5 things nobody wants to admit about Attack on Titan

2. Erwin should’ve lived, not Armin

Whether Erwin Smith or Armin Arlert should have lived is an argument that the Attack on Titan fandom still goes back and forth with because it’s hard to say whether Levi Ackerman made the right decision.

In one of the most crucial moments of the story, humanity’s strongest soldier was under a lot of pressure; it was either Levi who saved the life of Erwin or his commander who had immense courage to get to the bottom of humanity’s biggest secrets. Or he saved the life of one of Armin, his subordinate’s best friends who represents the hope for a better future. Levi chose Armin in the end, but we think he might’ve made the wrong choice.

Erwin Smith was a ruthless leader whose ability to never back down even when the odds looked slim was a sight to behold. Even when his army was knocking on death’s door, he encouraged every single one of them to take the Beast Titan head-on, even at the cost of their lives.

Armin’s strength is in his brain, having the ability to come up with formulaic solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. And while it’s important to have intelligence in battle, intelligence doesn’t always win battles, especially when the war comes down to might.

Besides his friends, Armin’s wit didn’t really command anyone else to do much else. What’s more, with his consistent lack of confidence (i.e. even admitting that Levi might have chosen wrong), it’s difficult to see the leader in this young boy.

Only Hajime Isayama, the writer of Attack on Titan, knows what Erwin would’ve done if he were still alive. Even so, it doesn’t take much to know that Erwin would’ve beat Armin in a game of camaraderie and courage, especially during the end times that only Armin had the opportunity to live through.