Wise Cineman → Anime heroes → Attack on Titan (EN) → Levi Ackerman

Levi Ackerman: Age, Height, Biography, Relationships, etc.

Levi Ackerman - Height: 160 cm, Age: 30-35 years old. One of the main characters of the anime and manga Attack on Titan with an age rating of 18+. Levi is considered the best soldier of the Legion of Intelligence, according to many, is able to replace an entire army of scouts in battle. Has a short stature, youthful appearance and a nasty, heavy character. He is a representative of the Ackerman family, was brought up by Kenny Ackerman, later became a member of the Intelligence Corps and led his own detachment. Levy was the commander of Eren Yeager. Together with him and other scouts, Levi was able to unravel the mystery of the origin of the giants. In our article, we tried to tell in detail about the personality of Levi Ackerman, to highlight his role in the plot and relations with other characters.

Contents

  1. Basic Information
  2. Appearance
  3. A Biography
  4. Character and fighting skills of a hero
  5. Storyline
  6. Levi and Eren Yeager
  7. Levi and Erwin Smith
  8. Levy and Kenny Ackerman
  9. Levi and his squad
  10. Levi and Mikasa Ackerman
  11. Interesting Facts

Levi Ackerman: Basic Information

Levi Ackerman: Appearance

Levy is a young, black-haired male in his 30s and 35s. Despite his small stature (160 cm), he has enviable physical strength and impressive ability to maneuver due to the developed muscles and excellent coordination in space. He wears a short hairstyle with a shaved head and bangs parted in a straight part.

Levi has gray-blue eyes and a piercing gaze. He constantly frowns and looks very stern, however, due to his peculiar appearance, he seems younger than his age. When ordinary people first see Levi alive, they are often confused by the fact that in life the Strongest Warrior of Humanity looks too young and deprived of growth.

Levi is unpretentious in clothing, most often seen in the standard form of the Legion of Intelligence. On missions, he wears a green scout cloak over it. In everyday life, he wears a white sweater and dark trousers. In the Legion of Rebellion arc, I used UPM equipment over this garment.

During the battle with the Female in Stoges, he briefly appeared in a suit and jacket. Later, following the proclamation of Historia as Queen of the Walls, Reiss appears within the walls, like the other scouts, wearing a long, dark green, straight-cut cloak. On missions, his attire remained the same.

Levi Ackerman: A Biography

Levi is one of the representatives of the Ackerman family - a family that is resistant to the Will of the first king. Levy’s mother, Kushel Ackerman, lived in the Underground City. When Levy was a child, Kushel fell ill and died, and Levy took Kenny Ackerman into care.

During his life together, Kenny taught little Levy fighting techniques and the rules of survival on the street. Convinced that the boy is now able to fend for himself, Kenny leaves him. He never told Levy about their relationship and did not even voice his last name. The fact that Kenny is Levi’s uncle, the latter learned only at the confession of Kenny before his death many years later.

Levy became an intelligence officer in the Intelligence Corps as a result of a compromising intrigue against a high-ranking official. At the time, he and his friends, Farlan and Isabelle, were living in the Underground City. Once they received an order to steal documents from Erwin Smith, and in order to fulfill it, they joined the Legion of Intelligence.

In the future, they had to take part in a sortie behind the walls, which ended very badly: Farlan and Isabelle were killed in battle. Levy received an offer from Erwin Smith to continue serving for the good of mankind by destroying giants. From that time on, he officially became a soldier of the Intelligence Legion.

He was the commander of Eren Yeager’s elite Special Forces Control and Protection Squad. After the defeat of the first composition of the detachment, he formed its second composition, commanding which he contributed to the coup d’etat of Erwin Smith. He took part in the return of Wall Maria to the control of mankind and was awarded a special Medal of the Queen of History for his services.

Levi Ackerman: Character and fighting skills of a hero

Among the rest of the scouts, Levy is distinguished by sullenness, severity and coldness. In the manner of speech, he may well admit swearing and a derogatory tone, which makes him difficult to communicate with the interlocutor. He is uncommunicative with his colleagues and prefers to keep them at a distance. At the same time, in difficult situations, he is able to quickly give practical advice and morally support those who need it.

For example, after the 57th expedition behind the walls, Levy gave one of the scouts’ patches cut from the clothes of his fallen comrades to another soldier in order to support him after the loss of a colleague.

In the service of Levy, he adheres to the role of a subordinate, following the orders of Erwin Smith. Despite his high-profile title of the strongest fighter, he was not appointed to the leading positions of the Legion, apparently of his own free will. However, during the military coup, he showed himself well as a far-sighted strategist, having thought out a series of operations to achieve Erwin’s ultimate goal, which ultimately led to the proclamation of History Reiss as the true queen of the walls.

Levy repeatedly encouraged Eren in his doubts about his mission, as well as the rest of the 104th Corps cadets on their way to becoming real soldiers. Recognizing in his heart that it is very difficult for young scouts to enter the harsh military realities, Levi skillfully combines mentoring, low-key support and complex orders, which quickly made him a respected commander among Eren and the rest of the company.

In everyday life, Levy is known as "sissy" because of his morbid craving for cleanliness and perfect order. Most likely, this feature of him was formed due to his childhood spent in the dirty slums of the Underground City. Levy is squeamish about everything dusty, dirty and dirty. More than once I forced my squad (both the first and the second team) to do the cleaning, while personally checking its "quality".

Even on the battlefield, Levi manages to find time and wipe the giants’ blood from the blades, calling it an "abomination", but he does not hesitate to squeeze the bloody hand of a dying soldier to support him in the last seconds of his life.

In battles, Levy acts with lightning speed and professionalism. Able to single-handedly defeat several giants in one run, thanks to its accuracy and the calculation of the necessary points of impact. He is the only one who uses the method of the reverse grip of the blade in the attack on the giants. Fights very quickly, on the brink of human capabilities. As a member of the Ackerman family, he once awakened an incredible flow of power, which Mikase Ackerman admitted in chapter 63 of the manga.

In the battle with the Female, who had previously managed to defeat dozens of scouts, Levi was able to apply the necessary tactics of striking, because of which the enemy was unable to react and fight back. Possesses steel endurance and does not allow wasting time on feelings and doubts. The work more than once relied on his composure, the ability to sensibly assess the situation and act to achieve the desired result.

Levi did not give vent to feelings, even when his squad was defeated by the Female, but his depression was well shown at the moment of a conversation with Petra Ral’s father - Levi could not answer the man who did not yet know about the death of his daughter, and walked forward with lifeless glass eyes.

Despite his tough character, Levi is no stranger to deep compassion and grief for the victims. Even if he does not show it openly, he always painfully admits the new losses of the Legion, sympathizes with the people of the devastated cities and pays tribute to those who died a heroic death in the never-ending war with the giants.

When it was revealed that the giants were most likely humans, Levi was first concerned about the moral side of his profession as an intelligence officer, that for many years he had "defeated humans" on the battlefield. Unforgivably succumbed to personal emotions only in a battle with the Beast Giant due to the weight of Erwin Smith’s death. This miss cost him the capture of Zeke Yeager.

Levi is very straightforward, not afraid to express his opinion and open contempt for people he dislikes, and it does not matter what positions they hold. He does not adhere to the rules of subordination even regarding Erwin Smith, for example, he threatened the latter "to break his arms and legs" if he decided to go into battle for Shiganshina.

An indicative case was when, at the trial of Eren Yeager, Levy openly called the merchants’ guild "pigs", and declared to the Military Police that they were "not competent enough" to get themselves Eren. By beating Yeager, he literally forces officials to admit their helplessness in the face of the power of the giants.

Often, behind Levi’s rudeness and forced cruelty, there is a desire to save ordinary people and a few close ones from painful death in the clutches of enemies. He knows very well the value of human life, so he does not waste time on unnecessary conversations and empty words, instead acting openly for the sake of saving soldiers and civilians.

Risking himself, Levy always comes to the rescue in the right situation and, as far as possible, does not allow senseless deaths. We can say with confidence that Levi is not only the strongest fighter of humanity in terms of his physical abilities, but also the best example of a real soldier, based on his moral qualities, priorities and values.

Levi Ackerman: Storyline

Levy fully enters the plot from the 13th episode of the anime (18th chapter of the manga). Levi vouched for Eren Yeager, a man capable of transforming himself into a giant at will. To take Eren into the Legion of Intelligence, a plan was devised by Erwin Smith. According to this plan, Levy arranged a demonstrative beating of the defendant Yeager in the courtroom to demonstrate to everyone his power over him. In the future, control and protection of Eren was entrusted to the elite Levi detachment, personally formed by him from the best soldiers of the Reconnaissance Corps.

On the 57th sortie behind the walls, the elite squad was completely defeated by the Female, and Levi was able to intercept Eren from the enemy, thanks to the collaboration with Mikasa Ackerman. During this battle, he dislocated his leg, which is why for a long time he could not participate in the rest of the Legion’s operations.

In the arch of the coup d’etat, Levy formed a new squad from Eren, Historia Reiss, and other graduates of the 104th Cadet Corps. Together they carried out a series of successful operations, the end result of which was the overthrow of the impostor king Fritz and the proclamation of Historia Reiss as the true ruler of the walls.

Before preparing for an approved operation to retrieve Wall Maria and inspect the basement of the Yeager home, Levy is put in charge of deciding whether to use the Gigantism Serum. During this mission, he had to fight the Beast Giant alone. Levi almost defeated the enemy, however, at the last second of the battle, Zeke Yeager was intercepted by the Titan Carrier.

Here, Levy had to make the most difficult choice in his life about using the serum on one of two mortally wounded. He ended up making the difficult decision to save Armin Arlert’s life and let Erwin Smith die.

A year after the return of Shiganshina, Levi and the Intelligence Corps begin collaborating with the anti-Marlean volunteers. Levy participates in the infiltration of Marley and the subsequent raid on Liberia. Engages in a second battle with the Beast Giant and captures Zeke Yeager. Later, Levi was deceived by Zeke’s alleged "cooperation", as a result of which he had to fight with his own former comrades, who became giants.

Having caught up with Beast-like for the third time, Levi almost defeats him, but receives severe wounds from thunder spears - wounds to the face, amputation of two fingers on his right hand. Took part in the confrontation with the Founder Titan Eren. Due to severe past injuries, he was unable to fight, but was able to save Connie Springer from death. Gives the order to eliminate Eren Yeager.

Before the last attack, Levy reflects on his role in the Legion of Intelligence, about the fact that he never fulfilled Erwin’s last order to destroy the Beast Giant, however, he admits to himself that he never regretted his decision to use the serum of gigantism on Armin Arlert and save his life. , in return for the life of Erwin Smith.

Levi Ackerman: Levi and Eren Yeager

Levi and Eren first met when the latter was removed from the Attack Titan in the Battle of Trost. Together with Erwin Smith, Levy was present at the interrogation of Yeager, and, as a result, put forward an initiative to take the detainee under his control, and, if necessary, to liquidate him. To prove that only Levi is capable of controlling the giant man, Eren had to be beaten up at the tribunal. After that, Levi was sure that Yeager would hate him, but he assured the captain of the opposite.

When Eren fell under the Legion of Intelligence, Levi took the typical cold approach towards him, such as giving him a sleeping place in the basement, since there he "would be easier to be bridled in the form of a giant." Despite the danger that Yeager theoretically posed to those around him, Levi always treated him neutrally, following his main task of returning Wall Maria and saving humanity from the giants.

Levi even supported Eren in his own way when he was attacked by other members of the squad after the accidental appearance of a giant hand. He easily explained to the suppressed Yeager the motivation of the other scouts, because soldiers fighting giants and constantly risking their lives have no right to doubts and indulgences, even if there is a man in front of them.

While being chased by the Female on the 57th sortie behind the walls, Levy gave Eren full freedom of choice regarding turning into a giant, but noted that he did not know what exactly was right in this situation.

"We all drew our conclusions from our own experience. Hence the difference in our judgments. But you do not think about all this. Choose yourself - to believe in yourself or in the Intelligence Legion and in me. No one will tell you about the correctness of your choice. However, all that remains for us is to hope that we will not regret what we have done. "

Levi always urged Eren to be decisive and did not want to listen to the latter’s doubts about his capabilities as a giant. So, when Yeager began to hesitate about using his ability to crystallize the shell, Levi directly ordered him to "do it." He did not give any favors to a subordinate, but showed moderate participation, observing the dedication of the guy and his work on the verge of the capabilities of the human body.

In the battle to reclaim Wall Maria, there was a conflict between Levi and Eren over the use of the serum of gigantism. Levy wanted to inject her to the dying Erwin Smith, and Eren wanted to inject her childhood friend Armin Arlert. In the end, the hot-tempered Eren disobeyed Levi’s order and started yelling at him. The enraged young scout was able to be dragged away from the commander only with the help of his comrades who arrived in time. At the end of the operation, Eren had to serve his sentence for insubordination to his senior in rank.

Levi Ackerman: Levi and Erwin Smith

Erwin Smith - Commander of the Legion of Intelligence - a leading man in Levi’s life, determining his destiny and purpose. In the past, Levy had intended to carry out a contract assassination of Erwin. For this purpose, he even joined the Intelligence Corps and went on a sortie behind the walls. In those days, Levy hated Erwin and in every possible way showed his disdain for him, however, after the death of Farlan and Isabelle from the clutches of giants, he reconsidered his attitude to the work of scouts. Erwin was able to convey to him that only struggle can rid mankind of the giants. Since then, Levy has followed Erwin Smith and respected his talent as a manager immensely.

Levy always relied on Smith’s "commanding flair" and trusted him in all decisions. From the materials of official sources it is known that "Levy’s forces increase by 1.7 times when the commander of the Intelligence Corps is nearby." Considering that every member of the Ackerman family has a "Chosen Personality", then no doubt it was Erwin for Levy.

In everyday communication with Erwin, Levy did not change his nasty character - he could publicly force the commander to hurry up with the order, objected to the orders given, or spoke unprintable words. During the preparation for the raid on Shiganshina, he even threatened to break Erwin’s arms and legs, so that he would not take part in a dangerous mission. Then Levy understood perfectly well that Smith, who was left disabled after the last operation, would not return from a new battle alive.

"I’m not sure that you will live. Now you are not so nimble. You will only be a burden. Just wait here. Let’s tell the others that I made you."

Levy was oppressed by Erwin’s obsession with the mystery of the origins of the giants. He guessed that for the sake of his childhood dream the commander was ready to sacrifice everything, even the life and victory of mankind. Their last dialogue took place at the gates of Shiganshina, before Erwin Sweet’s frontal assault on the Beast Giant was doomed to failure. Saying goodbye, Levi gave Erwin a promise to destroy the Beast-like at any cost and to give meaning to the commander’s sacrifice.

In the future, Levy intended to use the serum of gigantism to bring the mortally wounded Erwin Smith back to life. However, after weighing all the circumstances, words and deeds of the commander, he decided to let him die in peace. Explaining to the other scouts, Levy asked them not to blame Erwin and "let him go."

"He became a demon through no fault of his own. We made him that way. He finally had a chance to free himself, and we wanted him back. It’s time for him to retire."

Levi Ackerman: Levy and Kenny Ackerman

"Priest Kenny" found his sister, Kushel Ackerman, when she had already died from an illness. Along with the body in the room was a starving, skinny child - little Levi. Despite his reputation as a notorious villain, Kenny did not dare to leave the boy, but took him to himself, gave him food and shelter. Kenny was the one who taught Levy to defend his interests on the brutal streets, fight and handle the knife.

Kenny did not reveal his last name to his nephew. Their life together mainly consisted of watching Levy watch Kenny’s fights and brawls, in between which he taught the boy "the rules of strength." The last time Kenny watched as a teenage Levi was able to single-handedly defeat a grown man in a fight. Convinced in this way that his nephew can now fend for himself, Kenny left him. Levi only saw the silhouette of his guardian dissolve in the distance.

Their next meeting took place many years later, and there relatives were on opposite sides of the barricades. Levy commanded his squad in the Legion, and Kenny commanded a squad of the Center Police, which had orders to eliminate the rebels from the Reconnaissance Corps. Kenny was partially successful - he managed to eliminate some of Levi’s subordinates, but he failed in pursuit of Levi himself. There, defeated Kenny said to his nephew that "this short man has grown up completely."

Kenny was severely injured by the converted titan Rod Reiss. When Levi found him, Kenny was dying. In the last minutes of his life, he gave Levy the serum of gigantism stolen from Reiss, and admitted that he left Levy as a child, because "he was not suitable for the role of a father." His last words were the truth that he is the older brother of Kushel Ackerman.

When Levy made the decision to use the serum of gigantism and return to life Erwin Smith, he remembered Kenny’s dying words about the need to have meaning in life in order to continue living. In many ways, this helped Levi make his choice and allow the Legion Commander to pass away peacefully.

Levi Ackerman: Levi and his squad

First line-up. All the members of Levi’s first squad - Erd Jin, Gunther Schultz, Oruo Bozard and Petra Rahl - were very proud of their appointment and respected their commander immensely. Levy also recognized their merits and called his soldiers "the best of the best." In a conversation with Eren, he noted that he chose these scouts, because they would never hesitate in the matter of killing a giant man.

These guys have been to hell, and it has paid off. They have learned to survive. When you fight giants, you realize that we know nothing about them at all. In such a situation, only speed and decisive actions save. But at the same time, they did not become heartless. It was unpleasant for them to attack you.

The entire squad was killed on the 57th sortie behind the walls during the defense of Eren Yeager from the Female. In memory of his fellow soldiers, Levy cut off their Legion of Intelligence patches while transporting bodies. Having given one of them to the inconsolable soldier, he said that these things are proof of the life of his comrades.

Second line-up. Levy taught his second squad, consisting of former cadets of the 104th corps, to be tough and to follow orders from his superiors. Together, they had to confront the police of the Center in the arch of the coup d’etat and rescue Eren and History. During the struggle, Levy even resolved personal conflicts between his subordinates. So, he put an end to Armin Arlert’s emotional rushes about the deprivation of the life of a human enemy in the bud.

"Armin. Now your hands are stained with blood. You will not be the same again. All that remains is to accept it. Do you know why you pulled the trigger? You worried about your comrade’s life. Thanks to your deed, all your comrades survived."

Levy did not stop some of the initiatives of his soldiers. So, he left Jean Kirstein to decide for himself whether he was worth trusting the people from Voenpole, Marlowe and Hitch, or not. As a result, Jean made the right choice, and Levy’s squad was able to make significant progress in fulfilling their plan. Along with this, Levy did not exclude strong moral pressure on new subordinates. This can be clearly seen both in the case of Armin and in the forcing of History to agree to become queen.

Levi explained any of his actions by the need to achieve the ultimate goal of the Legion - to save humanity from the pressure of the authorities and the danger of being eaten by giants. This is what he taught his soldiers, sometimes by force he hammered into them the cruel truths of reality and forcing them to quickly get rid of teenage illusions.

When History was declared queen, Mikasa remarked that she was now "capable of punching this little man." As a result, this action became a kind of "test" of History’s courage. After the coronation, the girl decided to go up to Levi and jokingly hit him. The members of the detachment who saw this scene were frightened of a possible response, but the stern commander smiled for the first time in a long time and thanked his guys.

Levi Ackerman: Levi and Mikasa Ackerman

Mikasa is a distant relative of Levi’s father. Initially, she became inflamed with hatred of Commander Eren due to the brutal beating of the latter in the courtroom. When Mikasa joined the Legion, in the very first conversation with Eren, she expressed her attitude towards Levi and remarked that "someday he will answer for his."

Mikase had to team up with Levi on the 57th sortie to retrieve Eren from the Female. At that moment, a short dialogue took place between them, and Levi realized that this girl was Eren’s close friend. During the battle, Levi had to save Mikasa, who was on a rampage, as a result of which he dislocated his leg and took a long time to recover. After the incident, Mikasa felt guilty for the commander’s injury, although Levi himself did not apply any punishment to her for that gross mistake.

During the joint work between Mikasa and Levi, disagreements constantly arose, in which she proposed to act rashly for Eren’s sake, and Levi had to object to her. Levi once remarked that Mikasa should think more about self-control and not make mistakes. The girl agreed with his words.

Levi and Mikasa are the strongest soldiers of the elite squad. Often, their duo was the first to go into battle, which immediately guaranteed 50% of the success of the operation. After Levy learned that he also had the surname "Ackerman", he asked Mikasa if she had ever experienced an incredible surge of physical strength. Mikasa replied in the affirmative, after which Levi admitted that the same happened to him.

During a raid on Shiganshina, Mikasa, along with Eren, attacked Levi to take the serum of gigantism from him and inject it to the dying Armin Arlert. Because of this act, both were imprisoned for some time. In the final chapters of the manga, when Eren Yeager’s true plans became apparent, Levi explained to Mikasa that they could no longer take care of Yeager’s welfare and must eliminate him.

Levi Ackerman: Interesting Facts

1. Name. Many fans and translators mispronounce his name as "Rivel". In fact, Levi is actually called "Levi" - this is the pronunciation of the name that the mangaka himself, Hajime Isayama, mentioned on Twitter. It is also worth noting that his name comes from the biblical Levi - the third son of Jacob, one of the ancestors of the tribes that form the Israelite people.

2. Prototype. In an interview with Hajime, Isayama admitted that Levi’s image was based on the character of Rorschach, one of the main characters of the Watchmen comic. Levy was created and thought of even before the manga setting began. Isayama noted that he considers him a charismatic hero and is happy to draw. Die Flugel der Freiheit is Levi’s theme song.

3. Habits and oddities. Levy loves black tea. According to the mangaka, he would even like to open a tea shop. Once Levy managed to get hold of a real tea set, however, when he started drinking tea, the handle on his mug fell off and the cup broke. From that time on, Levy developed the habit of wrapping his hand over the cup and never grabbing the handle.

Levi suffers from insomnia and sleeps without undressing in his chair for no more than 2-3 hours. It is also known that he washes very quickly, cuts his hair himself with the help of nippers, eats a lot and does not get drunk from alcohol. And Levi makes Hanji Zoe wash herself forcibly, sometimes even using force against her.

4. Work. Calling Levy a "corporal" is another mistake of the translators. In fact, Levy has always been the captain of the Survey Corps. When he is not on a mission, he has a bunch of paperwork outside the walls.

5. Popularity. Levy is the most popular character in the franchise. In terms of search queries and fan creativity, he even surpasses the main character of the story, Eren Yeager. Levy became the inspiration for so many ficwriters, artists and cosplayers, and his image of a brave warrior in a green cloak of the Intelligence Legion has already become cult.

A huge number of Levi products have been released all over the world - artbooks, figurines (photos), badges, posters, interior elements and much, much more. The character has become recognizable even among people who are superficially interested in the modern culture of Japan. We can say that Levy has taken his rightful place among such well-known heroes of Japanese comics, such as Naruto Uzumaki, El and Monkey D. Luffy.

6. Alternative universe. In the Titan High School AU comic series, Levy is depicted as a stern janitor. There he also acted as the lead singer of the rock group "No name".

Article author: