The "Walls" are an indispensable part of the world of Attack on Titan. In the anime, it is revealed that there are Titans inside the Walls. The Walls protect humanity from the threat of Titans, but there is also a group called the Wall Cult that worships the Walls and continues to protect their secrets. In this article, we will introduce you to the Wall Cult!
What is the Wall Cult?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
The Wall Cult is a religion whose doctrine is to "view the wall as sacred and worship the wall," which is said to have suddenly begun to expand its influence after Wall Maria was attacked by titans. The Wall Cult is said to have refused to allow humans to make any changes to the wall. Moreover, it was the monarchy that gave the Wall Cult the authority to have a say in the wall, so we can see that it is a cult with a lot of authority.
What is the secret of the wall?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
When Annie turned into a Titan inside the wall and tried to escape outside, the wall peeled off as she climbed it, revealing that a Titan was sleeping inside. The wall was made by hardening the titans. Although only one was visible, Hange guessed that the entire wall was made of titans. And when Priest Nick of the Wall Church saw the appearance of the titan through the peeled wall, he said that the titans in the wall should never be exposed to sunlight. Normally, titans cannot move when there is no sunlight. So does that mean that the titans in this wall are still alive and will start moving when exposed to sunlight!?
Why are there titans in the wall?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
This is a story that has not yet appeared in the anime, but I will explain a little about why there are titans buried inside the walls. There was a woman named Ymir Fritz who obtained the power of the Founding Titan. This is the first of the "Nine Titans" to be born with intelligence. The Founding Titan has the ability to control non-intelligent Titans, known as the "Coordinate." When the 145th King Fritz, who had this ability, escaped from what is now known as the world outside the walls, he is said to have used the power of the Coordinate to control the Titans, and used the Titans' hardening ability to create walls and create his own world. In order to protect the secret of the walls made by the Titans that King Fritz originally created, the monarchy and the Wall Church have joined forces to continue to keep the secret.
Why did Priest Nick die?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Priest Nick chose to die rather than reveal the secret of the wall, even though Hange told him to tell her if he knew it, and even said that she would push him off the wall if he didn't. Priest Nick believed that the secret of the wall was something that he had to protect even at the cost of his own life. I wonder if this is due to the strength of Priest Nick's faith, or if the fact that there are Titans inside the wall is so dangerous. When the Survey Corps was about to find out the secret of the wall, the Royal Government used the First Military Police to torture and kill Priest Nick, who was being held by the Survey Corps, fearing that he would reveal the secret. Priest Nick was tortured so much that his fingernails were torn off, but he didn't say a thing.
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What did Priest Nick know?
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
As a priest of the Wall Church, Priest Nick believed in the walls, but he played a role in keeping the secrets of the titans inside the walls from being revealed to anyone. And Priest Nick was on the side of the royal government, knowing about the real royal family. Priest Nick knew that there were titans inside the walls and the existence of the real royal family. And it seems that only the Reiss family, the true royal family, can reveal the secret that there are Titans inside the walls, and that Christa is of Reiss descent.
What exactly is the Wall Cult that knows the secret of the walls? Summary
Source: Attack on Titan © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / "Attack on Titan" Production Committee
Looking at it this way, the Wall Cult is a mysterious cult that is hard to understand. They must know the secret of the wall and protect it even at the risk of their own lives. Do they have that much faith, or is there some important secret that they must not reveal even at the cost of their own lives? There are still many secrets scattered throughout Attack on Titan that have yet to be revealed. Although Father Nick is dead, it is interesting to see how the Wall Cult will be involved from now on. Keep an eye on the Wall Cult's future movements!
