Chapter 72 Ramblings

Chapter 72 ramblings

It’s striking how far away Levi sits from everyone here. The rest are all gathered ‘round the table, but not Levi. He sits alone at the far back, observing, listening.

He knows where this conversation is going. When Hange turns to Erwin to ask what could possibly be in the basement, the entire next page is a series of closeups of Erwin and Levi. Levi has the look of a man who knows the inevitable approaches. And what comes next is this: 

Erwin declares that retaking Maria will commence in two days. They will find out for themselves what secrets lie in the basement. Everyone is fired up, smiling. They rise and depart, talking amongst themselves – all except Levi, whose head hangs low. I never noticed before that he doesn’t participate at all in the roundtable discussion. He doesn’t say a single thing.  The first words he speaks are to Erwin alone after he’s shut the door. What follows is what he’s been thinking about while sitting in that chair.

Levi’s not interested in the basement, nor its contents. “This may be jumping the gun” he says. It is. Levi wants to know what happens if Erwin never makes it out of the basement, or even to the basement. His sole concern is Erwin. Not anyone else, not the soldiers, not Hange, not even himself. “I’m asking because I don’t know if you’ll make it that far” he says and his face is pained, the shadows under his eyes accentuated. 

 You might even say that he’s being kind of a dick, what with saying Erwin’s crippled and is likely to end up as titan bait. And Erwin even forlornly clutches his hollow sleeve like a teenage girl whose insecurities are made visible and thrown in her face. But then, in the lower third panels, this scene becomes something else. Levi’s coldness takes on a new shape, and becomes the cheesy equivalent of tearfully throwing stones at your dog to stop him from following you into danger. Levi frames his request to leave Erwin behind as not wanting a liability on the field.

He’ll tell the others he didn’t want Erwin on the field because of his missing arm (implying that it is only a cover – he is not actually a dick, after all. Not to Erwin anyway). Hell, Levi will bitch at Erwin in earnest until he gives in. He does bitch.  Erwin dies and everything is over, he argues. Erwin’s brain is what they need, not his fighting.  And finally, that staying behind is the best choice for humanity. 

Erwin does not agree and begins to give his reasons in his usual silvertongue manner, but is quickly interrupted by Levi who let’s him know that’s all bullshit and they both know it, and he better drop it before Levi breaks his legs. And Erwin laughs, gives up the charade and reaches for honesty: Erwin must see the truth with his own eyes when it is revealed. This, he says, is more important than humanity, more important than his life.

And what can Levi say to that? Erwin will not be swayed. Look at Levi on the next panel. Isayama has chosen to frame him from above, making him look even smaller. He can’t even look at Erwin anymore. He’s looking down, his hands hanging at his sides. Levi looks utterly defeated. 

He slams the door on his way out, and goes off to drink alone in the dark (look at that beer mug!!), where he overhears the trio’s dreams for the future, probably thinking of his own, and Erwin’s, and I imagine the people he’s lost and is sure to lose again.

tl;dr: Everyone’s talking about the mission and the basement and all Levi wants is to protect Erwin. My wittle bb ;___;