Attack on Titan: Why was Annie crying? (2023)

Annie Leonhart is the definition of a strong and calm loner inattack on titan. She is incredibly skilled in combat, weaponry, and espionage. When it was revealed that she was the female titan, the story was all about stopping her. Annie as a human was intimidating enough, but Annie as a Titan with human intelligence was downright terrifying. After kidnapping Eren, Mikasa, Levi, and her squad chase after her. After an intense fight that kills most of the participants, Levi takes Eren back. As Levi and Mikasa fly away, they look back only to see Titan Annie leaning against a tree, crying quietly. So why was Annie crying?

Annie cried because rescuing Eren, who had inherited both the Attack Titan and the Founding Titan, was the only way Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt could get back home without being seen as failures. Their entire mission hinged on retrieving the Founding Titan. Annie's failure meant they would return home empty-handed or stay on Paradis Island for a few more years, sacrificing more lives and their families' time.

Despite being so stoic, Annie is a character of many nuances. Her crying was so remarkable because to us Annie has always been strong, independent and unflappable. We didn't know what he was going through at this point in the story. Read on to learn more about Annie's backstory, her character, and why it was so important to her to succeed in her mission.

Annie's difficult upbringing

Annie was the result of an affair between her mother and an Eldian, meaning that she was doomed to experience the same discrimination as an Eldian. She was abandoned at a detention center where she was found by her adoptive father.

Annie was trained in combat by her adoptive father since she was a child. In one of her rigorous training sessions, her anger consumed her and she crippled him. Although he cried in pain, he was glad that Annie was a good enough fighter to hurt him.

Although she trained Annie for her own benefit and was traumatized by her training, Annie made the most of the experience and became a Marley Warrior. That was her father's goal, which meant that he would become rich through Annie.

Due to this upbringing, Annie became cold and distant. She had difficulties empathizing with others and working as a team. Despite this, her prowess in battle earned her the privilege of inheriting the Female Titan.

When Marley planned to retrieve the Founding Titan, Annie was chosen to carry out this mission along with Reiner, Bertholdt, and Marcel. Before Annie leftParadiseHer adoptive father apologized to her for everything she had done and asked her to come home safely. Hence Annie's conviction to return home as soon as possible.

Annie's time on Paradise Island

After entering the island of Paradis, Annie and the other warriors traveled a few days to reach Wall Maria. While they were resting for the night, a Pure Titan attacked them and ate Marcel the Jaw Titan.

Annie wants to get back to Marley right away, arguing that they need help getting the Jaw Titan back first. She never believed in Marleyan propaganda and did not believe that this mission was worth her life. Reiner argues that they must move on or the Marley government would kill them for returning without the Founding Titan and losing the Jaw Titan.

They eventually get into a physical altercation, which Reiner wins. Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt attack Shiganshina, breaching Wall Maria in the process. After the attack, they posed as fugitives and then infiltrated the military police as scouts.

Annie had never been very close to her peers, but spending so many years among the Eldians of Paradis Island had brought her closer to them, especially Armin Arlert. She was also traumatized by the number of people she killed and under immense psychological stress.

Annie in the Female Titan arc

Marley's warriors still didn't know that Eren had the Ur-Titan, but they did know that he had the Attack Titan. That was enough for Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt to retrieve the Attack Titan for Marley, though that wasn't her main goal.

During a Recon Corps expedition, Annie transforms into the female Titan and leads a group of pure Titans to conquer Eren. Armin was also part of this group, tricking Annie into believing that Eren was already dead in order to buy time for his teammates to escape.

Reiner pretended to attack Annie in titan form, but actually led the way to Eren's location in the palm of his hand. He then runs in that direction, leaving Armin behind.

Annie in titan form eventually catches up with Eren, who flees into a forest of titans with Levi's squad. Levi's squad restrained her by tying her to a tree with special weapons. She covers her neck to avoid being caught and screams.causing all Pure Titans in the area to consume their Titan body. This allows you to escape.

She chases after Eren in human form and transforms back into the female titan when she catches up with him. She kills almost all of Levi's squad members who were protecting Eren, causing her to go on a rampage and transform into the Attack Titan.

They get into a physical fight and Annie bites off the back of the Attack Titan's head, trapping Eren's body in her mouth and running away. Mikasa immediately chases after, but is unable to save Eren.

Levi soon joins the chase. His plan is for Mikasa to distract the Female Titan while he attacks her. Levi knows that the female titan is smart and knows how 3DMG users fight so Mikasa doesn't distract her, but he told her this to prevent her from interfering and getting hurt from her.

Levi unleashes a barrage of attacks on the Female Titan, crushing Annie. He lands against a tree and reveals the back of his head to lure Levi or Mikasa into attacking.

Mikasa almost takes the bait, but Levi stops her. She then cuts the ligaments in the Titan's lower jaw, causing her jaw to fall off while Eren is still inside her. Levi gets Eren back and asks Mikasa to give up the fight.

As they fly away, Levi looks back and sees the Female Titan crying. He looks shocked like all the viewers who saw this scene. So we didn't understand why a titan cries.

But now we know that the female titan is Annie, and she's crying because she's tired of killing countless people, she's very homesick, and she doesn't want to die far from home for Marley's sake.

Annie hoped to return to Marley with at least one more Titanshifter, though she was unaware that Eren still had the Founding Titan. If Annie had known that her mission would be complete after capturing Eren, she might have been even more unhappy.

Years of psychological trauma brought even the callous Annie to tears. She then realizes that catching Eren again would be next to impossible. After this incident, Eren was placed under surveillance and Annie was captured soon after.