Born and raised in the Shiganshina District, he has yearned to see the world beyond the wall from a young age. With a strong fascination for the outside world and a fostered hatred for the Titans due to the death of his mother during the Titan breach in 845, he joined the 104th Cadet Corps with the ultimate goal of joining the Scout Regiment and wiping out the Titans from the world. After three years of rigorous training, he graduated ranked fifth in his class.
Although mentally strong and highly motivated, therein existed the danger of his anger throwing him into a blinding fit of rage.