via ⋆˚࿔

ever since he was born levi never lived for himself. every day was a constant battle to stay alive, living in a perpetual state of viligance and paranoia. and yet, despite everything, he is still the most empathetic character. he still finds beauty and a reason to move forward in a world that has been nothing but cruel to him. if anybody deserves this peaceful aftermath, it’s him.

mikasa, in particular: despite the unfavourable cards she had been dealt with ever since birth, despite her constant losses and setbacks and struggles, in the end she was still able to make the selfless decision. she was still able to sacrifice the one person she swore to protect for the sake of humanity. and in doing so, she was able to find freedom — not out in the world, but within herself. eren was a slave to freedom, and yet mikasa found freedom in letting go. in choosing love, despite everything.

and this outlook contrasts levi a lot, who is incredibly grounded in what is tangible. it goes as far back as his childhood, in which all he was thinking about was the short term outcomes: what he could do to survive for just one more day, what he could do to acquire just one more meal, one more penny, etc. so they stabilise one another. erwin brought levi above ground, gave him his wings, and in return, levi gave erwin weight, gave him somewhere to return to, made sure he didn't stray too far away from levi's protection.