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ask-captain-levi-a · 4 years ago

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Chapter 136: The beginning of the end?

I’ve got so many thoughts about Levi’s internal monologue in chapter 136 that I’m not even sure where to start. The first thing to say is that it surprised me. Not because of what Levi said, he has been entirely consistent about his goal since chapter 84, but because I honestly didn’t think we’d get Levi’s pov again this late in the day. I thought chapter 112 was the last time we would hear Levi reiterating his vow. However this chapter really emphasized just how important that vow is to him; his promise to Erwin is the one thing that is still driving him forward.

I really appreciate the fact that this chapter blows several misconceptions out of the water, including that Levi either doesn’t care about stopping Eren because his only goal is killing Zeke, or that he doesn’t want to kill Eren, out of a sense of affection of loyalty. Even though there’s a “whole lot” Levi wanted to say to Eren, (I’ll bet there is), he is unequivocal that saving his life has never been their primary concern. And to be honest, if I was Eren I’d be mighty glad that Levi is unlikely to have an opportunity to give him a piece of his mind.

Another misconception is that Erwin would have supported the rumbling, which is such an incredibly bad take that I can’t even put it into words. Levi makes it crystal clear that if Erwin, Hanji and their comrades gave their life for a future that involved trampling humanity into the dust, then their sacrifice would not have been worth it. The only way to honour that sacrifice is to prevent the destruction of humanity. It doesn’t get much more unequivocal than that.

I also think it’s worth drawing a comparison between Levi and Eren’s reaction to discovering the existence of the world outside the walls. Both of them had a naive vision of an “innocent idealized world” but their reaction to discovering the flawed reality of the world could not have been more different. Eren has expressed his disappointment by unleashing whole scale genocide, while Levi is more determined than ever to fight to his dying breath to save humanity and prove his comrades sacrifice hadn’t been in vain.

I’ve written elsewhere that I dislike the trope of passing over the baton to the next generation so that the kids can save the world, but at the same time I can absolutely understand Levi’s perspective. We already know that he didn’t want to drag Erwin back to the hell of the world, and we also know that he’s been fighting his entire life; he’s clearly not ready to give up the fight but I think he can be forgiven for wanting to entrust the future to the next generation.

I also think it’s interesting that Levi regards his vow as Erwin’s final order. In actual fact it wasn’t an order, it was a mutual decision. Erwin told him that he had a plan that would enable Levi to take down the Beast Titan, but it was Levi himself that volunteered to take on the task. This isn’t the only time that Erwin gave Levi the opportunity to make his own decision, rather than issuing him with a direct order, which serves to emphasise the equality of their relationship, despite the power differential of their ranks.

The fact that Levi’s monologue is addressed to Erwin, highlights yet again the importance of their relationship. In the words of the Character Guide, “To Levi, Erwin is an irreplaceable existence”. That was true four years ago, and it’s still true today. Erwin is still Levi’s point of reference, his polestar, everything goes back to him. That doesn’t mean that Levi doesn’t care about anyone else though, while Levi swore his vow to Erwin, he swore it on behalf of all his comrades who died fighting to save humanity, and we can see just how fondly he remembers them in his memories.

As to where Levi goes from here, well, that remains to be seen. This heartfelt monologue feels very much like Levi’s swansong, so I strongly suspect he’s going to die within the next couple of chapters. If he is going to kill Zeke, then he is either going to have to get into the Paths realm, which doesn’t seem like a possibility, or Armin is going to have to get Zeke out of Paths and into the mortal world, which seems more likely. Zeke currently appears to have very little free will of his own, but I wonder if Armin is able to get him out of Paths, would he sacrifice his own life in order to stop Eren? I think it’s certainly a possibility and it would also give Levi a chance to fulfil his vow. However we also have Gabi sitting there beside Levi with Chekov’s loaded gun, and we already know she’s a good shot, so who knows?

What ever happens, this chapter feels like the beginning of the end for Levi. I used to joke that I wanted Levi to go out fighting with one last vision of smiling shoujo Erwin. We’ve pretty much had that now, so please Isayama, let him fulfil his vow, and then let him rest.

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ask-captain-levi-a · 5 years ago

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Attack on Titan MBTI -- Levi Ackermann

INTJ – Levi Ackermann

“The Architect”

I see. So many people. Argue over this one.

However, I also see many incorrect characterizations of Levi. To me, he has one of the easiest personalities to pin–but that could be because I, too, am an INTJ.

As you might assume, this is a spoiler-heavy post. Proceed with caution.

First, I want to address a stereotype of INTJs that probably makes most people stray from thinking of Levi as this type (and while I’m at it, the same goes for ISTJs):

INTJs are not always “smart.” Part of how one grows academically is one’s personality, yes, but another huge part of it is one’s environment. Keep in mind that Levi probably had an extremely limited education, if any, and he was not taught that schooling was important.

However, Levi is very intelligent–just not booksmart. It’s important to distinguish the differences between the two, as I see a lot of people characterize other people in real life as an INTJ/ISTJ because they’re “bookish,” instead of paying attention to their actual personality and breaking down each part of the MBTI type. (Though, if we take Junior High!Levi into consideration, he actually is quite good at school, judging by the 95/100 he got on a test.)

INTJs are notoriously rational and independent–something that definitely rings true for Levi. He tends to keep to himself, especially emotionally, and he has been criticized for being too harsh or robotic, which happens to be a common stereotype for INTJs, too.

–Levi is quick-witted and strategic.

It’s not something he himself gives himself credit for, but I don’t think Erwin would have pulled Levi into the Corps AND given him a squad of his own otherwise. As I mentioned before, he is street-smart, and he also is able to see things from a variety of perspectives.

–He is confident.

“If it comes to killing him, I can do it.” Levi said this in regards to taking down Eren if need be during his trial. Levi has definitely lost that confidence as time has gone on (because we also need to take into account that Levi is NOT neuro-typical, but I’ll save that for another time). However, if he knows something to be true, he sticks to that.

–He is independent and decisive.

I don’t feel like I need to explain this one much at all–all you have to do is watch the first season of the anime to see it. Erwin lets Levi run around on his own because Levi is incredibly capable on his own.

–Levi is incredibly hard-working and determined.

Even as a thug, Levi made sure he was the best of his kind. Granted, he does have special Ackermann-strength or whatever, but I don’t think it matters. He didn’t know he was special–he just worked hard because he knew that he had to. Once given a task, Levi analyzes it, and if it seems worth his time, he will do it to the utmost.

–Levi is open-minded.

This doesn’t seem immediately obvious, because I think people mostly associated open-mindedness with extroversion and gullibility. However, almost everyone in the Corps has to be open-minded to some extent. They have to be ready to change on the dot because they’ve discovered something new about the Titans, or they have to to develop a new way of fighting. Levi is stubborn, yes, but he is open-minded. Otherwise, he would not have believed Hanji’s proposal about the Titans coming from humans. He would not have accepted the role of Squad Leader watching over Eren.

–He’s a jack of all trades.

Erwin uses Levi to the Corps’ advantage because of the combination of qualities listed above. Levi can do whatever, so he will, if he believes it is worth doing.

–He’s arrogant.

This died down a bit once he entered the Corps, but Levi has an arrogant streak in him. He’s aware of his abilities, and he’s also aware that no one else is really like him. It makes him stubborn and insensitive in result.

–Levi is judgmental.

The problem with most INTJs is that we are overly rational. Even to other Thinking types, INTJs can be brutal. Levi is not an exception–we see it most with Hanji, how he’s not afraid to question her methods. He also is pretty unforgiving to people like Pastor Nick, Reeves, and so on.

–He is overly analytical.

INTJs are perfectionists, and once a goal is in mind, they will do anything to accomplish it. That’s a common stereotype, but it mostly applies to INTJs that are not neuro-typical. Levi is one, though, and it’s best shown in his relationships with other people. Though he obviously loved and cared about his first squad, he prioritized them as soldiers, not as his friends. The same goes for his relationship with Erwin–and when his analytical side crumbled, we were left with a man overcome by his emotional attachments who was unable to make the logical decision. In other words, Levi uses his analytical, logical side as a sort of defense mechanism in the environment of this story–which is not uncommon for someone who has undergone trauma.

–Levi hates when things are overly-structured.

This whiny baby, I swear to god. 16Personalities has this quote: “Blindly following precedents and rules without understanding them is distasteful to INTJs, and they disdain even more authority figures who blindly uphold those laws and rules without understanding their intent. Anyone who prefers the status quo for its own sake, or who values stability and safety over self-determination, is like to clash with INTJ personality types.” Let’s see, here: Zackley, Nile, Nick, Reeves, and Rod Reiss–what do they all have in common? Levi does not get along with them, and the preceding quote explains why. He even hated Erwin at first, because he did not understand that Erwin had greater intentions when they first met in the underground. Notice that, once Levi understood that Erwin did not fit that description, he started to trust him and followed him faithfully.

–He is not romantic.

I’m not saying he’s necessarily aromantic. However, INTJs are judgmental and analytical to the point that “romance” in their relationships is not what other people would define as “romance.” It is not his focus, but even if their world was safer and much different, I don’t think that would change this aspect of his personality. He is the last person to see the world through any kind of rose-colored glasses; Levi barely even understands basic human emotion, so to say he is any kind of charming or romantic is completely incorrect.

Before the breakdown, I’d like to share a passage from 16personalities about INTJs in the workplace:

“Titles mean little to INTJs–trust and respect are earned, and INTJs expect this to be a two way street, receiving and delivering advice, criticisms and results. INTJs expect their managers to be intelligent enough and strong enough to handle this paradigm. A silent INTJ conveys a lack of respect better than all their challenges ever will.”

Think about Levi’s relationship with Erwin, versus his relationship with Pyxis, Nile–literally any other high-ranking officer, or even someone of higher social status than him, like Reeves or Rod Reiss. Think of how much Levi openly criticizes Erwin–because he knows that he can, and he also knows Erwin will do the same for him. Levi doesn’t like to be slowed down by anything, even his comrades, but his questioning mind is not always out of hostility, as some assume and interpret. It’s just part of this personality type.

So, when we break down I-N-T-J:

I-Introversion, or a focus on the inner self

Levi keeps to himself, and he does not need to project onto other people. His highly analytical nature also naturally makes him more introspective, and considering what he’s been through, he has a lot to think about. However, he is far from selfish.

N-Intuition, or a focus on facts supported by other facts

Levi likes to keep things short and sweet, without stumbling over one possibility on top of another. Though he is analytical, he keeps things factual and unbiased. “Cut to the chase” could be his motto. In fact, I’m pretty sure he uses it more than once in canon.

T-Thinking, or a focus on logic

Though we’ve seen an exception to this at the end of the Serum Bowl, Levi is just…not in tune with his emotions. I don’t think it’s just based on his upbringing–it seems to just be how his mind works.

J-Judgment, or a focus on decided paths and plans

Levi is not known for his strategic abilities, but he is perfectly capable of making plans. However, he often leaves them to Erwin, and sometimes even Hanji or Armin.

Levi is a complicated guy, and I often see him characterized as an ISTJ or INTP. However, I have confidence that he fits the bill of the INTJ, especially when I read through other summaries of the personality type. I hope we can see more of him again soon…

And, if you don’t agree, remember this is just for funsies, and I love reading other people’s analyses. C:

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