, previously , is a fictional character and the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the ''

Hellsing ''Hellsing'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Young King OURs'' from April 1997 to September 2008, with its ...

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

and

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series created by

Kouta Hirano is a Japanese manga artist born in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for his manga ''Hellsing'' and ''Drifters''. Career Hirano said he learned how to be a manga artist from reading Akira Toriyama and Akira Sakuma's '' Hetappi Manga Kenkyūj ...

. A

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

devoted entirely to the current head of the Hellsing family,

Integra Hellsing ''Hellsing'' is a manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano, also adapted as the anime series ''Hellsing (TV series), Hellsing'', the OVA ''Hellsing Ultimate''. It tells the story of a powerful vampire named Alucard (Hellsing), Alucar ...

, Alucard works with the Hellsing Organization against other vampires and evil forces, fighting with ferocity and cruelty, sometimes only killing after a target has been disabled and humiliated, while frequently allowing enemies more than one chance to kill him (though only seeking to be killed by a human, having grown bored of immortality and life).

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...

was defeated by

Abraham Van Helsing Professor Abraham Van Helsing () is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula'' written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the ...

and became the family's loyal servant. Decades later, Abraham's direct descendant Arthur Hellsing gives the Count the

codename A code name, codename, call sign, or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in ...

"Alucard". ''Hellsing'' is set over a hundred years later, where Alucard and the Hellsing Organization are forced to fight the remnants of a Nazi battalion. Alucard also appears in the

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

series '' Hellsing: The Dawn'', taking a female form alongside his partner Walter C. Dornez to end

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in a fight against Nazis. Hirano created Alucard as a powerful character who serves as a

deus ex machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( ; ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; 'God from the machine') is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function is general ...

, effortlessly defeating most enemies. Alucard is voiced by

Jouji Nakata , sometimes anglicized to George Nakata, is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator who is affiliated with the Office Osawa agency. His major voice roles include Alucard in ''Hellsing'', Hijikata Toshizo in ''Golden Kamuy'', Roy Revant in ' ...

in Japanese and

Crispin Freeman Crispin Freeman is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter who is best known for voicing characters in English-language dubs of Japanese anime, animation, and video games. Some of his prominent anime roles include Zelgadis Grayw ...

in English. Critical response to the character has been positive for Alucard's dark traits such as sadism or supernatural abilities that make him stand out as excessively violent despite being the main hero. Alucard's design also stood out for being called "stylish", praising his outfits and weaponry. Alucard's voice portrayals by Nakata and Freeman were also met with a positive response.

Creation and development

Manga author A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the industry as a pri ...

created Alucard. In regards to his drawing him, Hirano claims he does not particularly care about accurate depictions of weapons in his manga and draws multiple type of angles like whenever Alucard shoots a bullet. In regards to Alucard's weaponry in fighting, Hirano claims he simply has an endless supply of bullets. Initially, Hirano felt the manga had issues in terms of fighting because Alucard was too powerful. As a result, Father

Alexander Anderson Alexander Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Alexander Anderson (cartoonist) (1920–2010), American cartoonist, creator of "Rocky the Flying Squirrel" * Alexander Anderson (illustrator) (1775–1870), American illustrator * Alexander ...

was created to be the only individual capable of being Alucard's equal. He thought about a character that could go against Alucard, and decided to create Anderson. Even if the Captain joined the battle between Alucard and Anderson, he does not think he would win. Even though the Millennium is the central evil organization, they are not strong enough to fight Alucard. Alucard does not struggle in his fights with the Millennium. He easily defeats him. He loses when the

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

got involved, but in the end the Millennium was not really strong enough a character to be considered a rival. The flow of the ''Hellsing'' manga was something that was decided on from the beginning. Multiple fans wondered if Alucard would form a relationship with his student

Seras Victoria ''Hellsing'' is a manga series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano, also adapted as the anime series ''Hellsing (TV series), Hellsing'', the OVA ''Hellsing Ultimate''. It tells the story of a powerful vampire named Alucard (Hellsing), Alucar ...

but Hirano did not find it possible. As a result, Hirano introduced the character Pip Bernadotte so he could stick him with Seras during the narrative. Meanwhile, Alucard would keep a deep bond with his master,

, early in the story but he refrained from regarding it as a romantic style. That was an unwavering part of the unfolding story. For the prequel ''Hellsing: The Dawn'', a dynamic was used between Alucard, Integra and Walter to act properly since Alucard was more active. After manga volume 8, during series' climax, the author felt he "got a little hasty" and ended the long battle between Alucard and Anderson. As a result, he thinks Alucard's battle against Anderson had a better show of battle in comparison to the previous battle against Anderson were both fighters were nearly equals. The reason he thinks so is because he had a time limit for completion when he was drawing them. In regards to Walter's betrayal, Hirano decided to use him as a villain by the time Alucard, who had been sleeping underground, revived, to face Integra and claimed that despite the close experience both character has, Walter was still clearly weaker than Alucard.

Casting

voices the character in Japanese. Nakata recalls being praised for providing Alucard's emotions rarely explored and that his fans were from multiple demographies. Looking back at his career, Nakata said that Alucard was the one character he most enjoyed voicing and the easiest one to portray. He said that villain characters and ones with distinct personalities were easier than ones with not much personality as they can be shaped and changed up. In an interview with ''Anime News Network'', American voice actor

stated that Alucard was the first big role he had ever since becoming an actor. He enjoyed voicing Alucard, stating that he loved "characters who are on the edge of madness for one reason or another". When the OVAs, ''Hellsing Ultimate'', were announced, Freeman was not contacted to take the part of Alucard again, something that bothered his fans. However,

Geneon Entertainment (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise that is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, owned by American telecommunications/media company Comcast headquartered in Akasaka, Min ...

producers called Freeman and asked him if he could return to voice Alucard again. In comparing the two Alucards he voiced, he believes they are nearly different individuals as a result of how the OVAs differ from the television series. Freeman notes that he was originally going to give Alucard a Romanian accent, but decided on an American accent instead. Due to the length of ''Hellsing Ultimate'', Freeman considered his work as a "marathon" due to the amount of lines he had to record per episode based on the screentime Alucard has. However, he felt that there were easier episodes due to the protagonist having fewer lines as the narrative was more primarily focused on a supporting character. Due to Alucard being based on the

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...

's novel character Dracula and Freeman being a fan of mythological storytelling, the actor felt he highly enjoyed Alucard, calling him a "psychologically complex character".

Appearances

In ''Hellsing''

Alucard is a vampire working for the organization Hellsing. Alucard is violent, sadistic, and masochistic. He often taunts and belittles his opponents, allowing them to inflict wounds before regenerating and retaliating. His real identity is "Dracula" who starts his career by fighting the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

, 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, believing he has been abandoned by God, turns his back on the divine. The manga briefly deviates the events of

's ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

'' in regards to his defeat. In ''Hellsing'', he was staked in the heart but not destroyed. Years after his defeat, Dracula became a servant of the Van Helsing family, who not only augmented his formidable abilities, but also placed shackles on his power. Now named Alucard, he, along with a young Walter C. Dornez, were sent to

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, Poland to stop Millennium's vampire production program. A man imprisoned Alucard in a dungeon in the Hellsing manor, as he believed the vampire was too powerful to be used frequently. After 20 years of imprisonment, a young child named

, marked for death by her traitorous uncle, opened Alucard's crypt as a final resort. Her blood awakened and resuscitated the ancient vampire, who then executed Integra's uncle and his followers, and willingly entered the service of Integra. Despite his nature, Alucard expresses admiration for humans, most notably Integra and the determination of his rival,

, to destroy him an example of the "fantastic" and "magnificent" qualities of humans. Whenever he drinks his victim's blood, Alucard also sucks out the soul of that person to obtain their memories while converting the victim into an extension of himself referred to as a Familiar. Alucard exhibits incredible accuracy when firing his twin large caliber handguns (his basic set being chambered in .454 Casull; a more powerful pair, codenamed 'Jackal' and armed with explosive rounds, was designed to fight regenerators. He can tear humans apart with ease and move faster than the eye can see.Hirano, Kohta (2003). ''Hellsing'', Volume 1. Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing. pp. 52–53. . While often seen a male human, Alucard has a tendency to take other humanoid forms (among them being a young girl, a form he took while infiltrating the Nazi group Millennium during World War II). Anderson, augmented by the Nail of Helena, managed to critically injure Alucard during their final duel, which created a chain reaction that destroyed all Alucard's familiars except Luke Valentine and the Hellhound. Although Alucard recovered thanks to Seras' intervention and successfully defeated Anderson, he was then attacked by Walter, who had undergone vampirization by Millennium in order to kill Alucard when he was most vulnerable. However, Walter was tricked (via illusion) into killing Valentine instead; before he could get another chance to land a fatal blow, Alucard began absorbing the blood of the millions who died in the Battle of London, thus giving himself an indefinite number of regenerations and a new army of the dead. Unknown to Alucard, Schrödinger had killed himself and fallen into the river of blood on the Major's orders; mixed in with the millions of other souls Alucard had consumed, he was unable to recognize himself and therefore neither he nor Alucard was able to exist, causing Alucard to vanish. During the series' ending, after Alucard destroyed every additional soul except Schrödinger's in his body, he gained the ability to exist "everywhere and nowhere".

In ''Hellsing: The Dawn''

The manga ''Hellsing: The Dawn'' and its animated adaptation focus on a younger Alucard taking the form of a woman while working during WWII. A much younger Walter is sent by Hellsing behind enemy lines with a giant casket to eliminate a new threat from the Nazis. In an attempt to stop the Nazi project and to protect England and The Allies current head of the Hellsing House, Sir Arthur Hellsing, is sending his best agents — Walter C. Dornez and Alucard — into German-occupied Poland where monstrous experiments are being conducted.

Other appearances

Alucard appears as a playable operator in Season 6 of '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II''.

Reception

Popularity

Alucard has been a popular character. In the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation Awards from 2008, Alucard was nominated as one of the best male characters with

's portrayal of the character also being nominated. In a poll by AnimeAnime, Alucard was voted as the second best Nakata character behind Corporal Giroro from ''

Sgt. Frog ''Sgt. Frog'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mine Yoshizaki. It was launched in '' Monthly Shōnen Ace'' in April 1999. The story follows the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders t ...

''. However, both lost to

Ichigo Kurosaki is a fictional character in the ''Bleach'' manga and anime series and its adaptations created by author Tite Kubo. He is the main protagonist of the series, who receives Soul Reaper powers after meeting Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper assigned to ...

from ''

Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color from (i.e. to whiten) fabric or fiber (in a process called bleaching) or to disinfect after cleaning. It often refers specifically t ...

'' and

Tomokazu Sugita is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor and author. He mainly plays young men and is characterized by his "deep bass voice," and he often performs ad-libs and imitations. He is best known for his roles as Gintoki Sakata in ''Gintama'', ...

for ''

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a Japanese light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. It was first published in 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan with the novel ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'', and has since been followe ...

''s Kyon, respectively. Various merchandise based on Alucard's appearance has been created, including

action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...

s, bust figures and key-chains.

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

ranked him as the 21st greatest anime character of all time, saying that "There have been many vampires in anime, but none have been as deliciously sadistic as Alucard." ''Complex'' listed him as the 15th most stylish character in anime. ''

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

'' listed him as one of "6 Strange Faces of Dracula's Descendents" based on how different is Alucard to the novel character.

Critical response

Critical response to Alucard's character has been positive. Ever since his introduction in the manga, Justin Rich from ''Mania Entertainment'' saw Alucard as an interesting character due to his brief encounter with Anderson which shows a potential for what their actions in the future might be. ''

''s Mike Crandol praised Alucard for being "a refreshing change from the traditional, mopey, woe-is-me vampire anti-hero", and called him "quite the cool figure". On a similar note, Alucard's nature as a vampire was noted to be a new take of the usage of the archetype due to how Alucard trains Seras Victoria to the point it feels like a

coming of age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...

for Alucard's subordinate. Despite his sadistic nature, ''Comic Book Resources'' pointed out that Alucard is contrasted by the personalities of Seras and Integra whom are noted to make Alucard make more charming as he sees both of them in a friendlier well when compared to his regular dark persona. His dark personality stood out with ''T.H.E.M Anime Reviews'' calling him as an "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..." Carl Kimlinger also from ''Anime News Network'' said Alucard "He's one of the scariest, and most unspeakably cool, anti-heroes to ever slaughter his way through an anime." As a result, Kimlinger felt Alucard's character to be series' strongest part. Patrick King from ''AnimeFringe'' said that Alucard's portrayal in the first ''Hellsing'' anime made him come across as one of the best anime characters he has ever seen, comparing him with the famous Spike from ''

Cowboy Bebop is a 1998 Japanese neo-noir space Western anime television series that aired on TV Tokyo and Wowow from 1998 to 1999. It was created and animated by Sunrise (company), Sunrise, led by a production team of director Shinichirō Watanabe, ...

'' calling him "the perfect mix of grace and violence, propriety and chaos."

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

found Alucard's first fight in the anime so ridiculously violent that he believes Toonami's audience would like it as instead Alucard would be more enjoyed by an adult demographic. In regards to his role in the story, ''Comic Book Resources'' felt Alucard's battle to be enjoyable due to the amount of gore provided through his fighting style involving both supernatural abilities and usage of guns. ''The Fandom Post'' enjoyed both Alucard's presence and lack of presence in the narrative for the impact it has on the cast as well as how he is humanized when fighting with his full power while also interacting with Integra. ''Manga News'' expressed similar feeling as without Alucard, Seras Victoria's forces remain notably weaker in comparison to the point he missed the character. However, the writer had mix feelings in regards to Alucard's understanding of his rival Anderson's. While the final fight was praised for developing Alucard and show his past, his subsequent betrayal by Walter and brief fight with him felt "flat" alongside his fate in the finale. The same site also praised Alucard's final fight against Anderson in ''Hellsing Ultimate'', citing it as the greatest highlight of the entire series and found Hirano's take on the Dracula myth as one of the "wildest interpretation" he has seen. Freeman's work for providing a "gothic depth befitting a powerful master vampire". ''THEM Anime Reviews'' noted that while Alucard might come across as a villain rather than a hero due to his sadistic actions, the poorly developed villains make it easier for the viewers to root for the lead. Similarly, DVD Talk praised how ''Ultimate'' portrayed Alucard in the finale not only for his fights against Anderson and Walter but also about how his past life is explored while acclaiming Freeman's work. Joji Nakata's work as Alucard was also met with similar response by ''Anime News Network'' alongside

Norio Wakamoto is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with the Sigma Seven talent agency. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University. On adult works, like OVAs or dating ...

(Anderson) for having the best deliveries in the Japanese version. ''Manga News'' criticized Alucard's fate in the finale for his apparent death during the fight against the Millennium organization only to return in the final chapter for unexplained reasons. Critics often commented on Alucard's appearance. Comparing the Alucard's characterization between the television series and the OVAs, ''Anime News Network'' felt the former was "a kind of sexy bishonen character" as his action scenes were toned alongside the violence he occasionally caused, making the latter more interesting as a result of his sadistic nature and gore. ''UK Anime Network'' and ''Manga Life'' agreed, feeling that Alucard looks more like a villain in the OVAs rather than a hero. ''Comic Book Resources'' found the design stylish alongside the guns Alucard wields. Jason Thompson commented that when the manga started "Alucard looked too much like ''

Master of Mosquiton is a Japanese manga series written by Hiroshi Negishi and Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Tsutomu Isomata about a girl named Hitomebore Inaho whose grandmother was in love with a vampire. Inaho meets a vampire at an all-girls Catholic hig ...

'', or another badass manga character with

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

glasses" and thought he seems like

Vash the Stampede is the protagonist of ''Trigun'', a manga series created by Yasuhiro Nightow in 1995. Set on the planet No Man's Land, Vash is the most feared outlaw who has earned a bounty of Fictional currency, $$60 billion ("double dollar") on his head and ...

from ''

Trigun is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow. It was first serialized in Tokuma Shoten's manga magazine ''Monthly Shōnen Captain'' from March 1995 to December 1996, until the magazine ceased its publication; ...

'', something which ''

AnimeNation AnimeNation was an American business that included RentAnime.com, a discussion forum, anime industry news, and a column called "Ask John". It was previously a retailer of anime and manga products until 2014 and an anime licensing and distribu ...

'' agreed with. ''Comics Beat'' claimed that Alucard's general look was "stylish" not only due to his clothing but the detail given to his guns. In a more negative view, Alucard's female form was criticized by ''Anime News Network'' due to Hirano not being able to draw properly a female character, resulting in the female form to look as tomboyish as Integra Hellsing. Brianna Murch from

Bridgewater State University Bridgewater State University is a public university with its main campus in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest of nine state universities in Massachusetts. Including its off-campus sites in New Bedford, Massachusetts, N ...

commented that Alucard's acceptance of Integra as his new master finding her as an equal, the way Alucard shoots and bites Seras Victoria to make her a vampire was compared to the cruel of fate of raped women despite her accepting the role of becoming a vampire. As Integra is not a vampire, Alucard's respect for her convictions and calculating mind heighten his frustration towards Seras. Unlike Integra's relationship with Alucard, Alucard's relationship with Seras Victoria is compared more to a husband and master with his wife and student. The latter case was notable for being one of the few cases where a female vampire is portrayed in fiction. Alucard was also compared with Alexandru Muşina's novel '' Dracula's Nephew'' as two rather authoritative contemporary references modifying the vampiric epitome originally outlined by Bram Stoker.

References

External links

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