Who is Levi Ackerman 101: Everything You Wanted to Know
By Matteo Drelli. Updated Aug 23, 2023
Levi Ackerman, the Character
Levi Ackermann is the squad captain of the Special Operations Squad within Survey Corps (Squad Levi) and is admired and regarded by all as humanity's strongest soldier. From very humble beginnings (his mother Kuchel was a prostitute who practised under the name Olympia in the capital's slums and became pregnant by one of her clients), he was soon orphaned as his mother died of illness; he was therefore raised by his uncle, Kenny, Kuchel's brother and distant relative of Mikasa, a serial killer who taught him how to use weapons and to be self-sufficient (though never revealing his parentage or his last name except at the point of death), and then abandoned him once he was educated.
In the OAV Attack on Titan: No Regrets, it is revealed that Levi became a thug in the capital's Underground District, along with his two friends Isabel Magnolia and Farlan (or Furlan) Church: initially, the three of them joined the Survey Corps because they wanted to kill Elvin Smith on the commission of a corrupt nobleman, but after a titan devoured his friends, Levi first destroyed it piece by piece, then Levi makes the decision to join the team totally, also to avenge Furlan and Isabel deaths, also establishing a strong bond of friendship and respect with Elvin ever since.
He is short in stature, with short black hair, an irritable and surly character, with a maniacal fixation on cleanliness and rigid obedience to superior orders; his enormous fighting strength, due both to his Ackermann heritage and the weapons training he received from Kenny, has made him able to stand up to and defeat among the strongest and most agile titans in existence, such as the Female and the Beast, almost without sustaining injuries.
Physical appearance
Levi has always had short, straight black hair (with an undercut) and intimidating, dull grey eyes throughout the anime. He possesses dark circles under his eyes and a deceptively kind face. He is much older than protagonists Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin. He is short (5'3'', 160cm) but compensates for his physique with very good musculature. This musculature is strong due to his intensive use of equipment for vertical manoeuvres. Very often in the series, he seems expressionless and shows indifference, so it isn't easy to understand what is going on in his head.
Levi often wears the Scout Regiment uniform, with a grey button-down shirt underneath and his signature white ascot. When he is outside the Walls on expeditions, he wears a green cape with a hood. Levi has been seen wearing a black suit, white shirt, ascot and dress shoes when forced to be absent from work due to injury. However, since the beginning of the coup, he has left the ascot behind. When his group was running from the army and the monarchy, he wore his harness for vertical manoeuvres over ordinary casual clothes.
In Attack on Titan 4, when he tried to assassinate Zeke Yeager, following an explosion from a Thunder Spear, he suffered numerous injuries. He now has several scars on his face and is missing his right hand's index and middle fingers.
Who is Levi Ackerman in Attack on Titan? His History
Levi is the son of Kuchel Ackerman, a prostitute who worked in the Underground and was impregnated by one of her clients. Kenny Ackermann, Kuchel's mother's brother, travelled to the city to visit her but found that she had died, and also Kenny found Levi abandoned to himself in front of his mother's bed.
Taking pity on him and feeling compassion, Kenny decided to take care of Levi. Kenny taught him the best way he could, using a knife and getting along with people while behaving violently. In addition, Levi learned to use his inner power as a member of the Ackerman clan (Levi and Mikasa are members of a powerful, skilled family!).
After a while, Kenny decides to abandon Levi, as he had taught him everything he knew, and by now, the young child knew how to live on his own.
Levi became a notorious thug, but he eventually joined Erwin's group after seeing his dead comrades and friends (Levi tried to kill Erwin Smith before joining the Scout Regiment). He became one of Erwin's most trusted members.
Personality
Levi is approached as a clean freak, and he is spotlessly clean. He is not very friendly as a person, rarely showing emotion. He offers a very direct and cold attitude when someone talks to him and sometimes insults him.
When he lived in the Underground, Levi took orders from no one and put a lot of trust in his friends. After joining Survey Corps, he began to respect Erwin Smith greatly.
However, respect he gives only to a few individuals, and he has no problem showing aggression even with higher authorities. For example, he insulted the Military Police at the courthouse.
Levi also has a great sense of morality, is empathetic, and often becomes attached to people he has been with for a long time. Very few times, he loses his patience and is as cool-headed and nerve-holding as possible. He shows no mercy to the titans; he kills them without regret or compassion.
He may seem lunatic in some aspects, especially because he sometimes makes decisions different from his character (for example, when he decides to save Armin), but this is due to his good character.
Skills and Strengths
Intelligence
Levi can analyze situations quickly, and Levi is often able to make the right decisions on the spot. This thing enables him to save himself and his comrades on many occasions. For example, when he fights Kenny inside a bar, using chairs, a double-barreled shotgun and even dead bodies to stop his opponents, or when he saves Mikasa against the Female Titan, as they could not kill her easily because of her hardening and regeneration ability.
Although this intelligence of him, Levi admits that some events cannot be under the control of one person. His intelligence is similar to Armin's one.
Strength
Levi has disproportionate physical strength; he is the strongest soldier in the entire series. Despite his small stature, his body is well-built with heavy muscles, making him very strong and able to defeat countless opponents (such as the Titan Beast). But he is not immortal, and even he can injure himself.
Vertical Maneuvering Equipment
His best skill is the use of vertical manoeuvring. Even after losing several fingers, he uses them to the fullest.
He has shown that he can knock out the Female Titan because of his agility, which no one has been able to do, not even Eren in his Titan form. He defeated the Beast Titan in a matter of seconds.
However, his strength is not blind. There was always a favourable situation in the previously mentioned attacks: for the Female Titan, he took advantage of the fact that she was tired, while for the Beast Titan, he decided to attack it by surprise.
Awakened Power
As a member of the Ackerman clan, he can understand what needs to be done appropriately. In addition, his memory cannot be changed or made to forget. He is unlike Mikasa, though, a subordinate of Eren and has the role to protect Eren. Levi chooses to be strong and independent, very disconnected from Eren (who, by the way, disobeys Levi's orders several times, telling Levi that he doesn't need orders and can do things himself)
Sword-Wielding Technique
Levi has an unusual fighting stance: he holds his right sword upside down with the blade facing outward and behind him instead of in front of him (two swords in a reverse grip). Thus he can use rotating attacks while maintaining incredible speed and agility. Also, in this way, he can fight for longer and kill the titans fastly.
This type of grip probably is inspired by Kenny when he taught him how to use the knife.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Levi Ackerman Zodiac Sign?
Levi's birthday is on December 25th, so he's a Capricorn.
How Tall Is Levi Ackerman?
Levi is 160 cm tall. The fandom also loves him very much because of his short height!
Why Is Levi Ackerman so Serious?
He is so serious because his human life has not been simple at all. Although Levi seems cold, he has a good heart and is empathetic.
Levi Ackerman Quotes
Here are some of Levi Ackerman's most famous quotes.
- The difference in judgement between you and me, originates from different rules derived from past experience.
- What you need is to be quick to act… and make tough decisions in worst-case scenarios.
- If you don’t want to die, think.
To see more Levi Ackerman quotes, we recommend visiting the Levi Ackerman Quote section in Quotes Analysis.
We hope we have been helpful to you in this "Who is Levi Ackerman" article, and we hope you have a better understanding of who this amazing character of the anime world is!
