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Attack on Titan’s massive roster of characters is one of the most confusing parts of the series. It only worsens when you have so many characters with secret identities, the ability to transform into a titan, and more. One of these mysterious characters is none other than Historia Reiss, one of the main characters during the middle of the manga, as you’ll see in this Historia Reiss guide.
Historia is one of the most valuable members of the Survey Corps, playing a massive role not only in the war against the titans but also in the future of the entire world.
Her secret identity and the role she plays is the focal point of a good portion of the Attack on Titan series. She is one of the most essential characters in the manga and anime, and you can find out all about her in this Historia Reiss guide.
Bottom Line Up Front
Historia Reiss is one of the main characters in the Attack on Titan series. Spoiler alert warning here, but she is first introduced as the character Krista Lenz. Lenz, along with the other main characters of Eren and his friends, trains together to become members of the Survey Corps.
But there is more to her than meets the eye. You see, Krista Lenz is, in reality, Historia Reiss, one of the descendants of the nation’s founder behind the walls. She is in line for the throne, and every party in the country is gunning to find her. She plays a massive role in a couple of storylines.
Historia Reiss Overview
There are so many characters in Attack on Titan that it can sometimes get a little overwhelming. Despite being central to one of the plots, one character who feels a little underwhelming, in general, is Historia Reiss. Her presence is notable during one major arc of the series, and that’s it.
Outside of that, I feel like Historia Reiss is done an injustice, considering the weight of her importance in the series. But if you are starting out with the Attack on Titan manga and anime, it is likely that you know Historia by a different name.
Sure, it is a massive spoiler, but her original name in the series is Krista Lenz. She is one of the core members of the training team that Eren, Armin, and Mikasa are part of at the beginning of the series. This leads to her joining them as part of the Survey Corps, too.
The story focuses on her quite a bit during one of the main arcs partway through the manga and anime series. It explores her backstory and her birthright as a rather extraordinary person. Here’s everything you need to know about Historia Reiss and Krista Lenz.
Appearance Explained
There are a couple of visual appearance changes for Historia Reiss/Krista Lenz throughout the series. But, for the most part, I’m going to focus on her most iconic appearance, which is that of her looks during the main arc in which she is so important.
During this arc, she wears the classic Survey Corp uniform, complete with the light gray pants, white undershirt, and tan jacket with the unique emblem on it. She has blonde hair that is medium length and bright blue eyes. Krista/Historia tries to keep herself moderately fashionable and well-put-together most of the time, which is admirable for a soldier of her caliber.
Historia Reiss vs. Krista Lenz: Who Is the True Character?
One of the key sticking points for some fans is who the actual character is in the series. Is it Historia Reiss, or is she actually Krista Lenz, her original name in Attack on Titan? This is a complicated subject that deals with some hefty spoilers, so turn away now if you aren’t caught up with the manga or anime series.
Part of the confusion surrounding the character is her status. She is originally born Historia Reiss, the illegitimate daughter of Rod Reiss, the ruler of the entire nation. While it seems like she doesn’t know this about herself, especially since she grew up poor and on a farm, she does know about her true identity.
As such, Historia Reiss is very much her authentic self and identity. Krista Lenz is only a name she uses to hide her true identity after certain events happen that change her life forever. So, while you may initially know her as Krista, it is best to get used to her actual name Historia Reiss, who she truly is.
Key Moments in Attack on Titan
Going over the critical moments for Historia Reiss, Krista Lenz, whatever you want to call her, is going to constitute some significant spoilers for the series. She is present throughout most of the first half of the manga and anime, playing a vital role during a particular couple of arcs in the middle of the story.
As such, talking about her is going to bring up some spoilers beyond just her true identity. In addition, this will reveal some of the fates of herself and the characters connected to her. If you aren’t caught up with the series yet, now is the time to do so since the manga is already finished anyway.
Born to the Royal Family
Revealed later on in the manga and anime series, Historia Reiss was initially born to Rod Reiss, the current ruler of the land behind the three walls. Her mother was nothing but a servant girl in the palace for the king, Rod Reiss, and served him in many ways, leading to her pregnancy.
But the problem was that Historia’s mom was simply a servant and had none of the statuses that the rest of the Reiss family had. As such, Historia’s mom was forced out of the castle and sent to her family farm, where Historia was eventually born.
She knew the truth about her parentage but was forced to live with her mother’s family due to the complications surrounding her life as an illegitimate child of the king. Historia and her mother’s relationship was troubled from the start, leading to them not connecting with each other.
Even still, Historia cared for her mother, and it was tragic once her mom was murdered. In response, Historia was forced to join the military and renounce her proper name, becoming known as Krista Lenz from that day forward.
In the process, she joined the other main characters in Attack on Titan in training at a military camp. She is able to narrowly get the 10th spot in the training class, allowing her to pick where she wants to serve in the military branches.
She follows after her friends and joins the Survey Corps, which is known to be the most dangerous branch of the military. Historia plays a decent role as Krista Lenz through all of the battles and fights against the titans, such as the Female Titan. However, she is primarily a background character until the Clash of the Titans Arc.
Revolting Against the Government
While the titans are clashing with one another, it is revealed that Historia’s best friend, Ymir, is one of the titans. They work together, though, and Historia reveals her true self to someone for the first time in Ymir once she saves everyone’s lives using her titan powers.
She is eventually kidnapped by Ymir, Reiner, and Bertolt, but the others save her. She has to go her separate ways with her best friend, rejoining the Survey Corps. Over time, the Survey Corps realizes who Historia is and plots to put her on the throne as the new queen.
The goal is to replace the corrupt government and bring an end to its tyrannical rule. In the process, Eren and Historia let themselves be captured by Kenny the Ripper and brought before Historia’s father. He reveals his true plan to turn Historia into a titan, have her eat Eren, and become the world’s true savior.
In the end, Historia rejects this plan after thinking hard about it, and Eren destroys everyone, stopping Rod Reiss from enacting his plan for his daughter.
The New Queen of the Walls
Following the crumbling of Rod Reiss’ plan, he turns himself into a titan, and Historia and Eren are two of the only survivors from the skirmish that happens when Eren destroys everything. Historia returns to the Survey Corps and helps in the battle to defeat her father for good.
After this, she is crowned by the government as the new Queen of the Walls. From this moment forward, she has nothing to do with the Survey Corps as she now plays the role of ruler over the nation behind the three walls.
Historia is mostly loved by her people as they know her for being a soldier who has cared about the people and protected them from the titans. As queen, one of her first decisions is to create an orphanage farm where kids without homes and others in need can find the help they need to survive.
From this point forward, Historia Reiss as the queen has little to do with the main story of the series. There are a few key scenes that happen with her in the series, such as her rejecting the plan that Eren eventually has for dealing with the rest of the world and protecting the island of Paradis.
In the process, she becomes pregnant as part of the plan to carry on her family’s legacy. She eventually marries her child’s father and raises their child to be the next successor to the throne.
Following the events of the Rumbling and its conclusion in the final arc of the series, Queen Historia is still the ruler of Paradis island, and she acts as the liaison in working with the rest of the world to find true peace now that the titans are gone for good.
Special Abilities
Historia Reiss has a couple of special abilities, including one that no one else in the series can claim. The first is her ability to fight titans, which is arguably not seen as much as you would expect from someone who is a member of the Survey Corp. The other is her birthright as a member of the royal family.
Titan Slayer
Historia Reiss is a passable titan slayer but not nearly as powerful as most of her teammates in her squad. This is something that is noted in the series since she doesn’t even kill her first titan until well into the manga series.
She is pretty much close to revealing her identity before she does this. However, this doesn’t change the fact that she is a decent titan slayer and one that plays a valuable role in taking down the government before she takes the throne.
It is likely that she would actually be a mighty titan slayer and, sadly, a human fighter, too, but we don’t get to see that after this since she takes a passive role in the series after taking down the royal government.
Descendant of the Founder
Historia’s other main power is as a descendant of the island’s founder. She has the ability to command titans and rule the nation while also knowing the truth behind everything in the world. This power is immense and not available to everyone else, making her quite unique and influential.
She uses her power as a ruler to be a benevolent and kind queen to her people. She takes care of everyone and paves the road for peace. It isn’t sure if she is happy with her life in the end, especially given that she is away from her friends and everyone she cares about, but she is willing to sacrifice it all for the betterment of her lands, which is unbelievably admirable.
Anime Voice Actor
If you happen to watch the anime version of Attack on Titan, you will hear two voices bringing Historia Reiss to life. It depends on whether or not you are watching the anime in English or Japanese. The former is one that I don’t recommend unless you need the dub since this version isn’t the best, even for an English dub.
That said, the voice of Historia in this English version is Bryn Apprill, who is actually a fantastic voice actor. This isn’t the series to showcase her skills due to the localization and writing. Instead, I recommend checking out Bryn in other anime series, such as Yotsuba in The Quintessential Quintuplets, Mimosa in Black Clover, and Akane Sakurada in the criminally underrated Castle Town Dandelion.
On the other hand, if you watch the Japanese version of this series, you’ll hear Shiori Mikami as the voice of Historia. She only has a few roles in the past in games and anime, but my favorites have to be Polly in The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, Medina in Triangle Strategy, and Linne in the underappreciated Oninaki game.
Key Relationships
Despite being at the center of everything and everyone in the Attack on Titan series, Historia only has a few key relationships that I think are notable. The first of these has to do with her connection to Eren, the main character in the series.
I think there is an intriguing understanding between these two characters about their roles and what they must do. They have a connection that is unique as feeling forced to do whatever it takes to save the world. But it is a complicated relationship where they don’t necessarily agree with one another on everything.
Another relationship that Historia has is with her half-sister, Frieda. She doesn’t initially know that this is her sister, but she plays a vital role in her childhood. Frieda is one of the few bright spots in Historia’s life and one of the precious memories she always carries around with her.
Then there is the relationship that Historia has with the other side of her family; her parents. Poor Historia can’t catch a break, as both of her parents are incredibly toxic. While it is understandable that her mom has been through a lot and is troubled by the poor hand she’s received in life, it is no excuse for how she treats Historia.
And then there is her dad. Oof, there is no coming back from the dark things that Rod Reiss put his daughter through. He has expected far too much from someone he has never treated as true family.
Finally, though, to end with some positivity, there is the relationship that Historia has with her best friend in Ymir. The elephant in the room is the possible romance between the two girls, hinted at in both the manga and anime but never explicitly confirmed.
They care deeply about one another and they will do anything to help each other, including even seeming like they are betraying their duties. Historia’s reaction to the letter that Ymir leaves her in the storyline is heartfelt and shows just how much she loves Ymir, be it in a familial or romantic way.
FAQs
Question: Who is Historia Reiss Pregnant With?
Answer: Spoiler alert, but Historia Reiss is pregnant with a baby girl whose father is possibly the unnamed farmer from her past that she marries. However, there is a possibly dark twist that the baby’s father is Eren, given the conversation the two have with one another.
Question: Is Historia Reiss a Titan?
Answer: No, Historia Reiss is not a titan, though her father certainly would have liked her to be one.
Question: Who is Historia’s Husband?
Answer: Spoiler alert, but Historia Reiss’ husband is revealed in the manga to be the unnamed farmer from her past. He is supposedly the father of the baby that she becomes pregnant with out of wedlock, but there is a chance this isn’t the case.
Find Out More About Historia’s Best Friend
Historia Reiss is one of the best characters in Attack on Titan, but it is pretty sad that the series doesn’t allow you to see much of her. Her secret identity, the fake persona she puts on, and even the odd connections she has thematically with the protagonist, Eren, make her so fascinating.
It makes it even sadder that Historia is one of the few characters to live in the series for so long, yet, her place in the story comes to an end so abruptly. Despite the weight of the world hanging in the balance towards the end of the manga, Historia is nowhere to be found for most of it.
The same can be said for her best friend and potential love interest in Ymir. Ymir is also a complicated character with an intriguing backstory that you should dive into more with our previous Ymir Attack on Titan character guide. You might even find out a thing or two about this titan power-wielder that you didn’t know.