There’s been a lot of speculation among Attack on Titan fans lately about whether or not Levi dies in the series. Even since the new trailer of Attack on Titan came out, some believe that he met his untimely end during the battle against the Beast Titan, while others think he may still be alive and out there in the series as he has a significant role to play in the final battle.
So what’s the truth? Does he die in Attack on Titan or not? Let’s take a look at the evidence and find out for sure!
Does Levi die in Attack on Titan?
Levi Ackerman, also known as humanity’s strongest soldier, is not dead in Attack on Titan. However, as we all know, the series is famous for killing its main characters; but in Levi’s case, he will not die but will live with permanent injuries for the rest of his life.
In Attack on Titan, Season 4, Part 1, when Levi tried to capture Zeke, we saw that Levi’s squad started drinking the wine that had Zeke’s spinal fluid, which they were unaware of at that time.
So when Zeke tried to escape, he turned all of the 30 Levi’s men who had consumed the wine into mindless Titans (Zeke Beast Titan’s has the powers to transform any subjects of Ymir into Titan when they consumed his spinal fluid.)
Powers of Titans Explained in Attack on Titan
So, as a result, all of Levi’s friends were transformed into a Titan with Zeke’s yell, and Zeke tried to escape in the process. But here the strongest soldier of humanity killed all the 30 titans by himself and recaptured Zeke with the help of the thunder spheres.
After cutting off Zeke from the nape of his Titan’s body, Levi dragged him out of the forest and tied him up to a horse cart. He instructs Zeke not to move and reveals if he moves, he has placed the tip of the thunder spear inside his stomach and attached the fuse on his neck; if Zeke even tries to move a little bit, it will blow him up.
Levi further yells at Zeke for killing his men, but Zeke here starts to scream. Levi warns him to shut up, or he kills cut his legs off again. Soon, Zeke starts to mutter about his plans to euthanise Eldia for world safety.
Hearing this, Levi again starts mocking him, saying the countless lives he has taken the impending death at the hands of a Titan would be too merciful for him.
Zeke again said that this was all done to save the children from living in this cruel world; Levi again gets angry and says he will blow him up if he again utters any other word from his mouth.
Now the terrified Zeke pulls the pin on the thunder spear attached to his stomach. Levi got shocked seeing this, but this was already too late for him to escape, so as the explosion happened, both he and Zeke got caught in that, which resulted in Levi’s body getting scorched and thrown toward a nearby river where Hanji found him next.
Does Levi die in Attack on Titan? (credit MAPPA and Hajime Isayama)How did Levi survive in Attack on Titan when he was meant to die?
Well, you might find this surprising that originally Hajime Isayama had plans to kill Levi in the Attack on Titan finale, but he revealed that it was one of his editors, Shintaro Kawakubo, who suggested him otherwise; in the interview, he revealed that:
“The ending of what Levi Ackerman got in the final chapter was a secondary option at that point, and it was ok to end the story where he dies, but it was his editor Kawakubo who used to hold meetings with Hajime every time he used to think about killing the character, and it was one of those meetings where Kawakubo had asked Hajime at least to end Levi’s story with a meaningful death, but Isayama wasn’t able to justify his death, hence; as a result, the character was kept alive in the series, and Isayama reconsidered his decision.”
Levi’s contribution in the Attack on Titan Final Arc “War for Paradis.”
Levi plays an important part in the “War for Paradis Arc” in Attack On Titan; he gives Mikasa the opening to go inside Eren’s Founding Titan’s mouth by opening it with a blast.
After which, Mikasa goes inside the Founding Titan‘s mouth where Eren’s body was situated and kills him.
After the battle, he was battered and exhausted, and in the final chapter, with Eren being dead and Ymir finally freed from her shackles, the Titan’s curse was finally reverted.
This strange phenomenon brings Eren’s fallen Survey Corps members and Erwin in for a brief flashback where he says goodbye and salutes to his fallen brothers and sisters, Hange and Erwin.
This was an emotional moment for him as he realised their death had a meaning; all of them didn’t die in vain. This also signifies that his past will no longer haunt him now.
He was left with permanent physical damage after the “War for Paradis Arc” and rejoined Paradis Island’s modernising society.
He, Armin, Falco, Gabi and Onyankopon will now be in peace talk with the new Eldian empire and other nations.
Finally, our beloved, the greatest soldier of humanity, got a happy ending that he deserved.