders dutifully. For instance, Zeke enlists a quadrupedal Titan to bring him more boulders for ammunition in his battle against the Scout Regiment. There is a downside to this ability, however. Some Titans neglect to follow Zeke's orders at times, and may not even fully understand what they are ordered to do. In Zeke's first appearance as the Beast Titan for instance, a Titan refuses to let go of a soldier whom Zeke planned on interrogating. As a result, Zeke is forced to crush the Titan's skull in order to save the soldier and extract information.

Furthermore, the Beast Titan's control ability is limited in other ways. The Founding Titan also has the ability to control Titans. However, its control exceeds that of the Beast Titan's in almost every way, allowing its user to control lesser Titans with thought rather than voice. Still, even the Beast Titan's limited control is a powerful weapon in the right hands.

While the Beast Titan is a powerful threat both on its own and as a commander, its ability to transform normal people into Titans makes it a long-term problem for Zeke's opposition. As long as Zeke has viable subjects, he is in command of an army. A simple scream, even in human form, can turn multiple people into Titans at once, making it a rather easy process for Zeke to bolster his army.

Zeke displays this power in full force during the final season of "Attack on Titan." Flying above the Marleyan military in a zeppelin, Zeke sends a number of human allies plummeting towards their target. He then transforms them into Titans as they fall, creating a sweeping airstrike of Titans primed to cause havoc and destruction the moment they hit the ground. This airstrike works to great effect, practically destroying the Marleyan Fort in minutes.