Despite being such a popular series, Attack on Titan has a crucial plot point unexplained regarding the Titan Shifters’ one transformation effect.

SUMMARY

Although Attack on Titan has been one of the highest-rated TV series of all time, even on IMDb, it still has a few plot holes.
Among them, one major plot hole is related to the Titans’ transformation effects, which are usually known for their awe-inspiring visuals in the series.
Whether the Titan Shifters kept their personal items during transformation, is a crucial plot point that should have had a proper explanation.

Attack on Titan, based on the bestselling manga of Hajime Isayama, has always been a worldwide phenomenon ever since it was first released. It has even ranked among the best TV series of all time on IMDb, because of how dark the story is, along with a wide range of memorable characters, and an insane level of foreshadowing.

Eren transforming | Credits: WIT Studio

However, under this shining surface, Attack on Titan has not been an entirely flawless series. Despite its reputation for meticulous foreshadowing without many plot holes, the series has still left some major questions unanswered, and several plot points feel conveniently glossed over. Among those, one glaring oversight would be how the Titans’ transformation effects exactly work.

Do The Titan Shifters Transform Along With Their Clothes and Belongings?

War Hammer Titan transformation | Credits: WIT Studio

The Titan transformations in Attack on Titan are definitely one of the most stunning visuals of the series. Every time such an iconic moment comes up, the screen gets flashed with light, and a shockwave of excitement rushes through the fans. As the Titan Shifter on hand undergoes this radical change, the surrounding environment also gets severely affected and nearby individuals are blown back by the sheer force of the transformation.

This brings up a rather interesting question. What exactly happens to the personal items of Titan Shifters during their transformation process? This aspect proved to be important many times in the series, such as when Eren retained the basement key from Grisha after several transformations or when Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner were able to save parts of their Omni-directional Mobility (ODM) gear.

It certainly comes out as a bit contradictory. The destructive power of the transformations and the shifters’ ability to protect belongings at the same time make this part of the storytelling quite questionable.

The Story Would Have Been Incomplete Without This Plot Armor!

Titan Transformation from Attack on Titan | Credits: WIT Studio

Retaining the personal items during transformations is a very important plot point that holds heavy implications for the story’s development. If shifters lost their belongings during transformation, then some of the most important events of the series would have been highly affected. For example, Eren’s multiple titan transformations would have surely lost the basement key, which could be devastating for the actual plot.

The same goes for the ODM gears that the shifters use. Nowhere in the series are they properly seen keeping the gears during transformation, however, fans have understood it must be so. This also could have been just a writing convenience to let the story run without unnecessary explanations.

However, for some, it’s natural that this massive plot armor feels like a thing that should have been addressed properly in the story. The creator, Hajime Isayama never explained this phenomenon as one might expect from him, and as a result, those curious viewers are still left with this question and a sense of narrative inconvenience.