Attack on Titan — Armin vs Levi: Who Would Make a Better Scout Commander?
By: Duane Hairston
Tags: Attack On Titan, Anime

The title of Scout Commander is bestowed among the solider that is deemed the most courageous and intelligent in all of the scout regiment. Not only does one have to have these qualities, but also the resolve to be able to lead hundreds of soldiers into bloody battle and not flinch when those soldiers are decimated.

When contemplating on who in the scout regiment has the most noteworthy feats and best qualities, two names are always brought up. Levi Ackerman, captain of the Special Operations Squad within the Survey Corps. and Armin Arlert best friend to Erin and solider in the Special Operations Squad.

1. Intellect: Armin

In order to make a great Commander in the Scout Regiment, a person must have incredible strategic formulation both on and off the battlefield. Only Armin has showed this time and time again. Armin was able to determine the identities of the titans posing as humans among the scouts, as well as come up with a plan to retake the Trost district. Armin has also shown that even on the battlefield, he can think on the fly. This is seen when he thought of a way to defeat both the Colossal titan and Armored titan, all while dozens of soliders are being murdered around him.

2. Strength: Levi

Being a commander for the scouts means having to get your hands dirty and it’s no secret that Levi doesn’t mind that in the slightest. With a titan kill count of over 200, Levi definitely has enough brawn to prove he can be commander. Levi has even fought the Beast titan and Female titan by himself and lived to tell about it.

Too bad the same can’t be said about Armin. Armin has faced many titans, but does not have as high of a kill count as Levi’s, nor has he defeated a titan shifter.

3. Influence: Armin

As the 13th commander, Erwin Smith demonstrated a commander needs to have a certain influence over his soldiers to lead them into battle. Levi’s approach to this is more do as I say or I’ll beat you up, which is hard to follow. Whereas Armin excels at getting others to follow his plans or stop and listen to him.

4. Motivation: Levi

While Armin definitely has motivation, Levi’s is unparalleled. Motivated to protect humankind and his home of Paradis, Levi has killed titans and humans alike indiscriminately. Sometimes without even flinching.

Armin has done the same, but to a lesser degree. Also it takes a lot more push for Armin to do what needs to be done.

5. Support: Armin

Throughout the series Armin has showed tremendous support and compassion not only for his friends, but his fellow soldiers as well. Every great leader needs to not only have their own goals, but be able to support others in gaining their own goals.

6. Composure: Levi

A cool and calm temperament comes natural for Levi, even in battle. Armin on the other hand can be quick to panic, especially at first glance of a situation. Perhaps this cool composure is due to Levi’s numerous victories in battle.

7. Attentive: Armin

Armin is definitely one who pays attention to even the tiniest details. A lot of his strategies and plans come from Armin remembering past events or conversations. It was because of this that Armin was able to identify the true identities of the Armored titan and Colossal titan.

Levi has shown he can be attentive, but only on the battlefield does it show for him. A good scout commander needs to be able to be attentive on and off the battlefield.

8. Experience: Levi

As mentioned earlier Levi has seen the battle field many times in his life. By the time we actually meet Levi in the anime, it is said he has killed over 200 titans. This gives him a great advantage when faced with seemly impossible odds on the battlefield, especially against the titan shifters.

While Armin may have some experience fighting titans, it is no where near what Levi has faced. However Armin’s lack of battle experience is due to the 15-year age difference between the two.

9. Ethics: Tie

It’s hard to determine which of these two characters is the most ethical. Both have demonstrated a strong moral compass throughtout the series. Even Levi shows remorse for titans, once he finds out they were once human. He even pauses at times asking himself if they still have memories of their life or if they still feel pain.

10. Vision: Armin

Every leader needs to be able to look onto the future and discover a reason to keep moving. Some type of goal they’ve envisioned, for themselves or others. Armin’s goal may be a simple one, but it’s a goal that keeps him motivated and willing to keep fighting for.