Board Thread:Manga/@comment-26056057-20160509020829/@comment-26932251-20160509074354

Neetaku, we never actually see Zeke using the ODMG gear, to me it looks like he only took "the black box" but not the straps that go around the arms and legs that are necessary for actually controlling the damn thing. Those things were on Mike Zacharius when he died. It's entirely possible that Zeke only had a functioning ODMG set only when he linked up with Bertolt and Reiner so he didn't have that much time to think up counters.

Also, remember that the learning curve for ODMG is very high, basically three years to be proficient, Zeke didn't have three years with it the way Reiner and Bertolt did.

But really, I think the main element was surprise, 'awakened power' gives humans superhuman strength (as evidenced by Mikasa breaking the floorboard to kill the human trafficker in both the manga and anime) and so Zeke just totally couldn't have anticipated what Levi would do.

One more thing, now that I think about it, Bertolt and Reiner never personally witnessed Levi at 100% (like when he cut up Annie to retrieve Eren) and so they might have told Zeke to watch out but even they couldn't say something like, "no really, he can go the height of your titan form's body in under a second and maneuver quickly and easily and never miss, and holy shit, whatever you do, just don't let him even get near you. I'm serious. Especially whatever you do, don't let the Survey Corps try to distract you in some dramatic way because it might all be an elaborate ploy to let him get close."

Long story short, Zeke didn't even know what he was really up against and by the time Levi passed through that smoke, it was already too late for him.

I just hope Levi manages to get ahold of some more blades and gas.