Recently I realized that Erwin and Levi are literally the image of yin and yang symbol because of both their appearances and personalities. And I decided to write a post with all the details I’ve noticed related to this yin and yang thing.
Yin and yang is a concept of dualism in ancient Chinese philosophy, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.
When yin person finds their yang person they become bonded to each other and find full balance in this relationship, which fulfills their potential to the fullest. Levi’s and Erwin’s lives changed completely after meeting each other:
Levi gave Erwin his strength and it helped him to change the image of the Survey Corps the majority of people had in their minds. With Levi by Erwin’s side, people finally started to think there might be a chance that one day the humanity will win in this war against the titans.
Erwin gave Levi freedom and meaning of life after he had lost Farlan and Isabel. Also, Erwin became the source of power for Levi, which made him Humanity’s Strongest soldier.
Yin people are quiet in social situations and don’t like conflicts;
They enjoy solitude and a quiet, peaceful environment;
Are melancholic or phlegmatic (I believe, Levi is phlegmatic);
Yin mindset is more intuitive, emotive, and holistic;
They are very caring and enjoy creating a home (nest) for themselves and their partner (Levi cleans Erwin’s office and prepares tea for him);
Self-confidence and personal authority are attractive to yin people;
Regularly creating time for calm and peaceful activities is important for them (Levi likes cleaning and drinking tea);
The moon archetype strongly resonates with yin people;
Need to be led by someone (Ackerbond).
Yang people have a strong creative streak that demands expression (Erwin is very creative when it comes to writing love letters);
Have heightened energy, vitality, and are more restless;
Are choleric or sanguine (I believe, Erwin is sanguine);
Yang mindset is more logical, serious, organized, and rational;
Mental stimulation, adventure, and achievement are key needs to be met;
Comfortable in making decisions with ease, speed, and confidence;
They appreciate the talents and gifts in other people;
The sun archetype strongly resonates with yang people.
➤ the upper world / the underworld
➤ the beloved parent they lost: father / mother
Father / mother parallel is mentioned here because yang represents masculinity or man side, and yin represents feminity or woman side.
➤ blond-haired and tall / black-haired and short
Erwin is the Sun (chapter 84 “The Midnight Sun”);
Levi is the Moon (his character song “The Dark Side of the Moon”).
➤ the white and black horses
Interestingly, the majority of soldiers’ horses are light / dark brown, and few characters have white (Erwin, Petra, Isabel, Christa) and black horses (I noticed only Levi having a black horse, but I may be wrong).
➤ the red and blue symbolism
Shadowgale96 wrote about this here and here.
➤ they represent the Wings of Freedom
Erwin is wisdom (white wing / white bird)
Levi is strength (dark blue wing / black bird)
Also, it’s symbolic that black and white birds were replaced with ravens when Erwin died. It’s like they both died at that moment: Erwin died for real and Levi died from the inside.
➤ the light / darkness parallel
This scene from episode 49 is especially good for showing the light / darkness parallel. The room is perfectly divided into two different parts each of them correlated to an appropriate character.
When the balance is upset:
When yin person lost their yang partner they experience oversleeping, slow thinking, sluggishness, compulsive behavior, lack of motivation, and apathy.
Oversleeping: after Erwin’s death Levi feels tiredness and emptiness. Also, there’s a chance he finally slept in a bed for hours because Isayama-san mentioned his “bed hair” during the Oita Autograph Session;
Slow thinking, sluggishness and compulsive behavior: Levi got hit by Thunderspear explosion in chapter 115;
Lack of motivation and apathy: Levi’s overall condition after chapter 84.
When there’s no yin person nearby, yang people experience an inability to relax.
Inability to relax: Erwin is more relaxed when he has Levi by his side. Also, he shows his calm and soft smile to Levi only.
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