Attack on Titan: Why Can Only Eldians Become Titans?

Pavas Gagneja
Sep 27
3 min read

Not everyone in Attack on Titan can turn into a Titan. Only Eldians, aka Subjects of Ymir, have the blood for it. They are the descendants of Ymir Fritz, the first Titan, and their bodies can receive Titan power. That is why things like Titan spinal fluid work on them and not on anyone else.

It’s not about where someone lives or which country they belong to; it’s about their bloodline.

Let us know more about why only Eldians can become Titans or inherit the powers of a Titan Shifter. The reason is deeply rooted in the past of the Eldian Empire.

ALSO READ: The Shocking Real-Life Event That Inspired Titans In Attack on Titan

Origins Of The Eldian Link

It begins with Ymir Fritz. She was the first person to gain Titan power, whose abilities were split into the Nine Titans after her death and were passed down through her children and their descendants.

Over generations, this created the Eldians, a single bloodline whose bodies remained tied to Titan power, which is why commands and abilities tied to Titans can act on them and not on others.

That inherited link explains how transformations work, how specific powers can be inherited, and why the story keeps returning to this family tree. Because this bond is inherited, not chosen, it narrows who can be changed, controlled, or healed by Titan abilities to Eldians alone.

The result is a world where certain powers consistently reach Eldian bodies, whether to form Titans, halt them, or alter memories under the right conditions.

Why The World Revolves Around Eldians

Eren transforming to kill the Tybur family

Since only Eldians carry this link, every major plan involving Titans must involve Eldian bodies, royal blood, or rules that target this lineage. That is why schemes to create or stop Titans focus on who is Eldian, who holds a specific power, and who can trigger those abilities safely. For instance, the risk of Titan transformation exists where Eldians live.

This single rule changes politics, war, and strategy across the story. Nations fear Titan outbreaks and either persecute Eldians or try to use them, while resistance movements center on breaking the cycle tied to the history of the Eldian Empire.

How It Works In Practice In Attack on Titan?

Turning someone into a Pure Titan means giving an Eldian Titan spinal fluid, which triggers the change. Now, the Titan stays mindless unless it eats a current Shifter, which passes on a specific Titan power and brings the person back with their mind, along with the 13‑year time limit. None of this works on non‑Eldians, because there’s no link to activate.

Shifters, who already hold one of the Nine Titans, transform by injuring themselves with a clear intent. Their Titan body forms and disappear as needed, but again, this is Eldian‑only. Even large‑scale effects, like transforming many people at once or sending out commands, only affect Eldians. Everything follows the same rule: the power can act only where the link exists.

To conclude, only Eldians can become Titans because they inherit a unique connection to Titan power from Ymir Fritz. Their bodies can receive and use that power, while others cannot.