In Attack on Titan, the remaining members of the extinct Ackerman clan are Mikasa and Levi Ackerman. Even if we're in the Final Season of Attack on Titan, it is still unclear if Mikasa is related to Levi.
The two of them have different upbringings, despite having the same family name. They also have the same battle prowess. On some occasions, Levi and Mikasa’s personalities are similar to each other. They are both apathetic and prefer to involve themselves only when it’s necessary.
Moreover, both of them excel in fighting and intellect above any other soldier in the Scout Regiment. While Levi earned the title of Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, Mikasa on the other hand, is considered Humanity’s War Goddess.
In this article, we uncover the background of the Ackerman Clan, their abilities, and the family bonds between the two of them. How are Mikasa and Levi related?
Related: Do Eren and Mikasa Get Together in Attack on Titan?
History of the Ackerman Clan
Originally, the Ackermans were a clan of super soldiers who were considered as the Eldian King’s right hand. They are designed to protect the King from any means of harm. However, the members of the family have gone extinct after being persecuted and purged due to their insubordination against the King's (Karl Fritz) ideology. Together with the Asian clan, they are pushed to the brink of extinction. They turned their backs against the royal family after rejecting the True King’s general notion of peace.
To preserve the remnants of the Ackerman clan, the head of the family sacrificed his own life. As a result, the future Ackerman generations survived the continuous purge. The remaining clan members decided to not speak of the truth behind their oppression to protect future generations.
Since then, the Ackerman and the Asian Clan have lived a very difficult life. Some of them live in the underground city, including Levi, Kenny, and Kuchel Ackerman, while some of them reside in the mountains and at the edge of the Walls.
During an assassination attempt sometime in the future, Kenny Ackerman met Uri Fritz, the current King of the Walls. To Kenny’s surprise, Uri apologized to him on behalf of the royal family. From then on, the witch hunt on the Ackermans finally ended.
Abilities of the Ackerman Clan
Back then, the Ackermans were the subjects of titan experiments. Because of titan science, they gained multiple abilities and eventually mutated. As a result, they developed certain distinct abilities that set them apart from others.
First of all, they achieved immunity from the memory manipulation of Karl Fritz. They are not affected by the widespread altercations inside the walls. Second, they possessed the ability to know exactly what needed to be done. Trust me, when Levi is behaving like an all-knowing captain, it is partly because of his bloodline.
Third, they can awaken to their true potential as super soldiers. However, in order to awaken this certain potential, the Ackermans need to pay a huge price. They have to experience a severe case of trauma to unlock their dormant power.
As a matter of fact, both Levi and Mikasa had already activated this power. At a very young age, Mikasa unlocked her latent potential when she suffered a great deal of distress in the murder of her parents. On the other hand, Levi also claims that he had the same moments. One of which points to his incredible fighting skills after finding out that his childhood friends were killed by a titan.
Are Mikasa and Levi related?
In the third official guidebook for the Attack on Titan Manga, Hajime Isayama answered this frequently asked question. He said that Mikasa and Levi belong to the same Ackerman bloodline. However, it is unclear whether they are exactly biologically related. Mikasa’s father is an Ackerman, while her mother is part of the Asian Clan. Meanwhile, Levi is the only child of Kuchel Ackerman, sister to Kenny Ackerman.
Although it is still unclear, it is essential to know the family tree of the Ackerman family to understand that Levi and Mikasa are in no way siblings. After all, both of them have different parents. We can only assume that they are distant relatives because of the power they share with Kenny Ackerman.
Related: Who are the Titan Shifters?
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