Erwin is one of the most important supporting characters in the dark manga fantasy series Attack on Titan. His full name is Erwin Smith, voiced by Daisuke Ono in the Japanese version and J. Michael Tatum in the English version. In 2013, when the manga got its anime adaption, we witnessed the first glimpse of Erwin as the 13th commander of the survey corps till his death which is shown in season 3, episode 16, as he leads the cavalry in a suicide mission. Throughout the series, as we got to know him, it became more evident that his words significantly impacted his subordinates and the audience.
So here we will look at some of his best motivational quotes that prove Erwin Smith was a true leader.
1. “None of it matters as you lie, bleeding out, on the Battlefield.”
As the fight broke out around the wall Maria within the Shiganshina District, the troops soon realised their winning chances against the Beast Titan were null. Instead of serving them some sugar-coated lies, he speaks the truth. His blunt and straightforwardness help his subordinates to adapt to the constant change surrounding them.
2. “It’s us who gives meaning to our comrades’‘ lives.”
While carrying out the mission of reclaiming Wall Maria from the Beast Titan, the cavalry soon finds out that there is no way they would come out of this battlefield alive. Seeing such despair among his subordinates, Erwin states that every death of their fallen comrades has a meaning, and they should not be afraid of losing their lives as the ones who will live will never forget them, thus giving meaning to their sacrifice.
3. “There is no future where humanity can inhabit these lands without Eren.”
For years people inhabiting Paradis Island lived under the constant terror of Titans eating them up and destroying their lives. So when they saw Eren’s Titan form, they immediately saw him as a threat which is why the captain of the garrison, Kitz issued execution of Eren Yeager. But few people believed in Eren, and Erwin was one of them. He knew that for humanity’s survival outside the walls, Eren had to be on their side. That’s why when the Armored Titan captured Eren, Erwin led the mission Eren’s recovery while jeopardizing the safety of other scout members.
4. “So many times I thought death would be so much easier.”
As the battle of the reclamation of Wall Maria continues, we see another conflict that revolves around Erwin’s mind. Throughout his life, his main aim has been to prove his father’s theory, and for that to happen, he needed proof. Eventually, that day arrives when he learns about a key that Eren’s father trusted him as that key holds the answer to many unanswered questions.
He is in a dilemma. He wants to discover the truth, which is hidden in the basement, but at the same time, he must lead his cavalry on a suicide mission; otherwise, this whole mission would turn out to be a big failure as well as the chances of the survival of humanity would gradually diminish.
5. “My soldiers, Rage! My soldiers, Scream! My soldiers, Fight!”
This always remains one of the iconic scenes where Erwin and his troop charge toward the Beast Titan. As he led his cavalry towards this madness, he screamed those above words, thus diminishing the fear and firing up every soul as he assured them that their death would not go in vain.
6. “The one within the female titan is wearing our uniform right now.”
Let’s recap. In season 1, we see the 57th expedition to explore the world outside the walls, where Levi’s squad lures the female titan inside the forest and falls into a trap. She uses her “scream” ability to alert other titans( which she used as a decoy to escape from that trap).
But no one saw a person inside the female titan. Erwin states that the person must be wearing our uniform, which would act as that person’s camouflage. This shows his intelligence compare to the rest of the members.
7. “Sir, How do you know for sure there’s nobody on the other side of the walls?”
These words may not be meaningful to anybody, but they are essential in Erwin’s life. Erwin’s father was a well-known history teacher, and Erwin asked him this question. His father answered that all the stuff written off in the history books was bogus and led to a clear indication of some government-sponsored conspiracy. Erwin’s curiosity and enthusiasm resulted in his father’s death. Eventually, these words became his last ones, showing us how enthusiastic he was about finding the truth.
8. “What do you think the enemy is?”
Now let’s talk about one of the most exciting scenes from the entire series. So far, we have already witnessed Erwin’s intellect. Before heading for the basement mission, Erwin wanted to ask if there was any spy among them, which is why he asked this question to every member who was going to participate in this mission. The seed of his father’s theory made him cautious about his plan to explore the truth.
9. “They want to know what became of the hearts they gave.”
The fight continues between the Scout members and the Beast Titan but soon comes to a halt with zero chance of survival. With each passing moment, the conflict inside Erwin’s mind grows intensely. He has to make a choice, either they can run away or die as a hero on the battlefield. His desperation grew as he was eager to discover the mystery hidden inside the basement.
Either way, he has to make a choice and he choses to sacrifice himself and his subordinates for the greater good as he remembers the fallen comrades who gave up their life for the freedom of humanity outside the walls.
10. “If you begin to regret, you’ll dull your future decisions and let others make your choices for you.”
When Levi loses his two best friends at the hands of a Titan, Erwin knocks some sense into him. He doesn’t give me any emotional support. Instead, he explains that a life filled with regret would hurt his future decisions. He further adds that there will always be a time and place for mourning, and he shouldn’t let his emotions take hold of him right now.
11. “As we ride to certain death, we trust our successors to do the same for us.”
This is another part of the last speech Erwin gave to his subordinates. Every person born in this world would have to leave someday, leaving everything behind. But when death knocked on our door, even the bravest person would feel a cold sensation running down his spine. So before departing the world, Erwin lights their heart with fire by giving the most inspiring speech of all time.
12. “We will use any means necessary to ensure the missions and the efforts to take back this world are not abandoned.”
Erwin is ready to risk everything for the mission, and that mission means everything to him. It is a mission to retake their world from the titans, claim their freedom, end the government conspiracies, and, most importantly, discover the truth.
13. “This moment! this battle! humanity’s continued survival depends on it! so once more, for humanity’s sake, dedicate your hearts!”
The final war cry of commander Erwin as he, along with his subordinates, charged toward their death. Covering the terror with a scream, trusting their successors to remember their deaths and ultimately reclaim their freedom from the hands of Titans.
14. “One day, we’ll break it down. This wall hiding the truth will fall.”
The people living inside the walls lived under constant terror of being eaten alive by the titans. No one cared about the world outside of the walls. They believed whatever lies the government fed them, but Erwin was not one of them. His father’s theory had already planted a seed inside his mind, which he considered the ultimate truth of his life. Which is why in the last mission, he took every means necessary to reclaim Wall Maria and find the mystery behind the basement, even if it meant giving up his life for the greater good.
15. “When necessary, we must be willing to take big risks and be prepared to lose everything.”
Standing by his words, Erwin took huge risks and was prepared to lose everything. Throughout his life, he took every step that would bring him close to the truth. Curiosity took over him, so he willingly gave up his life and trusted the mission to his fellow subordinates.
16. “Everything I Have Done, I Did Thinking That This Day Would Come.”
Because Erwin only thinks on his duty, he never finds the answers to his personal questions or discovers that there is a world outside of Paradis. Long after Erwin has passed away, the future is still shaped by his numerous sacrifices.
17. “One Day, We’ll Break It Down. This Wall Hiding The Truth… Will Fall.”
Because of his father’s influence, Erwin Smith has always been interested in the Walls. Erwin’s father was very close to discovering the reason why the government of Paradis had been rewriting history for so long. Unfortunately, he was killed by the Military Police before he could verify his theory.
18. “The One Within The Female Titan Is Wearing Our Uniform Right Now.”
Captain Erwin and Captain Levi attempted to reveal the identify of the Female Titan during the 57th trip Outside the Walls. The Female Titan used a specific “scream” to inform every Titan in the area, which meant that the operation did not go as intended.
The troops were forced to flee as they all charged the Female Titan. Erwin made a wonderful statement at that precise moment. He realized right away that the person inside the Female Titan must be a Scout because no one actually saw them get eaten.
19. “Advance!”
Erwin commands his warriors to “recover Eren from the Armored Titan” because he “knows that there is no future in which [his people] can] retake these lands.” A Titan suddenly pulls Erwin up in its jaws, shocking his warriors.
The Scout Regiment Commander is literally being eaten alive at this moment, but most people would have been yelling and pleading for their life. Instead, he never loses sight of his objective. Erwin keeps giving instructions from the Titan, demonstrating unequivocally that he is the only one who can lead Paradis to victory.