Manga/OVA Canon

Anime Canon

Archiepiscopus Enrico Maxwell (エンリコ・マクスウェル大司教,, Enriko Makusuweru Daishikyō) is a major antagonist in the Hellsing series created by Kohta Hirano. He is voiced by Show Hayami in the Japanese sub and JB Blanc in the English dub. Risa Hayamizu and Yuri Lowenthal in Japanese and English respectively provided their voice for his younger iteration appearing in flashbacks.

He is the fanatical leader of the Iscariot Agency who seeks to exterminate all "unholy" creatures and heretics on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church. Often appearing soft-spoken and a good-natured young man, once he becomes enraged, he reveals his fanaticism, professing to regard all non-Catholics as infidels. He's one of the primary rivals of the Hellsing Organisation; thus, despite being allied to Hellsing and England, Maxwell often breaks border jurisdiction treaties and finds himself and his Agency at odds with Hellsing.

Appearance

Maxwell was a tanned, tall, and slender man. He kept his long, blonde hair in a ponytail and had eyes that appeared light blue in color.^[a] Maxwell seemed to suffer from myokymia when he was excited, characterized by the repeated twitching of his left eye. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a collar under a purple cassock vest with matching purple trousers and black shoes. Occasionally, he was equipped with a pair of circular wire-rimmed glasses. After his promotion as an Archiepiscopus, he switched to a fully long-sleeved purple cassock and also wore a purple sash with white accents.^[b]

Personality

Maxwell was the leader of the Vatican's Iscariot, controlling his subordinates with an iron fist.^[10][11] However, his seemingly blind devotion to his mission often made his underling and mentor, Alexander Anderson, question his motivations.^[12] For example, during the standoff between Alucard and the Millennium-led police forces in Rio de Janeiro, Anderson watched the scene unfold on the news with a mixture of revulsion and fury, while Maxwell seemed to revel in the ensuing violence.^[13]

At times, Maxwell presented himself as a suave and gentle bishop.^[14] Yet, even so, he can fully snap if someone really got on his nerves, like Integra's bantering for example where the situation escalated to the summoning of Alucard and Anderson after Maxwell called Integra a "sow" in a fit of rage.^[15] Despite this, Maxwell had demonstrated on multiple occasions that he was very calculated, cruel and fanatical in his mission to purge all heretical and demonic orders, such as his attack on London where he murdered innocent Protestants along with the Nazi vampires, which he seemed to greatly enjoy.^[16][17][18]

As a child, Maxwell was orphaned at Anderson's orphanage via Father Ronald. Anderson was intrigued at the sight of Maxwell, who proclaimed that he does not need a friend, a companion, or a mother or a father to become great. His ambition and goal was fully set upon when he proclaims that he will become great and look down on all of them.^[19] In the end, he was Anderson's greatest student and eventually became what he strived to achieve.^[20] A combination of faith, pride, conviction, and ambition had kept Enrico going all this time, that is until he goes over the edge due to his power-hungry nature.^[21][22]

Relationships

Allies

• Alexander Anderson: At the sight of Anderson, Maxwell stated to his teacher that he would become great without the need of any companion be that of a friend, or even parents. This intrigued Anderson, who later taught him everything he knew.^[23][24] With the teachings of Anderson and his strive for knowledge and power, and especially his goal to become the very best, Maxwell became Anderson's prodigy and climbed up the ranks of the Vatican; eventually landing in the ranks of Bishop.^[25] Though Anderson often listened to Maxwell's orders, from time to time he went completely out of control, especially at the sight of Alucard, and also later blatantly disobeys orders.^[26][27] Anderson also started planning with Maxwell after the declaration of war, about betraying Hellsing, and later attacking both Millennium and Hellsing at the same time at a precise time.^[28]
  
  Yet despite their agreement, Maxwell went unhinged after his promotion to Archbishop, in which he became power-hungry which greatly angered Anderson who stated that he had become drunk with power and was no longer serving God but himself.^[29] At a precise time, Anderson reluctantly decided to end his prodigy. In his last moments, Maxwell begged for Anderson, his teacher, to save his life. Anderson, torn apart just watched as Maxwell was then impaled and died.^[30] In Anderson's final moments, he raised his arm up to the sunset as he heard the sound of his children crying, and then, more specifically, Maxwell's.^[31]

Enemies

• Sir Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing: Maxwell shared a bitter rivalry with Integra Hellsing, due to their similar positions (both are heads of military-based organizations sworn to protect their leader and Christianity) and differing ideologies (Hellsing falls under the Church of England, a Protestant Church, while the Vatican is Catholic). Their feud bordered on violence, sometimes causing their meetings to be not so civil.^[32] In the end, Integra was angered by Maxwell's betrayal.^[33]

Abilities

Abilities and Skills
	Intelligence: Though presenting himself at times as a clumsy and gentle Bishop, Maxwell was cunning and intelligent.[34] His attack on London as an act of betrayal to both Hellsing and Great Britain was calculated and planned, though he fell short of Millennium's Major because of his lack of knowledge of Alucard's true capabilities.[35][36] Smart, he was able to deduce the truth behind the lies of the traitorous bishop who had worked with The Major years earlier. Maxwell was also the first to uncover the secret Millennium project, Last Battalion.[37] Gifted, he was a genius disciple of Anderson and climbed up the ranks of Archbishop at a young age.[38]
	Master Interrogator: A quality which was hidden behind him presenting himself as a clumsy priest, Maxwell was also quite intimidating whenever he goes over the edge. In an interrogation with the Bishop which he calls, an Inquisition, Maxwell figured out the vampire production program of Millennium through the traitorous Bishop. He also saw through his lies, and his wants to becoming a vampire as a motivation to lend a hand to Millennium. Later, Maxwell ordered Heinkel to execute the Bishop.[39]
	Indomitable Will: He was a prodigy, a special raised by the teaching of Father Anderson. His desire to become the very best landed him at the place of Archbishop at the young age of mid-20s to early 30s, though only for a brief period of time.[40] It was not until he became so drunk with power that he lost his sense of control, and madness took over him.[41][42]
Control Over 9th Crusade
As a means of helping Hellsing against Millennium, The Pope dispatched the 9th Crusade at the hands of Maxwell.[43] Unbeknownst to him, Maxwell had planned to betray Hellsing and Great Britain long before.[44] Later committing a horrific massacre against the citizens of London over his petty hatred against protestants and heretics.[45][46]

Concept and Creation

Maxwell is a character brought back from the Crossfire manga series, just like both Yumiko and Heinkel.^[47] Yet unlike Heinkel and Yumiko, Maxwell's design was drastically changed from its Crossfire iteration.^[48] This is because Hirano thought that Maxwell looked too much like Integra, hence the redesign in which he slicked his hair back, and dropped his glasses.^[49] Although in his initial appearance, Maxwell wore a pair of glasses before dropping them all together in his remaining appearance within the series. Strike Back of Love, one of Hirano's old works, also has a character with a similar appearance to Maxwell.

Maxwell's appearance is likely based on Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory's antagonist, Anavel Gato. Even his successor's name after his death, Makube, is also based on M'Quve, a member of the Principality of Zeon from Mobile Suit Gundam.

Trivia

• It is interesting to note that Maxwell lived a life very similar to how Alucard lived as Vlad the Impaler. Both had a difficult early childhood. They found faith in Catholicism while retaining their hatred for those who wronged them. Eventually, they became leaders of powerful militaries and carried out plenty of murders in the name of God. In the end, they and their armies were defeated.

Footnotes

Notes

References

Character Navigation
Hellsing Agency Director(s) Abraham Van Helsing Arthur Hellsing Integra Hellsing Trump Cards Alucard Seras Victoria Staff Walter C. Dornez Dextely Alphensys Hellsing Agency Special Military Forces Pip Vernedead Wild Geese Deputy Wild Geese Round Table Council Hugh Irons Shelby M. Penwood Rob Walsh Irons IV Penwood III
Iscariot Agency Director(s) Enrico Maxwell Makube Trump Cards Alexander Anderson Staff Father Ronald Young Priest Armed Priest Vanguard Heinkel Wulf Yumiko Takagi Ninth Crusade
Millennium Project Director(s) Adolf Hitler The Major Scientist(s) The Professor The Occult Researchers The Werwolves The Captain Walter C. Dornez Schrödinger Zorin Blitz Rip Van Winkle Associates Tubalcain Alhambra Luke Valentine Jan Valentine Rheinhold Fortner Colonel
Miscellaneous Characters London Police Commander Vicar Richard Hellsing Chief Malfas Huger and Jessica Mark and Nepis The Pope Julia Edward Traitorous Bishop Ferdo Paciel The Queen Mrs. Victoria Mr. Victoria Dracula Mina Harker Arthur Holmwood Jack Seward Quincey Morris Jonathan Harker Crossfire Maxwell Anderson Aphram Unnamed Priest Ilyushin Mr. Ridgeway Abraham Van Rogh Tomily Fedeo Prototype Alucard Yuri Kate Hellman Hellman's Brother