Heinkel Wolfe and Yumie Takagi

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Heinkel Wolfe and Yumie Takagi are a pair of Catholic assassins who work for the Iscariot organisation in the manga Hellsing. Heinkel Wolfe is more cool-headed than the violent and impulsive Yumie, making her an excellent partner for the nun.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Heinkel Wolfe

Heinkel Wolfe (ハインケル・ウーフー Hainkeru Ūfū?)

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 priests sent to apprehend Integra under Father Anderson's leadership. In Chapter 74, she is shot in the head by Captain Günsche. The bullet entered through her left cheek, exited through the right, and severely damaged the right side of her face. Heinkel is bewildered as the Captain gestures to her with his head, which she interprets as "Get out of my way". He tosses her a first-aid kit, and Heinkel realizes that the Captain spared her life when he could have easily killed her. After seeing Yumie's remains, a bandaged and enraged Heinkel swears revenge on Walter, and takes a sniper rifle from the small group of remaining Iscariot priests.

Recent remarks made by Hirano in a December 2005 issue of "Puff" magazine, in which he was interviewed about the upcoming Hellsing OVA series and Hellsing in general, have shed new insight into Heinkel and her curiously masculine appearance. It seems she is "neither male nor female"; possibly intersexual, though given Hirano's frequent ironic remarks, the validity of this statement is disputed. Note that the obviously female Heinkel Wolfe in Crossfire is a completely different character, and the two shouldn't be confused with each other.

[edit] Yumie Takagi

Yumie Takagi (高木 由美江 Takagi Yumie?)

Yumiko Takagi (高木 由美子 Takagi Yumiko?)

Yumie is a katana-wielding Japanese nun. She is a fanatical Catholic and seems to genuinely enjoy killing people with her almost superhuman sword skills. She knows various kill-from-the-draw sword techniques, but is quite capable of smashing men's heads into walls with her bare hands.

In Hellsing chapter 74 Relics, she attacks Walter after seeing him desecrating Father Anderson's remains. Although moving extremely swiftly, she is outmatched and cut into pieces by Walter's wires. Heinkel is hysterical and aims her guns at Walter, only to be shot and wounded by the Captain.

Note: the Japanese characters for "Yumiko" (由美子) and "Yumie" (由美江) differ only on the last syllable. Many people tend to make the mistake of calling her berserker personality Yumi (with two syllables) instead of the correct name, Yumie (three syllables). Yumi (由美), Yumiko (由美子) and Yumie (由美江) are all different names. Yumi, however, forms base name for both Yumiko and Yumie. Yumi, as written, is comprised of the kanji for "Significance/Reason" and "Beauty". The name 'Yumiko' adds the character for "Child" to the end (子 ko) — which seems to be metaphorically symbolic of that half of her personality, since she's innocent and childlike in her Yumiko form. The name Yumie adds the character for "Inlet" (江 e).

The character of Yumie originally appeared in Crossfire as the violent alter-ego of Yumiko Takagi, a bespectacled and pacifist nun. Despite nearly identical character traits, the Yumie in Hellsing and the Yumie/Yumiko of Crossfire are two entirely separate characters, as Crossfire is a separate story and not part of the Hellsing canon.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] See also