Attack on Titan (AOT) features many powerful human soldiers who play critical roles in the fight against the man-eating Titans. While Eren Jaeger emerges as the strongest Titan shifter by the end of the series, there is debate around who ranks as the second strongest human soldier.
Levi Ackerman
Many fans consider Captain Levi to be the obvious choice for the second strongest soldier. Levi possesses exceptional speed, agility, and swordsmanship that allows him to dispatch multiple Titans with ease. Here are some key points about Levi’s power and skills:
- As an Ackerman, Levi has enhanced physical abilities and battle instincts that make him a formidable fighter.
- He is regarded as the strongest soldier within the Survey Corps and earned the nickname “Humanity’s Strongest Soldier.”
- Levi showcases incredible skill with the omni-directional mobility gear, allowing him to maneuver swiftly and slice Titan napes with precision.
- Even Zeke states that Levi is “the strongest soldier alive.”
- Levi dominates most battles he participates in, including defeating the Female Titan and Beast Titan.
Some counterarguments about Levi being second strongest:
- His power was never directly compared to Mikasa’s, a fellow Ackerman.
- He initially struggled against Kenny and the Anti-Personnel Control Squad before accessing his full Ackerman abilities.
- Levi sustained significant injuries and lost some mobility after his battle with the Beast Titan.
However, when considering Levi’s extensive experience and mastery of omni-directional gear combat, plus recognition as “Humanity’s Strongest,” he remains a top contender for the second strongest human soldier spot behind Eren’s Titan powers.
Mikasa Ackerman
As an Ackerman, Mikasa possesses similar enhanced strength, speed, and battle skills as Levi. Arguments for Mikasa being the second strongest include:
- She matches Levi in omni-directional mobility gear usage, slicing napes with incredible speed and efficiency.
- Mikasa is regarded as a prodigy, graduating top of her Cadet Corps class.
- She killed multiple Titans during Trost’s invasion while exhausted and low on gas.
- Mikasa defeats the Armored Titan in combat and holds her own against the Jaw Titan.
- Her skills improve after awakening her full Ackerman powers.
Reasons why Mikasa may fall short of Levi:
- She lacks Levi’s years of experience fighting Titans.
- Her emotions occasionally overwhelm her combat judgement.
- Mikasa failed to defeat Annie in their first matchup and required Eren’s help.
- Levi is still regarded as the strongest active soldier, not Mikasa.
Overall, Mikasa demonstrates immense talent that rivals Levi’s capabilities. Her Ackerman bloodline grants her incredible battle potential. However, Levi’s extensive experience likely still gives him an edge over Mikasa in terms of current skill.
Kenny Ackerman
As Levi’s uncle, Kenny hails from the same Ackerman bloodline. He is another candidate for second strongest soldier due to:
- Kenny unlocks his Ackerman powers after a life-threatening event, exponentially increasing his abilities.
- He dominates his battle with Levi and the Survey Corps before they gain their own Ackerman powers.
- Kenny masters combat skills through years of operating as a gang leader and assassin.
- He wields two pistols with great speed, agility, and precision.
Detracting factors about Kenny’s strength:
- He ultimately loses to Levi in their final showdown.
- Kenny’s experience remains primarily as a ruthless killer rather than fighting Titans.
- His lack of omni-directional gear skills limits mobility against Titans.
- Poor health acts as an impediment later in life.
At his peak after activating his Ackerman abilities, Kenny showcases immense power on par with Levi and Mikasa. However, his lack of experience against Titans makes ranking him as second strongest more debatable.
Annie Leonhart – The Female Titan
As one of the Titan shifters from the warrior candidate program, Annie’s abilities as the Female Titan place her in contention:
- Annie’s martial arts skills make her a highly skilled hand-to-hand fighter.
- She possesses greater stamina and endurance compared to normal humans.
- As the Female Titan, Annie has immense strength and speed combined with intellect to out-strategize opponents.
- She can harden her Titan skin and summon other Titans by screaming.
- Annie defeats many Survey Corps members before being eventually outmatched by Eren and Mikasa together.
Downsides to Annie’s strength:
- Her human form lacks Ackerman-level strength and speed.
- Annie loses multiple fights when overwhelmed by more skilled opponents.
- Her Titan form has notable weaknesses if you sever the nape.
- Annie relies heavily on her Titan hardening ability as a defensive crutch.
With her unique powers as the Female Titan, Annie cannot be discounted as one of the strongest warriors. But overreliance on those Titan abilities may leave her human form vulnerable to the top soldiers.
Zeke Yeager – The Beast Titan
The Beast Titan controlled by Zeke Yeager is another formidable foe:
- As a Titan shifter, Zeke has immense strength, speed, endurance, and agility.
- He is highly intelligent and strategic in utilizing his Beast Titan abilities.
- Zeke’s long arms and powerful throwing make him excellent at long-range combat.
- He can generate and hurl projectiles with great precision.
- Zeke dominates most of his battles against the Survey Corps.
Factors that undermine Zeke’s strength:
- He is overwhelmed by Levi’s speed and skill in their second fight.
- Zeke appears to have less physical power and combat technique than some other shifters.
- His main assets are range and intelligence rather than brute force.
- Without projectiles, he can be vulnerable in close quarters.
While dangerous at range, Zeke lacks some of the sheer power and skill of other top warriors. He depends heavily on his Beast Titan’s unique attributes rather than well-rounded combat ability.
Erwin Smith
While not blessed with any special powers, Commander Erwin’s skills and leadership as a soldier still warrant consideration:
- Erwin is an elite soldier who demonstrates substantial mastery of omni-directional mobility gear.
- He is a strategic genius, able to out-maneuver opponents and turn the tide of battles.
- Erwin leads the Survey Corps through many harrowing expeditions and combat encounters.
- He inspires immense loyalty and performance from his soldiers.
- Even without extra physical abilities, Erwin charges into battle and sacrifice with bravery.
Why Erwin has limits on raw strength:
- He lacks any Ackerman-style physical enhancements.
- Years as a commander have moved Erwin away from frontline combat.
- His primary assets are strategic rather than fighting directly.
- Erwin sacrifices an arm, limiting his mobility.
While an exceptionally skilled soldier in his own right, Erwin’s lack of Ackerman or Titan powers makes rating him above others difficult. But his immense leadership and tactical skills compensate for his limits on raw strength.
Conclusion
In summary, while many characters have strong claims on the spot of second strongest soldier, Levi Ackerman appears to rise above the rest:
- Levi demonstrates the top mastery of omni-directional mobility gear combat.
- He is regarded in-universe as “Humanity’s Strongest Soldier.”
- His Ackerman bloodline grants immense speed, strength, and reflexes.
- Levi succeeds against powerful Titan shifter opponents like the Female and Beast Titan.
- He has the most extensive experience fighting Titans of any soldier.
Mikasa Ackerman shows similar potential but currently lacks the skill and experience of Levi. Annie, Zeke, and Kenny also showcase outstanding power, but rely too much on their unique Titan or Ackerman traits rather than well-rounded ability.
No other soldier combines Levi’s inherent Ackerman talents, technical mastery, and veteran Titan combat experience at such an elite level. While others may match or even exceed Levi in specific categories, his blend of strengths cements his status as humanity’s second strongest soldier in Attack on Titan behind Eren’s Titan powers.
