Alucard

This anime and manga-related article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (October 2009)

This article may require copy-editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (January 2008)

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
Age	c. 577
Species	Vampire
Occupation	Vampire hunter

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 has a range of supernatural techniques including enhanced strength. He fights with ferocity and often extreme cruelty, rarely intending to kill until his target has been disabled and humiliated, while frequently allowing enemies more than one chance to kill him. It is stated in volume 8 of the manga, that he is Count Dracula. Soon after the events in the book, Van Helsing somehow gains control of Dracula, renaming him Alucard and leaves him as a servant of the Hellsing family.

He typically dresses in a distinct Victorian fashion, including a charcoal suit, leather riding boots, a red cravat, and a long red overcoat. He also wears a red fedora with a wide, floppy brim and a pair of circular, wire-framed sunglasses.

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 gives brief flashbacks of his human days. It is not explicitly shown or stated how he became a vampire, but there is a scene showing him drinking blood from the floor before an executioner.^[1]

The series mentions the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but deviate 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]

Personality

Alucard taunts and belittles his opponents, allowing them to inflict wounds before healing and retaliating, as shown within pages of his first appearance in the manga.^[5] He longs for battle.^[6]

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]

Alucard expresses extreme disgust with the vampires he hunts, especially when they kill without purpose. When commenting on the "Bonnie and Clyde" early in the story, he lists the two vampires' pointless killing in his catalog of how pathetic they are.^[10]

Abilities

Alucard is immortal and does not age.^[11] Other characters are hard pressed to severely wound him, and even when he receives extreme damage, he simply reforms.^[12] He cannot be destroyed via decapitation or being staked through the heart.^[13] He exhibits incredible accuracy when firing his twin large caliber handguns, and is capable of accurately shooting targets while looking the other way.^[14][15] He can physically tear humans apart with ease and move faster than the eye can see.^[16] He is seen passing through walls^[17] and moving up vertical surfaces.^[18] He shapeshifts into various forms, including bats,^[19] insects,^[20] demonic dogs,^[21] amorphous masses of darkness,^[22] and other humanoid forms.^[23][24] He can communicate telepathically at least with Seras^[16] and can hypnotize other characters.^[7] He can absorb memories through blood^[25] and is immune or resistant to sunlight.^[26]

Reception

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (January 2008)

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".^[27] 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..."^[28]

In an interview with Anime News Network, English 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..."^[29]

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alucard (Hellsing)

• Alucard at the Internet Movie Database