In the world of Attack on Titan, the origins of the Ackerman clan remain shrouded in mystery, with little revealed about how each individual known to carry the name was powerful enough to be equated to an entire brigade of soldiers. The two most prominently featured individuals who belonged to this lineage, Levi and Mikasa Ackerman, were easily the Survey Corps' strongest soldiers apart from the Titan shifters within their ranks, which further enhanced the aura of mystique around them.

For the majority of the Attack on Titan, Levi was considered "Humanity's Strongest Soldier," and rightly so, as virtually no one could take on Titan shifters in a one-on-one fight like him. However, the events of the War for Paradis Arc had some effect on culling Levi's incredible combat abilities, which meant that someone else needed to fill in the vacuum he left behind. Fortunately, Mikasa was perfectly suited for the role due to a number of reasons, and her remarkable development as a combatant has inspired new comparisons on who is stronger between the two by the end of the series' final battle.

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The Power Of The Ackerman Clan

To date, there has been only a brief explanation of the Ackerman's superhuman strength, speed, and tactical acumen, which allowed them to take on foes that were seemingly more powerful than them and emerge victorious. This knowledge was shared when Zeke Yeager — the War Chief of Marley's Warrior Unit and the holder of the Beast Titan — explained to Eren that the Ackerman clan's special abilities were the product of experiments done on the Subjects of Ymir by the Eldian Empire.

As a result, members of the clan were immune to the Founding Titan's memory manipulation, and could not be turned into Pure Titans. The former was one of the reasons why the clan was persecuted after the 145th Fritz King abandoned the Eldian Empire and retreated to Paradis, as they were among the few who knew the secret of life beyond the Walls. More importantly, Ackerman clan members were able to manifest aspects of the Power of the Titans while in human form without the need for any transformation.

Generally, this ability was not available from birth itself and had to be attained through an event that triggered an Ackerman's survival instincts. This process, known as an "awakening," gave the individual superhuman physical attributes, as a result of having the combined battle experience of all their Ackerman ancestors transmitted to them through the Paths. In the series, the most well known instance of an Ackerman first displaying their awakened power, was when Mikasa, as a child, was able to single-handedly kill one of the kidnappers that had taken her hostage.

Levi's Immense Combat Abilities

Levi himself has attested to a similar event occurring in his life, which is the reason behind his own strength. According to him, the moment of awakening gave an Ackerman the mental clarity to know exactly what needed to be done in a situation, with the inhuman strength they now had access to. Combined with his mastery of omni-directional maneuvering (ODM) gear, Levi was a near invincible fighter, and potentially even the strongest character in the series prior to Eren obtaining his Founding Titan form.

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By far the best at using ODM gear in the Survey Corps, Levi's speed was unparalleled, and he was able to perform such complex movements in midair, that even seasoned Titan shifters were unable to catch hold of him. He also possessed a brilliant strategic mind and could come up with tactics on the fly to take on Titan shifters on his own. The unique backhanded way in which he wielded the sword in his right hand allowed him to execute attacks that involved spinning and rotation, cutting through Titan flesh in an arc around him to devastating effect. Levi generally stuck to wielding swords but was also quite capable of using the newer and more effective Thunder Spears, as demonstrated on several occasions.

Over the course of the series, the best example of his ridiculous strength could be seen in his fights against the Beast Titan. Although Levi did rely on his comrades to distract Zeke Yeager at the Battle of Shiganshina, and later had the advantage of the Titan Forest when fighting him a third time, he completely carved up Zeke's Titan body from head to toe in a matter of moments on both occasions, giving his opponent almost no time to react. Sadly, in the aftermath of the battle, he was seriously injured when Zeke sacrificed himself and detonated a Thunder Spear at close range, making Levi lose two fingers on his right hand and endure severe facial scarring. Despite this, he was able to play a major role in the final battle, but this resulted in dire consequences to his mobility in the years after its conclusion.

Mikasa's Growth As A Soldier

Described by her instructors as an unrivaled genius, who excelled in virtually every department, Mikasa was able to efficiently use ODM gear to evade Titans and eliminate them with little effort even as a cadet. By virtue of being an Ackerman, she also had a similar level of strength and battle awareness as Levi, which quickly saw her rise to prominence in the Survey Corps, becoming one of their most respected and capable soldiers. In many ways, Mikasa's growth bore many similarities to Levi's own, save for a few of her more abrasive qualities.

Initially, due to a lack of battle experience, Mikasa was prone to bouts of recklessness, most notably when Eren was involved, as she often abandoned any concern for her own well-being to rush to his aid whenever he was in trouble. This sometimes resulted in her allies having to bear the consequences of her mistakes. After the time skip, her overprotective attitude towards Eren mellowed considerably, and she became far more calculating and careful in most situations. She was also a much more capable team player than Levi, as has been demonstrated in several instances, such as the Raid on Liberio.

One of Mikasa's greatest strengths was her unparalleled ability at using Thunder Spears, such that her proficiency at using them was regarded as superior that of their inventor, Hange Zoe. Her formidable physical strength allowed her to carry as much as eight of them at a time, which is very impressive, to say the least. She was also one of the most decisive factors in the outcome of the final battle, which must be considered in any comparison. This, combined with her constantly developing tactical eye, and her growing maturity, may allow her to slightly edge out Levi in his injured state, by the end of Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

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