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cinyemina · 1 year

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Character Analysis: Levi Ackerman "Humanity's Strongest Soldier

Levi Ackerman リヴァイ・アッカーマン --- "Humanity's Strongest Soldier" 人類最強の兵士 --- Levi Heichou

“I want to put an end to that recurring nightmare, right now. There are those who would get in my way. But I'm fine playing the role of the lunatic who kills people like that. I have to be ready to rearrange some faces. Because I choose the hell of humans killing each other over the hell of being eaten.”

Introduction:

I think Levi's popularity kind of clouded a lot of people's opinions on him; they didn't see him as anything deeper than a badass scout. With all that being said, Levi is definitely one of the best developed characters with a great backstory and complexity.

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i. design:

Levi has a surprisingly young visage, narrow, intimidating dull gray eyes with dark circles under them, and short, straight black hair styled in an undercut curtain. Despite his short stature, the intensive use of vertical maneuvering equipment has given him a well-developed muscular frame. He usually has a frown on his face or displays no emotion at all, which makes it challenging for people to predict what he is thinking.

Levi has a visage that is thin and sleek, with thin eyebrows, angular eyes, a pointed nose, and a narrow jawline. Additionally, he appears younger due to his plum-shaped face, pointed bottom, and short lower portion of the crown. Except for his tail, his eyes are peacefully down, giving him a generally lazy appearance.

ii. fighting prowess:

The Ackermans have special abilities beyond most people. Their ancestors were granted enhanced strength, dexterity, and response time as a result of experiments in order to defend the King. The phrase "knowing what has to be done" used by Levi to describe the skill may allude to a slight foreknowledge of the opponent's movements that allows the user to react before the opponent even initiates a move. They are also aware of every battle their forefathers have participated in subconsciously. They were also immune to the King erasing the memories of the world before the Walls from the population, and thus hunted down and killed.

Levi is said to have strength equal to that of an entire battalion. He is incredibly strong both mentally and physically, and he has boundless endurance. He has proven to be an unmatched fighter, taking down some of the strongest characters in the series, including the infamous Beast Titan battles, in which he consistently and apparently effortlessly dispatched the beast. He demonstrates proficiency with the ODM gear and the blades he uses, and his cool, collected demeanor makes him the most dependable and effective member of the Survey Corps. Even after losing several of his fingers, Levi was still able to utilize the equipment almost as easily as before. He is also an extremely emotional person and is driven by his need to protect those around him and hides this behind his cold demeanor. Thes protective nature gives him strength in battle along with his Ackerman strength.

Levi can fight alone without using the normal tactics that soldiers would use to draw the giant's attention and sever its neck, such as surprise attacks or mass gatherings. He kills a Titan by spinning his body quickly around like a top while fighting, but only Levi employs this style of movement in the narrative. The ignorant Titans demonstrate a different degree of strength, decimating dozens of them like ants in a field and crushing their opponents in a fight with nine much more powerful Titans.

He has demonstrated the ability to disable the Female Titan by moving too quickly for her to protect him, something that entire squads and even Eren in his Titan form were unable to do. Zeke Yeager, one of the most powerful Warriors in the Marley force and a highly skilled Titan, was even defeated by him in his Beast Titan form. Both of these attacks had some level of planning and situational advantage because the Female Titan was exhausted from multiple battles in a short period of time and Levi surprised Zeke by engaging him and approaching too closely for Zeke to protect against. Despite this, Levi still possesses incredible skill with a pair of blades and was able to quickly carve the Beast Titan's arm into several clean pieces that all dropped to the ground together. However, Levi has demonstrated that he is capable of facing off against strong Titans in a one-on-one battle where he can make the most of his vertical moving abilities. For instance, Levi once again defeated Zeke in a woodland setting where he could effectively use his vertical equipment.

His anti-personnel combat ability was also impressive, as evidenced by the fact that he was battling Kenny while carrying an anti-personnel mobile device against the Central Military Police. He quickly dispatched 12 people despite the unfavorable circumstances of the surprise and harm suffered by the Central Military Police, commanded by Kenny Ackerman. He shoots the three-dimensional anchor to pierce the neck of a military police officer on the roof, and after seeing Kenny's reflection in a bottle, the officer fires back. Avoiding bullets is a fundamental skill. Levi was unable to be apprehended despite the fact that the surprise assault was flawless and well-planned, and the number of military police casualties reached double digits.

Because his comrades drank Zeke’s spinal fluid, they turned into Titans and attacked Levi, who ultimately had to kill them. It was a tough thing for him to do (both mentally and physically), but he was able to succeed. It was one of the most tragic yet spectacular fights of Levi.

Levi has demonstrated a profound ability to quickly assess situations and make thoughtful decisions even in the heat of battle, in addition to his exceptional battle skill. This has enabled him to save himself and his allies on numerous occasions, such as when he realizes the Female Titan cannot be easily killed due to her skin hardening and regenerative abilities, saving Mikasa in the process, or the time he battles Kenny Ackerman inside a bar, stopping his enemies with chairs, a double-barreled shotgun, and even corpses. Levi acknowledges that not everyone can be correct all the time and that some situations are out of a person's control.

iii. trauma:

Levi was malnourished, on the brink of death, and by himself in a filthy brothel underground with his prostitute mother. Despite her financial difficulties as a single mother, Kuchel obviously cared for her son and did everything she could to provide for him. Despite her best efforts, hunger remained a continuous companion, and grime and dirt were unavoidable due in large part to living beneath a metropolis.

He painstakingly observed his mother's illness-related demise. The sadness of Levi's early life is punctuated by his inability to leave her room, whether due to a wish to die with her or a dependency that left him with no other choices. He was later raised in the underground city by his psychotic uncle Kenny Ackerman (whom he was unaware of at the time). From an early age, he had to adapt to the cruelty of the world, which is the central theme of Attack on Titan. He was involved in fights, so in essence, he learned to survive. But ultimately, while Levi was still a child, Kenny left him behind.

He developed a reputation as a notorious thug in the underground city and amassed a small group of followers. Erwin welcomed him and his group into the survey corps and granted them permission to live on the surface for a variety of reasons. However, he lost his entire squad, who to him was like a family, while battling the titans. Only two of his childhood friends, who he witnesses dying, have he ever developed a connection with; consequently, his affection transforms into sadness, which in turn leads to rage, which in turn leads to hatred, which in turn leads to retaliation.

After the cataclysmic failure of the 57th Expedition, Levi was approached by Petra's father. He had received a letter from Petra, a competent and devoted soldier who was a member of Squad Levi, in which she expressed her devotion to Levi. Levi was only able to stare ahead as the man, who was unaware that his daughter had died, made a joke about Petra being too young to get married and that she should wait until she has more life experience to make such a significant choice.

His two childhood friends, his uncle Kenny, and his subordinates from the Special Operations Unit of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith and Hange Zoe passed away in battles, leaving Levi alone. It was a tragic and bitter device that demonstrated that no matter how powerful a person's combat ability, they are powerless against the cruelty and irrationality of the outside world. Levi isn't flawless; he struggles and exhibits some social awkwardness. Although his past experiences helped mold him into the person he is today, the tale did not exaggerate this fact, which gave him a much more well-rounded personality because too pretentious backstories frequently result in over-glamorizing characters.

iv. tendency to violence:

He has a severe obsession with maintaining both his personal and physical cleanliness. He doesn't like to be handled for fear of becoming dirty. I think that he may have acquired this trait as a result of his parenting. He is severely traumatized and twisted, sleeps in a chair, and only sleeps briefly, so it's conceivable that he experiences terrifying nightmares.Given that mental health care is probably non-existent in the AOT world and that watching literally everyone you care about die in horrifying ways as a child has to mess with your mental health, the chances of someone like Levi developing mental or emotional illness are extremely high.

He is violent and bad mouthed because he was raised by a violent serial killer. In the course of his missions, Levi has killed over 200 Titans, and each time he was hailed as a hero by the unsuspecting crowd, while most of his comrades were slaughtered or killed, and he felt the weight of that, because he understands the value of human life.

The peculiar way he handles his cup is another oddity that intrigues me greatly. Even his weapon is held in the wrong hand. He does have a penchant for using force to enforce his will; he beat Eren to prove to the judge that he has control over him. He treated Historia harshly in the manga when he was attempting to "persuade" her to become monarch. (this scene was totally different in the anime). He has made some terrible choices, such as abandoning Isabel and Farlan so he could go and kill Erwin, which almost certainly resulted in their deaths. Had he remained with them, they would have been more likely to survive. When the Survey Corp had Annie restrained in the forest, taunting her about having her limbs severed probably frightened her, causing her to summon the mindless titans and flee. After Annie had slain every member of Levi's team, Eren was left alone and exposed to capture.

v. humanity:

Now despite how he is, Levi might be the nicest, most softhearted character in the series.

On the 56th Expedition Beyond the Walls, Levi saw a soldier caught in the jaws of a nearby Titan and killed it. Levi gave Petra the directive to care for the hurt soldier while he dealt with the lingering Titans as more of them drew near. Levi checked on the wounded soldier after the local area had been cleared, but he had already passed away from his wounds. In his final moments, Levi tried to console the scout by telling him he had done his job well and that he would kill all the Titans.

When Levi lost his whole squad and was sitting in the room with a very depressed Eren, he tried to make a joke (no matter how un-funny) to cheer him up.

When Eren got a nosebleed after his Titan experiments, no one but Levi offered him a handkerchief and told Hange to cut down on the experiments.

One day, while having tea with Levi Squad, Eren leaned over to pick up a spoon and accidentally generated a partial Titan body. The alarmed Squad threatened him, while Levi told them to calm down.

He was reluctant to pursue Mikasa to rescue Eren, who may or may not be alive, when he lost his entire squad and discovered her fighting to save him, but after learning that Eren was a "precious friend" to Mikasa, he took the initiative and saved him. He kept Petra's insignia as a memento after she passed away. However, when another soldier broke down in tears over the loss of his comrade, he handed him Petra's badge and informed him that it belonged to his comrade.

After retreating, the Survey Corps entered Karanes and was met with hostility from the populace due to their failed objective. Petra's father confronted Levi and told him how often she wrote to him. He admitted to Levi that he was concerned about Petra's choice to devote her life to him as a parent because she was still quite young and had her entire life ahead of her. Still troubled by what had happened, Levi walked quietly on without saying anything.

When Erwin died and he had a last chance to save either him or Armin, even though his heart must have hurt he still chose to save Armin. Because he had heard Armin talk about his dreams of seeing the ocean. And maybe that reminded him of his own friends and how they used to dream together like this.

After Hange presented a believable hypothesis that titans are made from humans, Levi was visibly shaken. He bemoaned the fact that, while he thought he was saving humans, he was actually killing them.

After Historia's coronation, Levi was confronted by the new queen and the members of the Special Operations Squad. She punched him lightly, as Dimo Reeves had told her to do, and she dared him to retaliate. Instead of getting angry however, he smiled and thanked his friends (which shocked everyone).

When Kenny Ackerman died, he revealed that he was his uncle. Levi lost the last of his family. But even so, he continued to move forward, without telling anyone. Levi never held anyone accountable for his failures. He didn't scream that he would exact vengeance on his enemies like Eren did. Levi continued to battle for humanity in silence, using only his own strength while bearing all of his suffering. He has a lot of painful memories that keep him awake at night, but they also give him fortitude, so he is always prepared to act when disaster hits.

vi. nihilism:

Levi made the decision to destroy his enemy, the Titans, as soon as his friends perished, but despite the fact that he adopted a completely different strategy than Eren did in the first three seasons, Levi was basically a nihilist, at least in part.

But he doesn't do this because he hates Erwin; rather, he simply doesn't see value in the human dream, which in theory should be what motivates people to get out of bed in the morning. He doesn't see value in human existence to the point where he has no problem telling his friend Erwin to die and not give a damn about his dream.

In contrast to Erwin, who wants to triumph in order to realize his dream of learning the truth about the world, Levi rejected this idea if it was not necessary for victory. Levi's objective is to destroy the enemy. Since Zeke, who ironically wants to kill, shares Levi's nihilism and believes that death is a form of liberation from the world's cruelty, Levi chooses to save Erwin over Armin because Erwin is his close friend and thus deserves to be freed from the hell of this cruel world.

The Survey Corps began a large-scale mission to retake Wall Maria from the titans who had conquered it years earlier under the direction of Erwin Smith. The soldiers are shocked to discover that there are no titans in the city, but Zeke Yeager has created a trap for them. Erwin's resolve briefly wavers as he longs to survive and discover the mysteries of Grisha Yeager's cellar as he is cornered in the city by the Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan and is being shelled by the Beast Titan's artillery. Levi gives Erwin the command to abandon his goals and make a suicide attack on the Beast Titan despite the fact that he values his life. Levi makes a vow to slay the Beast Titan in order to give meaning to Erwin's death and their coworkers' deaths.

There is a fantastic dualism between Levi and his uncle Kenny.

Despite the fact that both Ackerman are renowned for their power, they couldn't be more dissimilar: The contrast between Levi and Kenny is one of an aimless man and a man with a path to follow. Kenny is a complete opportunist, has no real goals in life, and is loyal to no one but himself. He goes from being known as "Kenny the Ripper" because he had killed over 100 gendarmes to working for the gendarmerie itself. But during Kenny's concluding monologue, which I think is fantastic, this dualism gains depth.

Kenny elaborates on his theory of human nature, contending that every person succeeds in life precisely because he becomes "drunk" on something—whether it be money, women, power, or freedom—in other words, everyone advances because they have a dream. But Levi, as already mentioned, places little value on the idea of having a dream; he is an existentialist who simply moves forward; and, truthfully, these two worldviews are mirror images of one another.

But apart from all that, Levi is the character who best interprets the concept of the soldier, he is the soldier par excellence, but not because of his physical strength, but because of his behavior.

vii. determination to fulfill his promise:

My issue with Levi was that, at a certain point, his obsession with keeping his pledge to Erwin had engulfed him to the extent that he appeared disconnected from reality and felt almost self-destructive. Every other character would talk about the rumbling and Eren and express their opinions, whether they were completely opposed to it or just unsure, but Levi would almost never speak unless it was to discuss killing Zeke (and at one point, we all thought that killing Zeke wouldn't stop the rumbling, so it felt even more like a distraction).

Thankfully, he came around toward the end, and he was the one who essentially kept the alliance concentrated on the main objective. Taking on the role of the adult, making sure the children are aware of what is at risk. And he now has a chance to live a little more peacefully, which is wonderful because I was afraid that by the end, "he has no other purpose" would just kill him off.

His fight with Zeke/Beast Titan is my all time favorite.

viii. consistency and survivor's guilt:

His worldview and views remained constant throughout the entirety of the manga. He didn't let anything affect him and remained loyal to himself. When required, he tortured and killed, but he also offered consolation, displayed empathy, and cared about everyone. His complexity and what he went through are explained by the author's admission that he is the most emotional person but one of the coldest characters with the largest mask.

Finally able to settle down and relax, he was able to express all of his feelings. He could now truly grieve for all of his lost loved ones, colleagues, and teammates. He lost all of his friends, and only a few of his new squad members are still living. (Armin, Jean, Connie, Mikasa).

Levi is unquestionably one of the best written characters, right up there with Eren and Reiner in terms of moral and emotional complexity as well as extreme survivor's remorse. He was one of the characters who consistently maintained consistency and concentration on his objectives.

ix. quotes:

"The Difference In Judgement Between You And Me, Originates From Different Rules Derived From Past Experience."

"Whether You Have The Body, Dead Is Dead."

"So, Just Do The Best You Can And Choose Whichever You’ll Regret The Least."

"Some Scouts’ Lives Are More Valuable Than Others, Only Those Dumb Enough To Acknowledge That Join Us."

"No Casualties, Don't You Dare Die."

"If He Betrays Us Or Goes Berserk, I’ll Put Him Down Without Hesitation."

"What You Need Is to Be Quick To Act…And Make Tough Decisions In Worst-Case Scenarios."

"The Lesson You Need To Learn Right Now, Can’t Be Taught With Words...Only With Action."

"The Only Thing We’re Allowed To Do Is Believe That We Won’t Regret The Choice We Made."

"This Is Just My Opinion, But When It Comes To Teaching Somebody Discipline…I Think Pain Is The Most Effective Way."

"If You Don’t Want To Die — Think."

"The Difference Between Your Decision And Ours Is Experience. But You Don’t Have To Rely On That."

"It’s Good To See Someone Has The Balls To Go, But Do Not Forget To Do Your Damnedest To Stay Alive."

"I Don’t Know Which Option You Should Choose. I Could Never Advise You On That."

"I Choose The Hell Of Humans Killing Each Other Over The Hell Of Being Eaten."

“We pay a price for believing.”

“Give up on your dreams and die.”

“I want to put an end to that recurring nightmare right now.”

“Is your head as hollow as that gun barrel?”

“Believe in yourself, or believe in the survey corps and me. I don’t know and I never have but I can believe in my own abilities or the choices of the companions I trust. But no one ever knows how it will turn out. So choose for yourself, whichever decision you will regret the least.”

“I want to put an end that recurring nightmare, right now. There are those who would get in my way. But I’m fine playing the role of the lunatic who kills people like that. I have to be ready to rearrange some faces. Because I choose the hell of humans killing each other over the hell of being eaten.”

“I don’t know the answer to that. I never have. Whether I trusted myself or the choices of my dependable comrades, there was no telling how things would turn out. So, just do the best you can and choose whichever you’ll regret the least.”

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conclusion:

I would really like side stories about him after the ending. It would be amazing if he opened a tea shop and kept his blades and Survey Corps cape and hung it up on a wall.

#levi ackerman #levi #levi aot #attack on titan #aotv #aot #character analysis #humanity #erwin smith #eren jaeger #eren yeager #ackerman #ackerman clan #manga #hange zoë #cinycesum-fan-stuffs

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