[desrtsku]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

There's so many things that we don't know that they might have known about Eren through other means. For Example it is strongly suggested that Eren's father experimented on his son to allow his titan transformation, and since doctor Jaeger is missing, it is entirely possible that they came to know about Eren through him or that they knew what he was doing and his son was a most likely test subject he could have used.

Better postpone this until we have further info on his motives then.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

They are the 104th training squad, I suppose there are others. Plus during their first battle against the titans there were several new recruits that didn't seem to be all from the same squad, since they didn't seem to know everyone else.

Indeed, that's right.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Actually this isn't obvious at all. There is no real advantage in putting all of your infiltrators in the same place, quite the contrary, and in fact that turned out to be a bad choice given how they were easily connected. Besides it is obvious that they didn't need to be all together by the simple fact that Annie was aiming for the military police, while Berthold and Reiner chose the scouting legion.

But as we saw during all those event they likely need to act together for all of their plans to be a success. Berntold and Reiner need to be together to break a wall, Annie can't do anything on her own except calling titans (which is believed what she did during the invasions)
Even the capturing Eren plan, which was an improvisation, required some teaming up.
Bernthold also said during the training camp flashback that he was actually aiming to apply for the police and would rather leave the military force than go anywhere else (thus Reiner too, since he probably wouldn't go anywhere without Bernthold). Logically, it would mean the 3 of them would always be together ... probably the other reason why they needed to be among the top 10. The only reason why they took different ways during this part of the story was likely because it was needed to capture Eren (Reiner and Bernthold looking for the info and Annie doing the job.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Why not? If they attack the same area it seems that they are aiming for a specific place rather than aiming for the total annihilation of the humans inside (in which case it wouldn't matter the side they decide to attack). Why would they want to give that impression?

Because that wall was made so titans would aim for a specific place, being the agglomeration of human closest to them. And that's what they did, didn't they? Of course, they can just randomly attack whichever wall they want but that'll just raise the most informed people's suspicions.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Hence why I said that I suspend my judgement, I'm just pointing out that there's something odd, whether it will turn out to be an inconsistency or a clue to reason about that foreshadows an intricate plot is something that we will see.

About the ridiculous amount of foreshadowing, I actually reread the whole manga so far after the revelation of Bethold and Reiner to check for foreshadowings about them, but honestly I don't think there's that many. The only one that is clear enough is the part were he cut Annie's hand.

All the rest hints the opposite given how he is so incredibly sympathetic to those who have suffered attacks from the Titans. It makes me think that he is a real hypocrite given how many of those same people he caused the death of.

And regarding Berthold there's almost nothing to see. that guy rarely said a thing in the whole story and rarely appeared in any panels.

Better postpone this until we have further info on his motives then.[BIS]
Though, just some notes about the foreshadowing, I still positive about the fact there is a more than fair amount of them : for most of them you can check that mangafox wall of text that's popular on 4chan + Berntold looking at Annie when she decided not to join the scouting legion + this. Yes, they're not all evident and most of them are pretty forced but, when you really think about it, it makes sense.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

It's hardly believable either way. Unless I'm missing something. And I probably do.

We're all in the same boat, so I don't think I can blame you.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Of course he's ready to die, he's a warrior, but that doesn't mean he'd die pointlessly without fulfilling his mission. There was no point for him to letting himself die there when he had the chance to save himself. If the problem was busting his cover he could have killed the witnesses, they were fated to die anyway as far as he knew.

But I think he really couldn't transform, and that he really risked to die there, at least that's what his own thoughts tell us. This would also explain why he suddenly decided to reveal his identity to Eren. He probably had a mental breakdown after almost losing his life to a mindless titan far weaker than he is. He might have thought "the hell with this charade, I'm not going to get eaten by a titan when I can transform into one and be done with it".

Better postpone this until we have further info on his motives then.[BIS]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

And yet I keep getting mixed inputs about this. All that you said is correct but from the other side there's many things that tell us that titans need sunlight.
See the fact that Annie was brought underground for example, does that prevent her from transforming or not? And then there's the fact that Cultist man hurriedly asked to prevent sunlight from reaching the giant titan inside the wall.

It was also said that Titans are less active during night, but those titans that attacked Ymir, Reiner, Connie and everyone else in that castle seemed active enough to me.

It is also implied that Ymir transformed into titan during that flashback with Historia to save their companion, and it was nighttime back then.

In short, how sunlight affects titans and their transformation isn't clear at all.

When it comes to movement restriction (that one is pretty clear), well, "it varies from individual to individual" they said. Titans need energy to move and their main resource is sunlight. All of them need it but it takes longer for some of them to run out of juice once they don't have access to it.
When it comes to transformation, we have nothing, except for Eren & co's case who needs a set "goal" and must not be tired to be able to titanmorph. In Eren's case his main source of energy is apparently ... his body, with how he's dead tired after a big transformation and can't transform anymore after a certain time (and his recovery doesn't seem to need sunlight bathing).
Also, the transformation Eren & co is kinda different from the villager's type of transformation ... which is also a complete mystery.
For the underground thing, it's more about restricting their movements than anything else (see Eren and the well).

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Well it is weird. Not saying that is ridiculous or unbelievable but it is weird. Kids that decide to attack and kill thousands of humans, and moreover they were warriors back then? It makes me think that there might be someone behind them who instructed them. Come to think of it, it is implied that Annie is following her father's wish.

Hum, yeah I admit it is indeed weird. But, it can't be helped, they're crazy people after all.