Hellsing (manga)

Hellsing manga, volume 1 (English version)

Hellsing is an anime and manga series by Kohta Hirano and Studio GONZO. While the anime series is already over, the manga series is still produced in Japan, a new OAV (Coined Hellsing Ultimate) is planned for this series that will cover the original story of the manga.

Overview

Based on the 1998 manga by Kohta Hirano, the Hellsing anime series (composed of 13 episodes) is unique in that it takes much of itself from late 19th century and early 20th century Western fiction. It includes themes primarily from H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu works and Bram Stoker's Dracula, creatively rolled together with some fast-paced anime action sequences. Studio GONZO drew the series intensely stylized: characters are well-detailed with beautiful, smooth animation, and there is an extensive soundtrack, scored by Yasushi Ishii, which handily mixes punk rock and jazz with experimental elements.

The main characters are part of the Hellsing organization, which may have been inspired by the Lovecraftian Miskatonic University's Wilmarth Foundation, an organization formed for fighting demons and the undead. Cthulhu Mythos fans will appreciate the parallels. In addition, the name Hellsing is derived from Abraham Van Helsing, and it has been indicated that the series takes place in the same continuity as the novel Dracula.

Additionally, the series is different from many other anime/manga in that it focuses more on close-quarter combat using exotic guns, similar to the style of heroic bloodshed, with lots of jumping and diving.

The names of the characters

The name Hellsing comes from the character of a similar name in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Abraham Van Helsing. The leader of Hellsing organization, Sir Integra(l) Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing (the Fairbrook is dropped in the anime), is the great-granddaughter of the grizzled professor. The lead male character is Alucard, a deadly vampire with two huge guns, and all evidence indicates that he is in fact Dracula. Alucard mentions in episode nine that his name is an anagram, which is true: it's simply Dracula spelled backwards. Debate remains over how and why Alucard came to work for his opponent's descendant.

Among fans there is some disagreement how the main character's name should be written. In the original Japanese material, his name is アーカード, pronounced /aakaado/. Since Japanese frequently uses a long /a/ sound in place of foreign sounds (like dokutaa for "doctor"), /aakaado/ could legitimately be transliterated as ARucard, ARKard or ALucard. Due to the fact that different groups released fansubs of Hellsing before the release rights were bought by anyone outside of Japan, all three different transliterations ended up in use by fans. One of the basic problems is that the Japanese language doesn't distinguish R and L, causing variations in this and other names. 'Alucard' was used in the official translation of the Hellsing manga, while the official anime used 'Arucard' (in the subtitles; it is still pronounced 'Alucard' when spoken out loud). While both are official, the correct name would be 'Alucard', if the anagram is to make sense.

More name quirks may be examples of Engrish or common misconstructions. For example, 'Seras Victoria' is a British character, yet her name sounds as if it were put in Japanese (surname first) order. It is also possible that the name is an Engrish corruption of "Celes Victoria," which would be the correct British spelling and pronunciation.

Also, Integra(l)'s title is often given as Sir rather than Lady. This may be Engrish, but there are several legitimate reasons to assume that it is deliberate. Integra dresses in men's clothing and uses the gender-neutral personal pronoun in Japanese; she would likely prefer that people ignore her gender and instead focus on her merits as a leader. In addition, she is a Knight of the Round Table. While the title for a lady of equivalent rank is Dame, a woman thus addressed is not actually a knight; as the only female on the Round Table council, such a title would set her apart further and inhibit her ability to command respect.

Finally, there is evidence of this occurrence in history. In periods and places when women were mostly subjugated and had few rights, it was considered appropriate to address women in power or had risen above the positions of other men to be given the title of sir instead of lady or ma'am. This provides a precedent for why Integra's title is Sir rather than Lady.

The Hellsing anime series was released in North America by Geneon/Pioneer Entertainment, while the manga series was released under the Dark Horse Comics seal.

Major Characters

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Minor Characters

Manga

Tubalcaine Alhambra

Also known as 'The Dandy', he sent a SWAT unit in an attempt to kill off Alucard and Seras when they arrived in Brazil. According to the character descriptions in the Dark Horse Manga he was a First Lieutenant in Millennium. He justified his actions to the public by labeling Alucard and Seras as terrorists, tempting the officials behind the scenes with the promise of vampirism. When Alucard demanded that he stop using pawns and fight directly, his attacks consisted of using supernaturally razor-sharp playing cards that could slice up nearly anything and gave Alucard a hard time regenerating (slightly similar to the tactics used by Gambit in X-Men save that his cards are explosive). When injured, he re-forms himself in a flurry of cards; they seem to be the equivalent of the black material that appears when Alucard is shapeshifting or re-attaching limbs. In the end he had his arm torn off and his blood drunk, meaning that Alucard absorbed his soul and gained access to his memories. The memories of Millennium's plans were later related by Alucard to a special meeting of the Round Table; the soul later reappeared along with all the others absorbed by Alucard over the years when Integra releases the control art restriction system to level zero.

Lieutenant Zorin Blitz

A tall, massively muscled female vampire who works for the Millennium organization. She is the commander of one of Millennium's zeppelin forces, and is apparently the instigator of the Valentine Brothers' attack on the Hellsing mansion. She is a formidable fighter, wielding a giant scythe with enough force to cut a man in half. One side of her body is covered with tattoos, which include some designs but are mostly letters (into which Hirano occasionally sneaks phrases such as "Trigun Maximum"); when exercising her power of illusion, they flow from her body onto the walls and ground around her, extending her influence over the area. She can also read minds/souls allowing her to determine what illusions work best on her victims. She attacked the Hellsing mansion during Millennium's invasion of London (Operation Seelöwe) and kills Pip Bernadette, leading Seras to drink his blood and awaken her latent vampiric powers. Seras subsequently kills Zorin in a spectacularly violent and bloody manner, scraping her face across a wall like butter across toast.

The Doctor

The mad genius whose research led to the creation of a Nazi Vampire army out of the 1000 volunteers in the 'Letzte Batallion'. He acts like a second-in-command to the Major and is dedicated to the master plan, although he is not much of a fighter. He is also apparently responsible for the remote immolation of Jan Valentine, as the Major instructed him not to burn Rip Van Winkle after her defeat. Hirano has stated that he created Schrödinger, which goes well with his 'mad scientist' reputation (although any true family link between them, beyond a superficial 'guardian/child'-setup, is pure speculation). Appears in the manga and as a silhouette to the right of the Major in the promotional video (found on the first DVD of the English release).

Captain Hans Günsche

A silent, stoic adjutant to the Major. He developed a long-running rivalry with Walter after being defeated by him during World War II, and longs for a rematch. The chance came during the invasion of England in 1999, when he blocked the road for Integral's car. Walter urged his master to flee, while he attacked Günsche with his wires. The Captain caught them in his hands, and it looked like it would lead into a great duel. The Major, however, had other plans and Günsche brought Walter to Millennium so he could be brainwashed and made into an immortal servant. Later on, Günsche leaped from the Major's zeppelin to confront both Alucard and Anderson. He was surprised to see Alucard´s 'counter-attack', and apparently backed off for the time being. Current status is unknown. Appears in the manga and as a silhouette to the left of the Major in the promo-video.

Major Montana Max

A former SS officer, once in charge of the Nazi experiments with vampires until the operation was attacked by a young Walter and Alucard in 1944. While he only appears in the promotional piece made before the series itself began production, he is the leader of Millennium in the manga, and is constantly scheming from the shadows. Although other former Nazi officers with higher ranks found Millennium and attempted to exert their authority, the vampire officers loyal to the Major quickly put a stop to that. The original purpose of the Nazi vampire research was to create a reich that would last for a thousand years (hence the name "Millennium"), but the Major has stated that he has "no purpose." He simply wishes to start an endless war. In his famous "I Love War" speech, he elaborates on his love for all facets of war - no matter which side is winning. Famously short and chubby, he is shown in the OAV trailer eating, to the amusement of fans.

First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle

A Werwolf in the employ of Millennium who stole a VTOL carrier called the Eagle from the British. She uses a long-barreled musket that fires magic bullets that "punish without distinction", tracking targets of their own accord, and which are seemingly armour piercing (they destroy helicopters, fighter jets and missiles with ease). She also enjoys singing operas, especially Der Freischütz, and she often compares herself to the character Caspar from that opera. The Major even notes that she is very much like Caspar and that Alucard is Samiel, the antagonist of that opera; he instills a great deal of fear in Rip as he approaches, and inevitably kills her. Alucard stakes her through the chest just left of her heart with her own gun and drinks her blood in the climax to Volume 5 of the manga before using his shadows to devour her body, killing her and making her his familiar. Ironically, Montana Max would not permit the Doctor to fry her through the chips, and in fact, in a rare gesture of "generosity", requests other members of Millennium to Nazi Salute her, bidding her "auf wiedersehen". Her mission was to effectively trap Alucard on the Eagle because he cannot cross water without the aid of a ship and his coffin. By using the Eagle as a decoy, Millennium isolates Alucard in the middle of the ocean while the rest of Millennium makes its landing operation. Rip later shows up after Integra releases Alucard's zero restriction.

Warrant Officer Schrödinger

Though there has been some debate regarding his species, Schrödinger has been identified by Hirano as feline ("Werwolf" would be his rank), and created by Doc. He has the form of a young boy with cat ears and a perpetual smirk, dressing in a Hitler Youth uniform. Usually sits underneath the Major's throne like a pet, but also acts as an envoy for the Millennium. Due to his ability to be "everywhere and nowhere" at the same time, he entered the Hellsing mansion without tipping off their defenses to deliver a message; after having his head blown off, he later appeared unscathed back at Millennium's headquarters. (This ability, his name, and his being feline are obviously a reference to the famous "Schrödinger's cat" scenario in quantum physics.) Once remarked that the Major used and replaced soldiers as if they were merely toys; it seems he is more intelligent and aware than his apparent age would lead one to think. Although he hasn't fought yet, speculation abounds as to whether he will enter a battle. Due to his interaction with the other male leads and his very short shorts, he has gained some attention from yaoi fangirls.

Heinkel Wolfe

First appears in the "Cross Fire" side stories (which were written before Hellsing and take place in 1996). She is a pistol wielding assassin for the Iscariot organization, partners with Yumie, and dresses like a priest. She acts as a bodyguard for Maxwell in Hellsing volumes 4 to 5 and is later seen, along with Yumie, among the brigade of Catholic knights sent to apprehend Integra under Father Anderson's leadership. She is more cool-headed than the violent and impulsive Yumie, yet forceful enough to counteract her timid and peaceful alternate personality Yumiko, making her an excellent partner for the nun.

Yumiko/Yumie Takagi

First appearing in Crossfire, she is a katana-wielding Japanese nun with split personality. Her first personality is Yumiko, who is a timid and gentle pacifist. Her second personality is Yumie, who is a berserker. The switch from Yumiko to Yumie is caused by the removal of Yumiko's glasses, whether voluntary or otherwise; when referring to both, fans occasionally write "Yumie/ko". She is usually seen as Yumiko except when on assassin missions for the Iscariot organization, on which she partners with Heinkel.

Note: the Japanese characters for "Yumiko" and "Yumie" are identical except for the last syllable. However, the character pronounced "eh" at the end of Yumie can also be pronounced as "ko" - an interesting little pun that sadly does not translate into English.

Series

Helena

A young-looking vampire that spends her time reading and listening to classical music. Despite her young appearance, she is quite old and becomes something of a role-model for Seras. Helena dies after a fight with Incognito.

Bubbancy

A baobhan sith who infiltrated Hellsing HQ and tried to turn Integra into a ghoul. Apparently possessing great hypnotic powers, she got in without suspicion by mentally convincing everyone (except Alucard and Seras) that she was Integra's sister "Laura". In what is widely considered the most risqué scene in the series, she paralyzes, partially undresses, and bites Integra before being dispatched by Alucard.

The text of the English dub is somewhat confusing, probably due to nonrecognition of the term "baobhan sith" (especially when rendered by a Japanese speaker). The original script is clearer: Bubbancy took the name Laura from the novel Carmilla (which, like Dracula, may be close to the truth in the history of the Hellsing world), but Integra also addresses her as a baobhan sith. As her real name has never been given (she is referred to as "Laura" in the credits), fans often refer to her as Bubbancy, a phonetic approximation of "baobhan sith".

Incognito

This masochistic vampire is from the "dark continent," a historic appelation for Africa (though the series is never more explicit). Though physically androgynous, he is generally thought to be male. Extremely powerful, he combines dark magic with an enchanted Armscore 40 mm Grenade Launcher that fires dark, spherical curses at his opponents (as well as having a minigun as a backup). He has the ability to summon a snake demon referred to as Set. This may or may not be the Egyptian god of the same name, though they do share some characteristics. Incognito has regenerative powers which seem to be related to the purple stripes and sigils covering his body.

Incognito is often seen by fans as one of the mistakes made by Studio GONZO. He does not appear in the manga, which had not been completed (and as of September 2005, has not been completed). Like those of Bubbancy and Paul Wilson, many fans believe that his appearance is disruptive and poorly explained.

Both

Walter Kumm Dorne/Walter C. Dornez

Walter has lived with Hellsing family probably for his whole life. Now he serves mainly as Integral's butler, and makes the special weapons Alucard and Seras use. However, he is still one of the most capable Hellsing operatives, wielding razor-sharp wires from a special pair of rings he puts on. Walter's efficiency and power is so great that Alucard nicknamed him the 'Angel of Death,' and even at the age of 69 Walter can still rip his way through hordes of the undead. In the manga, he also helps Integra make numerous difficult choices that Alucard occasionally poses, such as whether or not to kill innocents in order to achieve mission objectives. In the latest developments, Walter was captured by Millennium during their invasion of England. He has gone through a process similar to the Millennium troops and now appears thirty years younger, serving as Millennium´s new, brainwashed, secret weapon. There is some disagreement over the romanization of his surname, with the most common variant being 'Dollneaz'.

Father Alexander Anderson

Main article: Alexander Anderson (hellsing)

Father Anderson is the Iscariot organization's trump card -- the Irish Catholic, human equivalent of Alucard. He possesses impressive regenerative powers (first shown when Alucard fires a bullet into his skull) and a fanaticism matched only the other members of Iscariot. He fights using blessed bayonets that seem to exist in limitless quantities, and has instincts that tell him to kill any vampire on sight. During his first appearance in the series, he "kills" Alucard (underestimating the vampire's own regenerative abilities) and nearly does the same to Seras and Integra. Not really evil, but has a very narrow view of good and bad.

Luke and Jan Valentine

These two FREAKs (In the anime, FREAKs were humans turned into vampires with the aid of a chip) have much influence in the underworld. With their army of ghouls, they stormed the Hellsing HQ. Luke uses a pair of sawed-off M1 Garand rifles, while Jan uses a pair of suppressed P90 lookalikes.

Organizations

The Hellsing organization

The Hellsing organization is the central focus of Hellsing's plot. In Hellsing's universe the organisation is an integral part of the true power-structure of Great Britain, which is in fact still ruled by a hidden aristocracy and the monarchy. The organization is tasked with defending the country's shores from any and all supernatural threats. Controversy is often raised, especially in the manga, over the highly unconventional methods Hellsing chooses to do this.

It is heavily implied that the organization is controlled by descendents of Abraham Van Helsing from the classic novel Dracula.

The Convention of Twelve

In addition to the Queen, Hellsing also answers first to the Convention of Twelve, of which Integra is their latest and youngest member, but by no means their weakest. In fact she is easily their strongest though more so in the anime than in the manga. The Twelve are a secret society of Knights who manipulate England from the shadows much like the Illuminati, and likely fund all of Hellsing's efforts. However it would seem that these Twelve are a combination of the Twelve Apostles and the Knights of the Round Table who boast some 22 members not 12.

Iscariot Organization (Vatican Section XIII)

The Iscariot organization is a top-secret wing of the Vatican charged with the active pursuit of demons (such as vampires) and heretics. Given that the Hellsing organization not only employs vampires but is run on the principles of staunch Protestantism, Iscariot is their natural rival despite their similar aims.

Millennium

This mysterious organization hiding in Brazil is behind the FREAK chip. (Note: FREAK chips were only seen in the anime. The only chips in the manga were implanted to study each artificial vampire and its surroundings, as well as destroying the vampire remotely from Millennium headquarters. The means of making artificial vampires in the manga remain a mystery.) They seem like a supernatural version of The Boys from Brazil. Most of the members are monsters of some sort, or have found a way to prolong their lives. The organization was founded before WWII, as a means of researching and using supernatural phenomena for military purposes. In 1944, their grand project of creating a vampire army was foiled by a young Walter Dorne and his accomplice, Alucard (who had been experimented on for the past 50 years and looked about 16 years of age). They destroyed most of the test subjects and the vampire used as their source. After this event, Millennium began to plan their escape. By the end of 1944, most of the members had left for South America, taking with them an entire batallion of volunteers. These were known as 'Letzte Bataillon', translated in English as the 'Last Batallion', the secret weapon for the future conflict.

References in Hellsing

Hellsing makes numerous references to a diverse body of sources and people:

European vampire folklore
Dracula (of which Hellsing is sometimes considered a sequel by fans, though some argue that Hellsing follows Francis Ford Coppola's movie version rather than the Bram Stoker novel)
The Cthulhu mythos
Dune (Seras Victoria's gun is named after Vladimir Harkonnen)
The Jackal (One of Alucard's guns, shares the name with the criminal portrayed by Bruce Willis) in the film with the same name.
The works of W. Somerset Maugham (Walter C. Dornez is shown to be reading The Moon and Sixpence)
The Wild Geese
Mint Royale
Fullmetal Alchemist (In one manga omake, the Major seems to be cosplaying Edward Elric)
Trigun (In the anime and the beginning of the manga, Alucard bears a resemblance to Vash the Stampede; in the manga, Zorin Blitz's tattoos say Trigun Maximum in one panel)
The Gundam series
Erwin Schrödinger (The character Schrödinger can be everywhere at once and is neither alive nor dead, much like Schrödinger's cat)
Der Freischütz (Rip Van Winkle compares herself and Alucard to Caspar and Samiel)
Rip van Winkle by Washington Irving
Computer games such as Age of Empires and Soldier of Fortune (after which some of the chapters are named)

Episodes

The Undead
Club M
Sword Dancer
Innocent as a Human
Brotherhood
Dead Zone
Duel
Kill House
Red Rose Vertigo
Master of Monsters
Transcend Force
Total Destruction
Hellfire

External links

Hellsing website from Geneon/Pioneer Animation
Hellsing (2002) at IMDb
Review at THEM Anime
Pu Sama Hellsing Fanartist
Nasumaru Hellsing Anderson Fanartist
Dawnie Hellsing Fanartist
Thess Hellsing Fanfic Author
Hellsing: Endless wars RPG
Solid & Etc Japanese site with amazing fanart
HellFreak Excellent French fansite
Intensity Integral Hellsing Fansite
And Shine Heaven Now Hellsing fancomic
OVA Website Official website for the upcoming OVA, to be released on DVD on December 9