Hey Lost! wanted to share that I had never understood the meaning behind Remember the scene w Zackly where Erwin tells him he wasn't thinking abt his friends and makes a pause specifically in Levi's name? I didn't understand the reason behind the pause until i reread the manga and noticed that it was after they had told him levi was killing people and Erwin's reaction was a really bold "!" so that means he was specifically worried/guilty about levi 😭when they meet again the "!" appears again
Oh yeah, that “!” speaks volumes doesn’t it? A lot of fans picked up on those telling little exclamation marks!
This scene is a prime example of how Zackley is one of the few people who knows how to manipulate Erwin and push his buttons. Zackley knows Levi is important to Erwin, so he names him specifically to get a reaction and to sow a seed of doubt in Erwin’s mind.
There is also a corresponding scene in chapter 60, where Levi and the 104th break into the Interior Squad’s headquarters to try and find out where Eren and Historia are being held. The dude who Levi has pinned to a tree tries to intimidate him into surrendering by telling him that his captured Survey Corps comrades will be executed, and that the first to hang will be Erwin Smith.
Given that Kenny and the Interior Squad had been watching the Survey Corps for some time, they clearly knew that Levi was Erwin’s right hand man and that their relationship could be used as leverage against each other. Of course it doesn’t work in either case. Erwin and Levi are clearly concerned about each other's whereabouts, Erwin reacts with surprise, while Levi reacts by breaking the guy’s arm. However, they are both working with one mind and are willing to risk everything to recover Eren and Historia and to see Erwin’s plan to overthrow the government through to its conclusion.
Also fwiw, I suspect that Kenny knew that Erwin was Levi’s significant person, though I think he probably kept the exact nature of their bond to himself.)
