Hellsing Organization

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Royal Order Of Protestant Knights, Hellsing

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Publication information
Publisher Japan Shounengahosha

South Korea Joeunsesang
United States Dark Horse Comics
France Editions Tonkam
Germany Planet Manga
Spain Norma

Poland J.P. Fantastica
First appearance Hellsing, volume 1
Created by Kouta Hirano
In story information
Type of organization Military intelligence agency
Base(s) Hellsing Mansion on the outskirts of London
Leader(s) Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing
Agent(s) Alucard
Seras Victoria
Sir Arthur Hellsing
Walter C. Dornez
Captain Pip Bernadotte

The Hellsing Organization (more formally known as the Royal Order of Protestant Knights) is a fictional organization from the manga series Hellsing by Kouta Hirano.

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 Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, is the great-granddaughter of the grizzled professor. In Hellsing's universe, the organization 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, namely the use of anti-Christian powers and creatures. In the TV series, the agency's soldiers, uniforms, methods, and gear would suggest that it is a counter-terrorist paramilitary strike force. This differs from the manga and OVA, which focuses primarily on the main characters, leaving the soldiers and associated paramilitary paraphernalia to be rarely seen.

Contents

[edit] History

It is suggested that the Hellsing Organization was founded by Abraham Van Helsing shortly after the events of Bram Stoker's novel as a response to the threat posed by vampires after his encounter with Dracula. The purpose of the Hellsing Organization is to end all earthly activity of non-human creatures. It is traditionally headed by Abraham's descendants, as they are the only ones who can control Alucard, "the fruit of the Hellsing family's labors," whom they performed many experiments upon, building him into the ultimate undead for use in battle against other undead. In 1944, Arthur Hellsing, then the director of the organization, sent Alucard and a 14-year-old Walter C. Dornez to halt the attempts by Millennium to create an artificial vampire force that could help the Nazis win World War II. This they succeeded in doing, although they failed to kill the key members of Millennium. After WWII, it was decided that Alucard was too powerful, too potentially dangerous to be used as a weapon, and was locked away in the basement of the Hellsing mansion. Upon Arthur's death, his daughter, Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, became the director of the organization. Her uncle, Richard Hellsing, attempted to kill her and take the headship of the organization for himself, but was defeated by Alucard, whom Integra accidentally released from a 20-year internment, on instructions from her father. Integra herself fired the bullet that killed Richard. 10 years have passed since Integra took control of Hellsing.

[edit] Motto

The official motto of the Hellsing organization appears to be "We will not give up and despair, We are on a mission from God," with the "We are on a mission from God" part appearing on the crest itself, but the introduction to the TV series, directly under the word "Hellsing," as well as in the dialogue within the series itself, a short prayer appears: "In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation. Amen." It is spoken by the Hellsing soldiers before going off to battle. However, since the prayer does not appear in the manga or the OVA, it cannot be considered Hellsing's official motto. Also, in the TV series, "We are on a mission from God" does not appear on the crests worn by the soldiers, although the word "Hellsing" can still be seen at the top. In the manga and the OVA, it does. In the manga, other phrases sometimes replace it, but "We are on a mission from God" remains the most common.

[edit] Members

Alucard
The series's main protagonist. As the Hellsing Organization's most powerful warrior, he serves as its special "trump card". He is not only a vampire, but also one of the most ancient ones, his original life dating back into the 1400s.
Integra Hellsing
A descendant of Abraham Van Helsing and the Bureau Director of the Hellsing Organization. She inherited the headship of the Hellsing family at the age of 13 (12 in the manga), upon her father's death. Integra is also Alucard's master. She is beautiful, intelligent, and strong. Although she often seems strict and domineering, she is respected and admired, even among her sworn enemies.
Seras Victoria
A 19-year-old orphan. Seras was formerly a member of the police force's Special Division 11, but, after being mortally wounded on a mission by Alucard, chose to join him in the ranks of the undead, rather than accepting death. She now serves as Alucard's fledgling vampire, and, through him, serves Integra and the Hellsing Organization.
Walter C. Dornez
Walter is a 69-year-old retired member of the Hellsing Organization. At the beginning of the series, he acted only as Integra's butler. However, he later lived up to his old nickname, the "Angel of Death", when Hellsing was attacked. Walter was altered in some sort of procedure by the Doctor, brainwashed (or turned traitor), and now fights for Millennium as a vampire.

[edit] Personnel and Equipment

The Hellsing Organization is understood to have a body of soldiers responsible for the protection of the Hellsing Mansion and, in the TV series, conducting offensive operations against targets. In the manga and OVA versions, this force is seldom mentioned, until an attack by the Valentine Brothers, where it is destroyed to the man, and eventually replaced with a mercenary unit, the Wild Geese, led by Pip Bernadotte. The TV series, however, deals much more extensively with Hellsing's human soldiers, and they are shown using "Saxon" and VAB armoured personnel carriers, wearing uniform and body armour, and handling a variety of weapons, especially MP5 submachine guns. (In the manga, L85 rifles are shown briefly, but replaced with M4 rifles in the OVA.)

[edit] Trivia

Although the name of the organisation is "Royal Order Of Protestant Knights" the founder of the organization, Abraham Van Helsing, is portrayed in the original novel by Bram Stoker as a devout Catholic.

[edit] See also