Pip Vernedead

Pip Bernadotte (ピップ・ベルナドット, Pippu Berunadotto?) is a the leader of the group of mercenaries known as the Wild Geese. He is an ally of Hellsing and takes a particular interest in Seras Victoria. His Japanese voice actor in the anime and OVA is Hiroaki Hirata. His English voice actor in the anime and OVA is Yuri Lowenthal. Like many of Kouta Hirano's characters, Pip's character design was recycled from one of Hirano's old hentai works called Coyote.

Appearance
Pip is an average-heighted man with carrot-colored hair and freckles. He speaks with a French accent and is therefore widely considered to be French, although it is never exclusively disclosed. Perhaps his most notable features are his eyepatch and long braid. He usually wears a cowboy-style hat with the left side flap folded up; it has what appears to be an emblem of a Griffin on the front. Pip is also a compulsive smoker, and is shown with a cigarette in his mouth more often than not.

Personality
Initially, Pip was portrayed as a narrow-minded and somewhat shallow, pervert whose sole pursuit was that of gaining money, and therfore proved to be an experienced, excellent mercenary. It is later revealed that he has a soft side, morals, and a sense of aloof bravery. Upon he and Seras' first meeting, he is stunned by her, and subsequently starts developing feelings of love towards her.

Plot
Pip's family has had at least one member serving in the Wild Geese for six generations. His grandfather, for example, was a mercenary, and raised him for much of his childhood. His father was killed incombat. It's unknown what rank Pip's other famiily members ranks were in the mercenary group before they died or retired.

He is hired by Walter Dornez at the end of Volume 2 to replace all the soldiers killed by the the Valentine Brothers. On his first debriefing, he openly insults and antagonises Seras Victoria over the absurdity of vampires but is quickly put in his place by Seras' 'aggressive reasoning', involving nearly breaking his neck by flicking him with her fore-finger. Pip (along with the rest of the Wild Geese) primarily uses an AK-47 assault rifle as well as a revolver which appears to be a .44 Magnum.

The name of his group, The Wild Geese, (The Wild Geese) is believed to be derived from a movie during the seventies that shared the name and was about a group of mercenaries in Africa. This is incorrect, and is a reference instead to The Wild Geese, the Irish who left Ireland following the Treaty of Limerick. Pip being French, it's possibly an homage, since it was the Wild Geese serving France who finally broke the back of the English army at the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745, (according to some accounts taking the colors of England's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards). (Which would place their entry after the dissolution of the 'official' French Irish units. However, many organizations of predominately Irish mercenaries are known to refer to themselves as the 'Wild Geese', particularly those dating back to the 18th and 19th century.)

Background
After an attack on the mansion, Pip and his men are losing the fight. Seras tries to save them, but gets herself in mortal danger and ends up blinded and crippled by Zorin. Pip, already severely injured, tries to rescue her but is killed. Before his death he kisses her for the first (and last) time, after she had rejected him several times earlier, and tells her to drink his blood and become stronger. Seras drinks his blood after he dies, and gains his memories and experiences. Seras also becomes a true vampire at this point, (since she had previously refused to drink blood), and begins for the first time to show abilities similar to Alucard's. Hirano mentioned in an end-of-volume rant that he was lucky to have been kept alive so long and that he got a kiss and now was dead. Although having no supernatural powers, he does have experience from warfare and skills with firearms and military tactics. Because Seras had drained his blood in volume 7, Pip's soul now lives on through her. He makes his first reappearance in chapter 85 - Warcraft (3), giving Seras tactical advice. In chapter 86, Pip explains to Seras about the origin of the spoils of war present in the room before guiding her to fight the Captain. At the very end of the chapter, he manifests out her body and stabs the werewolf's chest with a tooth that has a silver filing, killing the Captain.

Trivia

 * It should be noted that between PIp's first appearance and the expedition to Brazil, Pip did not have an eyepatch, but instead had his left eye bandaged, though this is not reflected in the OVA.