Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Attack on Titan: 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

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Though ruthless and unforgiving, there are reasons to believe that Attack on Titan’s Levi Ackerman is actually something of a tragic hero.

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Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Attack on Titan’s complex and unbeatable Levi Ackerman is such a character, a virtuous person destined for tragedy akin to some of Shakespeare’s greatest figures. A respected captain that becomes more ruthless as his journey goes along, he’s easily one of the most interesting aspects of the Attack on Titan anime.

Levi’s journey takes him from an orphan living in the slums to a respected soldier to a cruel tactician, and finally to a vengeful sadist that will stop at nothing to obtain revenge for his fallen foes. Levi’s fate is uncertain in the anime, as of the end of season 4 part 1, but Levi’s tenacity could mean a redemption is on the horizon.

10 Noble Birth

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

One important aspect of a tragic hero is their descent from a high position in society, signifying their fall from grace. Tragic heroes in classic literature are sometimes born into royalty to demonstrate just how far they can fall, but more modern heroes do not have to be of noble birth to be tragic.

Levi is not royalty like Mikasa despite sharing a last name, but he does have the special Ackerman power that awoke within him sometime in the past. Like Mikasa, he is determined and loyal and shares her aptitude for battle.

9 Admirable And Good

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Levi is not the most approachable person, acting cold and distant towards everyone. He is blunt while speaking as a result of his military training, and his sense of humor is also dark and comes off as unsettling. However, Levi is a good person deep down, and he strives to save humanity from the threat of the Titans.

Levi has a strong moral compass and puts great value on preserving human life. He greatly cares for his team’s welfare, even if it means going to great lengths to protect them such as beating Eren at the trial to shut him up and save his life. Levi is considered the strongest soldier humanity has, and his team admires him for his Titan kill count of over 89.

8 Ambitious Desires

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Levi’s rivalry with the Beast Titan is one of the most ambitious goals in the series, as it is well-established that the Beast Titan is extremely difficult to defeat. As humanity’s strongest soldier, Levi is the only one that could conceivably achieve such a goal, but it is ambitious nonetheless.

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At the start of the series, the goal of all Survey Corps members is to eradicate the Titans and explore the world beyond the Walls, but Levi has an additional desire in protecting his squad as their leader and ensuring that they are kept safe, a difficult task to achieve in such a dangerous environment. One of Kenny Ackerman’s final words is to warn Levi not to become a slave to his own desires, indicating that Levi will fall like other tragic heroes if he does so.

7 Hubris (Excessive Pride)

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

As a young man, Levi refused to take orders from anyone, but, after joining the Survey Corps, Levi put a great amount of trust into Commander Erwin, willingly following his leadership and agreeing with Erwin’s worldview. However, Levi does not blindly follow anyone, and he openly questions people in positions of authority if he does not trust them.

Although he values his teammates, Levi operates mostly independently, with almost all of his Titan kills being solo kills. He is not particularly arrogant, but he is definitely aware of his abilities and considers himself above consequences in some situations, such as insulting the other factions at Eren’s trial.

6 Hamartia (Fatal Flaw)

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Although some would argue that Levi’s worst trait is the constant insults aimed at his friends, one of Attack on Titan’s running jokes, Levi’s true hamartia is his cruelty. Levi feels no compassion towards enemies of humanity, especially the Titans, and he relishes the idea of torturing the Female Titan when she slaughters his original team. He shows no mercy and slaughters the Titans as a trained soldier would, as they are obvious enemies at the start of the series.

Levi even shows cruelty towards humans. For example, when Historia is conflicted over accepting the role as Queen, Levi forces Historia to the ground and chokes her until she complies and makes a decision. He tortures several humans throughout the series to get information, especially as secrecy and spying become more important to the story. Although Levi seems cruel most of the time, in some cases, he is just being practical, forcing others to face reality and make good choices.

5 Brings Disaster To Others

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Levi often leads expeditions beyond the Walls, but the expedition to capture the Female Titan led to his squad getting killed, including a close friend named Petra. Levi is infuriated at her death and is further hurt by Petra’s father when he confronts Levi when the Survey Corps retreat into the Walls.

Being raised by Kenny Ackerman, A.K.A. Kenny the Ripper, made Levi ruthless and willing to do anything to get the job done, something that is stated outright by Kenny when he and Levi meet again after some years. Levi does bring disaster to others by leading them into dangerous situations, but he is also trustworthy enough that Erwin gives him the Titan serum to look after, as Levi has the highest chance of surviving.

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4 Peripeteia (Sudden Turning Point)

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

Kenny’s introduction marks the beginning of Levi doubting his actions, as Levi had to battle his own family to get at the secrets underpinning the world. After Kenny’s death, Levi returns to his squad, and Historia punches him. In previous episodes of the show, Levi would have become angry and hit her back, but he has grown enough by this point that he merely smiles and thanks his comrades for having his back.

In addition, Levi starts to doubt himself and feels disgusted at his Titan-killing actions when it is revealed that all of the Titans are actually humans.

3 Increase Of Self-Awareness

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

As more secrets about the world become uncovered and the story widens beyond the Walls, Levi questions his place and has to make extremely tough decisions. The toughest decision Levi makes is whether to save Erwin or Armin after they are both gravely injured, and this decision has major ramifications for the rest of the series.

Levi learns that he is not a solo player in the story after he fails to kill the Beast Titan. The widening of the world creates uncertainty around him as Levi escorts the main characters to the basement and beyond.

2 Catharsis (Pity And Fear)

Attack on Titan 10 Ways Levi Is A Tragic Hero

The audience needs to pity the tragic hero to feel that the hero’s downfall is justified by the narrative. Levi is certainly pitied towards the end of his story, as the audience has learned his tragic backstory, and, in the final episodes, his entire squad is taken from him by Zeke Jaeger.

Levi fears becoming a Titan but uses his strength and wit to survive. His previous cruelty comes in handy, as it gives him the drive to survive and carry his friends’ desires on his shoulders, living to make their lives have meaning.

1 Accepts Fate With Honor

Levi’s fate is currently uncertain in the anime, as Zeke Jaeger injured him with a Thunder Spear and Levi’s body has yet to be shown. However, Levi certainly obtained revenge for his fallen comrades in his final confrontation with Zeke, chopping off parts of Zeke’s legs and torturing him.

In the world of Attack on Titan, it is difficult for characters to have honor when other humans and Titans are so ruthless and conniving, but Levi demonstrates that he is willing to go down with the ship, putting himself in harm’s way and protecting those who are important to him.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/attack-on-titan-levi-tragic-hero-reasons/

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