Special Operations Squad - Attack on Titan
The Special Operations Squad is a highly trained, highly skilled squad comprised of elite soldiers within the Survey Corps. It is sometimes referred to as “Squad Levi”, as each member in the Special Operations Squad is hand-picked by its captain, Levi Ackermann.
As a team, the Special Operations Squad has over two hundred confirmed Titan kills and can take down nearly any Titan they come across. Even though each individual member is a great fighter on their own, the Special Operation Squad’s true strength comes from their impeccable teamwork when they work together. Each member can work so well together, it seems like they are capable of communicating without using any words, signals, or gestures when in combat. Because of the Squad’s strength and past successes, they are often put in charge of tasks with higher stakes and priorities, such as protecting Eren during the 57th Expedition while simultaneously attempting to lure the Female Titan into a trap to capture it.
History
The Special Operations Squad is first introduced shortly after Levi takes Eren into custody after the world realizes that he can turn into the Attack Titan. Since Titans were simply believed to be the enemies of humanity at the time, many considered Eren to be a traitor. That said, Levi saw the potential of having a Titan on their side and decided to take a risk. Many Titan transformation experiments followed and the Special Operations Squad was always kept close by in case things were to go awry.
During the 57th Expedition, the Squad was primarily tasked with protecting Eren to ensure that he was not captured by the enemy. After the Survey Corps’ formation was compromised by the Female Titan, the members took Eren and escaped into a nearby forest. The Female Titan quickly follows them and catches many members off guard, despite their impressive coordination and skills. In the end, nearly all of the members of the original Special Operations Squad were killed in this mission. The only members that survived were Levi and Eren.
Members
The current Special Operations Squad was reformed after the 57th Expedition, as most members of the previous Squad were killed in action. The following list shows the current members of the Squad or former members that are still alive:
Eren Jaeger: The main protagonist of Attack on Titan. Although many people feared him because of his ability to turn into a Titan, he quickly became a valuable asset to the Squad. He possesses the powers of both the Attack Titan and the Founding Titan, though he does not realize that he holds the latter power until much later.
Krista Lenz/Historia Reiss: A member of the Survey Corps that had been using an alias throughout much of her life. Although many characters came to know her as a shy, kind-hearted woman named “Krista Lenz”, her actual name is Historia Reiss. As Reiss is the name of the royal family of Eldia, Historia eventually becomes Queen.
Mikasa Ackerman: Eren’s adoptive sister. Mikasa often shows little emotion, a characteristic that allows her to keep level headed, even in the heat of battle. She ends up ranking first in the 104th Training Corps and becomes an incredibly skilled fighter. She is also half Asian, a trait that is incredibly rare among people inside the walls.
Armin Arlelt: A childhood friend of Eren and Mikasa. Although he is considerably more frail than other soldiers in the Survey Corps, he makes up for his lack of muscle with an incredibly analytical brain. Armin often acts as a strategist whenever plans are being created.
Connie Springer: Graduated in 8th place from the 104th Training Corps. Connie begins as an eager, carefree character that often liked to show off his capabilities to others, but as time goes on and he experiences more and more loss, his character matures into a much more mature and somber character.
Jean Kirstein: Graduated in 6th place from the 104th Training Corps. Although he originally wanted to join the Military Police Brigade and live a life of peace and luxury, the death of his close friend Marco motivated him to join the Survey Corps.
Members Killed in Action
Eld Jinn: the right-hand man of Levi’s original Special Operations Squad. He was killed by being bitten nearly in half by the Female Titan in the 57th Expedition.
Oluo Bozado: Another soldier hand-picked by Levi to be a part of the Squad. He was killed by a kick from the Female Titan during the 57th Expedition.
Petra Ral: The only female soldier from Levi’s original team. She was incredibly kind and empathetic toward those around her. Petra was killed in the 57th Expedition by a kick from the Female Titan that crushed her between a tree.
Gunther Schultz: A reasonable, yet stern member of the original Special Operations Squad. He was killed by an unknown attacker after falling for a trap during the 57th Expedition.
Sasha Blouse: Graduated in 9th from the 104th Training Corps. Sasha was a woman from a village of hunters that was quite skilled with a bow. She is eventually killed in the Marley Arc.