Now that we are marked NSFW I've been seeing a LOT of "I opened this and my family saw!" types of comments on adult artwork that was properly tagged and also titled to reflect the contents.

For those posting works- thanks for using the new post flair of "Fan-Art (NSFW)". Make sure you include some keywords in the title to further clue people in that your art is explicit. For members- click into the thread to view the flair BEFORE clicking the image, and read the title. That Seras X Integra one was obvious. Hell, put NSFW in the title people. That way we cover our bases and no one clicks something they don't want/mean to click.

YES, adult artworks are allowed. They have always BEEN allowed, but this board tended to bury them before. ADULT WORKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PART OF FANDOM. Rule 34 applies. Also, and I cannot stress this enough...

HELLSING BEGAN AS HENTAI. IT WAS PORN. Alucard, Seras, Jan, Anderson and Pip- ALL HENTAI CHARACTERS FROM HIRANO'S BEGINNING. You would not even HAVE Hellsing if it weren't for his erotic comics, so please acknowledge that fact and let's carry on.

A brief adjustment period is to be expected, and even so, I think I am going to create a new board. Most likely r/HellsingFandom, intended to be a COMPLETELY SFW, all ages space for Hellsing fans. Suitable for fanart that features no gore/no adult themes or depictions, plus cosplays, discussions, memes, and more. Downside, though: You won't be able to post any threads that delve into the more intense, violent, or profane aspects of the series. SFW and all ages means nothing at all explicit. Also means you'll be limited on what Abridged quotes you can post!

This series is an adult oriented piece of media. It is bloody, violent, psychologically scarring, and contains scenes of horrific sexual violence. It is not meant for younger viewers. I love it, and created this space in the first place BECAUSE of those dark aspects of it. It's a fundamental shadow of the human experience to examine and explore such things. You have to take the whole as it is- parts you don't like included. We just need to make sure everyone is utilizing proper labeling and tagging so that regular discussion/art/memes/etc are accessible and anything truly NSFW is only looked at by those who want and intend to look. INFORMED CONSENT. That said, if something is not for you, leave it behind. Please do not aggressively downvote, falsely report, or harass people simply because you don't like something they posted.

Greetings, children of the night.

A few things have popped up in the "Legacy Modmail" which for some reason has never notified me I had messages on this board before today?! So sorry to anyone left hanging through that.

For those of you asking about memes/fanart, yep, I've had that happen to a few people already and I really do not know why the bots think they are spam, but if you're having difficulties please feel free to MESSAGE ME PERSONALLY and I will approve the post. There's got to be some tool I can fiddle with in the mod controls to fix that. Same goes with the "flair" thing. While flair is helpful, I don't think it's really necessary to post a thread if the title has the needed info in it. Let's be honest. You're gonna read the title first, ain't ya?

Other than that, we've been seeing some of the same questions pop up pretty regularly, so I thought I would just go ahead and prepare a Hellsing FAQ list! PLEASE READ IT. Hopefully this will help.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS AHEAD PAST THE FIRST THREE QUESTIONS.

FAQ #1: Which Hellsing anime should I watch/in what order?

This is the most common question I've been seeing, and in truth, there really is no one "right" answer. Some viewers discovered Hellsing because of Hellsing Ultimate Abridged, for example. Others watched the original TV series back in the day and progressed from there, and so on. My personal recommendation is as follows, assuming you are completely fresh and want the full experience: Manga first, to see the very first inception and the original art style, storyline, etc. Follow that up with the first anime, generally referred to as "Hellsing TV". This is a rougher animation style and deviates from the manga storyline significantly, but is generally considered well-scored. After the TV series, go for Ultimate. It's smoother, stylistic, follows the manga nearly verbatim, and is a wild ride all around. Cap it off with Abridged (if you didn't start there, of course). Being a tongue-in-cheek fan parody, Abridged is a nice way to round it up and enjoy the afterglow.

If you started with Abridged, I would say continue with Ultimate, then manga, and then TV. If you started with TV, then go manga or Ultimate, then the other, and finish with Abridged. But really, you can enjoy every iteration however you want! I just find that TV is spoiled if you start with Ultimate first.

If you just want to watch the "definitive" show, watch Hellsing Ultimate.

This is all personal preference and not set in stone.

FAQ #2: Where can I find X song?

Music-related questions concerning the soundtracks for either TV or Ultimate are common, but unfortunately, apparently tough to answer. Here's what I know: The TV series composer and the two soundtracks. I ran across a CD copy of "Ruins" when I was still working at the used bookstore, so they are out there. Try amazon.com, ebay.com, hpb.com. It seems like Discogs there might also be a resource. As to the Ultimate music, here's a lead here. Looks like a lot of it, when Googled, pops up on Soundcloud.

FAQ #3: Where can I get the printed manga?

Ahh, the manga. Since the series was completed in the US way back in 2009, it has become difficult to find certain volumes of the original publications. Limited print runs due to the cult status of the story mean that, unlike more popular (and widely available) books, the second-hand market for the original manga volumes is expensive. There simply aren't a lot to be had in English. Check Amazon, eBay, Half Price Books, Books a Million, Alibris, or Thrift Books. The first several volumes aren't too hard to get and can be bought relatively cheaply. It's the final two, and a bit on 8, that become pricey.

But good news, everyone! The entire series has been given a beautiful reprint in two (of three) deluxe hardcover volumes. They are available in-store RIGHT NOW at your local Barnes & Noble, but try ANY of the above retailers to collect them as well, and absolutely go patronize your local comic shops, and used/new bookstores. They have a cover price of $49.99 each, but you can get them for less at a second hand market, particularly stores like Half Price, which automatically sells most things at half cover price.

The third and final volume of this deluxe edition is due out early spring.

SNAP THESE BAD BOYS UP. IF THERE'S ENOUGH DEMAND FOR THE DELUXE VOLUMES, THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE A SECOND PRINT RUN ON THE ORIGINAL MANGA VOLUMES. Not guaranteed of course, but consumers can have an effect.

Links to the manga online can be found on the sidebar in Old Reddit.

FAQ #4: Questions regarding Alucard's origin/powers.

Alucard, our mysterious vampire antihero, is none other than the famous Dracula from the 1897 novel, which I have linked. The events of Hellsing take place as a direct, unofficial sequel to Bram Stoker's book, with one key difference. In the novel, Dracula is killed by Abraham van Helsing, in the company of Sir Arthur Holmwood, Dr. John Seward, Johnathan Harker, and Quincey Morris, aided by Mina Harker, who has started changing into a vampire. Quincey Morris dies in the encounter, prompting the Harkers to name their child after him after Mina is freed from the vampire's power. Hellsing posits an alternate ending where Dracula is not killed by van Helsing, but captured, experimented on, and made an even more powerful tool to kill other vampires. I believe he had great respect for van Helsing, and to a degree Arthur- but Integra is someone he genuinely cares for on a personal level, and she cares about him as well. He is bound to the van Helsings by blood and magic, sure, but he also deeply respects Integra and enjoys being her servant.

FAQ #5: Regarding Anderson's powers and "the Nail".

While not much is actually known about Father Anderson's backstory, we know he's Scottish, and can surmise that he was likely left with the Catholic Church as a child, possibly a orphan just like the younger agents he helped raise (Maxwell, Yumie, and Heinkel). He gave himself to the church and became a holy assassin. Because of this, Anderson, more than any other character of faith I've ever encountered, truly surrenders himself to the will of God and his church. He seeks nothing more than to be a force of destruction for God. This fits his lack of family/backstory, and it explains his willingness to be a human experiment for his sect. The regenerator ability is human-engineered, and not infallible, I would say. He's extremely hardy, but not unkillable, before "Helena's Nail".

Anderson is a character who pursues what he believes is "right" no matter the cost to himself. It's not about him- he's just the Lord's divine tool. Which is why he uses the nail of crucifixion to channel Holy power against Alucard- and why he nearly wins the fight. At the point Anderson becomes the monster of thorns, he has surrendered his own will (the very thing Alucard cannot sacrifice) to God, and has become little more than a vessel for a Holy Force. What attacks Alucard then is not a human anymore, it is just "God's will". Hence Alucard's anger and disappointment. A human is conscious, willful, stubborn, flawed, and stronger for experiencing mortality and resisting death- this is why Alucard admires them. Anderson becoming a tool for the Lord negates his humanity and merely makes him another monster, which is what Alucard reviles.

FAQ #6: How did Schrodinger cause Alucard to stop existing?

Obligatory link to Schrodinger's cat. So, to parse this answer, first we must discuss the catboy's basic powers. Schro's ability to exist and not exist at the same time comes from the thought experiment- he only 'exists' when he's observed. Okay, what does that mean? We've seen him appear in one place and then another, great distances apart, and we've seen him die and come back. How? Much like the vampires in Hellsing, Schrodinger's powers come from will. Whether or not he is actually corporeal, he still is a complete mind, or "soul", with a personality and a will all his own. When he appears before other people (or "observers"), he is choosing to manifest himself to their eyes/ears. He also can "recognize" himself, meaning that he can observe his own state. So, he is still a 'real' person, even when alone.

It is not explicitly clear whether the catboy is corporeal, or if his body only exists while he is being "observed". Any time characters interact with him physically, it could just be an aspect of the illusion. I also think this power to manifest is limited; the kid only appears to smallish groups or individuals at a time. This is why Schrodinger is the lynchpin of the Major's plan. The unique ability to be aware of your own existence so fully that you can transcend death and manifest yourself absolutely anywhere instantaneously is powerful as hell. But, since he can't do this on a large scale, then what you have is a "soul" capable of erasing the mind of a bigger monster just by nature of existing. This is where we must compare Schrodinger to Alucard.

Alucard's powers don't center on self-recognition. They are drawn from his personal strength of will, but focused by his desires as opposed to his understanding of himself. Not that Alucard does not have a keen sense of self. In fact, he has complete physical control of his form, using illusions to present himself how he wants at any time. He's is also reckless in how he expresses his ego, though. In his mind, he is insurmountable. All others are chattel. He takes blood to conquer and enslave others to himself- to create servants, regardless of how they will build up inside him. Alucard can create familiars from his devoured enemies because he absorbs their minds and bends them to his own will. He is a warrior-king, after all, and these people are his subjects and trophies of war. He cares nothing for them and thinks nothing of them, even though they all reside inside his soul. In direct contrast, Seras only ever takes those she chooses very carefully inside herself (Alucard included). Drinking blood is an act of intimacy for her, and she is very selective about it.

Consequently, when Alucard takes a soul, he also subsumes their powers. Everything the person was before becomes an extension of the vampire's dominant mind. So, when Schrodinger dropped himself into the stream of blood and became part of that churning sea of minds, he became part of Alucard- so much so that his own (limited) ability rerouted to him- who has absolutely no practice spreading himself across 3 million consciousnesses. Before Schrodinger, Alucard has basically killed his way into recognition and notoriety, putting his own selfish wants and needs ahead of everyone else. He's never doubted who he was, and his existence has never depended on being "observed" by anyone else.

With so many different minds to sort through, what was Schrodinger can no longer manifest, and his ability to recognize himself fails. This causes Alucard's mind to be overwhelmed and consumed by the sea, and it breaks his hold over the souls in himself, as well as his iron-clad control of his own form. Thus, his body dissipates for thirty years. This ultimate weapon of the Major's seems to work, granting the Major his "victory" before death, but by the end, we know better. Alucard's mind and will were not destroyed, merely clouded, and yet his stubborn will and ego persist in allowing him to free himself from this existential prison.

I feel this happened for two reasons. One, Alucard is just that much of an arrogant, egotistical force of nature, and he's simply too stubborn to give up his own life. Two, he had failsafes in place the whole time. Foreshadowed by Mina Harker's bones yielding traces of his essence that lead Millennium to create their vampire soldiers, Alucard left behind a copy of his mind and soul in Seras when he made her; plus the blood-bindings between him and Integra. As both women remember him and are connected by magic, blood, and soul, he was never entirely erased or destroyed by the Major to begin with. In all likelihood, he's been subtly drawing on Seras' power and memory the entire thirty years he was gone. That's why she never doubted he was coming back, and why the time doesn't seem like anything to her.

This is where I will pause for now! There are plenty other common questions, so feel free to submit them and I will answer them. This will become the "master" thread on FAQs, lore, etc, since the Wiki went with old Reddit.