initially I thought Levi’s reaction to Mikasa’s statement was one of surprise, but now with chapter 69 out I think it’s one of recognition.
Levi sees himself in Mikasa, and it’s not just here. It’s also when Dimo Reeves points out Mikasa’s incredible strength.
and when he recognizes the same bloodlust and anger Mikasa portrays after Eren is abducted that he felt after the deaths of Farlan and Isabel
The sheer amount of similarites between the two of them frightens Levi, but I also think it intrigues him and gives him a sense of protectiveness towards Mikasa. And this combined with the fact that Mikasa is possibly one of his last (very) distant family members, he’ll want to protect her even more.
Back in CH30, Levi adamantly believed Eren was dead and didn’t seem too emotional or eager to attempt a rescue, but as soon as he remembered who Mikasa was he changed his tune entirely…
We can see that his expression and attitude changed entirely once he realized one of Mikasa’s friends was at stake.
In CH83, Levi is once again put in the position to save Mikasa’s friend, but the objective isn’t as clear as “save Mikasa’s friend” because his own friend is on the line too. I wonder if he’ll contradict his above statement and satisfy his own desires, or if he’ll once again put her friend first.
A few panels before this, Levi’s expression seems to go from upset about Erwin to fierce when Eren became hostile, but again his expression changes to a softer one when he sees how distraught Mikasa is. He seems to have a weak spot for her, or at least a subtle interest in her personal relationships, which is why we see him questioning her relationship with Eren, him correcting himself whenever he says something harsh to Eren or Armin in her presence, him eavesdropping on them, etc.
It’s hard to interpret this scene, especially without translations, but I do think he will end up picking Armin in the end. Of course, this is a difficult decision so it might take him a while to settle on that conclusion, though, so this confrontation between him and Mikasa might lead to Ackertalk. -crosses fingers-
It took me a long time to warm up to Levi and Mikasa’s relationship, but when I did start to consider them as a pretty rad little duo, the feelings struck me hard, and I fell in love with their relationship fast. This was aided large in part by their development during the Uprising Arc.
This is definitely a relationship that can be considered a one sided enemies-to-friends trope. At the start, Mikasa was absolutely fuming with rage toward Levi, but Levi never saw Mikasa negatively (his only criticism being her unwillingness to follow orders). These two have always shared similar traits that go beyond their supernatural strength, and for a long time that had the fandom raising eyebrows. It wasn’t until the Uprising Arc that it was revealed they share the same lineage and surname. We know that Levi has pieced the puzzle together but whether he’s fully discussed their ties with Mikasa yet or not is still to be discovered.
Levi has been a large contributing factor to Mikasa’s character development. It is because of Levi’s ankle injury that Mikasa indirectly caused that she started to take it on herself to be more responsible with her strength rather than simply using it for her personal desire to protect Eren. Levi is quick to take on the role of a mentor to Mikasa as he tries to instruct and guide her. When he is unable to perform his duty of protecting Eren, it is Mikasa who he passes the responsibility to, and he does so with full confidence in her. When they have the opportunity to fight side-by-side, these two create a formidable power house and they’re damn near unstoppable.
After the Female Titan Arc, Mikasa starts to gain a better understanding of Levi and starts to hold more respect for him. Eventually, she begins to take his orders without questioning them and without complaint. She learns to trust in him and his guidance, and reaches a point where she defends him and tells her peers that they should do the same. Her trust grows enough that she was even willing to let him take care of saving Eren (something she never trusted him to do at the beginning) while she went to save Historia in the Reiss cavern instead.
These two also have no problem calling each other out and pointing out when the other is being unreasonable. In fact, Mikasa is the only person in Levi’s squad who’s yet had the guts to tell Levi when he’s being an ass, and when she does, Levi is quick to change his tone. Just as well, Levi has been there to let Mikasa know when it’s time to ignore her personal feelings and keep her eye on the endgame instead. While she initially ignored him on this front, she has learned to listen over time, and it has shaped her into a much better fighter.
These two balance each other out well and have formed a very enjoyable camaraderie. I hope to see more development moving forward in the series.
Mikasa didn’t even witness Levi throwing the blade as a weapon. But she still instinctually applied the same skill as he did. Oh my Ackermans are in sync again~ ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ
Aaaannd here’s the finished product! …I just really wanted to see Mikasa and Levi dancing all fancy and stuff sooo yeah.
(Btw don’t forget guys, I’m a multishipper, so I better not get any messages saying “omg I thought you only shipped ereri”…like no, it clearly says what I am on my blog.)
midnight-in-town 