Levi Ackerman

Lore & Background

Levi originates from the Underground, where he lived as a thief alongside his partner Furlan Church and later Isabel Magnolia. They used maneuver gear to commit heists until a mysterious man offered them citizenship on the surface in exchange for assassinating Commander Erwin Smith. Instead, they were recruited by the Survey Corps. Levi's bloodline is part of the Ackerman family, sharing traits with Mikasa and Kenny; however, their protective instincts are described as simply "their nature" rather than a function of the bloodline itself. Isayama modeled Levi after Rorschach from Watchmen, giving him a similar stature but contrasting his obsession with cleanliness against Rorschach's uncleanliness. In No Regrets, artist Hikaru Suruga attempted to depict a younger version of Levi, noting that his lack of emotiveness made choosing facial expressions difficult.

In Their Own Story

Levi's history deepens when it is revealed that Kenny Ackerman is his maternal uncle who raised him after the death of his mother, Kuchel. In the prequel No Regrets, Levi and his squad attempt to ambush Erwin during an expedition but are forced to fight a group of Titans. Despite eliminating them, they are scolded for wasting gas. Later, in heavy rainfall, Levi returns to find that Titans have ambushed and killed Furlan and Isabel. This tragedy causes him to unleash erratic emotions on the last remaining titan. Upon learning Erwin had carried a fake document all along, making their assassination mission meaningless, Levi decides to follow Erwin without regrets. In the main series, Captain Kenny later notes that the capture of Eren and Historia involves Levi. Later, Zeke Yeager engineers an explosion that leaves Levi in a near-death state until Hange Zoe rescues him. He eventually recovers, forms an alliance with Commander Theo Magath and Pieck Finger, and fulfills his promise to Erwin by killing Zeke, the Beast Titan.

Reader's Guide

Levi is voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya in Japanese and Matthew Mercer in English. Kamiya describes Levi as stoic, cool, a germaphobe, and "humanity's strongest soldier." He initially felt pressure due to not knowing Levi's backstory but learned from director Tetsuro Araki that the character was not as superhuman as imagined. By season three, Kamiya found the introduction of Kenny made Levi easier to understand. Matthew Mercer regards Levi as his favorite character due to his moral ambiguity and dark decisions required for survival. In the third season, Kamiya befriended Yamaji Kazuhiro (Kenny's actor) to explain their "misrelationship" as they are meant to fight. Critical response has widely acclaimed Levi's relationship with Kenny, with Complex.com praising the fight choreography and Den of Geek highlighting the tragic nature of their bond following the end of season three.

Did You Know?

• Levi was named after a child Hajime Isayama noticed in the documentary Jesus Camp.
• Before drawing Attack on Titan: No Regrets, artist Hikaru Suruga visited the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel to visualize the Underground setting.
• In the 3rd Newtype Anime Awards, Levi was voted fifth best male character while Hiroshi Kamiya took second place for best voice actor.
• Levi's fight against the Beast Titan was nominated for "Best Fight Scene" at the 4th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
• Levi appears as a limited-time purchasable skin for Jake Park in Dead by Daylight and Daniel Yatsu in Call of Duty: Vanguard.