What was that all about?
Summary:
- Falco’s ability to fly confused a number of fans.
- Falco became a Titan Shifter due to Zeke’s spinal fluid.
- This gave him the ability to access some powers of the Beast Titan.
The finale of Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) surprised and confused fans with many things, and one of them seems to be Falco’s ability to fly in his titan form. So let’s remember how he became a titan and how it affected his abilities.
What happened to Falco?
Although Falco was one of the Warrior candidates, competing for the right to inherit one of the Titans, this is not how he finally became one.
When Niccolo tried to attack Gabi in Season 4 Episode 13 of the series, Falco rushed in front of her to protect his friend. Niccolo used a bottle of wine to hit Falco, and while the latter was lying on the ground, we can clearly see a drop of wine sliding into his mouth.
It’s later revealed that the wine contained Zeke’s spinal fluid, which can turn people into Pure titans at Zeke’s will. The Beast Titan only needs to scream to activate it and transform them. He does this later in Episode 19. Falco then manages to eat Galliard and becomes the Jaw Titan.
Why can he fly, though?
This detail may feel very convenient for the story and even forced, as the characters needed a flying vehicle to battle Eren, but there’s actually a very simple explanation.
Since Falco became a Titan Shifter with the help of the Beast Titan’s spinal fluid, his Jaw Titan was connected to Zeke’s. We also know that Titan Shifters are capable of inheriting the memories of their former owners.
Therefore, Falco was able to access not only the memories of the Jaw Titan, but also some of the Beast Titan. That’s how he managed to find the evidence of the past Beast Titan, who was able to fly.
Titan Shifters can exchange powers through the spinal fluid, and this is how Eren was able to create the hardening back in Season 3 when he found the fluid named “Armor.” And this is how Falco got the powers of a past Beast Titan by consuming the Titan’s spinal fluid.
This made him sort of a mix between a Jaw Titan and a Beast Titan, and Zeke had mentioned earlier that some of the latter could fly, so Falco felt he could do the same thing. And he was right!
On top of that, let’s not forget Falco’s name, which sounds like falcon! And the first time we saw him back in Season 4 Episode 1 he was also looking at a bird. So him being able to fly is not only easily explained, but also foreshadowed a long time ago.