Thread by @whofavoredfire

Levi Ackerman & "Street Smarts"

Spoiler-less thread on the mental skill set Levi uses to win fights, how he connects with others, and how it all foils the characters around him in a deconstruction of brawn vs. brain dynamics

You can't pull off Levi's feats against impossible odds with just strength; brute strength and speed alone aren't much if you aren't perceptive & strategic about how it's used

And he couldn't be a leader who is given so many responsibilities with just physical skills to rely on

That's why we see his mental skill set too-

1. He has a good read on people; he's actually often used as a story mouthpiece for a wide range of characters, ranging from those he's known for a while to people he's recently met (Erwin, Zeke, Hange, EMA, Dimo Reeves, etc.)

I especially love his thoughts on Eren, because beyond dubbing him a "monster" that can't be caged or forced to submit as early as the Female Titan arc, Levi also recognizes that Eren can freeze from self-doubt and is fueled back into action with pushes

2. He's very perceptive and intuitive in many ways, making connections from smaller data points, like whether Nick gave up the Survey Corps based off of the number of fingernails removed during his torture, figuring out Kenny's plan, the false bottom in the basement drawer, etc.

3. He's adept at leading/organizing a team

While long-term vision is primarily from the Commanders/dancho (aka "leader of the delegation"), Levi is the sole captain/heishichou (literally "leader of the soldiers") for a reason and often leads soldiers on the ground

4. His battle tactics are brilliant

Analyzing his fights show a real level of strategy is involved:

-He improvises weapons, like he uses tree branches to obscure Zeke's aim in WfP and even his cape, a bottle, a chair and his ODM gear to fight back when cornered by Kenny's squad

-He doesn't go for the obvious kill & instead focuses on dismantling his opponent, like cutting Annie in FT & slowly removing Zeke's ability to fight back, limb by limb, in RtS (something Zeke didn't anticipate, focusing instead on his nape, which is why Levi took him so unaware)

-If Levi doesn't have the upper hand, he recognizes it, never overestimating his own skill, and finds creative ways to address it somehow, circumvent his disadvantage or turn the tables, like purposefully luring Kenny to the bar to get the shotgun during Kenny's squad's ambush

I feel like this element of his may be overlooked because he's often paired with extremely smart characters, like Erwin, Hange, and Zeke

Their type of intelligence almost foils Levi's, as all 3 are more long-term and visionary thinkers than Levi, who is more a "quick thinker"

They're also more political and/or scientific thinkers in many ways- their science & history knowledge, strength of political maneuvering and/or manipulative tactics are stronger

Isayama even says the Commander role is the "face" of the org and plays against Levi's strengths

Fittingly, as beyond their natural intellect, all three of them are (implied) to have had traditional, in-depth educations-

Erwin's father was a teacher

Zeke's dad was a doctor & his father figure a researcher

Hange leads research for the Scouts at the start of the series

This is a sharp contrast to Levi, who grew up in the Underground fighting every day to survive- so he definitely didn't have a traditional education as a child

And his parental figures were a prostitute and then a serial killer

At the same time, Levi's depicted as more perceptive and intuitive than them in some ways- and it is another way that Levi foils multiple characters to highlight different traits and strengths

Like Levi's better read on/awareness of Eren comes up with both Hange & Zeke

His knowledge of and peace with himself is also in contrast to characters like Erwin & Zeke, whose childhood traumas have led them to lie to themselves in some ways by claiming noble goals and shying away from recognizing those goals in connection to their childhood trauma

Also, despite other flaws/eccentricities, all three are depicted as more outwardly charismatic and sociable than Levi, who clumsily expresses himself multiple times in the series; he also may react physically first, i.e. grabbing Ramzi before giving an explanation to the crowd

But this is also often contrasted with how deeply Levi connects with those around him- once people see past his exterior & get to know him, they grow to trust him; Levi also is deeply aware of & understands his comrades

This is why he also influences so many characters

We see multiple characters reiterate and be impacted by Levi's thoughts; we also see multiple characters take his advice to heart and act on it

While not always well articulated, the meaning behind his words is often impactful and helpful- if not needed

Ultimately this gives a lot of credibility to the character- the "leader of the soldiers" & Special Ops Squad Captain who repeatedly faces impossible odds can't just rely on brute strength

And it's logical he'd be "street smart" given his background would require it for survival

Also, it's a deconstruction of brawn & brain duos

Superficially it feels like that because Erwin, Hange & Zeke are so smart & Levi so strong, but all three of them are also great fighters & Levi has complementary mental strengths- highlighting characteristics & depth of all four

While his type of intelligence is less obvious and traditional than many of the characters around him (who are extremely intelligent), that juxtaposition shines a light into the experience of Levi's atypical upbringing & his complementary strengths that often drive his victories