Levi Williams: Character Analysis in Ariel Sullivan's Beneath

Overview

Levi Williams serves as Unit Seven's second-in-command and becomes Sasha Cadell's partner for the critical surface mission in Beneath. A former foster child who found an unexpected brother in Tristian Hayes, Levi carries controlled rage that the novel reveals as unresolved grief. His arc spans guarded cynicism, vulnerable honesty, and near-fatal sacrifice, making him essential to both the unit's survival and Sasha's emotional awakening.

Plot Role

Levi functions as the unit's enforcer and moral counterweight. He challenges Sasha when she resists belonging and protects her when others target her. In Chapter 11, he partners with her for the above-ground mission and immediately pushes her through physical training, forcing her to confront the trauma that keeps her from climbing the rope. After Murray's attack in Chapter 10, Levi threatens Murray and reinforces Sasha's place in the unit.

His gravest plot function comes in Chapter 17, when a metal-stake trap in the Abyss tears open his shoulder, exposing bone and dislocating the joint. Sasha applies a tourniquet, cleans and packs the wound, performs a field transfusion using her own blood, and drags him on a tarp to Outpost Three. The chapter closes with Sasha questioning her own actions as she waits for the others. His survival depends on her willingness to risk herself, and his recovery in Chapters 18—22 allows Sasha to finally accept that she can protect life rather than only witness death.

Motivations and Traits through Actions

Levi's actions consistently reveal a man driven by loyalty rather than ideology. In Chapter 17, he admits to Sasha that he was content to watch the world burn until he met someone who stayed. That someone is Tristian: Levi says that for the first time he gained a family member—a brother—and that he will fight as long as people like Tristian exist. This confession defines his core motivation. He fights not for Haven's system or for abstract survival but for the individuals who gave him belonging.

His anger, which other characters note and even fear, is reinterpreted through his own words. In Chapter 17, he tells Sasha that his anger is grief for all that was and all that will never be. This reframes his abrasive edge as pain rather than cruelty. His confrontation with Isla in Chapter 22 reinforces this: he refuses to be a consolation prize, demanding to be chosen fully. His actions toward Sasha show patience and belief; after his injury he tells her he always believed in her and had no intention of being the one to prove to the others, but he knew she could do it.

The text suggests that Levi's initial hostility toward Sasha—such as sending her to Tristian when she gives half-effort in Chapter 9—stems from his protective stance toward the unit rather than personal dislike. As she proves herself, his posture shifts to partnership and eventually to vulnerable friendship.

Chronological Arc

Levi's arc follows a trajectory from distant authority figure to vulnerable partner. He first appears as the unit's second-in-command, challenging Sasha's half-efforts. He partners with her in Chapter 11 and begins training her physically and emotionally. During the Abyss mission in Chapter 17, he reveals his foster-child past and his bond with Tristian. That same chapter, he is gravely wounded by the trap.

In Chapter 18, Sasha performs emergency care through the night. In Chapter 19, he remains unconscious with internal bleeding while Sasha orchestrates transfusions from Rumi and Isla. In Chapter 22, Levi recovers in the Ward, breaks off ties with Isla definitively, and forgives Sasha for the course correction that led to his injury. He tells her he always believed in her, and they fall asleep together in the Ward—a moment of peace for both. He later confronts her about her kiss with Tristian in Chapter 25, insisting she deserves happiness, which shows his growth from guarded partner to genuine friend.

Relationships

With Tristian Hayes: Levi regards Tristian as the brother he never had. Their bond formed in the infantry during the war and deepened through the loss of Unit Thirteen, the Angels. Tristian's belief in Levi gave Levi a reason to fight. Levi's biggest regret—not forgiving people while they were alive—echoes his protective stance toward Tristian, whom he cannot bear to lose. The text implies that Levi's anger partly derives from watching Tristian sacrifice himself for others.

With Sasha Cadell: Levi partners with Sasha reluctantly at first but becomes her most consistent advocate. He trains her, defends her, and forgives her when she makes mistakes. Their partnership grows into genuine friendship. In Chapter 22, he calls her by an alternate name instead of the unit-given call sign, signaling that he sees her ability to rise from trauma rather than merely survive it. He chooses to stay in the Ward with her, and the chapter ends with Sasha finding comfort in his presence.

With Isla Ford: Levi had a past romantic relationship with Isla that ended when she chose Patrick. In Chapter 22, she visits him in the Ward and attempts to rekindle their connection, but Levi refuses, stating he will not be a consolation prize. This decision demonstrates his growth in self-worth and his refusal to settle for less than full commitment.

With the Unit: Levi functions as the unit's emotional backbone, protecting members and maintaining cohesion. His injury tests that cohesion but ultimately strengthens it as the unit rallies around Sasha's efforts to save him. The interpretation here is that his near-death experience unifies the group around a shared purpose.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Partnering with Sasha (Chapter 11): Levi accepts the partnership when Sasha chooses him over Tristian. This puts him in direct training responsibility for her and leads to his injury when he follows her toward Tristian during the Abyss mission.
Refusing Isla's overture (Chapter 22): Levi chooses self-respect over rekindled comfort. This solidifies his emotional independence and clears the way for his genuine friendship with Sasha.
Forgiving Sasha (Chapter 22): Rather than blaming her for the course correction that led to his injury, Levi tells her he believed in her all along. This forgiveness is essential for Sasha's ability to trust herself and the unit. The arc suggests that this moment is a turning point in Sasha's healing.
Revealing Unit Thirteen's history (Chapter 29): Levi tells Sasha the full story of Burdon's betrayal of the Angels, equipping her with knowledge that shapes the unit's later decisions and gives context to Burdon's antagonism.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Conformity vs. Rebellion: Levi's refusal to conform to the system's dehumanization—his choice to protect Sasha despite orders—embodies rebellion as loyalty to individuals over institutions.

Trauma and Healing: Levi's arc demonstrates that trauma, when witnessed by a committed other, can be processed rather than suppressed. His confession that anger is really grief models emotional honesty for Sasha. His line that understanding grief allows one to start letting go becomes a guiding principle.

Trust and Betrayal: Levi's history with Unit Thirteen's betrayal and his decision to trust Sasha after his injury show that trust can be rebuilt after devastating loss. His willingness to forgive Sasha reinforces this theme.

Survival vs. Living: Levi explicitly tells Sasha that there is always something worth saving, rejecting pure survival mentality. His suggestion for her call sign connects to living fully rather than merely enduring—he sees her as someone who keeps hope alive.

Power and Control: Levi's past as a powerless foster child shapes his loyalty to a commander who shares power rather than hoards it. He opposes the system's control over health scores and individual worth, and his anger at authority figures stems from childhood experience.

Book-Specific Questions and Answers

Why does Levi partner with Sasha for the surface mission? In Chapter 11, Sasha accepts Levi as her partner to avoid the emotional intensity of partnering with Tristian. Levi immediately begins training her, pushing her to climb the rope that represents her unresolved trauma. The partnership becomes genuine as they grow to trust each other across the mission.
What does Levi reveal about his past in the Abyss? In Chapter 17, Levi reveals he was a foster child who learned to survive alone and was content to watch the world burn. Meeting Tristian in the infantry changed him: he says that for the first time he had a family member—a brother. He explains that his anger is grief for all that was and all that will never be, and that accepting this helps one let go.
How does Levi's near-fatal injury function in the story? The metal-stake trap in Chapter 17 tears open Levi's shoulder, exposing bone and dislocating the joint. Sasha performs emergency care, transfuses her own blood, and drags him to safety. His injury becomes the test that proves Sasha can save rather than only witness death, deepening her commitment to the unit and to living. In Chapter 19, she continues treatment with rotating blood transfusions from the unit.
What is Levi's biggest regret, and why does it matter? In Chapter 16, during the unit's question game at Outpost Two, Levi states his biggest regret is not forgiving people when he had the chance while they were alive to hear it. This echoes Sasha's own regrets about her family and positions forgiveness as a central value in the novel. The text suggests that Levi's arc moves toward acting on this regret by forgiving Sasha in Chapter 22.
How does Levi's understanding of his own anger evolve? In Chapter 17, Levi tells Sasha that his anger is grief for all that was and all that will never be, and that when you accept that, you can start to let go. This reframes his abrasive exterior as pain rather than cruelty and models emotional honesty for Sasha's own healing. The implication is that Levi has already done some of this work himself, making him a guide for Sasha's parallel journey.

For further exploration, see the thematic analysis of Trust and Betrayal, the ending explained, or the overall summary.