#ackerpower

There's been a ALOT of debate about this over the years (x, x, x) but there's no conclusive proof one way or the other. Some readers are of the opinion that Levi's Ackerpowers awoke as a child when he killed the man just before Kenny left him, others think it was when Farlan and Isabel died. All Levi himself tells us is that at some stage in the past he felt a huge surge of strength.

For a long time I thought that Levi's power awoke when Farlan and Isabel died because his rage and fury is so out of this world and the visual novel tells us that at that moment:

Something in Levi exploded. Unbounded anger overtook him, painting his sight red, and whatever followed didn’t show any trace in his memory.

However given that Erwin is so captivated by Levi's power and skill the very first time he sees him flying through the underground, it's equally possible that his powers had already awoken at that stage.

Now, Mikasa saved Levi from straight out losing that same left leg.

(photo not mine. saw it on facebook)..

I’ve been seeing this a lot in my facebook timeline and I feel like this particular comparison doesn’t just sit right to me?? The from-to comparison makes Levi look like someone who outgrew pushing his comrades to death and becoming this person who values his comrades, when in reality, he’s always been the person who hates meaningless deaths, someone who greatly value his friends and fellow soldiers, and someone who carries the will of his comrades whenever he fights, even holding a bloody hand to show how he genuinely believes that their deaths are not in vain.

Season 1, Episode 25. Erwin’s question and Levi’s reply.

Season 1, Episode 9. Levi to his comrade (I’m sorry I forgot his name)

From season 1, he has been pushing his comrades to fight while reminding them to strive for their survival as well.

Season 1, Episode 24. Levi to Jean.

Season 3, Episode 14. Levi to his comrades. 

Season 4, Episode 7. Levi to his comrades.

Long story short, my points are:

The from-to comparison, for me, isn’t exactly (and contextually) accurate.

Levi has always been someone who looks out for his comrades, saving them whenever he can.  

“Give up on your dreams and die” is directed to Erwin when he was wavering between his dream and the circumstances that they are in. It was Levi making a decision for Erwin. It was Levi’s way of showing support to the commander, and his friend, to give up on his dream and die for the cause that they’re fighting for, while comforting him that he did fought good and led them well, and that Levi will kill the beast titan.

"But hey, they did the suicide charge after that so the lot of the survey corps still died... and well, gave up on their dreams.” — Levi hates meaningless deaths and their deaths are not meaningless. Levi slaughtered the titans surrounding the beast titan and made severe damages to the beast titan. Had not the cart titan arrived, he could’ve fulfilled his promise. All this was possible through that suicide charge.

Though, take this with a grain of salt, as I’m also going off of No Regrets for Levi. Specifically the anime, as there’s something said that isn’t said in the manga. - And I’m unsure how canon the anime is. I know Isayama supervised No Regrets and also added Isabel and Farlan to the Manga but ya know... 

So we have three Ackerman’s and three “Ackerbonds”. 

Mikasa and Eren. Levi and Erwin. Kenny and Uri.

We know Mikasa activated her Ackerpowers when her own and Eren’s life was in danger. - That’s the only Ackerpower awakening we’ve seen so far. 

And I believe her Ackerbonding with Eren happened AFTER than moment. Here’s why. 

Mikasa right after Eren says the following.

“Come on, let’s go back. To our home.”

I think it matters especially when you keep in mind that Mikasa just lost everything she had, she’s a kid that has nothing more than her parents. She quite literally even asks Grisha in which direction she needs to go to get home. 

Now Eren’s words give her the direction she needs in life again. 

I’m 100% sure that Levi awakened his Ackerpowers prior to meeting Erwin, or rather prior to Farlan and Isabel’s death. 

However, I’m also certain that this is the moment in which the Ackerbonding for Levi and Erwin happens. 

Erwin also has an important line here: 

“I expect you to come with me.”

Again, I’m certain this matters because... Well Levi lost everything he had as well. His mom died long ago, his other parental figure Kenny left him long ago, he was just a criminal trying to survive and maybe reach the surface eventually. Now he’s reached the surface but his close friends died right before his eyes. He’s lost. No where to go. No more direction.  But then Erwin comes along and gives him a clear direction. 

It is slightly different in the manga, but the gist of it is also Erwin giving Levi direction in life. 

Now Levi even has a line that gives all of this even a little more weight. 

“I don’t understand. I’ve never understood. Even if I believe in my own strength... Even if I believe in the decisions of my trusted friends... In the end... Nobody... but this man is gazing up at something I can’t see. Fine, I’ll follow you, Erwin Smith. I will never regret this decision, for as long as I live.”

Now we have Kenny after fearing for his life and Uri bowing down to him. 

There’s no clear line from Uri to trigger anything but I suppose here it’s more Uri’s idea of peace and actions. Plus Kenny finding interest in exactly this and thus, also finding a direction in life that’s not just living in hiding as Ackerman or Kenny the Ripper. 

Though the thing with Kenny and Uri is a bit more hazy than Mikasa or Levi... Kenny also followed Uri because Uri saw something Kenny couldn’t see. 

“What does it feel like? From their point of view, what do they actually see? Could trash like me, see the world the same way you saw it?”

But Kenny was still strong before that. There’s no real change in his strength or skill from what I can see. As he’s already been known around as Kenny the Ripper prior to bonding with Uri. 

Yeah so, my conclusion is... Eren’s speech about Ackerman’s being designed to protect and awakening their powers once they find someone to guard is bullshit. Ackerman’s aren’t slaves in the sense Eren would like them to be, but rather followers that look for direction. And maybe that is something that only formed after the Ackerman Clan turned back on the royal family and the whole clan lost their original purpose of the Royal Family’s Right Hand Men. 

I mean we’re still left in the dark regarding Levi’s and Kenny’s awakening, but their bonding process happened seperately. Mikasa just happened to have both happening in the same event and Eren being too dense to reflect on actual events. 

What you say is exactly what many of us feel. The justification that because she is royal she somehow owes the world an heir is a message that falls flat to me. Historia owes the walled world nothing. Certainly not her body. Certainly not the bodies of children. There’s a lot of cruelty in snk but I can think of nothing crueler than the scenario you present. Of course we don’t know yet if this pregnancy is forced, coerced, free will or a facade, but the waiting has left me uneasy. 

I saw something on Reddit, unrelated but also not, speculating that if Historia is being forced into a pregnancy, what’s to prevent Mikasa from the same fate?Historia’s genetic ability to help unleash the rumbling is a terrifying power but imagine what an army of Ackerman could do. 

Paradis is only now realizing what the rest of the world has long known. They have the last of the Ackerman clan. Already there is speculation that Hizaru’s interest in Mikasa could include not just national pride, but her extraordinary ability to kill.