I first posted my analysis of Zorin in the
"Zorin, why so many hate her?" thread. I also mentioned that I had analyzed Rip in a similar fashion. I figured I'd post my analysis of both characters here and see what my fellow guild members thought of it.
smile Rip Van WinkleHow is Rip different?
Rip is a pop culture reference. Although she has many unusual and unique features (such as her freckles and her signature curly cue), she's still based on the classic female vampire archetype. She's slender, pale-skinned, dark-haired, red-lipped, and romantic. Elvira, Vampyra, Morticia Addams, Lily Munster, they all come from that family, too.
How did Rip get into Millennium?
The fact that women play such a prominent role in Millennium—a combat role, even—is most unusual for any Nazi organization. It's a testimony to the Major's unorthodoxy in the party sense, and also to the pull he has with the Führer.
Where did Rip come from?
Rip is presumably from Western Germany (the Rhineland, near the Netherlands). Rip's name is an indication of this. "Van" is a Dutch preposition meaning "of" or "from". The German equivalent is "Von". However, some Germans do have Dutch or Dutch-sounding names. Ludwig van Beethoven was such a German, and he, too, was born in the Rhineland (Bonn). On another note, there's the legend of the Rhine Maidens that tells of beautiful sirens who lured the Rhine sailors to their doom with their songs. Rip, of course, sings all the time. In fact, we first see her on a ship, where she kills some sailors who have been deluded by her promises. On yet another note, Washington Irving's short story (the one from which Rip takes her name) takes place in the Hudson Valley of New York, which was often compared to the Rhine Valley.
What about Rip's past?
Rip was probably some sort of Nazi Party princess. She's clearly younger than Zorin, and in 1944, she's still wearing her hair in Germanic pigtails, the approved style for girls in the BDM (the League of German Girls, a branch of the Hitler Youth). It's unlikely that the Rip we see in 1944 (in
The Dawn and in the flashback in Volume 5) has been transformed into a vampire. She already has her rifle, but she is still very fearful and unsure of herself. She seems a little innocent and naive.
Rip is very reminiscent of Irma Grese. Irma Grese was a pretty, shy young girl who was transformed by her SS training into a sadistic monster, sometimes said to be the worst of all the SS female camp guards. Like Rip, Irma was a singer who sang party songs the night before she was hanged by the British. The Rip we see on HMS
Eagle is clearly much more confident, arrogant, and vicious than the Rip we see in 1944. Her transformation into a vampire could account for some of it, but maybe not all of it. Her suit could also be a part of the change in her, as wearing men's clothing (as Rip does) was a definite no-go for a good Nazi woman. Her suit shows that she's not that ex-BDM girl, anymore.
Note, however, that when she's confronted by Alucard on the
Eagle, she reverts back to her fearful self. The change was not complete.
Also, it's likely that Rip comes from a higher social class than Zorin. She's probably a good bourgeois girl. Her obsessions and characteristics are literary, romantic, and artistic.
What about Rip's personality?
Rip's first name is either a joke or a short version of something else, possibly Ruperta. The root of the name is "fame" or "famous," which would be fitting for Rip. She's a star, a prima donna who longs for the spotlight, who is always onstage. Even when she's dying, she drags it out like a final aria.
Here are a list of words that accurately describe Rip's personality: vain, shallow, silly, spoiled, irresponsible, self-absorbed, self-deluded, self-conscious, overly-intellectual, romantic, dreamy, superstitious, simple-minded, light-hearted, happy, vicious, sadistic, masochistic, greedy, trusting, naive, innocent, fearful.
Zorin BlitzWhat makes Zorin different?
Zorin is also a pop culture reference. She's the stereotypical sexually aggressive lesbian Nazi. Her sexual preference, heavily implied even visually, is made explicit in the good old BoH scanslations. In Volume 7, when Pip slaps her with the butt of his rifle, he tells it like it is, calling her
taureau gouine, which is French for "bull dyke" (unfortunately, the Dark Horse version waters it down to "hag"). Her sexual aggressiveness is made evident in the way that she's always walking around with her trousers undone. Zorin is also the most foul-mouthed character in
Hellsing. Again, this is made explicit in the good old BoH scanslations (the Dark Horse version pretties up her language).
How did Zorin get into Millennium?
Although it was unusual, a few such women did get into the Nazi movement here and there, though they certainly weren't welcome and were liable to be thrown out if detected. Some female camp guards (such as Irma Grese) were known to sexually abuse female prisoners (of course, there were far fewer women like that than popular culture suggests). Zorin was probably one of those women who were just too talented to be ignored by the regime (like Hanna Reitsch and Leni Riefenstahl). In spite of her "anti-social" behavior, Zorin is too big, too strong, and too badass to ignore. She has the perfect Nazi mentality, too.
From what we know about the Major, we can safely assume that he is always willing to look outside strict party rules and regulations to find the personnel he needs. With an order from his Füher backing him, he could almost always get away with it.
Where did Zorin come from?
Zorin is probably from Eastern Germany (Prussia, Pomerania, and so on). Her weapon, the scythe, indicates that she may have been, originally, a farm girl. Such scythes are good for harvesting grain crops like wheat, and Eastern Germany is the biggest wheat farming region in the country. The whole Nazi "blood-and-soil" thing was very popular out there. Zorin is Brünhilde, the strong, earthy peasant woman type, the kind who could have been a warrior's wife in ancient Germany (Walter Darre would have loved her).
Her name also hints at her origin. "Zorin" comes from the old Teutonic name "Soren," which means "stern." Zorin is the Slavic spelling of that name. There was some ethnic mixing in Eastern Germany, and you did get plenty of Germans with Slavic names. However, Soren/Zorin is a
male name. So Zorin is a girl with a guy's name hung around her neck (and spelled in the Slavic style to boot). I would guess that her dad either wanted a son or that he didn't like the daughter he got. Maybe he just wanted to make her tough (which she obviously is). In any case, it's all a part of the gender-bending theme that prevails among many of Hirano's female characters.
It's also likely that Zorin came from the lower levels of society, possibly the peasantry.
What about Zorin's past?
Zorin probably got off the farm as soon as she could. Her cynicism and gleeful degeneracy are very urban. She probably ran off to Berlin and messed around. She has a strong sense of the late-Weimar cabaret-style decadence about her. She's probably older than Rip. She may be just old enough to have brawled beside the SA in the dying days of Weimar. That's certainly the type of Nazi she is, an Altekampfer who learnt her ideology in the streets, who relishes fighting, drinking, and screwing. If she was male, she'd have been one of Ernst Roehm's best buddies. Like many such Nazis, Zorin might very well have a criminal record.
She probably got a lot more combat experience than Rip did in the big war (which may explain where she was during
The Dawn). She's definitely a far better combat leader than Rip is. She reacts quickly to changing tactical situations and she keeps her unit's morale high. Her bid to take the Hellsing Mansion only fails by an eyelash. The Major simply needs someone to blame when a part of his plan goes wrong, and he chose Zorin as his scapegoat (Hitler did the same sort of thing).
Zorin is one of the Major's top people. She seems to be in charge of the Werwolf group at Jaburo when the Major's away, and she is their spokesman to the generals.
What about Zorin's personality?
Zorin's much brighter than most people tend to think. She has the street smarts that Rip lacks. The runes tattooed all over her body are said (in Norse mythology) to bestow knowledge and power, and Zorin has both. She knows the evil that lurks in people's hearts and she knows how to use it against them. She probably already had that talent before she got her magical abilities. She's a master manipulator.
In spite of appearances, Zorin is the least twisted, most direct member of Millennium; she's there for the simple, brutal fun of it.
Here are a list of words that accurately describe Zorin's personality: earthy, happy, funny, fun-loving, fearless, daring, deceptive, manipulative, cruel, contemptuous, sensuous, sadistic, smart, cynical, lewd, cocky, confident, competent, self-sufficient, outspoken, unreflective, adaptable, anti-intellectual, athletic, realistic.
I found Zorin to be the more interesting character to analyze, possibly because nobody likes her.
sweatdrop Anyway, bear in mind that this is all guesswork and in no way canon.
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