Lithuania

Lithuania リトアニア
Character Information
Name	Republic Of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika)
Human Name	Toris Laurinaitis (トーリス・ロリナイティス)
Alternate Spellings	(given name) Tolys, Thoris, Taurys (surname) Lorinaitis, Rolinitis
Age	19
Gender	Male
Birthday	February 16
Hair Color	Brown
Eye Color	Green (manga, Beautiful World anime) Blue (Axis Powers and World Series anime)
Height	180 cm (5' 10.8")
Debut Appearances
Volume	Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 1
Strip	Chapter 4: Pact of Steel
Drama CD	Hetalia Drama CD: Prologue
Anime	Episode 01 (cameo) Episode 17 (speaking)
Voice Actors
Japanese	Ken Takeuchi Otsu Kou (Flower of Iris)
English	Josh Grelle

Lithuania (リトアニア Ritoania) is a supporting character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers. Between 2007 and 2008, Himaruya gave out human names to some of the characters and he received the name Toris Laurinaitis (トーリス・ロリナイティス Tōrisu Rorinaitisu).

Attributes

A 'chibi' version of Lithuania.

Appearance

Lithuania is a plain-faced young man with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. In the Axis Powers Hetalia anime, they were colored blue, however their color was changed back to green in Hetalia: The Beautiful World. He's slender, but has a strong body. In his WWII appearances, he wears a green military uniform with tall boots (or simple shoes, depending on the reference image). Lithuania sometimes wears his hair tied back into a ponytail, such as when he worked as a housekeeper or when he was younger.

In the strip While You Were Gone, Lithuania is shown to have deep scars covering his back.

Personality and Interests

The eldest of the three Baltics, Lithuania controlled Middle and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages, and was a formidable knight that once beat Prussia, until he was taken by Russia. Though he managed to get away for a time, he always wound up back under Russia's control. After the Soviet Union fell, he fully regained his independence and went to rehabilitate with Poland.

He is extremely serious, even more serious than Germany, and worse at understanding jokes. He is a bit of an introvert and easy to take advantage of. He also tends to depress himself so much that he gets a stomachache, and generally has a weak stomach. Despite all this, Lithuania is described as being the relatively most cheerful of the Baltics, and the type of person who will welcome one into his heart once he knows the person. He tries to be a big brother figure and enjoys looking after others. However, it may be his kindness and concern for others that causes him so much distress.

Lithuania is also said to be interested in martial arts and literature, and drives a second-hand car.

Before the Polish-Swedish wars were to begin, Finland notes that though Lithuania is usually so kind, and looks like he couldn't hurt a fly, his face in battle changes. He shows exceptional leadership skills towards his soldiers, and his abilities in making strategies is extraordinary. By feigning a retreat at the beginning, he outsmarted Prussia and dived in just in time to save Poland.

In a rare strip, it is shown that the other two Baltics think highly of him, but resent that he ignores them in favor of spending time with Poland. In the character identification chart, it was said that there's no mistaking him if Russia or Poland are pushing him around.

Relationships

America

Main Article: America

After becoming poor from the fallout of WWI, Lithuania lived with America for a brief period of time and worked for him as his housekeeper. He proclaimed it was 'heaven' and was fond of America. He was well received by America's whale friend and Tony, who often beamed him up into his spaceship out of jealousy when Lithuania paid attention to the whale.

After the Great Depression hit and poverty spread throughout the nations, Lithuania had to return to Russia. In a more present-day strip, Lithuania returned to America's house to celebrate his birthday.

Belarus

Main Article: Belarus

Lithuania holds a crush on Russia's younger sister since childhood though it isn't returned, for she only has eyes for her brother and harbors hatred for Lithuania. In a discarded strip, it was said that she'd been doing things such as breaking his fingers since they were children, however as it was discarded and a proper one released (though, deleted later) it's likely this has been removed. Furthermore, another blog post referred to them as something of childhood friends. When he finally succeeded in going on a date with her for three minutes, it ended with her breaking all of his fingers though he continued to remain oblivious to her harsh nature and simply stated that his fingers were broken because he could bend them like that.

A strip implied that Belarus hates him because her brother favors him. It's implied that Belarus' hatred for him comes from the real-life history fact between the two countries from Lithuania's annexation of Belarus and due to this, she was separated from her brother for a long time, during the Grand Duchy of Lithuania era.

Curiously in the Halloween 2011 event, she seem to be more civil with him and he is shown to be shocked to see her badmouthing Denmark.

Poland

Main Article: Poland

The two have been rather close friends. They were partners in the days of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, before Russia split them apart and took Lithuania under his control. Their union was their golden age and they could trust each other and collaborate quite well, such as in the First Battle of Tannenberg, but their relationship could also be very turbulent.

When Lithuania is under the rule of Russia he is nostalgic for the days of his union with Poland, but Poland can be so selfish, controlling and bizarrely-behaved that Lithuania feels dragged around and can become extremely frustrated with him. In the WWII storyline, despite being concerned about Poland's impending fate, Lithuania was shown have negative memories and even nightmares about when Poland has troubled him. But later, he has a dream set in the past where Poland tells him he loves him no matter what he thinks of him. In this dream, Poland also promises to be less selfish.

They managed to meet up again in While You Were Gone. Lithuania was surprised to learn that Poland, who is usually very shy, was good friends with Italy, and thinks "there's a side of Poland I don't know." Later, Poland attempted to play a prank on Lithuania with a water gun but wound up discovering the scars on his back, and in return he thinks "there's a side of Lithuania I don't know."

Poland refers to Lithuania as "Liet" (short for Lietuva, the Lithuanian word for Lithuania), and won't stand for him being bullied by Russia, as revealed in both versions of Meeting Of The World (yet to different extents in each version). In The Legend of the Iron Wolf strip, the two share stories about the creation of their capitals, although it can be questioned whether Poland heard Lithuania's story.

Prussia

Main Article: Prussia

When they were children, Prussia (as Teutonic Knights) would bully Lithuania, who was Pagan at the time, into converting to Christianity. He would throw arrows, rocks and acorns at him. They are further shown as enemies at the First Battle of Tannenberg, where Lithuania defeats Prussia and saves Poland from being killed by feigning a retreat and arriving back just in time. While defeating him, Lithuania also scolds Prussia's cowardly attack and lack of alertness and chivalry.

In World War II, Lithuania was hesitant to speak to Germany because Prussia had faced brutal defeats at the hands of him and Poland, but Germany did not seem to remember, to Lithuania's relief.

When Prussia is integrated with the Soviets, Lithuania admits to Prussia that he hates him, and does not like being honest with him. He then gives Prussia advice that Russia loves guys who cry and laugh easily, so he should be careful.

Russia

Main Article: Russia

After the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Lithuania became Russia's subordinate. It is suggested that he was Russia's "favourite" of the Baltics, so he's often the target of Russia's bullying. It is heavily implied that the deep scars covering his back were inflicted by Russia because he was the main target of his harsh treatment; in Lithuania's flashback, he thinks of being forced into a maid outfit and approached by Russia holding a whip.

After WWI, Lithuania spent eleven years working at America's house. Russia visits at one point during the outsourcing to tell America to take good care of Lithuania, because he is his "possession," said in a threatening manner. Once the Great Depression started, Lithuania could no longer work for America, so Russia came to pick him up.

In the epilogue of Lithuania's Out-Sourcing, it's shown that Russia was so upset about Lithuania temporarily leaving him that he overworked him to the point of fatigue. Lithuania fell asleep on Russia's shoulder and then woke up horrified. But instead of punishing him, Russia was unusually calm and asked Lithuania what his dreams were. Lithuania shared that his dreams were to be free like when he was young. Russia then smiled and confessed his dreams were to live in a warm place, surrounded by sunflowers. Lithuania thought this was "strangely cute" and passed out on Russia again, and woke up panicking again, only to find Russia replaced by a panda bear.

In modern times, Lithuania is shown as remaining nervous around Russia, whose approach towards him seems rather unchanged. It is said Lithuania is "dangerously exposed to Russia's gaze" and always worried about what he'll do next. Russia states at the Meeting of the World that he would like to see a troubled Lithuania coming back to him in tears, and he continues to stalk him.

A comic from Volume 3 of the manga shows that the two of them met as small children while Russia was under the Tatar's rule. Russia declared that he would be a large powerful country one day, and then they could be friends. Lithuania asked why they couldn't be friends right then. Russia said he couldn't allow himself to befriend anybody because he was much too weak, but he would try his hardest to become strong.

Appearances

Anime

Lithuania in Episode 17.

Lithuania in I Was Overwhelmed by Heroines.

Lithuania first briefly appears at the meeting in Episode 01, as Russia states that he only wants to see him come running back to him with a troubled face. He shows up later on in Episode 17: America's Cleaning Of The Storage, Part 1, which marks his first formal appearance in the anime and his first speaking part. He later makes several appearances during both seasons of Axis Powers and World Series, as well as in the movie Paint it, White.

In The Beautiful World, he makes a minor appearance in Gakuen Hetalia: Go Forth! Newspaper Club!! First Half as a chibi head during Estonia's explanation. He makes two major appearances in Russia and Friends and At Netherlands', while making minor appearances in Turkey&!, Our Failure, The Centennial Gift, and I Was Overwhelmed by Heroines.

His character design was relatively unchanged in the anime adaptation, aside from his green eyes being changed to a shade of blue and his hair color lightened slightly. In The Beautiful World, the colors were corrected to match the manga's scheme.

Trivia

• His birthday corresponds with the date of Lithuania's declaration of independence from Russia, on February 16th, 1918, but Lithuania would wind up occupied by both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in 1940, then reoccupied by Soviets in 1944. It would become the first Soviet republic to declare its renewed independence on March 11th, 1990, although no country would recognize Lithuania's independence for another year.
• Lithuania was stated to have been officially formed and unified in 1236. As a result, this is the year of Lithuania's birth.
• In a series continuity error, Lithuania is shown as a teenager (along with Poland) when fighting in the Battle of Grunwald, but later is shown to be a small child after the Italian Wars have taken place in Chibitalia, in a Comic Diary strip set during that time frame (and written at around the same time as the Grunwald strip).
• It should be noted that the United States of America never acknowledged Lithuania's incorporation into the Soviet Union, and so recognized Lithuanian independence even when Lithuania was not independent.
• Due to a translation error in Episode 1, the name above Lithuania's flag switched to "Latvia" when Poland stepped in front of him.
• In volume 4 Estonia stated that Lithuania was also an (inconsistent) member of the Academy Choral Club along with Ukraine, Latvia. He also states that the Academy's Soviet Union club is targeting them, however Russia confirms that the Soviet Union club has disbanded.
• Interestingly, it is stated that the average height in Lithuania is 185 cm. As most characters (bar characters too young to reach the average height) have a height near to that of the average in the country they represent, it is somewhat strange that Lithuania is actually drawn shorter than Russia. This may be because the average at the end of the nineteenth century was 163.5 cm and a rapid increase in height did not occur until the 20th century. Himaruya has acknowledged the height of the average Lithuanian, but commented that a lot of the reference was from basketball players, thus not typical.
• In (No Longer Copy) Book of History Stuff I Can’t Really Draw‎, Himaruya mentions a story he heard of when the Baltics separated from Russia, Lithuania threw away anything associated with Russia, Latvia was scared to throw them away, while Estonia sold everything at cheap prices and believed it fit their personalities. The page was later reposted on Bamboo Thicket with some additional sketches.