Levi, one of the best written characters in manga history
At the end of attack on titan, Levi solidified the fact that he's humanity's strongest not only in the aot world, but also in the entirety of manga world.
Levi's first introduced in chapter 9.5, and as soon as we see him we're presented to one of his most memorable quirks: being a clean freak. Levi's very indifferent to his title as humanity's strongest and seems to go as far as to feel embarrassed by it at times, since it makes all eyes go on him when the sc is passing by.
Later in the chapter, when one of his comrades Is about to die, we see Levi go against his aversion to dirt by holding his dying friend's hand. It is then that we are presented to my favorite personality trait of Levi's: he's extremely caring with those he loves.
Levi's care is shown in the ACWRN spin off in its crudest form, in a Levi in his 20s that still hadn't learned how to control his impulses, that would do anything to protect the first friends he ever made in his life.
The complexity of Levi's relationship with violence is insane, because while he despises those that enjoy violence, despises those that think blood should be spilt for fun,
He also doesn't mind becoming a monster to achieve a greater goal for humanity.
Levi was born in violence. He was raised in it, practiced it, and still, he was able to maintain the kernel of his heart intact. Levi has seen and done horrible things. He's an abnormal, and one of the most human characters in the whole series.
A moment where we're able to see Levi's pain shine through is when he kills Zeke. Levi spent years readying himself for that moment. He spent years waiting for the day he'd finally follow through with his promise to Erwin, waited so he could save humanity. And then, when he finally does it, he feels nothing but pain. Because Levi was born in violence, raised in it, practiced it, but was still aversed by it. At the end of the moment, when his promise was fullfilled, when his goal was achieved, he felt pained that this.... This is what it all came down to.
Levi doesn't say "i love you" conventionally. Instead he says "thank you", because that's the way he feels love. Levi feels love in the form of gratitude, because its in those people -his friends- that he's able to find fhe strength to fight. Levi isn't strong because he's an Ackerman, or because he's just unbelievably skilled. Levi's strong because of the love he feels for those around him.
The way Levi sees the world...
And the way he interacts with it...
All come from love, in its purest form.
Now in his 40s, Levi's the only person in all of humanity that lived the world of the walls in its crudest, most violent form. Levi's the only one that knows the stories, the faces and the names of those that made their win possible. Levi's the only one that lived every bit of it, from humanity's worst moments of dispair to its most glorious days of victory. Levi's the golden stem that connects the past and the future. He's a product of all the love there is in this world. And I'm so thankful that, even after so much loss, he's not alone in the end.
Levi's not humanity's strongest because of his speed, his agility, or his last name. Levi's humanity's strongest because even in death, he was able to find love, and move on. And I know living is a choice he doesn't regret.
