#isayama q & a

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Sorry for my bad English but I really want to write this down. After Bad Boy, I've always thinking about a fic where Kuchel is alive and moved to the surface with Levi when he joined the Survey Corps. Every time he lose his comrades, he would come home and his mother would make him tea and pat his head until he fell asleep. I like to imagine him being very tough and serious while talking to his subordinates and then Kuchel came to visit him unannounced, bringing him very good food and new clothes, he immediately acted like a harmless kitten and his voice and gesture became muchhh gentler. Everyone was extremely surprised, even Erwin. Oh and Kuchel will give Levi a lot of good advice when he conflicts with Erwin too. She's such a wonderful mother, I love her so much.

Ah that's so lovely Anon ♡ Please don't apologise for your English, it's perfect!

This reminds me of Isayama's Bessatsu Shonen Q&A from 2019, translated here by the wonderful @tsuki-no-ura

Levi is a mama’s boy True-ish depending on the definition? Bessatsu Q&A 2019 January issue: Q. クシェルさんが生きていたら、兵長は親孝行していましたか？ A. きっと楽をさせたかったでしょうね。 Q. If Kuchel-san were alive, would Heichou have been filial? A. I think (he) surely (would have) wanted to let (her) have an easy life. To be a filial child by dictionary definition is to be respectful of the duties and attitudes of a son or daughter toward their parents, so in terms of being mama’s good boy the answer is yes.

[troythecatfish]

[ourmondobongo]

Isym is so observant.

It's incredible how such an innocent reaction from a stranger middle school boy could affect him so positively.

[emilzke]

nobody asked but here’s my fav mangakas in no particular order bc I want to gush about them:

Sui Ishida, Hajime Isayama, Riyoko Ikeda, Naoki Urasawa, Ai Yazawa, Osamu Tezuka

I’m always blown away by Ishida whether it be with art or amazing storytelling & foreshadowing. I love my (nearly finished) tokyo ghoul manga collection and the art books so much, the art is so beautiful.

I think if I met Isayama I’d probably cry a little, he created something so dear to me. I spent a few years absolutely obsessed. His foreshadowing and characterization are top-tier, I still find reasons to love his work years after.

Shoujo wouldn’t be what it is without Riyoko Ikeda and her art is soso beautiful with the best details on the fashion. I love the way she writes complicated romances so much. So excited to read Rose of Versailles soon.

Naoki Urasawa made one of the most interesting villains and the best hero even though it’s so not black & white, every part of monster is so interesting from the philosophy to psychology. I have to read Pluto soon.

Aaa Ai Yazawa gets me on another level. She truly understands womanhood so deeply and every character she creates is so real and human and realistic. Nana is soso dear to me plus she draws fashion so well too.

Osamu Tezuka the og and father of them all. Astro Boy was one the first animes to brought to the west and it’s a childhood fav of mine, the one that started it all for me. Metropolis too, I love it so much.

[rivangel]

every—lesser known—canon fact about Levi Ackerman.

infamously over the years, there have been countless false rumors about Levi in particular out of the cast. many of them have become popular, even ubiquitous, and it's annoying!

and also disheartening when you find out it's not true....

and hurtful when you realize it was - sometimes - made up by trolls.

so i'm making this post<3

credit to @levisfavoriteacup for the idea!!

*disclaimer: i'm not perfect, so this may not be Everything™️ but I am confident that it's the majority of information available, and that it's trustworthy. :)

First the most populars. There is no evidence across interviews nor other content over the years that:

Levi is ugly, and is considered ugly in AOT.

Nope. See here: (tumblr link), or:

Isayama finished his first sketch of Levi mostly on a whim, but the moment he drew his face, he had a sense it would work well / he knew he had something good. Something told him: "the yaoi fangirls are going to like this one".

As time passed and his popularity grew, Isayama caught onto this and wanted to portray him more attractively (in multiple ways) to the viewer/reader.

But from the beginning, this was something of the goal. He is short because Isayama had in mind what young women/fangirls in Japan consider attractive: a man with a higher-pitch voice; has a small face; and who is "short but strong".

In the world of AOT, he (in a nutshell) is mostly considered plain or awkward, but combined with his reputation and style, he's very charming. "He cleans up nice." Overall, it is positive :) But more importantly, realistic I think.

He's also something of a celebrity. People who advertise their product as being used by him are more successful; when he's seen in a shop, this by itself is considered "advertising" and more people come in. Quote: ""the tea that the hero bought”".

He's definitely not a 2/10 at any rate😇.

—the 24th episode of Naoki Yoshida's Anime Plan, 2013 / Interview with Frau Magazine, 2013 | Hajime Isayama x Hikaru Suruga (2014) | AU Smartpass - Erwin & Levi Close Up Interview Part 1 | Taking shelter from the rain reprise: Levi and Peaure

Levi’s type would be someone who’s "tough, feminine and sensual".

Levi's type "might" be tall people. But context matters, because in multiple translations "don't you think?" and "might be" are thrown around a lot. Isayama isn't known for his clarity. When asked, he practically said the question right back. —fan Q&A from a festival in Betsumaga, Aug.2014

What this quote might have come from is a statement by the author of an article Isayama was likely involved in. I can't say this is 100% canon, but in my opinion it's a little less canon than the Smartpass AUs; if those are sub-canon, then this is sub-sub-canon:

Levi's romantic type is someone who walks three steps behind him, and likes cleaning.

In the past, in Japanese culture, for a wife to walk three steps behind her husband implied highly traditional gender roles. What this is much more likely to mean is that Levi's romantic type is someone who will let him protect them, or will run away and survive even if it costs his life. (And they have to like cleaning.)

—the article is from 2013, and no longer exists. but the link was used as recently as 2021 as a source in this post by a reliable translator. I've found this quote also in varying qualities of translation across Japanese and English forums, so to the best of my knowledge, it's reliable.

Levi's cravat is a piece of his mother's dress + he was wearing her dress when Kenny found him.

This is a popular rumor that Isayama has never confirmed (i think it is true, tho.)

December 25th was chosen by his comrades because he doesn't know his actual birthday.

The guidebook only states that it is his birthday. I can't find any more context on this. —AOT Guidebook; p.256

His character profile:

—AOT Guidebook; p.78–79

His name is Hebrew, and means "attached" or to be "joined".

Isayama came up with Levi's name after watching American documentary "Jesus Camp". (It's about a summer camp-type program where evangelical Christian children are taught extreme beliefs. One of the children was named Levi.) Isayama heard it and thought it sounded cool. —Hajime Isayama x Hikaru Suruga (2014) | 2010 blogpost by Isayama

Levi is in his early 30s (in s3/RtS/volume 19). –Interview, Universal Studios Japan’s SNK THE REAL exhibition, 2016 | confirmation

If Kuchel was still alive, Levi would want to make sure she had an easy life. This means specifically filial piety, a concept exclusive to the East: he would fulfill his duties as a son for her. (tldr he's a mama's boy :3) —Bessatsu Magazine, 2019

Levi would have thin facial hair, but he prefers not to, so he shaves frequently. —January 2020 issue of Bessatsu Magazine (chapter 124)

He doesn't like coffee milk or coffee jelly. They're out of the question even.🤐 —July 2018 issue of Bessatsu Magazine (chapter 106)

He just gets depressed when he drinks coffee. Maybe he loves tea that much? He stopped calling Hange names like 'shitty glasses' since they became commander because he "seems" to respect their position that much. However, a Smartpass story delves deeper into this (and states as I suspected): [After Hange makes a joke] "Since becoming the commander succeeding Erwin, they’d toned down on their past speech and behaviour that had a touch of tomfoolery; Levi understanding that they were nevertheless trying to maintain the self “that was the case then”, also loses the will to curse at them." + "In the past, Hange had a Hange-type dream, and should have been progressing to that purpose. That lately, was it the weight of the office of commander, or was it due to the reality that is “all the world was our enemy”, their manner had changed considerably." —May 2017 issue of Bessatsu Magazine (chapter 92) | Goodnight. Sweet dreams, dear. Act II: Levi

If he and Kenny had fought one-on-one, Levi would've won. —December 2016 issue of Bessatsu Magazine (chapter 87)

intermission: all about tea

His favorite "food" is black tea. No actual food.

He doesn't add sugar or milk to his tea because he considers it too expensive—which it is canonically. Despite this, he will share his tea with his comrades (his original squad as far as is seen).

Even though he's Captain, he'd rather drink it straight (the implications of which are he's a hardworking man, like that of a farmer. aka, this makes him seem humble).

If a time of peace ever came, Levi wants to open a black tea shop (he said in a dreamlike way, not so much based in reality).

He also knows a good amount of facts and history about it. He's a tea enthusiast!!

Levi receives pilfered tea in shipments monthly, thanks to Erwin.

—AU Smartpass - Erwin & Levi Close Up Interview Part 2 | Part 1 | Taking shelter from the rain reprise: Levi and Peaure | Bessatsu Magazine, Jan.2014 | September 2016 issue of Bessatsu Magazine (chapter 84) | AU Smartpass My First Time Around: Levi Ackerman | The Case of the Corps Tea Party - File No. 09 Levi's Side (3/3) | sugar and milk in tea from the Japanese perspective

Levi, out of his original squad, found Petra cute/sweet in the general sense of the word "kawaii". Like Levi's romantic type however, this was sort of a non-answer to the question (of whether Levi thought she was cute). —2014 interview

After RtS, Levi seems to consider Hange and the 104th his family. —AU Smartpass My First Time Around: Levi Ackerman

He wears a cravat because Isayama based part of his design off Rorschach from the movie 'Watchmen'. He looks "delicate" because of his size and weight, but he's so powerful because [in issues before the reveal of the Ackerman bloodline] of "invisible power" at work. —January 2016 issue of Bessatsu Magazine (chapter 76)

The best way to describe the way he thinks is to compare him to the main character from the movie The Hurt Locker (2008). His character was born from Hiei from the manga 'Yuyu Hakusho', and Rorschach from the movie 'Watchmen'. The former was the basis for his appearance (especially his eyes), and the latter was the basis for his personality. Firstly though, Isayama had an image of a small man being the strongest.

—Hajime Isayama x Hikaru Suruga (2014) / Brutus Magazine (2014)

He is something of a protagonist (especially in s3p1). — Animedia, June 2018

His favorite tool (in general...?) is microfiber cloths (for dust I guess. Levi has no need for weapons :3) —July 2015 issue of Bessatsu Magazine

He will usually laugh/smile when he sees convenient cleaning goods (i.e., vacuum cleaners? feather dusters? ((cuz he's a shorty?❤️)) —Bessatsu Magazine, Dec. 2013

He does want to be taller sometimes. He gets eager to clean up after meals rather than cook at all. He can cook, though. —Bessatsu Magazine, Aug.2014 | fan Q&A in Oyama, Oita, Mar.2018

Levi mostly couldn't adapt to the changes that came about after the truth was discovered. Only he wears mostly the same uniform, cape, and blades.

After RtS, Levi personally retrieved Erwin's remains himself, for whom there was a special memorial service. After Eren (inadvertently) called him a "tiny old man" in season 3, Levi didn't care, but when he thought of it by himself later, he was hurt (unclear exactly why). Levi's father, most likely one of Kuchel's customers, is an insignificant man who's short. That's where Levi's height comes from. His face comes from his mother. At the start of season 4, Levi didn't change much compared to the 104th because he's turning into an "old man" who'd rather stick with his flip phone so to speak. He "doesn't break out into cold sweats". AKA he's always calm under pressure. He considers prostitution to be an ordinary job because of his childhood. Levi's vision is very sharp, way above average. He thought Eren's new look beginning season 4 was unclean/dirty (in more ways than one perhaps). —fan Q&A in Oyama, Oita, Mar.2018

He has slight bouts of insomnia. He never snaps/explodes when he's angry. But he does get angry or grumpy a lot, in general. He doesn't sing. It's more likely he would dance. If he was a fan of Momoiro Clover Z (jpop girl group), his favorite would be Momoka. When/if he drinks, he has a high tolerance, but he can get a little drunk :) One thing he highly hates and fears is mold. He is the one who ordered Armin to dress as Historia during the uprising. His blood type is A. Blood types are much like horoscopes in Japanese culture, and Levi's is as such: kichōmen, or well-organized; he likes keeping things neat, but can be stubborn and stressed out easily.

Whether he eats enough or has a good diet? He is "a bit lax". Maybe he forgets to eat sometimes, or has a low appetite. When Levi bathes, he goes for a quick shower then soak in hot water, which takes about ten minutes. Like a bird :')) He on any given night gets about 2-3 hours of sleep. He thought Eren was the best at cleaning (in season 3 / uprising arc). Because of his childhood in the Underground, Levi has a preoccupation/obsession with cleaning (specifically to ward off disease). He also doesn't have any pajamas, mostly keeping day clothes on when he goes to sleep - which is in "his" chair. Levi cuts his own hair using clippers. (Something like:)

He's aware Oluo imitated him, and found it annoying. Levi's horoscope (in general) as a Capricorn: Humanity’s Strongest Soldier - Levi. He possesses warmth in the midst of a dispassionate nature, and he is capable of leadership without verbal expression – both of which are special qualities of a Capricorn. Capricorns tend to hold certain levels of authority, even if they must carry out somewhat unreasonable tactics while in such positions. But when such authority is backed up with actual abilities, a Capricorn can gain Levi’s type of confidence and also be put on a pedestal by those around them. However, Capricorns won’t be dependent on others, much less trust them easily. They don’t hold high expectations and thus never feel a sense of failure. Levi’s faults include the inability to express himself clearly.  Even though he wants to encourage his companions, he always speaks in a roundabout way, and without Hanji’s translation it’s nearly impossible to understand Levi’s intended meaning. Even though he is dependable in most situations, when it comes to love/romance, he expresses himself clumsily/awkwardly. —FRaU Magazine, Aug.2014. | fan Q&A in Oyama, Oita, Mar.2018 | Levi: Close-up Report (Part One) | Translator *the horoscope wasn't written by Isayama, but was published alongside canon information, and it's also not factually wrong, so I'm including it.

The dark circles under Levi’s eyes are to convey the “self-destruction” he takes on to reach the “standard” of Humanity’s Strongest. —Interview on the topic of Levi, May 2015

His 'liege'—as Eren is to Mikasa, and Uri is to Kenny—is Erwin. He is afraid of making deep relationships because of the cruel world he lives in; he can't know when someone he cares for will die or how soon. That 'gap' left in Levi's heart by Kenny's death was filled by his squad (the 104th). If Levi hadn't joined the Survey Corps, he would've been a "very irresponsible person". Risky with his life perhaps? As a kid, Levi used to make himself stronger in order to receive praise from Kenny. When he abandoned him, he wondered what his strength was even for. He was able to find peace with Kenny after his death. In CH72, the reason Levi kicked the shit out of Eren and Jean is because of his argument with Erwin earlier.

He knows he's a slave to his own strength, aka the idea of being a hero. He realizes it when Kenny asked what he's a slave to in s3/ch69. —Answers Guidebook, Aug.2016

If he ever changed his appearance, the one thing Levi couldn't be able to give up is his undercut :') He would grow out the top and tie it up :3 —Oyama homecoming event Q&A in 2014 | 2 | 3

Levi knows how to use a gun, but he "places more trust" in knives. —Bessatsu Magazine, 2019

Levi tolerates saunas. But instead of enjoying himself he seems to see it as a test of endurance. (LOL) —Bessatsu Magazine, 2020

Levi has newspaper-level handwriting that he practices often. He's very conscious of it and being connected back to the Underground. —AU Smartpass TEXT: Levi’s Signature

Isayama had considered killing Levi around the time of the thunderspear explosion. (As always) Isayama deliberated with his editors whether or not it'd be meaningful if he died, and they decided it wouldn't be. —Kawakubo interview, 2021

Specially, Levi holds his swords in a reverse grip "his own way" since he wasn't officially trained. —Illustrate Note Magazine, 2017

Levi forcefully bathes Hange by knocking them unconscious. —AU Smartpass - Erwin & Levi Close Up Interview Part 1

Levi is 4 at the time that Kuchel dies. —What the director informed Kamiya Hiroshi of on set

His character song is called "Dark Side of the Moon", found on YouTube here. Translated lyrics here.

how to draw Levi:

—AOT Guidebook; p.229 | +Illustrate Note Magazine, 2017

[leviismybby]

One note for some people

If you have a problem with people writing "Levi x fem!reader" because "knowing damn well Levi isn't attracted to women, Isayama said so himself" please do the research. He never said that, NEVER. Levi's sexuality was never confirmed and I know this person is talking about that q and a in 2014 that has 300 different translations and never a valid source. In fact in every translation he doesn't even say that Levi doesn't like women, just that he likes taller people. It's the most unimportant thing about Levi and his character.

Sick and tired of people coming for anyone who writes any kind of Levi x reader, grow tf up. Even if his sexuality was confirmed, people can still write him how they want because he is a fictional character. I got a few anons too asking me to confirm some kind of interviews where Isayama apparently says this and let me tell you again, he never did it with Levi or any other character for that matter.

[nenithil]

In the Aot bessatsu magazine there is a Q&A with Isayama about Hange. He said that if they had lived, they would have traveled. Are you planning to translate these?

Q: Among main characters, only Hanji-san's family has not been described. Does Hanji-san have some brothers or sisters?

A: There is an impression that she is distant from her family

Q:If there is a world line that Hanji-san is alive, would she live with Levi/Falco/Gabi together?

A: I feel that the role she's going to take on will be busy and flying around, so I don't have the impression that she will settle down(定住).

[hanszoe]

Q: In a universe where Hansi was alive, would [they] live with Levi, Falco and Gabi? A: I feel like [they] would bear a role where [they] would be busy and going all over the place so I don't have an image of [them] settling in one place.

Q: Of the main characters Hansi is the only one whose family wasn't illustrated. Does Hansi have brothers or sisters? A: I have an image that [they] are estranged from [their] family.

Q: Hansi easily made a stew, so aren't [they] good at cooking? Or is that the degree of cooking that everyone in the regiment is capable of? A: It's one of the skills of a soldier, so everyone is capable of cooking.

Isayama's answers to questions about Hansi from the SnK 15th anniversary edition of Bessatsu Magazine

[cosmicjoke]

In a recent interview in new Bessatsu magazine, Isayama officially confirmed the disappearance of Ackerman's powers and said that Mikasa is now bad at the sport because of it. What do you think about this? I'm putting the link here in case you're interested in Q&A about Levi and other characters. https://x.com/conviviality104/status/1854060034722070831?t=Mr432wAsnzaQ6GiiPrFUjg&s=19

I did see that, yes. So I guess all my theories about the Ackermans still retaining their powers were wrong, lol. I just always wondered if it was a possibility, because other than the power of connecting to the knowledge of past Ackermans, the Ackerman powers themselves really didn't resemble that of the titans, and there was also the fact that Ymir had no control over the Ackermans, so I thought it made sense that their powers didn't actually come from her. But I suppose with the dissolution of the Paths, the Ackermans lost their powers with that.

Anyway, I'm totally cool with it. I think it's actually a really interesting idea to think about, what it must be like for Levi and Mikasa to have to adjust to life without their physical strength and power that separated them from everyone else. I mean, that was already something Levi was going to have to adjust to, given he ends up disabled and needing a wheelchair. But I imagine it must be really hard, in a way, losing those extraordinary abilities they had, no longer able to do the things they once did, etc... I would think it must leave both of them with a sense of vulnerability that's pretty alien to them, that they wouldn't have felt since they were both young children, even, and that would be scary, I imagine. For Levi in particular, I think on top of the loss of his powers, he's probably also dealing with chronic pain and a simple loss of mobility, which makes it exponentially worse as well. So I think the adjustment is probably tough.

But I spoke about this when the anime ended last year, and with Levi especially, when we see him handing out candy to the children in the refugee camp, I think what that highlights is that it was never his Ackerman power that made him an extraordinary person, or that made him a hero. It was always his exceptional compassion and kindness that really defined him as such. The fact he's lost his powers, lost his mobility, lost the full use of his body, lost his strength, and yet he's still out there, doing all he can to help others, doing all he can to improve the lives of people and bring them whatever joy he can in a ruined world, that's what really defines Levi as a hero, in my eyes. He continues to fight for others, even when he no longer has physical strength, and that shows that he was always going to fight for others, whether strong or not, because that's just in him. That heroism, that compassion and that empathy is just a part of who he is. He sees and cares about other people, and that's what compelled him to use his exceptional strength toward helping them in the first place, not the strength itself. He doesn't need to be "special" in order to be a hero.

And the same for Mikasa, too. Mikasa learned over the course of the story to let go of her own, selfish dream of being with Eren and giving up what was most important to her to help others, and like with Levi, it's that which made her a hero, not her Ackerman powers.

While their badass-ness is maybe what initially drew people to their characters, it was never that which made them stay. Levi and Mikasa both are much more than their Ackerman powers. It's who they are as people that matters. So them losing them in the end really isn't a big deal at all.

[sunflowersunite]

My delulu ass: The Ackerpowers aren’t connected to the Founding Titan. Mikasa will be fine!

Narrator voice: She was, in fact, not fine.

Isayama 😠

@mathismykryptonite Isayama said a lot of weird stuff in that Q n A that didn't make any sense and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I'm personally offended by the fact that Mikasa lost her powers and is supposedly "bad in sports" now.

How did she lose them? Are the Ackermans not detached from the power of the titans in order to resist it in the first place? The Founding Titan can't control them whatsoever. Therefore shouldn't they be separate from the titans and keep existing as they were even without them? Or is it that because the Ackermans were carrying titan power in them, which was a piece of that world's magic system, that it disappeared along with the rest of the magic system?

What we actually do know is that the Ackermans were a result of experiments about titans on humans. I wish I know what that meant. I wish Isayama himself knew what it meant. I doubt he expanded on it, which... why? The Ackerman clan is such a fascinating concept and they're so underdeveloped.

In my humble opinion, it would've been so fun to have the Ackermans be detached enough from the Founding Titan that the disappearance of titans wouldn't affect them. They'd be the final bearers of that sliver of titan power which would inevitably die with them, since both Levi and Mikasa died childless.

Alright, even if the whole "losing her powers" deal was true, how is Mikasa suddenly bad in sports now? Has she not bulked up and gained incredible grace in her movements during all those years of training? Even if that superhuman power disappeared, she has muscle memory. She can become the greatest again and she will.

In my humble opinion, again, Isayama is confused and Mikasa never lost her powers because that just doesn't make sense. She's humanity's strongest now, with Levi's full support.

thank you for the ask, it was fun to draw that little thing!

edit: I forgot the scarf. I forgot the damn scarf. Years of training gone to waste

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Bad Boy

A few meta-type thoughts about Bad Boy, now the dust has started to settle.  There could hardly have been more hype in the run up to the release of Shingeki FLY, but Bad Boy certainly delivered.  It’s classic Isayama; for such a short chapter it really packs an emotional punch, blending real pathos and tragedy with shockingly graphic violence and body horror.  It doesn't really add anything to the over all plot, which is to be expected, but it does provide insight into Levi’s character and answers one question that fans have been speculating about for years.

The story of why Levi holds his tea cup in such a peculiar way isn’t new. Isayama mentioned this in a magazine interview (I think?) way back in 2014

Q: …why he has such way of holding cup? Isayama: About that, I was thinking of drawing this one day. When he was a kid, Levi was living in slums and poverty. He was yearning for a life in clean & neat environment (not rich life). When he finally obtained the tea and tea set those he has been desperately wanted, he was rejoicing that finally he can drink it. But when he started to grip on the handle and lift up the cup, the handle came off and his cup was shattered. He was so traumatised by this experience and that’s why he changed his way of holding cups to not using the handle.

However we now know that the cup belonged to his mother and the extraordinary lengths Levi went to recover it. What is new is that we finally have confirmation of when Levi’s Ackerpowers were awakened.  Fans have been arguing about this for years; some thought it was when he killed the man with the knife immediately before Kenny left, others suggested it was when Farlan and Isabel were killed. Now we finally have an answer.  It’s not exactly clear how much time has lapsed between Kenny taking Levi in, his powers awakening, and Kenny leaving, however the fact that Kuchel’s tea set hadn’t yet made its way to the surface suggests that not much time had passed at all. 

Levi’s description of his powers awakening is fascinating;  

“Strangely enough I didn’t doubt what was happening to me at that moment. The pain had vanished, my head was calm, as if it had been immersed in water. Clear instructions on what to do came to my mind. I simply followed them one by one.”

This is the most information we’ve ever had about the famous Ackerpowers and goes some way to explaining Levi and Mikasa’s preternatural calm and focus when they're fighting.   They really only succumb to panic and despair when their loved ones are threatened.  Think of Mikasa in Shiganshina and at Fort Salta, and Levi when Farlan and Isabel die and when he allows Zeke to escape after Erwin rode out to his death. 

The panel illustrating Levi’s powers awakening is also interesting as it looks very like a Titan transformation. This suggests there is more than a grain of truth in what the Yeagers said about Ackermans being a by-product of Titan science, who were able to access the power of the Titans without becoming Titans themselves.   

It’s not difficult to draw a direct line between the abuse and persecution Levi suffered as a child, with his determination to use his power to protect those in need.  Initially he used his strength to protect the vulnerable people of the Underground, such as Isabel, however once he met Erwin he was able to exert his power to serve an even higher goal - saving humanity. Isayama discussed this in the Answers Guidebook way back in 2006 and I think his comments are worth repeating here. 

Isayama With the heroes of American comics, conflicts dealing with the situation “with great power, comes great responsibility” have been depicted. In Levi’s case, if he had no power, he would probably have been an ordinary person with no responsibilities but, as a consequence of having power, that he became a person excessively burdened with responsibility. Kenny talked about “everyone… was a slave to something…”, when he put the question to Levi “what is yours!?”, Levi himself too perceived it. That he himself too was a slave in regard to his own strength. The sense of duty that “I must become a hero”. ���the same thing can be said of Mikasa too but…, for the Ackerman family, in the service of their master, there are many people who are able to manifest their power to its maximum.

[Translation by @tsuki-no-ura]

I think it's also very in keeping with Levi's character that he remained devoted to saving humanity after the Rumbling; providing succour to the children in the refugee camp, and working to renew the environment destroyed by Eren's genocide, despite his injuries and regardless of whether he retained his Ackerpowers.

The title of the chapter, Bad Boy, is also interesting. No one actually calls Levi a “bad boy” in the chapter (though he is called worse) which suggests that this is how Levi sees himself.  It makes me wonder how much he internalised the thug���s insinuation that his mother would have been disappointed in him, and it also recalls Levi’s speech to Historia and the 104th, where he says he’s fine playing the role of the violent lunatic.  Poor baby.

Another point the chapter clarifies is the origin of Levi’s belief that Kenny was his father.  To be honest, it’s hardly surprising that Levi assumed this considering Kenny clearly had some kind of relationship with his mother and took him in without question. Still, knowing that the seed of that belief was planted by a thug who was willing to torture and kill a child, or sell him into sexual slavery, really twists the knife. 

[Translation by krtk.]

I am a little sad that we didn’t see more of Kenny in the chapter, but his presence certainly looms large.

I had expected to see more of Kuchel but at the same time I’m almost glad we didn’t.  Her life was brutal beyond measure and we’ve already seen her tragic death. Several fans have suggested that the reason we only see Kuchel in partial profile is because Levi’s memories of her are so hazy, all he really recalls is her grace 😢

It’s remarkable that Kuchel was able to retain such poise and grace despite living in such desperate squalor.  @momtaku has made the point that Kuchel appears to have been born into at least modest comfort, judging from Grandpa Ackermans’ home, which would explain where her elegance and also her fancy china came from.  It’s heartbreaking that both she and Levi clung on to this small memento of a better life. 

Levi’s devotion to his mother, his desire to emulate her grace and cling on to her belongings is devastating, is very much in keeping with everything we know about his character.  Levi has boundless compassion, is deeply loyal, and never forgets those he loves, whether it’s Farlan and Isabel, Erwin, or his squad.  He’s also very sentimental; saving his mother’s tea set, and drinking tea evokes a direct connection to Kuchel and the only good thing he remembers from the squalor and cruelty of his childhood. This makes Erwin’s willingness to indulge his sentimentality and bend the rules to procure a steady supply of high quality tea for Levi all the more poignant. 

There's been some debate about Gabi's reaction to Levi's story in the final panel...

Some people have interpreted her expression as holding back tears, while others have suggested she's trying not to laugh. I'm definitely in the stifled laughter camp. It just seems so very typical of Gabi and her relationship with Levi...

Gabi: - winds Levi up - Levi: - trauma dumps - Gabi: - stifled laughter / more wind up - Falco: - actually upset - "Would you guys stop??" Onyankopon: - shade -

It's also very typical of Isayama to poke fun at his characters like this, and it stops the story from tipping over into bathos.

There is one burning question that Bad Boy doesn’t answer and it’s this - what tf was kid Levi doing in Mr Smith’s classroom?? 

Despite hoping against hope, I never really expected Isayama to answer this, because he does love to troll his readers.  Is it too much to hope that sometime down the line he’ll reappear with another chapter called School Boy?? 

[momtaku]

Mom, do we know anything about Erwin's personal relationships? Eruri aside, do we know whether he had a girlfriend or a partner? Or married?

In the Dec 2013 BSM Q&A, Isayama stated that Erwin chose to be unmarried because he didn’t know when he would die. (Many thanks to @tsuki-no-ura and @lostcauses-noregrets for helping me dig up the 12/2013 BSM Q&A and surrounding discussion which is the source of that statement.)

Although I must say that I struggling at bit with the "Eruri aside" part of your ask because I find it impossible to "Eruri aside" anything when talking about Erwin's personal relationships. Erwin and Levi’s relationship is central to both of their story arcs in the manga, and I can't think of a single official interview or supplemental publication where Erwin and Levi aren't mentioned together and treated as a connected story unit. 

Thanks for the ask!

[ourmondobongo]

oh isayama

[kachuusha]

I was minding my own business but then someone pulls this clip of junho from 2pm saying let's live together on japanese national tv because he was asked how is gonna propose

see how the hosts reacted? "it's straightforward"

the point here is that let's live together is a common way to propose

and there's even that anime magazine q&a thing with eren proposing in a similar manner

sorry for bringing this up again, I'm just sick and tired of levihans constantly being told that we are delusional for thinking ifkk is a proposal and that is has romantic implications

and given the context was of the forest scene was right after levi almost died and hanji hauled him away from danger. I mean what else could isayama be trying to pull

and then there's also this?

hanji blushing upon learning that levi heard them? and no don't give me the whole it wasn't in the anime and or how it was only meant to be shadow lines? isayama doesn't draw shadow lines horizontally. slanted lines drawn under the eyes and right above the cheek? that is how he had always drawn blush lines.

[rivangel]

NEW INTERVIEW

my favorite parts of this new q&a:

- if hange had lived past the end, hange wouldn’t have settled down with falco, gabi and levi because ‘they always took on the role of running around and staying busy, so it’s hard to imagine’

- isayama didn’t say whether hange had siblings, but that they’re distant from their family

- in a modern au, eren would be struggling with multiple jobs lmaoo

- ymir fritz let the pigs escape because she saw herself in them

- what happened to gabi and falco: ‘They remained together for life. since falco turned into a titan, he doesn’t remember confessing to gabi’

- ‘did eren speak to levi too?’ (after the rumbling). isayama answered that if he drew it, each character would have about 18 pages of quiet conversation without big moments (so that’s a yes?)

- he was asked if the wall titans turned back into humans after the rumbling. isayama said he didn’t have enough pages, but he would have had them all become human again entirely naked and confronted with the victims

- erwin would have a messy room

- he was asked what students would think about seeing jean in their history books loll. he said it’d look like jean was striking a pose for them

- ‘does levi find the ocean beautiful?’

‘he does, but he’d see it as something more mysterious’

- ‘why does he have a cleaning obsession?’

‘despite growing up in a filthy environment, he holds a deep-seated belief that noble qualities are inside him’(😭😭😭😭😭😭)

- did ackerman powers disappear with the titans? yes, mikasa ‘has become bad at sports’ lol

[leviismybby]

I appreciate that when you talk about your headcanons for Levi that they are based off of canon manga not some third party interview that a random fan said happened

Hi anon!

I don't believe them that's why, I only believe ones that are actually at the end of the manga. I do not have a problem with people taking "interviews" as facts if they want to however I do believe that stating that they are facts comes from a deep bais they have for whatever reason since even if these interviews and q and a were real, not many people will ever hear about them. Shit, I see a "fact" in an interview that allleinges with my headcanons sometimes but I never take it as a fact because most of the time it isn't real or just falsely translated. Besides when looking for facts, canon manga and anime are the only metrial I use because, let's be honest, 90% of people who read or watched aot will only ever see the canon source metrial. Levi is to be seen as Isayama potryed him in his canon metrial, same with every other character. It's exactly why I don't take offical art seriously, it's just to promote a product most of the time and bringing them into arguments is ridiculous.