Who Are the Subjects of Ymir and How Are They Connected to the Eldians?
Hajime Isayama created a truly special world in his Attack on Titan manga. The series has since become one of the most popular series of the modern era, with a global following. The manga and the anime series are both over, but Attack on Titan is still a hot topic and people will be revisiting it for years to come. In order to help you find your way around the intricate world of Isayama’s works, we are going to tell you who the Subjects of Ymir are and how they are connected to the Eldians.
The Subjects of Ymir were a religious group worshiping Ymir Fritz and his heirs of royal blood, thus following the ideology of the Cult of Ymir. The pontiff of this religion presented Ymir as an heir to the throne of Eldia, and made her the revered Priestess. This group was disbanded in 785 by the Marleyan authorities, and its members were deported to the Isle of Paradis and transformed into Titans.
This article is, primarily, going to be your go-to guide to the religious group known as the Subjects of Ymir, but aside from that, we are going to answer some specific questions about some characters and families, so you can know absolutely everything related to the group. This article will function as a complete guide to the topic and all related questions.
Who are the Subjects of Ymir?
The Subjects of Ymir descended from Ymir Fritz herself, who was the first human of more than 1,800 years to attain the power of the Titans. After Ymir’s death, they devoured their daughters Maria, Rose, and Sina and gained the power to transform into a Titan. As per their father’s command, Ymir’s daughters reproduced to expand the bloodline and continue the race of humans capable of transforming into Titans.
The Subjects of Ymir conquered the ancient nation of Marley with the Nine Titans and founded Eldia, which would rule the mainland continent of its origins through the ages. About 600 years ago, an epidemic plagued much of the world, killing many and dwindling populations. The king at the time used the Founding Titan’s power to alter the constitution of the bodies of the Subjects of Ymir in order to overcome the pandemic.
Eldia’s rule lasted until the end of the Great Titan War, which resulted in Marley regaining power on the mainland and Eldia’s capital being moved to Paradis. The land around the new Eldia capital was later surrounded by three walls created with the help of the Founding Titan. On the mainland, Marley gathered the Eldians and housed them in internment zones like Liberio.
They were spared from extermination because they could be made into Titans for war purposes, as Eldia had done during his reign. On the Isle, Ymir’s people had lost their memories of the world outside the Walls to the Founding Titan. The Eldians of other races were unaffected by the Founding Titan’s power, so the royal family either granted them the privilege of living within Wall Sina in exchange for their secrecy, like the false Fritz family, or persecuted them, as in the case of the Ackerman and Azumabito families.
Other countries around the world have also housed Eldians in internment zones. The treatment of Eldians in these lands is far worse than the treatment of Eldians on Marley. About 1800 years ago, Ymir Fritz came into contact with the power of the Titans. There are various theories as to how this happened, but no reliable facts. The most rational explanation is that Ymir touched upon the origin of all organic matter.
The girl Ymir Fritz was thus the first Titan. After her death, according to legend, her soul split into nine parts, passing to nine of her people in the form of the nine titan shifter powers. Apparently, after Ymir received the power of titans, the Subjects of Ymir could become Titans.
What is the difference between the Subjects of Ymir and the Eldians?
The Eldians are an ethnic group particularly present throughout the world. They are the descendants of Ymir Fritz and the majority of the remaining people of the Old Empire of Eldia, they are the only ones who can be transformed into Titans and therefore can obtain the Founding Titan. They form the majority population of Paradis, and elsewhere, live in appalling conditions, such as in Marley.
The terms “Subjects of Ymir” and “Eldians” have been used interchangeably since the manga’s beginning. Now, fans are not really to blame because Isayama never really made the difference completely clear, but we can confirm that there really is a difference between these two terms and it can be summarized like this: every Subject of Ymir is an Eldian, but not every Eldian is a Subject of Ymir.
Namely, the Subjects of Ymir are those Eldians who have a direct relation to Ymir Fritz, regardless of how distant it might be. If you’re a descendant of Ymir in any way, you’re a Subject of Ymir. But, there are those Eldians who are not related to Ymir Fritze but are still members of the Eldian people. These people are simply Eldians and not Subjects of Ymir, and they cannot inherit Titan powers.
Now, over the course of history, the Subjects of Ymir have become the dominant majority among the Eldians, so the number of Eldians not related to Ymir is quite small at this point, but they still exist, which is why there is a difference between these two groups.
Is Jean a Subject of Yimir?
Jean Kirschstein is a graduate of the 104th Training Unit and was one of the best in his unit. His rival Eren Yeager often contradicts him. Jean is originally from Trost. He is a member of the Kirschstein Family. The Kirschsteins are an Eldian family but since we don’t really know much about Jean’s history and the history of his family, we cannot confirm that they are Subjects of Ymir.
Namely, the official sources don’t really list the Kirschstein family among the Subjects of Ymir. The families listed on there are: the Ackerman clan, the Braun family, the Finger family, the Fritz family, the Galliard family, the Leonhart family, the Reiss family, the Tybur family, and the Yeager family.
As you can see, the Kirschstein family is not there so we can assume that they’re not the Subjects of Ymir. On top of that, Jean doesn’t seem to have heard Eren’s message through the Founding Titan, which was directed towards all the Subjects of Ymir.
As far as we can see at this moment, the Kirschstein Family were simply regular Eldians. And they’re actually a great example of the difference between the Subjects of Ymir and the Eldians, as we have explained it above.
Are the Ackermans Subjects of Ymir?
The Ackermans were one of the families that lived in the Eldian Empire long before the walls were built, being the unforeseen result of the experiments carried out on the Subjects of Ymir through titan lore, they were created with the purpose of protecting the Eldian kings and since then acted as the right hand of the monarchy, who were entrusted with the survival of its members.
More than 100 years ago, after the Eldian Empire fragmented after the end of the Great War of the Titans, the Ackermans along with a small fraction of Eldians moved to the island of Paradis, taking refuge behind the walls that the 145th king of Eldia, Karl Fritz, created using the powers of the Founding Titan.
Later, Karl used his power to manipulate the memories of the inhabitants of the walls and make them forget everything that happened since before the construction of the walls. However, the Ackermans were, along with the Asian clans and noble families, the only ones unaffected by Karl’s brainwashing, due to his family’s natural immunity.
Because their memories were not erased, a conflict began between the Ackermans, along with the Asian clans, and the Monarchy, whom they had loyally served in the past. The Ackermans refused to follow Karl’s dream of a world ruled by Titans, and as a result, the king decided to annihilate the Ackermans and the Asians in order to put an end to their rebellion, bringing both races to the brink of extinction.
King Karl managed to eradicate most of the Ackerman family members, but some of them survived. The last surviving members of the clan were Levi and Mikasa. As you can see, the Ackermans were, indeed, the Subjects of Ymir, and very important ones at that.
Is Mikasa a Subject of Ymir?
Mikasa was initially thought to not be a Subject of Ymir and someone who could not turn into a Titan due to her mixed heritage. But, in Chapter 123, when Eren Yeager talks to all the Subjects of Ymir through the Founding Titan, Mikasa also receives that message, which confirms her status as a Subject of Ymir officially. This is in line with the rest of the Ackerman Clan.
