Throughout his life, Erwin Smith has led the fight against the Titans on behalf of humanity, but the commander of the Survey Corps is a deep and complex character. How well do you know Erwin Smith? 👱🏻♂️
Erwin Smith may have left Attack on Titan during the anime's final season, but he had a significant impact on the events that took place up to that point in the series, and as one of humanity's most influential commanders, these ideas will likely continue even in his absence. ☠
The commander of the exploration battalion, Erwin, is best known for his dedication to discovering life outside the walls for the inhabitants of Paradise Island. This is his sole goal throughout the series, and he seems willing to sacrifice anything to achieve it, whether it's his soldiers' lives or his own.
But while every Snk fan can attest to the Erwin's determination for discovering the secret of the titans and extramural expeditions, there are a lot of things we don't know about the commander just by watching the anime.🔍
Here is 20 things you probably don't know on Commander Erwin Smith.
1) Losing his arm causes Erwin to salute incorrectly
During the second season of the anime, he even loses his right arm 💪🏻 during the attempt to retrieve Eren from Reiner and Bertolt , which seriously harms his ability to fight afterwards.
It turns out that the loss of his right arm also renders Erwin unable to salute properly by common standards. Since members of the Paradis Island army salute with their right arm , Erwin's salute with his left arm is considered incorrect.
It is possible that this is an intentional detail since Erwin's loyalty to the royalty and senior officers of Paradise Island wavers at the start of the third season. ❌
2) Erwin Smith knew his death was near
Erwin fought harder than ever to return to Shiganshina District and discover the secrets hidden in the basement of Eren Jaeger's childhood home.🏠 Unfortunately, Erwin does not survive the battle to take back thedistrict of Shiganshina , and he never manages to enter the basement or see the defeated Titans.
But although Erwin's inability to achieve his goals before his death is upsetting and very frustrating, it is likely that the commander suspected that he would soon perish. After all, he leaves the Exploration Battalion in the hands of Hansi Zoë at the start of the third season of the anime, entrusting her with a future that he believes he cannot see. 👀
3) Erwin became battalion commander without the elder dying.
The Survey Corps has lost many members, and the commanders are no exception. 💀 Most of the battalion commanders have taken up the torch after their predecessor died in battle , but Erwin was the first to do so while the former commander was still alive. As we learn during the anime, Keith Shadis led the soldiers before Erwin, although the regiment suffered significant losses under his leadership.
Overwhelmed with guilt and ashamed of his incompetence, Shadis withdrew from his duties as regimental leader of the battalion, choosing instead to train military recruits.
Given that Erwin was one of his most respected soldiers, it makes sense that he succeeded him as leader of the regiment. It was a unique start for the Erwin's tenure , which is fitting, especially considering how revolutionary Erwin's rule over the regiment was going to be.
4) Erwin is single because his lifespan is uncertain
Most SNK characters don't have much interest in romance, and it's easy to see why. Living in a world where humans are constantly prey to man-eating T itans , who has time to worry about love? 💔 This is a sentiment that Erwin seems to agree with, at least according to the anime's creator.
Isayama revealed that Erwin Smith remains single for most of the series because he is unsure of exactly how long he has left to live. This is a legitimate concern given his role as commander of the Exploration Battalion. It's probably safe to assume he doesn't think it would be fair for him or a potential partner to get involved when it's so likely he'll die on an expedition away from the walls.
5) He was a very intelligent child
Ever since Erwin discovered that humanity had no records or memories of what life was like before the Walls appeared, he realized that something was wrong, even though he didn't. He was just a child. Eventually, her father shared with her his theory that their memories were being altered by the king 👑, which turned out to be more or less correct.
Unfortunately, it was Erwin's sharing this theory that led to his father's death. As an adult, he might have been the smartest character in the entire Attack on Titan series, arguably the only rival to Hange and Armin Arlert.
6) Despite his ruthless attitude, he feels guilty for his losses
Erwin is known to be ruthless in his goal of freeing humanity from the Titans, and he demonstrates time and again that he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his soldiers to achieve this goal. Even in the face of certain death , Erwin demands his fighters to give their hearts and souls to the cause, and he is even willing to sacrifice his own life as well. He often expresses it with his phrase full of charisma: SHINZO SASAGEYO ⚔
Although Erwin Smith speaks unemotionally and moves forward despite these sacrifices, the anime and manga suggest that he feels some remorse for indirectly killing his own men. He recognizes how many losses he has suffered just to see his own ambitions realized , although he usually quickly changes course when such thoughts arise. However, it is clear that he feels remorse deep down.😞
7) Erwin's nickname as a child was "Eyebrow".
It has not escaped most Attack on Titan fans that Erwin has big, well-shaped eyebrows , which has become something of a running joke among fans. Erwin's admirers may be even more amused to know that the design of Erwin's eyebrows did not escape Isayama either. The creator of the anime is well aware of how prominent Erwin's eyebrows are compared to his other features.↕
In fact, Isayama even revealed that the commander's nickname as a child was "Eyebrow" . Truth be told, it's not a very flattering nickname, but back then, many great men weren't as impressive as they are today. At least Erwin's soldiers never got into the habit of calling him "Eyebrow".👱🏻♂️
8) Erwin Smith wasn't always friends with Levi
Levi Ackerman 👦🏻 is one of the most respected and trusted soldiers in Erwin's Survey Battalion, and it becomes more and more apparent that the two have a close bond as they progress. the anime progresses.🤝🏻 Levi is not afraid to speak his mind to Erwin , even though he is his superior, and Erwin trusts Levi's judgment in difficult situations.
But anyone who has read Levi's manga series, No Regrets, knows that the two men didn't always have such a strong camaraderie with each other. In fact, Erwin first forces Levi to join the Survey Corps in order to make up for his bad deeds and Levi hates him for it.
It was only after many years of working together that the two developed the mutual respect that fans saw during the first three seasons.
9) Erwin has the same voice as Sebastien in Black Butler
Fans of the Black Butler anime will recognize the Japanese and English voice actors from Commander Erwin , as both also voice the demonic butler Sebastian Michaelis.
Of course, Erwin and Sebastian don't have much in common beyond their voice actors. One of the characters is a sadistic and cruel creature, while the other is a very intelligent human being . In reality, the only thing the two can be said to have in common is their dedication to their missions.
It's always interesting to see voice actors playing such different characters. Most of the time, viewers don't even realize it's the same person behind the mic, at least not until they go online and check.🔎
10) Erwin has a dedicated OST
Snk offers a range of quality soundtracks throughout its seasons, and some of these soundtracks 🎼 that viewers hear repeatedly in the anime are actually dedicated to characters from the manga. In fact , eight of the characters from Attack on Titan have their own theme , including Eren, Levi, Mikasa, Armin, Bertolt, Reiner, Jean and Erwin.
The song dedicated to Erwin is titled " Hope of Mankind ", which is sung by Daisuke Ono. The title of the song is appropriate for the Commander, as it represents hope for the future of humanity during the anime. ⚔
11) Erwin's goal
Erwin Smith's ultimate goal was to see humanity free again , freedom for all men behind the walls. The idea of living in fear within the walls didn't suit him, and just like Eren, he wanted to end the Titans' domination.
In fact, he was so determined to achieve his dream that even losing his arm, or his life, didn't bother him as long as he freed humanity. Thanks to his incredible leadership, the inhabitants of Paradise Island were able to take one step closer to true freedom.🦶
12) Erwin Smith is very popular among fans
Commander Erwin Smith is cruel at first glance. But Erwin Smith is one of those characters that you end up falling in love with, thanks to the way Isayama wrote his character. In the first popularity poll, Erwin managed to take 12th place.
After seeing the development of his characters, after understanding his motivations, his objective ... Erwin Smith managed to take second place🥈 in popularity polls. Finally, in the third popularity poll, he took the first place🥇 , which proves that fans love him more and more.
13) Erwin is inspired by Watchmen
Hajime Isayama must be a bigWatchmen fan since Levi Ackerman and Erwin were both partly inspired by characters from this series. It is assumed that the character of Erwin was somewhat inspired by Watchmen's Ozymandias, an extremely intelligent vigilante who based most of his actions on his idealistic beliefs about the world and what it could be.
And if we understand the reasoning behind Ozymandias' decisions, it's easy to draw a line between the two characters. Even though Erwin isn't really a vigilante, his ideals often influenced his decisions and clouded his judgment, as did Ozymandias. Erwin is also often praised for his pragmatism and strategic savvy, traits that likely stem from Ozymandias' intellect.
14) Erwin and the battalion scout training
As the 13th commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith introduced a number of tactics and improvements that increased the soldiers' chances of survival when venturing outside the walls . One of the biggest changes he made was the training of long-range scouts, which greatly increased the survival rate, a smart tactic when modern communications are lacking.📻
Through this training, the group's view of the surrounding area has greatly improved, as well as allowing them to better understand where the Titans appear. Thanks to smoke signals , the entire path of the scout unit could be modified. Although Erwin is dead, his legacy is still carried by Hanji Zoë . 👩🏻
15) His stats are incredible
According to Hajime Isayama, the author of Attack on Titan, Erwin Smith is a very capable man, and his statistics also support this. From what has been revealed, Erwin is extremely intelligent and therefore scores a 10/10 in Intelligence 🧠 and Initiative.
Interestingly, he also has a perfect 10/10 in cruelty which often arises from his desire to aim for the greater good. In combat, Erwin has a 9/10🥋, which, while not as good as the stats mentioned above, is quite respectable. Finally, he holds a 7/10 in teamwork, which is supposed to be his weakness. Looking at his stats, it's very easy to see that Erwin was one of the greatest characters Isayama created . He is an excellent leader of men.
16) Many men died because of Erwin
Although Erwin is a good guy who works for the restoration of humanity, he has killed a number of people💀, most of them being his men who willingly followed him even though they knew the risks his men were taking .
Erwin also got his father killed , albeit indirectly, by sharing his theory about the memories of people manipulated by the king👑. Additionally, he was also responsible for the deaths of nearly 100 people from the Stohess District within Wall Sina taking full responsibility for the deaths caused by the Titans' rampage.
17) Erwin Smith loved his men
As commander of the Survey Corps , Erwin placed great importance on the lives of his men. However, everyone who followed him knew that survival was never a guarantee when fighting the Titans outside the walls.🌳
Knowing the feelings of his men, Erwin was never afraid to sacrifice them for the good of all humanity. His leadership skills were so good that everyone willingly followed him into battle, even those who initially despised him, such as Levi Ackerman . Thanks to his charm and his unwavering determination, Erwin was able to arouse the trust of all the members of the Survey Corps.
18) Erwin Smith commanded the Survey Corps for 5 years
Erwin Smith was the commander of the Survey Corps for a pretty decent amount of time. From the beginning of the series and almost halfway through, we see him leading the Exploration Battalion.👱🏻♂️
Interestingly, it was later revealed that Erwin Smith was the commander of the Battalion for 5 years, from 845 to 850 . Needless to say, he did a magnificent job during this time and that is exactly why he is loved by fans even after his death.💀
19) Erwin is the best battalion commander
As the Survey Corps was not an order created by Erwin Smith himself, there have been other commanders leading the battalion. As mentioned above, Erwin Smith was the 13th battalion commander.
Before him, the Survey Battalion was led by Keith Shadis, who was a very capable man himself.🧠 However, he was not as successful as Erwin Smith, and the fact that Erwin obtained results when he became commander further reinforces this fact.
20) He almost knew how to unlock the secrets of the Titans
Erwin Smith was one of the pivotal characters in the Attack on Titan story . Introduced as the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin led the inhabitants of Paradise Island to the secrets of the Titans' origins and paved the way to freedom for the Wall Dwellers. Constantly exposing himself to danger, he vowed to attack the root of the Titans' secret and the walls.🧱
He played a major role in the first three seasons of the anime , and although he is no longer around to lead the battalion, his influence on the characters, like Levi, is still strong.