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  1. Attack on Titan: The Walls
  3. Lore

The Survey Corps

[ARCHIVAL NOTE]

The following document represents the most complete analysis of the major factions operating within and beyond the Walls. Information has been compiled from Survey Corps intelligence, captured enemy communications, refugee accounts, and historical records.

WARNING: This document contains information classified above standard recruit clearance. Unauthorized access is punishable by court-martial.

— Survey Corps Intelligence Division

PART ONE: THE WALLED NATION OF PARADIS

"Humanity's Last Refuge"

[FACTION 1: THE SURVEY CORPS (SCOUTING LEGION)]

Emblem: The Wings of Freedom (Unicorn on Survey Corps variant)
Motto: "Dedicate your hearts"
Commander: Erwin Smith
Captain: Levi Ackerman
Section Commander: Hange Zoë
Estimated Strength: 300-400 active soldiers (fluctuates heavily after expeditions)
Headquarters: Various outposts; main base near Wall Rose

CORE IDENTITY

The Survey Corps exists for one purpose: to venture beyond the Walls and reclaim humanity's lost freedom. They are the only military branch that actively engages Titans outside the Walls, gathering intelligence, testing formations, and pushing the boundaries of human territory.

To the public, they are either heroes or fools—depending on the outcome of their last expedition. To themselves, they are the only ones asking the questions that matter.

FOUNDING AND HISTORY

The Survey Corps was established shortly after the Titans drove humanity behind the Walls. While the Military Police protected the king and the Garrison defended the Walls, the Survey Corps was given the most dangerous mission: go outside, find answers, and find a way to win.

For decades, they failed. Expedition after expedition returned with empty saddles and no discoveries. The Titans remained mindless. The world remained unknown. The death toll mounted.

Then something changed.

The fall of Wall Maria brought new recruits—angry, desperate, determined. The discovery of Eren Yeager's Titan power gave them a weapon. The appearance of the Female Titan revealed a human enemy.

The Survey Corps is no longer just fighting Titans. They're fighting for truth.

BELIEFS AND IDEOLOGY

Core Tenets:

  1. Freedom is worth dying for. Living in a cage is not living at all.

  2. Knowledge is worth the price. Every death teaches something. Every expedition gathers data. The truth will set humanity free—or kill them trying.

  3. Question everything. The Walls are not safe. The government is not honest. The past is not what they taught.

  4. Dedicate your hearts. The individual doesn't matter. The mission matters. Humanity matters.

  5. The enemy is not always what it seems. Titans were the first enemy. Now they know the enemy can be human too.

DAILY LIFE

A Survey Corps soldier's life is regimented and brutal:

Training Days:

  • 0500: Reveille

  • 0530-0730: Physical conditioning (running, climbing, strength)

  • 0800-0900: Breakfast and gear maintenance

  • 0900-1200: ODM drills (forest or urban)

  • 1200-1300: Lunch

  • 1300-1700: Tactical training, formation practice, Titan studies

  • 1700-1800: Dinner

  • 1800-2000: Equipment maintenance (Levi's influence makes this mandatory)

  • 2000-2100: Free time (letters, rest, study)

  • 2100: Lights out

Expedition Days:

  • 0300: Wake, final preparations

  • 0400: Mount up, move to gate

  • 0500: Departure (timed to maximize daylight)

  • Variable: Combat, movement, death

  • Return: Count survivors, process losses, write letters

Rest Days:

  • Limited. Always training. Always preparing. The Titans don't rest.

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING

Sources:

  • Training Corps graduates (primary)

  • Transfers from Garrison (rare)

  • Exceptional civilians (extremely rare)

Requirements:

  • Top 20% of Training Corps class (recommended)

  • Psychological evaluation (must handle extreme stress)

  • ODM proficiency test

  • Commander interview (Erwin personally selects many)

Training Duration:

  • Initial integration: 3 months

  • Full combat readiness: 1 year

  • Veteran status: 3 expeditions survived

Washout Rate:

  • 40% during integration (transferred to Garrison)

  • 60% survival rate per expedition

  • Average career length: 2-3 years

INTERNAL DYNAMICS

The Veterans:
Soldiers who have survived multiple expeditions. They are:

  • Quiet (words are precious, death is loud)

  • Skilled (the weak died already)

  • Distant (they've buried too many friends)

  • Respected (their survival proves something)

The Recruits:
New soldiers fresh from training. They are:

  • Eager (haven't learned fear yet)

  • Loud (haven't learned silence yet)

  • Vulnerable (statistically, most will die soon)

  • Watched (veterans look for the ones who might last)

Levi's Influence:
Captain Levi's presence shapes the entire corps:

  • Obsessive cleanliness (his rules are law)

  • Extreme standards (he accepts nothing less than perfect)

  • Fear and respect (he's terrifying; he's also the best)

  • Unspoken care (he doesn't show it, but he protects his people)

Hange's Role:
Section Commander Hange Zoë is the corps' intellectual heart:

  • Titan research and experimentation

  • Tactical innovation

  • Morale maintenance (her enthusiasm is infectious, if disturbing)

  • Moral compass (she reminds them Titans might be people too)

Erwin's Leadership:
Commander Erwin Smith is the corps' strategic mind:

  • Brilliant tactician

  • Willing to sacrifice soldiers for information

  • Charismatic enough that soldiers follow anyway

  • Secretive about his true goals

  • Haunted by something—none know what

RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER FACTIONS

Military Police:

  • Open hostility

  • MPs consider Scouts suicidal lunatics

  • Scouts consider MPs useless parasites

  • Political warfare over funding and influence

Garrison:

  • Complicated respect

  • Garrison does the dirty work of defense

  • Scouts do the dangerous work of offense

  • Pixis is the bridge between them

Royal Government:

  • Deep suspicion

  • Government fears Scouts asking questions

  • Scouts know government hides something

  • Open conflict brewing

Civilian Population:

  • Variable

  • Good expeditions = heroes

  • Bad expeditions = fools wasting tax money

  • Most civilians don't think about them at all

KEY PERSONNEL DOSSIERS

Commander Erwin Smith:

  • Age: Early 30s

  • Expeditions: 15+

  • Notable: Missing right arm (Titan encounter)

  • Reputation: Brilliant, calculating, willing to sacrifice anything for truth

  • Known quote: "If we don't give our hearts, who will?"

Captain Levi Ackerman:

  • Age: Early 30s

  • Expeditions: 20+

  • Notable: "Humanity's Strongest Soldier"

  • Reputation: Cold, obsessive, terrifying, secretly protective

  • Known quote: "Decide. Decide what you'll regret the least."

Section Commander Hange Zoë:

  • Age: Late 20s

  • Expeditions: 14

  • Notable: Titan research specialist

  • Reputation: Eccentric, brilliant, obsessed, kind

  • Known quote: "They're so interesting! Don't you think they're interesting?!"

Petra Ral (Deceased):

  • Age: Early 20s

  • Expeditions: 5

  • Notable: Levi Squad member

  • Reputation: Skilled, kind, everyone's favorite

  • Known quote: "I think Captain might actually be proud of me."

Eren Yeager:

  • Age: 18

  • Status: Special asset

  • Notable: Titan-shifter

  • Reputation: Angry, determined, dangerous

  • Known quote: "I'll kill every last one of them."

Mikasa Ackerman:

  • Age: 18

  • Status: Elite soldier

  • Notable: Exceptional combat ability

  • Reputation: Quiet, protective, unstoppable

  • Known quote: "The world is cruel. It's also beautiful."

Armin Arlert:

  • Age: 18

  • Status: Strategic asset

  • Notable: Genius-level intellect

  • Reputation: Nervous, brilliant, morally conflicted

  • Known quote: "People can only save what they're willing to lose."

CASUALTY STATISTICS (PRE-FALL TO PRESENT)

Total Survey Corps History:

  • Soldiers enlisted (est): 10,000+

  • Soldiers living (est): 400

  • Survival rate: 4%

Since Wall Maria Fall:

  • Enlistment surge: +300%

  • Survival rate: 15% per expedition

  • Average deaths per expedition: 30-50

Most Costly Expedition:
57th Expedition (Female Titan encounter): 58 dead including entire Levi Squad

UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

Standard Uniform:

  • Green hooded cloak (Wings of Freedom embroidered on back)

  • Brown leather harness (ODM gear attachment points)

  • White shirt (standard military issue)

  • Brown pants (reinforced for riding)

  • Leather boots (ankle-high, steel-toed)

  • White gloves (grip enhancement)

ODM Gear:

  • Hip-mounted anchor launchers

  • Back-mounted gas canisters

  • Thigh-mounted blade holsters (4 blades standard)

  • Control grips with trigger mechanisms

Blades:

  • Ultrahard steel

  • Double-edged

  • Designed to break after impact (forces replacement, ensures sharpness)

  • Length: approximately 3 feet

Horses:

  • Specially bred for speed and endurance

  • Trained to tolerate Titan presence

  • Often bonded with specific riders

  • Casualty rate: higher than soldiers in some expeditions

THE WINGS OF FREEDOM SYMBOL

The emblem shows two overlapping wings—one representing humanity's lost freedom, one representing the hope of reclaiming it. The unicorn beneath (in some versions) represents the pursuit of impossible dreams.

Veterans say the symbol means different things:

  • To civilians: madness

  • To recruits: hope

  • To soldiers: death

  • To Erwin: truth

  • To Levi: responsibility

RITUALS AND TRADITIONS

The Night Before Expedition:

  • Write letters home (may be last communication)

  • Sharpen blades (ritual focus)

  • Share meals together (fellowship before possible death)

  • Quiet reflection (no mandatory activities)

The Return:

  • Count empty horses

  • Process casualties

  • Write letters to families

  • Memorial service within one week

The Memorial:

  • Names read aloud

  • One minute silence

  • Blades placed on memorial (symbolizing their service)

  • Commander speaks (always brief, always meaningful)

Unwritten Rules:

  • Don't learn names (they become ghosts)

  • Don't make plans (tomorrow isn't guaranteed)

  • Don't ask about the dead (they're gone)

  • Don't hope (hope hurts)

  • Don't forget (remember why you fight)