One of the thing I like the most about the SL is that they're realists, if not a pessimistic bunch - you'd think voluntarily fighting for humanity's freedom and progress would involve more positive thinking. The Scouts never declares themselves to be in the right, or takes it for granted that others should believe in their mission. On the contrary, what they're trying to do is a matter of personal choice, and Levi's well aware of the moral ambiguity of it - "I wouldn't say what's right or not(c)

©“I wouldn’t say what’s right or not. Because I don’t know either. Were you really wrong?” Quoting Erwin in chapter 72: “If we wish to know, we’ll go see for ourselves. That’s the way of the Survey Corps, isn’t it?”, and if they can’t, they believe that their comrades will taken up the fight against the cruel world and in the process, potentially realize their dream for them, long after they’re gone - how Armin’s thought of entrusting the dream of seeing the ocean to Eren in chapter 82© © May I ask your speculation about the first commander of the SL? What kind of person the one choosing to face the titans before 3DMG and the specifically-bred horses were invented is? The one who set an example for the rest to follow, by laying the foundation for the mountain of corpses with their body? Their possible ability and achievement compared to Shadis and Erwin? Before the Fall isn’t canon imo.

I think that dealing with the reality they are, and not harboring any illusions about it, belies more optimism than their average mood indicates. They’ve only just recently brought their mortality rate down (as a branch), and generations of Scouts have seen no indication that they’re making more than a few inches of progress at a time, but… that’s a few inches they never would have had without their hard work.

The reality of their situation is grim and dark. At best. Yet consistently, their organization survives because enough of them believe in the barest shadow of light that they’re willing to continue on.

Huh. Well, I’ve only skimmed Before the Fall anyway (and have a long history of ignoring all supplementary material unless it does something magical).

I don’t what they would have been like. My gut reaction is that it would have taken someone like Eren to get the ball rolling; someone who found themself with no memories, locked in a cage, and filled with nothing but indignation over the innate wrongness of it all.

One characteristic of Eren’s that I’ve missed lately is his ability to inspire. When it’s specifically referenced, it ends to be about how he’s humanity’s hope, but beyond that, he also gets a bunch of people in the 104th (now mostly dead) to change their minds about joining the Survey Corps, and finds the right words to help Historia.

Eren is a true believer, and he’s willing to speak his mind about it. That’s compelling as hell.



It would take a cooler temper to spawn a long-lasting organization, since you can’t have your commander rushing off to greet death in a first encounter, but I could very easily see someone with Eren’s zeal and earnest charisma convincing people that they should fight for a better life. Or at least know more about the threat standing outside their doors.

Thanks for the ask!

