Hange Zoe, a central character in the Attack on Titan anime and manga, was sadly killed in the manga.
In Chapter #132 of the manga,“Wings of Freedom”, Hange Zoe sacrifices themselves fighting against the Rumbling to buy their friends and comrades time to escape.
Who Was Hange?
Hange Zoe was the 14th commander of the Survey Corps. They were born on September 5th. The place of their birth is unspecified, but Hange resided at Wall Rose.
Hange had an incredible scientific mind; their duties included inventing, and conducting research on Titans. They were key in Eren Yeager’s understanding of his abilities as a Titan Shifter, helping him discover what triggered his transformations and his abilities as a Titan.
Hange also was significant in making peace between Eren and the Special Operations Squad, who didn’t trust Eren after learning of his abilities.
What Else Did Hange Discover About The Titans?
Hange closely encountered the Female Titan (revealed to Be Annie), and protected her by ordering for Annie’s protective crystal to be moved to safety. This led Hange to discover a piece of hardened flesh that fell off Annie, realising it to be the same material as the Wall. This helped a realisation that the Wall was made of hardened Titans (Wall Titans).
Hange used their deductive skills to figure out that there were Titans living in the holes in the Walls, and that the Church of the Walls had been keeping this fact secret.
They also used their skills in battle, to identify the seemingly-invincible Armoured Titan’s vulnerable spots. This helped the soldiers to defeat the Titan, though it did fall on top of them as it died – really bad timing!
As Hange recovered from their injuries from being crushed, they discovered that Titans were once humans, transformed somehow into the Titans they knew now.
This revelation is hugely important to the manga as a whole.
What Was Hange Like?
Hange was fondly known as a “mad scientist” type character, who was very intelligent, eccentric and energetic. They were emotional and empathic (especially towards Titans), but still very able to make solid and rational decisions when needed. This helped them to be a very skilled commander.
Hange’s genius led them to create many weapons, plans and inventions for the good of humanity, but it also led them to be skilful in manipulating people to do their bidding.
Hange showed their cheerful, happy nature when excited, but they had a darker side too: despite developing into a renowned Titan researcher with reams of compassion and empathy for the Titans, they initially began with burning hatred and contempt for the creatures. Hange, when angry, was an absolute force to be reckoned with.
What Were Hange’s Abilities?
Hange was fiercely intelligent, with an incredible ability to analyse and research Titans. They had a fiery drive for further knowledge, leading them to invent and research many things for the betterment of humanity.
Hange was also proficient in using their vertical maneuvering equipment, using it to interact with the Titans at an extremely close range – their impressive reaction time made it easy to dodge any attacks.
What Did Hange Look Like?
Hange mostly wore square glasses secured to their head with an elastic band, and a pair of oval-shaped glasses outside of missions.
They had brown eyes and brown hair, which was reasonably long and tied up in a messy ponytail with bangs. They were quite tall, and were most often wearing the Survey Corps uniform.
Due to an eye injury from an explosion in Shiganshina, Hange wore a black eye patch on their left eye.
How Did Hange Die?
Hange died after sacrificing their life to buy their friends and comrades time to escape the scene.
At Odiha, the Corps were exposed to ‘the Rumbling’; a cataclysmic event during which the Wall Titans march across the earth, destroying all life on it. While their friends escaped, Hange fought the Wall Titans, but eventually they are burned to death by the heat exuded from the Rumbling.
It’s a tragic scene, made bittersweet by Hange’s reunion with their fallen friends and soldiers, who crowd around them to hear their tales of being Commander.
What Is Hange’s Legacy?
Hange’s death bought their friends the vital time they needed to escape the Rumbling and the Titans. Their discoveries and theories about Titans were and continue to be vital to the series: such as their discoveries about Eren’s Titan abilities, the Titans within the holes in the Walls, Titans being human in origin, and the weaknesses of an Armoured Titan – to name just a few!
Though they are now departed, their influence and legacy will forever live on and be a huge part of Attack on Titan.
