I cheered

like it's funny how you mentioned people putting Erwin on a pedestal, but that's what you kind of do with Armin rn lol. Like I agree with the whole passing the torch to the new generations, but you basically compare a teenagers ideas and military strategy to the one of a seasoned commander

sorry, but this is in no way meant to show Erwin was running out of ideas - but to highlight that a leader listens to the opinions and ideas of the people around him, validating them in the process. That's why Armin remembers Erwin with admiration and respect, bcs he let him express himself

but he was willing to give the serum to Armin and just about to. So that argument that he thought Armin was more capable and important in the long run doesn't really stand, because if it did, Levi would have done that right then and there. That's what I'm trying to say lmao.

I'm sorry but Eren literally tells him they couldn't have known Floch would show up with Erwin still alive and Levi agrees . It's not my interpretation, it's the literal dialogue in the manga

and I agree with that. That's why I'm saying hindsight in that scene with his internal monologue (Erwin I didn't choose you) is validating his decision 4 years later, not at the very moment he made it. Because he didn't think of Armin in that way at that time yet.

Levi wasn't considering Erwin was still alive at that time. That was a bluff to convince Eren to give up his plan to revive Armin and instead revive Erwin. That's why Eren tells him " MY personal feelings? What about you?"

wait, this doesn't make sense to me. Levi was willing to give the serum to Armin and was in the process of doing so - but then Floch showed up unexpectedly and Levi did a 180. The crucial moment in Levi's characterisation and motives is that he changed his mind and became aggressive afterwards

Yes, but that unfolds in the next chapters - four years after Hange steps in as the commander. So Levi couldn't have known that Armin would be vital / important in that way, at that time. That's why I'm talking about hindsight.

That was after Erwin showed up. That's why Eren called Levi's bluff - he couldn't have known Erwin was alive, thus he made up his mind on the spot and left them hanging out to dry.

like this is very ambiguous if you meant to analyse the author's commentary after the scene played out and we had insight in the character's psyche. The future events unfolding and leading to Armin's ultimate role in the story weren't a influence of the characterat that particular time.

Weren't we talking about the character's personal motivations behind their actions, not about the author's commentary after the scenes were played out? Like this can be interpreted as a death of the author analysis of that scene. I was referring to hindsight, which was present in the narrative

Yet it does... it's about the sequence of events and using time skip and flashbacks to see a character's thoughts at that time and in the present. Levi's choice in serum bowl wasn't influenced by his future realisation that Armin would be beneficial for the future. It was Levi doing Erwin a kindness

Yet he changed his mind when Floch brought Erwin back. That's the whole purpose of his brawl with Eren and Mikasa and Eren calling him out for acting on his personal feelings. Hindsight is what we see in Levi's stream of consciousness four years later - and his conviction at that time.