seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Bulgaria
seen from New Zealand
seen from India
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from Italy
seen from Malaysia
seen from Canada
seen from Germany
seen from Canada
seen from France
seen from France
seen from France
seen from Canada
seen from Malaysia
seen from Canada
seen from United States
At least Mikasa has a part of him to carry home. She was able to bury him, to give him a resting place she can return to whenever she misses him.
As for Levi, he has left with nothing to bury. All he has left is the scar she stitched - silent trace of the moment she held him together, just before everything fell apart.
…and this will always haunt me for the rest of my life.
They refused to look into each other’s eyes, even for the last time, so that both of them could carry on with their duty.
“If I look at you, I won’t be able to go.”
“But if I don’t look… maybe I can live with this.”
Levi Hoped That Hange Would Make It Out Alive After Chapter 132
I’ve read a lot of meta analyses about Levi’s pain in Chapter 132, and I agree with most of them. But I want to add something of my own.
I will try to use the manga and the anime to try to be as objective as possible. But be warned that this is head canon territory. The scene could be interpreted differently, depending on the viewer/reader.
Moving on…
Most interpretations say Levi hesitated to look at Hange as she stepped forward to buy time for the Alliance because he couldn’t bear to watch her die. What’s worse he couldn't do anything about it.
In the two panels below, Levi could be seen watching as Hange fights of Colossal Titans. When Hange managed to kill some of the titans, the others cheered for her (you can see Connie lifting his fist). He didn’t join the cheers. He just stood there. Watching.
In that silence, I like to think something flickered to life in him—a sliver of hope. That maybe, somehow, Hange would survive this one too. Maybe that’s why he didn’t look away, why he watched her in silence. Maybe the cheers around him gave him that fragile, fleeting hope.
He only looked away when the plane was about to take off. And unlike the others, he didn’t rush to the window to watch her final stand. From keeping his eyes on her every move to suddenly refusing to look at all. It speaks volumes.
Before she left, Levi never said goodbye. He opted for ‘See you, Hange’, like they would still see each other again, soon.
Maybe... because he was still holding on.
And when he boarded that plane, I think that’s what he told himself. Maybe she’ll make it out alive. She always does.
We can’t blame him. Hange has her way of escaping death.
Let me site two of the major examples of Hange almost brushed her shoulders with death.
During the Uprising Arc, Traute Caven, a member of Kenny’s Anti-Personnel Squad, slammed her into one of the stone pillars beneath the Reiss chapel. It looked brutal. But she survived.
Then again, in the Return to Shiganshina Arc, there was the explosion when Bertholdt transformed. Levi knew Hange’s squad had been close to the blast. He thought she had been caught in it. He feared the worst. And just when he was at his lowest, thinking he had lost both Hange and Erwin on the same day, while fighting off titans and the Beast Titan alone. He was exhausted. That’s why Mikasa was able to pin him down. (Also, I don’t believe he would ever want to hurt her.)
Then, suddenly, Hange appeared, stopping Mikasa from pinning him down any further. He was relieved to see her because like I stated, he thought she was dead, but she survived (due to Moblit’s sacrifice).
In Chapter 132, when she stayed behind, Levi clung to a fragile hope—that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be the end. That it wouldn’t be her final moment. That’s why he didn’t say goodbye, even as the plane lifted off. Even as the others pressed their faces to the windows, tears streaming, desperate to catch a glimpse of Hange, trying to see if she was okay. Levi couldn’t bring himself to look. Even as they wept in despair, he refused to ask if she was alright, because doing so would mean acknowledging the truth. And a small part of him still refused to believe she wouldn’t make it.
He never told anyone. He didn’t need to. Pretending she wasn’t really gone helped him keep going. Even when he was broken. Even when he was barely standing. He held onto that hope. There was no time to grieve. They had to move, to plan, to survive.
But during the Battle of Heaven and Earth, there were moments when you could see it. Moments where he almost gave up. Maybe it was the physical pain. Maybe it was the psychological one. Maybe both. He was tired. He was battered. He was near his limits. And yet he kept fighting. Not for himself but so that the Alliance could still stop Eren. So that they could make it out alive. He held on for them.
After the battle, when everyone reunited with their loved ones, Levi sat alone.
Armin had Mikasa. Jean had Connie. But Levi? He had no one. He was left alone to mourn. The exhaustion of it all is finally creeping in.
And then the mist came.
The veterans appeared, his fallen comrades. Among them, Hange stood in front. Smiling.
In both the anime and manga, her expression was warm.
When Levi saw Hange in the mist, alongside Erwin, Petra, Miche, Nanaba and Moblit, he finally confirmed what he was denying to himself: she was truly gone.
Any sliver of he had of her surviving is now gone. And it broke him.
Seeing Levi’s brokenness, there was a shift in Hange’s expression. Unlike Erwin, Moblit, Petra—Hange looked visibly sad. She was glad that he’s alive, but seeing his brokenness, it also broke her. She didn’t want to die. She didn’t want to leave him, but duty called, and she had no choice.
In this moment, it feels as though their gazes are speaking to each other, communicating a grief too heavy for words. Only in death were they finally able to meet each other’s eyes, to share a silent understanding that transcended everything else.
And only then, upon confirmation that he will never see Hange alive again, he did the final salute, and allowed himself to cry.
In the anime, his lips trembled quivered before the tears fell from his eyes. In the manga panel below, it looks like he’s still trying to control himself from crying, it was all too much, too sudden.
The one person he had hope would make it. The one he couldn’t say goodbye to. She was gone.
Everything he had been holding back, from the plane, to the battle, to the very last step—finally broke. And realizing this… this already devastating scene somehow became even more heartbreaking.
For me, no matter how many times I rewatch it, I still shed a tear.
theDogs playing in the background makes the scene even more painful, more depressing.
Do you believe that we can just kill them all?
Do you believe that we can conquer this?
Can't delete all the mess that I have see
Fall in the fire, but this burns will heal you.
Can we just give Levi a collective hug? He deserves the world.
Levi’s Eye Panel in Chapter 132 Shows the Stages of Grief—Except Acceptance
If you're a Levihan shipper like me, you already know the infamous scene between Hange and Levi in Chapter 132, or what we collectively call “Levi’s goodbye and Hange’s sacrifice.”
The most memorable moment in that chapter is Levi giving Hange the modified Scout salute. But what I want to focus on is Levi’s eyes. His eyes were drawn in three distinct panels, which, to me, means Isayama wanted us to feel Levi’s inner turmoil. Each panel expresses a different emotion—and what amazed me is that the anime added/changed the final panel.
If you notice, the anime version conveys the same emotional weight—except for one detail: the scrunched nose (attached on the coming paragraphs). That small change, for me, added a different layer. In the manga, it was despair. In the anime, it felt like… anger. And that shift gave us a new perspective.
So I placed the panels side by side, and what resonated with me was how they mirrored the stages of grief—except acceptance.
A quick psychology note: the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These stages can vary in order and intensity depending on the person.
Let’s go back to Levi’s eye panels.
The eye panel happens after Hange says, “So just let me walk away.”
Her words sounded like an order—firm and final. There was no convincing her otherwise. That’s how it came across to Levi. They refused to look at each other, but if you pay attention to Hange’s eyes, she’s scared. She doesn’t want to die, and she doesn’t want to leave Levi behind.
We all know what Hange looks like when she's obsessed with Titans—excited, animated. This wasn’t that. This was fear disguised as courage. But she could never fool Levi.
Now look at the manga panels (Right to Left): to me, they look like Bargaining. Depression. Denial.
And the panel added in the anime? That’s ANGER. The fury of a man who has lost too much to cry.
Remember the nose scrunch I am talking about that is not in the three panels above?
Now let’s try to digest each stage of grief through Levi’s eyes based on how I interpreted them. (This is deep headcanon territory—so you’ve been warned.)
Bargaining (laced with regrets)
Is there any other way?
Should I stop her?
What if I stayed behind instead? Could I buy us more time? Think—there must be another way. I can’t lose the last person I truly care about. Why does everything I touch die?
We can almost hear the chaos in his mind. Bargaining is desperation dressed as strategy. Levi’s a soldier. He’s trained to assess, recalculate, find alternatives. But in this moment, his calculations are just grief trying to negotiate with fate.
And Levi, in that instant, is willing to offer himself. But deep down, he knows—Hange won’t let him. She’s already chosen.
If I wasn’t injured, maybe I could do it. If I were faster. Stronger. If I hadn’t made so many damn mistakes.
Bargaining isn't always with God—it’s often with yourself. It's guilt trying to rewrite the past. It’s the need to trade something, anything, to undo the inevitable.
And he respects her too much to strip that choice away.
Depression
Paralyzed. Defeated.
Levi can’t move. He’s stuck. All he hears is the rumble of the approaching Colossal Titans. The ticking clock.
Why am I still alive?
What’s the purpose of being here, existing and surviving if I just kept on losing the people I care about. Kuchel, Petra, Olou, Erwin, My Squad, and now Hange. For the freedom of humanity, yes, what does that mean really? Is surviving and choosing humanity worth all the pain I suffered? I hope so…
If only I wasn’t injured, we wouldn’t be in this situation where I have to lose someone again.
If I wasn’t injured, I could’ve fought—either instead of her, or at least alongside her. Why?
Denial
Levi knows Hange doesn’t want to die.
Imagine spending years protecting this one person. (Even if you're not a shipper, let's agree that after Hange lost her left eye, Levi is always seen standing on her right—call it platonic or romantic, it's protection.) He even pauses during missions just to check on her. Now, that same person is ordering him to let her walk to her death and he was supposed to just accept it.
Levi’s inner turmoil:
We had hope. We could’ve flown the plane.
We could’ve stopped Eren in time.
Why is this happening now? Why do I have to choose again—Why does it always come down to this? This is too much, I refuse to accept this.
Then the added anime panel:
ANGER
Have I not sacrificed enough?
Will her death finally mean something?
What the hell was it all for?
If I let her walk away… will we be free then?
This isn’t hot, screaming rage we used to see in Levi. It’s quiet and suffocating. The kind that eats you alive. It’s not directed at Hange. It’s directed at the world. At himself. At the cruel cycle of sacrifice and survival.
Why am I even called “Humanity’s Strongest” if I can’t save a single one of them?
Then, the panels move away from his eyes. We don’t see them when he gives the modified salute and says, “Dedicate… your heart.” Notice the ellipsis. The pause. We can assume it was hesitation.
The eye panel missing here, I believe, is acceptance. Because Levi doesn’t really accept it—not in that moment at least. But he has to let Hange believe he does. He pretends to accept it without looking at her. He doesn’t want her to see the pain. He doesn’t want her to regret her decision. He respects her, her resolve, her sacrifice.
Or maybe—he refuses to look at her because he can’t. He knows he’ll break if he does. He doesn’t have the willpower to watch her walk away. And maybe the salute was acceptance, in its own way. Like, this is it. It’s too late. But I want you to know how I really feel.
I know it won’t change anything. But I heard you, back in the forest. I’m letting you go. My heart is yours. Do what you want with it. Trample it. Reject it.
But if you can… please come back alive.
So that’s my how I interpreted Levi’s detailed eye panel in the manga and the anime. Tell me what you think, let’s exchange ideas!
-Lauren
IFKK: When We Finally Saw Hange the Way Levi Does
As readers of the manga (or watchers of the anime), we’ve always seen Hange through a specific lens — loud, animated, that ecstatic mad scientist energy. Even as we got glimpses of the depth and sorrow behind her laughter, she still always came across as strong.
But then we get to Chapter 126 — and the opening panel says it all.
It shows a woman with conviction. A woman who just took lives — her comrades, her subordinates— To protect Levi while he’s unconscious. That strength and willpower were written all over her face as she pulled the trigger.
And let’s talk about Hange’s torn cape shown in the manga. It’s likely she used the bottom part of it to stop Levi from bleeding out. Just think about the presence of mind that took. The sheer willpower.
She was holding someone she deeply cares about — maybe even someone she loves — drenched in his own blood, barely clinging to life. And yet, she moved. She acted. She saved him.
That moment hit me hard, because it showed just how strong Hange truly is — not just as a leader or a soldier, but as a person. If I were in her place, I honestly don’t know how far my adrenaline could take me. I don’t know if I’d be able to keep going.
But here’s where it gets deeper for me.
After showing us how strong Hange’s character is, even in the face of adversity, we’re led into the IFKK scene. (I know, I know — I can’t shut up about it. It’s peak Levihan intimacy.)
And if you compare how Hange looked while holding that rifle, to how she looked while tending to Levi’s wounds, and then again when he finally woke up — there are subtle changes in her expression.
When Levi opened his eyes, Hange’s features seemed soft. Almost calm. The vulnerability and stress were still there, but it’s like… she was gentle. And it made me think — Hange has never been good at hiding her emotions. So if she looks calm and composed here, it’s not because she’s actually okay.
It’s because this is how Levi sees her. This is Levi’s Hange.
In his eyes, she’s calm. Capable. Beautiful, even in the face of fear and war and uncertainties. Even when she’s broken. Especially when she’s broken. He sees all of her — and still, he sees strength and beauty.
(For context, this is how stressed Hange looks like in our POV)
The way he looks at her — soft eyes, lowered brows — it’s not dramatic, but it speaks volumes. It’s quiet admiration, the kind that doesn’t need words.
So unguarded. So rare.
When have we ever seen Levi look at someone like that?
And listen — my favorite parallel? That final scene with Eren and Mikasa.
Eren was about to die. Mikasa was about to kill the one she loved. And yet, in his eyes, Mikasa looked beautiful. Peaceful. As if she was glowing. (Let’s be real — killing the love of your life doesn’t make you glow in their pov unless it’s love looking back at you.)
Eren and Levi—when it comes to the people they love, the ones they’re bound to by something deeper than words—they look with the same eyes. They see through the same lens.
Love. Not the kind that demands perfection, but the kind that stays even when the weight is unbearable. They don’t flinch at the flaws. They don’t turn away from the cracks or the burden.
To them, they are—and always have been—perfect in their imperfection.
They share the same perspective.
The only difference?
Eremika was canon.
Levihan? Well... We got crumbs. Subtext. Glimpses. The pain of uncertainty.
Whenever someone asks me why I think Levihan is canon, I’ll always point to this scene. There are many others, but the IFKK moment will forever be my favorite. It’s pure, it’s beautiful, it’s vulnerable and raw. Just them — like how it could’ve been, if only they had chosen happiness over duty.
And if there’s any consolation to my broken Levihan heart, it’s this scene. The way they look at each other — that’s all the confirmation I ever needed. It confirms everything, without saying a single word. And honestly? I think that’s what makes it so heartbreakingly beautiful and tragic.
***excuse me while I cry myself to sleep again***
PART III: AS THE SMOKE CLEARS
Synopsis:
Three years after the Rumbling, Levi still wrestles with the deep grief of Hange’s sacrifice and the heavy silence of a home that no longer feels like his. When Armin delivers a box containing Hange’s belongings, Levi discovers a letter addressed to him, one last message from Hange.
In this final chapter of Levi and Hange’s story, the past and present collide, challenging Levi to confront his pain and find a path toward healing.
For the full experience:
Part I: Before the Smoke | Part II: Ashes to Ashes
MARLEY, 3 Years After the Battle of Heaven and Earth
It’s been three years since the Battle of Heaven and Earth, but the destruction left in its wake is still evident in Marley.
Since the surviving Alliance members were considered heroes by the nation of Marley, they were allowed to stay there as long as they pleased. Only Mikasa was able to return home to Paradis because its citizens were led to believe that Armin was the one who killed Eren. Armin, Connie, and Jean were all unable to come home because they were seen as traitors of Paradis.
During their stay in Marley, the government provided temporary housing in the remains of the old military barracks, the few structures left standing after the Rumbling. Each member of the Alliance focused their time on different efforts. Armin, Annie, Jean, Connie, Pieck, and Reiner worked tirelessly toward peace talks. They are currently negotiating between Marley, Paradis, and the rest of the world. Meanwhile, Levi, Onyankopon, Yelena, Gabi, and Falco dedicated themselves to helping refugees rebuild their lives.
After a long day of distributing supplies, Levi Ackerman sat in the corner of his room, reading a worn book about old castles, when he heard a soft knock on his door.
He looked up from the page. “Come in.”
Falco slowly opened the door, careful not to let too much light spill into the dim room.
“Heichou, Armin and I were just having tea. We thought... you might want some.” Falco handed him a steaming cup. The warmth slowly crept into Levi’s hands.
"Thanks, Falco."
“You’re welcome, Heichou. I’ll drop by again tomorrow. Maybe we can walk around during sunset?”
Levi gave him a smile, something he hasn’t been able to offer genuinely in a long time, but he tries. Falco and Gabi have been kind to him, and a smile is the only way he knows to return their kindness.
Falco was about to leave when he remembered something.
“Oh—Armin said he’ll visit you later. Something about a trunk or a box?”
Levi frowned slightly. He wasn’t expecting anything.
“Thanks for informing me, Falco.”
Once Falco had gone, Levi turned to return to his chair, only to pause.
For a moment, he saw Hange sitting in the corner, book in hand, legs casually slung over the armrest like always. And then, just as quickly, she was gone.
It had been like this for the past three years.
When he confirmed it was just another trick of the mind, he picked up his book again and tried to find the page he had left open when Falco knocked.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when there was another knock at the door.
This time, it was Armin.
Levi opened the door. Armin stood there, holding a wooden box.
“Armin. Nice of you to visit,” Levi said. His eyes flicked to the box. “What’s inside that box?”
“It arrived today from Lady Kiyomi. While you were at the refugee camp.” Armin’s voice dropped. “It’s... Hange’s belongings.”
Something clenched in Levi’s throat. He didn’t speak.
“Miraculously, it survived, even after the ship exploded during Falco’s transformation. It’s not much. Just some books, a few scrolls, her uniforms...” Armin trailed off, eyes flickering to Levi.
“Hange had no listed family. None that we know of.”
He hesitated. The grief was clear in Levi’s expression.
“I thought... you should have it. You were closest to her.”
Levi stared at the box in Armin’s hands. He couldn’t move. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come. Accepting it meant peeling open a wound that had never truly closed. But to reject it would be worse.
He forced his hands forward and took the box from Armin.
“...Thanks, Armin.” His voice was hoarse. Even that small sentence hurt to say.
Armin stood there a moment longer. He had a question, an urgent one, but it felt cruel to ask it now. Still, he had no choice.
“I wrote to Queen Historia today. The rest of us were planning peace talks with Paradis. We think it’s time. I’m waiting for her reply, but if things work out... we’ll return home. Speak with the government of Paradis.”
“Okay,” Levi said simply.
“You’re welcome to join us. If you want.”
Levi frowned. Not out of anger. Just grief.
“Armin... I believe my duty ended with the Rumbling. I’m done. I just want the rest of my life to be quiet. Peaceful.”
He looked away. “There’s no more reason for me to return to Paradis. I have no one left to go home to… And I can’t go back to a place that calls... Hange a traitor.”
He lowered his gaze, unwilling to meet Armin’s eyes. He didn’t want to see the sympathy there.
“She gave sacrificed herself for the freedom of humanity. She’s a damn hero. If her name is spat on, if her sacrifice is rewritten as betrayal... then that’s not a place I want to return to. I want to be somewhere she’s remembered. Not erased.”
Armin nodded solemnly. “I understand. But... where will you go?”
“I’ll figure it out. I’m injured. Not helpless. I’ve always found my way.”
Armin gave a short bow.
“Alright then. I’ll leave you to rest.”
He paused, then added quietly,
“Goodbye, Heichou. Thank you... for leading us across the sea. And thank you for choosing me. I’ll never forget it.”
He left, the door clicking softly shut behind him.
Now, it was just Levi and the ghost of Hange.
He placed the box on his bed and opened it slowly.
The first thing he pulled out was one of Hange’s Titan biology sketches. He ran his fingers over the scrawled handwriting. It was messy. Familiar. Hers. He traced one of the sketches gently, wondering when she had drawn it. Then, carefully, he set it beside the box.
It hurt. More than he expected. But maybe pain was necessary. Maybe it was the only way to start healing.
He looked further inside:
* A hardened fragment of Eren’s crystallized Titan shell
* Several research notebooks, pages yellowed with time
* Her safety goggles, smudged from old experiments
* A spare pair of her casual glasses
* Erwin’s 13th Commander badge
* Her ceremonial uniform—carelessly folded, as always
Levi picked up the uniform. It still smelled faintly like her. He ran his fingers over the embroidery on the upper left breast pocket:
Hange Zoë, 14th Commander, Survey Corps
His head throbbed. The pain behind his eyes spiked. It was too much. He needed to lie down. He needed the room to stop spinning.
He began folding the uniform carefully, with practiced, trembling hands. Then, something slipped out. A parchment. Folded neatly into fourths.
His breath caught. His fingers shook as he turned it over.
Her messy handwriting stared back at him.
To Levi: Stop scowling and open this.
FLASHBACK:
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM, HOURS BEFORE THE ALLIANCE ARIVE AT ODIHA
It was a mere success, the Alliance managed to escape the port and was now bound to Odiha to service the flying boat.
It was estimated they would arrive within four hours. That gave the remaining members of the Alliance a little time to rest. The past few days had been brutal. None of them had slept properly. They were exhausted, sleep-deprived, and anxious. No one really knew how the Rumbling would end , whether they’d reach Eren in time to stop the genocide, or if it was already too late. The only thing left was hope. The flying boat represented that: a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, if things went according to plan, they could reach him. Talk to him. Stop all of this.
While everyone was resting, Hange was pacing her room back and forth.
She’d tried to lie down earlier, but sleep never came. The weight of her responsibility was suffocating. The possibility of failure gnawed at her. She’s not supposed to feel this way, the others looked to her. She couldn’t show them fear. She couldn’t fall apart, but this is too much for her.
Before she even realized it, her feet were already taking her down the hall. To his room.
It was futile. Pointless. But she always felt a little calmer when she was near him. Habit, maybe.
When she entered, Levi was fast asleep.
She stepped quietly toward the bed and reached out, resting her hand lightly on his forehead. He’s still feverish, likely from his wounds. She sighed and pulled the chair closer to his bedside, then sat down. Hange rested her head on the edge of the mattress, using her arm as a pillow.
She listened to the sound of his breathing, steady, but heavy. She couldn’t sleep. Not while he looked like this.
So she sat up again and studied his face. The scars. The ones she stitched herself. How could someone be in so much pain, and still look this peaceful?
The memory of the day she found Levi drenched in his own blood rushed back to her. She remembered how she was frozen, paralyzed by grief and disbelief when she thought he had stopped breathing. She wanted to say something, but no words came. The only sound was the rain and the frantic pounding of her own heart. Then, she saw him, he opened his eyes to look at her, then closed them again . In that moment, a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding rushed back into her lungs. It felt as if someone had been choking the air out of her. It was the first time she’d felt that way.
She knew death. She had lived with it. But Levi’s had come too close. And it stirred something inside her, something she couldn’t quite name.
Maybe that was when she became vulnerable. As she tended to Levi’s wounds, her mind was in turmoil. The weight of everything was crashing down on her, leaving her raw. For a moment, she just wanted to lie beside him, to feel his warmth. She wanted to stay there, but she knew she couldn’t.
The memory made her temples ache. She rubbed at them, then glanced around the room. There was a pen and some paper sitting on the desk in the corner. She stood and walked over. Picked them up. If she couldn’t sleep, she might as well write. At least here, in this room, she could still feel his presence.
She sat down. The pen hovered over the paper. She didn’t really know what to say. The tip of the pen stayed still for a while. She tried to arrange her thoughts, to decide where to begin.
But there was no good place to start. So she stopped thinking and just wrote what she felt, even her thoughts are not organized, she knows that Levi would understand what she's saying, he always does.
-
Yo, Levi.
I'm writing this letter as fast as I can so please don't make fun of my messy handwriting. I will try to say as much with the little free time that I have.
I know this is dumb. I should be planning, calculating, doing something useful with my spare time, but if you're reading this, then yeah. You know what happened.
So—hi. Or maybe goodbye. Maybe both.
I just want to know, before Shiganshina, you had that talk with Erwin, right? Did he ever tell you how he felt before the mission? Was he scared? Did he already know it would be his end?
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.
There’s been this feeling in my gut, like something’s about to happen. I don’t know what or when, only that it’s coming. And it won’t wait. That’s why I’m writing this. Because if that feeling is right, if I don’t make it, I don’t want to leave without at least trying to say everything I’ve kept inside.
The truth is, I don’t really know where to start. So I’ll go back to where it all began.
Before you, I was always the outcast. The weird girl no one quite knew what to do with. I found some sense of purpose when I joined the Survey Corps, but I still felt like I was orbiting something I couldn’t reach. Then I met you. Another outsider, sharp-edged and silent. At first, I thought I was just curious. You were difficult to read, and I wanted to understand you. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized, it wasn’t just curiosity anymore.
That’s why I kept bothering you. I forced my way into your life, even though you clearly didn’t want me there at first. It wasn’t easy. You resisted. Took you ages to even look me in the eye. But I was persistent, and eventually, little by little, you let me in.
And what I found behind that cold, closed-off exterior was someone painfully brave. Loyal. Selfless. Someone who would give everything to protect others. Slowly, without meaning to, you became one of my constants.
We were together so often it stopped needing explanation. We got used to each other, to the silences, the sarcasm, the unspoken understanding. So much so that I can’t even remember when you stopped being just my comrade.
Maybe it was always there, buried under duty and denial. I just didn’t want to give it a name. But I felt it in the way I missed you when you were gone. How I felt steadier just knowing you were nearby. How it threw me off when you weren’t.
And I thought, this isn’t what you’re supposed to feel for a comrade.
I always thought if I just asked the right questions, looked long enough, dissected every little thing, I could figure it all out. Titans. War. People. The why of it all. But you? You were the one thing I never could. At some point, I started seeing you as more than a friend. (And don’t you dare bring up Shadis—that was an entirely different mess.) Still, I buried it. Convinced myself it was nothing. That I was imagining things. That duty must always come first.
But you made forgetting impossible.
You’d show up outside my lab after days of isolation, checking in. You even came to pick me up yourself when I almost missed the mission about Pastor Nick, despite being injured and surrounded by soldiers who could’ve done it instead. You always kept an eye on me, in your own quiet, irritating way. Your words were harsh, but your actions never were. I heard what you meant, even when you said it like an insult.
For a while, I thought maybe I was delusional. Maybe years of Titan research had finally done something to my head.
Then came that night, six years ago, when we were alone in that tower. I saw something in you, something vulnerable. I pushed. I’m sorry. I told myself it was just curiosity, an experiment. But when something real flickered to life, I panicked. I shut it down. I was a coward.
Still, I think we made the right choice. I don’t regret what we didn’t become. Our paths were tied together anyway. After Erwin died, everything changed. Our responsibilities shifted. We were still side by side, but this time, bound by duty. And even then, I still believed in your strength. Maybe too much. I thought you were unbreakable. So when I saw you lying in your own blood, barely breathing, I froze. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. I just stared. And then, I saw you open your eyes momentarily. You were alive. But I was still stuck, paralyzed.
Then Floch said he was going to check your pulse. That’s what snapped me out of it.
I couldn’t let him touch you. If he knew you were alive, he would’ve killed you. Something inside me just… cracked. I forgot about my duty. I forgot about my damn principles. I acted. For once, I chose what I wanted—not what being Commander demanded of me. If he had to kill me to get to you, then so be it.
Because what’s the point of leadership if I can’t protect the one person who matters most?
You were meant to live that day. Because just as Floch reached for you, Zeke appeared. They got distracted. It gave me enough time to act. I don’t even remember how I did it, I just grabbed you, jumped into the river, and swam until we disappeared from sight.
I wasn’t thinking about how to escape. I just couldn’t let them take you from me.
And then, when I was stitching you up, I started talking. I thought you were unconscious. I let my thoughts spill out, like I always do with you. You’ve always been the level-headed one. The one I confide in when everything else feels like too much.
Remember when I asked you to stay in that forest, just the two of us, I meant it. I was ready to give up everything. I wanted to live in peace with you. But you reminded me who I am. You brought me back to myself. And that moment, that’s when I finally knew what I felt. What it all meant.
Thank you for letting me go once again, even when it must’ve hurt.
Thank you for staying by my side all these years. For being the one person I could always count on. We were so constant, so intertwined, I forgot how to imagine a world where you weren’t in it. That’s why, when I thought you died, it felt like everything ended.
So if this letter ever finds you, Levi, please, go on. Without me.
But promise me one thing: stop living only for others.
You always call yourself a weapon. A tool. Humanity’s strongest soldier. But that’s not who you are. Not really.
You carry all this pain, and still, you care. Even when you try not to.
So if we succeed, live. Not just survive. Live.
And when you grow tired, when your bones are ready to rest—I’ll be waiting. I’ll listen to your stories the way you listened to mine. Even if they don’t make sense anymore. Like the old days.
Before I end this, there’s one more thing I need to confess. A selfish thought.
Levi, I want to live in your memory. Loud, persistent, maybe even annoying, but always there.I want you to roll your eyes every time someone brings up Titans, just like you always did when I wouldn’t shut up about them.I want you to think of me whenever you pour tea for someone else.
I want to stay with you, in the little moments.Uninvited. Unshakable. Still yours, in some quiet way.
But, if forgetting me is what it takes for you to finally rest. If that’s the price for your peace, Then forget me. Do not hesitate.
You’ve given enough. You’ve lost enough. You deserve a life that doesn’t hurt to carry. Just know this: even if your memories of me fade, even if one day you wake up and can’t recall the sound of my voice or the color of my eyes, I swear, Levi, I’ll never forget you. Not in this lifetime. Not in the next. Never.
Maybe in the next lifetime, we’ll finally get to choose each other.
No war. No sacrifice.Just us.
See you, soon, Levi.
Always, Hange Zoë
When she signed the letter, she laughed, quietly, bitterly. Despite everything, even now, she was still a coward.
She had meant to leave it in his jacket pocket, the one they always ended up sharing. That was the plan. But at the last second, she tucked it inside her own instead. Better if he never read it. Better if he remembered nothing. It would make things easier for him.
She stole a glance over her shoulder. He was asleep, peaceful in a way that felt unfair. She was already at the door.
Then she stopped.
For once… just once, can’t I be selfish?
She saw it in the paths, she was going to die anyway, Eren showed her all the alternative ways she will die, might as well take something with her before she dies.
She sat on his bedside. “Levi?” Hange whispered.
She held his bare arm, he did not flinch.
She hesitated. Her heart pounded in her throat. What if he wakes up? But no, this time, it's real. He’s deeply asleep.
She leaned in, inch by inch. Every moment was a dare. Every breath was a betrayal of her own restraint.
And then, her lips brushed his. He didn’t flinch.
The kiss was brief, barely there, but to her it was everything.
She didn’t expect the tears. They came silently, stinging, trailing down to her chin before she even noticed. She wiped them away with the heel of her hand, angry at herself for breaking.
She had to go.
Still, she let herself look at him once more. Memorizing him.
“Goodbye, Levi,” she whispered. “Thanks for seeing me.”
The moment was stolen, selfish, fleeting, and undeserved. But for once, just once, she had taken something for herself.
And she would carry it with her until her dying breath.
Modern Time, Marley
Levi’s Room
After reading Hange’s letter, Levi folded it carefully and slipped it into his breast pocket, close to his heart. He had promised himself he would never cry again. But as his eyes traced her familiar handwriting, a single, stubborn tear escaped.
It still hurts.
Three years have passed, yet the ache in his chest never left.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, he still dreams about her. It was always the same dream.
In his dream, they are in the forest. He would always see Hange there and in every dream he feels like she’s really there. They will speak like the old times, she would tell him stories, the one she told him before. Her laughy still lingers in his head, god knows how much he misses that laugh, the way he calls him Leviiii~ she’s the only one who let her do that.
But everytome he tries to reach for her, to feel her warmth again, she then disappears, like a smoke drifting away with the air and he would always wake up with tears in his eyes. He wonders if this night will be different. He returned all of Hange’s belongings inside the box except for her uniform and her glasses. He placed the box on the floor.
He put her glasses on his bedside table, looking into it was like looking into her hazel eyes again. He folded her uniform, laid on his bed and placed her unform beside his head. It felt like she’s still with him. He closed his eyes and wait for sleep to take over.
Again, he opens his eyes and they were in the forest again. Hange was beside the river, her toes dipped in water. When she heard his footsteps, she called his name and waved her hands animatedly. She was happy to see Levi once again.
Levi knows this is just a dream, but he went to Hange’s direction and sat beside her. Near, but careful not to touch, he does not want her to disappear.
Hange looked at him, her expression changed. There was sadness in her eyes.
“Levi. Why are you still here?”
Levi looked at her, trying to memorize every feature. Restraining himself from touching her, he still wants to linger in this moment forever.
“I wanted to see you. This is the only place where I get to hear your voice.”
Hange half heartedly smiled. She brushed Levi’s hair away from his eyes. Levi almost flinched, afraid that Hange’s touch would cause her to disappear. Not yet, not now. When she didn’t disappear, he relaxed himself.
Hange then traced the scars on his face, the ones she made. There was yearning in her face. As she reached the end of the stitches, she looked away from Levi and looked straight into the stretch of the river.
“It’s time to leave the forest, Levi.”
Before he could answer, Levi was awaken by a soft knock on his door. He stood up slowly and opened the door. It was Onyankopon.
“Good evening, Levi. I’m here to tell you that I will be leaving tomorrow to go back to my hometown. I will be bringing Falco and Gabi with me. I know that you will probably go with Armin and the rest of Alliance back home to Paradis-“
“It’s not home anymore.” Levi said abruptly, interrupting Onyankopon.
“You can come with us if you want. Start a new life, away from all of this.
Levi then remembered Hange’s words. “It’s time to leave the forest now, Levi.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Onyankopon smiled. “Okay, I’ll write you in the manifest. We’ll meet you at the harbor tomorrow before sunrise.”
Levi nodded and Onyankopon left.
As Levi closed the door, he muttered to himself,
“Hange, even if I tried to forget you, I know it’s pointless. I’ve already dedicated my heart to you, no turning back now. For now, I’ll live the way we should’ve... just keep watching, will you?”
As if she could still hear him.
- FIN. -
Note: Photo credit goes to the original artist. It is not mine and I only used it as an inspiration for this AU. Source: Pinterest
in another universe, levi and hange had time
In an alternate universe where Hange survives and the Rumbling ended, it’s Levi who helped her recover from her injuries.
They finally finished the conversation they started in the forest. No more interruptions, no more avoiding the truth of what’s always been between them.
There’s no dramatic confession. Just a look. A silence filled with something mutual. And for them, that’s enough.
Hange wants to see the world. There are still questions to ask, people to meet, knowledge to chase.
Levi—who’s seen too much—chooses something quieter. He opens a small tea shop in London. It’s simple. Steady. His.
They part at the same time. She sets out, and he starts over. Different directions, same thread.
But they never lose touch.
Hange writes often—pages packed with observations, sketches, half-baked theories, strange meals. Levi’s letters are fewer in words but never in meaning. She re-reads them when the world feels too loud. He re-reads them more than he would care to admit.
When she returns, even briefly, Levi was always there, a cup of tea in hand. Her favorite blend.
They fall into old rhythms easily. She talks, he listens. She teases, he sighs. They have tea every morning and feel each others’ warmth in the evening.
There’s no one else who could sit beside Levi in silence and make it feel like a conversation. And no one else Hange would rather share her stories with—even the ones that don’t make sense yet.
Eventually, after years of chasing knowledge, Hange comes back for good. Still curious. Still restless—but slower now, more grounded. She takes a teaching post at a university in London, just near Levi’s tea shop. She chose this university so Levi could visit her more often without straining his knee too much.
Levi’s tea shop remains, tucked on a quiet street. Some days, her students visit, never knowing that he was once called ‘humanity’s strongest’.
The beauty of Levi and Hange’s relationship was, they don’t need to be together every moment to feel close.
They never did.
What they have is steady, like the tea he brews or the way she always kicks off her shoes at the door. It’s real. Ongoing. Something like love—but quieter, more committed.
And between them, there’s something constant. Unchanging. Even as the world moves on, they don’t have to.
Note: I would like to credit @storiesofaot for inspiring me to write this AU of Levihan. This was because of her line ‘They don’t have to be physically together, to be together’ and I though about it. This kind of subtle understanding and commitment is very canon for them. They never have to name it, they just know it and for them, that was enough.
But things change suddenly
From speaking without words, to fearing what words might bring.
I lost my dreams in this disaster
From living in the forest with him, to leaving him behind.
I’m crying, missing my lover
From finding your soulmate to finding the right soul in the wrong lifetime
I don’t have the power, on my side forever
From always being there by each others’ side to never being here again.
