The story of Attack on Titan takes place over several years, so it’s only natural that the cast of characters has gone through much development and many changes, both on a level of personal growth, and physical appearance.
We’ve rounded up ten characters who have had the most significant glow-ups in the Attack on Titan series, so follow along below to appreciate how much they’ve all changed.
Armin Arlert
C’mon, there’s no way we could write a list such as this and not include Armin — I mean, this dude had one of the best glow-ups of them all, thanks to that time skip. Gone is his long mop-like haircut and timid nature, as Armin now sports not just smarts, but more confidence and bravery than ever before. Oh, and he’s rocking a much shorter, undercut hairstyle, which has completely changed his appearance and made him look much more mature.
And while Armin, unlike many of his comrades, has only grown ever so slightly from 5’4″ to 5’5″, he also became the Colossal Titan shifter. Technically, this means it could be argued that he’s truly the tallest of them all. They grow up so fast…
Sasha Braus
Oh Sasha, our beloved potato girl. While she tragically didn’t get to live as long as her friends due to her passing, she certainly came a long way and went through many changes, both physical and in terms of her growth and confidence. Sasha’s long ponytail and messy bangs have been switched up for a slightly neater look, her hair cut to a shorter length. In addition to this, Sasha’s bangs are gone with strands framing either side of her face.
Sasha has grown immensely in confidence at this point too, and how could she not? She was one of very few characters who ever went up against a Titan with no ODM gear or blades, and lived to tell the tale. However, deep down, Sasha remained the same lovable food-loving gremlin, just with a much more mature persona and a new ‘fit thanks to the update of the Scouts uniform.
Hange Zoe
I will forever love Hange and their development over the series. Upon first meeting them, they were a very eccentric, loud, and passionate individual who came off as a little crazy due to their fascination with Titans. Upon their first appearance, Hange wore their hair in a high ponytail and had goggle-shaped glasses that they wore on their forehead or over their eyes when in the field.
Following the time skip, Hange’s energetic, loud personality has been dulled down due to both maturing and suffering much loss. Hange is now much more responsible, taking on the role of Commander following Erwin’s death. However, this never stops them from losing the parts of themself that made them stand out as quirky, odd, and entirely wonderful, which is seen right up until their very last moments.
Appearance-wise, Hange’s high ponytail has been replaced with a slightly different half-ponytail, the bottom half of their locks hanging loose behind their head, which they rock with perfection. I mean, this soldier lost an eye and is still pulling off their brand-new look, eyepatch and all.
Jean Kirstein
Another very notable glow-up in the Attack on Titan series is none other than Jean Kirstein. Seriously, with this guy, it’s hard to determine which had more change — his personality and views of the world, or his appearance. From being the only one in the Training Corps who gloated about wanting to land a spot on the Military Police for his own safety, to switching his allegiance and teaming up on the side of once-sworn enemies in the name of loyalty and friendship, Jean has come quite a long way.
Most notably, his messy, undercut hairstyle has grown out, with longer strands pushed away from his face and tucked behind his ears, with the back of his hair now sitting at the bottom of his neck. In addition to growing out his hair, Jean also has some light facial hair to show how much he’s grown and matured during the time skip. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, Jean also experiences a growth spurt from his previous height of 5’7″ to 6’2″, which lands him as one of the tallest characters in the series.
Hitch Dreyse
When the topic of Attack on Titan glow-ups comes up, there’s one character who I think takes the title of ultimate glow-up, and that’s none other than Hitch Dreyse. Hitch is a side character who doesn’t get all that much attention or screen time, which is why her glow-up following the time skip was such a surprise to many.
Hitch was once easily identified by her unkempt locks of hair. However, it seems that at some point during the time skip, Hitch grew into the habit of brushing through her bedhead. Her messy bangs are gone, and instead, her hair falls just above shoulder-length in a clean and tidy cut, which completely changes the look of Hitch’s face, drawing attention to her slightly thickened eyebrows and big, green eyes. This makes her look almost like a completely different character entirely, which is quite a significant change.
Floch Forster
Floch has always had one of the strangest hairstyles in the Attack on Titan universe, especially in the anime adaptation. I mean, seriously, it looks like there’s a hedgehog just setting up camp on his head! Thankfully, the time skip does Floch justice in regards to his appearance, replacing this odd style with a much simpler, smoother look with his bangs smoothed over his forehead.
But, it’s not just Floch’s hair that received a significant change, as his characteristics also changed rather drastically. Previously, Floch had been seen breaking down and cowering in fear as the Scouts charged on to their slaughter. However, as one of the survivors, he now lives on in full bravery and confidence, confronting his opponents head-on in the name of those who were lost, such as Erwin and Marlowe. It’s this very approach that makes Floch such a fierce opponent and fighter for the Yeagerists, which highlights how much he’s changed during the time skip.
Eren Jaeger
Look, look, I get it. He’s the main character, of course, and he was going to have a glow-up moment. To be fair, Eren isn’t as much of a significant contender as others, but still…that damn hair bun earns him a spot on this list, without a doubt. Eren’s hair has been grown out a bit, often worn and pulled back into a half-tied loose bun with the latter half of his hair falling down his neck, and loose strands falling onto his forehead. This is single-handedly the best decision our boi here made in the entire last arks of the story (fight me), so at least we have something not horrible to remember him by…right?
Eren’s big, green eyes have shrunken in size on his face, which takes away from his somewhat naive and innocent approach to wanting to kill all titans, and instead brings a presence of dread, ambition, and seriousness to his facial expressions, which creates quite a harsh appearance. This is quite a small, but interesting detail, considering young Eren wanted to slaughter Titans and older Eren used Titans to slaughter many innocents…oh how the tables turned. And look at him, standing there in that black jacket — playing Grim Reaper, Mr. Yeager?
Historia Reiss
Historia has quite the journey in Attack on Titan, first seen under the alias of Krista Lenz — a quiet, timid, but kind girl with long blonde hair and big, blue eyes. However, Historia later grows in confidence, taking her real name back, living for herself, and standing up to her father, just as Ymir would have wanted.
This is a huge milestone for Historia in itself, proving that she had some serious positive changes in character. Oh, and then she ended up pregnant, even if it was not her first choice and in very dire circumstances. And they do say pregnant women look as if they are glowing, so perhaps that contributes to Historia’s glow-up.
Reiner Braun
Reiner Braun is another character who received quite a significant glow-up following the time skip. Back in earlier seasons, this sturdy 6’1″ dude was recognized for his short-cut blonde hair and squinty yellow eyes. However, following the time skip, Reiner’s facial features have changed quite a bit.
His eyebrows are no longer so thin and pointed, and his eyes appear much bigger on his face, which helps to portray more emotion — and boy does this guy have them. Aside from this, Reiner’s hair has grown out quite a bit, and he’s received the addition of some facial hair in the form of a brand-new beard. Reiner truly came back with not only a badass new persona but certainly also a badass new look to match.
Connie Springer
Aw, Connie Springer…another lovable dork who had as much development as his bestie, Sasha Braus. Connie here was once the shortest male cadet of them all, sporting a buzzcut, paper-thin eyebrows, and big eyes, full of expression. Oh, and he used to get his salute backward, as some of us will fondly remember.
Following the time skip, Connie’s hair has grown out slightly, his eyebrows have thickened ever so slightly, and his eyes, while still big and full of expression, are much more proportionate to the rest of his face. Most significantly, however, Connie finally grew! This Scout over here grew from 5’1″ to 5’9″, having perhaps gained the most height out of anyone. Finally, Connie is no longer the shortest guy on the squad!
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