yeah, and you can also support that idea with Reiner, he was one of the nicest characters, but he ended up being one of the enemies (well there's actually a whole theory about him having multiple personalities, and that he was feeling like an actual soldier when he was there with the other soldiers, but then he started having his warrior personality again, who knows, he's such a complex character)
Yeah true, and also sometimes the world will force us to act in a ways that can make us seem like very cruel and cold to people on the outside when that truly isn't our meaning. It is just what the situation demands from us. That can be seen when the Survey Corps are retreating from the expedition of Forest of Giant Trees in season one ( was it 39th expedition? ) and he orders to leave the corpses of the fallen behind and then one of the new recruits proceeds to question if Levi has any humanity at all when he did everything he did out of necessity. And later we can see how the recruits trying to get the corpses of their friends back bites everyone (and himself too) in the ass even worse. Levi knew it would happen because of his experience and that's why he knew it was a necessity to leave them behind. It's all about choosing the option with least casualties. In war and in tough situations you can't let your emotions get ahead of your decision making and both Levi and Erwin know this and are prime examples of acting on this principle.
@@beyzaercan3077If you really think about it, he is a actually kind of a nice dude. It’s hard to explain considering his word choice is definitely not how a ‘nice’ person talks. But he has really only ever been rude a handful of times towards the MPs, and some others. Besides that the way he talks isn’t exactly rude, but isn’t exactly nice. More of neutral. He just uses a lot of petty name calling, and cussing. But his name calling towards his team mates etc is him showing he cares. Not out of being rude. His cussing is just his character. His words hold a lot of caring, and emotions. He just isn’t familiar with how to use nice words because of where he’s from. He cares a lot about everyone, and shows him he cares in the way he’s familiar. It’s hard to be a nice person when you were never taught how to be nice
I never understood why people said Levi was cold-hearted and antisocial. He cares A LOT and we can see it all the time, he's just not extremely expressive about it. He only says what's needed and he's blunt about it without sugar-coating anything. That's not cold or antisocial, he's just a very pragmatic person and has his priorities and values straight.
Exactly. It seems like people find it hard to reconcile the fact that someone who is tough because it’s necessary for his line of work can be kind and empathetic at the same time without much trouble.
I thought he was when I first watched. Now after watching reaction videos, I see him as very caring. He has a really good heart. I think his blunt demeanor is off-putting at first. Once you get past that, you begin to see how much he cares for everyone.
Yeah! I mean, the very first episode he has real screen time in introduces him as a germaphobic neat freak, but afterwards he grasps the dirty, bloody hand of his dying comrade without hesitation just so he can comfort him in his final moments. If people missed the entire purpose of that scene, I dunno what to tell them lol :/
@@user-jq4rj3hs2f These were my thoughts exactly. I was told before watching Aot that Levi is so cold. Then this was one of his first scenes and I was like are you all dumb or something?
The possible answer is Trope baggage. The dark, brooding and cold archetype has been done so many times before that people's first impression of Levi have them assume he falls into that category, but to those who stick around long enough, it surely ain't his whole personality. He's quite caring. U can see by how he doesn't spare a word of advice and/or comfort when someone he knows is struggling emotionally when he could keep it to himself. A typical edgy character would even go as far as be openly insensitive to it. Not that Levi isn't guilty of the "tch, so annoying" attitude, but he never directs it at people's core suffering. Paraphrasing Isayama's words, Levi is a sympathetic type.
This is pretty much the reason why I love Levi. Aside from his looks, he really suffered a lot. He lost his mom, his uncle suddenly left him, and he lost his only friends that came with him from The Underground. Like you mentioned, when you go somewhere that celebrates a completely different culture from you, you tend to feel outcastes, and Levi was the only one that survived from the three. Another thing is that Levi has to constantly watch his comrades get eaten in brutal ways by the Titans. But beneath that cold mask, Levi deeply cares for his comrades and cherishes humanity.
To add (very late) to your point of being treated like an outsider, their trio was already being judged as "filthy" for being where they were from. At least then, they had each other and could have chosen to laugh it off or whatever. Without them, he had to also go through all the prejudices of being from a lower class on his own, surrounded by many soldiers who didn't want him there
Great video, but 4:16, that was not Levi's father. That was his Uncle. Levi's dad is unknown since his mother was a prostitute, and the father was one of her many customers.
levi probably didn't know any better tho he thought he was his father until kenny was near his death bed and thats when he comfirmed he was just his uncle.
“Is he really that cold?” THANK YOU. I really appreciate your vids and thanks for doing one on Levi. I love that he is a very complex character. His trauma is a crucible for making him cold and hard-hearted that he could have become a Criminal Minds episode. But instead, he’s Levi. When I saw his introduction that had him grasp the bloody hand of a dying comrade/regular squad soldier and comfort him until his death, and me learning later that he has OCD cleaning tendencies showed me there was more behind him than his small shadow. He is also depicted as someone who finds it difficult to sleep, falls asleep wherever he is and exhausts himself to do so, and worries about those he is in charge of. With what he endured and still endures, this goes to show he is still very restless and coupled other behaviours, it shows that he cares a lot for the people around him. It’s not a healthy habit to be restless but I appreciate it as a deep subtle visual indicator of his damage. Him telling Eren “You make the choice you regret the least” has been my motto I adopted for the past several years. Levi could have been thwarted in his leadership confidence more so being so filled with regret - but instead he tells Eren this - that shows me he is someone of very high emotional intelligence / maturity. I appreciate that you talked about PTSD. It reminds me too of Erwin... how Erwin when talking to Levi showed that he had no simple goals... like goals at getting married and having a family “after the war is over” - that it’s like they think they don’t deserve joy and peace. Good luck in your Masters program! I wish you get many more subs!
Levi is actually one of the only characters I really wanted to see survive this series (cause AoT tends to kill everyone), just so he could have a peaceful life( I don't know like marrying Hange and getting old ), but now I realise that his hell would continue in some way... Still hopes he survives! But him dying will clearly set him free. Edit: WARNING BIG SPOILERS FOR AOT CHAP. 139 SECOND WARNING - SERIOUSLY BIG SPOILERS Well this is it guys, I just finished the last chapter of AoT and our boy is alive and chilling in a wheelchair with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon. Even though the scene with the scouts crushed me, I gotta say I felt immense relief when I knew that he was safe and would now get to live a life of peace, and its Levi, even in his state he mightve been able to open his tea shop! Even without hange there to support him... now I can only imagine that the demons of his tragic life slowly faded away and that in the end, life set him free... yes, id like to imagine that. No regrets.
That reminds me of when some civilian in the Paradis crowd catcalled him and Hange responded with: "They wouldn't adore you if they knew how fussy you are." 😂
The thing about being sensitive to others and caring and feeling their emotions, puts heavy weight on us, and that's why you'll see some people turn cold, or take time alone to release the weight. But most people don't understand and it's tiring thing. Now I know why I am different.
i think there us already a video about Kaneki's psychology ... and he is a great character too i enjoy more levi's psychology analisis though because levi is harder to understand and he is more often to be misunderstood by people who are not his fans.
Oh I love Tokyo Ghoul (even if the second season was far worse than the first in my opinion)! I definitely will do a video on him at some point in the near future :)
L is an Intelligent fucker, he does not suppress emotions like Levi. he (L) doesn’t KNOW how to obtain emotions, he’s TOO logical and the only times you’d find him doing “human” things/emotions is when he mimics people...something like...”should I be sad now or should I laugh? What would a normal person do?” I personally don’t think L is as emotional as Levi, Levi is extremely emotional but incredibly strong and hides it well, L on the other hand is bland, he (L)surely had a somewhat bad childhood but I don’t think he actually gives a fuck or finds any problem in his childhood thats just the way he is whether he had a good childhood or a terrible one I think he would have always been the same, whilst Levi’s childhood and life in general has a huge impact on his personality and character and there’s a huge chance that he would’ve been different if he had grown up under different circumstances. .... Idk why I just compared the two you didn’t ask for that but oh well
And u analyze hanji next, I think she's a pretty interesting character its stated that she used to absolutely hate titans but now shes like obsessed with them
I had done research on Levi as well. I come to a conclusion that Levi as OCPD instead of OCD. Levi is controlling but he's not an anxious individual. He can ignore the dirt and blood when needed.
can you do itachi , and how him living as criminal who killed his own clan and parents and use to live that life , I think he one of most characters that need to be explored psychology
There's a part of me that wants to be like Levi, that's why he's my favorite character. Strong in every aspect, but his life is much much sadder than mines and I dont think I can bear it as good as him.
this is awesome! i do not know for rest of you, but first time i saw Levi i know something was wrong with his past and i search on yt for more about him. He is my favorite anime character.
I feel so bad for levi, he has a more traumatic past than mikasa and eren combined. He's definitely an INTJ because i'm one and my mom is one too, I know our behavior pretty well and levi's definitely matches it.
@SAMURAI L oh so because a girl likes a fictional character that just happens to have a big fanbase and is attractive that makes them a dumb fangirl I see ok emo 17 yr old byeeee
Just a small correction, but Kenny (the man who abandoned Levi) was actually his uncle, not his father. Levi’s father was never known. But amazing job on the video
@@captainmattypat2646 Kenny took him in, taught him how to survive and then left him when he believed Levi is already alright. He revealed later on that he believed he isn't the kind of a father type for Levi.
I was diagnosed with ptsd. Most of if comes from when I lived with my bio parents. I just realized how much me and Levi are alike tho we may not have gone through the same things.
Maybe she meant that for him it felt like a father, so losing the father affected him as losing a father. Because at that time he saw him as one so it felt like one.
This is one of my favourite videos! i subscribed recently as these types of videos give more insight in our favourite characters, and when I found out you were doing Levi I was so excited because he is one of my favourite characters! I realy enjoy your videos and I am really curious about Erwin's character... Erwin Smith is a very intriguing character and I still don't get his persona but for some reason he is my favourite characte in attack on titan!
Thank you so much for doing this analysis, Levi's one of top 3 favorite anime characters, for me he was like a tsundere but now I can see how hard his life was, I knew his past but I've never considered the fact of going out of the underground, because we're used to live like that and the simpliest thing is to think that being outside like us was something better but instead it was something hard and he was even more lonely T____T It think Erwin was like a father for him, reinforcing his values and teaching him a new lifestyle and giving him a reason to live and protect others using his overwhelming power. I think another reason of his cold attitude is that it's how he protects himself from suffering, he's used to lost the people he loves and if he gives in to the pain then (after all he's lived) he won't be able to recover ever, besides considering that he's very attached to his duty as soldier he will see that as a weakness and bad example for others, he knows the authority he has and how the others see him as leader. I knew he had the most beautiful heart when they were coming back from the forest after losing the female titan and a soldier was crying because he lost his friend's body and then Levi gaves him the badge of his friend telling him they'll be always with us T_____T I swear he melted my heart I'd have loved to see him having a peaceful life with Hange... I really pray with all my heart the anime changes those fates.
As far as AoT is concerned, most of the other characters have gone through similar, ridiculous, amounts of trauma. Levi seems to be the one that still acts the most sane in season 4.
Looove your analysis ❤❤ i think it's the best analysis of Levi's character yet. Isayama even said that he's the most emotional character in AOT even though he seems cold most of the time.
This was an amazing video! I really relate to Levi in many ways, I'm thinking of pursuing Psychology in University. I learnt something today. Thank you! Oh and Congratulations on your Master's Program, I have a feeling you'll be extremely good at it.
I feel slightly exposed. When you mentioned how empathetic people are and the reason for this, being they have experienced intense pain, really got to me. I didn't realise why or how I was so empathetic and now that I realised it really...ha...
and this is why I love Levi ... like.. yeah.. just because of his psychology and personality. He's our poor baby boy who deserves all the happiness in the world ❤️
I guess in the end, I’m like him...suffered from PTSD (better now because of EMDR), now is cold and rather antisocial. Believe me, I know what pain is, Levi, and I understand you completely. *hugs Levi gently*
gURL, i am criying so loud. It's the best analysis that i have seen from Levi. Thank you so much. Love from Chile, southamerica. Pd: Sorry for bad English xD
I haven't seen/read every anime/manga featuring Levi so he might have some characteristics I'm not aware of but based on what I know about this character, I don't think he has OCD. He doesn't seem to have intrusive thoughts about cleaning. He's shown inspecting a room he's never been in before and cleaning the Survey Corps former HQ that nobody's occupied for a while, which sounds rather normal to me. While he's disgusted by it, he doesn't seem particularly anxious when he's in contact with dirt, as he's repeatedly shown touching furnitures to check if there's dust or filthy stuff on it and it doesn't seem to bother him. He doesn't like being touched, which is perfectly fine, not everybody feels comfortable being physically close to someone else. Nothing in his behavior indicates he has rituals (though not everyone with OCD has rituals anyway). I can only think about the unusual way he holds his cup of tea but he sometimes holds it the "normal" way so I guess it's just a habit. It's said when he was younger he broke the handle of a cup he bought and the tea spilled everywhere but Idk if it's canon. I don't even think OCPD would fit but we don't have enough info to conclude. Like you said, I think it would be most likely for him to have PTSD. "He's been through a lot" sounds like an understatement. Born in the misery of The Underground, in a brothel, his mother who was his only caregiver died in front of him when he was a child, leaving him slowly dying from starvation because he was absolutely alone up until his uncle, a serial killer, took him under his wing and raised him in the middle of violence and illegal activities, only to abandon him probably when he was a teenager. He then joined the most hazardous branch of the military and regularly participates in combats that can very well lead to his death and sees his friends and colleagues being killed, eaten alive and having their body literally torn apart (fertile ground for survivor guilt). Pick a trauma. He suffers from a sleep disorder, namely insomnia. He sleeps an average of 2 to 3 hours per night. He has nightmares regularly that can act as trauma reliving. He doesn't express his emotions, looks even-tempered, usually speaks in monotone but uncharacteristically shouts at Kenny when they meet again. He seems especially bad at showing affection as he's usually rude, sometimes straight out insulting, even with the people he cares about. He can be agressive and resort to violence since torturing people seems like no problem to him when he deems it necessary. He's not shown experiencing positive emotions and it looks like nothing interests him apart from tea. His job kind of is all he has but it can just be that we're not shown the more casual side of him. While he seems to have basic trust in his colleagues, I think there are few people he deeply trusts, such as Erwin, as it looks like he does a lot of things on his own, though I guess that's debatable. His need for cleanliness can be a mean to avoid being reminded of his traumatic unsanitary life in The Underground city. Finally, despite his desire for a rather calm life as a tea shop owner, he constantly engages in self-destructive activities: he was a thug during his youth then joined the military division that has the highest death rate by far. Alternatively, he doesn't have any disorder and is just a cold, work focused introvert with poor social skills who likes being clean, which is understandable. His sleeping disturbances are caused by his bad habits. He has no bedtime ritual as he sleeps in his daytime clothes and doesn't even bother to go to bed. He also probably drinks a lot of tea that contains caffeine which is a stimulant and sometimes works at night which alters the internal clock. He can have a lot of nightmares unrelated to his traumatic life. His lack of sleep can explain his outbursts. He doesn't look anxious to me but of course, he can just be good at hiding his anxiety. We don't have a lot of info and insight on his thought process so it's hard to make a diagnosis and psychology isn't an exact science in the first place. Due to his sleeping problems mainly, I'd go with PTSD rather than OCD, not that there's any evidence to seriously back it up. However if he does have OCD, I believe it isn't a severe form of it as he seems high-functioning to me.
ya I think the biggest reason why I like Levi is because I'm the type that wants to cheer people up, and no better vessel for that than a character who has faced one tragedy after another
This is seriously amazing! I really like this character and your video helped me to understand him even better. Can you please analyse and explain Erwin Smith's character too?? He is an extremely skilled commander. I want to understand why his personality is so strong and determined. Wishing you all the best. Thank you.
Paraphrasing here. "Erwin keeps him grounded." *reads the manga* Well... shit. All in all though, I really loved this read into Levi. It's so weird too bc like Levi, I have the need to control things by cleaning. Hearing that part about him, I started to nervously cringe.
Your analysis is the best on youtube. Intelligent, deep and answered the questions i came with looking for this video :) though I mostly agree with it, I still think the grade of aggressiveness as well as the use of swear words by Levi also shouldnt be forgiv... sorry, forgotten;) because no matter what its not the part of his ‘positive’ side, and seeing his dark side is also important. Thank you, Im very pleased with the video and analysis!
But you forget something , in the anime , ackerman's people have a kind of psychological super power , like they always know what to do with out fear or uncertainty
That last comment about managing unhealthy helper syndrome by projecting it onto a fictional character rather than someone real is a great point! Thank you
There are people who are attracted to Levi. Actually not even Levi, but many other anime characters. Can you give a short psychological analysis about people like them? Asking for a friend😅
levi probably didnt wanna touch the bloody hand but he did anyway. but he does not want to die. he wants to live on for his comrades and to open a tea shop.
Me, who's always commenting on sending him to therapy because it'd be unrealistic to want to romance him as it is...... * cough * He needs a hug, or an affectionate nudge, and some tea.
Very insightful analysis! I think many of these are of course exploratory. Eg. I dont think Levi has the napolean complex but that's an interesting idea. I also think that while he endures a lot of pain, he probably doesnt have any sort of medical disorder, but definitely has symptoms of some of them. He just comes off as a person who is mentally very strong.
*There's a lot wrong with this video:* He doesn't have OCD, he lived in a dirty place for so long he simply does not like messes, he won't go out of his way to not touch substances such as blood which we see when he shakes the bloody hand of a dying soldier without hesitation. Kenny wasn't his father, he was his uncle. This is the person he most likely got his "cold" attitude from. He does have fear, he just doesn't show it although he's not afraid to die. He has much to lose, his squad, Erwin (rip) and his fellow soldiers he cares so much for. One of the things this video did get right is he's definitely broken.
I love this video and your analysis! And I love that jab you threw at 11:44 about saving and comforting fictional characters rather than real people 😂😂
omg I love this content, have you ever thought about making another one for Erwin as well? I was struggle for weeks finding materials on his mental health
2:34 I don't really think it is ocd, concidering the "triggers" were all definetly not before the symptoms(?). Example: one trigger was the death of his friends, but even before that he mastered the odm and was obsessed with cleaning. Another thing: he wasn't left by his father, it ws his uncle and even if: he was perfect at fighting way before that trigger. Second: having mastered fighting so well is not because of ocd but more because of his Ackermann blood, this is one of the reasons why he is such a good soldier. There was no other behavior that would fit into ocd. Obsessive cleaning could fit into basically anything. There isn't even a trigger for ocd. Many children had their parents dead in one way or another, but the feeling of not being in control is not the first thing coming into one's mind there. All the counted triggers just don't make sense to me. Part 2 (the cause of his cold behavior being trauma) Since his childhood (so only his mother's death) he always has been a cold character, the part with "his father abandoning him" and "his friends dying" doesn't fit into that scheme: just as the suicidal tendency. These are just some of my thougts, but still good video! I could imagine it was a little rushed and you had not much time to research and watch because of your master, so it's no big deal either
When you mentioned how migration causes Levi to be anti social, that reminds me of myself. I remember as a child I would move to different places and just struggled to belong and find my place. I felt social anxiety. Knowing Levi has a shared experience with me makes me respect him even more
I love Levi so much. I know he isn't real, but I commend Hajime Isayama for creating such a complex character.
Eren created isayama created levi
Ikr
Yo I reality shifted and met him
He’s real just not in this reality :3
@@riphuda Tell me, how was live there?
I just want Levi to be happy.
EDIT: In the end, he lost everybody close to him. But at least he gets to live a normal life without Titans.
Same
I don’t
@@potorgriifen6310 ??
just let him have his goddamn tea shop
I just want him to be at peace. He needs a break.
Levi is a prime example of how nice≠good. Levi isn't really nice, but ultimately, he is good.
yeah, and you can also support that idea with Reiner, he was one of the nicest characters, but he ended up being one of the enemies (well there's actually a whole theory about him having multiple personalities, and that he was feeling like an actual soldier when he was there with the other soldiers, but then he started having his warrior personality again, who knows, he's such a complex character)
hmmm he is kind of nice tho- just not affectionate
Yeah true, and also sometimes the world will force us to act in a ways that can make us seem like very cruel and cold to people on the outside when that truly isn't our meaning. It is just what the situation demands from us. That can be seen when the Survey Corps are retreating from the expedition of Forest of Giant Trees in season one ( was it 39th expedition? ) and he orders to leave the corpses of the fallen behind and then one of the new recruits proceeds to question if Levi has any humanity at all when he did everything he did out of necessity.
And later we can see how the recruits trying to get the corpses of their friends back bites everyone (and himself too) in the ass even worse. Levi knew it would happen because of his experience and that's why he knew it was a necessity to leave them behind. It's all about choosing the option with least casualties. In war and in tough situations you can't let your emotions get ahead of your decision making and both Levi and Erwin know this and are prime examples of acting on this principle.
@@lamichael8659 lol hes as much nice as a piece of wood. He is a genuinely good dude tho just not sociable and nice.
@@beyzaercan3077If you really think about it, he is a actually kind of a nice dude. It’s hard to explain considering his word choice is definitely not how a ‘nice’ person talks. But he has really only ever been rude a handful of times towards the MPs, and some others. Besides that the way he talks isn’t exactly rude, but isn’t exactly nice. More of neutral. He just uses a lot of petty name calling, and cussing.
But his name calling towards his team mates etc is him showing he cares. Not out of being rude. His cussing is just his character.
His words hold a lot of caring, and emotions. He just isn’t familiar with how to use nice words because of where he’s from.
He cares a lot about everyone, and shows him he cares in the way he’s familiar.
It’s hard to be a nice person when you were never taught how to be nice
I never understood why people said Levi was cold-hearted and antisocial. He cares A LOT and we can see it all the time, he's just not extremely expressive about it. He only says what's needed and he's blunt about it without sugar-coating anything. That's not cold or antisocial, he's just a very pragmatic person and has his priorities and values straight.
Exactly. It seems like people find it hard to reconcile the fact that someone who is tough because it’s necessary for his line of work can be kind and empathetic at the same time without much trouble.
I thought he was when I first watched. Now after watching reaction videos, I see him as very caring. He has a really good heart. I think his blunt demeanor is off-putting at first. Once you get past that, you begin to see how much he cares for everyone.
Yeah! I mean, the very first episode he has real screen time in introduces him as a germaphobic neat freak, but afterwards he grasps the dirty, bloody hand of his dying comrade without hesitation just so he can comfort him in his final moments. If people missed the entire purpose of that scene, I dunno what to tell them lol :/
@@user-jq4rj3hs2f These were my thoughts exactly. I was told before watching Aot that Levi is so cold. Then this was one of his first scenes and I was like are you all dumb or something?
The possible answer is Trope baggage. The dark, brooding and cold archetype has been done so many times before that people's first impression of Levi have them assume he falls into that category, but to those who stick around long enough, it surely ain't his whole personality. He's quite caring. U can see by how he doesn't spare a word of advice and/or comfort when someone he knows is struggling emotionally when he could keep it to himself. A typical edgy character would even go as far as be openly insensitive to it. Not that Levi isn't guilty of the "tch, so annoying" attitude, but he never directs it at people's core suffering. Paraphrasing Isayama's words, Levi is a sympathetic type.
This is pretty much the reason why I love Levi. Aside from his looks, he really suffered a lot. He lost his mom, his uncle suddenly left him, and he lost his only friends that came with him from The Underground. Like you mentioned, when you go somewhere that celebrates a completely different culture from you, you tend to feel outcastes, and Levi was the only one that survived from the three. Another thing is that Levi has to constantly watch his comrades get eaten in brutal ways by the Titans. But beneath that cold mask, Levi deeply cares for his comrades and cherishes humanity.
To add (very late) to your point of being treated like an outsider, their trio was already being judged as "filthy" for being where they were from. At least then, they had each other and could have chosen to laugh it off or whatever. Without them, he had to also go through all the prejudices of being from a lower class on his own, surrounded by many soldiers who didn't want him there
Great video, but 4:16, that was not Levi's father. That was his Uncle. Levi's dad is unknown since his mother was a prostitute, and the father was one of her many customers.
levi probably didn't know any better tho he thought he was his father until kenny was near his death bed and thats when he comfirmed he was just his uncle.
I think it’s bcs Kenny is the only father figure that he ever had
Maybe she translated it wrong
Kenny Ackerman to be precise
yeah
"He only has Erwin" well.. not anymore... he had Hange after but... he's humanity most lonely
!! SEASON 4 SPOILER ALERT !!
Well Hanji died-
@@mightychondria666 that's what the "but" meant 💀💀
@@mightychondria666 you didn’t have to spoil holy shit
@@mightychondria666 maybe put a spoiler warning next time man...
Well I was high on gay while typing this so I didn’t remember
“Is he really that cold?” THANK YOU. I really appreciate your vids and thanks for doing one on Levi. I love that he is a very complex character. His trauma is a crucible for making him cold and hard-hearted that he could have become a Criminal Minds episode. But instead, he’s Levi.
When I saw his introduction that had him grasp the bloody hand of a dying comrade/regular squad soldier and comfort him until his death, and me learning later that he has OCD cleaning tendencies showed me there was more behind him than his small shadow.
He is also depicted as someone who finds it difficult to sleep, falls asleep wherever he is and exhausts himself to do so, and worries about those he is in charge of.
With what he endured and still endures, this goes to show he is still very restless and coupled other behaviours, it shows that he cares a lot for the people around him. It’s not a healthy habit to be restless but I appreciate it as a deep subtle visual indicator of his damage.
Him telling Eren “You make the choice you regret the least” has been my motto I adopted for the past several years. Levi could have been thwarted in his leadership confidence more so being so filled with regret - but instead he tells Eren this - that shows me he is someone of very high emotional intelligence / maturity.
I appreciate that you talked about PTSD. It reminds me too of Erwin... how Erwin when talking to Levi showed that he had no simple goals... like goals at getting married and having a family “after the war is over” - that it’s like they think they don’t deserve joy and peace.
Good luck in your Masters program! I wish you get many more subs!
Levi is actually one of the only characters I really wanted to see survive this series (cause AoT tends to kill everyone), just so he could have a peaceful life( I don't know like marrying Hange and getting old ), but now I realise that his hell would continue in some way... Still hopes he survives! But him dying will clearly set him free.
Edit: WARNING BIG SPOILERS FOR AOT CHAP. 139
SECOND WARNING - SERIOUSLY BIG SPOILERS
Well this is it guys, I just finished the last chapter of AoT and our boy is alive and chilling in a wheelchair with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon. Even though the scene with the scouts crushed me, I gotta say I felt immense relief when I knew that he was safe and would now get to live a life of peace, and its Levi, even in his state he mightve been able to open his tea shop! Even without hange there to support him... now I can only imagine that the demons of his tragic life slowly faded away and that in the end, life set him free... yes, id like to imagine that. No regrets.
What do you mean by his hell will continue?
Isayama said that Levis dream is to open a tea shop 🥺
@@noorafaloul2335 people carry hell within them, it's called trauma and emotional damage and it doesn't really go away
@@airinjeri just like Uncle Iroh
@@angelasinger2953 Iroh and Levi are my favorites
Levi is undoubtedly an empath, definitely suffering from the hedgehog’s dilemma.
Levi earned my utmost respect in a weird way
*He wants to open a tea shop like uncle iroh did*
I love your comment so much 😭
Levi would be so happy if he knew how many people love him
That reminds me of when some civilian in the Paradis crowd catcalled him and Hange responded with: "They wouldn't adore you if they knew how fussy you are." 😂
It's something I've always wondered; what will Levi do once the fighting is done?
jeramahia123 sorry I’m a year late but Isayama said Levi wanted to own a tea shop
Alexia G yeah, But with the things are, Highly doubt Levi might not open his tea shop
Open a tea shop?
I just hope he doesn't want to kill himself.
he'll be a janitor
6:45 ''losing your father figure'' would be more accurate here as Kenny was not his father biologically. But yea uprobably know this
its his uncle
The thing about being sensitive to others and caring and feeling their emotions, puts heavy weight on us, and that's why you'll see some people turn cold, or take time alone to release the weight. But most people don't understand and it's tiring thing.
Now I know why I am different.
I think it would be really interesting if you did a physiological analysis on Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul.
i think there us already a video about Kaneki's psychology ... and he is a great character too
i enjoy more levi's psychology analisis though because levi is harder to understand and he is more often to be misunderstood by people who are not his fans.
Oh I love Tokyo Ghoul (even if the second season was far worse than the first in my opinion)! I definitely will do a video on him at some point in the near future :)
but can you please do it on the manga because his charcter is so much deeper and better writing than the anime
Psychologist watches
Ikr
Yesss
God damn that was a good video.
Oh god, this made me cry.
Could you also do this kind of video of L from Death Note, please!
@@ryokoshun227 no
@@abdirahmanhilowle1704 im ded
L is an Intelligent fucker, he does not suppress emotions like Levi. he (L) doesn’t KNOW how to obtain emotions, he’s TOO logical and the only times you’d find him doing “human” things/emotions is when he mimics people...something like...”should I be sad now or should I laugh? What would a normal person do?”
I personally don’t think L is as emotional as Levi, Levi is extremely emotional but incredibly strong and hides it well, L on the other hand is bland, he (L)surely had a somewhat bad childhood but I don’t think he actually gives a fuck or finds any problem in his childhood thats just the way he is whether he had a good childhood or a terrible one I think he would have always been the same, whilst Levi’s childhood and life in general has a huge impact on his personality and character and there’s a huge chance that he would’ve been different if he had grown up under different circumstances.
....
Idk why I just compared the two you didn’t ask for that but oh well
If Levi survives everything and commits suicide, I'll understand, but I think I'll actually cry.
And u analyze hanji next, I think she's a pretty interesting character its stated that she used to absolutely hate titans but now shes like obsessed with them
I had done research on Levi as well. I come to a conclusion that Levi as OCPD instead of OCD. Levi is controlling but he's not an anxious individual. He can ignore the dirt and blood when needed.
Everyone pointing out that kenny is not levis father ... she knows now 😂
can you do itachi , and how him living as criminal who killed his own clan and parents and use to live that life , I think he one of most characters that need to be explored psychology
ITACHI. only hearing the name makes me cry. I might do a video on him.
I think you are a fans of Naruto
Levi is a good model to remember when you start thinking how your life is hard.
There's a part of me that wants to be like Levi, that's why he's my favorite character. Strong in every aspect, but his life is much much sadder than mines and I dont think I can bear it as good as him.
"humanity's most traumatized" lol, this is both funny and so sad
this is awesome! i do not know for rest of you, but first time i saw Levi i know something was wrong with his past and i search on yt for more about him. He is my favorite anime character.
Same, he's my favorite anime character. Crazy that you, Levi Ackerman, are your own favorite anime character.
Now the real question is.... does Levi need a hug? I feel like he needs a hug. lol
I feel so bad for levi, he has a more traumatic past than mikasa and eren combined. He's definitely an INTJ because i'm one and my mom is one too, I know our behavior pretty well and levi's definitely matches it.
was his trauma really worse than eren and mikasa tho? and combined too? seems debatable
@SAMURAI L oh so because a girl likes a fictional character that just happens to have a big fanbase and is attractive that makes them a dumb fangirl I see ok emo 17 yr old byeeee
Nigga shut the fuck up lmao
@@io-rj6sk well to be honest it's down to opinion. At least Eren and Mikasa were loved and cared for. Levi wasn't. :/
@@io-rj6sk But it is debatable.
Just a small correction, but Kenny (the man who abandoned Levi) was actually his uncle, not his father. Levi’s father was never known. But amazing job on the video
Kenny abandoned Levi?
I though he brought him up, and his father left him...
@@captainmattypat2646 Kenny took him in, taught him how to survive and then left him when he believed Levi is already alright. He revealed later on that he believed he isn't the kind of a father type for Levi.
@@johairramedillo9062 Does anyone know who the father was or not?
captain MattyPat26 it mentioned that Levi father us one of the customer of his mother.
Absolutely amazing video! Levi being my favorite character in the series, I really enjoyed this :3 I just want to give him a hug.
Kenny is not his father but his uncle.
The only choice we have is to not regret the choices we have made - Levi Ackermann
All I want is to give him a hug and tell him that everything will be okay and that there’s so much for him to live for
I'd love for you to do one for Erwin Smith too. He's one of my favorite characters just like Levi
Amazing video 🙌🏻💗
I was diagnosed with ptsd. Most of if comes from when I lived with my bio parents.
I just realized how much me and Levi are alike tho we may not have gone through the same things.
I always thought he was short because he lived in the Underground where he was malnourished, which stunts height :(
4:15 That's Kenny Ackerman, his uncle. Levi's father was never introduced.
Maybe she meant that for him it felt like a father, so losing the father affected him as losing a father. Because at that time he saw him as one so it felt like one.
This is one of my favourite videos! i subscribed recently as these types of videos give more insight in our favourite characters, and when I found out you were doing Levi I was so excited because he is one of my favourite characters! I realy enjoy your videos and I am really curious about Erwin's character... Erwin Smith is a very intriguing character and I still don't get his persona but for some reason he is my favourite characte in attack on titan!
This was so good , it actually made me cry , yes he's in so much pain , he lost many , I just want him to be happy in the end
Thank you so much for doing this analysis, Levi's one of top 3 favorite anime characters, for me he was like a tsundere but now I can see how hard his life was, I knew his past but I've never considered the fact of going out of the underground, because we're used to live like that and the simpliest thing is to think that being outside like us was something better but instead it was something hard and he was even more lonely T____T
It think Erwin was like a father for him, reinforcing his values and teaching him a new lifestyle and giving him a reason to live and protect others using his overwhelming power.
I think another reason of his cold attitude is that it's how he protects himself from suffering, he's used to lost the people he loves and if he gives in to the pain then (after all he's lived) he won't be able to recover ever, besides considering that he's very attached to his duty as soldier he will see that as a weakness and bad example for others, he knows the authority he has and how the others see him as leader.
I knew he had the most beautiful heart when they were coming back from the forest after losing the female titan and a soldier was crying because he lost his friend's body and then Levi gaves him the badge of his friend telling him they'll be always with us T_____T I swear he melted my heart
I'd have loved to see him having a peaceful life with Hange... I really pray with all my heart the anime changes those fates.
As far as AoT is concerned, most of the other characters have gone through similar, ridiculous, amounts of trauma. Levi seems to be the one that still acts the most sane in season 4.
This almost made me cry D: POOR LEVI
Looove your analysis ❤❤ i think it's the best analysis of Levi's character yet. Isayama even said that he's the most emotional character in AOT even though he seems cold most of the time.
I knew from the moment I saw Levi he was so much more, I just couldn't put my finger on it at the time, thank you so much for explaining this!
Levi: A well written, well rounded, and accurately depicted character of trauma
Me: *SHORT BOIIII, SHORT KIIIIINNNNG!*
I love your analysis but at 4:15 you said that that was his father but it was his uncle, Kenny Ackerman.
OMG I thought its his father all the time -_-
Levi's mother was a prostitute so its very likely Levi doesn't know who his father is. Which makes things even sadder.
I think his uncle serves as Levi's father figure all his life.
K K then the fact that Levi tried to kill Kenny which he thought that was his father is pretty sad..
@@mejjem I get what you're saying but his uncle already told Levi so it's kinda wrong to say "his father" since the title even states "spoiler".
This was an amazing video! I really relate to Levi in many ways, I'm thinking of pursuing Psychology in University. I learnt something today. Thank you! Oh and Congratulations on your Master's Program, I have a feeling you'll be extremely good at it.
I feel slightly exposed. When you mentioned how empathetic people are and the reason for this, being they have experienced intense pain, really got to me. I didn't realise why or how I was so empathetic and now that I realised it really...ha...
wow. this was super interesting! thank you for the vid!
One of the most interesting things about Levi is, although he may have suicidal tendencies, as an Ackermann, he literally cannot allow himself to die.
It’s crazy how I wanted to see a video of an analysis of any character on AOT, and I ended up seeing this on my recommendations! I love it!
and this is why I love Levi
... like.. yeah.. just because of his psychology and personality. He's our poor baby boy who deserves all the happiness in the world ❤️
great video of levi
great analysis
thank you
I guess in the end, I’m like him...suffered from PTSD (better now because of EMDR), now is cold and rather antisocial. Believe me, I know what pain is, Levi, and I understand you completely. *hugs Levi gently*
*Talks about Levi's height*
LIKE
gURL, i am criying so loud. It's the best analysis that i have seen from Levi. Thank you so much.
Love from Chile, southamerica.
Pd: Sorry for bad English xD
thank u for the love
I haven't seen/read every anime/manga featuring Levi so he might have some characteristics I'm not aware of but based on what I know about this character, I don't think he has OCD.
He doesn't seem to have intrusive thoughts about cleaning. He's shown inspecting a room he's never been in before and cleaning the Survey Corps former HQ that nobody's occupied for a while, which sounds rather normal to me. While he's disgusted by it, he doesn't seem particularly anxious when he's in contact with dirt, as he's repeatedly shown touching furnitures to check if there's dust or filthy stuff on it and it doesn't seem to bother him. He doesn't like being touched, which is perfectly fine, not everybody feels comfortable being physically close to someone else. Nothing in his behavior indicates he has rituals (though not everyone with OCD has rituals anyway). I can only think about the unusual way he holds his cup of tea but he sometimes holds it the "normal" way so I guess it's just a habit. It's said when he was younger he broke the handle of a cup he bought and the tea spilled everywhere but Idk if it's canon.
I don't even think OCPD would fit but we don't have enough info to conclude.
Like you said, I think it would be most likely for him to have PTSD. "He's been through a lot" sounds like an understatement. Born in the misery of The Underground, in a brothel, his mother who was his only caregiver died in front of him when he was a child, leaving him slowly dying from starvation because he was absolutely alone up until his uncle, a serial killer, took him under his wing and raised him in the middle of violence and illegal activities, only to abandon him probably when he was a teenager. He then joined the most hazardous branch of the military and regularly participates in combats that can very well lead to his death and sees his friends and colleagues being killed, eaten alive and having their body literally torn apart (fertile ground for survivor guilt). Pick a trauma. He suffers from a sleep disorder, namely insomnia. He sleeps an average of 2 to 3 hours per night. He has nightmares regularly that can act as trauma reliving. He doesn't express his emotions, looks even-tempered, usually speaks in monotone but uncharacteristically shouts at Kenny when they meet again. He seems especially bad at showing affection as he's usually rude, sometimes straight out insulting, even with the people he cares about. He can be agressive and resort to violence since torturing people seems like no problem to him when he deems it necessary. He's not shown experiencing positive emotions and it looks like nothing interests him apart from tea. His job kind of is all he has but it can just be that we're not shown the more casual side of him. While he seems to have basic trust in his colleagues, I think there are few people he deeply trusts, such as Erwin, as it looks like he does a lot of things on his own, though I guess that's debatable. His need for cleanliness can be a mean to avoid being reminded of his traumatic unsanitary life in The Underground city. Finally, despite his desire for a rather calm life as a tea shop owner, he constantly engages in self-destructive activities: he was a thug during his youth then joined the military division that has the highest death rate by far.
Alternatively, he doesn't have any disorder and is just a cold, work focused introvert with poor social skills who likes being clean, which is understandable. His sleeping disturbances are caused by his bad habits. He has no bedtime ritual as he sleeps in his daytime clothes and doesn't even bother to go to bed. He also probably drinks a lot of tea that contains caffeine which is a stimulant and sometimes works at night which alters the internal clock. He can have a lot of nightmares unrelated to his traumatic life. His lack of sleep can explain his outbursts. He doesn't look anxious to me but of course, he can just be good at hiding his anxiety.
We don't have a lot of info and insight on his thought process so it's hard to make a diagnosis and psychology isn't an exact science in the first place. Due to his sleeping problems mainly, I'd go with PTSD rather than OCD, not that there's any evidence to seriously back it up. However if he does have OCD, I believe it isn't a severe form of it as he seems high-functioning to me.
4:16 kenny isn’t levi’s father, he is levi’s uncle
"Everybody has their shit together." I wasn't expecting her to say that, it made me laugh
love it soooooo much
psychology and Levi are complicated but you explained it in a gentle way
ya I think the biggest reason why I like Levi is because I'm the type that wants to cheer people up, and no better vessel for that than a character who has faced one tragedy after another
"stay away from the social cases girls" ....
Kenny is not Levi's father .
He is Levi's uncle lol
This is seriously amazing! I really like this character and your video helped me to understand him even better. Can you please analyse and explain Erwin Smith's character too?? He is an extremely skilled commander. I want to understand why his personality is so strong and determined. Wishing you all the best. Thank you.
Hope that levi won't commit suicide in the season 4-
Levi survived and that's all that matters! ✨
Paraphrasing here.
"Erwin keeps him grounded."
*reads the manga* Well... shit.
All in all though, I really loved this read into Levi. It's so weird too bc like Levi, I have the need to control things by cleaning. Hearing that part about him, I started to nervously cringe.
Your analysis is the best on youtube. Intelligent, deep and answered the questions i came with looking for this video :) though I mostly agree with it, I still think the grade of aggressiveness as well as the use of swear words by Levi also shouldnt be forgiv... sorry, forgotten;) because no matter what its not the part of his ‘positive’ side, and seeing his dark side is also important. Thank you, Im very pleased with the video and analysis!
But you forget something , in the anime , ackerman's people have a kind of psychological super power , like they always know what to do with out fear or uncertainty
That last comment about managing unhealthy helper syndrome by projecting it onto a fictional character rather than someone real is a great point! Thank you
YEAAAAA BOOOOOOOOOOIIIIII IT'S HERE!!!!!!
There are people who are attracted to Levi. Actually not even Levi, but many other anime characters. Can you give a short psychological analysis about people like them? Asking for a friend😅
levi probably didnt wanna touch the bloody hand but he did anyway. but he does not want to die. he wants to live on for his comrades and to open a tea shop.
Me, who's always commenting on sending him to therapy because it'd be unrealistic to want to romance him as it is...... * cough * He needs a hug, or an affectionate nudge, and some tea.
As a psych major and a fan of anime, this channel helps me learn more about my field, and have fun while learning. ♥️
Very insightful analysis! I think many of these are of course exploratory. Eg. I dont think Levi has the napolean complex but that's an interesting idea. I also think that while he endures a lot of pain, he probably doesnt have any sort of medical disorder, but definitely has symptoms of some of them. He just comes off as a person who is mentally very strong.
*There's a lot wrong with this video:* He doesn't have OCD, he lived in a dirty place for so long he simply does not like messes, he won't go out of his way to not touch substances such as blood which we see when he shakes the bloody hand of a dying soldier without hesitation. Kenny wasn't his father, he was his uncle. This is the person he most likely got his "cold" attitude from. He does have fear, he just doesn't show it although he's not afraid to die. He has much to lose, his squad, Erwin (rip) and his fellow soldiers he cares so much for. One of the things this video did get right is he's definitely broken.
This analysis makes me love, appreciate, and respect him even more
Out of all the characters in AOT, Levi is the one whom I resonate with the most. In simple terms, I understand him very deeply.
great analysis dear ,good job
and that's make me feel really bad and sad
By far one of the best videos on AOT
10:30 watching this in 2021 is heartbreaking
I always believed that Levi acts really cold is because he was conditioned to when he lived in the underground city
yet he's still hangin on untill the end. he's soooo strong, physically and mentally damn
This is such an awesome concept for a series! I'd love to see you cover more characters from this story!
Never knew I needed this. Yesss, thank you.
Now I know why i'm attracted to Levi although he is just a fictional character. This explained it
I reeeaaaaalllllyyy hope you do a character analysis for Bakugou Katsuki from My Hero Academia. I think it would be very interesting!
Hey! I am back to the channel, and BNHA is definitely on my list so stay tuned ;)
Wow, this was excellent video!
for Levi I'm here..do people like Levi even born in real life?
I love this video and your analysis! And I love that jab you threw at 11:44 about saving and comforting fictional characters rather than real people 😂😂
Yo! this video was lit, actually learnt bits and scrapes in psychology
And his superiority is such a good thing
omg I love this content, have you ever thought about making another one for Erwin as well? I was struggle for weeks finding materials on his mental health
Hyyyype!!
Also, congratulations on your Master's program! Best wishes for you! > v
Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed analysis and for being so professional without any personal bias. This video was really helpful
2:34 I don't really think it is ocd, concidering the "triggers" were all definetly not before the symptoms(?). Example: one trigger was the death of his friends, but even before that he mastered the odm and was obsessed with cleaning. Another thing: he wasn't left by his father, it ws his uncle and even if: he was perfect at fighting way before that trigger. Second: having mastered fighting so well is not because of ocd but more because of his Ackermann blood, this is one of the reasons why he is such a good soldier. There was no other behavior that would fit into ocd. Obsessive cleaning could fit into basically anything.
There isn't even a trigger for ocd. Many children had their parents dead in one way or another, but the feeling of not being in control is not the first thing coming into one's mind there. All the counted triggers just don't make sense to me.
Part 2 (the cause of his cold behavior being trauma)
Since his childhood (so only his mother's death) he always has been a cold character, the part with "his father abandoning him" and "his friends dying" doesn't fit into that scheme: just as the suicidal tendency.
These are just some of my thougts, but still good video! I could imagine it was a little rushed and you had not much time to research and watch because of your master, so it's no big deal either
When you mentioned how migration causes Levi to be anti social, that reminds me of myself. I remember as a child I would move to different places and just struggled to belong and find my place. I felt social anxiety. Knowing Levi has a shared experience with me makes me respect him even more