In 10 long years, Attack on Titan captivated many viewers of the series owing to its extremely realistic worldview. Not to forget the thrilling action scenes followed by the complexities of morality kept the audience engaged for over a decade. From watching Eren’s ambitions as a kid to turning into the final villain, Attack on Titan left this fandom speechless at the end of the final season.
Apart from the protagonist, Hajime Isayama, the creator of Attack on Titan, beautifully designed the other characters’ stories, which later played an important role in the anime’s success. Several characters who played a vital role in Season 1, such as Mikasa, Levi, Reiner, and Armin, contributed significantly in defeating Eren during the final battle.
Besides Eren and Mikasa, Levi arguably holds a special place in the fandom because of his terrific action scenes. Interestingly, Hajime Isayama himself opened up about Levi’s character and why designing him as a short character was crucial.
Hajime Isayama Reveals His Vision Behind Levi Ackerman’s Design in Attack on Titan
Levi Ackerman is undoubtedly the most feared character introduced in Attack on Titan‘s universe. Not to forget, every Titan Shifter was afraid of Levi and always avoided fighting the strongest Survey Corps soldier. ‘Levi VS Beast Titan’ is one of the most iconic moments.
The Beast Titan, who was considered one of the strongest Subjects of Ymir, was destroyed by the hands of Captain Levi in less than 30 seconds. During those 30 seconds, Zeke Yeager, the controller of the colossal Beast Titan, feared for his life and safety. Driven by vengeance, the look in Levi’s eyes after losing his best friend, Erwin Smith, made many fans go berserk.
Hajime Isayama intended Captain Levi Ackerman to leave an indelible mark on the fandom from the start, bringing his vision to life through Levi’s design. Some may argue that designing Levi as a short character was the only mangaka’s flaw in building the Attack on Titan universe. However, he never intended Captain Levi to be a tall character.
In an interview, Hajime Isayama and Shintarō Kawakubo, the editor of Attack on Titan, opened up about their thoughts behind Levi’s design.
Yeah. So, and this is just my opinion, if Levi was 180 centimeters [six feet], he wouldn’t come off as cool to me. That he’s this cocky little 160-centimeter [five feet, three inches] man is neat to me. He wouldn’t come off that way if there wasn’t a bit of something pathetic in him.
I’ve tried to make all my characters with something like that about them. Just the other day while I was listening to the radio, they were talking about how imperfections make an idol more beautiful, and I was like, ‘Huh, they’re right.’ In other words, no one’s going to root for a flawless idol.
Designing Levi’s six-foot-tall character wouldn’t make him stand out in the community. Moreover, this approach could have backfired as most viewers would have recounted iconic anime characters such as Madara Uchiha, Lelouch Lamperouge, Escanor, and many more. Hajime Isayama further adds:
And because people equate imperfection with inexperience, this leads to them feeling sympathy and wanting to see the idol succeed. I couldn’t help but feel like the same went for characters. Naturally, if you pursue absolute perfection, what you are going to get are very black and white values like in a Takarazuka musical, and Attack on Titan is nothing like that.
Well, we can’t deny that seeing Levi as a short, cocky character steals the most spotlight of the show. It allows viewers to relate much to the character and leave a special place in fans’ hearts, despite the series being concluded a while ago.
Hajime Isayama Explains How Black and White Situations Enhance Storytelling
A mangaka’s skills are tested by their ability to captivate audiences with unique narratives that explore complex themes and touch on gray areas. It’s equally important to highlight both black and white situations as they resonate most with the readers. Isayama words on Levi’s short design:
Exactly. There’s a character in Watchmen called Rorschach and he’s a short middle-aged guy, too. He shows off, running around and kicking *ss with his little hands and feet. It’s really striking to see.
By adding all the exceptional qualities in Levi, Isayama would have created the strongest Attack on Titan character. However, it only would have made fans less connected with the short king.
Isayama believes an individual character isn’t determined by their strengths but also their flaws and turns his creative vision into reality with Levi’s design. In other words, Isayama sticking to his roots lets the fandom witness one of the iconic anime characters, Levi Ackerman, come to life.
You can watch Attack On Titan on Crunchyroll.
