What do you think levi would be like if his mom was still alive? Like if she got to raise him, and maybe she somehow escaped prostitution with him? Sorry if someone has already asked this or you dont like answering this question lol.
Hi anon, thank you so much for this question—and for your patience! I'm sorry it's taken me an eternity to answer; I’ve had this message in my inbox for many months and truly didn't mean to leave you hanging. I hope you're still around to read my response! And, please don't worry, I actually love this question, lol.
This is a challenging question because Levi is so profoundly shaped by his grief and trauma. That’s not to say he is his trauma (he isn’t defined solely by what happened to him), but it’s clear that our life experiences, especially severe hardships, play an enormous role in forming who we become. Memories and experiences shape our worldview, our coping skills, and our sense of self. Yet, Attack on Titan also shows how innate character traits matter, and Levi stands out as a prime example—particularly as a foil to Eren, who repeatedly insists he was “born” the way he was. In contrast, Levi’s innately good nature shines through, even when he’s compelled by circumstance to act violently. Or even when his violence as one of his flaws is highlighted.
So, when asking how Levi might have turned out if Kuchel had lived and raised him, the core of the question becomes this: how much of Levi’s personality is innate, and how much is shaped by the instability and loss that marked his early life? Put differently, if his basic needs had been met by a loving, stable caregiver, would his protective instincts and kindness have emerged in less violent, less self-destructive ways? What was always within Levi, and what did the world force upon him?
Levi's Self-Esteem
Throughout the series, Levi often displays signs of low self-esteem. When kids gush over “Humanity’s Strongest,” Levi’s flat affect and “somebody please shut up these goddamned brats” quote read as a rejection of hero worship and a reflex to deflect admiration. It demonstrates a discomfort with praise.
Special Chapter: "Captain Levi"
In the "Uprising" arc, Levi calls himself “not normal… an aberrant person,” useful because he can “respond faster than anyone” in abnormal circumstances—framing his value in terms of utility rather than inherent worth (Ch. 56).
Chapter 56: "Role"
In the "Female Titan" arc, he redirects credit to the backup squad who bought them time with their lives, an instinctive self-effacement that centers others’ sacrifice over his own contribution. This implies an inclination to minimize his own achievements.
Chapter 26: "The Expedient Path"
In the lead-up to the final battle, Levi stated, “If I sleep longer than this, you’ll just forget about me.” That lands like a fear that he only matters if he keeps performing.
Chapter 132: "The Wings of Freedom"
These beats reflect a broader pattern in canon: Levi often talks as if “all I can do is fight,” treats a better life as unattainable for someone like him (in "ACWNR"), and rarely takes pride in heroics. He acts like a man doing grim necessities, not a hero basking in them.
This subdued sense of value is a hallmark of someone who never received stable affirmation growing up and had to rely solely on survival skills. It also connects to how Isayama himself described Levi and his role:
In order to reach the standard of being a “Humanity’s Strongest”, one has to pay unusual efforts. One will not flinch even to the extent of destructing oneself in order to achieve the goal. So the dark circles under Levi’s eyes are the proofs of his sacrificial performance. (source)
Nature vs. Nurture
Levi is both extraordinarily kind and ruthlessly violent. On one hand, he commits extreme acts of brutality: his takedown of Kenny’s squad during the "Uprising" arc (Ch. 58) shows that he can—and will—kill quickly if the situation demands it. He’s also relentless in battle, as we see in his scuffle with the Female Titan (Ch. 30) and his battles against the Beast Titan (Ch. 81, 112). These moments highlight his capacity for lethal force.
Yet Levi is not inherently violent by nature. His childhood circumstances forced him into that role: growing up in the Underground meant that survival required fighting, and Kenny modeled aggression as the appropriate way to solve problems.
Chapter 69: “Friend”
As an adult, this learned violence sometimes spills over into flaws—such as when he manhandles Historia, or when he threatens Annie and Zeke. These are moments where his instinctive reliance on coercion or intimidation becomes a shortcoming.
Chapter 56: “Role”
At the same time, Levi’s innately good nature is undeniable. Compassion was never modeled for him—Kuchel died when he was very young, Levi barely remembering her, and Kenny offered no warmth—yet Levi demonstrates compassion again and again throughout the series.
He honors fallen comrades, quietly tends to his squad, and shoulders pain to protect others.
His kindness, Erwin noted, is part of what inspires loyalty:
Erwin: He just has a rude attitude…but he cherishes his comrades’ life more than anyone else. His reputation cannot be established based on strength alone, Humans can subconsciously detect how much concern others have for them… and when they notice this kindness, it inspires power (AU Smartpass - Erwin & Levi Close-Up Interview Part 2)
From a psychological perspective, attachment theory helps explain Levi’s guarded demeanor. As a child growing up in the Underground, he met all of the risk factors for reactive attachment disorder (RAD).
DSM-5-TR, American Psychiatric Association
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) in brief
RAD is a childhood disorder that arises after extremes of insufficient care early in life. Core features (DSM-5-TR) include:
Inhibited, emotionally withdrawn behavior toward caregivers (rarely seeks or responds to comfort when distressed).
Persistent social/emotional disturbance (limited positive affect; minimal responsiveness; episodes of unexplained irritability/sadness/fearfulness even in nonthreatening interactions).
History of neglect/deprivation, repeated caregiver changes, or rearing in atypical settings that severely limit opportunities to form selective attachments.
Onset is before age 5, with developmental age of at least 9 months.
Importantly, RAD is a childhood diagnosis. In adults, we don’t diagnose RAD; instead, we discuss long-term attachment patterns (e.g., secure vs. insecure) that can follow from early deprivation.
Levi’s childhood risk factors (why he was “high-risk” for RAD)
Canon gives Levi a cluster of adversities that map closely onto RAD risk conditions:
Loss of primary caregiver very early: Kuchel dies when Levi is still a small child—based on "Bad Boy" age estimates, he was likely age 4 when Kuchel died.
Extreme poverty & unsafe environment: the Underground entails chronic scarcity (food, shelter, medical care) and constant threat—classic conditions that derail secure attachment and emotional regulation.
Replacement caregiver with low sensitivity/instability: Kenny provides sporadic, instrumental care, models aggression as problem-solving, and offers little warmth.
Minimal opportunities for selective, consistent attachment: instability, hunger, and violence leave little space for comfort-seeking to be reliably met with comfort.
Chronic stress/trauma exposure: malnutrition, violence, and grief during sensitive windows of neural and social development.
Taken together, these are textbook insufficient-care conditions. While the manga doesn’t depict toddler-age attachment behaviors in detail (so we can’t say he had RAD), it’s fair to argue Levi was high-risk for it.
How childhood RAD risk often shows up later: insecure attachment in adulthood
Even though RAD isn’t diagnosed in adults, children with severe early deprivation often develop insecure attachment styles later. There are three insecure attachment styles:
(Yes, how many different names they go by is confusing, lol)
The most common adult insecure attachment styles following a diagnosis of RAD in childhood are avoidant-dismissive and fearful-avoidant (anxious-preoccupied is most common following a diagnosis of disinhibited social engagement disorder, a different childhood attachment disorder).
Levi's Attachment Style
In Levi, you can read a fearful-avoidant attachment style.
This pattern combines high attachment anxiety—craving closeness, fearing loss—with high avoidance—distrusting dependence. It often develops after inconsistent or frightening caregiving and plays out in approach–withdraw cycles: the person longs for connection but expects harm or rejection, so they manage vulnerability through distance, control, or hyper-competence.
As the Attachment Project notes, people with this style “deeply want connection but are also terrified of it.” Levi embodies this paradox. He forms strong loyalties—most notably to Erwin, Hange, and his squad—yet keeps emotional distance, rarely allowing others to see his vulnerability. Isayama himself noted:
Interviewer: So…so that’s the situation…(Shock) Levi keeping his distance from most people, and avoiding in-depth relationships - that’s also because he takes his power into account?
Isayama: It’s likely because he is afraid of forming close relationships. Because he exists in a world where one can be eaten by a Titan at any time, he consistently avoids building “family”-like connections with others. (2016 Answers Fanbook)
And crucially, it’s implied in canon that Levi didn’t make his first friends until his young adulthood. The AoT ACWNR visual novel (not to be mistaken for the ACWNR manga)—which I generally don’t like, but is the most direct information we have—states outright:
“From the time he was born until now, Levi had not really been able to make any friends on his own—however, Furlan and Isabel were perhaps the first people who he could truly call ‘friends.’”
This detail reinforces a fearful-avoidant reading of Levi’s attachment style. It suggests that his long isolation wasn’t only circumstantial, but also psychological: a deep fear of loss or abandonment, likely compounded by Kenny’s own abandonment of him. That mix of yearning for closeness yet holding back out of fear is exactly what defines fearful-avoidant attachment.
Another hallmark of fearful-avoidant attachment is oscillating between seeking intimacy and withdrawing. Levi can act warmly or protectively, but then step back, deflect praise, or erect barriers. His pattern of connecting deeply but cautiously reflects that tension. It's notable that one of the primary ways he demonstrates closeness is by engaging in playful insults, like with Erwin or Hange.
Additionally, people with fearful-avoidant attachment may dissociate from uncomfortable emotions or swing between over-disclosure and retreat. Levi fits this pattern: most of the time, he has a flat affect, suppressing or isolating his suffering. Yet he also shows extremes—explosive anger, like when he manhandles Historia during the "Uprising" arc. And while he kept his childhood private for most of canon, he suddenly trauma-dumped his past to Gabi and Falco in “Bad Boy”. That mix of suppression and abrupt disclosure mirrors the push-pull dynamic of fearful-avoidant attachment.
In the Kuchel-lives scenario, a steadier, nurturing base would likely nudge him toward greater security, letting the same protective instincts express with less distance and self-erasure.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also sheds light on Levi’s circumstances. Early in his life, he had to struggle for even the most basic physiological needs like food and safety. If you’re constantly fighting for your next meal, psychological needs like esteem or self-actualization are hard to prioritize. This might explain Levi’s low self-worth—he never had the chance to develop healthy self-esteem when all energy was directed toward mere survival. Had Kuchel survived and removed him from this environment, Levi likely would have had more of his foundational needs met. A stable home, plus a mother’s love, would foster secure attachment, healthier coping mechanisms, and more self-assurance, potentially letting his innate kindness flourish without such reliance on violence.
If Kuchel Had Lived
So, how would Levi differ if Kuchel had escaped prostitution and raised him in a safer environment? Levi’s nature—loyalty, protectiveness, empathy—would still be there. With nurture providing:
Secure Attachment: Providing a consistent source of emotional support, reducing his guardedness.
Basic Needs Met: Access to consistent food, shelter, and safety, freeing him from the desperate scramble for survival. Would have allowed him greater opportunity to develop friendships during his adolescence and build a healthier self-esteem.
Positive Role Model: Instead of learning violence from Kenny, he might have learned affirmation and conflict resolution from a maternal figure.
Levi would still likely be reserved—some elements of personality are innate—but he wouldn’t equate his only “worth” with combat ability. More importantly, without violence being modeled as the primary way to solve problems, his protective instincts could have manifested in gentler forms. His innate compassion, which already shines through despite everything, would have been allowed to flourish without being held back by the violent habits his childhood instilled.
Other aspects of Levi would probably remain unchanged. His love of tea, for example, seems to trace back to Kuchel, and would likely still have become one of his defining comforts. Likewise, Levi would almost certainly remain short—he’s short even in canon alternate universes like the School Castes AU, and Isayama has mentioned that Levi’s father was also short. Since Levi’s canonical height (5’3”) is listed as slightly shorter than Kuchel’s, he might still have ended up small in stature, though with better nutrition and more sunlight he could plausibly have grown an inch or two taller (perhaps 5’4” or 5’5”).
His sleep, however, might have looked very different. In canon, Levi’s sleep is notoriously poor—he often appears exhausted, with the “dark circles” under his eyes explicitly linked to his sacrificial efforts. But growing up in the Underground, cut off from natural light, likely disrupted his circadian rhythm. A lack of exposure to sunlight often results in sleep disorders, such as non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, which may explain why Levi struggles so much with rest in canon. In a world where Kuchel raised him above ground, with natural light and less trauma, Levi might have had a healthier sleep cycle, one more in line with human rhythms rather than the severe insomnia we see in the manga.
In that alternate life, Levi’s kindness would not have had to coexist in constant tension with brutality. Instead, it could have been expressed openly, without fear, and without the lifelong scars of deprivation and violence.
i do absolutely think Levi having some sort of sexual trauma has been built upon over the years. There’s just so many small things that point to that kind of trauma, and Bad Boy just compounds on those things.
his aversion to sleep has always been very strange to me, he doesn’t even lay down to do so and only ever gets a few hours. it could just be a general unease/feeling a lack of safety but Levi isn’t exactly an outwardly anxious person. im sure his ability to sustain himself on only a few hours of sleep has something to do with his Ackerman power, but he almost seems to have a tendency to avoid laying in beds as a whole. i’m not sure we ever see him in one (perhaps the barracks in No Regrets?) outside of his major injury towards the end.
honestly even though his obsession with cleanliness can be associated with growing up in a dirty environment like the underground (very common IRL w people who grow up in poverty or hoarding etc) something about it always raised an eyebrow to me. feeling somehow “filthy” in a way that is difficult to shake is a very common trauma response for SA victims. He’s also particular with human gore in a way he isn’t with Titan gore. to be fair Titan blood literally steams off, but idk the elaborate get up in the torture scene stick with me, why is a guy who constantly cuts down giant meat monsters full of blood and sinew suiting up with an apron and rubber gloves to punch a human?
When Kenny finds him with Kuchel’s body he’s only wearing of one of her old shirts (if i remember right) which could also be just associated with the neglect he faced as Kuchel’s health declined and she wasn’t able to keep working, but it could absolutely have much worse implications. he’s surely under-clothed for a child that age.
and speaking of Hange i think this is also a huge indicator of how important their friendship w Levi was. i think the “Levi has to knock Hange out to bathe them” lore was mostly a joke, but i absolutely believe that Hange would have a knack for working themselves into exhaustion and neglecting their personal hygiene and the fact that Levi, who is adverse to dirtiness and probably physical touch, would still be willing to help Hange take care of themselves on that level is very important to me.
idk, again there’s just so many small things that compound. i think ppl who refuse to even consider that possibility are ignoring a huge subtext in his writing.
the writing in Bad Boy reminds me a lot of an RPG character from Dragon Age called Zevran, who has a very similar backstory (prostitute mother, grew up in a brothel after she died giving birth) and SA/sex trafficking is a huge part of his writing, it’s never explicitly said but he gets incredibly close to saying it multiple times.
Absolutely, anon, I'm really glad you brought this up. I agree with you. Your observations are thoughtful and deeply grounded in the subtle, but persistent, cues throughout Levi’s characterization. There’s a strong case to be made that Levi’s childhood experiences, especially as hinted in Bad Boy, suggest sexual trauma as part of his backstory, and I agree that this thread has been quietly but consistently built over time across multiple Attack on Titan texts, including the main canon itself, Bad Boy, and the A Choice with No Regrets manga and OVA.
I’ll be honest, though; I sat on this ask for a little while. Not because I disagreed, but because I’ve grown cautious about diving back into this particular conversation, lol. I hope you're still around to read my response! There’s been pushback in the past, and it’s easy to get worn down by the defensiveness and bad-faith interpretations that inevitably come with it. But ultimately, I don’t want fear of fandom backlash to silence a valid reading of the text.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying there’s any explicit confirmation that Levi was sexually abused. What I am saying is that there is a consistent body of subtext—textual, visual, and behavioral—that makes this interpretation both plausible and worth discussing. It’s one lens among many, and it’s one that aligns with real-world trauma responses in a way that deserves thoughtful attention.
For anyone curious and looking to read more on this topic, including some of my older posts and others’ contributions, here are a few links:
That is a fantastic point you bring up about Kenny, how the fact that Levi even felt the need to become strong for him and make him proud de
Thank you for making this post!
The commentary I’ve seen lately about “Bad Boy” has been extremely insulting. Levi is not lesser simply bec
What made you decide Levi was sexually assaulted? Can we keep what was actually shown in the manga in discussion because there's no proof Le
Hey thanks to you and your friends for defending the topic of Levi's exposure to sex trauma. I don't have the confidence to defend that myse
To actually address your message and your points, anon:
When Kenny first discovers Levi, Levi appears severely malnourished and neglected. He’s wearing only a shirt, which not only suggests poverty but also emphasizes how profoundly vulnerable he is. While it’s never confirmed whether the shirt belonged to Kuchel, the idea that it might have is a valid and plausible headcanon. What is confirmed is that Levi is shown curled up on the floor in the same room as her decomposing body, completely alone. In the context of a brothel—where Kuchel worked as a sex worker and where strangers would have regularly entered and exited the space—Levi’s state of undress takes on more disturbing implications. We never learn who had access to that room after Kuchel’s death, nor how long Levi was left to fend for himself there. And as you pointed out, for a child that age to be so underclothed in such a setting is more than just a sign of deprivation—it casts a shadow over the kind of dangers he may have been exposed to during that time.
Now, I’m aware there’s some debate in the fandom about whether Levi and Kuchel actually lived in the brothel where she worked. Personally, I do believe they did. But even if they didn’t, Kuchel’s notoriety as "Olympia"—a well-known prostitute—means that clients familiar with her could very well have come looking. Regardless of the precise location, the threat would have remained the same.
It’s also important to consider how the Attack on Titan universe establishes the Underground as a site of rampant exploitation, especially sexual violence and trafficking. In "Chapter 6: The World that the Girl Saw", we learn that Mikasa, who lived on the surface, was nearly trafficked into sexual slavery. The traffickers planned to sell her specifically to the Underground, where such exploitation was evidently common and profitable. If that was the fate planned for a surface child, it paints a grim picture of what life must have been like for children born in the Underground. Levi wasn’t just born there—he was the son of a sex worker, raised alone in a brothel after her death. In Bad Boy, we see that even as a child, Levi was almost sold into the same system by thugs looking to profit off him. On top of that, he was well-known locally as a “whore’s son,” a stigma that would have marked him as vulnerable. Given this context, and considering how openly the narrative depicts trafficking as a real danger even for children with more protection than Levi had, it’s tragically plausible that Levi endured violations that the text never directly names. Whether or not his trauma is ever confirmed in explicit terms, the setting, circumstances, and behavioral cues all suggest that he was not spared from the kind of exploitation that was normalized in the world he grew up in.
A Choice with No Regrets further deepens this portrait of Levi. As an adult in the Underground, he’s strikingly hyper-independent and emotionally guarded. His stoicism goes far beyond what would be considered adaptive for someone in a harsh environment; it reads instead as the psychological armor of someone who learned, particularly early on, that vulnerability is dangerous. What’s telling is how this contrasts with Furlan and Isabel, who also grew up in the Underground but retain a more open emotional register. Levi, by contrast, keeps himself closed off, even from those he clearly cares about. Another subtle but telling detail is his relationship to sleep. As you noted, Levi rarely lays down to rest. Even after Return to Shiganshina, when he’s critically injured, we only see him in bed when he’s completely incapacitated. His irregular sleep habits suggest that rest (and the vulnerability it entails) is something he instinctively avoids. It’s also worth noting that Isayama has confirmed in interviews that Levi typically sleeps in a chair. That choice feels significant: what is it about beds, specifically, that feel unsafe to him? It’s a small detail, but one that subtly reinforces the idea that Levi's avoidance of rest is tied not just to environmental danger, but to deeper psychological trauma.
One moment from A Choice with No Regrets that I think is often overlooked—or, worse, completely misread—is the scene in the manga where Levi kills Isabel’s attacker. There’s a strong implication that the man had either raped or was planning to rape her. Isabel returns visibly shaken, and the fact that her hair was forcibly cut—while some try to minimize this—is itself a physical violation. That kind of act doesn’t happen without bodily restraint, humiliation, and intent to dehumanize. Levi’s reaction isn’t casual vengeance or impulsive rage. It’s swift, cold, and deliberate. And it stands out all the more because Levi is consistently portrayed as someone who does not enjoy killing, especially when it comes to other humans. He doesn’t take satisfaction in it, and he’s shown to feel the weight of taking lives. But in this moment, he kills with no hesitation. That’s not just about protecting Isabel; it’s also about what that kind of violation represents to him. This scene adds another layer to the subtext that Levi may have experienced sexual trauma himself. His actions suggest not just outrage on her behalf, but a deep, visceral recognition of what was done to her. When you consider his background—being raised in a brothel, growing up in a community where sexual violence was commonplace, and being personally threatened with it—his response in this scene becomes far more layered. It's not about bloodlust; it's about protection.
As for his obsession with cleanliness, I completely agree that it likely stems from both his impoverished upbringing and something deeper. Like you stated, the trauma of feeling “unclean” in a psychological sense is a known marker in many survivors of sexual abuse. Levi doesn’t just value hygiene—he’s almost compulsive about it. In chapter 15, when he enters Trost HQ, his first instinct is to clean, even in the midst of military chaos. It’s a trait that speaks to more than just surface disgust; it feels ritualistic, like he’s trying to scrub away something intangible. We also know from the Smartpass AU Levi Close-up Report that part of the reason Levi cares so much about cleanliness is because he associates filth with disease. That alone demonstrates that the cleaning is a coping mechanism for something greater.
The A Choice with No Regrets OVA also contributes to this subtext in a subtle but unsettling way. In one sequence, a group of thugs corner Isabel, and after she bites one of them, he implies he wants to assault her—saying, “She’ll pay for bitin’ me. Lemme have some fun with her before we do anything else, ’kay?” Levi isn’t present for that threat, but it establishes that these men are sexual predators and underscores how normalized sexual violence is in the Underground. Shortly afterward, when Levi confronts the same group, one of the thugs touches the collar of Levi’s shirt. Levi immediately recoils and snaps, “Keep your filthy hands off me. I don’t want you smudging my shirt.” His tone is cold and sharp—disproportionately intense for such a minor touch, unless read through the lens of trauma. What’s especially notable is how Furlan quickly intervenes, almost too casually, saying, “Sorry, 'bout that. We're clean freaks here. You prob'ly shouldn't come back, but if ya do, be sure to wash your hands first.” It’s a strangely timed comment, bringing up hygiene in the middle of a tense confrontation, and it reads more like a deflection than comic relief, at least to me. Furlan’s response seems like a practiced redirection, as if he’s accustomed to covering for Levi in moments like this, aware that Levi’s aversion to touch and obsession with cleanliness may stem from something deeper. The way Levi reacts to even an incidental touch, especially from a man he clearly perceives as threatening (and was established as a sexual predator earlier), raises red flags. Within the broader context of the Underground, where exploitation is rampant and children are especially vulnerable, this interaction adds another layer to the growing subtext that Levi’s boundaries around touch aren’t just about personal preference, but about learned survival.
A common counter-argument I’ve seen is that Levi couldn’t have experienced sexual abuse because, in Bad Boy, when the thugs threaten to sell him into sexual slavery, he awakens his Ackerman powers and kills them. But, I think this interpretation misreads both the mechanics of his awakening and the emotional weight of that scene. Levi doesn’t react violently when the men first threaten to traffic him. In fact, he stays relatively passive through much of the assault, even as they kick him and beat him down. What ultimately triggers his Ackerman powers isn’t the threat of trafficking alone—it’s a combination of two far more visceral elements: first, the insult to his mother (“whore’s son”), which cuts directly at the only attachment and source of comfort he’s ever known; and second, the imminent threat to his life. When the men begin slamming his head into the ground, it’s not just brutal—it would have been fatal. That moment of near-death, combined with emotional provocation, is what pushes him to awaken. This is consistent with how Ackerman power is described elsewhere in canon: it’s often activated in a life-or-death situation.
Importantly, most sexual trauma, especially in childhood, is not marked by that same level of immediate physical lethality. It’s often coercive or normalized within the environment, particularly when it occurs repeatedly over time. If Levi had experienced prior instances of sexual trauma, there’s no reason to assume his powers would have activated. The context simply wouldn’t have matched the threshold required. What Bad Boy shows us, in fact, is how long Levi endures violence without fighting back. His gentle, quiet demeanor in that scene says a lot; he’s not someone who reacts with aggression instinctively. He internalizes pain. He withdraws. And that, in itself, is a trauma response. The idea that Levi could only have been victimized if he had physically fought back or "activated" sooner misunderstands both trauma and how the Ackerman lineage functions in canon.
And yes, the way Levi interacts with Hange is one of the clearest examples of how touch and boundaries operate differently for him with people he trusts. The oft-joked “Levi knocking Hange out to bathe them” anecdote, while humorous in fandom circles, does imply a certain level of trust and care on his part that cuts directly against his usual physical avoidance and aversion to filth. If you believe Levi is touch-averse because of trauma, then the fact that he’ll tend to someone else’s body—grime, sweat, and all—speaks volumes. It reflects a profound emotional bond.
Btw, I've never played Dragon Age, but I agree that the situation with Zevran sounds similar to the situation with Levi. Isayama never explicitly states that Levi was sexually abused—but neither does he shy away from leaving the space open.
The resistance from some parts of the fandom to even consider this reading is telling. It reveals discomfort not just with the possibility of Levi being a victim, but with the idea that masculinity and vulnerability can coexist. For some, Levi must remain a stoic archetype of masculinity, not someone whose past might include being violated or exploited. But the reality is that Attack on Titan is saturated with trauma, and Levi’s trauma is one of the most underexplored and underacknowledged parts of the narrative, precisely because it’s so coded in subtext.
In short, the subtext is there. The behavioral patterns are consistent. And your instinct to read between the lines is absolutely justified. Bad Boy doesn’t explicitly confirm that Levi was sexually abused, but it significantly strengthens the already persistent implication. Acknowledging that possibility isn’t reaching; it’s a valid interpretation of the character and the narrative choices surrounding him.
Thanks for the ask, anon! I hope my answer was interesting to read.
Understanding Attack on Titan via Realistic Conflict Theory
I’ve been thinking about making this sort of post for a while now, because Attack on Titan (AoT) has so many layers of conflict that go beyond “good guys vs. bad guys”. One of the things I’ve always found fascinating is how often the story’s biggest battles—whether between nations, factions, or even close allies—come down to fear, survival, and the belief that if the other side wins, we lose.
That pattern reminded me a lot of realistic conflict theory (RCT), a framework from social psychology that explains how competition over scarce resources can create and intensify hostility between groups. Once I started looking at AoT through this lens, the cycles of violence and mistrust in the series made even more sense.
What is Realistic Conflict Theory?
Realistic conflict theory (RCT) explains how intergroup hostility arises from competition over limited, zero-sum resources—those that, if one group gains, the other must lose. These resources can be material (land, money) or symbolic (power, safety, status). When groups perceive that their survival or well-being depends on securing these resources, they often develop prejudice, discrimination, and even open conflict toward the out-group. The word "perceive" is important here, as the mere perception that there's a scarcity of resources is enough to override the reality of whether there is or not.
A common byproduct of this tension is the creation of scapegoats: marginalized groups blamed for the dominant group’s problems, which unites the in-group and justifies hostility. RCT also emphasizes that such hostility isn’t inevitable; it can be reduced when opposing groups work toward superordinate goals: shared objectives that require cooperation and cannot be achieved by one group alone.
RCT highlights how scarcity, perceived threat, and structural competition fuel division, while shared needs and collaboration can pave the way for reconciliation.
How Does RCT Relate to Attack on Titan?
AoT is a story steeped in cycles of intergroup conflict: Eldians vs. Marleyans, Paradis vs. the rest of the world, military factions vs. civilians, and even internal divisions within those factions. Much of this conflict can be understood as stemming not from ideology alone, but from perceived scarcity—of power, land, safety, and historical legitimacy. RCT provides a useful framework for unpacking the many layers of violence and polarization in the series.
Paradis vs. Marley
Perhaps the most explicit example of RCT in AoT is the long-standing war between Marley and the Eldians of Paradis. Marley’s hatred of Paradis is rooted in the belief that the islanders pose an existential threat. Even after Paradis has spent a century under the King’s Vow Renouncing War, Marley continues its campaign of aggression, not simply for revenge but because Paradis holds access to the Founding Titan, a power that Marley both covets and fears. Control over the Founding Titan is seen as a zero-sum resource—if Paradis has it, Marley doesn’t.
This perception of threat justifies Marley’s ongoing dehumanization of Eldians within the Walls and explains the militarization of children like Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt, who are sent to infiltrate and destroy the enemy. Their mission isn’t framed as genocide, but as a necessary act of protection, which is classic RCT logic. If the enemy has power, we are not safe.
In turn, Paradis begins to act under the same logic. As the truth about the world is revealed, the people of Paradis, particularly people like Floch and the Yeagerists, view the outside world as an ever-present danger. They adopt a similar zero-sum mentality: if we don’t destroy them, they will destroy us. This mindset is what ultimately enables the Rumbling—not because Eren himself fully believed in it, but because the scarcity logic of those around him gave him the power to act. While Eren always knew the Rumbling was wrong, figures like Floch were aware of his plan and supported it anyway, convinced it was the only way to ensure Paradis’ survival. In this way, the Rumbling becomes the ultimate product of RCT’s darkest outcomes—not solely the belief of one individual, but the collective acceptance of mass violence as necessary self-defense.
Eldians vs. Eldians
RCT doesn’t only explain intergroup hostility; it also accounts for intragroup conflict when resources are scarce. Within the Walls, conflict arises between the ruling monarchy and the Survey Corps. The monarchy hoards knowledge and power, denying the rest of the population access to truth or agency. The SC, recognizing this resource imbalance, revolts in Season 3, leading to a coup.
Later, this same dynamic emerges again within Paradis. Once Marley becomes the external enemy, Paradisians become split between Eren’s followers (Yeagerists) and the remnants of the old military and SC. Both sides want survival, but they have different ideas about how to secure it. The Yeagerists believe peace is impossible and that power (via the Rumbling) is the only way forward. They gain traction, not just through ideology but by offering a resource-based solution to a terrified population—in essence, support us, and you’ll live.
The internal civil conflict on Paradis is, in many ways, a mirror of the broader global conflict: a splintering driven by scarcity, fear, and survival.
Marleyan Propaganda and the Creation of Scapegoats
RCT also predicts that when resources are threatened or perceived to be under strain, dominant groups often create scapegoats to blame for their condition. This is exactly what Marley does to Eldians living on the mainland. Even though Eldians in internment zones are powerless, they are portrayed as inherently dangerous—genetically inclined to violence due to their titan heritage.
Marley uses this perceived threat to justify their oppression. The Eldians become a convenient "out-group" that unifies Marleyans and prevents dissent. As RCT suggests, when a group is under economic or social pressure, cohesion often increases by redirecting anger toward a shared enemy. Basically, this narrative diverts attention from the state’s own failings.
This dynamic is especially clear in Reiner's backstory. As a child, he internalizes the belief that if he becomes a Warrior and defeats the "island devils" on Paradis, he and his mother will be granted citizenship and respect. In other words, he is taught that personal and familial security—scarce resources—can be won through loyalty to the state and hostility to the designated enemy. This is also prevalent in Gabi's story arc.
The Alliance: Superordinate Goals as a Path to Peace
One of the most hopeful applications of RCT is the idea that groups in conflict can overcome hostility by pursuing superordinate goals (again, shared objectives that require cooperation). AoT illustrates this possibility in the final arc, when the Alliance is formed. Former enemies (the Scouts and the Warriors) come together to stop Eren and prevent global annihilation.
Their alliance is not based on trust or shared ideology; it’s born out of necessity. If Eren succeeds, everyone dies. Stopping him becomes a superordinate goal that temporarily overrides their history of betrayal. While fragile, this cooperation shows how shared stakes can bridge seemingly irreconcilable divides.
This aligns closely with Sherif’s findings in the Robbers Cave study, where conflict between two rival groups of boys was only resolved when both teams were forced to cooperate to fix a problem that neither could solve alone.
Final Thoughts
AoT is often discussed in terms of trauma, ideology, or existentialism, but beneath all that is a brutal commentary on what happens when people are forced to compete for survival. RCT helps explain the psychological and sociopolitical dynamics that turn people into enemies: not because they are inherently evil or monstrous, but because they are scared, desperate, and convinced that there isn’t enough to go around.
It’s a story about what happens when fear overrides empathy/compassion—and what small hope remains when people choose, against all odds, to try working together anyway.
That’s what makes the story hit so hard. It’s not just titans that are terrifying; it’s how easily people can talk themselves into killing for “protection,” how propaganda can turn neighbors into threats, and how the same logic that fuels genocide can also be used to justify the people fighting against it. In the end, the Rumbling was less about one man’s belief than the collective mindset that let it happen.
It’s messy, it’s human, and it’s why AoT will always be a relevant and salient piece of media.
Why do you think Levi is subjected to more ableism in the fandom than other characters in the series?
You know, Anon, I’ve wondered the same thing. I’ve often thought about why Levi in particular faces so much ableism from fans, especially compared to other disabled characters in Attack on Titan, like Erwin (who was an amputee) and Hange (who lost an eye). I think one important difference driving the ableism against Levi is how his role in the narrative was tied so strongly to his physical prowess; he was literally hailed as “Humanity’s Strongest.” For many fans, this moniker became his entire identity. When they see Levi at the end of the manga with severe injuries—half-blind, facially scarred, and using a wheelchair—there can be an almost visceral reaction: they feel he’s “lost” what made him exceptional and, consequently, his worth.
Of course, this attitude misses the deeper point of his character. Levi’s true “strength” was never about having perfectly functioning limbs or unmatched reflexes; instead, it lay in his resilience, moral compass, and capacity to protect and care about others despite intense personal trauma. Unlike Erwin or Hange—whose strengths were regarded as intellectual, strategic, or based on charisma—Levi was mythologized for his physical abilities. And our society, unfortunately, tends to place a premium on physical performance; people often conflate physical prowess with overall capability and even personal value. Notice how many superhero stories focus on those heroes being heroic because of their superpowers. When that physical prowess is removed, the ableist assumption is that someone becomes “useless” or “broken”. Erwin and Hange aren’t subjected as much to this particular form of prejudice because their disabilities aren’t perceived as negating their worth.
Furthermore, mobility disabilities in particular are frequently treated with greater bias and discrimination—there is a long history of society perceiving a wheelchair user’s life as diminished or over. Because Levi’s injuries affect him in very visible ways (eye injury, wheelchair use, and facial scarring), the ableist rhetoric becomes more overt: some fans leap to the conclusion that he’s a shadow of his former self, rather than recognizing he’s still the same exact individual who overcame a violent childhood, survived countless battles, and bore tremendous responsibility and loss on his shoulders, all with immense compassion.
What’s especially ironic is that Levi’s endurance and courage remain perfectly intact; if anything, his hardships only reinforce how indomitable his spirit is. Being in a wheelchair doesn’t negate what he’s achieved; it highlights how much he’s lost yet continues to survive, pushing forward with the same mental and emotional fortitude. By dismissing him because of his physical injuries, people undermine the story’s nuanced message: that genuine strength is measured by character, not physical strength.
All in all, I believe Levi faces more blatant ableism because people struggle to separate his core character from his once-renowned physicality. The fact that he ended the story visibly disabled, rather than “bouncing back” with minimal repercussions, forces certain fans to confront their own biases regarding disability. Instead of reading it as an empowering statement rooted in realism—that Levi is still himself, still strong in ways that truly matter—some choose to read it through an ableist lens, judging his worth by his physical condition alone.
I can’t get over the fact that seeking out physical mementos of his dead loved ones is something Levi has been doing since he was a young child. He sought out his mom’s tea set because it was the last tangible symbol of the life she lived and the impression he had of her—never wanting to forget her. Levi keeps inside of him the memories of every person he has ever lost.
Levi does the same thing again when he loses his squad in the “Female Titan” arc, and he cuts out Petra’s Scout badge from her uniform. He wanted a physical reminder that they had lived. These physical reminders are signs of who they were when they were still alive. To Levi, everyone deserves to be remembered as such. There’s such tragic selflessness in Levi, though, that he willingly gives up that last memento of Petra to help alleviate the grief of Dieter, who had just finished accusing Levi of being “devoid of humanity” and then endangered all of them in an attempt to retrieve the body of his dead comrade. Levi consistently forgoes his own needs to help others.
That same tragic selflessness is present in Levi in “Bad Boy” because Levi was ready to die in order to preserve that last impression he had of his mom, the one good thing he ever had. Let that sink in. Levi didn’t even fully remember his mom, but the mere impression of her was the one good thing he had. That says volumes about the suffering Levi must have experienced in his short life up until that moment. He truly does not see any worth in himself or in his own life. He actively endangered himself in “Bad Boy” because of this. He was suicidal.
And yet, Levi values the lives of others beyond anyone else. He seeks to give their deaths meaning. All this, despite seeing no greater value in himself beyond his ability to help people. Levi sees others’ lives as inherently valuable, but not his own.
It is significant to note that Levi’s powers awakened from a desire to protect. It wasn’t until the men attacking him in “Bad Boy” spoke horrific things about his mother that Levi fought back with the intention to protect his mom’s image. It was that moment in which he awakened.
The trauma of going into a situation fully expecting to die and then coming out of it having murdered multiple men is immeasurable. Levi never wanted this life of violence, as evidenced by the fact Levi peacefully asked multiple times for these men to give him an item that was rightfully his in the first place. Then, this bastard with the glasses later attempts to carve into Levi the idea that Levi’s own mother would be disappointed in him and hate him for having defended himself—when the only reason Levi even fought back was to protect her image. The tea cup breaking at the end acted as a metaphor that Levi had sullied his own image in the eyes of his mother, reinforced by the likely fact that it was his newly awakened strength that broke the handle—Levi views himself as the problem. The title “Bad Boy” is in reference to Levi’s perception of himself as a bad boy.
It is clear to me that the only thing that motivated Levi to live after all this was the idea that he could possibly do something good with his newfound strength—even though he viewed it as a monstrosity within him, being the cause of him destroying the last memory of his mother and resulting in him killing multiple men (likely for the first time). His newfound strength was also associated with leading directly to Kenny abandoning him. As such, there is no other reason Levi would have wanted to keep living otherwise. All of this speaks to an innate goodness in Levi. His selflessness is both his greatest flaw and his greatest strength.
Hello, loved that levi ask and what you said is what i believed since bad boy came out, however there's this piece of information from isayama from his autograph session in 2018 he says :
Q: Kenny said he will never go to a brothel. Does Levi think the same way?” Isayama: “Because it’s an environment that Levi had been part of since childhood, it seems like he considers prostitution as just another ordinary job.”
I have a hard time seeing how this fit or maybe isayama changed his mind? What do you think?
This ask is in reference to this post.
Hi, anon, thank you for your ask! And thank you for your kind words. I’m glad I was able to verbalize some of your own thoughts.
You know, I’ve seen this quote referenced several times, and I also find it interesting. Now, I don’t speak Japanese, so I can’t entirely speak to (1) the accuracy of the translation and (2) the nuances of Isayama’s intended meaning and phrasing. But, based on how I interpret his words, I don’t think they contradict the idea that Levi may have experienced trauma related to the environment he grew up in.
When I read that quote, I interpret it as Levi not judging people who engage in sex work, not that he views the industry as entirely harmless. Growing up in the Underground, prostitution was likely one of the few options available for survival—especially for women like Kuchel. Levi knows that. He saw it firsthand. I think Isayama is saying Levi doesn’t look down on sex workers or moralize their choices because, to him, sex work was part of the economic reality of poverty. It was common. It was normalized. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t also exploitative, violent, or traumatizing; it just means Levi is able to recognize the systemic forces that put people, including his mother, in those positions. And crucially, it means he directs any judgment or anger toward those systems, not toward the people trapped within them.
We know, for example, Levi deeply respects his mother. He holds Kuchel in the highest regard; he honors her memory, seeks to remember her, and he never speaks about her with bitterness or shame (he even sees her as elegant). But that respect doesn’t mean he was blind to the toll her occupation took on her, or on him. Levi understands what poverty and desperation can do to people. So it’s entirely consistent that he would view sex work as “ordinary” in the sense of “commonplace” or “survival-driven,” while still recognizing the harm and coercion often embedded in it.
Those ideas aren’t mutually exclusive. You can have compassion for the individuals involved, even as you criticize the system that exploits them. And Levi, more than most characters, is capable of holding those two truths at once.
Also, it’s important to recognize that Isayama’s comments outside the manga often reflect a broad, neutral stance. He tends to give room for multiple interpretations and has admitted before that his thoughts on characters evolve over time.
One Timeline, One Fate: How Eren’s Will Shaped the 80% Rumbling in Attack on Titan
Okay, so I’ve seen tons of confusion surrounding the nature of “time travel” in Attack on Titan: Why couldn’t Eren just change the future once he saw it? Are there multiple timelines at play? And if so, did Eren ever really have a choice, or was he locked into carrying out the Rumbling? I decided to make a comprehensive post to help clear things up.
“Time travel” in Attack on Titan is actually more about memory transmission than literal hopping between timelines. Basically, I’ll be explaining the Attack Titan’s ability to see future inheritors’ memories, the Founding Titan’s role in uniting all Subjects of Ymir through the Paths, and how these powers combine to form what looks like a loop of inevitability. By the end, you’ll see why Eren couldn’t—or rather, wouldn’t—alter the course he’d foreseen, and why there’s really only one timeline holding it all together. In essence, Eren chose the future he saw, even if he couldn't alter it.
How does “time travel” work in Attack on Titan?
Attack on Titan does not portray multiple realities or divergent timelines. Rather, the story unfolds along a single timeline, wherein past, present, and future events can influence one another through Titan memories.
In Attack on Titan, “time travel” is really a byproduct of two intertwined abilities:
The Founding Titan’s power (Ymir Fritz’s power):
Connects all Subjects of Ymir through the Paths.
Can alter memories, bodies, and even pass mental images across time if the Founder is involved.
The Attack Titan’s power:
Possesses the ability to view the memories of its future inheritors (not just past ones).
This means the Attack Titan can see glimpses of events that haven’t happened yet—at least to the Titan’s current holder.
When Eren acquires both the Attack Titan and gains partial (and later full) access to the Founding Titan’s abilities (through contact with royal blood, notably via Zeke, and earlier interactions with Historia and Dina), these powers merge, enabling memories to move both forward and backward along a single, unbroken timeline.
How Memories “Move” Through Time
Because of these powers:
Eren can send memories from his future self to past inheritors of the Attack Titan.
These transmissions are selective; Eren chooses which memories to send and to whom.
The Founding Titan’s power effectively creates a network (the Paths) that spans all time. It’s not traditional time-travel ; it’s more akin to a single timeline threaded through everyone connected by Ymir’s bloodline.
It is important to note: The future that is transmitted back is the future that will occur; there are no alternate versions of reality. Once Eren perceives a future or sends a memory of it, the timeline has effectively “locked in” that eventuality.
Key Evidence from the Manga:
The Attack Titan’s Power (Chapter 89)
Eren Kruger demonstrates knowledge of Mikasa and Armin long before they are born, a clear example of glimpsing future inheritors’ memories.
Founding Titan & the Paths (Chapters 120–122)
These chapters illustrate how the Founding Titan’s influence spans all Subjects of Ymir within the Coordinate, enabling far-reaching manipulations of time, memory, and physical forms.
Influencing the Past (Chapter 121)
Eren effectively spurs Grisha Yeager to carry out the attack on the Reiss family. This provides a direct example of Eren influencing the past. Grisha also explicitly reacts to something Eren is showing him—memories from Eren's future, beamed back through the Paths.
Why Eren Couldn’t (or Wouldn’t) Change the Future
A central question arises: if Eren perceives destructive events on the horizon, why not prevent them? The best way to understand this is recognizing that Eren’s will, his personal desires, and the single, closed loop timeline all lock him into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Attack Titan does not expose random potential scenarios; it reveals a future shaped by Eren’s own resolve and desires. Once Eren observes (and transmits) a specific future, that future becomes embedded in the timeline. Attempting to deviate would negate the very memories he sent back. Moreover, Eren doesn’t want to negate the memories he sent back. Eren transmits those memories precisely because he wants his past self to strive toward that future. The image of the Rumbling’s destruction (think of the “this is freedom” panel) is what Eren wants to see.
Crucially, he shows this willingness and longing by diverting the path of Dina’s titan away from Bertolt—a decision that ensures certain events unfold exactly as needed (including the death of his own mother) to see a future where he carries out the Rumbling.
When Did Eren Know He’d Be Stopped at 80% Destruction?
Eren’s early glimpses of the future, derived solely from the Attack Titan, were incomplete. As a result, he initially believed the Rumbling would annihilate the entire world. Not until physical contact with Ymir Fritz in the Paths (Chapters 120–122) did he acquire comprehensive knowledge of the ultimate outcome—namely, that the destruction would halt at roughly 80%, not 100%. Before this full disclosure, his partial insights led him to anticipate total obliteration.
What’s the evidence for this?:
Up until Chapter 120, Eren never had full control of the Founding Titan. It was only when he and Zeke converged in the Paths that Eren finally reached Ymir directly. Until that point, he had only seen glimpses of the future via the Attack Titan’s ability—the most notable example being when he made contact with Historia in Chapter 90.
The glimpses of the future Eren sent to himself in the past only showed him the future he wanted to see. As a result, Eren fixated on the outcome he’d been driving toward (total destruction) without realizing there was a point in which he’d be forced to stop. The glimpses he saw led him to think that total annihilation was the endgame; he never saw (or understood) the moment in which the Alliance would intervene and halt the Rumbling. Eren’s mindset pre-contact with Ymir is also important to understand. In the flashbacks with Floch shown in Chapters 130-131, Eren shows no intention of leaving survivors outside the island.
Throughout Chapters 130-131, Eren is also shown deliberating the atrocity he’s about to commit. He fully believes it will erase civilization beyond Paradis.
Why didn’t Eren pivot when he learned that 100% annihilation wasn’t in the cards?:
Bringing all of the points together—there’s only one chain of events. The moment Eren sees how it concludes, it’s set—because that’s the future he himself instigates. Even though Eren’s rational mind grasps that the Rumbling will “fail” to achieve total destruction, he’s already committed to forging that horrific reality. This drive, tied to his longing for absolute freedom and a human-free landscape, renders him incapable (or unwilling) to step back. In Chapter 122, Ymir’s choice to grant Eren the full Founding Titan power ensures the unstoppable path forward. The Rumbling commences, and the single timeline proceeds as “destined.” Chapter 139 finalizes the point: Eren outright confesses to Armin that he moved forward with the Rumbling partly because he couldn’t stop himself. His dream of freedom—the same dream that made him wage war on the entire world—also chained him to the future he saw.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Attack on Titan’s depiction of “time travel” is less about traversing alternate timelines and more about transmitting memories within a single, closed timeline. The Attack Titan sees future events (shaped by the wielder’s own will), and the Founding Titan’s Paths allow those events to anchor themselves in the past. This cycle forms an unbreakable loop, ensuring that the fate Eren glimpses is the fate he brings to life—no matter how horrifying.
So, while it might look like Eren is helpless in the face of destiny, the truth is more bittersweet: he’s trapped by his own desires and the single timeline’s rules. He chooses to walk the path he’s shown, effectively binding himself to the 80% Rumbling outcome. In this way, Eren Yeager’s tragedy lies not in having no choice—but in having a singular, unwavering conviction that makes him want the future he sees, ensuring it can’t unfold any other way.
If you're interested in more of my thoughts on the subject of Eren and whether he had a choice, here's another post I wrote on the topic:
Compatibilism can be simply defined as the assertion that free will can be compatible with determinism—that is, they are not mutually exclus
Levi's intelligence is often overlooked, probably because he's compared directly to Erwin and Hange. Erwin and Hange are both extraordinarily intelligent, but Levi is immensely intelligent himself. He is able to read people (better than any other character), and he knows how to make the best use of what he has available. Many other users have done a wonderful job expanding on Levi's emotional intelligence, so I wanted to expand on some of his feats of general intelligence:
I. Ability to Both Think Long-Term and Make Quick Decisions While in the Midst of Battle
After Historia and Eren are captured by Kenny and the MPs, Levi avoids immediately chasing after them—similarly to how he approached the situation with the Female Titan. The overall strategic goal still remained keeping Historia and Eren safe, but Levi was able to recognize in the moment that chasing after them would not have successfully led to achieving that objective. Levi adapted his tactics, and the Scouts were overall more successful in their mission because of it.
Without Erwin, Levi is able to lead his remaining team to safety and take down an MP compound without casualties. They are all able to regroup and come up with a plan to rescue Eren and Historia because of Levi's quick thinking and long-term planning during this battle.
II. The Reeves Negotiation
Much has been said about Levi's kindness and compassion in this arc, about how he's interested in saving the city of Trost at no tangible benefit to himself (and after being directly mistreated by its citizens earlier in the same arc), but what I want to bring attention to is (1) that he was able to recognize the opportunity for a negotiation and (2) his skills at bargaining.
Directly after taking down the MP compound (Chapter 54: "Location of the Counterattack"), Levi and his team encounter Dimo Reeves, the boss for the Reeves Company as well as the merchant responsible for blocking the Trost gate earlier in the series. Levi is able to intuit that there is more to Dimo Reeves' "deal" with the MPs than meets the eye, so he brings Dimo Reeves outside to look over Trost together and converse. This demonstrates Levi's skill at reading people. No other character had indicated an interest in holding a conversation about Dimo's motives.
Dimo reveals how the Reeves Company has been at the mercy of the Interior MPs and how he has been following the MPs' orders to avoid getting immediately killed and losing everything—to protect his employees and their families. This conversation directly leads to a negotiation and then a deal being formed between the Scouts and the Reeves Company.
When Levi is laying out the conditions for the deal, it is evident that Dimo does not seem initially receptive. Levi uses the word "trust," which Dimo balks at.
However, Levi's third condition, which is actually the most unimportant and superfluous one, results in Dimo accepting the deal. Why?
"Seems you're even greedier than a merchant." Dimo says this, as he is familiar at interacting with and respects other merchants. Levi added the third condition in, not simply because he wants tea and other luxurious goods, but because it brings himself down to Dimo's level. Without this condition, the deal may not have gone through. It is exactly this condition that results in Dimo "trusting" Levi as an equal.
This negotiation is also more evidence toward Levi's ability to think long-term. This deal between the Scouts and the Reeves Company benefits the Scouts for the remainder of the series.
III. Luring Kenny Into a Bar
Expanding on Levi's ability to make quick decisions while in the midst of battle, one of the best examples of this is Levi's first encounter with Kenny during the Uprising arc, where Levi lures Kenny into a bar and is able to defeat him as a result.
This goes beyond Ackerman prowess, as that is more related to superhuman strength and heightened combat reflexes. This is specifically a feat of intelligence; it's a sign of Levi's ingenuity—using aspects of the environment to his advantage. By luring Kenny into a bar, Levi is able to procure a weapon to even the playing field. Kenny himself is impressed and adds in that Levi was not taught these tactics by him. Some of the specific tactics of note:
III.a Use of Reflection
Levi is able to procure a shotgun while simultaneously taking cover from Kenny. He converses with Kenny to keep Kenny focused on him and not the bar's patrons, and even though Levi is facing away from Kenny, he uses the reflection off the alcohol's glass to properly aim the shotgun.
III.b Chair and Figuring Out the Firearms' Weakness
Levi knew he was going to be ambushed from up top as soon as he left the bar, so he threw a chair out the window to both distract and waste his opponents' shots. I'm fairly certain Levi was the first one to notice the main weakness of the anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment.
The main weakness, as Armin explains above in a later chapter, is that they need to reload after shooting twice. Levi first threw a chair, forcing one of his opponents to shoot twice, kills that opponent, and then uses that opponent's body as a shield against the other two guys' shots.
IV. Final Battle - Infers Immediately Armin is Alive
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but Levi is the first to infer that Armin has to be alive, given the way Titan powers work. As such, Levi is able to keep the others focused on the battle in front of them, knowing that Armin is alive and unharmed. This again speaks to Levi's quick thinking while in the midst of battle; it is often more difficult to make these sorts of judgments while in a fight-or-flight situation. Keep in mind as well that Levi is also grievously injured here, so it is even more impressive, how quickly he's able to make this inference.
V. Final Battle - Leadership and Planning
Full stop, the Alliance would not have succeeded without Levi, and part of that is because of Levi's ability to take charge and come up with a plan. This is the plan that they followed throughout the entire duration of the Battle of Heaven and Earth, and it is a plan Levi came up with, directly in response to an unexpected change in circumstances.
This again shows off Levi's skill in adjusting tactics to achieve a strategic objective. Even though the commanders are the ones often in charge of this, Levi is clearly very capable and adept at this himself. Right before this panel, everyone was arguing on how to proceed. Levi came up with the best overall plan, and in addition to that, formulated the two teams required to carry out that plan.
