Attack On Titan: Erwin Smith

The Strength to Shoulder Many Lives While Embracing Unshakable Beliefs

"If there are humans who can bring about change, they are those who are capable of abandoning everything. People who, when required to surpass even monsters, are capable of tossing aside their humanity. People who fail to abandon anything will likely fail to produce any result".

"If you begin to regret, you'll dull your future decisions and let others make the choices for you. Then all that's left for you is to die. Nobody can foretell the future. Each decision you make holds meaning only by affecting your next decision." ~13th Commander of the Survey Corps.

This quote and mindset is passed forth from Erwin to Levi to Eren.

Leadership isn't just a role; it's a mindset, a personality. 

Intelligence, wisdom, bravery, resolve. No one else in the series has seen through difficult situations like he does. His sharp intuition, sheer tenacity and his calm analysis have always impressed me. I like the character as someone who's willing to make the tough decisions that are for the benefit of mankind despite these decisions reflecting poorly on him. He accepts his flaws and is never in denial about anything. I immensely respect this kind of people. The best leaders are people whose ego don't shatter in positions of power.

*Arm bitten off, doesn't give a fuck* "SUSUMEEEE!!!"  -- This scene cemented Erwin as my favorite character in AOT.

Always thinking ahead in the battle against Titans, Erwin works out the best possible plans. For instance, he used a horde of Titans - the only working weapon at the time - to fight the Armored Titan. Against the Female Titan - an abnormal that no one had prepared for - he showed excellent judgement: he deduced that the FT was among them and that she would transform again; by instructing Levi to perfectly maintain his equipment, he prevented him from getting into a pinch and took back Eren. Finally, in the battle of Shiganshina, he turns defeat into victory!
Back then, he had "read" Levi correctly and used Levi's emotion for Furlan and Isabel to capture them all. Erwin is all too capable of being able to grasp the situation in an instant!


THE QUEST FOR TRUTH

"Knowledge is power".

"There is no human ambition that doesn't stem from selfish desires."

Erwin is inquisitive in nature; he looks beyond the Wall - that's why he asked that question in the classroom in the first place. As shown in S3 ep3, young Erwin was perfectly willing to believe that his father's death was justified: as long as the government had a good reason, he’d have been fine with it... which means that he didn't figure it out until he joined the military, which means that his original motivation to join the Survey Corps wasn't his father's death, but the pursuit of knowledge.

"One day, we'll break it down. This wall hiding the truth... will fall."  ~ Erwin at the end of Season 2

Erwin's personal goal has never caused him to make wrong decisions for humanity. It ISN'T a less valuable goal than "protecting humanity". Searching for truth IS saving humanity. They can't win against the enemies without first and foremost knowing the truth about them and the world. Thus, the quest for a truth is a goal that humanity should strive for, and thankfully they have Erwin to do it.

Some people may criticize his dream as being "selfish" or "immoral" whatever, but he was the ONLY leader who was seeking truth. He doesn't just want the people to go beyond the wall. So many soldiers have died. For what? Because of what? What are they fighting for? Why is there this struggle in the first place? Erwin wants to know all of that! This is a goal that I would gladly follow him for - personal or not. Erwin's quest for truth is what saves the Wall society from being wiped out by Marley. If his "selfishness" is bringing humanity forward, that is a form of selfishness that is needed.
Just like L in Death Note who solves crimes not for justice but to satisfy his love for puzzles, the world still benefits massively from him. "Just like how we go to college to benefit ourselves but by raising our socioeconomic status, we uplift the society we're living in". Let's say if someone tried to prove that the Earth was round in a world where everyone believed Earth was flat, why should we care what he did it for? The end result is the same.

Everyone in the Survey Corps has their own selfish motivation. Not that they don't care about humanity, but they all have their own personal reasons for joining and remaining with the Corps. Hange's is Titan experiment. Eren (initially) wants revenge. Armin wants to see the ocean. Mikasa wants to protect Eren. Jean is honoring the memory of Marco. Connie wants his villagers to feel proud of him. Shadis wanted to be special, etc.
But some people only like to criticize Erwin because he is conscientious enough to question himself.
Having a selfish personal reason for joining the Corps is fine. It's human. It's healthy. As long as he doesn't let this personal reason overshadow overall goal of protecting humanity - which Erwin has never done.

"It was only after joining the Survey Corps and coming face-to-face with a Titan that I came to understand the futility of mankind. Wealth, power, noble ideals... all of those would disappear in an instant if the Titans were to breach these Walls. This is why... we will use any means necessary to ensure that the missions and our efforts to take back this world are not abandoned!" ~Erwin

• A selfish guy would stay home while his soldiers were fighting. 
• A selfish guy would put himself in the safest place of his own Formation.
• Erwin knew that he would never be able to reach his personal goal about knowing the truth if he died before this happens. Yet when a Titan grabbed him, he ordered everyone to keep charging and save Eren.
• He did not just ask other leaders to help him overthrow the government; he put humanity above his selfish gain: if the gov truly acted in the interest of humanity then he would accept his death.
• When Erwin’s gamble paid off and it’s proven that the government cared nothing for humanity, he reacted not with triumph but with sorrow. Rather than thinking of himself, he worried about the future of mankind: He told Nile that they were on a more dangerous path than ever before.
• He reveals himself right in front of the Armored Titan on the Wall to see if he could distract Reiner from his mission of targeting Eren (all the while bemoaning how he wants to go to the basement yet still remains on the Wall overseeing the battle).
• Then of course in the end, when his dream is a barrier to humanity's survival, he chooses to put his dream aside and leads the suicide charge.

"The moment humans reveal their truest nature is when they are in the brink of death". At the brink of death, Erwin chooses humanity. Actions speak louder than words. It was genuine all along. Erwin just has some (psychological) issues. He didn't understand that his goal is, in nature, selfless. He wanted to free humanity of their government's lies and injustices. 


SACRIFICES

"But he sends people to their death!", people say. Yes, he is a Commander. They are fighting a war, and that's what Commanders do in wars [ for reference, see the Battle of Midway in WWII ]. It's not like he doesn't feel guilty about it though, and the soldiers are volunteers. They weren't forced to join the military and the Survey Corps, and Erwin told them that they might not know what was going on all the time, and if they didn't think it was worth it to offer their hearts for humanity like that then they could join the Garrison or the MP. He formed an honest recruitment speech that scared many off to minimize casualties and guarantee skill, also to distract potential spies with the mention of the basement.

Pixis, Shadis and Armin have given similar orders that sacrificed people's lives. Levi proposed a plan to sacrifice soldiers' lives to save Erwin and Eren in Shiganshina. When they have to fight giant monsters with nothing but horses, swords and 3D gears, every mission is a suicide mission, regardless of the Commander. Think of the alternative. "The lives of 100 comrades or the lives of everyone inside the Walls. The Commander chose. He chose to throw away the lives of 100 comrades."  If Erwin was someone soft-hearted enough to compromise battle strategy, Levi wouldn’t follow him.

Erwin earned the reputation of having the most minimal lives lost in the history of leaders. He only asked for sacrifices when there was no better choice. In situations where casualties could be minimized, Erwin chose that option; for example, his coup d'etat didn't cost a single life. His Long-distance Scouting Formation reduced death rate to 30% and he was the only leader who cared enough to do that in the first place.

"When fighting Titans, we're dealing with all sorts of unknowns, thus we can never be prepared". "They’re fighting an enemy who they don’t understand, and is worlds stronger than them. When you have a one in million chance of success, you take it, even if that chance relies on you sacrificing everything you have. The concept of sacrificing units for the greater good is nothing new, and unfortunately that’s the hand Erwin’s been dealt every time because of the awful world he lives in. Erwin is a great Commander. Yes, he’s cost a lot of lives, but he’s not done it without reason and he’s aware of what he did and wishes there was another way."

"Limiting ourselves to the best course of action will never give us the edge over the enemy. We must take necessary and costly risks. Unless we fight like that, mankind cannot prevail". ~Erwin

The Titans are not the only enemy he needs to fight. Erwin also needs to fight against the authorities that are against outside wall expedition and the MPs who constantly try to eliminate the "threats" for the sake of "peace" within the Wall.

And it's not like Erwin is a coward who hides behind his comrades. He always LEADS in front. Sacrifice aside, it is his determination and his ability to not only lead the front line but also in the political scene, he is extremely shrewd, able to dodge assassination attempt and turn the tables on those seeking to keep humanity still blind behind the Walls.


CONSCIENCE

"It would take an expert conman and a pack of lies..."
Erwin believes himself to be a conman for fooling people for his selfish goal but the truth is that his selfish goal has never superseded his duty. He's a walking self-contradiction. Time and time again, he’s shown that he cares about humanity and is more than willing to sacrifice his life if needed. But the guilt is eating him up and makes him believe he is a lying conman. People may have died under his command, but those deaths were necessary for humanity to move forward. He is the primary reason that the Wall society and Eren's gang are able to get as far as they could. Although someone has to be in his position to shoulder the burden of everyone's lives, the fact that he sees himself in such a way by itself shows his humanity. He accepts the reality of war as a personal burden and shoulders the responsibility accordingly. How many leaders are conscientious enough to do that?

Many times, we see leaders who are too confident that they're doing everything for "a greater cause" and never question themselves - that's when it can become dangerous. But Erwin is constantly questioning himself and his guilt comes from being in the position of a leader than anything else. Before he knew it, he found himself at the top giving orders to subordinates. "So when he faced his subordinates, telling them, ‘for the sake of humanity’, he felt like he was lying to them. He has been struggling with these conflicts and anguish all along the way."

"I don't care if I'm remembered as a monster, as long as humanity survives". ~Erwin

His life is synonymous with sacrifice. He never once carried out a selfish action his entire career. He gambled his life multiple times with nothing in his heart but the survival and advancement of all humanity.

There was no bullshit or deception in his words and actions. Part of why he sounds so damn convincing is because there's a lot of logic and meaning in his words. From the start, he told the cadets that he was aiming for the truth in Eren's basement, and that only those who were willing to risk their lives should enlist in his Corps. Also, in his youth, Erwin spread his theories among his fellow trainee cadets (S3P2 ep3-4 where Nile confirms it). That's the reason why so many graduating cadets joined the SC along with him.

Erwin is not the kind of person who prioritizes his own dream. He follows through with his responsibilities, and when the time comes, Erwin is able to give up on his dream and make the best decision. ~Isayama

As another fan said: "Historia's situation in S3 is parallel to Erwin's. She claims that she doesn't care about humanity. She rejects her duty to carry on the family ritual and thinks this makes her a 'bad person'. As a result, Eldia finally has a chance at survival and the truth is revealed to the masses."

Erwin is someone who truly understands what must be done in order to achieve a certain goal. He has the greatest mindset out of anyone in the story to be an effective leader. Although Erwin said seeing the basement is more important than the survival of humanity before they went to Shiganshina, he ultimately broke free of those chains (being a slave to the basement), and like Armin said, Erwin was truly able to give up anything (even his life and ability to see the basement) for Levi to kill the Beast Titan. He was flawed, but his dedication outweighed his flaws.

The result is that humanity inside the Walls has gotten much further with Erwin as their Commander than they would have otherwise. It was only after the coup d'etat that it was revealed to all that there was a truth far greater than what was being told, and that was all thanks to Erwin who overthrew the corrupt government.


BATTLE OF SHIGANSHINA

This battle determines the fate of humanity. For the first time, his dream stood as a barrier to humanity's victory. Erwin had a choice to charge or to save himself. But he knew that retreating to Trost would cause utter annihilation to humanity, because the Beast, Armored and Colossal Titans would come chasing them and kicking down the Wall again.  Ultimately, Erwin chose to charge. Without him fronting the charge, no one would have done it. He led himself and them into death to keep the Beast Titan from seeing Levi. Had he not led the charge, everyone would have perished. So in essence, Erwin made the choice to save Levi, Eren and humanity.

The argument that "Armin can win without sacrificing anyone, unlike Erwin who had to sacrifice others" is null because the situation was set up in such a way that Armin must not use anyone else because his situation required that the Colossal Titan be isolated from any threats. Meanwhile, Erwin was put in a situation in which the only way out is to charge as a unit.

Erwin's final speech was so effective because he didn't just tell them, "Don't go down without a fight" - the soldiers were way past the point where that would work - but to look at the bigger picture: All those thousands of soldiers who died before died for nothing unless the current soldiers carry on in their name, with the same hope that others would then carry on the fight and give their sacrifices meaning. Erwin's conflict was always about bigger picture vs. small picture - run away to pursue your dream or stand and fight to protect the dreams of others. In his speech, he was conning himself. He said that it would all be worth it and the soldiers who came after him would make his life mean something, but he desperately wanted to see the basement. That speech was to trick himself (and others) into dying.

Erwin really wanted to go to the basement and was considering sacrificing everything for a shot at reaching it, but the guilt about all the soldiers' deaths and the duty to humanity made him feel obligated to make sure those deaths meant something, but he was having extreme difficulty giving up on his dream. In the end, he did not want to make the decision himself, that is why Levi stepped in and made the call for him. This is why Erwin gave a faint smile before going on the suicide charge: He is relieved that he did not have to make the choice himself, because someone was able to do it for him.


ERWIN - LEVI - EREN RELATIONSHIP

Erwin was the first leader to conclude that Eren had no reason to lie and took him into the Survey Corps.
It's also thanks to Erwin that humanity gained Levi as a soldier. Without Erwin, Eren would have been killed by the Military. Without him, Levi would have still wasted his life as a criminal underground.

In the spin-off manga "No Regrets", Levi and Erwin's relationship is more equal than the OVA makes it seem. In the manga, Levi made the choice to join the Survey Corps on his own, having been convinced by Erwin's words, while in the anime, he followed him because he simply felt that Erwin had answers that he did not.

It makes perfect sense in the manga: the parallel between the Walls and the Underground city, the urge for Freedom and Truth.

When he was in the Underground, he dreamed of the sky, only to find out that the people up here are being confined by something greater than themselves, too. The true freedom that he seeks is still missing.

And Erwin totally earned my respect when he spoke... a speech that made Levi change his life - from an enemy and a thief to the most loyal follower and a hero in about 2 minutes and it was earned.

The OVA should have included Erwin's quote:

Erwin to Levi: "YOU'RE WRONG! IT'S THE TITANS! Where did the titans come from? Why do they exist? Why do they devour humans? I don't have the answers. None of us do. Limited by our ignorance, we'll continue to be devoured by the Titans. If we just stay shut behind the Walls, we are never going to escape this nightmare. Take a good look around you! No matter how far you go, there aren't any walls here. In this wide open space... I believe there is something there, illuminating our despair. But there are those who seek to prevent us from venturing beyond the walls. They are consumed by selfish thoughts of their own losses and gains from behind the walls where it's safe! It's only natural. During the past 100 years, hindered by the walls, the eyes of humanity have been clouded. They cannot see the landscape that lies on the other side. But what about you, Levi? Will you let your eyes remain clouded? Will you kill me and return to the darkness of the underground? We will not give up our journey outside the wall. So fight for the Survey Corps, Levi! Humanity needs your strength!"

• On to my other Erwin post:  
• Parallel between Kenshin and Erwin
• Leadership post-Erwin
• Levi's decision is wrong on both story and writing standpoints