The Major

The Major is a character in the manga and OVA series Hellsing. He is the main antagonist of the series and is the leader of Millennium. He's voiced in Japanese by Nobuo Tobita, and in English by Gildart Jackson. He appears briefly in the trailer for Gonzo's TV series, along with Doc and the Captain.

The Major is small, plump, unprepossessing, ruthless and psychopathic, his pleasant smile is the mask on a madman. He commands with a good-natured attitude, which can change any moment to cruelty or grandiose elation. In the manga, if the information given by the corrupt priest that was interrogated by Enrico Maxwell is correct, then the Major was between 26 and 27 years old in the year 1941 (just after participating in Operation Barbarossa), thus placing him chronologically in his late nineties during the Hellsing series.

A former first lieutenant of the SS, Adolf Hitler issued a special order (#666) placing him in charge of a top-secret project, the main focus of which was the perfection of an artificial vampirization process. The success of this project would allow the Nazis to utilize vampires in battle and turn the tide of the war in their favor. The operation was attacked and shut down by a young Walter Dornez and Alucard in Warsaw, Poland, in 1944. However, the defeat proved to be only a minor setback, as the Major and his subordinates managed to escape to South America unharmed. There they resumed their research.

Although other Nazi officers with higher ranks accompanied Millennium to their South American hideout and attempted to exert their authority, the vampire officers loyal to the Major quickly executed them. Depending on the translation used, the Major is variously a sub-commander or the founder of Millennium, as well as the leader of a Werwolf special force.

The original purpose of the Nazi vampire research was to ensure Germany's victory in World War II and to create a Reich that would last for a thousand years (hence the name "Millennium"), but the Major claims that he has "no purpose". He states that he simply wishes to start an endless war. In his famous "I Love War" speech, he elaborates on his love for all facets of war, regardless of which side is winning. While addressing Integra Hellsing's question as to his specific goal, he says that he has no goal. He explains that while others settle on no means in obtaining their goals, he will settle on no goals in obtaining his means.

Thus, he personally leads the Millennium invasion of England, priming the men by promising them the most glorious war, and was seen conducting music to the sounds of the carnage below, perched above the Deus Ex Machina, while patiently listening to the Doctor's details about Walter's conversion, and saw the results of the same firsthand as he was about to be attacked by a Vatican assault helicopter. Giving his apparent approval, he sent Walter to deal with Alucard.

In the final chapters, the Major and Integra Hellsing duel to the death. As the final battle starts, because of an attack by Seras, the Major's left side is blown off, revealing himself to be a cyborg. After this discovery, Integra debates whether he was a monster or not, since he wasn't literally human. The Major responds by saying that as long as his will existed he was human, no matter what has become of his body. His reason for despising Alucard is that, though the Major is a human who looks like a monster, the vampire is a monster who looks like a human, something that he can never forgive. In the end, Integra shoots the Major in the head to kill him; but the Major dies with a smile on his face. It appears that he has died a happy man with no regrets, having fulfilled his dream of a grand war.

Trivia

 * The Major's true name is never really given in the series. The Major's old name is placed in a few pieces of the Manga's art and in panels, but it's very inconsistent and is spelled differently almost every time.
 * The_Major_2.jpg the Major's first full appearance in volume three the Major appears to be much slimmer than the way he looks in future volumes. This is most likely because Kouta Hirano had not yet decided on a final look for the Major.
 * There are a few minor but noticeable inconsistencies in the artwork for the Major towards the end of volume 10. In one panel, he has clearly lost half of his left leg. However, in his very last appearance, it appears to be entirely intact. Also, his glasses (what's left of them) are shown falling to the floor after Integra shoots him, but they are back on his face right after that.
 * The Major did not first appear in Hellsing proper, his first appearance was actually in Hirano's earlier manga "Coyote". In Coyote, he was mostly the same character with a few slight differences including being a lot slimmer, and being referred to by the name "Montana Max". Hellsing actually includes what appear to be nods to Coyote in that Fans have actually adopted "Montana Max" as the Major's name in Hellsing, but the name has never been written in any of the dialogue whatsoever, it is more likely than not just another in-joke from Hirano.