Reiner was among the most prevalent antagonists throughout the majority of the Attack On Titan series. His armored form was a force to be reckoned with, especially since it rendered him impervious to the Scouts’ bladed weaponry.
In spite of the terrifying power at his command, there were dozens of occasions that Reiner realistically should not have survived. Through identifying the most critical instances where the Marleyian agent feasibly might have met his end, we can better appreciate the fact that the anime’s heroes aren’t the only ones protected by heavy plot armor.
10 Ymir Would Have Eaten Reiner Without Marcel’s Sacrifice
At the beginning of the Warriors’ quest to obtain the coordinate, they were ambushed by a feral titan named Ymir. Reiner was paralyzed in fear at the sight of the monster and completely unprepared to react.
Marcel intervened, casting Reiner out of the way and sacrificing himself for his friend’s safety. However, in such a precarious situation, it is more likely that he wouldn’t have had time to save Reiner’s life – or they both would have been eaten instead.
9 The Titan In Utgard Castle Should Have Devoured Him
The siege of Utgard Castle was almost a disaster for the Scouts. Though a cannon was able to staunch the advance of an encroaching titan, it quickly resumed its intrusion inside the fortress’ walls. Reiner came face to face with it, unable to activate his armored form since it would give away his identity.
Instead, he hoisted the monster over his shoulders and hurled it from the building. No other character in the entire series has depicted strength or fortitude enough to defeat a titan without any weapons, and Reiner should have realistically been devoured in this encounter.
8 Reiner Should Have Been Overwhelmed By Erwin’s Lured Army Of Titans
To save Eren, Erwin lured an entire herd of titans toward the retreating Marleyian agents. By using the power of the Founder, Yeager instructed the feral giants to harry Reiner and overwhelm him.
Considering that Eren’s strength is comparable to Reiner’s and because he fared abysmally under the same circumstances (shortly before his reintroduction to the Scouts), it follows that Braun should have been overwhelmed. Though his armor may have protected him from his assailants for a time, he was already exhausted from the previous battle and would feasibly revert to his human form.
7 Mikasa Buried Her Blade In Reiner’s Body
After Reiner revealed his intentions to Eren and requested his compliance, Mikasa plunged into the fray. With dizzying speed, she ripped through Bertholdt and drove her sword into Reiner’s collar.
He scarcely managed to defend himself through blocking much of the sword with his bare hands. However, considering that Mikasa has cleaved through titans effortlessly (whose skin is much more durable than Braun’s in his base form), it follows that she should have cut off Reiner’s fingers and lacerated his neck in the same stroke.
6 Levi Impaled Reiner Through The Neck
After Reiner’s treacherous intentions had been uncovered, Levi impaled him through the neck, hoping to deprive his enemy of an opportunity to use his power. Though his titan physiology guarantees accelerated healing, it does not defend its user from blows that would instantly kill a regular human.
Therefore, Reiner should have immediately succumbed to his wounds before the battle could have even started, especially since Ackerman’s sword sliced through the marrow of his neck. Miraculously (and much to the scout’s surprise), the villain was able to ignore his injury and transform into his imposing armored titan state regardless of the damage inflicted.
5 Eren Only Lost His Second Battle With Reiner Because Bertholdt Fell On Him
Eren was much more prepared for the second encounter with Reiner than the first. Having familiarized himself with Annie’s techniques, he placed the villain in an armbar and systematically broke off his defenses.
It seemed as if Reiner would be at his mercy and that of the Scouts. However, Bertholdt’s colossal titan carcass conveniently collapsed on him at the final moment, concluding the fight in the traitors’ favor. Realistically, this should have also crushed the Armored Titan just as much as it did their adversary.
4 The Thunder Spears Completely Destroyed Reiner’s Body
Initially, Reiner’s armor made it impossible for his assailants to harm him like a conventional titan. Their blades were useless against his iron plates, compelling them to resort to thunder spears in order to bring the goliath down.
During its first terrible application against him, Braun’s body and interior were destroyed in their entirety. All that was left of him inside his shell was a severed brain, bulging eyes, and the outlines of a skull. This entailed damage that not even one of the nine titan users should have been able to survive.
3 Hange Passed Up A Perfect Chance To Execute Reiner
After the Thunder Spears had destroyed Reiner’s body, he was left vulnerable to the Scouts’ whims. Immediately, Hange prepared to execute him with the understanding that he healed much more rapidly than his colossal counterpart.
However, Jean convinced her to spare his life since feeding him to an injured comrade would imbue them with the power of the Armored Titan. Somehow, none of the Scouts were able to anticipate Pieck rumbling through the city nor had the foresight to end his life before she got close to reclaiming him.
2 Eren Dominated Reiner But Conveniently Couldn’t Finish Him Off
Eren’s fight against Reiner in Marley would be even briefer than that in Paradis. Fresh from his victory against the War Hammer Titan, he dominated Braun in seconds – much to the Marleyians’ horror.
Just as he was preparing to finish him off, Yeager had exhausted the limits of his titan form and was forced to retreat. This was an extremely convenient plot device to guarantee Reiner’s survival for subsequent acts and one that was not even remotely subtle.
1 Reiner Would Have Killed Himself If Falco Didn’t Come Looking For Him
Haunted by guilt and the friends he was unable to save, Reiner prepared to kill himself by putting a shotgun in his mouth and bracing to pull the trigger. Just before he could commit to the deed, Falco called out his name, staying his hand and making him realize that he was living for more than himself.
However, it is unfathomably convenient that Falco would not only come looking for Braun but also find him seconds before the man could take his own life. Nonetheless, the youth became his hero’s unlikely savior without ever realizing it.
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