Special Operations Squad (Anime)

The Special Operations Squad (特別作戦班), famously known as Squad Levi (リヴァイ班), is an elite squad of the Scout Regiment hand-picked by Captain Levi.

The special operations squad consisted of some of the most elite soldiers in the Scout Regiment, having a total kill record exceeding 200, and were capable of killing almost any Titan in their path. Due to their strong bond, they were able to synchronize with each other to coordinate their attacks without direct or verbal communication. During the 57th Expedition, their mission was to protect Eren Jaeger from Titans, and their secret objective was to lure the Female Titan into a trap. The mission failed, and all members of the Special Operations Squad, except for Eren and Levi, were killed.

After the events of the supposed breach of Wall Rose and the massacre during Eren's rescue, Levi forms this squad anew with its members being the remaining soldiers of the 104th Cadet Corps Top 10 and Armin Arlelt in order to watch over Eren and Historia Reiss.

Eve of the Counterattack arc
The individual members of the Special Operations Squad are all hand-picked by Levi himself, for their ability to act quickly, and make tough decisions.

The 57th Exterior Scouting Mission arc
The squad watches over Eren during his Titan transformation experiments in the days leading up to the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission. On one occasion, Eren partially transforms into a Titan while sitting down for a drink of tea. The squad reacts violently by threatening Eren, and telling him to prove he is not mankind enemy, all while Levi attempts to calm them down. After it becomes apparent that Eren had no ill-intent, his squad members apologize by biting their hands.

On the expedition itself, the Special Operations Squad is assigned to the most secure position in the Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation, located in the center rear. Their duty is primarily to protect Eren and therefore, they do not plan to engage in the rest of the operation. When it becomes clear that the formation was compromised, the Special Operations Squad rides into the nearby Forest of Giant Trees with the rest of the central column. The Female Titan emerges and gives chase to the squad, however Levi refuses to give the order to engage. When Eren considers disobeying this order, Levi tells him to make whichever decision he will regret less, convincing Eren to trust in his comrades, and continue riding forwards. After the Female Titan is captured, Levi separates to see to his own task, and the other squad members wait on standby in the trees.

After they see the signal flare to return, they mistakenly believe the mission is successful and make plans to leave. During their departure, they think they see Levi returning to them, but it turns out to be an unexpected assailant. Gunther Schultz is killed by a disguised Annie Leonhart who then transforms. The remaining members instruct Eren to escape, and engage the Titan. Despite an impressive coordinated attack, the Female Titan turns the tables and proceeds to kill the remaining members of Levi's original team, Petra Rall, Oruo Bozad, and Eld Gin. Eren transforms to kill the Female Titan in revenge, but is defeated, and needs to be rescued by Levi.

The Uprising arc
Some time after the Wall Rose invasion, Captain Levi selects a number of Scout Regiment to fill out the new Squad Levi. Their first assignment as a squad involves hiding out in a remote cabin safeguard Eren Jaeger and Historia Reiss and so Eren can practice with his Titan without being seen.

However, the squad receives word on a freeze on Scout activity and evacuates the cabin before the arrival of the Military Police Regiment. Knowing that Eren and Historia are targets, the squad proceeds to Trost District in order to evade their pursuers. Jean Kirschtein is disguised as Eren and Armin Arlelt as Historia. The two decoys are kidnapped in their place, allowing the squad to track the kidnappers. The remaining members of the squad tail the kidnappers into a hideout, and incapacitate them when their leader arrives.

Elsewhere, three members from Fourth Squad are attacked and killed by Kenny Ackermann and his soldiers while guarding the real Eren and Historia. Levi barely manages to escape and return to his squad, having to kill some of the MPs along the way. He then orders his squad to seize control of the carriage Eren and Historia are in. After Armin takes the carriage, Jean ends up at an MP soldier's gunpoint, though Armin manages to save Jean by shooting the woman himself. They are forced to abandon the carriage soon afterward as they are nearly ambushed by more Military Police members who are using Anti-Personnel omni-directional mobility gear. As their opponents flee with Eren and Historia, Mikasa Ackermann tries to follow them but is restrained by Levi.

Unsure of the location of Eren and Historia, and made fugitives of the law, squad Levi camps in the woods outside Stohess District. The squad plan to infiltrate the brigade, to gain directions to a Military Police checkpoint, in hopes of finding the captives. They capture Hitch Dreyse and Marlo Freudenberg, though they prove to be cooperative, and offer to show them the way to the checkpoint themselves.

Hitch and Marlo lead Squad Levi to the least manned checkpoint, which the squad then charges with the use of horses and a wagon. They break through and Levi captures a member of the Interior Police. Levi interrogates the man into the night though the MP is uncooperative. Sasha hears someone approaching and the squad quickly take cover, though it is Hange, who brings the news that the Scouts have had their charges lifted. She is also able to deduce the location of Eren and Historia; a village chapel that Rod Reiss had rebuilt after a fire.

Squad Levi arrives at the chapel and find the secret door leading underground. Levi and the others make preparations for facing the Anti-Personnel Control Squad, which is waiting for them below. The group sends barrels of gunpowder and bags of oil down the stairs, setting fire to them and filling the underground chamber with smoke, reducing visibility and the usefulness of firearms. Most of the squad exacerbates the problem with signal flares while Levi and Mikasa scout out their enemies. Levi calls for his squad to take them down and the team springs into action.