Highlights

  • Levi Ackermann is initially perceived as apathetic and unlikeable, but viewers soon realize the events that shaped his character, making him one of the best in Attack on Titan.
  • Levi's skills, intellect, and unique charisma make him a standout character in Attack on Titan, and he delivers some of the most memorable quotes in the series.
  • Levi's experiences with loss and death have shaped him into a mature and disciplined fighter, always prioritizing the memory and sacrifice of his fallen comrades.

Levi Ackermann is one of the best characters in Attack on Titan. He seems pretty apathetic and unlikeable at first before viewers realize the events that made this character who he is. Regardless of the first impression he makes, it doesn't take long for him to become one of the best parts of the entire show. Watching him slice and dice Titans with utmost finesse always makes for some of the best parts of the entire series.

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It helps that this character also utters some of the most memorable lines in the entire series. It's a combination of his amazing skills, surprising intellect, and unique charisma of his own that makes Levi a highlight of Attack on Titan. Some of the most memorable quotes from Attack on Titan's Levi are truly brilliant and showcase the strengths of this series for everyone to see.

Updated on November 19, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: Levi is one of the best characters in Attack on Titan. This stoic commander in the Survey Corps is one of the most skilled killers, doing justice to the Ackermann legacy with his expertly weaved moves as he takes down numerous titans in the blink of an eye. To this day, the sight of this powerful character slicing through multiple Titans to get a shot at taking down the Beast Titan makes for one of the greatest moments in the series, with Zeke finally being outsmarted as the elusive wielder of the Beast Titan was finally captured by Levi, even if this victory lasted for a short second.

16 "We Can't Always Carry Our Fallen Comrades Home, But We Carry Their Memory."

Season 1, Episode 22 (The Defeated: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Part 6)

Levi Ackerman looking bored in attack on Titan

Levi has seen his fair share of death during his time as a member of the Survey Corps. It's obviously not been an easy thing to deal with, and most people wouldn't be surprised to know that he's lost his own nearest and dearest friends while attacking the Titans during their first excursion as members of the Survey Corps.

So, with the amount of death that surrounds Levi, all he can do is honor their memory and sacrifice by trying to take down as many of these gigantic monstrosities as possible. He may look like he doesn't have any emotions and is pretty cold-hearted, but Levi knows the loss of pain very well, and has matured over time to fight and honor the legacy of his fellow brethren instead of mourning them in the heat of combat.

15 "Stay Alive. That's An Order."

Season 4, Episode 7 (Assault)

Levi in Attack on Titan

Season 4 of Attack on Titan was a dramatic shift for the series, After focusing on the threat of Titans, the new revelations brought to light completely changed the focus of the series. The residents of Paradis Island learn about the true nature of their existence, with Eren joining the dark side and giving Marley a taste of their medicine.

When the Survey Corps aids Eren during his declaration of war, Levi implores his troops to stay alive. The losses in the fight against the Beast, Armored, and Colossal Titan a few years ago were high, and it took a while for the Survey Corps to regain their manpower. Better than anyone, Levi knew how valuable every person's life was, and gave them a resounding error to help them focus during this assault.

14 "But I Think... It's Time To Let Him Rest."

Season 3, Episode 18 (Midnight Sun)

attack on titan anime erwin

Erwin is one of Levi's closest friends, and the two of them depend on each other to help the Survey Corps thrive. Levi owes everything to Erwin for helping him escape the state of poverty he was stuck in, becoming a loyal soldier and confidant to the commander who always gave everything in the heat of battle.

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Their final conversation is a chilling exchange of words where Erwin happily accepts his death and marches along with the scouts in a suicidal attempt to take out the Beast Titan. This distraction allows Levi to sneak up on Zeke and incapacitate him, attaining victory at a massive cost.

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

Season 1, Episode 19 (Bite: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Part 3)

eren and levi

Levi doesn't shy away from putting people in his place if required. After all, the experience he has on the battlefield lets him make informed judgments on a particular situation, after all.

It's this experience that might make him seem cold and distant at first glance. The truth is that Levi has seen so much death and loss on the battlefield that he's become used to not letting people know what's going on in his mind.

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

Season 1, Episode 19 (The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Part 3)

levi ackerman

Choices in Attack on Titan are rarely black or white. Any decision can potentially lead to victory, innumerable casualties, or both!

This is something Levi is intimately familiar with, especially since his decisions have led to the cost of other people (including his close friends) losing their lives. So, instead of dwelling on the perfect decision, Levi recommends just making the one that will lead to the least regrets further down the line.

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

Season 3, Episode 4 (Trust)

Levi Ackermann from Attack on Titan

Eren is the living example of a soldier who is infinitely more valuable to humanity than anyone else. This is why so many members of the Survey Corps lose their lives to try and protect their greatest asset.

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Levi states this line coldly and outright declares that only people who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect the more valuable soldiers around them have the guts to join the Survey Corps. He might be calling them dumb, but the world that Levi doesn't mention here is 'brave'.

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

Season 3, Episode 14 (Thunder Spears)

Levi Ackerman And His Ultrahard Steel Blades (Attack On Titan)

Even though Levi might seem cold-hearted, the truth is that he cares for each and every one of his comrades. This just doesn't show on his face, mainly because Levi has been conditioned after witnessing multiple friends and soldiers die in front of his eyes.

His steely resolve to prevent the unnecessary death of comrades causes him to put his body on the line over and over again. Levi doesn't use words to show how much he loves his comrades — his actions show the same instead.

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

Season 1, Episode 14 (Can't Look into His Eyes Yet: Eve of the Counterattack, Part 1)

Levi in Attack on Titan

Levi rarely lets his emotions get the better of him. Even in the tensest situations, he manages to think with a cool and clear head.

This applies to the dynamic he shares with the supposed hope of humanity. Eren might be the best chance Paradis Island has of winning against the Titans, but there's no way that Levi would let him go wild if he lost control of his powers.

8 "If You'd Chosen To Keep Your Hands Clean, Jean Would Be A Corpse On A Cart Right Now."

Season 3, Episode 2 (Pain)

Armin Arlert in Attack On Titan

During the Royal Government arc, the Survey Corps go up against a mysterious group that uses the 3DM gear... but with a tweak that allows them to attack humans more efficiently. This, coupled with the fact that they'd become public enemy number one in the eyes of the royalty, led to the group hiding out in a bid to figure out the truth of this situation.

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This leads to Jean and Armin ending up in a tough situation against these opponents, with Jean being just a second away from meeting his death before Armin saves him by killing his assailant instead. While the mild-mannered blonde is clearly torn up over what he just did, Levi reassures him the best way he can — by straight up telling him that Jean wouldn't be among the living right now without his quick reflexes and accurate shooting.

7 "Wait... I Made A Promise To Him... That I'd Kill You No Matter What. I Promised!"

Season 3, Episode 17 (Hero)

Zeke Yeager (Attack On Titan)

There was a point when Zeke was one of the most heinous characters in Attack on Titan, using his tactics to pretty much decimate the entirety of the Survey Corps and killing Erwin too. It was a horrifying sight to see the Captain be obliterated with a stone to his gut, and Levi promised him that he'd be the one to avenge his close companion's death.

While he was successful in capturing Zeke, the Cart Titan appeared out of nowhere to save the Beast Titan, running away as quickly as possible. This angered Levi to no end, who yelled out his promise to Zeke as his prey escaped the clutches of the Survey Corps.

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

Season 1, Episode 18 (Angel)

Levi Attack on Titan

In life-or-death scenarios, there's no time to second-guess decisions and try to backtrack on a choice anyone has made. This festers regret, which can kill even the strongest individual around.

Instead, people should realize that no one's perfect and believe in the choices they've made. It might be the wrong decision...but that can only be confirmed after the aftermath of said choice is revealed.

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

Season 1, Episode 14 (Can't Look into His Eyes Yet: Eve of the Counterattack, Part 1)

Levi beating Eren in Attack on Titan

The hardest lessons are learned with the most effective methods, and pain definitely fits the bill in this regard. Discipline is an especially important trait that people — especially ones in the military — need to inculcate within themselves.

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If niceties aren't enough to make people think seriously about the realities of war, then having this discipline beaten into them is the more effective course of action to take. At least, that's what Levi has learned from his years of experience.

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

Season 1, Episode 19 (Bite: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Part 3)

Levi, Isabel, and Furlan in Attack on Titan

Levi is mature enough to know that simply harping about the experience and the need to accrue it isn't going to help people at every junction. Sometimes, people who don't have enough experience need to just rely on their gut about certain decisions.

This is the advice that Levi gives to Eren when the latter thinks about turning into his beastly form to fight the then-mysterious Female Titan. It's a line that haunts Eren once he realizes that he made the wrong choice.

3 "Give Up On Your Dreams And Die For Us. I Will Take Down The Beast Titan."

Season 3, Episode 16 (Perfect Game)

Erwin being hit by the Beast Titan in Attack on Titan

Erwin is one of the wisest commanders who graced the Survey Corps with his presence time and time again. He was capable of keeping a cool head in the direst circumstances and could convince his troops to lay their life down for him... which they did during their suicide charge against the Beast Titan.

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When Levi realized that Erwin was willing to give up his life for humanity's victory, he uttered this poignant line that summarized his commander's sacrifice. His hatred for Zeke developed ever since, forming a rivalry that would last for the entirety of the show.

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

Season 1, Episode 19 (Bite: The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission, Part 3)

Levi Ackermann from Attack on Titan

At the end of the day, Levi isn't the most knowledgeable person around. He is well aware of this, so he never even tries to pretend that the decisions he makes will always hold true.

It's the kind of responsibility that he doesn't want, especially if someone follows his decisions blindly. Instead, it's better for him to just let the person at the heart of it all make the decision they want, with him providing the odd guidance at times.

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

Season 3, Episode 2 (Pain)

Zeke turning Levi's Squad into Titans

The idea of humans killing each other is something that people might not like, but it's something that they can still fathom. Meanwhile, the oppressive threat of Titans is disturbing and strikes fear in the heart of anyone.

Sure, humanity might be learning more about the Titans nowadays...but that doesn't change the fact that humans will always know more about themselves than these all-powerful Titans. This is something that Levi agrees with since he decides that he would also prefer the evil of killing Titans over the fear of being eaten alive by a monstrous and savage being.

Attack On Titan
Attack On Titan
Action
Drama
Fantasy

Release Date
April 7, 2013
Studio
Wit Studio, MAPPA
Creator
Hajime Isayama