EruRi

EruRi is the slash ship between Erwin Smith and Levi Ackerman from the Attack on Titan fandom.

Canon
Erwin and Levi share a mutual and equal relationship that is full of trust, care and devotion. And Erwin was Levi's most important person, that could never be replaced, since he was an irreplaceable existence in Levi’s life.

A Choice With No Regrets
Their paths crossed when they first met in the year 844, as it is narrated in the story “A Choice with No Regrets” (ACWNR), the entire story of how Levi came to meet Erwin and join the Survey Corps. Levi is a petty criminal and Underground gang leader, who together with his friends Farlan and Isabel, is recruited by a corrupt noble to kill Survey Corps Squad Leader Erwin Smith and recover some incriminating documents he has in his possession. During their first encounter in the Underground, “the two who met with freedom in their hearts”, as the story says, exchange looks. As Levi escapes using his vertical maneuvering equipment, Erwin is there in the crowd watching him, but he does not stop him. As Levi turns around to see him, their eyes meet in a way that seems to visibly startle Levi as he widens his eyes. Erwin is looking back at him in a rather enigmatic way, with a fascination and admiration of Levi, accompanied by a slight, barely perceptible smile, wedged on the corner of his mouth. This is the moment Erwin decides to recruit him to the Survey Corps.

Erwin returns to the Underground to capture Levi and his friends. Refusing to be caught, the three friends choose to split up, and Levi gets chased by Erwin and Mike Zacharias. Erwin manages to stop Levi, and as he doesn’t underestimate him as the kind of person that can be broken, and understands that he is not selfish, he puts Levi to the test by appealing to the care he has about the life of his friends. When Levi gives in by giving him his name, Erwin becomes more flexible and even falls to the ground to level with Levi, dirtying his boots, a significant detail considering the fact Levi’s commitment to cleanliness is highlighted throughout the whole manga. Erwin then offers them a deal: that their crimes will go unpunished if they join the Survey Corps. Levi agrees to join, intending to kill Erwin at the first opportunity and recover the documents. During their first expedition Levi and his friends take down an abnormal Titan, Erwin watches on captivated, thinking: “so your wings are the real thing after all Levi.”

Later, while Farlan searches Erwin’s office for the documents, Levi keeps watch in the corridor where he encounters Erwin. They stare at each other intensely for a very long time, without saying a word. Until Erwin breaks the silence, not missing the opportunity to talk to him, and seizing the opportunity to awaken in him his heart of soldier because Erwin respects his strength and will. Even though Levi seems to be losing interest in the matter, he still seems intrigued when Erwin congratulates him on his first fight, praises his fighting skill and acknowledges the sacrifice of all those soldiers who died having dedicated their hearts to save humanity. At that moment, a whole panel shows his eyes opening wide. He realizes at this point that the man he says he hates may not have the same feelings about him. The way they stare at each other for such a long time is so significant that six pages are dedicated to it in the manga version of ACWNR. Even Isabel herself points that out after Levi and her meet again: “you guys were just glaring at each other silently and it was creeping me out”. And this is not the first time, since at the scene where Keith Shadis orders the new recruits to introduce themselves, Levi, who seems to be bothered by this obligation, gives Erwin an unobtrusive glance before doing so, silently asking him if he should do it.

During their next expedition, the three plan to kill Erwin, but when the weather closes in, Levi resolves to go after Erwin alone, leaving Farlan and Isabel behind in the rain, with zero visibility, despite their begging him not to. Unseen in the rain, a group of Titans attacks their squad killing Farlan and Isabel. In his rage, Levi wipes out the Titans single-handedly. When Erwin and Mike find him kneeling among the remains, Levi attacks Erwin, knocks him to the ground and threatens to kill him by holding his blade to his throat. Erwin is on his knees, disarmed, at the mercy of Levi, while he is standing, but emotionally and physically overwhelmed by the death of his friends. Erwin reveals that he knew all along about Levi’s plan, and that the documents were fake, part of a counter-plan to force the corrupt noble to reveal himself. Levi blames himself for needlessly causing his friends’ death but Erwin grabs Levi’s blade in his hand and reminds him that it is the Titans who are responsible for all their suffering.

Erwin offers Levi a choice, asking if he will kill him and return to the darkness of the Underground or to fight with the Survey Corps and use his strength to save humanity. Levi, instead of attacking Erwin, killing him and fleeing far away, lets Erwin speak. Erwin is the one in danger in this situation, in addition to not hesitating to hurt himself by grabbing Levi’s sword with his bare hand, and this does not escape Levi. He realizes that Erwin has enough faith in his good sense and willingness to be free to bet his life on Levi’s choice. A choice with no regrets. He trusts him, a simple mobster who has every reason to want to kill him. All these elements will eventually forge the final choice of Levi to follow Erwin Smith as long as he lives, never regretting his decision (as he thinks to himself later on), join the Survey Corps and fight for humanity.

The visual novel version of the story makes Levi’s choice to follow Erwin more explicit:

"”What a man”, Levi thought to himself. When he’d gotten caught in the underground, he’d felt humiliated. He had thought that Erwin was brimming with an air of superiority as he looked down at his catch, but now, Levi knew that he’d been mistaken. That kind of quarrel about superiority or inferiority had never concerned Erwin even in the slightest. He was, after all, fighting a more important war against the titans. No, perhaps, it was against something even bigger than that. Fixing his sight on that something, he’d carried on fighting, trying his hardest to defeat it. Levi thought he’d been obsessed only with his pride, limiting his horizons only to that, and had then lost important friends as a result, with his current self, he definitely had no chance at winning against this man. If that’s the case… "All right… It looks like you have something that I lack. Until I know what that ‘something’ is, I’ll go with you.“ Having made his choice, Levi stood up. And then, catching up to Erwin, he began to trod through the heavy rain that obscured everything before them. Towards the hope surely left somewhere in this broken world, he began to walk."

- “A Choice With No Regrets” Visual Novel.

And here Levi’s attitude changes dramatically. He hated this man and wanted to kill him, but ended up finding himself following him to hell without any regrets. Levi’s hatred for Erwin at first only makes their bond more poignant and inexplicable. To pass from a stage of detestation to that of absolute trust shows something very strong happened in him. Especially taking into account the fact that Levi, during his life, had to learn not to trust easily for survival purposes. It did not happen all at once, though, far from it, as the prequel story of ACWNR shows it.

Manga/Anime
The two men will spend a few years next to each other before we meet them for good in the year 850. Here we start to see how their relationship developed into a more intimate and equal one, as seen in the side story of the 3rd. Volume of the manga, “Captain Levi". When Erwin orders their fallback to Trost, Levi questions this order, demands an explanation from him and speaks to him in a very informal way, showing their now equal relationship, that goes beyond that of a Commander and subordinate. Erwin does not insult the intelligence of Levi by giving him orders without sense, and explains to him that Wall Rose has possibly been breached.

Levi’s rank is particularly important here because he joined the Survey Corps, under the command of Keith Shadis, in 844, presumably with the rank of soldier, but six years later, as we see here, in 850, Levi is captain and the Survey Corps is under Erwin’s command. Shadis stepped down as commander in 845 after the fall of Wall Maria and he didn’t promote Levi to captain during his first year in the Corps, considering that Levi had by-passed the usual route to joining the military and was still regarded as a “thug”. This means that Levi was promoted by Erwin, though it’s not expressed exactly when. It’s also clear that captain is not a formal rank in the Survey Corps, as noted in the “Attack on Titan: OUTSIDE Osamu” official guidebook, where “captain” is never listed amongst the Survey Corps’ ranks. So Levi is the one and only captain of the Survey Corps, and since Erwin made him a captain, then Erwin also created the rank specifically for Levi.

Sometime after, when Eren Yeager wakes up in the dungeon beneath the courthouse he was placed in, in the custody of the Military Police, he immediately recognizes both Levi and Erwin facing him, Erwin sitting in a chair, and Levi nonchalantly leaning against the wall. While Erwin seems to be the serious and focused Commander, leader of the Survey Corps, Levi tends to be the more brazen captain, as Eren realizes when he first sees them. They’ve probably been in this room for a while before Eren wakes up. There is no doubt that Erwin during this time discussed the possibility for Levi to take charge, as he says "we've already reached the conclusion that he has no reason to lie", showing they’ve already discussed stuff about Eren together. Although Levi did not seem very in on the idea at first, because he was waiting to see if Eren was worth it, if he was really determined to serve humanity, or if he was a danger to them. Once again, the equal and trusting relationship of Erwin and Levi is visible as Levi informs Erwin that he’ll take responsibility for Eren.

At the military's tribunal to determine what to do with Eren Yeager, Erwin proposes his plan to the military's commander-in-chief Darius Zackly that the boy be entrusted to the Survey Corps, so that his powers can be used to reclaim Wall Maria. In the middle of the trial Eren loses his temper, prompting Levi to beat him in front of everyone to prove that he can be controlled, just like Erwin planned it, proving once again how much of a great team the both of them are. Seizing the opportunity, Erwin promises that he will station Eren under Levi’s orders if he is allowed to join the Survey Corps. After the trial, Erwin apologizes to Eren for Levi's treatment of him before commending him for unwittingly giving them the perfect argument to convince the military to turn him over to the corps, formally welcoming him to the Survey Corps. And having said this, Levi asks Eren if he resents him, to which Eren replies no, alluding to the explanation Erwin gave before, of it being necessary. All this creates an amusing dynamic between the three characters, with Erwin and Levi behaving like parents towards him, something they will eventually keep doing with other characters later on. Erwin being the soft and patient dad, while Levi is the more blunt but caring one.

Of all the strange things Eren has witnessed, Erwin and Levi’s bond is what surprises him the most. Now in the custody of the Survey Corps, Eren is escorted to their former headquarters, and there, during a conversation between Petra Ral and Eren about how Levi doesn't seem like the perfect hero people make him out to be, Eren remarks that he is surprised that Levi follows orders so readily. Petra describes him as “high-strung, ill-mannered and unapproachable”, and since she is shown to rely on rumors and speculation to piece together his backstory, trying to make sense of why someone as powerful and dangerous as Levi would willingly submit to someone like Erwin, she explains that it wasn’t always like that and that there are rumors that Levi was a notorious underground thug before Erwin brought him into the Survey Corps. Eren expresses surprise that it was Erwin that recruited Levi to the Survey Corps. Later, during a discussion about a forthcoming mission, Levi thinks of Erwin and remarks that planning is his department and that he “has a lot more to think about than others."

This not only shows Levi only listens and trusts in Erwin’s strength more than anyone, but also that he always mentions him, even when the conversation has nothing to do with him, a recurring theme when it comes to them. For instance, during the time him, Hange, and members of their squads were hiding Eren and Historia in a remote cabin, since Hange was having some doubts on how to move on with their plan, when they finally made their decision, Levi brings Erwin up again saying that’s exactly what Erwin would’ve have said, using him as the highest compliment he could thought of. Later on, he receives a note from Erwin and asks those members of his squad "dumb enough" to trust Erwin to come with him. Even when Erwin is away and not even present, Levi always thinks of him. Like another instance, when he and Pastor Nick had to depart to Ehrmich District, and separate from his squad, Levi mentions Erwin again saying he trusts the squad he's leaving behind since it's the one chosen by Erwin. Once again, showing the amount of trust they have on each other.

During the 57th Expedition Beyond the Walls, Levi and his team are ordered to ride in the safest area of Erwin's formation. When the formation is suddenly attacked by a horde of Titans coming at their right flank, they change course toward the Titan Forest, and Levi's squad takes the central route. His squad members, including Eren who has just joined the Corps, are agitated. However, only Levi shows understanding of Erwin’s plan. Seeing Eren’s hesitation Levi brings his and Erwin’s shared philosophy of “No Regrets”, which helps Eren to finally make a decision.

Shortly afterward, Levi gets separated from his squad. He reunites with Erwin and prepares to extract the human in control of the Female Titan from the nape of her neck. Erwin and Levi keep showing their incredible teamwork and trust in each other. Though they don’t exchange very many words, they achieve skillful cooperation precisely because they believe in one another. Erwin also looks out for Levi. When he is off to meet up again with his squad, Erwin orders him to “go replenish his gas and blades”. Even though Levi is “Humanity’s Strongest”, Erwin asks him this to protect Levi from imminent death. Had Levi run off to fight the Female Titan with low gas, he would have definitely died. So although he discusses the order at first because he doesn’t understand the point of it, a lingering look and a moment of silence shared between the two is enough to make Levi understand Erwin’s motives and choose to “trust [his] judgment.”

During the expedition, Levi gets injured. And since the Survey Corps don’t manage to capture the Female Titan, Erwin is instructed to go to the capital where it is decided that Eren must be handed over, and he goes accompanied by Levi. Since Levi is injured, he does not participate in the subsequent operation in the Stohess District, and he doesn’t have any reason to be there. However, he accompanies Erwin to support him, and during this whole part of the arc he is only seen with Erwin.

As soon as they arrive there, Nile Dawk, Commander of the Military Police, questions Erwin’s plan and decides to take him into custody, threatening to kill Erwin. Hearing this, Levi begins to move alongside him, so Erwin tells him “I acted on my own authority. I offer no excuses, Levi. Stay put. You don’t like pointless death”, making sure Levi isn’t taken into custody with him, since he knows Levi’s human side so well. The pointless death in this case is Erwin’s and potentially Levi’s if he’s facing charges alongside him. Levi’s sassy reply "you're right. I'm not fond of causing it or experiencing it”, indicates he understands his life is at risk if he goes with Erwin. So Levi is not present when Erwin is being questioned by the officials. Hange is by Erwin’s side while Levi is with the 104th supervising the placement of Annie’s crystal. Erwin takes full responsibility for what happened at Stohess and offers no excuses. While Erwin takes full responsibility for what happened, such widespread destruction was never part of his plan. Erwin along with Armin developed a plan with numerous safety measures in place to prevent Annie from transforming. Levi was involved in the planning of said plan as well, as the only other member of the Survey Corp who is not from the 104th, showing how much trust Erwin has in him.

Since Levi was still injured, he didn't join Erwin on his mission to recapture Eren from Reiner, Bertholdt and Ymir. Once the Survey Corps return from outside the Walls, successfully getting back Eren, Erwin is immediately hospitalized since he has lost his right arm during the mission. He rests for a whole week in a coma, while Levi takes close care of him. During that time, Levi runs the Survey Corps and makes decisions on Erwin’s behalf, thinking what's best for them and humanity, and what Erwin would have done. Levi himself later reveals that he made the decision to take over some of Erwin’s work while Erwin was in a coma, so Erwin could sleep peacefully, showing how deeply he cares for Erwin. Levi also knows Erwin very well, which is why he deduced he’d be worrying a lot after waking up, so he made the decision to take work off of his shoulders, “so that when he wakes up, he can enjoy the peace of mind instead of worrying about unnecessary concerns.”

When Erwin wakes up, Dot Pixis, Commander of the Garrison, comes to visit him and Levi in Erwin’s hospital room, to inform Erwin of all the things that had been happening ever since he entered his coma state. And once again, Levi’s care and concern for Erwin show when the first thing he does after Pixis is done talking is apologizing to Erwin for talking about these worrying things right after he just recovered. This also shows how Levi tries to ease the tension and make Erwin relax by his sharp and sarcastic comments. He is being playful and Erwin follows, no matter how hurt and exhausted he is. Not only that, but their conversation is quite casual for a commander/subordinate relationship, with Levi using playfully rude terms with Erwin. And Erwin, rather than feeling insulted, instead reveals a bit about his childhood, and smiles tenderly at Levi.

After Hange informs them about humans transforming into titans, Connie and them leave, leaving Levi and Erwin alone in the room. When Levi turns around from the window to talk to him, he’s shocked to see Erwin kind of smiling in silence. He is smiling as a coping mechanism because he just found out that the theory his father had, which the Military Police (MP) killed him for, and that traumatized Erwin in his childhood, is now confirmed to be true. And also, because this is a huge step in helping humanity, something he later says. However, Levi at first is concerned about him. Levi wanted to say to Erwin something like, “You’ve been hiding this from me, haven’t you.” He wasn’t doubting Erwin. He just realized there were still parts about him that he didn’t know about, despite him thinking he knew him so well. And that Erwin also has “a side like an innocent boy.” He was interested and reacted with, “Well, it can’t be helped, I’ll help you with it then.” Levi asks him if this is the reason he joined the Survey Corps, which shows how well he knows Erwin and that Levi is the first - and only - person Erwin talked about his personal dreams with up until that point, since he talked with Pixis about it much later on, when it was important to the Survey Corps.

Despite this new awareness, Levi continues to trust and follow Erwin and obey his orders just like he always has, supporting him and working side by side with him on Erwin’s plan to expose the corruption of the royals. Levi and Erwin keep spending nights together in a room, discussing this as well as Historia Reiss’ new royal identity. The Royal Government Arc also reinforces how much Levi and Erwin care for each other, and the importance they have in each other’s lives. In Levi’s case this is shown when he and his squad capture a MP to make him reveal where Eren and Historia are captured. Levi interrogates him, but the MP refuses to talk, as he starts talking about how the Survey Corps have no options anymore, while Levi keeps his usual stoic expression on. But it isn’t until the MP mentions Erwin, saying he will be the first one to get hanged, that Levi protectively snaps, twisting and breaking the MP's arm. Meanwhile, Erwin was being tortured and was about to confront the Royal Government, in order to free humanity from them, at an audience. As the government was questioning him, they brought up Levi, who they themselves recognized as Erwin’s “right-hand man”, which means they are aware of how close they are and that if Erwin has a weak spot, it’s Levi (and vice versa); and they attempted to use that against him, just like the MP did with Levi, making Erwin concerned. However, with no success since both of them were fully compromised with the mission they both share.

After going through all of this, the two of them have their first reunion after being separated in one of their hardest times, and considering they have never separated like this before, they are immediately able to feel each other approaching in the dark. Levi instantly feels Erwin approaching and recognizes him in the dark and Erwin approaches Levi and his Squad, as soon as he hears Levi’s voice. Another significant thing happens in this reunion of theirs because Levi addresses Erwin by his rank as Commander for the first time ever. He always speaks informally with Erwin (which is already peculiar considering their roles, and would be weird if they weren't as close as they are), so Levi calling him “Commander” is very impactful, especially since Erwin had been doubting himself and his choices over the last few days. The next day, while they’re on top of the wall, Erwin reunites with some of Levi’s squad, and Levi himself, and informs them of his plan to take down Rod Reiss' titan. All soldiers say “yes, sir” and move along, while Levi looks back at Erwin as he runs by with a lingering, meaningful and weighty look.

Two months later, Erwin presents the plan for the return to Shiganshina. He knows what’s on the line. He knows the sacrifices that have been made. And he feels guilty and responsible for each and every soldier who died under his command because they matter to him. And during the meeting with the higher ups, Levi keeps staring at Erwin, looking really concerned for him, which shows just how well they read each other, due to their deep trusting bond. Later on, at the meeting they have regarding the serum, the trust and respect between Erwin and Levi is shown once more. Moreover, it’s once again confirmed that Levi isn’t a subordinate, except by name. He is a free agent and Erwin considers and treats him as more than an equal, in front of the chain of Command. Erwin, as Commander, could just have ordered Levi to keep hold of the serum. But instead, Erwin asks Levi if he is willing to do so. He takes his thoughts on the matter into consideration. There are many people in the military that outrank Levi, but it is him that Erwin is giving responsibility to. Erwin not only trusts that Levi will look after the serum, but that Levi will make the right choice when the time comes. Erwin knows that this task is going to be a huge burden and wants to know that Levi is okay with doing so, even repeating the question a second time. Levi can tell Erwin is brooding and preoccupied before he even says anything, so instead of answering him, he digs for Erwin's plans after the basement and implores about Erwin's request for him to take responsibility of the serum, showing just how worried Levi already is for Erwin's life and safety.

So much so that during the next few days, when they have a meeting talking about the information Hange gathered from Keith Shadis, Levi sits in a corner, next to Erwin, facing him more than anyone else gathered in the room, and remains silent throughout the whole discussion, constantly staring at Erwin. The whole time Levi was staring at Erwin, he was thinking about how to make him stay and not go on the mission to Shiganshina, so as not to lose him. He’s ready for the conversation to end so he can speak to Erwin, just the two of them in private. In fact, when the meeting ends, Levi readily closes the door behind the other members, leaving just the two of them alone in the room. Levi begins to demand Erwin tell him what his plans are for “later”, after retaking Wall Maria. And he keeps telling him that they first need to find out what is there, to then start planning ahead. Levi was so desperate to keep Erwin safe that he begs Erwin to let Hange lead the charge instead of him, because he doesn’t want Erwin to get hurt in the battle, since he mentions he is much more vulnerable now of being attacked by Titans. He orders Erwin: “you stay here and wait for the good news.” In that moment, Erwin has a flashback of his dad, and Erwin is shown sitting from the back, facing the two most important men in his life, ultimately choosing between going after his dad’s theories or staying with the one who is pleading him not to go. Then, he simply answers “no”, which leaves Levi with a devastated look on his face.

Levi keeps trying to convince him, telling him he just needs to stay away from danger, just using his head to help humanity, but it’s no use, because Erwin keeps arguing with him, in a way that infuriates Levi. Which is why he tells him “I’ll break your legs if you keep using tatemae (建前) on me”. Tatemae (建前) is a Japanese concept that boils down to “the things you say just to meet people’s (social) expectations”. Tatemae is the opposite of honne (本音), which is “the things you really feel”. Levi expects that Erwin will trust him enough to tell him the truth about why he wants to lead the expedition because Levi is used to asking and getting honne from Erwin, and suddenly not getting it anymore implies that Erwin is shutting him out in a very serious way. For various reasons but mainly because Erwin doesn’t want to lose Levi’s trust. Although they’re both being dishonest to an extent since Erwin says he has to participate in the mission for the sake of humanity. And Levi is asking him to stay for the same reason. Which shows they’re both giving the same exact excuse.

Losing Erwin is something Levi tries to prevent so hard to the point of even threatening to break his legs. However, Erwin just softly laughs at his threat and tells Levi that he has to be there at the moment they learn the truth about this world, which leaves Levi speechless. He keeps asking him a series of questions, one after the other, and seeing Erwin won't change his mind on the matter, Levi clenches his fists and finally says "fine." Before leaving the room, Levi lets Erwin know that, no matter what, like always, he will trust his judgment. However, Levi still slams the door on his way out.

Hours later, both Erwin and Levi meet up again for a special dinner prepared for the Survey Corps before the mission to Shiganshina. But despite how close they seem to be, Levi is still upset about their conversation earlier and Erwin’s decision. And he takes all of his anger out on Eren and Jean when he violently breaks up their fight by beating them up, leaving the party abruptly to nurse the remainder of his beer alone. Which shows just how much this conflict with Erwin is affecting him emotionally. Levi understands that Erwin is determined to leave his life in the operation if necessary. And since this is a difficult realization for him, from that moment, during the entire Shiganshina mission Levi feels like he keeps messing up many of his actions. He himself realizes that he failed to kill Reiner, when Erwin tells him “you're the only one I can trust to destroy the Beast Titan." As Levi wants to make it up to Erwin for what he thinks he failed to do, Erwin shows his trust in him. However, Levi is still extremely attentive to every one of Erwin’s movements. While the both of them are on top of the wall and Erwin remains silent, having millions of thoughts about the mission, Levi patiently watches him by his side. And then eases the tension when Erwin starts giving commands, by joking that it took him long enough to say something. Which shows that they’ve been together for such a long time that Levi can tell from the simple change in Erwin’s posture that conclusions have been reached in Erwin’s head and that he is ready to speak.

Later, the Beast Titan, Zeke Jaeger, begins bombarding Levi and his soldiers with a barrage of stones and boulders. Erwin rushes down deeply worried when he sees Levi’s position, and he quickly commands their retreat at the base of the Wall, protected behind some houses. Levi is shouting at the recruits and stressed, and the second he sees Erwin joining them, he’s able to take a breath and calm down. But immediately after, Erwin informs the recruits that they, alongside Levi and himself, are the only remaining forces within the Walls. As the recruits break down, yelling loudly, Erwin and Levi stand in front of one another, gazing at each other for a while. Then, Levi asks Erwin if he has some kind of plan, looking for his commanding abilities. In that moment, Bertolt kicks Eren, making him fall on the wall, where Erwin and Levi watch him in shock. Levi tells Erwin that if he were to tell him that there's no way left for them to fight back, he'd start preparing for defeat. Erwin seems paralyzed. He can no longer make a decision that will cause more deaths. So Levi takes the lead and proposes a plan of withdrawal to keep Erwin safe: wake up Eren who’s all sprawled out over the wall, let him carry Erwin and any survivors there, and retreat. Then, the new recruits and the survivors of Hange’s squad get on horses and ride in all directions to act as bait for the Beast Titan to get distracted, so Erwin can get on Eren and escape alive.

Erwin does not object formally but asks Levi what he intends to do. Levi replies that he will take care of the Beast Titan. Here, Erwin refuses. Realizing that Levi may die, because he has no chance to reach the Beast Titan without help, Erwin comes up with a plan on the spot to ensure Levi’s safety. Erwin proposes to serve as a decoy, with the entirety of recruits. As Levi seems taken aback by the plan, Erwin decides to empty his heart, allowing himself to show this vulnerable side of himself that he only shows Levi, revealing his true self. He tells him about the dead soldiers who weigh on his conscience, he shows him his biggest fears of not being able to behave as a responsible Commander, and talks about the dream he shared with his father. The fact that Erwin doesn’t bother to explain what the dream is, or how he came to share it with his father, shows that Levi already knows all about it. And Levi listens silently, as chaos reigns around them and time seems suspended as the two men are like in a bubble of intimacy, away from them. Erwin asks him if all of this it's just nothing more than his own childish delusions, raising his head awaiting Levi’s reaction. And Levi has a soft and devastated look on his face as he’s watching Erwin being so vulnerable in front of him. Immediately, Levi gets down on one knee in front of Erwin and responds, not thinking Erwin is selfish, not with disappointment, but with praise and gratitude. He reassures Erwin that he's fought a good fight and that they were only able to come this far thanks to him.

And then, completely terrified, and despite all of his best efforts to keep Erwin alive, Levi informs Erwin that he will be the one making the choice. Just by looking at Erwin, Levi knows exactly how he feels, and that Erwin wants Levi to say the exact same words he tells him: “give up on that dream and die”. He caught what Erwin wanted. Levi makes the extreme sacrifice of letting Erwin die, allowing the thing he’d striven so hard to prevent, for the sake of Erwin’s well-being. But first, he makes the vow to Erwin that he will kill the Beast Titan. Erwin smiles softly and then lifts his gaze at Levi, and with the softest smile he has given anyone ever, he thanks Levi for supporting him and allowing him to die with dignity. At this moment Erwin suspects that this will be his last charge. And Levi words are what encourage him to fulfill his responsibility for the future. Levi still has hope thanks to the serum. He lets him go, with the possibility of saving him if he can. After their intimate moment, Erwin gives Levi the best advice to be able to safely attack the Beast Titan and they come back with the recruits. The both of them stand side by side as Erwin gives the last speech that motivates the recruits to fight to their death and to devote their hearts for the legacy of their dead comrades. Both Levi and Erwin fight together, as Levi goes to confront the Beast Titan, Erwin and the young recruits charge the Beast Titan head-on with battle cries. After the first barrage of rocks is thrown, Erwin is struck and a rock flies through the left side of his waist and through his horse's head and neck. In pain and near death, Erwin throws his head forward and smiles in determination.

Meanwhile, Levi surprises the Beast Titan, and he deploys a truly superhuman strength, far above what he has shown so far. This is due to the fact that when Ackermans willingly devote themselves to their chosen person, they’re able to unleash extraordinary power. Such a display of strength from Levi, against which the beast titan itself is powerless, is due to the fact that Levi is devoting himself to Erwin, his chosen person. Carrying his promise to Erwin in his heart, Levi is able to take Zeke out of his Titan form, all dismembered. Levi pierces Zeke’s face with his blade, but in that moment, he suddenly stops thinking he can’t kill him yet, because he needs to feed Zeke to someone injected with the serum, so that they can inherit the Beast Titan’s power. Levi starts to frantically think “isn’t there anyone still alive? Only one man…” And at that exact moment, he thinks about Erwin, a sweet-faced smiling Erwin appears in his thoughts, the same way that Levi wants to remember him as he last saw him. Despite knowing that the lives of people he also cares about are in danger, right now, the person he cares about the most is Erwin, the only person that comes to his mind, who is the most important person in Levi’s life, whose existence exceeds that of Levi’s own.

However, Levi’s thoughts of Erwin get interrupted and he gets shocked when the Cart Titan snatches Zeke and carries him away in its mouth. Devastated, Levi starts pleading with Zeke to wait since he starts thinking about the main thing on his mind, which was that he needed to fulfill his vow to Erwin. Zeke then orders the remaining Titans to kill Levi. But Levi, remembering his promise to Erwin, finds his resolve, and shouts in despair “I promised him!” as he begins to take on the Titans, to later chase down Zeke. Levi pursues Zeke and the Cart Titan back to Shiganshina District, where he is stopped by his lack of supplies. He orders Eren to give him all his gas and blades so that he can continue the chase, but Eren panics and demands that Levi give Armin, who has been mortally wounded, the Titan injection he is carrying. Levi hesitates, which shocks Eren, but ultimately agrees. Just as he is about to hand Eren the injection, Floch, one of the recruits, crawls up onto the roof with Erwin, who is on the brink of death, on his back.

Levi’s expression immediately changes upon seeing Erwin. Eren gets shocked once again when he realizes that not only is Levi not giving him the serum, but also that he’s desperately clutching the serum to his chest. His eyes become desperate, but also relieved beyond belief that Erwin is still alive, and Levi’s movements become delicate in response. He softly cradles Erwin in his hands and carefully places him lying on the roof. Despite the fact that Floch already mentioned Erwin was alive, Levi has to check for himself, to feel Erwin's breath once more, and to know for sure that Erwin is alive. So he places one hand in front of his nostrils to check if Erwin’s still breathing, and gets surprised to realize he indeed is. Immediately, Levi declares that the injection would be given to Erwin, as he clutches the serum tightly.

Of course this is met with resistance from Eren and Mikasa, whose childhood friend is also in mortal danger. Appalled at Eren and Mikasa, Levi asks Eren to be rational in this situation. Eren shows Levi’s hypocrisy by correctly identifying Levi's personal feelings for Erwin. Levi never denies Eren’s claim, and instead reveals the true intention behind his actions and explains why he was so hesitating in giving Eren the serum earlier: he was hoping to use it on Erwin. Levi never stopped thinking about giving the serum to Erwin. Erwin was Levi’s first and only thought and he never changed his mind. In fact, he reiterates that the serum will be used on Erwin. Eren tries to forcefully snatch away the serum from Levi and Levi violently punches him across the face, sending him far away in the roof, proving just how much reviving Erwin means to him.

However, as Mikasa sees her own liege being punched, she pins Levi down, struggling to get the serum out of his hand. In that moment, Floch confesses that when he saw Commander Erwin still breathing, he thought of killing him to "put him out of his misery." And then Floch goes on a monologue saying that he thought perhaps Erwin needed to spend more time “in this hell” and claims that Erwin is the only one who can destroy all the Titans, as he calls him “the devil himself.” Hearing Erwin regarded as a monster, realizing that soldiers and commoners alike fail to acknowledge him as a human being, the human that only Levi knew Erwin was, and the amount of dehumanization in Floch’s speech, makes Levi react visibly disgusted. Before telling everyone to go away so he can inject Erwin all alone, Eren kept talking to him about Armin and his dream to see the ocean, but that did little to stop Levi.

While struggling over what to do, Levi replayed a mental montage of Kenny’s final moments. The moment that sealed the deal for him was when he recalled Kenny’s selflessness in giving him the serum before dying. Levi’s decision to let Erwin die was made out of compassion and love for him. Because he didn’t want him to become the “devil” that Floch, and by extension the people, demanded Erwin to become. Levi chose to prioritize Erwin’s well-being and happiness above the greater good of humanity as a whole. And, most of all, above his own personal feelings. Levi fought against his own fears about losing Erwin, and decided to let him rest. While making his choice, Levi once again remembered Erwin’s final peaceful smile as he was thanking him, and in the end Levi chose to preserve Erwin’s last smile and to treat him as a human, by letting him go. Levi choosing Armin over Erwin actually means choosing Erwin and his happiness, to let him be free and to let him rest. And Levi himself says as such when Floch ends up asking him why he didn’t inject Erwin with the serum.

After Armin is turned into a Titan, everyone was looking in his direction, except for Levi. Levi was the only one still looking at Erwin's dead body, and he never took his gaze out of him after injecting Armin, choosing to stay by Erwin’s side until his final breath. Because to Levi, staying with Erwin until Erwin's last minute gave him a feeling that he has accomplished everything he needs to. Broken and devastated, Levi keeps talking to Erwin as if he was alive, and he tells him that his vow to kill the Beast Titan will have to wait. Later, Erwin’s corpse isn’t left on the roof, Levi takes the time to carry Erwin’s body to one of the rooms amongst the many houses in Shiganshina, he takes the time to prepare a pristine resting place for Erwin – a simple room, spotlessly cleaned after years of neglect, with fresh belflowers placed by Erwin’s side, which symbolize endless love and honesty. Finally, he takes the time to carefully place Erwin’s lifeless body on the bed, with his Survey Corps cape covering his face and torso.

Later when he comes back to everyone on top of the wall, Armin, looking visibly agitated, asks Levi why he gave the injection to him. Levi immediately corrects Armin, saying that he didn’t choose him specifically, and that it was his choice to let Erwin rest there, because he let his personal feelings for Erwin get in the way of his decision. In the Japanese/original release version of the manga, the kanji Levi uses to talk about his feelings for Erwin is "私情 - personal feelings", which means "feelings" in a romantic way, as the kanji "私" means "personal/mine/my, etc." and the kanji "情" means "feelings/love/passion, etc". Armin is still agitated and confused and says that there’s no way Levi would have let Erwin die. Hange chimes in and says they agree with Armin, because they differ with Levi. Hange believed Erwin should be kept alive at all costs, even if it meant turning him into a monster. And they confirm this to Armin, that if they had been in charge of the serum, they would have given it to Erwin. Levi on the other hand, swayed by his personal feelings for Erwin, refused to put him through that hell Floch mentioned, and chose to let him die with his humanity intact. Hange continues telling Armin about his new responsibilities to humanity, and he gets completely terrified saying that “it’s absurd” to think he’s supposed to be Commander Erwin’s replacement. Levi immediately tells Armin to not get it wrong, since Levi says: “you could never replace Erwin.”

Afterward, Levi follows Eren, Mikasa, and Hange to the Yeager family's basement. And Levi is so exhausted and looks so done, that when Eren finds out his key cannot open the locked door, Levi proceeds to push him aside and to kick the door open, which shocks Hange, who orders him to calm down. As the four of them inspect the basement, Levi keeps thinking about Erwin, so when he sees that Eren and Mikasa are looking around confused, he immediately calls them out telling them to not stand around, since Erwin’s intuition is never wrong, meaning Levi is sure that Erwin was correct in his theories about the basement.

Some time later, Levi went back to Shiganshina, all by himself, and recovered Erwin’s skeletal remains, to bring him home and to give him a special burial. During a ceremony to congratulate the Survey Corps, Floch starts fighting with Levi’s squad over their decision regarding the serum, while Levi stands silently in the background, hidden behind a pillar and separated from the rest of the group, looking utterly bereaved. Floch reiterates what Levi himself had confessed to Armin, that the decision was made because of his personal feelings. And then he says that, for this same reason, Armin for Eren and Mikasa, and Erwin for Levi, were too precious and important for them that they ended up making “an irrational decision.” Despite the fact Levi was being implicitly questioned by Floch, and all the military personnel that was also gossiping about Levi and Erwin like Floch said, he remains silent, not denying his claims, and looking miserable. Meanwhile, Armin sadly says that “Commander Erwin should have survived” instead of him, to which Eren jumps in to comfort him as he repeats the “No Regrets” speech that Levi taught him during his confrontation with the Female Titan, and which was his and Erwin’s shared philosophy. While Eren is speaking, Levi listens in to their conversation looking mournful, but then when Eren starts getting lost in the sudden influx of his father’s memories, that’s when Levi finally cuts in to stop them and tells them to prepare for the beginning of the ceremony.

One year later after Erwin’s death, since Levi lost Erwin, who was an irreplaceable existence for him, he is currently like a balloon dangling in the air rather aimlessly, with his vow to Erwin of killing the Beast Titan to keep him going [. He still constantly remembers Erwin and finds a way to link anything happening to him. For example, when Levi and Hange have a reunion with the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers, Yelena and Onyankopon, after Yelena tells Hange and Levi how the mindless titans have been ironically protecting Paradis from a Marley attack, Levi says “that would’ve made him laugh", with a sorrowful expression, referencing Erwin’s strange sense of humor, that Levi chided Erwin several times for. Another instance when this happens is when he accompanies Hange to deliver the news coming from the Hizuru nation, and Hange quotes Erwin verbatim. They say the exact same words Erwin says in chapter 72, which deeply shocks Levi, who immediately looks over with his eyes wide open as he hasn’t looked ever since Erwin’s death.

Four years after Erwin’s death, Erwin and the vow Levi made to him remain extremely important to Levi. But since he’s following orders from the Survey Corps who don’t want to kill Zeke so as to not lose the Beast Titan, Levi has to repress his desperate desire to kill Zeke. Which is something Zeke himself points out when he meets Levi at the airship in Liberio, after Paradis’ attack, when Levi fakes killing Zeke. Levi makes a reference to throwing more rocks to Zeke, like he did in Shiganshina. And Zeke tells him that he is a good actor, considering how well he contained himself during Zeke’s staged murder, masking how much he actually wanted to kill him. Levi gives Zeke a death glare and tells him that he's saving "the best part of his meal", killing him, for last. Once they return to the island, Levi rides into the city in a carriage with Zeke. And he threatens to kill Zeke again, saying he’ll send his corpse back to Marley, and then reveal everything about his plot, which would spell the end for his grandparents. However, Levi admits as long as Zeke's "secret plan" is real, he is willing to wait a little longer before slicing him to pieces. Levi hasn’t forgotten about his promise and he is not going to let Zeke forget either. Which is why he references Zeke’s rock attack on Shiganshina yet again while he holds him captive in the Titan Forest.

By the time Levi receives news that Zeke might be influencing the chaos that Eren and Yelena are causing in Paradis, he has been keeping Zeke captive for a whole month, has been waited four long years to fulfill his vow to Erwin, and he is tired and grieving Erwin. So it’s no surprise he starts getting fed up with Zeke and thinking about killing him right there and then. Levi starts thinking that no matter what Commander Pixis says, he will be cutting Zeke's limbs out. Immediately after considering killing Zeke, the first thing that comes to his mind is the promise he made to Erwin. As his expression softens, he starts thinking about the memory of the time when he made his vow to Erwin. Despite the fact that, in the background that day, there was chaos, collapsing buildings and a carnage, it all just fades to white in Levi’s memory of the moment. And, once again, he remembers this private moment between him and Erwin. He thinks “it took so long. Erwin... I think I'm finally going to fulfill the vow I made to you that day.” And with resolution now, he starts echoing Erwin’s exact words in his last speech to the recruits, thinking that now he’ll be able to prove their deaths had meaning. Unfortunately, once again, since Levi got lost in thought about Erwin and his vow to him, Zeke gets a chance to escape.

After Levi caught Zeke, he places the tip of a thunder spear inside Zeke’s stomach and attaches the fuse around his neck, proceeding to torture him so he cannot transform into a Titan. Zeke ends up pulling the pin on the thunder spear lodged in his stomach, as a shocked Levi is unable to react and is caught in the resulting explosion. Some time later, Hange finds him and takes him to a safer place. Levi wakes up after being severely injured, and despite the fact that he heard Eren’s message in Paths, and Hange’s monologue of how exhausted they are, his first thought is about Zeke and the promise he made to Erwin to kill him. Levi is pushing himself to the limit to achieve his vow to Erwin and to finally get his personal revenge by killing Zeke, which is why when he asks where Zeke is, he gets filled with mortification as he says "I let... him get away again...", referring to Zeke. Even after four years, Levi’s goal remains to fulfill the vow that links him and Erwin together by killing Zeke, something that Levi himself says in chapter 126.

Once again, as he and the rest of the Alliance are preparing to depart Odiha, Erwin’s memory continues to take the space in his mind as Levi remembers Erwin and their final conversation together. As Hange is about to sacrifice themself to gain the Alliance some time before departing Odiha, they start venting about their dead comrades. Levi abruptly interrupts Hange because their words reminded him of Erwin, so he tells them not to talk like Erwin used to. Levi also brings Erwin up once more when he recites his characteristic phrase “devote your hearts” as his last words to Hange, in remembrance of Erwin and as encouraging words. As the Alliance departs Odiha, Levi keeps his strong desire to fulfill his vow to Erwin, as he firmly declares that he will kill Zeke to stop the Rumbling.

Later, on top of Falco’s Flying Titan, after getting his leg injured in battle, Levi is now totally physically and emotionally exhausted. Yet he is still thinking about Erwin and the promise he made to him, as he starts having a whole internal monologue, where he starts addressing Erwin by name like he was talking to him. He opens his monologue by repeatedly asking where Zeke is, with the thought that’s been in the forefront of his mind since the battle of Shiganshina, which is killing Zeke. As he starts doubting himself, recognizing that he most likely can’t kill Zeke in the severely injured state he is in, Levi has the first vision of Erwin’s face that doesn’t include Erwin’s smiling at him. Erwin has always looked soft in Levi’s memories so far, and now, while that softness is still there, this time he just looks despondent, showing the fact Levi is projecting his own disappointment and frustration with his inability to obey his final order onto his memory of Erwin. When in reality, Erwin never ordered Levi to kill the Beast Titan, it was a mutual decision. Erwin told him that he had a plan that would enable Levi to take down the Beast Titan, but it was Levi himself who swore his vow specifically to Erwin. But since Erwin died as a result of the suicide charge, he regards this as Erwin’s final order, and the only one he has failed to fulfil, so Levi’s disappointment in himself is coloring his memory causing him to see Erwin as disappointed, instead of how he actually looked during that moment. With an anguished look on his face, and gripping his weapon strongly, Levi starts talking with Erwin in his inner monologue and reiterates that he made his decision based entirely on his own feelings for Erwin, and that he has no regrets about that. And then Levi continues, talking about Erwin’s eyes, as he says that he entrusted the future to Armin, “that kid who had the same look in his eyes as you.”

Unbending in his pursuit of completing the vow he made to Erwin four years ago to perfection, Levi is severely injured in the process of finally killing Zeke. Nevertheless with the help of his comrades, in the final battle he manages to kill Zeke. Levi can now finally say that he fulfilled each promise he made to Erwin. Taking out Zeke had been the last promise he had made, and after countless struggles, he can finally prove that Erwin’s life and death had meaning. That everything he did was important. With a calm heart, he is able to face Erwin and his friends.

Isayama originally planned out an entire page in the final chapter dedicated only to Levi and Erwin’s final goodbye, but could not add it due to the limit in pages he had at the time. After Levi saw his comrades - Moblit, Hange and Petra - in the fog at the end of the battle in the final chapter, he would be face to face with Erwin.

AU Smartpass
Erwin and Levi have an entire section of the “interviews” portion of the AU Smartpass app dedicated to the two of them together. During the interview, the both of them talk about their everyday lives and about how they met and got into the Survey Corps. They’re also overly supportive of each other, as Levi defends Erwin against the malicious rumors of him “sacrificing soldiers” and Erwin defends Levi from his reputation as a “clean freak”. Also, the both of them share some very informal banter with each other, once again showing the close relationship they share aside from being just Commander and Captain of the Survey Corps. After this interview, the two of them are asked to be interviewed separated from each other. During Levi’s interview he says he and Erwin have “known each other for a long time.” And he reaffirms his praise of Erwin’s strong will. Ironically, during Erwin’s interview, he laughs softly, thinking that Levi must be complaining about him, when Levi did nothing but praise him. Erwin spends a big part of his solo interview also praising Levi, saying stuff like “Because he’s at my side, the SC soldiers are able to fight heroically. Levi and I’s positions cannot be exchanged.” And Erwin also calls Levi “warmhearted”, which deeply shocks the journalist interviewing him, since this is a side of Levi only Erwin knows about. At the end of the interview, the journalist also writes that he noticed Erwin and Levi’s “mutual trust”.

In “Levi: Close-up Report”, as soon as Levi meets up with the journalist who will interview him, he mentions Erwin and tells him that he will do the interview just because Erwin thought it was a good idea. When he goes to change his clothes after training, the journalist talks to Hange and Erwin in the meantime. Hange mentions interviewing Levi must be tough and calls Levi a “cold clean freak”. Erwin is quick to correct Hange, telling them that they say that just because they “don’t pay attention to details” like Levi does, since Erwin says “he has his own mind.” When Levi comes back to continue the interview, the journalist can’t stop having his suspicions and questions on the nature of Erwin and Levi’s relationship. First, he notes that even though Levi hates obeying authorities or the chain of command, Levi always obeys Erwin’s orders, and then he starts questioning Levi if he follows Erwin because of “that special something that comes with human relationships”. Which takes Levi aback, who nervously asks the journalist why did he have to ask that question “like that”. Later, when the interview continues, Levi keeps praising Erwin.

The AU Smartpass stories also showcase the incredibly close relationship Erwin and Levi have with one another, trusting and being comfortable with each other. The fact that Erwin turns to Levi when he needs advice, whether about official or personal matters, perfectly shows how much he trusts Levi. During the story, “Crumbled Castle Gate”, Erwin is alone on the wall above a crumbled castle gate, being upset. Levi comes looking for him and they share an intimate talk, constantly stealing glances at each other. At one point, while Levi was peering at Erwin’s expression from the side of his eyes, he comments on his eyes and Erwin laughs softly and asks him “so you are saying that I look quite young because I have the same eyes as a young new soldier?” At the end of the story, this is the interaction described between them: “Finally, Erwin looks away from the outside scenery and looks at Levi’s face. Levi tilts his face up, looking up to the taller man.” This story, also has a drama CD.

During the story, “Tea Time Incident”, Levi finds an illegal shipment of luxury goods smuggled by the MPs. He leaves it in Erwin’s hands. Erwin uses it as an opportunity to blackmail the MPs into getting regular shipments of fine black tea exclusively just for Levi, ignoring the risk this takes, and the fact his own comrades, like Hange and Moblit, are usually complaining about this.

The story “Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear. Act II: Levi” takes place after Erwin’s death and Levi is so depressed that he even loses “the mood to sigh”. Hange, who is also feeling dejected with their new role as Commander and all that implies, passes by Levi’s office and makes a passing joke about stealing some of his tea, but Levi is so depressed that he “also loses the will to curse at them.” Afterwards, he goes to his room and he dreams of Erwin’s voice. Despite knowing it’s a “delusion”, “he (Levi) lends his ear to the words, is it because Levi wants to believe something of it too?” And Levi also imagines the sea would be the same color as Erwin’s eyes were.

In the story “Shelter from the Rain. Erwin Smith”, being under the rain started triggering Erwin’s PTSD and self-hatred as he started unjustly blaming himself for the comrades they’ve lost up until that point. Levi, deeply understanding Erwin, and knowing that he gets sentimental when the weather gets like this, since he knows him more than anyone, knew Erwin would be feeling bad and got worried about it. So he told his friends (Mike and Hange) to go look for him. And Levi was right because Erwin was thinking he deserved to be there alone, until they appeared. Levi caring for Erwin is once again showcased in “Erwin’s Midnight Story”. Erwin agrees that Survey Corps soldiers should be allowed to live like humans and enjoy little things. Erwin works himself to the bone, however, and hardly takes time off to relax or do things for himself, as is evidenced by that story. So Levi, taking care of Erwin and concerned for him, asks him “How long have you been denying yourself from doing things you enjoyed doing?” and then drags Erwin out to a bar. And in the story “Moblit & Levi Shelter From the Rain”, when Moblit asks Levi what is he doing when he founds him all alone, Levi replies “Erwin called me to a meeting. Something that can’t be discussed in the barracks.”

In the story “Levi’s Signature”, Petra goes to deliver some documents for Levi to sign and when she makes some comment about Levi’s handwriting, Levi instantly takes it as an insult to him personally, thinking that she was making fun of his handwriting because he is from the Underground. So when Petra goes to give the documents to Erwin, the incredibly deep and close relationship Erwin has with Levi is showcased by Erwin’s words about him:

"Levi is capable of seeing the true nature of man, not only from just handwriting, but also from other outer aspects, like appearance, posture and way of talking… He can discover the true nature of a living thing called man from those qualities."

- Erwin going on a tangent about Levi.

Finally, in the story “Good Night, Dear and Sweet Dreams” of Levi, he has a dream where Erwin, dressed elegantly, comes to pick him up to take him to a red carpet.

Shingeki no Kyojin Drama CDs
In the drama CD, “Special Congratulatory Party Squad”, Levi and Erwin’s intimacy is shown once again, treating each other informally and discussing their schedules together. Eren and his friends invite Levi to a hot-pot party they hosted and the first and only person Levi asks to accompany him is Erwin. But Erwin sadly declines since he has an appointment with Pixis. Erwin tells Levi that it is rare that Levi is the first one to invite him this time. After Levi starts complaining to him about how unhygienic a hot-pot party is, Erwin starts softly laughing at him. Levi then says “fine, I will go by myself”, since he was hoping to go with Erwin. And Erwin fondly reminisces about the time Levi had stomach ache after another party he went to, but decided not to remind Levi of that because he wants Levi to enjoy his moment with the 104th kids. Erwin lets Levi spend time with Survey Corps members because he knows Levi treasures them. However, later, when Mikasa and Eren go to ask him if he will go to their party, Levi replies that he never feels like eating after outside wall expeditions. But Mikasa exposes Levi as a “liar” to Eren when she says that Levi always has his meal together at night with Erwin after every  expedition. In the drama CD, “The Survey Corps Muffler Incident”, Mikasa scarf disappears, and for some reason, Erwin is napping with the scarf around his neck. He panics and doesn't know why he's there. So the first person Erwin runs to for help is Levi, because he fears Mikasa's retaliation, and searches for Levi’s protection.

In the Drama CD, “The Case of Erwin Smith Disappearance”, despite the fact that not only Erwin, but also all of the Survey Corps, except for Sasha and Connie, disappeared, Levi goes through tons of heavily dangerous traps just to rescue Erwin, calling his name, saying humanity has no future without Erwin. However, when Levi finally manages to reach Erwin’s house, he sees him just relaxing and wanting Levi to do it too, letting Levi rest comfortably on his couch. Erwin understands and knows Levi so well that he’s able to understand his expressions and exactly what he was thinking. Erwin also knows Levi’s habit of not going out after taking a bath perfectly. And once again, Levi reaffirms that he will follow Erwin to the end.

Attack on Titan: Junior High
Levi and Erwin are the only members of the Home Economics Club (HEC) at school, where the both of them behave like a married couple, doing typically domestic activities. For example, while Levi cleans the dishes, Erwin works on his computer; while Levi cooks, Erwin reads books; and while Levi cleans around, Erwin grades his papers. The both of them are the only two members, in fact, because Erwin himself made Levi promise not to tell anyone else about the HEC as to avoid other people from joining. Levi got to join the HEC after Erwin did, because as soon as he heard that Erwin was in charge of that club, he wanted to join it. However, at first, Erwin let him join the Survey Club, but not yet the HEC. So Levi began working tirelessly to impress Erwin so he will let him join, along with earning his respect. To do this, one day he cleaned Erwin’s office to perfection and Erwin was so impressed that he let Levi join him in the HEC. When the two of them finally form the Club together, the story states "and they both lived happily ever after". The two of them get so close, that one day when Eren and the rest of the kids were desperately searching for Levi, the first person they go to to ask about Levi’s whereabouts is the only person who might know, Erwin, who knows Levi’s home address. . Just like in the manga and anime, people at school seem to be intrigued and fascinated by their deep bond. Eren even starts an entire investigation into how they met. And Hange, who is the only one who knows how Erwin and Levi met, takes this opportunity to charge Eren for information about it.

This official parody manga also features some very suggestive double entendre (and usually sexual) jokes. For example, in chapter 41, Hange asks Levi if Erwin is catcher or a pitcher (which is usual slang for “bottom” and “top”, respectively), to which Levi replies “pitcher. Trust me.” Also, when Eren has his long conversation with Hange about how Levi and Erwin met, when he asks them “why would Erwin be talking about ‘letting Levi in’?”, the official English translation makes an annotation about saying “take our advice: Do not search for this on Tumblr.”

Spoof on Titan
Despite the fact that Levi didn't want to go to the circus, he only does it for Erwin because Erwin invites him to a circus date with him.

SnK - Escape from Deadland Nintendo 3DS
In this adventure game the player is trapped in an old castle and the mission is to pair up with a SnK character to find a way out of there. Although they’re apart and have different gaming routes, Erwin and Levi can’t stop talking about one another. When the player pairs up with Levi, and they find an embroidery handkerchief in an abandoned room, Levi’s comment is “the owner of this handkerchief shares the same taste as Erwin”. When the topic of the conversation is chosen to be “Erwin”, the bond of the character with Levi raises the most in comparison to all of the other characters, which means Levi gets very happy when Erwin is mentioned. When Levi talks about Erwin, he says: “I have owed him a lot of things. I can’t let him die before he fulfills what we have both vowed for. And I know he will not die easily.” When the player chooses “Trust” as a topic, Levi’s options for “trust” are “Erwin”, “the Survey Squad” and “yourself”. If the players ask how Levi and Erwin met, Levi replies: “We met in the underground and he scouted me.” Erwin is waiting for the player and Levi after all missions are completed. And as soon as Erwin notices Levi has injured his hand in one of the missions, he gets worried, although he mentions that “I know as long as Levi is there, it should be fine.”

If the player pairs up with Erwin, when the player enters an abandoned room, Erwin’s comments: “Levi will get very angry if he sees this dusty room”, “Levi can clean this room up easily.” Levi is also waiting for Erwin and the player after all missions are completed, greeting them with: “You guys finally arrived. I have waited for a long time.” In one of the special events, since Erwin is late for a meeting, Levi and Hange go to his room and find Erwin still sleeping while sitting up. When Hange tries to wake Erwin up, Levi stops them abruptly saying “let Erwin rest”. And when Hange still speaks in their usual loud voice, Levi abruptly cuts them once again, saying “Stop, you will wake Erwin up!” When Erwin talks about Levi, with a wide smile, he says “Levi has changed a lot since I first met him. He was tough when he first joined the squad. But in fact he is a nice guy, you (the player) can try to talk to him more.”

And even in other character’s Routes, whenever either Levi or Erwin get mentioned, they’re always talked about as a pair, like in Eren and Jean’s Route, where the both of them say “With Commander Erwin and Captain Levi, everything should be fine.” In Hange’s Route, Levi and Erwin discussed what the both of them will have for dinner, since they always share dinner date nights together, like Mikasa confirmed. While Hange is talking excitedly about their work with Titans, Erwin asks Levi “want tea for today, Levi?” To which Levi replies that “the tea is nice”, and from the Military Police.

After all the characters’ routes are completed, both Erwin and Levi appear together to congratulate the player, which is a thing only other couple in the game do, Eren and Mikasa, who appear when the player finishes half of all the missions.

Within the game, there are eight additional events. Of those events, Levi and Erwin each have three and two of those three are events completely centered in the two of them. In the first event, “New Joiner Welcoming Party”, Erwin is hosting a welcoming party for the new Survey Squad joiners, the 104th, but doesn’t join the party, sitting alone, somewhere away from the crowd, because Erwin thinks the kids cannot really relax if he is also in the party. Levi spends the whole party looking for him until he finds him, a bit sad since he thinks he “will be sending those kids to their deaths” for humanity’s victory. Levi instantly comforts by teasing him for being tender and spoiling the new recruits, and by telling him that he is doing what’s best for humanity. Erwin, getting a little drunk and over emotional, confesses to Levi how much he relies on him. And Levi, caring for him, tells him to “call it a night”.

The second event, “Battle Training”, features an entire battle training sequence of Erwin and Levi, that it's all from Connie's imagination. During the whole battle, Connie describes the both of them with fujoshi-like descriptions. Erwin and Levi also praise each other and flirt with each other during the battle sequence and Connie remarks: "to Erwin, Levi is a person who he feels completely safe to give him(Levi) his(Erwin) back."

Attack on Titan TACTICS

 * Erwin is so concerned for Levi’s recent leg injury that he makes some arrangements for him to not worry about Survey Corps’ activities and only focus on resting. With the confrontation with the Female Titan approaching, he also makes sure Levi doesn’t do anything risky at all during the mission. Levi is stubborn about it at first, but ends up trusting Erwin’s judgment, like he always does.
 * During an alternate ending of the game, Erwin survives the retake of Shiganshina’s mission because Levi made up a new plan to protect him. However, he apologizes to Erwin for not having taken down the Beast Titan. Erwin is quick to reassure Levi that he did amazing, and that there’s no need to apologize.
 * During their confrontation with the Female Titan in the forest, Erwin gave his leftover gas and blades to Levi, rendering himself defenseless. Which is why he had to order Levi to accept this when he was reluctant to do so, because otherwise Levi wouldn’t have accepted leaving Erwin defenseless.
 * Once again, it's shown how Erwin is the only person who understands Levi perfectly, specially with his cleaning obsession, when Levi was doing some end-of-the-year cleaning around with recruits, and Erwin is quicky to show his support for Levi, even offering to help him clean, as soon as Mike talks about stopping him since Mike said Levi was "rounding up all the new recruits".
 * Erwin personally designed an underwater suit especially just for Levi.
 * Levi shares a conversation with Mikasa about promises and the reasons why they fight. Which is very significant for the two Ackermans because, like Isayama's editor said, the two of them are able to fight because they have someone to protect.
 * Erwin gifts Levi tea for his birthday.
 * When a recruit tells Erwin that they find Levi intimidating, he reassures them that there's nothing to be afraid of when it comes to Levi.

Shingeki no Kyojin: Hangeki no Tsubasa

 * In the game, Levi gets stronger only when he is with Erwin (getting a power boost).
 * Erwin gifts Levi a white suit for his birthday, and Erwin worked incredibly hard to get it just for Levi.
 * Like in movies where a character’s dear ones asks their partner to take care of them, Nile asks Levi: “Levi, please, take care of Erwin.”
 * During the ”Training Ground” 10 and 30 stories, it’s made clear that Levi’s evident trust in Erwin’s judgment is mutual as Erwin deeply values Levi’s abilities as well. However, Levi was reluctant to go train the new cadets this time. And although he was acting moody, he came the next day to do so anyway, for Erwin’s sake, thinking about Erwin’s “smooth talk” convincing him.
 * During a mission where the 104th had to do some special training with Pixis at a river, Erwin sent Levi there just because he wanted to see Levi in a swimsuit and because he wanted to know what Pixis was going to do. Also, once again it was proven how well Levi and Erwin know each other when Pixis asked Levi to cook something after training, since he said Erwin told him that Levi was a good cook. Which means Levi has cooked for Erwin several times in the past.

Attack on Titan x Granblue Fantasy Collaboration
"Erwin, what you wanted to see in the outside world, what you wanted to know, I will learn everything and I will take it back home to you"

- Levi in the Granblue Fantasy Game

Despite the fact that Erwin's dream is to explore the outside world, he puts humanity's future above his own dream and asks Levi to go on this trip for him. Levi refuses since he knows just how important this is for Erwin, and after some back and forth talk, and after Levi understands Erwin's emotions perfectly, seeing how tense he is, he accepts to go on the trip.

The game highlights Levi and Erwin's mutual and trusting relationship in all of the scenarios they are part of. Even talking about how Levi's famous line to Erwin, "I'll trust your judgment", is a mutual understanding between them through unspoken words. And describing their relationship as "Erwin and Levi, two people who have overcome death at every step. Their experiences have forged a unique bond of trust." When a new crew is placed into Levi's care, although he is hesitant about distrusting them, he keeps thinking about the deep trust he has in Erwin. Furthermore, during the Female Titan arc in the game, he reaffirms his deep trust and devotion to Erwin when Eren starts doubting the mission, nagging Erwin about it. d finally, the both of them share sweet moments in the game, like Erwin complimenting Levi and Levi getting lovely flustered, and Levi making Erwin laugh.

Quotes
"So I choose the guy whom I want to put my faith in. Erwin is like that, too. No one knows what he is really thinking deep down. But I trust his judgement... That’s why I chose to follow him. And I chose to fight... I have chosen for myself. Even if I am led into hell, I have no regrets. Not one bit."

- Levi, Monologue In Character Song 'Dark Side of The Moon'

"I will put my trust in [Levi's] strength for as long as we fight, and I am sure that he will continue to fight the titans while believing in me in return."

- Erwin's assessment of Levi, Attack on Titan Guidebook: INSIDE & OUTSIDE

"I can do it when I'm with you."

- Levi

"I promised him!"

- Levi, Chapter 81 "Promise"

"But I think... it's time to let him rest."

- Levi, Chapter 84 "Midnight Sun"

"Levi... thank you."

- Erwin's final words to Levi

""What a man", — Levi thought to himself."

- A Choice With No Regrets

"It took so long... Erwin... I think I'm finally going to fulfill the vow I made to you that day."

- Levi thinking about finally killing Zeke, Chapter 112

Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan author)
"But to Levi, Erwin is the person who once said to him, “let’s save humanity together”."

- Isayama on the Shingeki no Kyojin ANSWERS Guidebook, 2016.

The 2016 Shingeki no Kyojin ANSWERS Guidebook, features an entire section dedicated to the author, Hajime Isayama, talking about Erwin and Levi's relationship and their importance to each other. Isayama also explains here that Ackermans choose to dedicate themselves to their liege (which he confirms Erwin is Levi’s), they’re not compelled by their bloodline to follow them blindly. However, it does appear that when it comes to choosing a liege, they’re instinctively inclined towards people who have a vision or a purpose they can follow. And this is where the link to the Ackerpowers comes in, by following people with a higher purpose, they can use their extraordinary power to the fullest.

In the Guidebook, Isayama also talks about how much Erwin's decision to put himself in danger in the Return to Shiganshina mission has emotionally affected Levi, as well as the fact that when Levi learned about Erwin’s desire to go to the basement, although Levi felt Erwin has a plan more childish than he thought, Levi finally decides that “anyway, no matter what, I am going to help him” (仕方がないから協力してやるよ). Isayama also confirms what is shown in ACWNR, that Levi joined and stayed in the Survey Corps because he and Erwin share the dream of saving the human race together.

"I always want to write Levi and Erwin as a mutual and equal relationship."

- Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan Guidebook, 2017)

"Levi put his absolute trust in Erwin, making use of his power to serve his Commander. Erwin for him is a person whom he considers his ‘chosen one’."

- Levi's profile from the Attack on Titan Character Encyclopedia/Guidebook 2017

"I always want to write Levi and Erwin as a mutual and equal relationship."

- Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan Guidebook, 2017)

In the 2017 Attack on Titan Character Encyclopedia, once again the author dedicates an entire section to the explanations of many aspects of Erwin and Levi’s relationship. The author also states unequivocally that Erwin was an irreplaceable person to Levi, that Levi had fulfilled his purpose by being there for Erwin’s last moments, and that all that remained for him was to fulfill his vow to kill the Beast Titan.

In this Character Encyclopedia, the author also reaffirms Levi perfectly understands Erwin, to the point of knowing exactly what he needed to say to him when Erwin revealed "his true self" only to Levi in the battle in Shiganshina District. And that Levi’s act of letting Erwin rest was entirely made for Erwin’s sake, not for Levi’s own, which was a completely selfless decision on Levi’s part.

In Isayama’s official blog, dated 2015/11/09, he revealed that in chapter 72, what Levi really wanted to say to Erwin was “It is very dangerous outside so don’t get out”. Levi was extremely worried for him, but Erwin really wanted to go on the mission, so Isayama drew Erwin pouting, showing Levi a childish disagreed expression (拗ねる). In his blog, Isayama also shared, on the same day as the Japanese release of chapter 84 and the ANSWERS Guidebook, that chapter 84 was greatly influenced by the game’s Life is Strange , which he described as a “one-of-a-kind yuri (love story between two girls)”. In the game, “the one-of-a-kind-yuri” he mentioned, one of the pair’s characters, that the player plays as, has to make a choice between sacrificing the girl she loves or sacrificing everyone else, which is a great influence in chapter 84, according to Isayama, where Levi chose to sacrifice humanity’s future, like Hange later confirms, in order to give Erwin peace.

According to the author, Levi and Erwin perfectly fit each other’s ideal types. While Erwin’s ideal type is “someone who understands and is willing to support him”, Levi’s ideal type , since he is a short person himself, is a particularly tall person, which Isayama meant as a person taller than 1.80 cm (5ft 11in).

In 2018, Isayama answered several questions regarding Erwin and Levi’s relationship during the Oita Q&A and Autograph Event.

"The basic settings where Erwin set his eyes on thug Levi in the underground and drew him in (to the Survey Corps), was my own design."

- Isayama on Erwin and Levi’s First Meeting in ACWNR.

During the 2020 Hita event in Isayama’s hometown, the author reaffirmed the fact that Levi’s purpose is to kill Zeke because he has a strong desire to fulfill his promise to Erwin.

Tetsurô Araki - AoT Anime Director (2013-2019)
In the Animedia 2019 April Issue, in which Levi and Erwin are referred to as “soulmates”, Araki stated that although he think it's fine if anyone wishes to categorize Erwin and Levi’s relationship as a friendship, "there are feelings that they both share that don't fit the category of 'friendship'". Then, Araki himself said in the same interview, that:

"To Levi, no matter what outsiders say about the thing between him and Erwin, he never cares and plans to explain it. He thinks that even explaining it, no one can understand."

- Tetsurô Araki

"I am currently drawing the draft of the Levi and Erwin scene and I have a lot of feelings about Levi and Erwin, but due to spoilers, I can’t talk about it. Like, sometimes you say “try your best” just hoping to encourage someone, but in fact from the other side, people may feel pressure for asking to “try their best”. But with Levi and Erwin, it’s different… In their case, there is a situation in which you can save someone by embracing and forgiving the imperfectness of a person.”"

- Tetsurô Araki

Official Publications
"Carrying his promise to Erwin in his heart, Levi launches a decisive counterattack against Zeke, the Beast Titan."

- Levi’s profile in the 2021 “Attack on Titan Character Encyclopedia FINAL”

Aside from the explanation of how Kenny raised him and his vow to kill Zeke, Erwin is the only other person mentioned in Levi’s section of the 2021 “Attack on Titan Character Encyclopedia FINAL”. The same goes for Erwin’s section, where Levi is the only other person (aside from Erwin’s dad) mentioned as the one whose words inspire Erwin to give up on his dream to help the recruits. Once again, it’s showcased how important the two of them are for each other, and how this vow has been Levi’s main drive during this last arc of the story, and how it has united them both forever.

"Not understanding things about this world is true for everyone. That is why Erwin is the person I want to believe in. What is in the depths of his mind? No one knows, but I trust his judgment. But it allows you to make decisions with him. Although that can lead to terrible results, who else could I choose? I am that kind of person. I'm the one who decided to keep up with him. So I chose to fight alongside him to resist this damn world. With this hand I’ll grab hold of the freedom of going beyond the walls for the first time. I have chosen for myself. Even if I am led into hell, I have no regrets. Not one bit."

- Levi’s character monologue

"Levi doesn’t allow anyone to get at his heart except Erwin who is the only one he completely trusts."

- Attack on Titan: OUTSIDE Osamu, 2013

"Levi trust this man more than anybody else"

- Erwin’s profile from SnK OUTSIDE Osamu

In the official 2014 Attack on Titan Guidebook, Levi's section presents that his main relationship is with Erwin, as well as with his two subordinates (Mikasa and Eren) who he worries about. It is said that Levi and Erwin are connected by trust. It’s also confirmed that meeting Erwin has changed Levi drastically. As mentioned in Isayama's Guidebook, he "went from a thug to a soldier after meeting Erwin". In Levi’s section there’s also a part where Erwin assesses Levi's skills with "A++". Erwin says that he will put his trust in Levi for as long as they fight and he is sure Levi will continue believing in him in return.

The 2014 Official Guidebook also has an entire separate section just for Erwin and Levi, titled “Levi x Erwin”. In it, the two of them give a mock interview. It was supposed to be an interview with Erwin, “the Commander of the Survey Corps”, but Levi, who was in the room with Erwin, doesn't allow the interviewer to enter because Levi notes that the interviewer is looking “filthy”. So Levi tells the interviewer, "This is a very important rule if you want to talk to Erwin."

"(Levi) believes in Commander Erwin's strength more than anyone!"

- Levi’s profile in the 2014 Attack on Titan Guidebook

"Levi put his absolute trust in Erwin, making use of his power to serve his Commander. Erwin for him is a person whom he considers his "chosen one"."

- Levi's profile from the 2017 Character Encyclopedia

"Levi has placed his wholehearted faith in the leader of the Survey Corps, Erwin. The depth of their bond was felt in episode 20, in the scene where Levi listens to Erwin’s order of “Go and refill your gas and replace your blades” without asking for the reasoning behind such a request. When will the entire origins of the deep trust and faith between these two be explained?"

- TRUST: What is the meaning behind Levi and Erwin’s deep bond? (May 2015)

"Levi—Erwin = Deep trust"

- Levi’s Gekkan Shingeki profile

"Erwin—Levi = Solid Bond"

- Erwin’s Gekkan Shingeki profile

"In a cruel world, Erwin and Levi continue to fight against the titans in the Survey Corps. In the Female Titan battle, the relationship depicted between the two of them is especially pronounced. Though they don’t exchange very many words, they achieve skillful cooperation precisely because they believe in one another."

- ”Commander Erwin’s and Captain Levi’s Supportive Relationship” in PASH! Magazine

Animedia, which is a publication that has been working with the SnK official staff since 2017, having interviews with the official staff and seiyuus, as well as doing anime official promotions, done in cooperation with the production committee for promotional purposes, did several entire magazine publications dedicated to Erwin and Levi’s deep bond and relationship, even confirming the “depth of Levi’s love for Erwin” in one of them. In the February 2019 Issue, alongside an official poster of Levi intimately sharing some cups of beverage with Erwin, the magazine confirmed: "Many were touched by the depth of Levi's love for Erwin" (そんなリヴァイのエルヴィンに対する愛情の深さは感動を呼び、). The kanji used to refer to Levi's love was "愛情", which is the kanji used to refer to romantic love between partners.

After this issue's release, the magazine released another official art the next month, for Valentine's Day, where Erwin was addressed as Levi's "one and only partner", and where Erwin was once again made part of Levi’s heart: “he (Levi) faces the titans with Erwin’s feelings in his heart.”

"If the greatest two link hands, they can overcome even the most bitter fights and difficult problems. In spring, there are many events like white day and hinamatsuri, so there are plenty of opportunities for their relationship to get deeper. Up until now he hasn’t needed to borrow anyone’s power to kill the titans, he’s humanity’s strongest soldier - Levi. He certainly should be considered a being that stands far apart from the rest. However, if there was to be a “partner” even a man like Levi considered above himself, it would surely be Erwin. In this month’s illustration, Levi is holding a present with cookies and candy inside. It is unlike him. There's no question, this is because (of) his partner Erwin. From the moment he joined the survey corps Levi put his faith in Erwin, and followed only his orders. [...] In summary — in 2 months, the broadcast of part 2 will commence, where we will be able to see erwin and levi standing side by side on the battlefield after a while… When Erwin easily jokes “even if I become titan food, I won’t complain,” there’s no way that Levi wouldn’t worry after him. Levi, please do your best to defeat the titans, protect Erwin and fulfill his dearest wish!!"

- Animedia’s Valentine’s Day Article

Finally, the next month’s issue of the magazine, which featured an entire article dedicated to Erwin and Levi’s relationship as well as an interview with Shingeki no Kyojin’s anime director, Araki Tetsuro, once again confirmed Levi and Erwin’s feelings are mutual and romantic feelings.

"The feelings these two share surround the operation to retake Wall Maria"

- Animedia April 2019 Erwin and Levi’s Article

The kanji officially used to talk about the feelings both Levi and Erwin share (that surround the entire arc of Season 3 Pt.2 of Attack on Titan) is “想い”. Which, in comparison to the other kanji used to refer to feelings that is more widely used and standard (思い), makes sentences sound poetic and romantic.

"They trust each other more than anyone else. The nature of this relationship is shown in the scene where Levi chases Hange out of the room to talk with Erwin one-on-one. He opposes the injured Erwin who stubbornly wants to join the operation to retake Wall Maria. Levi sharply says “you’ll only be dead weight”, but it’s not difficult to imagine that this is simply Levi's way of worrying after Erwin. On the other hand, Erwin replies with “there will be a moment where the truth of this world will become clear, and I must be there to witness it,” revealing his true feelings only to Levi."

- Erwin and Levi’s article in the 2019 Animedia Magazine April Issue

"After the survey, Levi takes a bath for two hours and then he and Erwin go out and eat their meal together."

- Voice Lottery “調査兵団特別打ち上げ班 ～ 作戦名 O·MO·TE·NA·SHI～”

Isayama’s editor (Kawakubo Shintaro)
In 2015, Isayama’s editor, Kawakubo Shintaro was quick to correct a Twitter user spreading false information saying that Erwin and Levi’s relationship was mere “fanservice”. The user in question wrote this message (in Japanese) to Isayama's editor: "please stop Eruri fanservice" Kawakubo's response to them was: “what fanservice??? whether you like it or not, do you think Isayama draws stuff just for fanservice? perhaps it’s love/hate but please calm down” So when the user replied: “oOOooH omg so eruri is love/hate how dramatic omg the fangirls must LOOOOVE that huh! you’re totally doing fanservice!”, Isayama's editor quickly shut them down with a clear-cut response: "no, the love/hate part was about you”

Isayama’s editorial staff hand-selected art submitted to them by fans and published it in their Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.
 * In 2015 they published art that shows undressing Levi, who thinks about Erwin (there is a thought bubble with Erwin's face in it next to Levi's head), the editor says, "The summer is so hot this year, and as the heat continues, it looks like Levi’s head is filled with thoughts of the Commander!"
 * Art showing a scene from manga, when Levi thinks about his vow to Erwin mid-fight is followed by, "Levi carves his vow to Erwin on his heart and fights! What would happen to the Captain after the decisive battle in Shiganshina?"
 * Another art published in October 2016 shows Levi in battle; the editor's comment says, "Levi has made his ultimate decision! With his thoughts to Erwin within his heart, Levi still continues to fight hereafter!"
 * Art published in the 2017 January Issue depicts bellicose Levi and Mikasa and the title says, "There is a person they have to protect. Therefore they fight. So they can be strong." Isayama's editor Kawakubo Shintaro's comment says, "Because Levi and Mikasa have a person to protect, they can fight so fiercely!"

Japanese Voice Actors
"Understanding Levi is understanding about Erwin, too. Levi is a person who becomes a significant part of Erwin's flesh and blood. And for Erwin to meet Levi was such a fruitful moment."

- Ono Daisuke (Erwin’s VA)

In the same conversation Daisuke and Kamiya shared about “Midnight Sun”, Daisuke expresses once again a very common reaction to Erwin and Levi’s relationship, which is that they can’t be classified as “merely” comrades or friends, that they’re so much more. And Kamiya agrees with him, saying that he doesn’t understand the true nature of their relationship either, and narrating how they went from meeting each other in the Underground until the scene in “Midnight Sun”, where Levi makes his vow to Erwin. Kamiya also talks about the instructions he was given by the anime production team to re-record Levi’s line to Floch when he says “won’t you please forgive him?”, and how they were very clear about Levi talking about Erwin with “tenderness”.

"Still, because of the relationship between Erwin and Levi, if Erwin has already decided on something, then Levi thinks that it is the right thing to do. In other words, Levi prioritizes it [Erwin’s orders] more than his own safety or the safety of his subordinates."

- Kamiya Hiroshi somehow talking about Erwin when the question was about Levi taking Eren into his squad

"For Levi, of course, losing Commander Erwin left a huge impact in his life. From that point onwards, his life in a sense is like a 'yosei'."

- Kamiya Hiroshi in the 2021 Anime Japan panel.

Yosei (余生) means the rest of one's life (after raising kids or retiring), where you have nothing left to do.

In conversation with Masafumi Mima (AoT S1-S3 Sound Director), Kaji Yuki, Eren Yeager’s VA, has also said it's impossible to explain the bond between Erwin and Levi in simple words since they have such a deep bond (like Araki, Kamiya and Daisuke expressed it as well).

"(Talking about the scenes where Levi makes his vow to Erwin) ah, Erwin's true face/feelings are coming out here... and the person he is communicating those to is the captain (Levi). I feel like the bond between these two is so deep, you really can't sum it up in brief words."

- Kaji Yuki

"(Talking about the scenes where Levi goes after Zeke) Levi here really is like a demon... [...] Additionally, carrying Erwin's will/wish with him... it really is an incredible scene."

- Kaji Yuki

Furthermore, during an interview Kaji made after the manga’s ending, he talked about how Erwin and Levi's relationship, which is "cruel and beautiful" at the same time, is part of the various forms of love depicted in the "Attack on Titan" story. Alongside Erwin and Levi's relationship, Kaji mentioned other two canon couples in the story as examples of this, Eren and Mikasa and Ymir and Historia.

Marina Inoue, Armin’s voice actress, said that the most memorable scene for a character other than her own character was the one about Erwin’s last moments, when Levi made the vow to him.

"I think it was the moment when the whole of Erwin and Levi's relationship was packed into one. I can't verbalize this feeling, so I'll come back to it somewhere else sooner or later...""

- Marina Inoue (Armin’s VA)

English Voice Actors
"I don't think Levi is in love with anyone, except maybe Erwin, because they have a really tight relationship."

- Matthew Mercer (Levi's VA)

"Well, I think it's pretty clear that whatever their deep relationship is, at some point, one of them saved the other’s life and feels a debt to the relationship for just being alive, and that drives them, constantly."

- J. Michael Tatum (Erwin’s VA)

At the Attack On Titan After Show with Matthew Mercer (Levi’s VA), during a discussion the radio hosts were having with Matt about what the characteristic marks of each character would be in a “My Little Pony” and Attack on Titan crossover, Matt said “Levi’s is a little Erwin.”

During the 2015 Middle Tennessee Anime Convention, a fan asked Levi’s VA, Matthew, to sign an Eruri doujinshi (fan-made manga) that was shut with electrical tape. However, Matthew was curious about it, so he opened it and went all across the room they were in to J. Michael Tatum's signing table to show the doujinshi to him, and they skim it together, quickly taking an interest in the story. The next day after this happened, the same fan brought the doujinshi to Erwin's VA and he asked the fan if he could read it again, later telling her that he really enjoyed reading it.

Songs
• Midnight Sun | Cinema Staff

Midnight Sun is a second candidate for ending theme song for season 3 part II. Cinema Staff, who recorded ED theme Name of Love, released Midnight Sun, inspired by the episode of the same name. The title of the song is the same as the title of the chapter in which Erwin dies. Fans mainly associate the contents of the song with Levi’s difficult decision, Erwin’s death, and the aftermath of that day.
 * Like a gentle prayer among the city of rubble.
 * Midnight sun, the stillness, dried tears.
 * The rain shower carries my feelings away.
 * Midnight sun, atonement, your body growing cold.
 * In the winds of beyond, who will lead the way?
 * Open your eyes and hear this song of affection.

• Name of Love

Cinema staff also confirmed that they wrote "Midnight Sun" and "Name of Love" (AoT Season 3 ending) about the same scene.
 * The promise we made
 * In our hearts
 * A promise that never fade
 * To call each other by our names
 * To share our happiness to one another
 * To connect using our words
 * To hold on tight to our pain

• Call Your Name

During the “Erwin & Levi: Crumbled Castle Gate” CD Drama, a piano version of the song is played. The song plays as Levi has an internal monologue about Erwin, and continues as the two of them share an intimate conversation together.
 * I’m crying
 * Missing my lover
 * I don’t have the power
 * On my side forever
 * Oh, where is my lover?
 * And I got no power, I’m standing alone, no way
 * Calling out your name

Fanon
Erwin and Levi always share the #1 and #2 places in fan popularity polls in both Japan and the West (Erwin even got the second place on the lastest 2021 popularity poll, despite the fact he has been dead in the manga and anime for years now), so EruRi has become one of the most popular ships of the entire series. In fact, as of 2022, EruRi is the third most popular AoT ship, after EreRi and EreMika. And it’s the second most popular Attack on Titan slash ship (after EreRi), the second most popular for Levi (after EreRi), and the most popular for Erwin. EruRi currently has over +10875 works on AO3 under the “Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith” and “Levi Ackerman & Erwin Smith” tags combined. EruRi is the most written ship for Erwin and the second most written for Levi. It is also the second most written ship in the Attack on Titan tag and the second most popular ship on Pixiv. In 2021, entered the list of "All Time Top 100" ships list on AO3.

Fans of the ship around the world are very devoted. The Japanese fans made an entire website dedicated to collecting official information regarding their relationship. And fans of the ship worldwide made a wedding-themed EruRi fanzine called “White Lace & Promises”.

In fanworks is often depicted alongside with EreMika and KenUri, due to the fact that they are canonically ackerbonded (Ackermans are bonded with their chosen ones). Although they also get depicted alongside YumiHisu. Different AUs are very popular, especially Modern Day AU, Marley!Erwin AU, History Teacher!Erwin and Janitor!Levi AU (from Isayama's Attack on School Castes side story that takes place in a parallel universe), and many others. These have found reflection in both written works and art alike (like this comic series by popular artist Columbo).

Many fans have noticed that the relationship between Erwin and Levi is unique, based on deep trust and respect. As a captain, Levi is second next to Erwin in the chain of command. Their long history together leading to a strong personal bond also leads to many shipping the two. After Erwin's death Levi never stopped thinking about him, and, as Isayama himself admitted, his vow to Erwin was Levi's only driving force after his death. Even when Levi wakes up after sustaining a grave injury, his first thought is about finding and killing Zeke.

It is peculiar, that while Erwin refers to other friends and comrades with the pronoun "kimi", he uses "omae" to refer to Levi — in Japanese, this pronoun is considered informal, intimate, used only in a conversation with someone very close. Fans have also noted, that people in conversations with Erwin refer to Levi in relation to him as "腹心", which consists of the characters that mean "belly" and "heart", and translates as "soul", "depth of the soul", that is, the usual "friend" does not convey all the depth of the meaning of this word.

Levi's black oversized jacket has been a subject of wild speculation since it has made its appearance in manga and then later on in anime (and on the cover of Animedia's April 2019 Issue — cover that he shares with Erwin). The item is too large for Levi's miniature frame, with its hem reaching Levi's mid-thigh. "This jacket... he grabbed and in a hurry put on the first thing that came to hand. The thing that someone left next to him... This jacket, which was lying next to him, does not belong to him. It is usually worn by another person," explains Isayama in an autograph session in 2013. Considering it was mentioned before that Erwin does not really know where he leaves his things and Levi picks them up for him without saying anything to Erwin, fans consider this jacket to belong to Erwin. The comparison of Erwin's upper body measurements and the jacket's size has shown a perfect match.

Interestingly enough, Erwin's death has not deterred the pairing's popularity, in fact, after the second part of season three and Erwin’s death, the ship’s popularity has only increased. Many shippers have created comics and art to show their support of the ship. The comic by a Japanese artist known as Hitomi became very popular as the style is similar to Isayama’s, and many people outside of the ship often mistake panels from that comic for original Isayama’s panels. Just like that, a panel with Levi drinking alcohol right from the bottom and cussing has been circulating the fandom space for years, and many people still believe it comes from the original manga. Also it is considered peculiar, that dojishini "Games of Fictional Monsters" by CHIDORI Peko released in 2014 has many panels similar to Isayama's from chapter "Midnight Sun", even though the fan comic predates Isayama's work that came out in 2016 by two years.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Erwin/Levi tag on FanFiction.net
 * Erwin/Levi tag on FanFiction.net

ART
 * エルリ tag on Pixiv

TWITTER

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * Isayama compares Levi to Mikasa in terms of them both living to "serve their liege".
 * Levi was the only person that ever made Erwin laugh. And Erwin was the only person that made Levi laugh as well.
 * Levi and Erwin’s size difference was Isayama’s design and he specifically asked the ACWNR OVA production team to emphasize this.
 * The “A Choice With No Regrets” manga, which focuses on how Erwin and Levi met each other and came to have the deep relationship they had until Erwin’s last moments, was published in the Aria SHOUJO Magazine (shoujo manga is often with a strong focus on human and romantic relationships and emotions). And the publisher needed to increase the magazine’s print run up to 500%
 * In the official Japanese version of the "A Choice With No Regrets" visual novel, one of Levi's lines to Erwin can also have the meaning "I will be your boyfriend" (付き合ってやる).
 * Q&A from somebody who requested an Erwin drawing from Isayama: Erwin’s blood type is AB, and he was in his late 30s when he died, there was about a 3-4 year age difference between Erwin and Levi. Isayama thinks Erwin would be AB type because his impression of AB blood type personalities are mysterious and elusive. Also the person prefaced the blood type question by saying they know Levi’s blood type is A.
 * In multiple canon magazine interviews, Erwin only speaks highly of Levi. He gave Levi an A++ rating as a soldier and has stated countless times how important Levi is to the cause. In their separate interviews he also praised Levi’s personality and leadership capabilities highly.
 * Isayama is a self-proclaimed Levi fujoshi, which means that he likes the idea of male characters in romantic/sexual situations with other men. And saying that about Levi also means he has thought about Levi with other men. And that he liked it to the point where he comfortably and openly calls himself a Levi fujoshi. This is significant paired with his response about Levi not liking woman, but instead significantly tall people (taller than 1.80cm).
 * During the Royal Government arc, some Survey Corps members used codenames, and the one used for Levi was "ergelchen" (エルゲルヒェン - translated as elgelhein because the "chen" in german is pronounced as "hien"). Since engelchen is german for "little angel" people thought it was just a typo, but it wasn't fixed later on, so Japanese fans theorized that the suspicious “エル” in “エルゲルヒェン” came from Erwin's name (エルヴィン) altogether, making Levi's codename mean something like "Erwin's little angel."
 * Levi has never said Erwin’s name aloud again after he died. We see Levi mention Erwin’s name only in his memories, when he is thinking about him, but aloud he always refers to Erwin as “him”, as if it physically pained him to say it, or as if mentioning Erwin’s name would give it another level of realism that Erwin is gone.
 * Erwin and Levi are the King and Queen of hearts, respectively, in the official Attack on Titan card game. The set also got the eight of hearts as the Midnight Sun serum. This particular card stands for "The union of two lovers, a love match with a person with light-coloured hair."
 * In the official Princess Cafe x Attack on Titan collaboration, Erwin is pictured as a king, with a throne and crown. Levi, who is pictured as a mermaid, is the only other character with a crown, making them both royals again. This has led fans to make Eruri Little Mermaid!AUs, with Erwin as Prince Eric and Levi as Ariel.
 * Erwin made snowmen of Levi and himself in official art.
 * In the official Attack on Titan Sticker and Postcard book, Levi and Erwin's postcards are both of each other together.
 * In the SnK x LINE Clova collaboration, all of Levi’s lines are about Erwin. When you ask Levi “where's Erwin?” Levi answers: "Do you think you can forgive him…? It’s time to let him rest…" If you choose the topic “Zeke”, Levi says “I swore to Erwin. I’d absolutely kill him. I swore to him!!" Choosing the topic “Basement” makes Levi say: “that's where Erwin wanted to go." And finally, choosing “Armin” lets the player hear Levi say: "don't get me wrong, Armin. You cannot replace Erwin."
 * In the Attack on Titan x あっきのじかん game collaboration, Levi finds himself in a different universe so his first reaction is to look for Erwin by asking “What am I doing…? I have to get back to Erwin… No... I have to get back to my world…”
 * In the Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom game, during battle, Levi gets grabbed by a Titan. And as soon as Erwin sees the Titan was about to eat Levi, he comes to Levi’s rescue, and violently kills the Titan, grabbing Levi in his arms.
 * In the “Attack on Titan Puzzle Fever” game, Erwin gives Levi a fox mask as a New Year's gift and as a way of thanking him for keeping his things tidy.
 * In the documentary series "Sex and Love around the world" by Christiane Amanpour, she talks with Japanese people in the first chapter dedicated to "Tokyo" and this is one of the thoughts that society has about love: "I love you is 'Ai shiteru yo' in Japanese. But it means more if you say 'arigato' which means thank you. So I think a lot of Japanese people say thank you instead of I love you." So the "Levi… thank you" said by Erwin in that significant moment the two of them shared the vow, could mean "Levi... I love you" in Japan, taking this into consideration.
 * Yuki Kaji, Eren's VA, has mentioned that Erwin and Levi's relationship is Les Miserable-alike several times.
 * Endo Yuya and Dehi, Erwin and Levi actors from the theatrical production LIVE IMPACT Shingeki no Kyojin 2017, admitted that their favourite characters are Levi (for Erwin's actor) and Erwin (for Levi's).
 * Erwin and Levi’s VAs Daisuke Ono and Hiroshi Kamiya are close friends in real life, they go on trips outside of work together and they have their own radio program, it has been on going for 10 years.
 * On May 19 2019, WIT Studio's animator Akari Miyamura posted an art of laughing Erwin and Levi, who is leaning on his shoulder; the title over Levi's head says, "I just want to see your smiling face..."
 * On June 2 2019, WIT animator Kyoji Asano posted art of Levi and Erwin in modern day world; Erwin's hand rests on Levi's shoulder as they watch over Eren, Mikasa, and Armin who are depicted as children.
 * Official art displayed at Attack on Titan: The Animation Gallery depicts a close-up of Levi's face with Erwin's face reflected in the eye.
 * In the author's official instagram account, a illustration of the two of them has this caption "愛?🤔😅" which means "Love?".

Gallery

 * EruRi/Gallery

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