September 24, 2024
Attack on Titan | The Garrison Regiment
Learn more about the Garrison Regiment and the brave soldiers within the walls standing between the Titans and humanity.
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With humanity's existence hanging in the balance, the Titans threaten to annihilate what remains of all mankind. While the Scouts tirelessly venture beyond the walls, the Garrison Regiment takes care of the order within, standing as the last line of hope against these monstrous creatures.
Who are the brave soldiers in this battalion and what are their biggest contributions in the never-ending battle against the Titans? Continue reading and find out what makes the Garrison Regiment special.
Soldiers of The Garrison Regiment
The Eldians on Paradis Island are constantly threatened by the giant creatures known as Titans. To defend well and effectively, their military is divided into three battalions with different tasks who all share one common goal - to protect humanity.
With over thirty thousand soldiers, the Garrison Regiment is the biggest military branch of all. Unlike the more offensive-oriented Survey Corps and the defensive-minded Military Police Brigade, the Garrison Regiment focuses on maintaining order and defending civilian territories.
While they do not travel beyond the walls to hunt the Titans, this unit remains an important force and plays a crucial role in this never-ending war. They are responsible for patrolling, maintaining security, repairing breaches in the walls caused by Titans, and ensuring a safe and peaceful life within the walls - a role that is particularly highlighted in the initial episodes of the series during the Battle of Trost.
Evolution of the Garrison Regiment
As can be seen in the first episode of the series, the members of the Garrison Regiment were pretty laid-back, not worrying about any threats coming from the outside. Anyway, this behavior is not surprising as the walls on Paradis were still standing strong with no Titans getting close in many years, let alone attacking. Everything seemed fine until the day Wall Maria fell, casting a shadow over their once-peaceful world.
This moment served as an urgent motivation and a wake-up call for every member of this military battalion. The Garrison Regiment underwent a fast transformation, changing its tactics, and focusing all of its forces on combat. The days of the soldiers getting drunk with their coworkers were over - now they had to use all of their skills and knowledge to protect the people from the Titan invasion.
While their lack of practice caused enormous losses, a lot of soldiers from the Garrison Regiment proved very useful. Fighting side-by-side with the Scout Regiment, both branches succeeded in defending Trost District, eliminating a lot of Titans and repairing the wall. This marked one of the many great achievements these squads accomplished together, giving much-needed hope to every Eldian within the walls.
The Garrison Regiment’s Structure
The Garrison Regiment has a special defense plan devised to guide them in protecting the walls against a possible Titan invasion. When it eventually happened, in the Battle of Trost, the Garrison Regiment was divided into three main groups of soldiers, each assigned with different but equally important tasks:
- The Vanguard - a group mostly composed of less experienced soldiers who served on the first line of defense. They fought the Titans next to the walls by manning the cannons, trying to slow them down and increase the other groups’ chances of winning the battle.
- The Middle Guard - a group of soldiers who fought all of the Titans who breached the walls. Their heroic efforts were crucial in preventing a further invasion.
- The Rear Guard - consisted of the most skilled members of the Garrison Regiment, one of whom was Mikasa Ackerman. Their role was to evacuate the townsfolk and later fight the Titans, preventing their advancement through the inner walls of Paradis.
- The Engineering Corps - a special sub-group of members whose main task was refueling the ODM gear's gas tanks and providing the other soldiers with additional ammunition.
While these soldiers lacked preparedness, their tactics and actions during the Titans’ attack on the Walls proved effective. Sadly, even though many of them gave their lives in protecting the people on Paradis Island, they all contributed to the victory, igniting the much-needed spark of hope. Hope for freedom that all humans would eventually achieve.
Former Members of the Garrison Regiment
The Garrison Regiment doesn't play as central of a role in Attack on Titan as the Survey Corps, which naturally makes its members less known in the anime community. Nevertheless, within this battalion, some individuals dedicated themselves to humanity, making significant contributions to the story’s development.
Keith Shadis
Keith Shadis was one of the first people introduced in the series. He had a leading role in training the Military Training Corps, evaluating their strengths, and choosing the right soldiers to bring mankind its much-deserved glory.
Shadis was a close friend of Grisha and Carla Yeager, which was the reason why he didn’t want their son to join the Military. He even deliberately broke Eren’s gear during the 104th Cadet Corps evaluation, unsuccessfully trying to make the boy fail his training and quit.
While he appeared as a frightful and serious man, Keith was warm on the inside and liked every single kid he trained. He was a dedicated soldier and was trying to help his fellow squadmates succeed in any way possible. Despite his old age, Keith remained useful on the battlefield until the very end when he and Marley’s general Theo Magath took their lives by blowing up the Jeagerists’ last boat.
Rico Brzenska
Rico Brzenska played a pivotal role during the Battle of Trost as a member of the Alpha Squad, tasked with safeguarding Eren Yeager. Leading alongside her squadmate Ian Dietrich, their mission was to clear a path for Eren's Attack Titan and enable the patching up of the wall breach, marking humanity's first victory over the Titans.
After this battle, Rico’s role diminished and she could only be occasionally seen as a supporting character whose actions were not important for the overall plot. She remained on the sidelines for the remainder of the series, eventually joining the Jeagerists during the final season of Attack on Titan.
Hannes
“Eren. You couldn't save your mother because you lacked the strength. And I... I couldn't stand up to the Titan because I lacked the courage!” - Hannes
Hannes was a cheerful person who had one of the emotionally toughest tasks in the whole show. As a member of the Garrison Regiment, Hannes was one of the many soldiers who reacted on the day the Titans attacked. During the evacuation mission, he followed young Eren to his house and took him away from his mother as she was being eaten by a Titan right in front of him.
Hannes was later promoted to captain of the Garrison Regiment and successfully led his squadmates to many glorious victories. However, in the second season of the series, during the Clash of Titans Arc, Hannes was eaten by none other than the same exact Titan who previously ate Eren’s mother.
Dot Pixis
Pixis is the Commander of the Garrison Regiment, known for his leadership and strategic mind. He was mostly present during the Battle of Trost Arc when, by creating a masterful plan for defending Wall Maria, he secured a magnificent victory over the Titan forces.
Later in the story, Pixis becomes involved with Yelena and the other Anti-Marleyan Volunteers in devising a plan to defeat Marley. However, due to his differing motives and tactics, he ultimately failed in his plan. After coming into contact with spinal fluid, Pixis was transformed into a Pure Titan - a Titan that Armin Arlert killed.
Final Thoughts on The Garrison Regiment
The Garrison Regiment in Attack on Titan, while less celebrated than the Survey Corps, plays a crucial role in protecting humanity from Titans and ensuring safety within the walls. After the fall of Wall Maria, this unit had to work in full power and transformed into a combat-focused force, achieving one of mankind's most important triumphs over the Titans.
Notable characters like Keith Shadis, Rico Brzenska, Hannes, and Dot Pixis bring a depth of emotion and humanity to the story, serving as a reminder that everyone can be a hero, no matter how big or small their role is. All the soldiers of the Garrison Regiments proved that by dedication, sacrifice, and unity humanity can overcome the biggest of challenges and achieve the most important goal of all - freedom.
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