Who is the better fighter, Reiner or Eren? Let’s End the Debate

Reiner Braun and Eren Yeager have come along with their rivalry since the first season. Both of them are opposing powerhouse characters, each a hero from the stance of their respective sides.

Eren has fought Reiner four times. The first fight was where both of them fought in their human forms and the other three in their Titan forms all in the span of the series.

Both of them have exhibited immense strength and power up till now making it a tough call to tell who the stronger one is. Yet, with the ongoing last season, it finally showcases Eren being more capable than Reiner.

Eren has definitively won two fights (first & fourth season) and dominated the other fights (second & third season) proving he is stronger than Reiner.

Eren has better mobility, speed, and techniques than Reiner. Reiner lacks in those and can only make up for it with his armor.

Although Reiner can achieve better speed, through breaking the armor off his legs, and using hardening, he fails short against Eren.

Let’s rewind our memories to see who won each fight they had:

First Fight: Season One Episode Four

The first fight was a fight between two humans (Reiner and Eren) during their training in season one. Reiner and Eren try to grab a wooden knife from each other. The one with the wooden knife is a “criminal.”

This was part of training where it focuses on improving their melee skills. It was a casual fight as friends but it was Eren who won.

Second Fight: Season Two Episode Seven (Episode 32)

The second face-off between Eren and Reiner happened after the battle at Castle Utgard.

Reiner dominates the earlier parts of the second battle against Eren. Though this changes as Eren overcomes his shortcomings by using the “hold” technique. He almost defeats Reiner, who fled away.

Reiner grabs Eren and slides to the bottom of the wall. Eren feels deceived and transforms to fight. Although Eren secures the first punch, Reiner dominates the first part of the fight.

Then Eren gets back up, and remembers the “hold” and other techniques Annie taught him. He uses these methods on Reiner.

Reiner has no answer to the “hold” as Eren has already adjourned an arm and is chipping off Reiner’s armor. Seeing his imminent defeat, Reiner calls for Bertholdt.

The half Colossal titan’s bones detach from the wall and fall on them, allowing Reiner to rip Eren out of his titan’s nape and flee.

Third Fight: Season Three Episode 14 (Episode 51)

A duel between the Attacking Titan and the Armored Titan is where the third fight happens.

Eren is confident to win against Reiner in his third battle. He damages Reiner with his hardened punches to the point of even winning the fight. Though, their match gets interrupted by Team Hange.

Eren already knows he has the upper hand on Reiner proclaiming that he can win. Also adding in that Annie was a harder opponent. The two had a fistfight where Eren is exterminating Reiner with his swiftness and hardened punches.

A turning point comes around when Reiner evades an attack and body slam Eren from the legs. He then takes a punch that seems would have ended Eren (through the cracks on the ground). Sadly, he missed it.

The two scuffles for a bit but later get separated by other Corps (Team Hange and Mikasa) who defeated Reiner with a barrage of Thunder Spears.

Fourth Fight: Season Four Episode 8 (Episode 67)

Eren and the Corps have come to Marley to take the War Hammer Titan. Eren successfully tore off the Jaw Titan’s limbs and use its Jaws to break the crystalized Lara Tybur.

Here, Gabi and Falco scream out Reiner’s name in a last-minute effort to stop the attack.

The fight itself is very short but Reiner emerges in his new form (with very little resolve, almost seems suicidal).

Eren dodges his attack and punches Reiner in the face with a hardened fist. Eren comes victorious by thoroughly destroying Reiner, but Reiner’s goal was to save Porco (Jaw Titan).

Yet, Eren does not finish the two because he perceives that his job is done(also exhausted) and is sympathetic towards Reiner. Seeing how in the earlier episodes they were speaking about how they were the same.

About Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. Kodansha publishes it in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.

The manga began serialization on September 9th, 2009, and ended on April 9, 2021. It has been compiled into 34 volumes.

Attack on Titan follows humanity settled within three concentric walls to protect themselves from the terrifying titans that prey on them. Eren Yeager is a young boy that believes that a caged life is similar to that of cattle and aspires to go beyond the walls one day, just like his heroes, the Survey Corps. The emergence of a deadly Titan unleashes chaos.