Unlike Eren, who is expressive and hot-headed, Levi is closed-off and abrasive. His neutral expression often makes it difficult to ascertain what he's thinking. Both characters prefer speaking through body language rather than using words. In the visual novel Burning Bright in the Forest of the Night that was released as an official bonus DVD feature, Levi's attitude towards Eren from their first meeting to the deaths of his squad is described in his own words.Įven before their first meeting, Levi and Erwin had researched Eren's background, so knew that the level of violence needed to avoid Eren's execution and get him into the custody of the survey corps was nothing the boy couldn't handle. ' In his childhood, in his trainee days, he got into numerous fights and gained an unaccountable number of injuries. 'He had even nearly gotten killed by traffickers. ' He had even gotten swallowed by a titan.Yet, that violence and any other form of pain will never break the boy’s spirit. Levi's past as a criminal living in the underground city and the parallels between his own upbringing and Eren's (both without mothers, both having to resort to violence to reach their goals) foster a sort of guardian/ward relationship between the two. In moments of uncertainty or doubt, Eren is therefore able to open up to Levi without being judged, because Levi recognizes a similar rage within himself. Their relationship can be confusing and does not fit neatly into the category of straightforward mentor/mentee because Levi does not hold back in his criticisms of Eren.
Unlike Mikasa and Armin, Levi is unafraid to label Eren a "monster" in their early relationship and consistently labels him a "brat" in casual conversation. Levi is an antagonist to Eren's doubts when required, but at the same time is also adept at soothing them. In his early days living with the survey corps Eren is ordered by Levi to get his titan shifting ability under control for the sake of humanity.