Millennium | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher |
Shounengahosha |
First appearance | Hellsing volume 2 |
Created by | Kouta Hirano |
In-story information | |
Type of organization | Pre-war Nazi Remnant |
Base(s) | Hindenburg II (Deus Ex Machina), Jaburo, Brazil |
Leader(s) |
Major The Doctor |
Agent(s) |
The Captain Warrant Officer Schrödinger Walter C. Dornez Luke and Jan Valentine Tubalcain Alhambra First Lieutenant Rip van Winkle First Lieutenant Zorin Blitz |
Hellsing is a manga series created by Kouta Hirano about a powerful vampire named Alucard and his battle against supernatural forces in service of the Hellsing Organization. The manga has two animated adaptations—a television series by Gonzo which was produced early in the manga's original run and features a largely original screenplay by Chiaki J. Konaka; and Hellsing Ultimate, an original video animation series produced by Geneon that more closely follows the plot of the manga. The series primarily takes place in the United Kingdom, which is under attack by the undead forces of a rogue Nazi battalion which survived the end of World War II.
The Hellsing Organization is a clandestine British royal order charged with defending the empire from supernatural threats. Sir Integra Hellsing serves as its leader and commands a blood pact with Alucard, Hellsing's most powerful weapon. Alucard is an ancient vampire who was pressed into service by Integra's ancestor, Abraham Van Helsing, who founded the order. Alucard is accompanied by Seras Victoria, a young vampire whom Alucard turns at the beginning of the series. Hellsing is opposed by Millennium, a remnant of the Waffen-SS which escaped to South America with its research into vampires and the occult. The war-obsessed Major leads Millennium's army of artificially created vampires in an assault on London. Between the two powers is Vatican Section XIII, the Iscariot Organization, a secret Catholic order of assassins which also specializes in combating the supernatural. Enrico Maxwell is its leader and Alexander Anderson, a paladin with accelerated healing, is its strongest asset.
Many of the characters in Hellsing were based on concepts from Hirano's prior work as a freelance manga artist. The characters of Hellsing have been praised by reviewers and maintain an enduring presence in cosplay at anime conventions.