Ming

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Ming first meets Bai Yu while asking for a bottle of liquor. He enjoys drinking but rarely has the money for it, and initially considers the Military Police Brigade because he has heard it is a better posting. Bai Yu instead offers to supply his liquor if he ranks among the top three recruits and joins the Survey Corps under him. Ming accepts, promising that drinking will not interfere with his awareness or training 14.

The two seal their agreement with a pinky promise. Ming insists that he will wait whenever Bai Yu is delayed by an expedition, and follows through when Bai Yu returns from beyond the walls. Over approximately a month, their evening meetings become a regular habit 14 16.

Ming and Xiate subsequently volunteer for the Survey Corps and form a three-person squad under Bai Yu. Their early training is severe enough to bring them close to death several times. Because their still-developing bodies lack stamina, their teamwork settles around Bai Yu as the main attacker, with Ming and Xiate supporting him 17.

The Support Squad becomes known for rescuing other Scouts: nearly a third of the Survey Corps has been saved by its members during the period described. Keith later credits the three-person squad collectively with killing 156 regular Titans and 26 Abnormal Titans; these are not Ming’s individual totals 17 26.

Appearance

Ming has a youthful, androgynous appearance; Bai Yu initially cannot tell whether he is a boy or a girl 14.

• Hair: Pearly white, with silvery-white eyelashes 39 43.
• Eyes: Wine-red or burgundy, repeatedly compared to clear gemstones 14 42.
• Build: Small and light; shorter than Bai Yu despite being two years older, and lighter than Xiate 42 43.
• Apparent age: Looks approximately twelve or thirteen when nearly fifteen 42.
• Voice: Ethereal, soothing, and usually calm 14.
• Distinguishing scent: Carries a faint, rich fragrance of liquor that Bai Yu and other Scouts find pleasant 16 41 42.

Personality

Ming is quiet, tranquil, and direct. His expression often remains unchanged even when his eyes or voice reveal excitement. Bai Yu particularly values his simple, innocent, and persistent nature; Ming’s insistence on waiting for him begins at their first meeting 14 39.

His trust in Bai Yu is unusually strong. Normally alert to slight disturbances, he becomes less vigilant when Bai Yu is nearby and readily rests against him. He accepts Bai Yu’s demanding training without objection and understands his insistence that they must be prepared to fight human enemies 23 25 35.

Ming is also attentive to Bai Yu’s needs. He considers buying cider because Bai Yu cannot tolerate strong liquor, removes the remaining alcohol when Bai Yu becomes drunk, and carries him to bed afterward. When Bai Yu admits enjoying his time in Paths, Ming is satisfied simply to confirm that Bai Yu still cares for him and Xiate 40 41 42.

Drinking is a pleasure rather than an outlet for frustration. Ming favors strong liquor, dismisses fruit wine as little different from soft drinks, and drinks slowly but almost continuously. He enjoys watching distant scenery from the wall and often sleeps or drinks on the Support Squad headquarters’ terrace 18 40 41 42.

Abilities & Skills

Intuition and Danger Detection

Ming possesses sharp instincts that Bai Yu takes seriously even without visible evidence 19.

• Senses Bai Yu’s strength during their first meeting 14.
• Repeatedly detects threats before Titans appear, giving his teammates time to prepare 19.
• Notices that Titans have changed, but cannot identify the nature of that change 19.
• Warns of danger on apparently peaceful plains. Bai Yu relays his warnings through smoke signals, prompting Erwin to change the formation’s course twice 22.
• Limit: Can feel a strong threat without knowing its direction or exact cause 22.

Omni-Directional Mobility Gear and Titan Combat

Ming specializes in fast attacks and coordinated support, while also demonstrating the ability to kill Titans independently 17 50.

• Severs Titan hands and arm-joint muscles alongside Xiate, creating openings for Bai Yu to strike the nape 21 22.
• Retracts cables after gaining momentum to reduce the risk of Titans grabbing them, a technique that takes considerable practice 30.
• Uses gas bursts to reposition in midair and attacks in close synchronization with Xiate 30.
• Rescues Mikasa from an imminent collision by catching her in flight, weaving between trees, and slowing their descent. Neither is injured 48.
• Limit: His early combat style depends on quick, decisive engagements because of insufficient stamina; prolonged expedition fighting leaves him exhausted 17 32 34.

Hand-to-Hand Combat and Firearms

Bai Yu trains Ming to fight humans as well as Titans 24 25.

• Completes two months of horse-stance practice during his initial training 29.
• Practices joint sparring with Xiate against Bai Yu 29.
• Trains in marksmanship, firearm assembly, and hand-to-hand combat on a structured daily schedule 25.
• Limit: Ming and Xiate remain unable to beat Bai Yu together in their documented sparring sessions 29.

Alcohol Tolerance

Ming’s drinking capacity is notorious throughout the Survey Corps 41.

• Drinks the entire Levi Squad and other challengers under the table at a group dinner on Bai Yu’s behalf 41.
• Exhausts a recently purchased stock of liquor in two days 40.
• Retains the same outwardly serene appearance regardless of how much he drinks 40.
• Bai Yu has never beaten him at drinking 43.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Custom Omni-Directional Mobility Gear — Built by Bai Yu with adjusted harness materials and weight-bearing points suited to Ming’s habitual movements. Includes exoskeleton assistance and gas canisters with approximately 50% greater capacity 24.
• Twin blades — Used to disable Titans during coordinated attacks and kill them independently 22 50.
• Pistol and accessible holster — Incorporated into the upgraded equipment and issued for training against human enemies 24 25.
• Liquor supply — Stores bottles in his room and on the headquarters terrace. One shopping trip includes twenty bottles of the shop’s strongest liquor, ten and twenty-five bottles of two newer varieties, and a large jar of pure grain liquor 41.
• Drinking cups — Prefers using cups when drinking with Bai Yu rather than drinking directly from the bottle 42.

Relationships

• Bai Yu Doyle — Recruiter, squad leader, instructor, and close companion. Supplies Ming’s liquor and earns his deep trust; Ming regularly looks after him after drinking 14 17 42.
• Xiate — Fellow founding Support Squad member and training partner. Their synchronized attacks support Bai Yu, and they continue practicing together away from the cadets 17 22 48.
• Erwin — Survey Corps commander. Acts on warnings relayed from Ming and receives Bai Yu’s Little Fish research notebook through him 22 47.
• Kali Lang — Prospective squadmate whose progress Ming observes. Personally informs her that she may accompany the squad on the thirty-seventh expedition as part of her training, while making clear that she can refuse 43 45 49.
• Mikasa Ackerman — Cadet whom Ming saves after she becomes distracted by Xiate’s maneuvers and nearly crashes into a tree 48.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Thirty-Fifth Expedition

• Serves in the scouting vanguard with Bai Yu and Xiate, helping defeat an Abnormal Titan that kills Bai Yu’s horse 21.
• Supplies Bai Yu with a replacement gas canister and provides warnings that redirect the expedition away from danger 22.
• Helps rescue Scouts as Titan encounters increase near Wall Maria. The expedition retreats without reaching Shiganshina 23.

Return to Shiganshina

• Fights alongside Bai Yu and Xiate during the nighttime advance toward Shiganshina, becoming increasingly exhausted 32.
• Rests with the Support Squad while other Scouts clear the district 33.
• Collapses against Bai Yu after the return journey to Wall Rose; Bai Yu carries him and Xiate upstairs 34 35.

Training the 104th Cadet Corps

• Accompanies Bai Yu during the cadets’ two-month combat course and brings bricks for their horse-stance exercises 27 28.
• Helps stop the Titan that suddenly appears near the training grounds, coordinating with Xiate before Bai Yu delivers the killing blow 29 30.
• Later rescues Mikasa during mobility-gear practice and accompanies Kali’s live Titan training 48 50.

Weapons Research and Kali’s Recruitment

• Accompanies Bai Yu and Xiate during testing of the rocket weapon later named Little Fish 46 47.
• Delivers its blueprints, operating instructions, and performance data to Erwin 47.
• Gives Kali advance notice of her proposed participation in the thirty-seventh expedition, allowing her to prepare mentally and choose whether to go 45.

Notable Quotes

“I’ll wait for you.” 14

“You’re very strong, Bai Yu. I can feel it.” 14

“But you really like us too, don’t you, Bai Yu?” 40

Trivia

• Bai Yu does not remember Ming appearing in the story he knew in his previous life and wonders whether he died before appearing or was simply never shown 14.
• Ming and Bai Yu apparently never tan; the reason is not explained 42.
• Delivers the line “Lord Bai Yu, I suspect there’s something fishy about this!” at Bai Yu’s prompting without understanding why Bai Yu finds it funny 46.