Bold, vocal, and never afraid to speak out his mind, Jean initially had a huge problem with the series’ main character, Eren, finding the latter’s motivations self-serving and unrealistic. As the series progresses, though, viewers get to see Jean evolve from an egoistic, deterministic teen to a young man who is willing to take the mantle of leadership if it means saving his comrades’ lives.

From the moment he was introduced to the story, Jean stated that he wanted to rank high in his class so that he could live a life of comfort in within Wall Sina. After experiencing battle firsthand, however, he decided to enlist in the Scouting legion, becoming a valuable member of the team in the process.

The quiet, introverted Annie is our lists Number 9. Introduced as a young girl with unique fighting skills and an air of superiority over her fellow cadets, she quickly became one of the best trainees of her batch. She was so talented, in fact, that she easily overpowered Eren and the much bigger Reiner in hand-to-hand combat.

In the Female Titan arc, however, her true colors were revealed. Being the only one among her batch’s top ten who opted to sign up for the Military Police in Wall Sina, she was the last person anyone suspected of being the deadly Female Titan. When in her titan form, she becomes exponentially deadly, able to completely dominate Eren’s Rogue Titan with her mastery of titan powers and skills.

There’s no doubt about it. Hange is a little bit unhinged. In fact, her curiosity (Is obsession a better word?) about titans is something that is considered close to insanity. Well, maybe she is a little bit unsound in the mind. However, that does not stop her from being a complete badass. In fact, titans do not faze her at all. Instead, she actively seeks them out.

Hange is the very epitome of fearlessness. When a titan appears, it is not revulsion or fear that she is overcome with. Rather, she is usually overcome by an almost childlike curiosity and fascination about the deadly giants. Oh, and she doesn’t flinch when she tortures them for her researches too, as shown by her actions with Sawney and Bean, two titans that she successfully captured.

As his peers remarked in the Female Titan arc, most of the Survey Corps usually miss Reiner’s capabilities as a fighter because he gets eclipsed by Mikasa’s raw power and insane ability with the 3D Maneuver Gear. However, Reiner, the number two, is still a remarkably reliable, capable, and resilient individual, able to kill titans with his raw power alone.

Of course, through the course of the series, numerous revelations would be made regarding Reiner’s true identity. Before that, however, fans of the anime would surely be treated with his displays of strength and heroism, especially during the Castle Utgard arc (which hopefully would make it to the anime’s second season), where he took on a titan literally with his bare hands. No 3DMG. Just with his hands. Crazy? Maybe. Badass? Definitely.

The beautiful, demure Krista is widely regarded by many to be a flower amongst a sea of thorns. Indeed, when one looks at her, one would wonder exactly what she is doing in the military. After surviving an attempt on her life during her childhood, she enlists in the military, where she ended up being friends with her squad mates.

Usually referred to as a “Goddess” by her peers due to her beauty (Jean, Armin, and Sasha directly thought this, and Reiner even went as far as to wish she would marry him), she is nonetheless a strong-willed young woman. Eventually, she would play a very active part in overthrowing the government, ultimately ending the arc with her own hands. Once the anime catches up to the manga at this point, everyone would see just how badass Krista really is.

Yes, Armin might not be that deadly with the 3D Maneuver Gear. His titan kills are pretty average at best, too. However, what he lacks in fighting prowess, he more than makes up for with his genius-level intellect. Possessing an extremely gifted mind, Armin is able to to come up with strategies that ultimately save dozens of lives multiple times. In fact, he is so smart, Erwin Smith, the Survey Corps’ commander, fully trusts his intuition.

What makes Armin so cool is the fact that he is the very epitome of the saying that the mind might very well be deadlier than the sword. As the series progresses, everyone’s respect for Armin’s intellect and mental prowess grows exponentially. Eventually, in the Clash of Titans arc, which is yet to be animated, everyone would see just how much damage Armin could do just with the power of his words.

Eren is hot-headed, reckless, and violent in battle, relishing in the pain of his enemies. Yes, he’s pretty dark, but he is the perfect lead for a very gritty anime such as Attack on Titan. Starting off as an almost annoyingly weak character, Eren eventually grows in strength and maturity, becoming an intuitive soldier in the Survey Corps with the added ability to transform into the Rogue Titan, a 15-meter behemoth that Eren eventually learns to control.

Possessing a drive that is almost inhuman and a resilience that is downright unnatural, Eren is one character that, like him or not, will always be etched in viewers’ minds long after the series has ended. Of course, the fact that he transforms to arguably the most awesome-looking Titan around helps his case a lot. As the very characterization of the anime itself, Eren is our proud Number 4.

So why exactly is Erwin Smith, a side character, in the third spot on this list? Let me state his case in one sentence. The man is so ridiculously badass, it’s scary. Introduced as the level-headed and almost Machiavellian leader of the Survey Corps, Erwin is depicted to be the man responsible for a number of the Survey Legion’s innovations.

What makes him such a cool character though is the fact that behind his almost immaculate appearance, lies a ruthless, uncompromising, devil-may-care nature that people are bound to fear. In the end of the anime alone, he quickly embraces an on-the-spot execution by the Military Police without a second thought, and he does not even flinch nor move an inch when the Rogue Titan severs the Female Titan’s arm and sends it flying towards him. In a sense, Erwin is the epitome of the saying that to control monsters, one must be a monster as well.

Mikasa’s ridiculous natural talent in fighting and slaying titans is made evident from the beginning of the series. In fact, her sheer number of titan kills is the one of the highest in the universe of the manga and anime. Cold, calculated, and with a sheer and vicious desire to protect those that she considers precious to her, Mikasa never wavers when it comes to slaying anyone that gets in her way.

Though she does have her limits, Mikasa nonetheless takes the Number 2 spot in this list due to her insane ability to slay titans efficiently. Her protective nature towards her friends and family, as well as the fact that she is the lone Asian in the anime, makes her even cooler. Her character is so strong, she’s almost OP, making everyone, from conventional anime fans to extremist feminists, admire her characterization.

Of course, at the top of our list today is the man who is considered as Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. Gifted with an almost inhuman prowess with the 3D Maneuver Gear, he is able to slay titans almost effortlessly at all. He is also cold and calculating, never hesitating to draw his blade in the face of adversity. He is also well-respected, to the point when even bullheaded people like Eren look up to him as a role model.

In battle, Levi is just a step away from being ridiculously OP. He kills titans in a manner that makes Mikasa, already considered as a genius, pale in comparison. Of course, his other quirks, such as is obsessive compulsive nature and his ridiculously cool demeanor, makes him into arguably the most awesome character in the Attack on Titan universe.