Do we like them?

Do we like Armin Arlert?

A character from Attack on Titan (2013-2023)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's more brain than brawn, and he keeps choosing mercy and clear thinking in a very brutal world.

Armin grows up in a walled city where humanity hides from giant Titans. He's the small, bookish kid who dreams of seeing the outside world. He is bullied for being weak, and Eren and Mikasa are his closest friends. After the walls are breached, all three join the military.

He's not a natural fighter and he knows it. His strength is how he thinks: he reads situations quickly, spots patterns others miss, and plans around the enemy's weaknesses. He also has a lot of moral courage. He admits fear, but he steps up when it matters.

Over the story his role grows from the clever sidekick to a leader whose judgment others rely on. He is often the one arguing for empathy and negotiation when his friends are pushed toward violence. That is why he scores so high. He isn't flawless, since he doubts himself and sometimes follows more forceful friends, but his conscience and his plans are the best of the group.