A Silver Bullet《銀の弾丸, Gin no dangan》 is a bullet cast in Silver, and is used in many weapons throughout the Hellsing universe, most notably, The Jackal, one of Alucard's weapons.
Information[]
Folklores[]
In folklores, silver weapons are believed to have powers to ward off evil and defeat witches incarnated as wild ospreys, and silver crosses filled with the power of prayer protect their wearers as a shield against vampires. Silver bullets have been considered superior to those of steel as powerful weapons to destroy werewolves and other servants of the devil. According to Serbian folklore, the most effective silver bullets to fire at monsters are melted silver coins engraved with a cross. Based on these legends, the Hellsing Organisation created the most powerful anti-FREAKs bullets, and anti-frequency bullets. The Silver Cross of Lanchester Cathedral, which has been filled with the prayers of the faithful throughout the ages. The 13mm explosive steel bullets is a magnum projectile with a tin-melted warhead that is so solid that it cannot even be touched by non-humans.
In Hellsing[]
In Hellsing, a bullet cast in Silver is one of the many effective ways to eliminate ghouls and vampires, it is greater than shooting them with any other bullets, or stabbing them in the heart with a wooden stake.
Effectiveness Towards Vampires[]
It is suggested that in Hellsing, shooting vampires once, or in most cases, twice, is enough to completely eliminate them. Weaons like The Jackal and The Casull made by Walter C. Dornez, are good examples, as they use Silver bullets for the ammunition, and they appear to work very effectively in exterminating vampires in a single shot to their vital points, however, in some cases, some vampires or in very rare cases, ghouls, still live even if shot; mostly however, the shooter just completely misses the shot. To put it simply, Silver Bullets is the easiest way to get rid of supernatural creatures other than having to drive a stake through one's heart. In addition, it's also unknown if normal bullets are effective; but it's very much, less effective than a bullet cast in silver, or any silver-blessed weapons.
However, even if Silver Bullets works the best in terms of killing vampires, you don't really need to use a gun that uses silver bullets to eliminate vampires efficiently, as people like Alexander Anderson uses bayonets blessed with Silver to exterminate vampires, doing so nicely, albeit - a bit messy. A wooden stake to the heart also works, although it takes a little longer to completely kill vampires.
However, against humans, it's not really that useful; it works the same way as normal bullets, and mainly; used as a religious and symbolic entity as silver itself is very expensive.
Weapons that uses Silver Bullets[]
- Hellsing Combat Pistol 'Jackal'
- Hellsing ARMS Casull
- Hallconnen
- Every weapons that the Hellsing Organisation has.