The Attack On Titan series introduced one of the most iconic anime characters of this generation when Captain Levi Ackerman appeared on page and screen in the late-2000s and mid-2010s. Powerful, dominating, and admirable in all the right ways, Levi has been lauded as one of the coolest characters in media overall.
But Levi wouldn't be such a brilliant character if he didn't have faults to accompany his long list of accomplishments. To form a realistic hero, there have to be things about them that sometimes make the audience shake their heads in frustration and Levi is no stranger to bringing forth that emotion in his fans.
10 He Has A Particular Need For Cleanliness
Due to growing up in the underground where cleanliness was a privilege, not a right, Levi's time on the surface is split between two major activities: being a brilliant soldier and cleaning. He'll comment on the cleanliness of spaces during the most unnecessary times, such as when Historia and Eren are being hidden by his squad.
While being clean isn't a negative by any means, Levi's need for it can be somewhat overbearing and almost distracting to others at times. It's certainly not the most ideal thing to be nagged about when a character is already worried about their life.
9 He Doesn't Suffer Fools At Any Level
No matter if Levi is dealing with his own commander or one of his subordinates, he has no time for reckless stupidity or a lack of common sense. He frequently laments Eren's outbursts, even if he does understand them, and one of the times he particularly lacks patience is when he has to unnecessarily explain something.
Levi expects everyone else to use their brain as he does. He doesn't turn to others for help or clarity and so doesn't readily offer either of those to anybody who walks his way. If someone doesn't have a decent level of intelligence, he has no time for them.
8 Can't Maintain Meaningful Relationships
Although it isn't for lack of trying, Levi's line of work and stoic attitude causes him to greatly struggle with forming meaningful interpersonal relationships. His entire squad was wiped out by the Female Titan, he had to make the decision to let Erwin die, and Eren turned to sheer villainy before his eyes.
This all makes it even more difficult for the ever-introverted Levi to make new friends or connect with loved ones. While he cares greatly for the scouts that are left at the end of the war, none of them particularly know him like the people he lost along the way and he never quite recovered enough emotionally to learn how to deal with that.
7 He Struggles To Find The Right Words
Levi's infamous line to Erwin of "give up on your dreams and die" has ripped its way through anime communities as a meme of sorts, but Levi was completely serious and was making an attempt to comfort his former commander.
Growing up as roughly as he did, Levi only finds comfort in the hard truths, which is an ideology he then passes on to others when he tries to give advice. Levi doesn't seek to upset people — it's just his way of speaking.
6 Levi Only Answered To Erwin
There was nobody in the Survey Corps Levi would listen to — even his close friend Hange was more inclined to listen to him than the other way around — but Commander Erwin Smith was his one exception.
Levi not only listened and answered to Erwin — he admired him, but the problem was that Erwin was essentially the only person Levi carried these feelings for. For everyone else, Levi's word was law, he always had the final say, and he touted himself as the character that knew best if Erwin wasn't around.
5 He's Almost Always Right
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Most highly-skilled characters at least slip up and leave room for genuine criticism, allowing other characters to sometimes step in and take the reigns of leadership and develop. Levi, however, doesn't slip up.
Attack On Titan viewers would be hard-pressed to find moments where Levi was wrong about something that others argued with him about. He'll even go against what he believes in emotionally, like giving Erwin the serum, to make sure he's on the right side, so it's no surprise so many people turn to him in times of crisis.
4 There's No Time For Him To Rest
Levi simply won't allow himself to rest. Levi gets severely injured (enough to force him to sit on the sidelines) only twice in Attack On Titan. The first is when he saves Mikasa from the Female Titan and gets his leg crushed and the second is when Zeke blows them both up, resulting in the first and only permanent injuries Levi ever receives.
Both times, Levi refuses to rest. He continues to go to meetings after his leg is crushed, focusing more on tactics than physical fighting, and after he awakes for the first time after the explosion he and Hange swear to each other immediately that they will stop Eren. Levi can't even feed himself, yet all he can think about is fighting for humanity.
3 He Believes Completely In Personal Responsibility
Levi won't ever offer reassuring words to anyone — he instead tells them that only they know if what they did was right or not, as is the case when Jean couldn't kill a human to save his own life which instead pushed Armin to do it.
Even his own actions, good or bad, are never passed off to anybody else, which means his soldiers gain no kind of sympathy or pause for thought when they regret an action. If it's empathy someone is looking for with regard to a plot gone wrong, fellow Survey Corps members learned not to turn to Levi.
2 He Hasn't Processed His Grief
After losing his squad to the Female Titan, Levi remained tight-lipped about the situation. He was openly remorseful and guilt-ridden at his inability to keep his loved ones alive, but he never allowed it to affect his performance — until they got to Marley.
Levi's desperation to make his comrade's deaths meaningful eventually led to Zeke's escape from the camp, which allowed him to carry out his plan and transform Levi's fellow soldiers into Titans. While it was a very momentary lapse of judgment, Levi's inability to process his emotions before the end enabled Zeke to cause a lot more damage.
1 Nobody Else Will Ever Be Humanity's Strongest Soldier
The worst thing about Levi, however, is that the expectations he set for himself through his own actions will never be met by anybody else. Having been known as Humanity's Strongest Soldier all throughout Attack On Titan has meant that others can't meet Levi without having a preconceived idea of him, with that idea not always being good.
It isn't just how others perceive Levi that's an issue, however. None of the soldiers on Paradis will ever compare to the historic captain, no individual will ever have his combination of ability, tactical knowledge, and weapon prowess. Truthfully, nobody will ever compare to Levi and he will forever have to live with his own grandiose expectations.