Season 3 of the wildly popular anime "Attack on Titan" is currently airing to rave reviews! With each episode, the mysteries of the world are being unravelled, making for a fascinating story. One of the key themes in Season 3 is the "Ackerman family." This article will thoroughly explain the Ackerman family's secrets. This article contains spoilers for "Attack on Titan," so please be careful if you haven't seen the anime or the original manga.
Ackerman Family Members You Should Know
First, let's take a closer look at the Ackerman family. Currently, there are three characters in the series who are known to have the surname "Ackerman."
Mikasa Ackerman
First up is Mikasa. She's, of course, Eren's childhood friend. Her parents were killed. Before the wall was destroyed, Mikasa was taken in and lived with Eren. Possessing exceptional physical abilities, she is active on the front lines of battle. She's fond of Eren, and always wears the scarf he gave her.
Levi Ackerman
This is Levi Ackerman, also known as "Captain Levi." It wasn't until the past few years that it was discovered that Captain Levi's last name is Ackerman, and for a while, his last name was unknown. Captain Levi is undoubtedly humanity's strongest, and the captain of the Scout Corps. He's so strong that no one can match him, so it's no wonder he's called humanity's strongest. Incidentally, before joining the Scout Corps, he was the leader of a gang of thieves in the underground shopping mall of the royal capital, but after meeting Erwin, he joined the Scout Corps.
Kenny Ackerman
Levi's uncle. Nicknamed "Kenny the Ripper," he is a member of the Central First Military Police Brigade. He also serves as the commander of the Anti-Personnel Suppression Unit. Since Kenny began working for the royal family, the Reiss family, the Ackerman family is no longer persecuted by the monarchy. Incidentally, he is so strong that Levi once said, "Consider me your enemy." He is Levi's adoptive father.
A Clear History of the Ackerman Family
From here on, I will give a brief introduction to the history of the Ackerman family.
Memory Erasing by the Reiss Family
Originally, the Ackerman family was a military family serving as aides to the royal family. The royal family refers to the Reiss family. The Reiss family attempts to manipulate and alter people's memories to suit their own purposes, such as by making it appear that "all living things outside the walls have become extinct." However, the Ackerman family and some Eastern peoples possess a somewhat unique trait that makes them immune to this memory manipulation.
The Family is Persecuted
Since memory manipulation is ineffective against Asians and the Ackerman family, the family resists the royal family's mercy. Fearing this power, the royal family persecuted the family, slaughtering most of them. While the Ackerman family line was not ultimately exterminated, it was reduced to just a few members.
Why Wasn't It Exterminated?
Why wasn't it exterminated after going to such lengths? It's because, after Kenny's battle with the Woollywraith, he decided to work for him during the battle.
What's the Ackerman family tree like?
Now that we know the general history, let's take a look at the Ackerman family tree.
Ackerman Head
As mentioned above, the Ackerman family was a military family close to the king, and served as the "confidant of the monarchy." However, following the memory tampering incident that occurred 107 years ago, they abandoned this position. He offered to ensure the survival of the Ackerman family in exchange for the life of their leader.
Kenny's Great-Grandfather
He is the last Ackerman family member to pass on the true history outside the walls to his children. To begin with, the surviving Ackermans are quite rare.
Kenny's Grandfather
He is one of the Ackerman family members who knows the history outside the walls. Knowing the history of the Walled City meant that his life would be threatened by the monarchy, so he chose not to tell his children about it.
Kenny
Levi's uncle, also known as "Kenny the Ripper." Kenny's annexation of the Reiss family led to an end to the monarchy's persecution of the Ackerman family.
Kushel
She's the mother of Levi. She's also Kenny's younger sister. She worked at a brothel in the royal family's underground shopping mall, and Levi was born there. She died of a sexually transmitted disease. While details about Levi's father are unknown, he was likely a customer.
Levi
This is the familiar Levi. He's the captain of the Scout Regiment and humanity's strongest. He's incredibly strong, isn't he? Despite his appearance, he's petite at 160 cm tall and in his thirties. Perhaps this contrast is part of his charm.
Mikasa's Grandfather
He moved to the outskirts of Shiganshina District, but his business was disrupted there, leading to poverty. Incidentally, Mikasa's family is a branch of the Ackerman family, while Levi's family is the main branch.
Mikasa's Father
Mikasa's father also came from a branch family. Like Mikasa's mother, he was killed by a robber. From there, Mikasa was raised in Eren's home.
Commonalities of the Ackerman Family
Speaking of the Ackerman family, every member possesses extraordinary fighting ability. From here, we'll introduce some common traits shared by the Ackerman family.
Unusually High Combat Power
First of all, one of the defining characteristics of the Ackerman family is their extraordinary combat power. Both Mikasa and Levi are active on the front lines of battle thanks to their extraordinary strength. Even as trainees, Mikasa quickly mastered the 3D Maneuver Gear, while Levi is amazed to have learned to use it on his own. In particular, when Mikasa's powers awakened as a child, she crushed a floor slab underfoot. This shows that children possess strengths beyond what is normally possible.
One day, their powers suddenly awaken.
This is also something that the Ackerman family shares. Perhaps it's because they're forced into a situation where they have no choice but to fight, or because they've faced death. While the details are unknown, their powers tend to suddenly awaken when various conditions are met. Both Mikasa and Levi awaken under similar circumstances. Incidentally, according to Eren in Chapter 112, their powers awaken when they "decide on a host and receive commands from that host." In Mikasa's case, it was Eren.
So, power isn't something that comes from effort or something innate?
Levi tells Mikasa, "One day... at a certain moment, an incredible amount of power suddenly welled up from within my body, and I knew what to do... I had that moment too." While the exact conditions for awakening are unknown, we can see that, like Mikasa, Levi experienced a moment of awakening. Therefore, the strength of the Ackerman family isn't something that comes from hard work or is innate, but something that awakens "suddenly, one day."
They can intentionally remove human limiters
Another distinctive feature of the Ackerman family is their ability to intentionally remove human limiters. This is what's known as "superhuman strength in an emergency," and most humans only unleash their full potential when they're in dire straits or under certain specific circumstances. However, the Ackermans can freely control this power and always exert 100% of their power, giving them extraordinary fighting prowess.
Why are they so strong? The Ackerman Family is a "Byproduct of Titan Science"
It has been revealed that the Ackerman family's powers are a "byproduct of Titan science." This means that the Ackermans are artificially created by the Malayan government. This also explains why the Ackerman family was not affected by the royal family's memory alteration power. Incidentally, in Chapter 112, Eren says that the Ackerman family's Titan powers are extracted while retaining their human form. Furthermore, they fight predictably and can use their powers to a certain extent at will.
Originally created to protect King Fritz
![Mikasa and Levi silhouette]()
The Ackerman family was originally a clan born in the Eldian Empire during its long history as a result of research into the "People of Ymir." In fact, they were designed to protect King Fritz. As a result, as soon as they recognize a host, habits built into their blood are activated. These instincts are unleashed when certain conditions are met, such as when they are cornered and obey the host's commands.
The True Ackerman Family! History Before Levi's Birth
By far, the most popular character in the Ackerman family, and indeed in "Attack on Titan," is Captain Levi, the "Strongest Mankind." He was born into the main Ackerman family, and the existence of his mother and uncle has been revealed, but what exactly was Levi's environment and upbringing like before he was born?
I didn't know my last name for a while!
![Levi Looking Sideways]()
We've mentioned that Levi's mother is Kuchel, Kenny the Ripper's sister. Levi was the child of a prostitute and a customer, and inherited his maternal Ackerman bloodline. Levi lived with his mother in a brothel until he was a toddler, but after his mother's death he was taken in by Kenny. Shortly after that, Kenny also disappeared from Levi's sight. From then on, Levi survived on his own, but until Kenny confessed to him just before his death, he was unaware of Kenny's relationship with his mother, his own roots, or even his surname.
Levi's Mother Died at a Young Age
![Levi Questions Kenny]()
By the time Kenny visited Kuchel again, she had already died of a sexually transmitted disease. Incidentally, she deliberately withheld her Ackerman surname from the young Levi to protect him.
A Spectacular Ackerman Family Battle Scene
The Ackerman family possesses extraordinary fighting abilities. A battle between these two clan members would undoubtedly be extremely exciting! Let's take a look back at one of the most famous battle scenes in "Attack on Titan," the "Kenny vs. Levi" fight at Stohess Bar.
Meeting Kenny
![Kenny's Appearance]()
One day, Levi's squad infiltrated Stohess District and was attacked by the Military Police. Their actions were completely seen through, and Levi's subordinates were killed one after another. That's when he met Kenny.
Battle at a Bar He Fled
Levi was naturally surprised when he suddenly reunited with Kenny. He fled to the Stohess Bar, but was eventually cornered. Since it was Kenny who taught Levi how to fight, it was only natural that Kenny knew what he was up to. Kenny targeted Levi with a surprise attack.
Levi was strong!
![Kenny vs. Levi's Battle]()
But Levi's strength was overwhelming! He projected Kenny's image onto a liquor bottle and then shot it through the counter. Levi, who has plenty of experience outside the walls, is truly impressive.
A Summary of the Ackerman Family!
![Kenny and Levi facing each other]()
This concludes our introduction to the Ackerman family, featured in "Attack on Titan." We've covered their family tree, history, and characteristics, including why they're so strong. What did you think? We now know the reason behind the extraordinary combat prowess of Captain Levi, humanity's strongest corporal, as well as Mikasa and Kenny. There are still many mysteries about "Attack on Titan" that remain to be revealed, and we believe they will become clearer as the story unfolds. It will be interesting to see what happens next!
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