Quote1 If we'd never been born in the first place...we never would have had to suffer, either. Quote2
— Zeke's idea of salvation[14]
Zeke Yeager (ジーク・イェーガー Jīku Yēgā?) was the former Captain (戦士長 Senshi-chō?)[15] of Marley's Warrior Unit, assigned to take the Founding Titan from the Eldians of Paradis Island.[16] He was the inheritor of the Beast Titan, and was considered to be the strongest warrior by Reiner Braun,[17] contrasting Levi Ackerman's title of "humanity's strongest soldier."[18] He manipulated and deceived both sides of the war between Eldia and Marley in order to achieve his own agenda of causing the extinction of his own people, which he viewed as "salvation."
Zeke was the son of Grisha Yeager and Dina Fritz, the older half-brother of Eren Yeager, and a member of the royal family from his mother's side.[19]
MOKEY POWER
Zeke was able to transform into a 17-meter Titan referred to as the Beast Titan (獣の巨人 Kemono no Kyojin?). He used the Titan and the power of his royal blood to transform the inhabitants of Ragako into Titans and impose his will on them imperfectly. His skill in pitching transferred to his Titan, letting him throw projectiles to great distances, even destroying entire fleets using explosive shells.[142] He retained the ability to speak even when transformedCommunication: Unlike most humans with Titan power, he was able to fluently speak without any issue in his Titan form, casually talking to mindless Titans and giving them orders which they can obey.[23]
Titan Control: Zeke's control was eventually revealed to be limited to those Titans that were transformed with injections directly from his own spinal fluid and a result of him being descended from the Fritz royal bloodline.[144][145] However, his control over the Titans was not absolute, as one Titan continued to chew on Mike, despite Zeke ordering it not to.
Regeneration: Just like all Titans, Zeke had the ability to regenerate any wound on his Titan or human body at a tremendous speed. After being fatally wounded by Levi, Zeke healed part of his face when he encounters Eren.[146]
Enhanced Strength: He possessed immense physical strength, enough to pick up a horse or even break off large chunks from Wall Rose and hurl them at a great distance away. His throwing ability was second to none, and he created a visible sonic boom when he threw rocks, effectively throwing them faster than over 700 feet per second. He also seemed to possess dexterous hands, as he managed to retrieve Mike's vertical maneuvering equipment without damaging him or the equipment.[147]
Human Transformation: Zeke possessed a scream that can transform Subjects of Ymir into Titans. These Titans, unlike the regular Titans encountered, were capable of functioning at night as long as the moon is out.[148] In order for the human to turn into a Titan, all the human must do is to intake Zeke's spinal fluid and Zeke must use his scream at the targets, and after doing so, they turn into Titans. These Titans are connected to his Beast Titan via "paths" and obey his orders.[54] There appears to be a range to this ability, although those out of range who are contaminated with Zeke's spinal fluid can still feel the influence of his scream, which they describe as a numbing electrical sensation.[149]
Hardening: Zeke was able to harden his Titan body at will to protect himself from attacks. However, this ability needed some time to prepare; during his brief battle with Levi, Zeke tried to harden the nape of his neck but was unable to due to Levi's increased speed and attack, not giving Zeke enough time to harden himself.[150] While offering ample protection, it can be damaged and destroyed with the use of Thunder Spears.[151]
Fighting Skills: He seemed to be a very formidable fighter, since he was able to defeat the Armored Titan and inflict him considerable damage without sustaining any visible injury.[152] He was also mentioned as "the most powerful Titan" in the final notes of Chapter 70.[153] According to Reiner, while Levi is indeed powerful, the former claims that he is no match for their lead Warrior. It is unknown if Zeke possessed some combat knowledge outside his Titan form.