Levi

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Levi’s mother, Kuchel Ackerman, died before the Royal Government ended its persecution of the Ackerman clan. Kenny later explains that her death drove him to attempt to assassinate King Uri. Levi consequently reinterprets Kenny’s departure from his life as an attempt to avenge his mother 161.

Kenny raised Levi and taught him his fighting skills. Levi did not learn that Kenny was his maternal uncle until Kenny revealed that he had cared for him because Levi was his younger sister’s son 144 159.

In the Underground District, Levi lived with Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia. Isabel called him her big brother and welcomed Zhang Surou, known as Chris Vineyard, into their family. Chris helped the group fight local gangs and push back the Damian Faction. Levi remained suspicious of an unusually generous opportunity to visit the surface, permitting Isabel to go only with an escort and instructions to withdraw if Damian’s men appeared 96.

Petra describes Levi as the Underground District’s most notorious thug before Erwin brought him and Chris into the Survey Corps. Isabel and Furlan’s subsequent deaths continue to haunt him, particularly when he reflects on the difference between killing enemies and protecting loved ones 76 86 106.

Appearance

• Short stature: His height is explicitly recorded as 160 cm during the Invisibility transfer 107.
• Eyes and expression: Frequently described as having sharp, “dead-fish” eyes and a habitually sour or deadpan expression 24 72 81.
• Hair: Has bangs that conceal his eyes when he lowers his head while grieving Chris 378.
• Temporary eye injury: Loses the use of his right eye after protecting the Corps from Erwin’s explosion; Chen Si later restores his vision completely 355 378.

Personality

Levi is blunt, abrasive, and intolerant of carelessness. He addresses enemies contemptuously, frequently calls younger soldiers “brats,” and insists on rigorous cleaning standards. He makes Eren redo inadequate cleaning and orders Sasha to clean up immediately after releasing her from restraint 72 86 186.

His severity conceals a strong attachment to his comrades. He defines a soldier’s duty as protection rather than slaughter, asks Chen Si to safeguard his squad while he attacks the Colossal Titan, and risks his own life to shield the Corps from an explosion. Even while critically injured, his first concern is Erwin’s safety 76 109 355.

Levi balances gratitude with accountability. Although Kenny raised him, he refuses to overlook Kenny’s murder of his subordinates. He deliberately beats Kenny without killing him, then demands that he spend the rest of his life serving humanity 160.

He is loyal to Erwin without being emotionally indifferent to the cost of Erwin’s decisions. He promises continuing support after hearing Erwin’s guilt, but punches him after Chris’s sacrifice, despite recognizing that the decision was not wrong 200 380.

His private life becomes markedly warmer. Initially claiming he has nothing left to give to romance, he later accepts Petra’s affection, marries her quietly, and tells Chen Si that he never imagined deserving such happiness. He also accepts Chris’s otherworldly origin without changing how he regards her 72 222 242 404 433.

Abilities & Skills

Ackerman Combat Prowess — Former

Before losing his bloodline, Levi possesses exceptional speed, strength, reactions, and combat judgment 81.

• Hand-to-hand combat: Overpowers Chen Si and Eren during their hearing, demonstrating that he can supervise them 81.
• Titan-killing speed: Kills more than fifty Titans in under two minutes and later cuts down thirty in a single charge 222 350.
• Combat record: Oruo states that Levi killed at least two hundred Titans in his first year 86.
• Danger perception: Chris notes that Levi sometimes senses danger in advance and suggests an Ackerman connection 85.
• Limit: His ordinary blades cannot penetrate the Armored Titan’s armor or completed Titan hardening without assistance 118.

Vertical Maneuvering and Reverse-Grip Swordsmanship

Levi combines precise equipment control with rapid spinning attacks. He explains that his reverse grip enables high-speed rotation, increasing centrifugal force and cutting power rather than merely changing how he holds a blade 109.

• Precision disabling: Severs the Armored Titan’s exposed tendons to immobilize its limbs 190.
• Rapid cutting: Uses Mikasa’s long blade to deliver nearly a hundred slashes in three seconds through Rod Reiss’s ribs 168.
• Instruction: Teaches Chen Si to rely on technique and make full use of his strength instead of depending entirely on lightning 109.
• Post-bloodline limit: Retains his technique, but sustained spinning attacks exhaust him, cause dizziness, and can leave him unable to finish a strike 455 480 481.

Invisibility — Former

Transferred from Zeyechuan by Chen Si, Invisibility becomes part of Levi’s close-range fighting style 107.

• Combat integration: Alternates between visible and invisible states while maneuvering through trees 107.
• Initial duration: Tests establish ten seconds, but the Colossal Titan encounter ends the effect after nine. Levi suspects that sufficiently strong attacks can break it early 166.
• Incomplete inheritance: Receives only 90% of the original ability because of the physique compatibility calculation 107 166.
• Upgraded defense: Becomes immune to attacks while invisible after the 100-Titan milestone 222.
• Protective applications: Intercepts a sniper bullet aimed at Erwin and later extends protection over other soldiers 348 355.
• Permanent loss: The protective overextension ultimately destroys both this ability and his enhanced Ackerman bloodline 377 378.

Leadership and Battlefield Judgment

Levi commands the Corps’ elite special-operations soldiers and regularly takes responsibility for dangerous missions 52 76 123.

• Supervision: Accepts responsibility for Chen Si and Eren, with orders to kill them if they betray the Corps or lose control 76.
• Political awareness: Stops Eren from transforming during the Military Police confrontation because it would make their self-defense appear to be rebellion 144.
• Prisoner control: Disables captured Titan holders by removing their limbs to prevent transformation 123 191.
• Crisis command: Orders soldiers to switch from Thunder Spears to firearms, then blades, as ammunition runs out 350.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Vertical Maneuvering Equipment — His primary means of aerial movement and close-range Titan combat 52 109.
• Twin blades — Used for spinning attacks, nape strikes, and disabling enemy limbs 123 190.
• Mikasa’s long blade — Borrowed to cut through Rod Reiss’s ribs and reach his human body 168.
• Pistol — Fires warning shots to silence Liberio’s residents before Erwin addresses them 345.
• Thunder Spears — Uses four against Zeke’s nape when returning to active duty 454.
• Petra’s knitted shirt — Offered after Chen Si’s test destroys his clothing; Levi responds by thanking and embracing her 222.
• Hizuru-issued identity papers — Provide legal cover for the overseas reconnaissance mission 262 263.
• Redwood baseball bat — Purchases from Zeke during a later family trip 499.

Relationships

• Petra — Subordinate, romantic partner, and eventual wife. Her knitted gift prompts an embrace; he later asks her to stay beside him, promises time together after the mission, and marries her in a private ceremony 222 271 283 404.
• Lilith — Daughter. Levi takes her on a coastal family trip and responds to her calls for attention after the cemetery visit 499 502.
• Kenny Ackerman — Maternal uncle, guardian, teacher, and former enemy. Levi spares him while demanding repayment for his crimes; Kenny later sincerely wishes him happiness at his wedding 144 159 160 404.
• Kuchel Ackerman — Deceased mother. Learning how her death affected Kenny gives Levi a new understanding of his uncle’s actions 161.
• Erwin Smith — Commander and deeply trusted comrade. Levi supports his leadership, questions its consequences, and remains emotionally affected by the sacrifices it requires 175 200 380 450.
• Chris Vineyard / Zhang Surou — Companion from the Underground District whom Levi regards as family. He accepts her transmigrator identity, mourns her sacrifice, and later visits her grave 96 242 378 501.
• Furlan Church and Isabel Magnolia — Former Underground companions. Their deaths shape his insistence that strength must serve protection 76 96 106.
• Chen Si — Initially a supervised recruit, later an ally and benefactor. Gives Levi Invisibility and heals his injuries; upon learning of Petra’s pregnancy, leaves without asking Levi to give up his happy life 81 107 378 433.
• Eren Yeager — Supervised recruit. Levi initially distrusts him, but remains concerned about him years later and asks Armin and Yasuo to report any news 76 101 502.
• Hange Zoë — Longtime colleague, usually addressed as “Four-Eyes.” Treats his injuries and later saves him in battle, reminding him that losing his Ackerman power does not change who he is 107 355 480.
• Mike — Veteran comrade and combat partner. Helps capture Zeyechuan, rescues Levi from the Serpent Titan, and invites him to compete against approaching Titans 72 480.
• Zeke — Enemy turned occasional ally. Levi resents the deaths of his soldiers and later pursues him during the Rumbling, but eventually thanks him for looking after Lilith 455 471 499.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Wedding

• Location: The Church of Thunder’s grand cathedral in the Royal Capital’s Christa District 404.
• Guests: The royal family, Cabinet members, and a few dozen old Corps comrades, despite the venue’s thousand-person capacity 404.
• Officiant: Blake 404.
• Tone: Levi and Petra deliberately keep the ceremony quiet; Historia attends as Levi’s friend 404.

Notable Quotes

“Our duty isn’t to slaughter. It’s to protect. No matter how many people you kill, that doesn’t mean you can protect everything you cherish.” 76

“Brat, we don’t have much time to grieve. Doing our duty is how we honor the dead.” 93

“I don’t care whether you’re from the sky or underground. As long as you’re still you, that’s enough.” 242

“Very happy. I never thought I’d deserve a life like this.” 433