“The people who are capable of changing things are the ones who can throw away everything dear
to them. When forced to face down monsters, they can leave behind even their humanity."
Attack on Titan is a story of many themes and elements, one of which,
is how the series views humanity. When focusing on the military and its soldiers in particular,
becoming one, and becoming a survey corps soldier is essentially a death wish,
as its fatality rate speaks for itself. These are positions and roles that essentially ask
their members to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, a sort of utilitarian approach,
which will in turn help save mankind. And Commander Erwin Smith himself, is often at
the helm of these sacrificial decisions, earning him the title of devil, or demon.
Erwin Smith’s character in all aspects reflects his title as commander.
his strong features, his imposing frame, standing at 6 foot two, accompanied by those piercing eyes.
Even his voice in the anime, all of these radiate power and confidence. Past his appearance though,
He possesses all the qualities a leader should have. He’s decisive, brave, and intelligent. He
has an eye for talent, as he sought out the abilities of Hange, Armin, and Levi. Erwin
understands his weaknesses and has surrounded himself with individuals who can make up for them.
the commander is a solid fighter and a great strategist. But I think Erwin’s greatest attribute
is his charisma. People gravitate towards him because he has the ability to inspire and to
capture their hearts. He understands what drives others, and appeal to their emotion.
Only Erwin can lead soldiers to their deaths by capitalizing on their fears, and their dreams.
Leadership at its finest. ,
As this series has proven with Zackley, and other high-ranking officials in the military, the people
who lead only care for themselves. Other than Pyxis, Erwin seems different than the rest. He
cares about the lives of his soldiers. It’s how he became commander in the first place. Erwin Smith
isn’t average, and he isn’t selfish. A selfish man couldn’t deem himself as replaceable. A
selfish man couldn’t capture the heart of a rebel and turn him into humanity’s strongest soldier.
But as the series introduces his backstory, we see where Erwin’s true motivation is born.
The commander’s father had a theory. This theory was that the king had altered humanity’s memories
when they entered the walls so that he could control them better. Erwin’s naive self then
spoke about this possibility to his classmates, and soon after his father mysteriously died.
From the moment his father imparted that knowledge into him, and was killed because of his own
curiosity, Erwin has made it his duty to seek the truth of their world. As he says to Levi,
finding the truth about this world was important to him than humanity’s victory.
Erwin specifically says that there are times where he wanted to choose death,
and give up on the world, but that dream that he shared with his father is what kept him going.
And that wording, in particular, the dream that he shared with his father is what's important here.
Family is often the driving force of many characters in this story,
and when these family members are no longer with them, these bonds become even stronger. It was the
longing for Historia’s sister, Frieda, that almost made her eat Eren. Eren’s mother being eaten
before his eyes, drove him. Connie and his mother, and so on and so forth. Erwin is no different. If
this dream is the one thing that connected him to his father, and he was instrumental
in his father’s death. It’s only human for the commander to have this tangible dream,
this reminder of what he’d done, as a result of his guilt. So avenging his father, and redeeming
himself, drove him. This was his father’s goal and he owes it to him to see it fulfilled.
But in that quest, Erwin leaves his humanity behind, becoming a demon, for himself and for his
father. As he sends countless soldiers, countless comrades to their deaths, for his own dream.
So, that internal motivation is the backing behind every action, and gamble that Erwin takes. Saving
Eren, allowing him to join the survey corps even if he was a spy, or even if he lost control,
because he might be the key to getting to that basement. To getting to the truth.
Overthrowing the monarch, sacrificing his own arm,
Erwin has even put aside love, and his own personal happiness to seek the truth,
as he gave up on his future with Marie to pursue his dream. Erwin will stop at absolutely nothing
for that knowledge. So he isn’t called the devil, or the demon for nothing.
As Attack on Titan looks at humanity, it is fixed on the idea of human
nature. This story questions whether humans are inherently selfish or not, especially when
faced with death. Can a person truly sacrifice themselves, and their interests, their dreams,
for something that is greater than themselves? As the military always says, dedicate your heart.
With that, is Erwin Smith selfish? or do his final actions make him selfless?
As he gets closer to his dream, Erwin contemplates that question.
We see how he became commander, how his dream brought him to the top of the command.
Saving his allies is how he got to the top, but it isn’t how he stayed alive.
As they begin the retaking of Wall Maria, Erwin has this inner conflict.
He finally confronts this immense guilt that he carries. What was once confidence, and unflinching
dedication to himself, has become uncertainty, and it comes when his dream isn’t a dream anymore,
it’s a reality and it’s so close to him. It’s within arms length. But still that inner turmoil
festers. The commander thinks back to all of the people he’s lead to their deaths, how
many people he’s told to dedicate their lives to humanity, and how they are all his responsibility.
And that panel of Erwin standing atop all of these bodies, alone, is so telling.
It highlights the blood on his hands, the sacrifices. Erwin isn’t heartless. He’s
felt the loss of every single member. And each of their lives are his responsibility, no one else’s.
That’s the solitude. He’s not up there with Levi, or Pyxis. Erwin alone has had to climb a ladder of
corpses to achieve a dream. And in that time he’s been lying to himself, and lying to his friends.
To the people he cares about. Saying that it has been for humanity, when it hasn’t. and even now,
when it’s time to fight, time to dedicate his heart, he still wants to lie to himself one
final time. And as he tells his captain his plan, Erwin holds on to that dream for the last time,
as Levi makes the decision for him. And what was so moving to me, was that Erwin thanks him.
I saw this is as Erwin finally being given the okay to let go of that dream.
I think Erwin was finally free at that moment. And that’s what made his speech all the more
inspiring. He was leading a group of people to their deaths, and to his own. And I think he
was just as afraid as they were, which is why he could say exactly what they needed to hear.
Maybe Erwin truly wasn’t a demon, but a commander who, just like the others risked
his life for humanity. Then again, maybe he was a demon. Whether he was or not, at this moment,
it didn't matter. This was one time where he truly believed he was fighting for humanity.
It wasn't a lie anymore. He was dedicating himself to and for it.
This arc also sheds light on the relationship between Levi and Erwin.
Levi was an underground rebel, who has now become humanity’s strongest soldier. Like Eren once
thought about Levi, he doesn’t seem like the type of person who would be obedient to his superiors.
Especially, given what we know about his youth and his personality. And Eren was right. Levi doesn’t
obey his superiors, except when for one man. If Levi always saw Erwin as someone who was selfless,
someone who was dedicated to humanity, that’s someone Levi could respect, and follow.
Something that he doesn’t do easily. Through their interactions, Levi always
puts emphasis on how he trusts Erwin’s judgement, because of the man Erwin is.
We know from Levi’s actions, that he is someone who values each and every life.
Behind his cold gaze, Levi is empathetic and compassionate. Levi has proven to be
someone who does fight for humanity and has offered up his skills for humanity’s freedom.
But, in Levi’s other interactions with Erwin, such as seeing him and that smile at the fact
that the titans could have once been human, or being told outright that the truth is more
important than humanity. Levi still follows him afterwards. Levi must know and believe
that Erwin still does want to see humanity win, for him trust him after those words were uttered.
But it’s more than simple trust. It’s immeasurable respect, belief and faith, because of the years
they’ve spent together, how far they’ve come, alive. Erwin is more than just his commander,
but his true friend. A pillar of hope, and of necessity for Levi, It was Erwin who gave
him an opportunity to be more than a rebel. Who saw him for who he was. and for Erwin
Levi is someone he can trust, and who will trust him, no matter the situation. A true, mature bond
built off mutual respect and one that began with support. I’ve stated quite a bit the fact that
it takes a lot for Levi to trust, and how much he trusts Erwin, but in that moment,
Erwin took the leap of faith, this time, putting his full trust and his torn heart
into Levi’s hands. This was Erwin trusting his friend’s judgment without a second thought,
as Levi has done for him all of these years. All this to say that, Levi choosing to make the
decision for his friend, proved that he knew the internal battle his commander was facing.
Levi absolved Erwin from the guilt he would have to carry, having to choose between his father and
the dream they shared, and his memory against humanity’s fate. With that, Levi allowed Erwin
to finally be the hero he never saw himself as. The hero he desperately needed to be. For his own
peace of mind. And for his heart. That wouldn't be the last act of good of faith out of Levi.
As mentioned, attack on titan is a series that constantly questions human nature,
and with that, morality. It looks at intentions against actions, temporary pain for the pleasure
of those who will come. But it is important to note that no individual character is motivated
solely for the good of humanity. Each is motivated by their own ideals, whether that be freedom,
family, revenge, or a personal dream. Erwin for that reason is so interesting.
Is he selfish, or selfless?. good or evil? Did Erwin truly send these soldiers to their deaths,
and used them as heartless sacrifices? Was it the guilt of actually doing that or was it
the pressure of being commander, having actual survivor's guilt that made him believe that he
was a demon for humanity. Maybe these soldiers including Erwin himself actually shared the
same risk, the same possibility of death having been in the survey corps? But again, maybe only
a demon for humanity could find a way to slay the titans.Maybe Erwin has left behind his humanity.
This is a commander who is tasked with saving all of mankind. But he also just a flawed human who
wants to do right by his fallen father. Again, a death that he caused. Erwin’s burden is so heavy.
There are all of these questions that Erwin himself doesn’t even know.
And that conflict makes him so well-written. Having these underlying motivations,
selfish goals, and teetering on the line between altruistic actions and egotistic ones is what
makes him human. The commander had his own goals but he recognized his hubris. Humans are complex.
Erwin is both selfish and selfless. To categorize him as being one or the other,
would be to ignore all of the times that he’s shown both the ability to charge
towards his goals and but also ignoring the times he’s truly cared for others.
Kenny in his dying moments told Levi that everyone is drunk off something,
whether it be booze itself, power, dreams, etc. and that’s what keeps them going. I think Erwin’s
dreams were able to support the weight of his guilt. And not only was it able to support that
weight, but that it was the sole thing carrying him forward, as he states the amount of times he
wanted to give up. For the amount of deaths that Erwin has seen, and that we’ve seen, we become a
little more desensitized after each one, just like the characters do. They don’t have time to mourn
and to grieve these deaths. And this goes tenfold for the one who is in command of all of them.
Only someone who was drunk off something could survive such a burden.
And that burden became unbearable the closer he was to the truth.
The people who are capable of changing things are the ones who can throw away everything dear
to them. When forced to face down monsters, they can leave behind even their humanity.
This really illustrates perfectly who exactly Erwin Smith was.
Erwin was, relentless in the pursuit of the truth, in his dream.
As a result of his drive, and of his resolve, Erwin was relentess in his defense for humanity.
The survey corps bought into Erwin Smith, and into humanity. Through his words and through his
actions, he made them believe they were fighting for humanity, truly. His soldiers fight, scream,
and rage. That right there is why he was chosen to become commander. That’s what makes Erwin
Smith anything but average. Again, the commander was even able to reach Levi,
the rebel, who he later trusted to use the titan serum when it was time to make that decision.
I think Levi let Erwin rest for his own, selfish desire. Levi chose to use the serum on Armin,
not because it was better for humanity, but because it sent off his dear friend in glory,
and in sacrifice, freeing Erwin from the shackles of his dream.
His final act of friendship, a friendship that began with Erwin’s outstretched arm. All of the
advancements that the survey corps made, began with Erwin Smith’s leadership. And ended with his
bravery. It was time for the devil to atone for his sacrifices. Time for Erwin Smith to rest. In
death, that quote by Armin especially rings true. Because for Erwin, if throwing away his life, and
his dream is what would have brought change. He was willing to do it. To die for it. For Humanity.
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