EruRiMike

EruRiMike is the poly ship between Erwin Smith, Levi Ackerman, and Mike Zacharias from the Attack on Titan fandom.

Canon
It is unknown when Mike and Erwin were enlisted, but they were already members of the Survey Corps, when they met Levi in the Underground in 844. Erwin appears as the Squad Leader with Mike under his command. Erwin becomes witness to Levi masterly using the VME as he escapes the street thugs. This caught his attention and he decides on finding Levi and recruiting him into the Survey Corps.

To carry out the plan, Erwin leads his squad to pursue and capture Levi and his friends. Levi notices the chase and immediately recognizes them by the wings symbol on their backs. As he tries to escape, Mike suddenly apprehends him, but Levi frees himself from his grip. He realizes that there should be another soldier who he saw was following him there, too, and Erwin appears from the sky, swiftly ascending on him. He cuts Levi's cords and Levi falls. Mike asks whether Erwin managed to actually bring him down, and as Erwin answers negatively, Levi attacks him (in visual novel Mike catches Levi before he falls and puts cuffs on him). Erwin dodges the hit, and Mike tries to restrain Levi, only succeeding when Levi sees his friends caught by the other Survey Corps members.

Mike restrains Levi from behind and Erwin approaches him. He interrogates Levi, asking him how he got a hold of the maneuvering equipment. He notes that Levi's skill is perfect, and wants to know who taught him. Erwin even wonders if Levi received military training, but Levi keeps silent and only glares up at him. Erwin says that Levi probably wants to kill him and run off. Smith says he'd rather avoid any rough treatment, but Mike forcefully grabs Levi by the hair and holds his face down into a pool on the ground. Erwin is unswerving, as he asks his question again. Upon learning Levi learnt it by himself, Erwin doesn't believe him immediately as it seems rather inconceivable. Erwin asks for Levi's name, and gets on his knee in the middle of the pool in front of Levi, who is still being held by Mike from behind, to propose a deal - he will forget Levi's past crimes if he joining the Survey Corps and lends Erwin his strength.

After Levi joins the Corps, he starts going on expeditions with Mike and Erwin. During the second expedition they get separated, and when after the battle Erwin and Mike find Levi, he is mourning his dead friends. As Erwin asks Levi if he managed to kill all of the titans nearby all by himself, Levi attacks him, as he believes the deaths of Farlan and Isabel are his fault. Mike is ready to protect Erwin, but he orders him to stay back. Despite the threat, Mike obeys dutifully, but doesn't put the blades away as he circles the two cautiously. Furious Levi wants to cut Erwin's throat, but the man stops his blade with his own bare hand. Mike rushes to them as quickly as possible but Erwin is not in danger anymore, as he takes control of the situation and argues with Levi and convinces him to stay with the Survey Corps, as they all have one and the same enemy — the titans. Eventually all three men manage to calm down and as Levi decides to remain a Survey Corps member, they return inside the walls together.

Years after that, in 850, Mike, Levi, and Erwin sill serve in the Survey Corps. Now Erwin is Commander of the Survey Corps, while Mike and Levi are leaders of their own squads, serving under him. When Eren Jaeger is on a militant trial, Erwin, Mike, and Levi are seen standing next to each other in the court room (in manga). When the three participate in the operation on capturing the Female Titan, Levi and Mike fight ferociously under Erwin's command.

Mike is the first to die among the three, and as Erwin keeps contemplating about the death of his comrades, he remembers Mike. After Erwin joins him, Levi, now alone, imagines both of them among his comrades, as he thinks about the fate of the humanity and the sacrifices of his friends. When the power of the titans is undone, Levi sees them standing together. They salute him (Mike — with his right hand, Erwin — with his left), and Levi, with a small smile, salutes them back.

Fanon
The ship is considered a rare pair, being overshadowed by EruRi, a more popular ship for Levi and Erwin, while Mike's most popular ship is considered to be MikeNana. However some versed fans, who have spent a long time in the fandom, might feel inclined to find something new, and if they already favor EruRi, EruRiMike seems like an interesting option. Some fans enjoy the aesthetic of the ship: tall, broad-shouldered, and blond Erwin and Mike with miniature, dark-haired Levi. The ship gained popularity after the release of Attack on Titan: No Regrets, a spin-off manga based on a visual novel about Levi's back story predating the events of the main narrative. Given that Mike and Levi both trusted and deeply respected Erwin (some even might call them Erwin's right hand men), the ship mostly gains positive reaction among the fans. However generally Erwin, Levi, and Mike's relationship is seen as platonic, rather than romantic. Roughly a quarter of EruRiMike fanfiction is set in the modern world (Modern AU).

Fandom
FAN FICTION

FAN ART

TUMBLR
 * notable pages:
 * @lostcauses-noregrets
 * @lostcauses-noregrets

Trivia

 * Their precise ages are unknown, but it is revealed that Mike is the oldest, while Levi is the youngest among them.

Variations

 * EruRi refers to the ship between Erwin Smith and Levi Ackerman
 * EruMike refers to the ship between Erwin Smith and Mike Zacharias
 * MikeRi refers to the ship between Mike Zacharias and Levi Ackerman