In the Attack on Titan series, the big creatures called Titans cause trouble on Paradis Island. They have a strange habit of only going after and eating humans, ignoring other living things.
![Titans in Attack on Titan](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20133911/IMG_0491.jpeg)
Titans can survive by using sunlight for energy through photosynthesis and sleep at night. Surprisingly, they can go a long time, even thousands of years, without eating humans.
It’s weird that Titans can’t even digest the humans they eat. This makes people wonder: why do Titans really want to eat humans so much? The answer lies in a heartbreaking reason that may leave you feeling somber.
Titans’ Hunger for Titan Shifters in the Battle for Humanity
According toAnimeQuota (revealed five hidden details in Attack on Titan on YouTube), Titans eat humans hoping to find a Titan Shifter among them, as eating one allows them to return to their human form.
This is first revealed by Ymir, who spent 60 years as a Mindless Titan before eating a Titan Shifter named Marcel and returning to her human form.
![Ymir Eats Marcel](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20134125/IMG_0492.jpeg)
Ymir’s true identity was revealed when she explained she used to be a mindless Titan until she ate Marcel. After eating Marcel, she turned back into a human, describing her time as a Titan as a “long nightmare.”
Also Read: Attack on Titan May Be Hiding a Dark Secret Regarding Eren Jaeger’s Real Identity
Human Behind Titans Faces in Attack on Titan Changed Fans’ Perspective
In “Attack on Titan,” Titans initially seem evil, but as the story unfolds, it’s revealed that they were once normal humans. This revelation changes fans’ perception of Titans from menacing to sympathetic and tragic.
![Rod Reiss Titan form](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20134832/IMG_0493.webp)
Confirmation of this theory comes in Season 3 when Rod Reiss transforms into the largest Titan. The following episode offers a Titan’s perspective, showing how they see humans as glowing dots. Titans are drawn to the lights, mistaking them for something interesting, similar to how moths are drawn to flames.
Also Read: 5 Best Moments From Attack on Titans That Will Leave Anime Fans Speechless
This insight explains why Titans are attracted to large cities and why they don’t eat humans entirely, only consuming the part with spinal fluid.
When a brainless Titan eats a Titan shifter’s spinal fluid, it transforms back into a human, regaining consciousness. The person also inherits the shifter’s power. This happens in the Reiss family, where they pass down the power of the Founding Titan through cannibalism.