I’ll admit when it comes to anime, I’m a bit of a noob on the topic. While I have watched a few of the best anime TV shows or movies in my years of binging, I could definitely be watching more. However, the one anime that I think could never be beaten is Attack on Titan.
There have been so many amazing Attack on Titan episodes, fight scenes - even the Titans are terrifying. Everything from beginning to end has been done so amazingly and I know that this show is truly one of the best under-the-radar shows out there. But since we’ve already ranked all of those terrifying Titans, let’s take a look at the top ten non-Titan characters from Attack on Titan that I think are the epitome of badass. And obviously, spoilers down below!!!
10. Historia Reiss
Okay, hear me out on this one. While she’s not what most people would consider the typical badass in Attack on Titan (i.e. she doesn’t kick butt like crazy), Historia is badass in another way - emotionally. For so long, all she wanted was to be someone else, going so far as to change her name, but it’s only when Ymir helps her out that she finally starts to take on the role she was always meant to have - to be a queen.
What makes me like her even more is that she doesn’t just sit around and do nothing. Even after she becomes Queen, after striking down her father who had turned into an abnormal Titan, she is actively involved in military meetings and trying to figure out the best course forward. She may not be physically badass, but everything else about her is.
9. Dot Pixis
Oh, Pixis. May he rest in peace.
While he wasn’t an essential character in Attack on Titan like some of the other cadets, Pixis was a brilliant commander who had an amazing mind, and genuinely wanted to work towards the goal of advancing humanity despite everything that was going on. He was an expert strategist that came up with some of the biggest plot twists ever, and stood out amongst the rest even if he wasn’t in the show as often.
I only wish he didn't drink that damn wine.
8. Keith Shadis
I don’t care what anyone says - Keith Shadis in Attack on Titan is freaking scary and he deserves all the respect in the world.
We don’t really see Shadis as a super crazy badass character until Season 4, where he tries to help everyone against the surprise Shiganshina attack from Marley, even after his other cadets beat him. But even before then, you need to put some respect on this dude’s name. He was a master interrogator, and knew how to weasel out the true fighters vs the wimps.
Plus, he was literally the instructor for the 104th Training Corps, for most of the people who are on this list. He deserves some love.
7. Connie Springer
I’m going to just say this now - Connie is average in badassery on Attack on Titan. While he’s had his funny moments, I have to put him down here a little lower because compared to some of the other cadets from the 104, he’s not as badass.
He knows how to use his gear well and has definitely proven he’s a capable warrior, but at the end of the day, there are still moments and people who surpass him. I can't really recall many moments that stand out to me other than him fighting alongside his comrades, so that's why he's down here.
6. Sasha Braus
Not only is Sasha amazing with her ODM gear, but this woman has impeccable aim. She’s an expert at using bows and arrows, and once they got access to firearms, she was a great shot. Heck, she took on a Titan all by herself in her abandoned village with just a bow and an arrow. Do you know how hard that is?
It’s a shame that her incredible aim ended up being the reason for her demise - which was one of the best parts of the first half of Season 4, but still. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for my potato-loving goofball.
5. Hange Zoe
I love Hange in Attack on Titan. While you can see her fears and concerns about the world, at the end of the day, she’s still a Squad Leader who has a curiosity for Titans and would go so far as to capture them and experiment on them, and even form strange relationships with them.
Not only that, but this woman lost a whole eye when Bertolt transformed, and still somehow survived and came back to try and save people, using her gear, and after that, continued to constantly try to expand her knowledge of the world. She’s a brilliant commander, an expert interrogator, and someone I have loved since the beginning.
4. Jean Kirstein
You know, when I first started coming up with this list, I debated about where to put Jean. But truth be told, he’s won me over in Attack on Titan, especially in Season 4.
In the first season, Jean was this stuck-up brat who wanted to only do well to join the Military Police and live a kushy, problem-free life, but as time goes on, we start to see him mature so much, growing close to his friends, and putting his life on the line, all for the sake of humanity. And especially in Season 4, you can see how much he has changed.
He went from being too afraid to take someone’s life to no hesitations at all, turning down the opportunity to lead to becoming a leader. You want to talk about great character development, he is for sure one of those cases where you learn to love him.
3. Mikasa Ackerman
Okay, first off, this woman is the love of my life, so I am biased, I’ll admit, but come on - you knew Mikasa would be high on this list.
From the first episode of Attack on Titan, she has constantly shown how freaking skillful she is. She literally killed someone when she was a little girl, she’s stuck down so many Titans I can’t even count the amount, she’s threatened the lives of people without the blink of an eye - she’s just amazing.
You want to talk about no hesitation? This is the epitome of no hesitation. Her and a few others on this list.
2. Erwin Smith
He had to go somewhere on here, and he’s my number 2. Erwin Smith from Attack on Titan is the only commander that ever made me want to join the military. This man was such a badass. He was never seen that much for his skill on ODM gear, but he was a brave soul who honestly should have lived much longer.
He was relentless in his search for trying to find out about the true history of the world. He would willingly risk the lives of him and his inferiors just for the slim chance that they would succeed in their mission. And in his final hour, that’s exactly what he did. Out of every commander that there ever could be, no one could quite beat Erwin for his stunning mind and brilliant battle-planning.
1. Levi Ackerman
I mean, if you’re a fan of Attack on Titan, this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Levi Ackerman is hands down the most badass non-Titan character. It’s funny to even bring this up because he wasn’t even featured that much in Season 1, but Levi earned this spot later on.
This man is practically a god with his ODM gear. Not only is he a fantastic captain within the Survey Corps, but he can take down Titans like it’s no one’s business. He took down all those Titans that Zeke transformed in the forest by himself. He literally beat the Beast Titan not once, but twice, by himself. While he had some help along the way from other people to get him to where he is now, there is truly no stopping Levi.
Just like Mikasa (who’s in the same family tree as him), he does not hesitate when it comes to killing. He does what he needs to do, and gets it done absolutely perfectly.
Even if Attack on Titan is ending soon, I’ll still have all the respect for all of these amazing characters until the day I die. Now I’ll just go and listen to all those amazing intros, because those are some killer theme songs (pun intended).
