Levi Ackerman is one of the most popular characters in the Attack on Titan anime and manga series. As a skilled soldier and Captain of the Special Operations Squad, Levi plays a pivotal role in the fight against the Titans. However, his fate remains uncertain as the story progresses, leaving fans to wonder – what ultimately happens to Levi at the end of Attack on Titan?
Levi’s Backstory
To understand what happens to Levi, it’s important to first look at his backstory. Levi grew up in the Underground as an orphan and turned to crime to survive. He was eventually recruited by Erwin Smith to join the Survey Corps, where his skills and strength made him an asset against the Titans. Despite his cold exterior, Levi is deeply loyal to his comrades and driven by his mission to defeat the Titans.
Major Story Arcs
Throughout the manga and anime, Levi participates in several pivotal story arcs:
- Battle of Trost – Levi helps defend the city and witnesses Eren’s Titan powers.
- Female Titan arc – Levi plays a key role in capturing the Female Titan.
- Clash of the Titans arc – Levi loses his entire squad but helps save Eren.
- Uprising arc – Levi helps overthrow the corrupt government.
- Return to Shiganshina – Levi battles the Beast Titan and is gravely injured.
- Marley arc – Levi joins the Survey Corps attack on Marley.
- Final arc – Levi continues to fight against Eren and the rumbling.
In each arc, Levi proves himself as a formidable soldier. However, he also experiences significant trauma and loss along the way. By the final arc, he is determined to stop Eren’s destructive path, no matter what it takes.
Injury in Return to Shiganshina
One of the most significant events for Levi’s character occurs during the Return to Shiganshina arc. Here, the Survey Corps executes a plan to reach Eren’s basement and learn the truth about the Titans. This requires battling the Beast Titan and his forces.
Levi engages the Beast Titan in a fierce one-on-one fight. Despite Levi’s exceptional skills, the Beast Titan manages to ambush him with a barrage of projectiles, leaving Levi gravely injured. He is unable to continue fighting and must be rescued by his comrades.
This injury deals a harsh blow to Levi’s pride as a soldier. It also results in permanent physical damage, as Levi now walks with a limp and struggles to perform maneuvers with his usual proficiency.
Impact on Levi’s Character
Levi’s near-fatal injury at the hands of the Beast Titan leaves both physical and emotional scars. It has the following impacts on his character:
- Damages his self-confidence and makes him feel weak
- Fuels his vengeful hatred towards Zeke the Beast Titan
- Forces him to come to terms with his physical limitations
- Makes him more cautious and strategic in battle
- Reminds him of his own mortality
Despite his injuries, Levi remains determined to fulfill his duty. But the damage done by the Beast Titan continues to affect him through the rest of the story.
Levi Chooses to Stop Eren
In the final arc, Eren initiates the rumbling – using the Founding Titan’s powers to unleash Colossal Titans to trample the world. While Eren believes this is the only way to protect Eldia, his actions will destroy humanity outside the walls.
Levi joins the Alliance, a group of Survey Corps members and Warriors from Marley, in order to stop Eren. This puts Levi in direct opposition to someone he once considered a comrade. However, Levi believes he must uphold his principles and prevent further unnecessary deaths.
Key Moments
As part of the Alliance, Levi is involved in key moments in the final arc:
- Helps protect and rescue Alliance members from attacking Yeagerists
- Boards an airship towards Eren’s Founding Titan form
- Fights Eren alongside Mikasa and the Alliance
- Helps destroy Eren’s Titan body and pull him out of his Titan form
Despite lingering injuries, Levi gives his all in these battles. Stopping Eren and the rumbling becomes his driving purpose.
Levi’s Fate
So in the end, what happens to Levi after this long and arduous journey?
Unfortunately, Levi’s ultimate fate is left ambiguous.
In the manga’s final chapter, Levi is last seen recuperating from the battle with Eren alongside the surviving members of the Alliance. It is implied he will need to use a wheelchair from now on due to his injuries. But the manga provides no definitive confirmation of what happens to him after that.
Theories on Levi’s Fate
Fans have come up with several theories about what could have happened to Levi after the events of the manga:
- He continues a quiet life, coping with his disabilities
- He takes on a role training new Survey Corps recruits
- He lives in isolation from society due to trauma
- He eventually dies from complications of his injuries
- He succumbs to illness years later
Unfortunately, with no canon information about his fate, all fans can do is speculate. Many choose to believe that Levi found some measure of peace in the final years of his life after achieving his mission and freeing the world from the Titans.
Conclusion
Levi undergoes immense growth and trauma over the course of Attack on Titan. From the injured veteran forced to stop Eren to the uncertain fate left to fans’ imaginations, Levi remains one of the most complex and beloved characters. While his eventual end is ambiguous, he leaves behind a legacy of tenacity, loyalty, and service that won’t be forgotten by fans anytime soon.