The Iscariot Organization, also known as Vatican Section XIII, is a top-secret wing of the Vatican charged with the active pursuit and extermination of supernatural entities and heretics. Following the Catholic faith, Iscariot has a bitter rivalry with the Hellsing Organization, as it is Protestant in nature like the rest of London. During Hellsing's battle against Millennium's invasion of London, Iscariot follows suit as part of a power-mad Enrico Maxwell's scheme to wipe out both factions as well as Londoners caught in the crossfire. However, due to Alucard's familiars wiping out Maxwell and his amassed army, followed by the deaths of Father Anderson and Yumie, Iscariot loses nearly all of its strength. Decades later it is run by Makube as the new leader and Heinkel as the new top enforcer.
Alexander Anderson is a paladin within Iscariot, serving as its trump card against Alucard, who refers to him as his nemesis. The reason for this is Anderson's body is genetically modified to be a Regenerator, a superhuman able to fight supernatural creatures. Anderson's mission as a monster hunter, which reflects his own personal beliefs, is also the destruction of Alucard and the Hellsing organization. Anderson's arsenal includes blessed bayonets and the use of holy barriers to corner his quarry. He has a Scottish accent in the English adaptations of the manga and anime series, but canonically his nationality is unknown; he lives in Italy, where he operates an orphanage.
Appearance Alexander Anderson's character has short, spiky blond hair (grey in the manga), brown/tanned skin, green eyes (blue in the manga), a heavy-set squared jaw, and constant stubble. He also has a large, wedge-shaped scar on his left cheek. In the first televised anime series, he was depicted with prominent, sharp canines, possibly to heighten his resemblance to a vampire and make him a symbolic counterpart to
Alucard, the "tame monster" of the Hellsing Organization. Anderson is quite an imposing man, being very tall (slightly taller than Alucard, who himself is over in height and lean with broad shoulders. He wears round glasses, a large grey
cassock (has purple trim in the TV series and white trim with blue interior in the OVA), grey pants (black in the OVA and white in the TV series), black boots, a black shirt (black with blue trim in the OVA and white in the TV series), a
clerical collar (absent from both of the anime series), white gloves, and a silver cross (which often glows gold in the OVA) around his neck. On his gloves, there are inscriptions written across the crosses drawn on the back: • For the right hand, "Jesus Christ is in Heaven" • For the left hand, "Speak with Dead" (later changed to "Speak with the Dead") In the manga, these inscriptions change sometimes, in Anderson's later appearances his gloves read "Iscariot Section XIII", the organization to which Anderson belongs. The character Father Barre portrayed by Michael Gothard, an exorcist and wild instigator depicted in
Ken Russell's
The Devils (1971) (a dramatization of
Urbain Grandier), has been cited as a possible inspiration for Father Anderson.
Personality Alexander Anderson normally appears as a calm and collected priest. He works at an orphanage in the manga and OVA and acts very kindly towards the children under his care. During battles, however, he reveals a darker side. He has an
obsession for what appears to be his "
crusade," and compulsively quotes passages of the
Holy Bible as he speaks. He is extremely determined to achieve his end, however, he abhors the methods chosen by Maxwell to put it in motion. In battle, he is merciless and almost unstoppable due to his abilities. He has a habit of hissing during fights, and often loses control of himself much like Alucard. Despite this, he can stop himself and focus on his mission. He has a measure of self-restraint when innocents like tourists are caught in the middle or when someone has caught his admiration as Integra did.
Beliefs Alexander Anderson is characterized as an ardent
Catholic. His words and his constant quoting of scripture indicate a clear, almost fanatical obedience towards "the word of God". His behavior in the first volume was depicted as an intense Catholic priest, who went as far as calling
Integra "Babylon", as a reference to
Whore of Babylon and, like Maxwell, displayed an immense hatred for
Protestants. In the first episode of
Hellsing Ultimate, some of Anderson's statements heavily imply a fanatical hatred for all non-Catholics. Anderson tells a pair of young boys they should only engage in violence against "monsters and non-believers". He comments to his superiors it is fortunate that a large vampire population must be killing many English Protestants. Anderson resents England's control over Northern Ireland, which he believes is Catholic territory, and states it is his mission to kill unbelievers. In the television series,
Order 3: Sword Dancer, Paladin Alexander Anderson's actions are vaguely
relativist. He ignores his true mission and instead focuses on the basic requirements of his crusade; thus, attacking
Seras Victoria, Alucard and killing Captain Gareth of the Hellsing Organization, though Gareth was a human being and attempting to exterminate the same target as Alexander Anderson. While his orders from Iscariot specified the extermination of a single rogue vampire, he engages in combat with Alucard as well. In the manga (and by extension the OVA, which is closer to the manga than the TV series), however, his character is much more complex. He shows a greater sense of morality both in his treatment of the orphans under his care. His eventual assistance to Integra and betrayal of Enrico Maxwell (who becomes drunk with power and starts killing innocent humans), is quite unlike the TV series Anderson who is portrayed as little more than a mindless, psychotic killer. His complexity in the manga is later demonstrated by his respect for Integra's conviction and for Seras' bravery. Specifically, he agrees to escort Integra to Hellsing HQ, because it would be impolite to leave a lady to walk there alone. Anderson tells the members of Iscariot to retreat from battle when Alucard releases his familiars. He wants them to live on and protect the Catholic religion, as he believes there are already enough souls in limbo. He also appears to have a form of respect for Alucard, shouting, "The black peril comes!" while laughing as Alucard enters the Thames at the end of Volume 7. In his final moments, Anderson consoled his grieving rival in his own way, telling him that monsters do not cry. In the TV series, Alucard refers to Anderson as a "dog of the Church" and is neither human nor monster. He is therefore incapable of killing him; only a human can do that. In the manga and OVA, however, Alucard shows great respect for Anderson and goes so far as to compare him to the men who were able to defeat
Dracula (Integra's grandfather,
Abraham Van Helsing and the other men from Bram Stoker's Dracula). He says although they were mere humans they possessed the will to destroy a monster such as Alucard. This changes, however, when Anderson chooses to use the Nail of Helena on himself to become a monster on an equal level to Alucard. At this point Alucard rules that Anderson, having sacrificed all of his humanity in exchange for power, is no longer worthy of destroying him and that Anderson must be killed. Alucard had previously stated he would be proud to die in battle against Anderson, but clearly Anderson forfeited that right by turning himself into a monster rather than a (regenerating) human.
Abilities In battle, Alexander Anderson is often depicted using scores of blessed
bayonets presumably made of silver as well as smaller blades which are held between his fingers like claws. He is shown to have extraordinary physical abilities, including strength, speed, and stamina. He is shown using pages from Bibles as barriers to ward off vampire movement, and also appears to be able to teleport himself amongst clouds of Bible pages. Anderson is a "Regenerator", meaning he utilizes Iscariot-developed technology that allows him to restore body parts that are lost and heal himself (this ability does not work in his battle with Alucard in OVA part 8, due to Alucard injuring him with the Jackal - an oversized pistol especially designed to be used against "Regenerators"). When using the nail of Helena his body becomes a mass of thorns and his healing factor has become more advanced to the point it rivals Alucard's as well as burning unholy beings, and enhancing his strength and speed. The cost however is losing his self as it caused him to become a mindless plant monster that can only be killed by removing his nail pierced heart where he returned to normal before dying. He is also shown to be a more charismatic and more morally right as a leader compared to Maxwell.
History The early history of Alexander Anderson (such as when he joined Iscariot or what his childhood life was like) is largely unknown. He first appears in
Hellsing Volume 1, when he is convinced by Father Renaldo to travel to Northern Ireland to deal with Alucard and Seras Victoria who are hunting a vampire. Believing that Northern Ireland is Catholic land and Protestant England has no jurisdiction there, Anderson agrees and travels there. He confronts Alucard, cutting off his head and chasing Seras through the building they are in. He catches up to her and is stopped by Integra just as he is about to kill her. Anderson says he will not back down against a "Protestant whore" and swiftly kills Integra's bodyguards. Before he can kill Integra, Alucard regenerates himself and engages Anderson. Anderson retreats when he realizes he cannot defeat Alucard with his current weapons and teleports away, swearing to kill them all next time. Anderson also appears in
Crossfire. Anderson appears again with
Enrico Maxwell, the head of Iscariot to discuss with Integra about the instigator of the attack on the Hellsing manor led by Luke and Jan Valentine. Alucard appears after Maxwell insults Integra, which Maxwell responds by calling Anderson into play. Before they can start another duel, Alucard and Anderson are interrupted by Seras leading a group of elderly Japanese tourists. The two decide to postpone their fight. Anderson leaves, commenting on the quality of the museum asking Maxwell if next time he could bring some of the orphans to visit. In an almost humorously agitated manner, he then swears he will rip Alucard to pieces the next time they meet. Later, Anderson is seen briefly watching the fight between
Tubalcain Alhambra and Alucard on television. After Alhambra was taken car of, he is then sent to deliver a message to Alucard and Seras to return to London and report on the
Millennium Organization. He fails to accomplish this task without first getting into a brief fistfight with Alucard. Afterward, he engages in battle with some paramilitaries sympathetic to the Millennium cause. After
The Major declares war against England, Anderson brings the rest of Iscariot with him there and saves Integra from a group of Nazi vampires. When Heinkel Wolfe attempts to apprehend her, Integra disagrees and asks Anderson if this is permissible; Anderson says it is not. He instructs Iscariot to escort Integra back to the Hellsing manor. Maxwell soon arrives in England with the remnants of the armies used in the Holy Crusades and takes the opportunity to kill all English "heretics". Seeing this, Anderson believes Enrico has quit serving God and now only serves his own power. When Heinkel informs Anderson of Iscariot's new orders to take Integra prisoner, Anderson expresses his displeasure. Before he can act against the rest of Iscariot, Seras arrives with her new powers awakened and does it for him. Anderson acknowledges her newfound power, telling Heinkel that Seras was not something the ordinary members of Iscariot could hope to fight any longer. Anderson engages in what he considers the final confrontation with Alucard, getting wounded severely by Alucard's Jackal in the process. Trapped in a mesh of undead, Anderson is saved by the remnants of Section XIII. Anderson then reveals the weapon that Vatican Section III Matthew had provided him with: Helena's Nail. Knowing what he plans to do, Alucard begs Anderson not to become a monster like himself. Anderson ignores this warning, stating that he would be content with being a thoughtless and merciless weapon of God, and impales himself with the nail. Although appearing the same, the nail transforms him a thornlike monster version of himself, revealed to be a living mesh of thorns and vines held together and self-regenerating. They battle, with Anderson-monster nearly destroying Alucard, before Seras intervenes. However, Alucard allowed Anderson-monster to attack due to being in deep shock himself as he had hoped Anderson to be a worthy human opponent for "releasing" the vampire from his eternal "dream". The vampire then effortlessly burns through Anderson's vines and, plunging his hand into Anderson's chest, removes the nail along with Anderson's heart. This destroys most of Anderson's body in the process. As Anderson dies, he and Alucard exchange words. What remains of Anderson decays and turns to ash.
Enrico Maxwell is the
fanatical leader of the Vatican's Special Section XIII, the Iscariot Organization. Although Maxwell controls his organization with an iron fist, his seemingly blind devotion to his mission often makes his underling Alexander Anderson question his motivations. As a child, he was abandoned by his parents and lived at an orphanage where he became acquainted with Anderson. Though Anderson tried to raise him as well as he could, Maxwell remained angry and spiteful, determined to become someone that people would not look down on. He first appears after the Valentine brothers attack Hellsing Manor when Integra and Alucard travel to Rome to investigate Millennium. He has a bitter rivalry with Integra due to their similar occupations and differing ideologies. In their meeting, he reveals that the Vatican assisted in moving the future Millennium group members to South America. During the standoff between Alucard and the Millennium led police force in
Rio de Janeiro, Anderson watches the scene unfold on the news. He is also present during the Major's declaration of war against London. After being promoted to the rank of
bishop, Maxwell is very quickly promoted again to
archbishop by the
Pope in light of Millennium's attack on London with a force of 3,000
Templars. However, he quickly becomes drunk with power as he orders his crusaders to slaughter London's
Protestant survivors alongside Millennium and Hellsing. Eventually, Maxwell witnesses his army being helplessly wiped out by Alucard's familiars before his helicopter is shot down by Rip Van Winkle. Though the armored glass protects him from the fall, Anderson throws a bayonet at the glass, shattering it after deeming the man's selfish ambitions as a threat to the Vatican. Maxwell is then impaled to death. Alexander stops Alucard from absorbing his soul and leaves his body in a place away from the danger as a final act of kindness to his former charge.
Heinkel Wolfe is an
androgynous German assassin and priest within the Iscariot organization. She is partnered with her childhood friend Yumie under the command of Alexander Anderson. Heinkel's weapons of choice are pistols. While she first appeared as a bodyguard for Enrico Maxwell, Heinkel later leads a brigade of Catholic priests sent to apprehend Integra during Millennium's attack on London. As a result, Heinkel witnesses the death of Father Anderson before she attempts to avenge Yumie after being killed by Walter Dornez. But Heinkel is wounded after The Captain shoots a bullet through her cheeks as his way of telling her not to interfere in Walter's fight with Alucard. Despite the warning, and having taken The Captain's mercy and medical aid as an insult, a furious Heinkel refuses to quell her desire to avenge Yumie. She takes a Dragunov SVD sniper rifle with the intent to kill Walter. However, while Walter initially allows her to fire at him, Heinkel is soon crippled by the artificial vampire after he slices her arm and leg off. Though rescued by Iscariot, the ordeal makes Heinkel violent and impulsive. In the epilogue, Heinkel has apparently taken Anderson's position within Iscariot, having become immortal and unable to age.
Yumie Takagi is a
katana-wielding Japanese nun. She is a fanatical Catholic and seems genuinely to enjoy killing people using her almost superhuman sword skills alongside her childhood friend Heinkel. Yumie knows various
Batto-jutsu techniques and is adept enough to kill even from outside the room where her victim is. She has also displayed instances of superhuman strength. During Millennium's attack on London, after witnessing Walter Dornez desecrating Father Anderson's remains, Yumie attempts to cut him down. However, she is outmatched and cut into pieces by Walter's wires. In the
Crossfire manga, she was show to have a split personality known as . In contrast to Yumie, the Yumiko persona is shy and timid. Yumiko comments on how hard it is for her to "get Yumie to sleep" after she has been provoked into action. The two personalities switch by dueling for control inside their mind. Yumiko takes off her glasses to trigger the change, which can also occur after a strong blow to the head.
Renaldo Renaldo is an old Iscariot member informing Anderson of a vampire attack. He appears later with Maxwell accompanying him in various instances. He also appears in a flashback talking to Maxwell where he will be raised by Anderson.
Makube Makube is the leader of Iscariot for 30 years after the destruction of London and Maxwell's death. He comes off as more level-headed than Maxwell. He is also more patient than his predecessor and seems to have more of a friendly rivalry with Integra. ==Anime characters==