The Major (少佐, Shōsa) is the supreme commander of Millennium and the main antagonist of the Hellsing series.
A former first lieutenant of the SS, the Major was chosen by Adolf Hitler to execute a top-secret project (Special Order #666) to perfect an artificial vampirization process. Although the war ended before the fruits of the project could be reaped, the Major and his allies managed to escape from Germany and continue their operations in secret. Fifty years later, with the Letzte Battalion at his command, the Major intends to resurface and drive the entire world into war.
Between his absolute disregard for life (including his own), a morbid love for warfare, and extreme rhetoric, the Major is one of the most ruthless villains in Hellsing. By the end of the story, he is responsible for astronomical destruction and the deaths of well over 3 million people. But that number is raised to 3.06 million due to the US casualties (Listed in Volume 10)
The Major is a short, stout man with blonde hair and yellow eyes. He is dressed impeccably, wearing an expensive white suit with matching overcoat, glasses, and a black tie.
In the Hellsing manga, the Major has blue eyes and metallic grey hair, the latter of which matches his entire outfit.
Plot
World War II
During the Second World War, the Major was put in charge of Nazi Germany's project to create artificial vampires, using the corpse of Mina Harker as raw material. The success of this project would allow the Nazis to utilize vampires in battle and turn the tide of the war in their favor. Unfortunately for the Nazis, a young Walter Dornez and Alucard tracked their operations to Warsaw, Poland in 1944 and seemingly destroyed their research.
Some time after this, the Major was among a group of soldiers who were overrun by Soviets after taking part in the fruitless defense of Berlin. He was the only survivor of the group, and even then only just - by the time the Soviets left, the Major had been beaten, shot, and left to die among the corpses of his comrades. As he clung to life, he noticed the blood around the battlefield beginning to move towards him. From the pooling blood, a dark voice spoke to the Major, asking him to drink the blood and become an unstoppable monster. However, the Major forced the blood away from him through sheer force of will, refusing to throw away his humanity even on the brink of death. Shortly afterwards, the Major was retrieved by the Doctor, who saved his life by transforming him into a cyborg.
Soon afterwards, the Major and his subordinates managed to escape to South America unharmed to continue their research (with the help of the Vatican). Several higher-ranking Nazi officers accompanied the newly-formed Millennium to their South American hideout and attempted to exert their authority, but the vampire officers loyal to the Major quickly executed them.
Over the next fifty years, the Major oversaw the apparent success of Millennium's work, as they eventually transformed a thousand elite Waffen-SS soldiers into vampires. However, with World War II over, the Major's goals for his army had changed; instead of creating a Reich that would last for a thousand years (hence the name "Millennium"), he only sought to drive the entire world into chaos, thus creating a "glorious war" that Millennium could fight for all time. He also developed a fixation with Alucard, seeing him as an antithesis to himself, and began developing an elaborate scheme to permanently defeat the powerful vampire.
Early Actions
Major's mysterious silhouette as seen in OVA 1.
In 1999, the Major began setting his schemes into motion, having his minions create an upsurge in vampire attacks by capturing people and turning them into artificial vampires. When Integra Hellsing met Enrico Maxwell in a local art museum, the Major was watching from a nearby diner, gleefully observing the barely-averted confrontation between Alucard and Alexander Anderson. Satisfied that the "new" breed of vampires had gotten the attention of both Hellsing and Iscariot, the Major sent Jan and Luke Valentine to attack Hellsing Manor during a meeting of the Convention of Twelve. Although the brothers' stated objective was to kill the Convention of Twelve, their true goal was to slaughter as much of Hellsing's forces as possible while also gathering information on their combat capabilities.
When Alucard, Seras, and Pip Bernadotte went to Brazil in search of leads on Millennium, the Major directed his local agent, Tubalcain Alhambra, to stop them. When the BOPE forces allied with the Nazis proved useless, the Major called Tubalcain with orders to personally engage Alucard. Although Tubalcain failed and was consumed by Alucard, the Major was unperturbed, as everything was going according to plan. Since Alucard had access to Millennium's plans through drinking Tubalcain's blood, the Major knew that a meeting of the major powers in Britain was inevitable; exactly what he wanted.
Declaration of War
When the Queen of England called Iscariot and the Convention of Twelve to an emergency meeting about the return of Millennium, Schrodinger appeared with a communicator that allowed the Major to speak with his gathered foes. He calmly mocked both Integra and Maxwell, claiming that Millennium had no true goals and questioning the sanity of a God that would allow "madmen" like himself to exist. He ended the conversation by declaring war of England, claiming that it was only the beginning of a global conflict the likes of which no one had ever seen.
With his enemies on high alert, the Major began preparing the next phase of his plan. While the bulk of Millennium's forces began heading to London aboard three zeppelins - including his flagship, the Deus Ex Machina- a group of vampires under the command of Rip van Winkle took control of a British aircraft carrier out at sea. Unbeknownst to the British forces, the hijacked Eagle was both a distraction and a lure - the ultimate goal of Rip's occupation was to trap Alucard at sea, thus leaving him unable to stop Millennium's invasion of London.
When Alucard arrived on the Eagle and slaughtered the Nazi crew, the Major had Schrodinger bring another transmitter to the ship so he could congratulate Rip van Winkle on a job well done. He also prevented the Doctor from terminating his First Lieutenant with her implanted transmitter, claiming that cremation was an unfitting end for Rip. Promising that they would meet again "in Valhalla", the Major led his army in saluting Rip van Winkle even as Alucard consumed her completely. Watching the triumphant vampire cackling on his screen, the Major swore that Rip's sacrifice would allow him to eventually defeat Alucard once and for all.
The Invasion
As the zeppelins approached London, the Major gave his troops a motivating speech extolling the glory of war. He tasked Zorin Blitz with the assault on Hellsing Manor, assigning her the zeppelin Alfred Rosenberg and about a third of his troops. Before Zorin left, the Major warned her not to underestimate Integra or Seras, as they were "unknown variables" and far more dangerous than their appearances suggested. Once Zorin had left, the Major led the Letzte Battalion in a toast to their impending victory before beginning Millennium's attack on London with a barrage of missiles. As the modified V1s ravaged London and the SS troopers leapt into the city, the Major sat back and drank in the chaos.
The Major overseeing the Battle of London, "conducting" the soldiers below.
Eventually, the Major decided to get a better view of the battle, standing outside on the tip of the Deus Ex Machina's armored nose. He received Schrodinger's report about Zorin's failure and death at Hellsing Manor with little surprise, commenting that he had expected the "foolish girl" to not heed his warnings. As the Major watched Maxwell's army of Papal Knights arrive in London, the Doctor arrived to beg him to come back inside; instead, the Major asked the Doctor about their "special project". Expressing satisfaction with the results, he proceeded to broadcast an order to his troops, reminding them to put on their masks to avoid damage from the Papal Knights' ultraviolet flares.
When the Vatican army began its attack, the Major remained atop his airship, gleefully "conducting" the battle below. He did not flinch or pause even as the Deus Ex Machina began taking fire from Maxwell's gunships, and merely posed dramatically as an assault helicopter aimed its gatling guns at him. The chopper was cut down by a rejuvenated and vampirized Walter - now allied with Millennium, leaving the Major to continue observing his war. When Alucard returned to London aboard the Eagle, confronting Anderson and the Captain between the massed armies of Millennium and the Vatican, the Major declared that all the "players" were present in his "Walpurgis Dawn"; the final battle was about to begin in earnest.
Endgame
As Alucard unleashed his full power (Control Art Restriction System: Level Zero), the Major exulted at the "river of death" manifesting below him, sharply contrasting the horrified realization of Enrico Maxwell and the armies below. The Major eventually returned to his command chair within the Deus Ex Machina, requesting that Walter make him a cup of cocoa while he watched Alexander Anderson face off with Alucard for the last time. When the remaining paladins of Iscariot arrived to support their leader, the Major commented that all of the surviving combatants in London had become one and the same; whether in the name of God, Nazism, or Alucard, they were all consumed by battlelust and the desire to defeat their foes even as their allies were cut down around them.
As the remnants of the Letzte Battalion continued to fall to Alucard's familiars, the Major ordered the troops still aboard his zeppelin to redistribute all remaining weapons and ammo among the surviving forces, with improvised melee weaponry being issued to those who would not receive guns. One of his officers protested, declaring that he refused to let any more of his men die needlessly, but the Major laughed at his "naivety" and attempted to shoot him. When every bullet missed, the Major had his other soldiers shoot the dissident, commenting that his aim was as bad as ever.
After appointing a new interim commander for his dwindling forces, the Major sent Walter and the Captain into the city to stand by and wait for the outcome of Alucard's battle with Anderson. When the former triumphed over the Iscariot paladin, even after Anderson used Helena's Nail to empower himself, the Major gave his final soldiers clearance to proceed. Walter killed Yumie Takagi before engaging Alucard in battle, while the Captain prevented Heinkel Wolfe from interfering. The Major taunted the survivors of Hellsing and Iscariot as the heavily damaged Deus Ex Machina landed in the street, giving Integra and Seras the chance to confront the head of Millennium directly.
The Final Hour
After killing the Letzte Battalion forces manning the zeppelin, Integra arrived in the control room where the Major was waiting. Protected behind a wall of bulletproof glass, the Major told Integra that she was just in time to watch his final triumph over Alucard, who had just defeated Walter. As the vampire began absorbing all the blood in London, the Major patiently watched and waited, mocking Walter's last desperate attempt to kill Alucard. Musing that his nemesis had now gained millions of lives by absorbing blood, the Major explained to the distraught Walter that he was just another life sacrificed for his grand plan of destroying Alucard for good.
When Alucard finally finished absorbing the blood, the Major gleefully announced that he had won - moments later, Alucard began to disappear. Integra demanded to know what was happening, and the Major was more than happy to explain: Schrodinger had killed himself and fallen into the rivers of blood, allowing Alucard to absorb him and gain the power of "the self-observing Schrodinger's Cat". However, Schrodinger's powers relied on his ability to perceive himself as an individual; since Alucard had millions of souls within himself, he was unable to control his newly-gained powers. Before Integra and the Major's eyes, Alucard vanished into thin air as he became "a collection of imaginary numbers", neither alive nor dead.
With Alucard gone, his army annihilated, and the Deus Ex Machina falling apart around him, the Major calmly faced Integra Hellsing and challenged her to kill him, stating that she was destined to be his slayer as he was Alucard's. After killing the Captain, Seras joined Integra and attacked the Major with her Harkonnen cannon, but the powerful shots barely cracked the glass wall. The Major wryly lamented that the Doctor had done too good of a job, but became elated when Seras pulled an 88 mm flak cannon from the armory beneath them. This enormous gun proved strong enough to shatter the shield, hit the Major, and punch through the wall of the zeppelin in the process.
As the smoke cleared, the Major lay on the ground with most of his left side blown off, revealing his cyborg nature. Integra wondered if this meant he was a monster, but the Major insisted that he was still a human because he had retained his own will and mind - he claimed that his ability to defeat Alucard was proof of his humanity. Drawing a small pistol from his coat, he again challenged Integra, asking her to "make war" with him. He repeatedly fired at his advancing foe without success, but finally managed to shoot her in the left eye as she shot him in the forehead. Despite this, the Major died with a smile, happy that he had finally managed to shoot something. As the machinery sustaining his life ground to a halt, he gloated to Integra that he had achieved everything he had set out to do; he had finished his grand war and destroyed Alucard. Integra retorted that Alucard would return one day, as he refused to die at the hands of anything but a human - and for all his claims to the contrary, the Major was still a monster.
Although the Major died without regrets, long-term events would prove that he had ultimately failed. Far from being the seed of a world-consuming war, Millennium's attack on London was eventually classified as no more than a terrorist incident ("The Zeppelin Affair") despite the death toll numbering millions. The city was rebuilt, with both Hellsing and Iscariot regrouping and gradually restoring their strength. Even the Major's plan to defeat Alucard eventually proved futile - thirty years after his apparent "death", Alucard managed to return, having gained control of Schrodinger's powers by destroying all of the other souls within himself.
Personality
The Major's defining trait in the series is a complete and utter obsession with war. By his own admission, he loves war in any and all of its aspects; even being on the losing side or having his own life at risk provokes nothing but glee and excitement. His insane devotion to war is evident in the sheer fondness with which he regards the havoc Millennium wreaks upon the world, as well as his cavalier approach to death, which was passed on to most of his forces through his speeches. Despite being a former Nazi, the Major does not care for the reasons behind his wars. Even during World War II, his enthusiastic work on the Millennium project was solely to ensure that he could wage war forever.
Contrasting his fanatical love of war, the Major is very calm and soft-spoken, almost always speaking in a polite, amused tone. Additionally, despite being a warmonger, he is an incredibly horrible shot with a gun. This is shown when he tried to execute the captain of the Deus Ex Machina for insubordination, and ends up missing all 8 shots from his pistol at point-blank range, causing the Doc to mock his poor marksmanship and question how he managed to get into the SS. This is shown again during his final duel with Integra Hellsing, where out of his 8 shots, he only grazes the eye of Integra, despite her being at close range and actually approaching him.
His true nature is apparent to all, however, as he is often seen with a sinister smile and a mad gleam in his eyes. The Major freely admits his own evil while mocking the righteousness of his enemies; when he crashes the Queen's meeting in Volume 4, he mocks both Integra and Maxwell's beliefs while claiming that Millennium has no goals beyond wanton destruction and slaughter.
Despite being a self-proclaimed monster and madman, the Major is very proud and protective of his humanity, which he defines as his willpower and "soul". During the fall of Berlin, he rejected the temptation to drink blood and ensure his survival by becoming a vampire, even though he seemed to be on the verge of death. It is this pride that leads to the Major's campaign against Alucard, who he views as a monster and an inherently inferior being for sacrificing his humanity for power - a sentiment ironically shared by Alucard himself.
Abilities
Immortality: As a cyborg, he's forever young. As long as the machinery powering his life functions is kept in good working order, he is effectively immune to dying of natural causes.
Master Strategist: The Major is an effective planner and strategist, developing complex plans to achieve his goals. He accounts for the personalities and usual mannerisms of allies and enemies alike and never takes anything for granted - notably, he considers Integra and Seras to be high-priority threats simply because he knows little about their capabilities.
Limited Marksmanship: The Major has some training with small firearms, apparently favoring pistols. Unfortunately, his aim is abysmal, leaving him unable to hit a target even if it is stationary and only a few feet away. If his statement after shooting Integra in the eye is to be interpreted literally, he had never actually hit anything he had aimed at until his final standoff with the leader of Hellsing.
Gifted Orator: The Major's main asset is his ability to inspire his troops with enthusiastic speeches. He can take almost any situation and spin it into a speech that will strengthen Millenium's morale for their next operation. Probably the best example of the Major's oration abilities is his famous "I love war" speech from OVA 4, where Millenium is preparing their assault on London:
"My friends, it has often been said that I like war.
My friends, I like war... No, friends, I love war! I love holocausts. I love blitzkriegs. I love defensive lines. I love sieges, charges, I love mop-up operations, and retreats.
Wars across prairies, in streets, in trenches, in grasslands, in frozen tundras, through deserts, on the sea, in the air, I love every act of war that can occur upon this earth.
I love blasting the enemy to smithereens with artillery salvos that thunder across the lines of battle. My heart leaps with joy whenever a soldier is tossed high into the air and cut to pieces by well placed sniper rounds. And there is nothing like a tank operator using a Tiger 88 to destroy enemy tanks. And the feeling that comes when a soldier runs screaming from his blazing tank only to be mowed down by heavy machine gun fire, is such an exquisite feeling.
The Major during his monologue.
Like when ranks of infantry brandish their bayonets rushing into the enemy line. It moves me deep within my heart to watch a fresh recruit stabbing over and over into the bloated chest of a long-dead enemy.
The sight of deserters being strung up from a street lamp is an irresistible pleasure. And there is nothing more arousing, than the sounds made by prisoners of war dropping like flies, screaming in agony as they're mowed down by ear piercing schmeissers!
When a band of pitiful resistance fighters makes their final stand with nothing but small arms, only to have their city smashed to atoms block by block by 4.8 ton bombshells, I'm in ecstasy.
I love it when my forces are ravaged by a Russian armored division. It's so sad to see towns and villages that were supposed to be defended at all costs, being laid to waste, their women and children being raped, and killed.
I love to be squashed under the heel of the British and American war machines. The humiliation, as my men crawl around like vermin, ducking the jagdbombers flying overhead.
Gentlemen... All I ask for is war, a war so grand as to make Hell itself tremble. Gentlemen, I ask you as fellow brothers in arms, what is it that you really want? Do you wish for further war as I do? Do you wish for a merciless, bloody war? A war whose fury is built with iron, and lightning, and fire? Do you ask for war to sweep in like a tempest, leaving not even ravens to scavenge, from this Earth!?
...Very well. Then krieg is what you shall have. We are a clenched fist, ready to strike down all who oppose us, with our might. But... After enduring over half a century wallowing in the darkness, for us, a simple "ordinary" war will no longer be sufficient. We need a MASSIVE war! A war beyond any other that man's history has ever known!
We are but a single battalion... The remnants of a defeated army numbering less than a thousand strong. However, I believe that each of you old warriors is equal to a thousand of their sickly soft children! We represent a force that could easily defeat an army of a million and one men! It is time for them to awake the ones who sent us screaming into oblivion, and who now lie sleeping. Let's drag them out of bed by the hair, and remind them of what we are! We will remind them of what it feels like to live in fear. We will remind them of the sound our jackboots make against their throats. We will remind them, that there are more things between Heaven and Hell than are dreamt of in their philosophy.
Our Kampfgruppe of one thousand vampires is going to burn this world down to ash. Yes, my friends! Soon, Europe's charred remains will illuminate the night sky! I have brought you all back just as I promised I would. Back to our favorite battlefield. Back to our beloved war!
...At last, the sea lion has crossed the ocean and is heading up the hill. Attention, all soldiers of the Millennium Battalion! This is a message from your commander. …Friends, let’s bring them hell."
Trivia
The Major's true name is never mentioned in the series. His 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.
His escape route to South America might be referring to the rumored Hitler sightings in Argentina, although The Major has goals and Hitler has none.
The Major in volume three (left) and volume four (right)
When he makes his first full appearance (in Hellsing volume three), the Major appears to be much slimmer than in future volumes. This is most likely because Kouta Hirano had not yet decided on a final look for the character.
There are a few minor but noticeable inconsistencies in the Major's appearance towards the end of volume 10. In one panel, he has clearly lost half of his left leg, but in his very last appearance, it appears to be entirely intact. Also, the remains of his glasses are shown falling to the floor after Integra shoots him, but they are back on his face immediately afterwards.
The Major's first appearance was actually in Hirano's earlier manga "Coyote". In the manga, 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". Coyote also made him a "tragic villain", with his early childhood being told in the manga. Hellsing fans have adopted "Montana Max" as the Major's real name (including members of the OVA's English Dub cast), but as it has never been written in any of the dialogue whatsoever, it is more likely than not just another in-joke from Hirano.
Before it was revealed that the Major was a cyborg, it was hinted at in many different ways, such as Schrodinger saying the Major should go on a diet, in which the Major responds with a laugh and says, "No, I couldn't do that!", and when he drops his glass of champagne without drinking it before his attack on London. On the other hand, the Major is seen eating filet mignon during the attack on London and drinking cocoa while Alucard battles Anderson, so the earlier incident with the champagne may simply have been a formality to herald Millennium's attack, and his decline to diet simply because he enjoys eating fine dining too much to give it up.
Before the reveal of the Major's true nature, some fans - and ADR Director Taliesin Jaffe - theorized that he was actually the incarnation/mortal disguise of a war god. They pointed to the Major's love of war, his apparent lack of a real name, his mysterious past, and his apparent immortality as clues, and the idea was briefly referenced in Volume 4, when Maxwell tells Anderson that the enemy of the Ninth Crusade was Mars, the Roman god of war.
In the English Commentary of Hellsing: Ultimate IV, Taliesin Jaffe stated that the Major's "War Speech" was one of the hardest things he had ever directed, taking around three days to complete. As an additional joke, Jaffe added a "Karaoke Version" of the Major's speech in the Limited Edition of the DVD.
The Major's desire for a war-torn world is similar to the motives of Liquid Snake from the Metal Gear series. However, their motives differ; while the Major loves war for its own sake, Liquid Snake wanted to create a world which always had a place for soldiers like himself.
The Major's infamous "I Love War" speech may have been inspired by the "Total War" speech given by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels in 1943 as the tide of World War II began to turn on the Axis powers.
At the end of Hellsing: Ultimate III (and also in 21 chapter in manga), Major sings"Tough Boy"which is one of openings from Hokuto no Ken . In this anime, seiyū Nobuo Tobita also voiced one of main villains in flashback from his childhood.
Unlike Alucard and Anderson, when faced with a moment of utter despair and defeat, the Major chose to reject supernatural powers in exchange for his life and soul. This further strengthens his portrayal as Alucard's opposite, compared to Anderson's role as Alucard's foil/counterpart.
First Lieutenant Major
Before 1941, the Major was a first lieutenant. It is unclear how he was promoted to his current rank, but it is possible the promotion came with the Major suggesting/joining the "vampire-project". If so, it's possible that he would have been promoted again when the research bore fruit, had Nazi Germany not been defeated.
