It seems that Zeke’s spinal fluid has had more repercussions than fans originally thought. Does cerebrospinal fluid transmit genetic material?
WARNING: The following contains general spoilers for Attack on Titan, now streaming on Funimation, Hulu, and Crunchyroll.
In the last episode of attack on titan, “Flashback,” fans of the series got their first look at Falco Grice’s Jaw Titan. This moment has been highly anticipated, as Falco would inherit his powers from Porco Galliard in episode 78, “Two Brothers,” which was released in late January.
While the Jaw Titan’s abilities that audiences have seen thus far appear to have remained the same, its appearance is strikingly different. Once transformed, Falco has talon-like claws, a set of teeth that resemble a beak, and sometimes red eyes. All of these characteristics more closely resemble those of the Beast Titan than the Shark Titans of Galliard or Ymir. This had led many fans to wonder if these dramatic changes had been caused by Falco’s ingestion of Zeke’s spinal fluid. Could this really be the case?
Fans of the show will likely know that the Beast Titan has taken on a host of different forms since appearing in the world after Ymir Fritz’s death. In the 1,700 years that followed this event, the owners of this titan exhibited the animal traits of crocodiles, moose, bulls, wolves, snakes, rabbits, and even dinosaurs.
From the beginning of AOT, the series has made it clear that a titan’s appearance alters depending on the host. While the scope of these alterations differs greatly between each Titan, the Beast variation’s heirs have had some of the most dramatic overhauls within the series. The reason this occurs has not been fully explained; however, some have hypothesized that it is determined by which animal is most loved or represents the character the most. For example, in Zeke’s childhood, he can be seen playing with a brown-haired monkey.
In episode 72, “Children of the Forest”, it is revealed that Falco ingested Zeke’s spinal fluid, which was mixed with batches of Marleyan red wine. This happened after Nicolo finds out that Gabi killed Sasha and tries to attack her with a bottle in a desperate act of revenge. In an effort to protect her, Falco pushes her aside and takes a hit from her, pinning him to the ground, where some of the liquid enters her mouth. While previous scenes, such as Rod Reiss’s transformation, have shown that people can immediately turn into Titans after consuming this type of liquid, Falco does not. Instead, Zeke’s scream was the specific trigger needed to start the process.
The characteristics of the Falco Jaw Titan are very similar to those of a bird. This is very fitting, as his name literally translates to “falcon.” Additionally, Falco has been associated with birds since he was first introduced to the series. At the beginning of season 4, he can be seen lying on his back and looking up at the sky during Marley’s battle against the Middle East Alliance, in which he tries to call a bird to tell it to fly away.
While this scene probably didn’t mean much to anyone at the time, it seems like a powerful self-reflection today. It is as if Falco tells himself that he must leave the terrible situation he finds himself in, both in the present and in the future. Whether or not Falco glimpsed his fate, it is possible that this traumatic event became so ingrained that it affected his transformation.
Although it has not yet been confirmed that Zeke’s spinal fluid was the direct cause of Falco’s titan’s strange appearance, there seems to be no better explanation. From this encounter, it could be extrapolated that a Titan’s cerebrospinal fluid works similarly to DNA, in that traits from the previous person are passed on to the heir. This would explain why Falco has characteristics of both Galliard’s Jaw Titan and Zeke’s Beast Titan. The next entry in the series will likely show more of Falco’s Titan and his powers, allowing viewers to get a better idea of whether this theory is true or if there are more appropriate justifications for why Jaw Titan has changed so much. .
About the Author
