Hi! Genuine question, but don't u think Levi had all the right to be brutally violent in chapter 114 when Zeke had just turned his comrades into mindless titans? (Like I understand your frustration towards him and I honestly have felt the same at times, but i feel like when it comes to Zeke (my bais speaking here), Levi has all the reasons to be violent, ppl like to excuse Zeke's behaviour as coping mechanism but i feel like the two men are equally terrible when it comes to resolving issues)
I see where you’re coming from. And honestly, it’s fine if you believe the two are comparable.
I personally disagree. Levi had an arc about that and was constantly faced with how wrong his choices to resort to violence were, multiple times. He did, in fact, go through growth. Yet he doesn’t learn, it’s like he literally doesn’t understand. And I don’t know if it’s another of his character flaws - this weakness, -, if it’s his “nature” or if it’s just Isayama who doesn’t want to give him this growth he needs. Furthermore, Levi hurts people he cares about with his behavior.
Zeke’s coping mechanism - which is making light of horrible situations such as slaughter - isn’t exactly hurting the people he loves. And by the way, this happened only at the beginning of his story, which means he was being portrayed purposely as The Big Meanie, but since the Marley arc, he has never behaved particularly cruelly - he egged on Levi as a strategy by making fun of the soldiers, but in his real thoughts there was no hint of this sarcasm. As I said in another Zeke analysis, he uses sarcasm as a strategic means and to conceal his intentions. He also doesn’t use it outside of the battlefield, highlighting again how much of a war tool it is, and not a part of himself he needs to work on changing.
Levi is like that in his private life, as well…which is concerning and that’s why he needs to change or at least it needs to be viewed as something wrong. Definitely not a quirk, imo.
Zeke’s sarcasm that I mentioned earlier is very different from his anger in Shiganshina, and subsequent ridiculing of the sacrifices of the soldiers (the coping part) - we found out what that was caused by exactly in the Marley arc and especially in ch.114. Men are foolish for throwing themselves at death uselessly as they are ignorant of their situation, which means they’ll never make a change. They’ll just cause more deaths, and, iirc, he even makes a comment about throwing the children in wars as well. He is angry at that because he’s been in the same situation and is reminded of his father and everything Grisha did to him. He gets so mad but he tries to get himself under control and that’s the moment he becomes so cold, the need to belittle the enemy to detach himself and accomplish his mission.
And about Grisha…Zeke was never shown that his behavior and belief might be wrong, just like nobody really told him life was worth living. Zeke still hasn’t had his “life-changing” character arc, he’s going through it now. Levi has no excuses, tbh. He met with Kenny and had a talk with him, that should’ve made him realize some things and overcome others. He relied so much on violence because of Kenny, in more ways than just being trained by him.
As someone who tries to look at the characters from a distance, when I analyze them, and their stories as a whole, I just can’t see how are they the same on this.
And I feel like your example missed the mark of my other Levi post.
First of all, I agree that Levi can be extremely angry at Zeke. Nonetheless, that display of violence was sickening. Pass the verbal degradation and threats. Pass the spear and the injuries to prevent Zeke from transforming again.
But he didn’t have to cut Zeke’s legs like that. That was pure, unadulterated, self-satisfactory sadism. It was horrible to watch. I’ve never seen a character sinking to such a low level aside from Zackley using the shit-machine and Gross in general. Levi’s grudge is personal and justified, but that’s even more gross to me. The highlight of the freaking arc was Mister Braus forgiving the murderer of his daughter and I have no doubts it had nothing to do with Gabi being a kid. So seeing Levi falling so low…well. It is disheartening.
People just excuse it as “he has a right to be angry and so, this violent with Zeke” because they themselves are angry at Zeke for…personal reasons lol, and because it is Levi we’re talking about, and as I said Levi does have a right to it, but one thing is being angry at someone and one thing is torturing them. Did he come out of that awful display as a better person? Do you think he felt better after that? Is seeing your fave getting absolutely sadist so cute and fulfilling? I don’t know…
If Eren had tortured like that Reiner, oh man. He too could have “the right” to it.
Anyway, I don’t want to sound rude, this is just my opinion, but it honestly worries me a bit that you might think “being brutally violent” with someone is a “right”. We’re back to an eye for an eye, I guess…
i never understood people who thought that he had a right to torture him like who let you out of your circus you clown
