Sir Arthur Hellsing 《アーサー・ヘルシング卿,Āsā Herushingu-Kyō》 is a pivotal posthumous character in the Hellsing series created by Kohta Hirano and one of the three main characters in Hellsing: The Dawn, alongside Walter C. Dornez and Alucard. In both anime adaptations of Hellsing, he is voiced by Chikao Ohtsuka in the Japanese sub and John E. Breen in the English dub. Daisuke Namikawa provided his voice for his younger iteration in Hellsing: The Dawn.
He was the head of the Hellsing family and was the one who made his daughter, Sir Integra Hellsing, the head of the Hellsing Agency, wary of his younger brother Richard Hellsing. An efficient but cocky leader, Arthur was well respected by everyone, and eventually as he grew older, he became wiser and better understood the true nature of vampires. As a result, Arthur became a philosopher, much like his father, Abraham Van Helsing.
A youthful young man, Arthur closely resembled his father in terms of facial and external features, most notably the two little hairs that stuck up, which resembled horns. He also had a thick, high-arching eyebrow and slicked, short, albeit messy hair and was a tall man with an average build. By 1989, Arthur had grown old. He had grown a mustache and a goatee; his hair, which was slicked to the back, now had an upward bang that fell to the left side of his head. Like all businessmen during the 1940s in England, Arthur dressed in formal business attire, which consisted of a long-sleeved shirt with an added tie, along with a vest, and was covered with an open suit, which matched his dress pants and was finished with a pair of business shoes and gloves.
Personality[]
Arthur was cocky and amorous as a young man, with women he had invite over sometimes briefly interrupting important conversations.[2] He also seemed sloppy, as the library was in a state of disarray as well as having dirty crockery stacked and strewn about the place.[3] Furthermore, he smiled throughout the serious conversation with the Round Table Council about the discovery of the Nazis working on something dangerous, and had they succeeded, they would have won World War II.[4] Still, despite his cockiness, he ran the agency efficiently and was particularly wary about using Alucard for missions.[5] Arthur was a man with extraordinary confidence in what he does and in the soldiers he sends during missions; primarily, while the Round Table Council and even Sir Irons questioned his decision to send in 14-year-old Walter C. Dornez to infiltrate an enemy base, Arthur stood his ground and was confident that Walter, with his legendary nickname, could finish the mission with the vampire Alucard.[6][7] Although he was often criticized for his attitude, even by his close friends,[8] as Sir Irons described Arthur as a "bleeding daftie," even back when they were in Oxford.[9]
He became wiser as he got older, eventually earning the respect of his comrade and having a lot more in common with his father: confident in their capabilities to handle complicated subjects and firm in their decisions, they were quite clumsy. In addition, he was an expert in the occult, and his philosophy taught Integra to understand the true nature of vampires that went much deeper than the surface.[10][11] Despite his confident outlook and careless personality, he was shown to be paranoid when it came to the use of Alucard; this led to the sealing of Alucard[12] in 1969.[13] Like his daughter, he was a frequent smoker,[10] although he was also a drinker which is something that her daughter is not.[8]
History[]
Little is known about Arthur. He was the oldest son of Abraham Van Hellsing and had a younger brother named Richard Hellsing. When he was a young man, he became friends with his future colleagues Sir Hugh Irons and Sir Shelby M. Penwood during their early days in Oxford. He would eventually succeed as the Hellsing family's new head.
In World War II, he assigned 14-year-old Walter C. Dornez and Alucard to destroy a vampire research facility in Warsaw, Poland, to stop the Nazis from deploying experimental ghouls into battle. If allowed to continue, the ghouls would keep growing infinitely, as defeated human infantries would have become ghouls. Despite doubt from members of the Round Table, Arthur was sure that Walter would succeed in the mission. After the mission proved successful, and decades later, according to Sir Hugh Irons, Arthur came to believe that Alucard was a "Drastic medicine. Too dangerous to use as an elixir," and Alucard was sealed and locked in the Hellsing Headquarter's dungeon in 1969.
Hellsing[]
Over the course of the next two decades, Arthur had a daughter named Integra Hellsing. In 1988, Arthur contracted an incurable disease. Before his inevitable death, Arthur put much focus on preparing Integra for her future as the head of the Hellsing Agency. He taught her almost everything he knew before he passed away. Wary about his younger brother's antics and motivation, Arthur crowned Integra as the head of the agency while pleading with his brother to take care of his daughter.
Legacy[]
Arthur's skepticism proved correct, as Richard later hunted down Integra in hopes of being the agency's head before the ceremony began. Arthur's friend, Sir Irons, was also suspicious about Arthur's younger brother and had previously told Hellsing Family butler Walter C. Dornez to watch over her, but he was suspiciously nowhere to be found. As Integra grew older, she had a deeper understanding of what Arthur taught her about the nature of vampires and ghouls. Arthur's close friends miss him dearly, and each taught Integra how to become a great leader like her father. After the catastrophic event in 1999, Irons visited the graves of Penwood and Arthur to reminisce about the past for the last time, shortly before parting ways.
Relationships[]
Familial[]
Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing: Ever since his wife's implied death, Arthur taught and took care of Integra. It was not until he was diagnosed with an incurable disease that Integra took his full priority. Before his inevitable death, Arthur taught Integra almost everything he knew,[10][11] also telling her to seek out his closest friends if she ever need a favor.[14] Before Arthur's death, Arthur told that if she ever finds herself in a real crisis, then she should go underground to the forgotten dungeons; there lies one of the fruits of the Hellsing family labors, and it will be her protection.[15] Mere minutes before his death, Arthur entrusts Integra with the heavy burden of becoming the head of the Hellsing Agency; he continued, telling Integra that there were still so many things he wanted to teach her and that he wanted to keep watching over her and taking pride.[16] Though he had suspicions of his younger brother, Richard Hellsing, he pleaded for Richard to take care of Integra for him.[17] Arthur passed away, and from his teachings, Integra learned a lot. Integra follows in her father's footsteps and uses everything she learned and inherited from him to great use.
Richard Hellsing: Though the two had a seemingly normal sibling relationship when Arthur was alive, Arthur secretly had a distrust of his younger brother, which is displayed when he kept Alucard's existence a secret from his younger brother but told Integra the whereabouts of the Hellsing family's greatest legacy. This also means that Arthur was predicting the future and took careful consideration over who would become the head of Hellsing, that is, his daughter.[16] The decision made Richard incredibly furious at his brother, stating that he had waited twenty years for his brother to die just for him to crown his daughter as the Hellsing family head.[18] However, Arthur pleaded for Richard to care for Integra after he passed away, trusting his younger brother to take care of his own daughter.[17]
Allies[]
Sir Hugh Irons: Irons and Arthur were, although drastically different in personality, close friends. They had been friends since their early days in Oxford.[9] In their conversation in Arthur's room, their conflicting personalities were in full display; Arthur was very laid back and sarcastic, even in a serious situation which Irons described as a "state of national emergency."[19] By the time of Arthur's death, Irons, just like Arthur, was very wary of Richard Hellsing; Irons told Hellsing family butler Walter C. Dornez to watch over Integra and keep an eye out for Richard's suspicious activities.[20] However, when the time eventually came for Richard to hunt down Integra, Walter was nowhere to be found. In a desperate attempt to save herself, Integra awoke the Hellsing family vampire Alucard.[1][21] In the end, after the war had ended, Irons visited the graves of Penwood and Arthur.[22]
Sir Shelby M. Penwood: Penwood stated that Arthur would come up and make "unreasonable" demands and that he was always up to something in a sarcastic and clumsy tone towards Integra's daughter, in which Integra responded back by saying that she will not lose out to her father when it comes to asking for things, which made Penwood shiver.[23] Penwood's grave was placed close next to Arthur's, which Iron visited some time after the catastrophe in London had ended for the last time before parting ways.[22]
Alucard: Alucard and Arthur's relationship was very vague, with Arthur being cautious of the usage of Alucard in missions,[5] opting instead to send in Walter C. Dornez, considering Alucard's power as some sort of a powerful elixir and a dangerous one to be used; Arthur's paranoia had gotten so far that Alucard was sealed in the underground decades prior to his death.[12] Although he had a deep understanding of Alucard's true nature and even pitied him for losing everything he once had.[11]
Walter C. Dornez: Arthur thought highly of Walter. In addition to his respect for Walter being visibly enormous, Arthur was so confident about Walter's skill that he called Walter the strongest human out of the Hellsing Agency's militants in the field qualified to deal with inhuman forces, including ghouls and vampires.[6] Walter was highly critical of Arthur's behavior and pestered him relentlessly for his perverted nature.[24] Arthur sent Walter on a mission with Alucard to destroy the secret project the Nazis were working on, despite the Round Table members skepticism.[6][7]
Abilities[]
Abilities and Skills
Intelligence: He was an Oxford graduate and the son of Professor Van Helsing. He discovered the Nazi's secret operation in Warsaw to conduct experiments in order to create Artificial Vampires.[25] His prediction was top-notch, as his intuition and suspicion of his younger brother were proven correct when Richard hunted down Integra—who Arthur crowned as the next leader of the Hellsing family—as Arthur had a secret distrust of his brother.[1]
Occult Knowledge: His occult knowledge of vampires and ghouls likely stems from his father. He had a deep knowledge of the supernatural. He acknowledged that vampires are more than creatures who roam the night,[11] understanding the true extent of their power,[26] and that ghouls should not be terribly underestimated because of their limited capabilities.[27] He also sealed Alucard in the forgotten dungeons of the Hellsing Headquarters.[12]
Tactical Genius: When finding out that the Nazis had a secret operation in Warsaw that involved the creation of Artificial Vampires, Arthur devised a simple plan and ruined the plans of the subsidiaries,[28] allowing the Allies to win the war; had the operation been successful, then the Nazis would effectively sweep and win the war.[29]
Control Over Alucard
As the former head of the Hellsing Agency, Alucard pledged absolute loyalty towards Arthur, and Arthur gained absolute control over Alucard. He had full access to his restrictions, including the last restraint, which requires Arthur's direct permission in order to release.[30]
Philosophy[]
Ghouls[]
"Though ghouls are relative failures, they're still monsters. Meaning, they can't be killed easily. It takes a shot to the head or heart to effectively put them down. The other problem is that if you're attacked by a ghoul, you then become a ghoul yourself. That's how they grow infinitely." — Arthur Hellsing[31]
Though Arthur was much more of a genius as he got older, Arthur's younger nature does hold some philosophical aspect in him; despite that, on the surface, he appears to just be a cocky womanizer. Though he had a much better understanding of vampires, Arthur knew the capabilities of ghouls very well. He realizes that although ghouls are relatively no problem, the problem arises if one is attacked by a ghoul, as they had become a ghoul themselves. If this continues, it'll create a cycle in which a ghoul would grow indefinitely. Arthur describes ghouls as an endless plague.
Vampires[]
"Integra. There are many undying monsters in the world. Here's what I wonder when I see them. Do they really desire immortality as their existence? Many of them crave conflict. Gory struggles. It becomes something akin to weeping, longing. Their screams are not born of a desire for combat, but a desire for death. You see, to me, Integra, vampires, those dreadful undying monsters who control the world of the night... Look like terribly pitiful, pathetic children who might simply break down and cry feebly." — Arthur Hellsing[11]
Arthur's general philosophy about vampires is that vampires are terribly pitiful, pathetic children who might simply break down and cry feebly. Arthur sometimes wonders if they really desire immortality as their existence. He comes to the conclusion that many of them simply just crave conflict and that their screams are not a desire for combat but rather a desire for death. In a vampire's terrifying wide range of abilities, Arthur realizes that the most terrifying vampires are the ones who realize the full extent of their abilities. Arthur taught these qualities of a vampire to his daughter, Integra, and Arthur is one of the only people to view vampires as something much deeper than them just simply being a "terrifying monster who roams the night."
Trivia[]
Arthur's eyes had, in different media, been one of three colors: brown, yellow, and finally blue.
Along with Irons, Arthur and he are the only ones in Hellsing who died naturally or from a disease.
Arthur, Penwood, Maxwell, Rip Van Winkle, Schrödinger, and Yumie Takagi are some of the only characters in Hellsing that do not have many name variants across Japanese sources and official translations.
The special issue of Young King OURs that mentions the skin tone of Integra
In a special issue of Young King OURs featuring character profiles of Integra, the then-unnamed Seras Victoria, and Alucard, Integra's skin is described by Hirano as that of an "Indian."[32] The implication is that Arthur's wife (therefore, Integra's mother) is Indian.
↑ 5.05.1HELLSING official guide book p. 032. "インテグラの父アーサーは、アー カードを兵として使用することの危 険性について危惧する一方で、吸血 鬼はひどく哀れな化物なのだと娘に 語っていた。" (Rough Translation: Integra's father, Arthur, expressed concern about the dangers of using Alucard as a foot soldier, but also told his daughter that vampires were terrible, pitiful monsters.)
↑ 6.06.16.2The Dawn (1) pp. 5-6. "Child or not, he's the strongest human of our existing militants in the field qualified to deal with such inhuman foes. Unquestionably. Walter... Walter C. Dornez. Also known as... Walter, the Angel of Death!"
↑ 7.07.1The Dawn (2) p. 5. "We needn't have qualms about that Angel of Death!! Listen Irons, the butler, Walter, aptly nicknamed "The Angel of Death," is... ...a force that's beyond our wildest imaginations. Get the picture now, Irons?!"
↑ 8.08.1The Dawn (2) p. 1. "Enough drinking, Arthur. We're in a national state of emergency; these are dire times!!"
↑ 9.09.1The Dawn (2) p. 4. "I've known you were a bleeding daftie since our fresher days at Oxford, but... I didn't think you were as complete and utterly incorrigible a daftie as that!!"
↑ 11.011.111.211.311.4Order 69: Castle vania (2) pp. 15-16. "The Vampire, Dracula, Nosferatu, No-Life King, the Count. How many years has that man seen? How many thousands, tens of thousands have had their despair devoured by him? But he has nothing now. No castle, no dominion, no subjects, no lover's heart, not even his own. A revenant who walks on and on and on, until anything and everything is gone and completely leveled. You see, to me, Integra, vampires, those dreadful undying monsters who control the world of night... ...look like terribly pitiful, pathetic children who might simply break down and cry feebly."
↑ 12.012.112.2Order 72: Heart of Iron p. 7. "Arthur was aware of the danger of Alucard. That's drastic medicine, he said. Too dangerous to use as an elixir. So he sealed Alucard underground."
↑Hellsing: Ultimate X Booklet. "【1969年前後】 アーサー・ヘルシング(先代ヘルシング卿)が、ヘ ルシング本部の地下地区を閉鎖。アーカードを 幽閉する。"
↑Order 02: Master of Monster p. 3. "Integra. There's only one thing I can leave behind to you. If ever you find yourself in a real crisis! If some unbeatable enemy has you in a right mess! Go underground! To the forgotten dungeon! There lies one of the fruits of the Hellsing family's labours. It will be your protection."
↑ 16.016.1Order 02: Master of Monster Prologue. "Integra, listen well. Once I'm dead, you'll be the new head of the family... You'll be in charge of the Hellsing Organisation... England, the Protestant Church, will be yours to protect against outside forces... Integra, there were still so many things I wanted to teach you. I wanted to keep watching over and taking pride in the Hellsing blood that flows through you..."
↑Order 02: Master of Monster p. 1. "Twenty years!! I waited twenty years for his demise!! Like hell I'd ever let a brat like her take the family headship from me!!"
↑Order 72: Heart of Iron p. 6. "When Arthur... When Integra's father died... I warned him. I warned him firmly. 'Arthur's younger brother Richard's a dangerous man. If Arthur dies, he's sure to reveal his aspirations. He's sure to do away with Integra and seize the family name for his own. Don't take your eyes off Richard. Don't take your eyes off Integra.'"
↑Order 72: Heart of Iron p. 6. "But on the night of the attack, he was nowhere to be seen. Where was he? What was he doing?"
↑The Dawn (2) p. 5. "Stuff it and piss off!! Walter, who pesters me to no end, is finally away. Therefore, this is the perfect oppurtunity... for the mouse to play. Right?!"
↑Order 19: Elevator Action (6) Prologue. "Excellent reflexes and concentration, a sixth sense, physical adeptness, special abilities, endurance, bloodsucking, transformation, an undying nature, ect., ect. But what is most dreadful is that basic violence... Power. They tear through humans like they were mere rags."
↑The Dawn (1) pp. 2-3. "Though the ghouls are relative failures, they're still 'monsters.' Meaning, they can't be killed easily. it takes a shot to the head or heart to effectively put them down. The other problem is that if you're attacked by ghouls, you then become a ghoul yourself. That's how they grow infinitely."
↑Order 20: Age of Empire (1) pp. 5-6. "The ability to place ghouls at the front lines would have been fearful indeed. Had the program not be destroyed... by Hellsing."
↑HELLSING official guide book p. 007. "敵の能力に伴う段階までは自ら解放することができるが、最後の砦とも言える「零号」だけは、主人の指示がない限り解放不可。" (Rough Translation: He can release his own restrictions up to the level associated with those of his enemies, but "Zero," the last restraint, cannot be released unless his master instructs him to do so.)
↑HELLSING Catalogue YKO 97 #30 "20代中ほど。ハダカインド人み たいなかんじな いんしょうをうける。 HELLSING 機関 機関長。 (Rough Translation: Mid 20s. She has a skin tone similar to that of a mere-Indian. Hellsing Agency Director.")
