SnK Character Directory: Isayama Hajime Interview (Part 2)

Translation: @suniuz​ & @fuku-shuu

Please link back and/or credit if any portions of this translation are used!

Index: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3



The Death of Erwin, Who Lived for His Dream

After losing his friend within an equal relationship, Levi will…?

- Erwin losing his life at the Battle at Shiganshina - that was quite a shocking development.



Isayama: To have Erwin perish during that point was pre-planned. I always wanted to portray Levi and Erwin as having an equal relationship. Erwin bears an innocent motivation to “seek the truth” and a need for atonement, since his actions had led to his father’s death. He joined the Survey Corps due to these two reasons. Then little by little, he ended up in the position of leading this group, while he himself wavered between the roles of “a child who chased his dream” and “an adult who carried responsibilities.” In order to affirm his self-identity, he fabricated the false ambition of fighting “For humanity’s future,” and he continued to fool himself.

- A man viewed as someone who “abandoned his humanity” actually never abandoned his own dream and purpose for living. It’s truly astonishing.



Isayama: This is the same for Levi. The reason Levi always operates alongside Erwin is because he interpreted Erwin’s “For Humanity’s Future” as an altruistic intention that Levi never considered himself, so Levi ends up adopting it as his own life’s mission. Hence, Levi also requested for Erwin to become a man who is “loyal to the mission” and “can make composed decisions.” When he discovers that Erwin actually has a selfish goal like his “dream,” it can be said that he felt betrayed. However, he also recognizes that this person whom he cannot hope to surpass actually has “an innocent, childlike side that chases dreams.”

Because of Levi’s single statement, Erwin was able to abandon his dream for the future

- Because he understood that this great man is actually just like the rest of humanity, Levi told him, “Abandon your dream and go to hell.” That’s such a cruel choice…



Isayama: Our conversation now reminds me of the situation back then. When I drew that scene, what I considered was “the moment humans reveal their truest nature is when they have been pushed to the brink of death.” For Erwin, this happened when the Beast Titan drove him to the verge at Shiganshina, and his true self materialized severely. During that moment, what he displayed to us was that wavering between fulfilling his “dream” through the basement and the “responsibility” of fighting the Beast Titan to the death. Seeing Erwin in this state, Levi felt as if he were urged on by Erwin - “I hope you tell me to ‘abandon my dream and go to hell.’” He comprehended Erwin’s desire at that time. In this sense, it’s exactly because of Levi’s statement that Erwin was finally able to abandon his dream and transform into the adult who prioritizes responsibility.

Levi accepted Erwin’s sacrifice for humanity and chose his fate of death

- But right before his passing, what Erwin recalled was his time with his father, in the classroom where his dream supposedly took seed. For Erwin, that was a happy memory, right?

Isayama: How should I put this…the feeling is that he died without knowing the answer himself. But even maintaining this state of “not knowing” was seemingly Erwin’s own choice. With that said, we can’t say that he never regretted this…perhaps he had felt that at some point. Truly, during that moment, I illustrated the panels while thinking, “Everyone is a slave to something.” Perhaps Erwin was enslaved by his “dream.” And as long as he lives, he cannot find freedom from it - only in death is there liberation. For Erwin, Levi abandoning his rescue is also using death to release Erwin from his shackles.

- Does Levi understand Erwin’s mindset?



Isayama: Yes. The scene where Levi decided Erwin’s fate - he was influenced by his interactions with Kenny. Levi still had the experience of being separated from Kenny during his childhood. He was constantly troubled by the thought of “Kenny left because I couldn’t fulfill his expectations.” When the Uprising occurred within the walls, and he confronted Kenny again as an enemy, Levi sought to meet what couldn’t be satisfied previously. In the end, the underground caverns collapsed and caused grave injuries to Kenny, but Kenny didn’t save himself by utilizing the serum. Instead, he entrusted it to Levi before dying. From Levi’s perspective, the Kenny who always survived by being selfish actually did something selfless in his final moments - that shocked him immensely. Because of that experience, Levi didn’t revive Erwin. He accepted Erwin as human and chose to let him die.



Speaking of which, I am remembering something. People tend to say, “True happiness is when you don’t fulfill your dream.” This indicates that for a person, “continuing the pursuit of a dream even during the last seconds” is the best kind of life. I kept thinking about this notion as I drew Erwin’s final moments.

- There really is this idea of “Only when you have impossible dreams can you keep striving forward for them.” However, the consequence of that choice was that Levi lost the irreplaceable existence that was Erwin. From then on, where would Levi find his purpose for fighting?



Isayama: He is currently dangling in the air rather aimlessly. Having stayed with Erwin until his end, he also felt as if he fulfilled his role. Of course, I think he still has the goal of killing the Beast Titan. After Erwin’s death, he’ll probably let Armin fill in those missing parts in the Survey Corps? In tankobon volume 18, as everyone searched for Reiner within the wall crevices, I had hoped to juxtaposition Erwin and Armin as “the past” and “the future” as I drew. Erwin perished without fulfilling his dream while Armin satisfied his - from here on out, Armin is forced to confront the realities ahead.



Index: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

