Alucard (Hellsing)

Alucard
Hellsing character
Alucard in the TV series
First appearance	Hellsing Volume 1
Created by	Kouta Hirano
Voiced by	Jouji Nakata (Japanese) Crispin Freeman (English)
Profile
Aliases	Vlad III Dracula (real name), Count Dracula
Species	Vampire

Alucard (アーカード, Ākādo^?) is a fictional character and the protagonist in the Hellsing manga and anime series created by Kouta Hirano. A powerful vampire, Alucard, works with the Hellsing Organization against other vampires and evil forces. He fights with ferocity and often extreme cruelty, rarely killing until his target has been disabled and humiliated, while frequently allowing enemies more than one chance to kill him. According to Volume 8 of the manga, he is Count Dracula (Alucard is Dracula spelt backward). Soon after the events presented in Bram Stoker's book, Van Helsing gains control of Dracula, renaming him Alucard, and leaves him as a servant of the Hellsing family. The manga takes place over a hundred years later, when the Hellsing organization is forced to fight remnants of a WWII Nazi organization.

He typically dresses in a distinctive Victorian and western fashion, with a charcoal suit, leather riding boots, a red cravat, and a long red duster (which resembles what Van Hellsing once wore). He also wears a red fedora with a wide, floppy brim and a pair of circular, wire-framed sunglasses (which are similar in design to glacier sunglasses). However, this form seems to be a part of his being as he can change it at will.

In the anime (both the TV series and OVA) Alucard is voiced by Nakata Jouji (中田譲治). Crispin Freeman voices him in the English dub of both series.

Character outline

Background

Volume 8 presents flashbacks of when he was human. Dracula starts his career by fighting the Ottomans, believing that God does not reward prayer, but instead wants mortals to show their faith visibly. However, when his army is defeated and he is about to be executed, Vlad gives up on God, thinking that God deserted him and so turns his back to God. It is not explicitly shown or stated how he became a vampire, but in one scene he drinks blood from the floor in front of an executioner.^[1]

The series mentions the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but deviates at the point of Dracula's defeat. In Hellsing, he was staked in the heart but not destroyed. It is unknown if he was forced into servitude or was willing, but he became a servant of the Van Helsing family. He, along with a young Walter C. Dornez, were sent to Warsaw, Poland to stop Millennium's vampire production program.^[2] Integra's father eventually imprisoned Alucard in a dungeon in the Hellsing manor, as he believed the vampire was too powerful to be used frequently.^[3] After 20 years of imprisonment, Integra's blood awakened and resuscitated Alucard. He rescued Integra from her traitorous uncle and became her servant.^[4] The Television Anime series does not include the same scenes in which Alucard is explicitly stated to be Dracula, however at the end of the anime series it is implied that he is Vlad the Impaler, one of the original inspirations for Dracula.

Personality

Alucard taunts and belittles his opponents, allowing them to inflict wounds before healing and retaliating, as shown in his first appearance in the manga.^[5] He longs for battle^[6] and has been shown to become angry when his opponents kill themselves.

He expresses admiration for some humans, calling Integra's order to kill "splendid"^[7] and the determination of his rival, Alexander Anderson, to destroy him an example of the "fantastic" and "magnificent" qualities of humans.^[8] He recognizes Anderson as a parallel to himself, and pities him.^[9] He has great respect for humans, going as far as to say he would have been proud if Anderson had killed him in his human form.^[10] As the manga continues, it becomes increasingly evident that Alucard is struggling with his nature as a vampire monster, going as far as crying over how things turn out.^[11] It can be said that Alucard considers vampirism a step down from humanity, and regrets the choice he made when becoming a vampire.^[12] Alucard expresses extreme disgust with the vampires he hunts, especially when they kill without purpose. Commenting on the "Bonnie and Clyde" in the story, he mentions the two vampires' killing as unnecessary.^[13]

Abilities

Alucard is immortal and does not age, although this is limited to the amount of humans he has devoured, which number in the millions.^[14] Other characters have difficulty wounding him, and when injured he reforms.^[15] He cannot be destroyed via decapitation or being staked through the heart.^[16] He exhibits incredible accuracy when firing his twin large caliber handguns, and is capable of accurately shooting targets while looking the other way.^[17][18] He can tear humans apart with ease and move faster than the eye can see.^[19] He is seen passing through walls^[20] and moving up vertical surfaces.^[21] He shapeshifts into various forms, including bats,^[22] arthropods,^[23] demonic dogs,^[24] amorphous masses of darkness,^[25] and humanoid forms.^[26][27] He communicates telepathically with Seras^[19] and can hypnotize other characters.^[7] He can absorb memories through blood^[28] and is immune to sunlight.^[29] His power is restrained by a series of seals pressumebly made by Hellsing. Once all his seals are removed, he can unleash the full power of all the souls he has devoured, effectively summoning them under his control. In this state, he is also seen with a medieval armor and sword. He also has the power to make giant spikes grow out of the ground.

Reception

Anime News Network praised Alucard for being "a refreshing change from the traditional, mopey, woe-is-me vampire anti-hero", and called him "quite the cool figure".^[30] T.H.E.M Anime Reviews describes Alucard as "anti-hero through and through, but you just can't help rooting for him even when it's obvious he's not really a good guy at all..."^[31]

In an interview with Anime News Network, American voice actor Crispin Freeman stated that he enjoyed voicing Alucard, stating that he loved "characters who are on the edge of madness for one reason or another". Since he enjoys playing highly sexual characters, he adds "Alucard is just the most sexually predacious of any anime character I think I've played".^[32]

References

1. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 8. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 184-199. ISBN 978-1-59307-780-8.
2. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 4. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-59307-259-9.
3. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2008). Hellsing, Volume 9. Dark Horse Comics. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-59582-157-7.
4. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 44-59. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
5. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 22-26. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
6. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 8. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-59307-780-8.
7. ^ ^{a b} Hirano, Kohta (2004). Hellsing, Volume 3. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-59307-202-5.
8. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 8. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-59307-780-8
9. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2008). Hellsing, Volume 9. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 26-27. ISBN 978-1-59582-157-7.
10. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2008). Hellsing, Volume 9. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 149. ISBN 978-1-59582-157-7.
11. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2008). Hellsing, Volume 9. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 129. ISBN 978-1-59582-157-7.
12. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2008). Hellsing, Volume 8. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 165.
13. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 80-81. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
14. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 4. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-59307-259-9.
15. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2004). Hellsing, Volume 3. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 62-67. ISBN 978-1-59307-202-5.
16. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 166-167. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
17. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
18. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2004). Hellsing, Volume 3. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-59307-202-5.
19. ^ ^{a b} Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 52-53. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
20. ^ Hirano, Kohta. (2004). Hellsing, Volume 2. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-59307-057-1.
21. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2004). Hellsing, Volume 3. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 153-154. ISBN 978-1-59307-202-5.
22. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2003). Hellsing, Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 169-171. ISBN 978-1-59307-056-4.
23. ^ Hirano, Kohta. (2004). Hellsing, Volume 2. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-59307-057-1.
24. ^ Hirano, Kohta. (2004). Hellsing, Volume 2. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 85-90. ISBN 978-1-59307-057-1.
25. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 4. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 17-19. ISBN 978-1-59307-259-9.
26. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 8. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 40-41. ISBN 978-1-59307-780-8.
27. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2008). Hellsing, Volume 9. Dark Horse Comics. p. 145. ISBN 978-1-59582-157-7.
28. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2007). Hellsing, Volume 4. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 28, 57. ISBN 978-1-59307-259-9.
29. ^ Hirano, Kohta (2004). Hellsing, Volume 3. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-59307-202-5.
30. ^ Hellsing DVD 1 - Review - Anime News Network
31. ^ THEM Anime Reviews - Hellsing
32. ^ Anime News Network - Crispin Freeman Interview

External links

• Alucard at the Internet Movie Database