Attack on Titan Chapter 84 Analysis

Hajime Isayama's Attack On Titan Chapter 84 Analysis

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Before the analysis, here is a summary (or at least what you need to know for this analysis) of Attack on Titan:

Please keep in mind that this summary only covers the first half of the manga, as the second half is extremely complicated.

In this world, humanity lives in a walled city, protecting them from titans, a terrorizing and mindless creature that feasts on humans. One day, the titans manage to break through the outermost wall, killing countless civilians, including Eren Yeager’s mother. Eren, traumatized by what he witnessed, pledges to kill the titan race. He, along with his closest friends, Mikasa and Armin, train to join the Survey Corps. The Survey Corps, a branch of the military, is responsible for the study of titans and the explorations outside the wall. The Survey Corps is led by Erwin Smith with his right-hand man Levi Ackerman.

To fully understand this analysis, I definitely recommend reading the manga to understand each character in depth. 

Chapter 84:                              

Return to Shiganshina Arc After a fatal battle against the titans and the Beast Titan, the Survey Corps was almost entirely wiped out, leaving only the main characters (plus Floch). To keep this short… the Beast titan killed everyone with rocks, Levi killed all the titans, Armin was minutes away from death, and Erwin iconically yelled at Sasageyo before almost dying. This leads to the current scene. Both Erwin and Armin are about to die, but there is one titan serum left. Although this titan serum will turn a human into a titan, they will still be able to transform between titan and human (it's slighly more complicated so this is just the general idea). Who will get the serum Erwin, one of the most respected commanders in the military, or Armin, Eren’s closest friend. 

Being the squad commander, Levi had the final choice. But at this moment, every character broke apart.

“Eren, look pass your own feelings,” Levi says. But Eren thrashed out, leading to Levi punching him. Mikasa immediately attacks Levi.

These panels perfectly showcase how Mikasa and Levi broke out of character. Both are known to be incredibly calm under pressure, but when the people closest to them are on the line, any reasoning is out the window.

  

The characters continue to fight over who would get the serum. Of course, Floch adds his opinion, but quite frankly, his opinions, although justifiable, aren't important to this plot. A few more punches are thrown, and Levi confirms that he will save Erwin. Eren is dragged away, seeing one last glimpse of his friend.

Little did Eren know, Levi chose Armin to save. But why? Why would Levi not save Erwin — the one who saved him from living a life of crime. I highly recommend reading Levi’s OVA No Regrets as it goes deeper into his background.

Flashback Although it seemed like Levi was going to choose Erwin, we are presented with multiple flashbacks. The first one is of Levi overhearing Armin’s ambitions of seeing the world beyond the sea. Next is Kenney’s, Levi’s uncle and only family member, last words. Finally, Levi remembers the words of Erwin. “Levi… Thank you,” Erwin said before he went off fighting for one last time.

This chapter displays such a deep aspect of Levi’s character. People usually describe Levi as cold and emotionless. However, this chapter changes the perspective on Levi’s emotions. The flashback shows the dark and heartbreaking thoughts that led to Levi’s decision. Although reasoning may have played a part, Levi ultimately used emotions to save one person. 

“We must let him rest now,” Levi says, staring at Erwin’s lifeless body.

My thoughts 

Although I have never cried over a book, I definitely came close when reading this scene. It was incredibly intense, and Isayama did an amazing job portraying the tension between each character. It was heartbreaking to see Armin and Erwin dying, but even more so to see everyone fighting over who would survive. Chapter 84 added another depth to each character that was involved. Each character had their emotions and reasons; Each character broke out of their character. This chapter keeps me awake, knowing that Levi’s decision would ultimately change the course of the story.

- Sarisa