EruRi

"What a man."

- Levi about Erwin, Attack on Titan: No Regrets

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 bellflowers 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 caughts 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.

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

Behind the Scenes
"Levi is a person who becomes a significant part of Erwin's flesh and blood."

- Daisuke Ono (Erwin’s VA)

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

- Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan Guidebook, 2017)

"But to Levi, Erwin is the person who once said to him, “let’s save humanity together”."

- Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan Guidebook, 2016)

"Levi is always on the lookout for everyone except Erwin. Levi completely trusts only him."

- Guidebook SnK OUTSIDE Osamu

"Levi trusts this man like no one else."

- Erwin’s profile from SnK OUTSIDE Osamu

"In order to fulfill the vow he made to Erwin four years ago, Levi was obsessed with killing Zeke, and gets severely injured in the process."

- SnK Final Guidebook, 2021

"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

"[Erwin is] the man [Levi] had thought was enigmatic, the man whose existence surpassed his own."

- Hajime Isayama (Shingeki no Kyojin Answers Fanbook)

"Levi keeps aloof, and if we talk about people whom he can call his 'close friend', then the only such person will be Erwin."

- Animedia, March 2019 Issue

"His one and only partner, [Levi] faces the titans with Erwin’s feelings in his heart."

- Animedia, March 2019 Issue

"I think Levi was the last stronghold through which Erwin could exist as a human."

- Ono Daisuke (Erwin’s VA)

"Levi put his absolutly 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 Character Encyclopedia 2017

Songs
• Mignight 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.

Fanon
On AO3, 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.

In fanworks is often depicted alongside with YumiHisu, EreMika and KenUri. 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 fr 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 knows 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 considere 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.

Fans have noticed how both Erwin and Levi fit each other’s type perfectly. As Isayama mentioned in one of the interviews, Erwin’s ideal type is “someone who understands him and is willing to support him”, many fans believe that Levi would be a perfect fit for this description. Mangaka posed a rhetorical question that casts doubts on whether Levi likes women at all. Levi, as Isayama said, being a short person himself, must like very tall people.

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

 * In Attack on Titan Guidebook, Levi's main relationships are with Erwin and his two subordinates (Mikasa and Eren) who he worries about. It is said that Levi and Erwin are connected by trust.
 * In an official short story Smartpass: Corps’ Tea Time Incident, Erwin uses his position to blackmail the Military Police to get Levi a lifelong stock of good quality tea — Levi's favourite drink.
 * Armin’s Japanese VA Marina Inoue described Erwin’s last scene as "the moment when the whole of Erwin and Levi's relationship was packed into one. I can't verbalize this feeling…"
 * Meeting Erwin has changed Levi drastically. As mentioned in Isayama's Guidebook, he "went from a thug to a soldier after meeting Erwin".
 * Isayama compares Levi to Mikasa in terms of them both living to "serve their liege".
 * Yuki Kaji, Eren's VA said that Erwin and Levi's relationship cannot be simply explained and mentioned that something like this exists in "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo.
 * 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 dipicts a close-up of Levi's face with Erwin's face reflected in the eye.
 * In AoT Encyclopedia released in 2021, Levi is described as "obsessed with the vow he made to Erwin of "bringing down the beast titan" four years ago." It is also mentioned that "Levi fought carrying his vow for Erwin in his heart".
 * Two people featured in Erwin's character section are his father and Levi.
 * In Guidebook, 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.
 * Isayama’s editorial staff hand-selected art submitted to them by fans and publish 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 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 fiercly!"
 * For Attack on Titan: OUTSIDE Osamu book by hajime Isayama, characters give mock interviews. For Erwin's interview, Levi doesn't allow the interviewer to enter the room because they are very dirty; he says that, "This is a very important rule if you want to talk to Erwin."
 * For Valentine's Day in 2019, Animedia published an article about Levi featuring Erwin. The caption says, "I can do it only if i am with you!" and then, "His one and only partner, he faces the titans with Erwin’s feelings in his heart"

Gallery

 * EruRi/Gallery

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