Zeke Jaeger/Synopsis

## History

Zeke Jaeger was born to Grisha Jaeger and Dina Fritz, Restorationists who were planning to overthrow the Marley government and put the Eldians back in power. When the Marley government announced the Warrior program, asking for Eldian children between the ages of five to seven to serve as potential Warriors, Grisha decided to enroll Zeke into the program for the latter to infiltrate the Marleyan military as a spy for the Restorationists.

At home, Zeke was routinely sent to his grandparents while both Dina and Grisha attended Eldian Restorationist meetings, with most of his visits being spent listening to his grandfather recounting stories of the Eldian race's crimes against the world. Over time, his parents' preoccupation with the Eldian Restorationists led them growing continuously distant with Zeke, with Grisha in particular showing very little investment in his son's life outside of his studies and performance as a Warrior candidate.

Initially, Zeke did not perform impressively as a Warrior Candidate, and his trouble keeping pace with his fellow candidates caused him to be ostracized by his peers and his instructor. However, he did manage to make one friend during his training: Tom Xaver. After a day of routine training, Zeke happened to meet Xaver while the man was in the middle of playing catch by himself. After some prodding from Xaver, Zeke joined him in the game, and was thrilled to hear Xaver complimenting him on his pitching skill.

After returning home, Zeke tried to tell his parents about the experience, but found them in the middle of a meeting with a fellow restorationist. Zeke tried eavesdropping on the conversation and listening in as his parents reassured Grice that he had the ability to save Eldia.

During another public training event, Zeke was once again outperformed by all of the other candidates. To his distress, Zeke observed that both his parents had come to watch and was dismayed to see his father storm away from the field in frustration. That night, he cried in his room while listening to his parents argue over what to do about his poor performance.

After the training event, Xaver tried to cheer him up during one of their games of catch, before joking that Zeke becoming a Warrior would be a dumb idea. Surprised to hear a Warrior slandering the Warrior Program, Zeke asked to know why Xaver had chosen to become one. Xaver's explanation, that he had wanted the opportunity to study the Titans scientifically, surprised Zeke but he agreed with Xaver's assertion that neither of them were meant to be soldiers.

While cleaning the halls of the Warriors' headquarters, Zeke overheard that the Marleyan Authorities were close to discovering the location of the Eldian Restorationists. Knowing that this would sentence his entire family and himself to the border of Paradis to be converted to Pure Titans, Zeke went to his parents and begged them to stop but was met only with their insistence that what they were doing needed to be done for the good of all Eldians.

In a desperate attempt to appeal to his father, Zeke reminded him of Faye and asked if he would be okay with his own son meeting the same fate: this only managed to enrage Grisha. Terrified, Zeke tried to remind his parents that their whole family would be sent to Paradis if they were discovered, but Grisha only reiterated his previous statement that they needed to win back the rights that Marley had taken, in order to make sure that no one else met the same fate as Faye. Emotionally drained from the argument, Zeke pointed out that Faye only died because Grisha took her outside of Liberio without permission.

With no one else to turn to, Zeke revealed everything to Xaver. Although Zeke had resigned himself to being sent to Paradis and spend an eternity as a Titan, Xaver suggested that he turn his parents in so that only they would be punished; this would allow Zeke and his grandparents to go free. Zeke initially protested the idea, but Xaver insisted that there was no other way, reminding Zeke of all of the turmoil and strife he had experienced on account of his parents forcing their ideals on him without thought for his own feelings.

After some thought, Zeke agreed and turned in his parents to secure his status in Marley's eyes as a loyal Warrior. Soon after, Grisha and Dina were sent to Paradis Island to be transformed into Pure Titans. Still not knowing the truth of Zeke's heritage, Marley sent him to be raised by his grandparents.

Despite believing he sent his father and mother to their deaths, Zeke sympathized with their goal to free the Eldian race. Thus, Zeke continued his parents' cause by operating from the shadows to secure the Eldians' freedom from Marley in his own way. Zeke continued playing catch with Xaver regularly during his time in the Warrior program, often using the games as a time to have long discussions with him.

During one such game, Xaver revealed that the Founding Titan had the power not only to affect the memories of Subjects of Ymir, but also to change the composition of their bodies. Inspired by this, Zeke theorized that a holder of the Founding Titan might be able to use it to render all Subjects of Ymir sterile, so that they would die out within 100 years without a need for mass genocide. Noticing Xaver not immediately tossing back the baseball, Zeke heard Xaver reveal that he once had a family with a Marleyan woman who had killed herself and their son after learning he was an Eldian.

Listening to his mentor lament his own birth, Zeke vowed to Xaver that he would take back the Founding Titan from Paradis and keep it out of Marley's hands to ensure that it could not be used to hurt anyone again.

Soon after, Zeke was told the key in the planned euthanasia of the Eldians, the Founding Titan, must be in possession of someone who will agree to the plan and be in physical contact with a Titan descended from the royal family. Xaver asked Zeke to find someone who is willing to go through with the plan.

## Story

At the age of 17, Zeke became the eldest of the Warrior candidates to be selected to receive the power of the Titans, inheriting the Beast Titan from Xaver in the year 842. Zeke kept Xaver's glasses after inheriting his Titan, as a memento of his former friend. It was subsequently discovered that through the administration of Zeke's spinal fluid into Subjects of Ymir, he would be able to trigger their transformation with a scream, and control their Titan forms afterwards, even when the moon was out.

In the same year, 842, Zeke would spearhead the invasion of Hizuru alongside Warrior Candidate Harry Potter, with the two taking over two-thirds of the nation in a single year. However, the two co-led the invasion without direct interaction.

One year after inheriting the Beast Titan, Zeke would attend the ceremony in which the Armored, Female, Colossal, Jaw, and Cart Titan were inherited by new Warriors. Here, Zeke would interact with Harry Potter for the first time. They talked with mutual respect, with that respect carrying on into the battlefield. After co-leading the invasion of Hizuru, Zeke would work alongside Harry, choosing to allow the younger Warrior to take the reigns of battles due to his admittedly superior tactical skills.

This trust would disappear entirely when Harry Potter's true thoughts on the Marleyan military were revealed prior to the Battle for the Fortress. This would lead to Zeke petitioning for the Vice-Chief to suffer punishment for his disloyalty to the motherland. However, his petitioning was halted after Harry's journals were revealed and given to the Marleyan government.