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Rip Van Winkle

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First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle 《リップヴァーン・ウィンクル中尉, Rippu Vān Winkuru Chūi》 is a major antagonist in the Hellsing series created by Kohta Hirano. She is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto in the Japanese sub and Kari Wahlgren in the English dub.

One of Millennium's top soldiers and a member of the Werwolf Squad, Rip Van Winkle, commands her troops to steal an aircraft carrier called the Eagle from the British. A powerful woman carrying with her a great Musket capable of firing Magic Bullet 《魔弾, Madan》 whose target is unfaltering, she has served under The Major since World War II and was praised by The Major for her ability to defy the laws of nature and defeat multiple enemies with a single shot, likening it to Carl Maria von Weber's opera "Der Freischütz." Rip Van serves her mission with pride and unwavering conviction; however, she is vulnerable to unexpected situations and prone to panic.

Appearance[]

Rip Van Winkle looked to be in her early twenties due to her nature as a vampire. She was tall and lanky, with glowing blue eyes and freckled cheeks. She had long black hair that reached down to her knees. A few bangs tended to stick up from her head, including a particularly long lock of hair that ended in a curl. Rip Van's usual outfit included a black suit, a white dress shirt, a red tie, and black shoes. She also wore glasses, white gloves—presumably to protect her hands when firing her Musket—and a large silver Swastika pendant. In a flashback, she was also seen wearing a Nazi military uniform with her hair tied into two long braids.

Personality[]

Rip Van was one of the more playful and cheerful members of Millennium's commanders, exhibiting a rather childish personality on most occasions.[4] While on-board the HMS Eagle, she counted down the time to The Major's arrival[5] by using a pink alarm clock with a cartoon face on it.[6] Her freckled face, enthusiastic mannerisms, and use of a pigtailed hairstyle in 1944 further emphasized her air of youthfulness. However, she could be quite vicious depending on her mood, ruthlessly killing the zombified crew of the HMS Eagle along with their vampiric captain.[7] She was frequently seen grinning evilly when using her Musket to shoot down incoming enemies as well.[8][9][10][11][12]

She enjoyed singing and operas, with her favorite being Der Freischütz.[13][14] According to The Major, she was very much like the character of Caspar, including her personality and her choice of weapon—in fact, The Major once told her to be wary because he felt that she would even meet her end in the same way as Caspar—slain and devoured as punishment for her sins by Zamiel.[15][16] Perhaps as a direct consequence of this, Rip Van was utterly terrified of Alucard, whom she equated with Zamiel, the "Black Huntsman,"[17][18][19] who eventually killed Caspar at the end of Der Freischütz.[20] Notably, Rip Van sensed Alucard's approach long before he actually arrived on the Eagle, and immediately began panicking.[21][22] She also exhibited extreme reluctance to fight Alucard, only briefly gathering herself when she remembered The Major asking her how she would act when faced with impending death.[23][24][25]

Relationships[]

Allies[]

  • The Major: She was one of the few known members of Millennium that had been working for The Major since World War II.[26][27] In her abilities, The Major took a liking of her "Magic Bullet," reminiscent of the Legendary Demonic Hunter from Der Freischütz after witnessing her sniping skills.[28][29] However, he had since told her to be wary because Zamiel might just appear before her.[30] This had caused her to become overfilled with severe paranoia and was seen with her desperation in her fight against Alucard.[31] However, even when Rip Van was killed by Alucard, The Major stopped The Professor from burning her into crisp as he stated that she had done her job well and that with her sacrifice, they would overthrow Alucard and commanded all of Millennium to pay tributes to her.[32] Despite this, Rip Van had always been planned to be used purely as bait by The Major in order to strand Alucard.[33][34]

Enemies[]

  • Alucard: They first came into contact with each other during the night of Warsaw, where Alucard knocked her out cold with a single hit.[35] Years later, Alucard was sent to fight Rip Van on the Eagle, in which Rip Van sensed his presence and became petrified.[36][37] This circled back to Der Freischütz, where Zamiel killed Caspar at the end of the story; Rip Van feared that Alucard would be the Zamiel that she would meet and be killed by.[38] On his landing, Alucard uttered the phrase "For if thou presumeth to flirt with spirits, thou shalt join them."[39] In the end, Rip Van's brutal death was in the hands of Alucard.[40]

Powers, Abilities, and Weapons[]

Artificial Vampire
Formerly a skilled marksman under Nazi Germany, she was made into an Artificial Vampire and gained a special ability reminiscent of that of Der Freischütz.[41] The Major praised her ability to defy the laws of nature and defeat multiple enemies with a single shot.[42][43][44] Certainly a dangerous foe wielding a Musket with a homing bullet that its target could never escape from, yet a clumsy one; paranoid to meet her end at the hands of "Zamiel."[45]
Marksmanship: Her status as a part of the Werwolf Squad was because of her superb marksmanship skills.[46] As the Musket only had one round per shot, it forced her to rely on her marksmanship skills and take out all of her targets with a single, decisive shot during engagements.[47]
Superhuman Durability and Endurance: Rip Van seemed to have some measure of enhanced resilience as she took a punch to the jaw from Alucard, where the only visible damage was that her mouth was bleeding.[48] She was also able to take the massive explosive impact of the SR-71 that pierced through the deck while on it without any injuries.[49][50]
Enhanced Senses: She was able to detect Alucard before he actually came within visual range of the Eagle.[51]

Daywalking: To a limited degree, she was able to take a nap out on a sunny day under an umbrella.[52] The umbrella originated from a place called "Sumson'S DRUGSTORE♡," which is noted to be her favorite parasol manufacturer.[53]
Regeneration: As she was an Artificial Vampire, she had minor regenerative abilities that weren't anything special. But this was never fully showcased as she met her end rather quickly by Alucard.
Biological Immortality: As an Artificial Vampire, Rip Van could not age or die of a disease. However, she could still be killed, meaning that her "immortality" was biological.
Musket
Her primary weapon was that of a Periodic Musket 《マスケット銃, Masukettojū》[54] that fired a specialized "Magic Bullet 《魔弾, Madan》."[55] The Musket used by Rip Van were originally old-fashioned guns that were preloaded with bullets and were not suitable for continuous firing, so they disappeared as technology developed.[56]

Magic Bullet: Her Musket fired a Magic Bullet that "punished all without distinction," tracking targets of their own accord,[57] and which were armor-piercing (destroying helicopters,[58] fighter jets, and missiles with ease[59]) and outpaced the Mach 3 Blackbird.[60] These Magic Bullets left a trail of blue light when fired and were even able to change their trajectories in mid-flight and repeatedly pepper a target before expiring.[61] Rip Van seemed to have a limited amount of these bullets, and she had to manually reload the Musket after each shot.[62] In fact, she used only fired four on-screen shots before her death throughout the entire series, and only one directly against Alucard.[a]

Concept and Creation[]

Hirano has since commented that Rip Van was one of his favorite characters because of her design, in which he puts "everything he loves" on Rip Van's design, including her freckles, glasses, and tall structure. In her death sequence, Hirano joked that it was his background (as a Hentai mangaka) that came into play.[67] Bringing her back in volume 8 as Alucard's familiar, Hirano commented that she's a girl with glasses, so she came back.[68]

In her fight with Alucard, Hirano said that Rip Van was overconfident in her abilities and thought that she could win.[69] Her abilities, favorite opera, and eventual fate all hearken to Der Freischütz of German folklore, said to be a person who pledges their soul to a devil in exchange for a certain number of Magic Bullets (usually seven).[70] The Freischütz can make these bullets perform even the most impossible of feats, but the last bullet was said to be under the control of the devil who helped make them, usually leading to tragedy or death.[71]

Name[]

She is most likely named after the eponymous protagonist of Washington Irving's short story "Rip Van Winkle."[72] Her middle name, "Van," is usually stylized in lowercase as "van."[73][74]

Quotes[]

"Thus the hunting ground becomes the hunter's. And my warhead will punish all without distinction."
— Rip Van Winkle[75]
"What are your thoughts on being a vampire, "Number One?""
— Rip Van Winkle[76]
"You wanted that body badly enough to betray your own country. How does that body you killed all your comrades to obtain feel, my new captain?"
— Rip Van Winkle[77]
"How does it feel to have freely wielded the invulnerable power of the vampire in changing your superior and subordinates into flash-eating ghouls, my new captain?"
— Rip Van Winkle[78]
"Well done!!! Wonderful!! What a fantastic job. We of Millennium extend to you a very warm welcome!!"
— Rip Van Winkle[79]
"The job's done, now be a good boy and die. Dirty limey."
— Rip Van Winkle[80]
"Exactly thirty-six hours left to go. What a tragedy. What a comedy."
— Rip Van Winkle[81]
"IT'S HIM!! IT'S HIM!! THE MAD MOUTHPIECE IS COMING. With the smell of death kicked up and in his grasp... trailing behind him a black steel horse, he comes straight for us."
— Rip Van Winkle[82]

Trivia[]

  • In one scene, Rip Van is sitting under an umbrella. Although this is likely a defense against the sun, it could be a reference to the practice of World War II German snipers to use umbrellas with camouflage foliage woven between the arms as light, adaptable, and mobile personal camouflage.
  • In the OVA, her catchphrase "Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, my bullet punishes all without distinction" is a reference to the rhyme Tinker, Tailor and the novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Footnotes[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Shots fired:[63][64][65][66]

References[]

  1. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 7
  2. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 12
  3. ↑ Order 22: Age of Empire (3)
  4. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 094
  5. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 102
  6. ↑ Order 29: D (4) Chapter Cover
  7. ↑ Order 27: D (3) pp. 5-9
  8. ↑ Order 26: D (2) p. 7
  9. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 5, p. 12
  10. ↑ Order 29: D (4) p. 17
  11. ↑ Order 30: D (5) Chapter Cover, p. 14
  12. ↑ Order 31: D (6) pp. 11-12
  13. ↑ Order 30: D (5) Prologue, p. 14
  14. ↑ HELLSING official guide book pp. 096-097
  15. ↑ Order 32: D (7) pp. 3-6. "Do you know the finale of Der Freischütz, Lieutenant? At the end of the opera, Caspar is taken to hell by the Hunter Demon King Zamiel, whom he had dallied with. Then Caspar's corpse is cast into the wolf's glen. For if thou presumeth to flirt with spirits, thou shalt join them. Take heed, Lieutenant."
  16. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 096
  17. ↑ Order 31: D (6) pp. 2-6
  18. ↑ Order 32: D (7) pp. 5-6
  19. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 097
  20. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 097
  21. ↑ Order 30: D (5) p. 15
  22. ↑ Order 31: D (6) pp. 2-3
  23. ↑ Order 32: D (7)
  24. ↑ Order 33: D (8)
  25. ↑ HELLSING OVA I - V Blu-ray Box Booklet
  26. ↑ The Dawn - 6
  27. ↑ HELLSING OVA I - V Blu-ray Box Booklet
  28. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 096
  29. ↑ Hellsing: Ultimate IV Booklet
  30. ↑ Order 32: D (7) pp. 3-6. "Do you know the finale of Der Freischütz, Lieutenant? At the end of the opera, Caspar is taken to hell by the Hunter Demon King Zamiel, whom he had dallied with. Then Caspar's corpse is cast into the wolf's glen. For if thou presumeth to flirt with spirits, thou shalt join them. Take heed, Lieutenant."
  31. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 103
  32. ↑ Order 34: D (9) pp. 4-10
  33. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 102
  34. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 103
  35. ↑ The Dawn - 6
  36. ↑ Order 30: D (5) p. 15
  37. ↑ Order 31: D (6) pp. 2-3
  38. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 097
  39. ↑ Order 31: D (6) p. 6
  40. ↑ Order 34: D (9)
  41. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 096
  42. ↑ Order 32: D (7) p. 3. "A magnificent ability, Lieutenant Rip Van. No doubt the "Magic Bullets" of the Legendary Demonic Hunter."
  43. ↑ Hellsing: Ultimate IV Booklet
  44. ↑ HELLSING OVA I - V Blu-ray Box Booklet
  45. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 097
  46. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 095
  47. ↑ Hellsing: Ultimate IV Booklet
  48. ↑ Order 33: D (8) p. 16
  49. ↑ Order 31: D (6)
  50. ↑ Hellsing: Ultimate IV
  51. ↑ Order 30: D (5)
  52. ↑ Order 29: D (4)
  53. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 177
  54. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 095
  55. ↑ Order 30: D (5) p. 4
  56. ↑ HELLSING OVA I - V Blu-ray Box Booklet
  57. ↑ Order 27: D (3) pp. 5-9
  58. ↑ Order 29: D (4) pp. 12-17
  59. ↑ Order 30: D (5) pp. 10-14
  60. ↑ Order 31: D (6) pp. 13-14
  61. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 095
  62. ↑ Hellsing: Ultimate IV Booklet
  63. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 6
  64. ↑ Order 29: D (4) pp. 13-17
  65. ↑ Order 31: D (6) p. 12
  66. ↑ Order 33: D (8) pp. 8-9
  67. ↑ HELLSING official guide book Kohta Hirano Vs. Interviewer: Battle 01
  68. ↑ Hellsing: Volume 8 Character Introduction
  69. ↑ HELLSING official guide book Kohta Hirano Vs. Interviewer: Battle 03
  70. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 096
  71. ↑ HELLSING official guide book p. 097
  72. ↑ HELLSING OVA I - V Blu-ray Box Booklet
  73. ↑ Hellsing: Ultimate IV Booklet
  74. ↑ HELLSING OVA I - V Blu-ray Box Booklet
  75. ↑ Order 26: D (2) p. 7
  76. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 2
  77. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 3
  78. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 3
  79. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 4
  80. ↑ Order 27: D (3) p. 5
  81. ↑ Order 29: D (4) p. 18
  82. ↑ Order 31: D (6) p. 3
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