Switzerland
| Switzerland スイス | |
|---|---|
| |
| Character Information | |
| Name |  Swiss Confederation (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
|
| Human Name | Basch Zwingli[1] |
| Alternate Spellings | Vash Zwingli, Bache Zwingli |
| Age | 18 |
| Gender | Male |
| Birthday | August 01[2] |
| Hair Color | Blond |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Height | 172 cm (5' 7.7")[3] |
| Debut Appearances | |
| Volume | Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 1 |
| Strip | Axis Powers Jokes |
| Game | Osōji Prussia |
| Drama CD | Axis Powers Hetalia: The CD |
| Anime | Episode 01 (cameo) Episode 23 (formal appearance) |
| Voice Actors | |
| Japanese | Romi Park Moe Ayukawa (Flower of Iris) |
| English | John Burgmeier |
Switzerland (スイス, Suisu) is a supporting character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers. Between 2007 and early 2008, Himaruya gave human names to some of the characters and he received the name Basch Zwingli (バッシュ・ツヴィンクリ, Basshu Tsuvinkuri).[1]
Contents
Attributes
Appearance
He is a short young man with choppy blond hair in a chin-length bob cut and dark flatly-colored mint-green eyes. He wears a forest green jacket, with two small white crosses on the upper arm of the jacket, brown pants (often rolled up over his boots), and a white hat/beret, and is often seen having a rifle slung over his shoulder. He also has a cross-shaped scar on his left shoulder.
In an earlier design, his hair was drawn much shorter and he wore a green hat. However, in the earliest design known of him, he wore no hat and his jacket was blue, with his pants colored beige. This version can be seen (in color) in a set of counter icons that Hidekaz Himaruya made for his site (with Switzerland being the "0" icon).
Personality and Interests
Switzerland is seemingly eternally neutral and lives his life as a hermit/recluse, surrounded by the Alps. Though he appears to be peaceful, he actually is the biggest producer of guns in the world and has the most military strength. He hates outsiders, and in the past was hired by the Vatican as a mercenary. He's also very frugal, buying cheap cheese rather than a more expensive variety, claiming he likes the taste of it better. He once went to lunch with Austria just to save money. He's shown to have quite a temper, but has a soft spot for Liechtenstein and is extremely protective of her. He tends to preach to people.
Due to Italy's habits of forgetting his pants and streaking, Switzerland becomes trigger-happy if he catches him running through his property.
Relationships
Austria
Main Article: Austria
They were very close as children, though Switzerland expressed irritation at the fact that he taught Austria to be a fighter, only for him to keep failing and having to be bailed out when it came to wars. However, due to their bosses, the two friends eventually grew apart. In their adulthood, Switzerland does all he can to deny that he was ever friends with Austria or had any close connection to him.
Liechtenstein
Main Article: Liechtenstein
He is a doting older brother to Liechtenstein, having found her and taken her into his care. He is slightly strict at her when it comes to her defending herself from the other countries but shows to care for her very much (like holding her hand when they are out together and buying a ribbon for her afterward). The close relationship that he shares with her, however, reminds him of his childhood days with Austria, which he denies and tries to forget.
Appearances
Anime
Switzerland first made two minor appearances in the first season; in Episode 01 where he yells at Japan for agreeing with America's plan on global warming and in Episode 21 where he walks past Sealand, ignoring him.
He finally debuts in Episode 23 and the following episodes until Episode 25, which adapts Liechtenstein's Journal Of Swiss Dopiness from the webcomic strips and Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 2. He also appears in Episode 44 giving Liechtenstein lessons on self-defense and Episode 45 showing how he took her in and took care of her. In the movie, Paint it, White, Switzerland and Liechtenstein were enjoying a picnic outdoors and were largely unaffected by the events taking place due to a barrier of "permanent neutrality" that surrounded them.
In The Beautiful World, Switzerland appears in Liechtenstein and the Hedgehog Country, which adapts Mr. Hedgehog from the Volume 4 Omake Page as well as a strip posted during the Christmas 2011 event.
His appearance in the anime was largely unchanged, though the cross on both of his sleeves were removed. His hair was also given a more yellow hue but this was fixed in his appearance in The Beautiful World.
Trivia
- His birthday corresponds with the date that the Swiss Confederation was founded, on August 1st, 1291.[2] Though he is technically older than America, he is only a year younger than him in physical appearance and "human age".
- A production note by Hidekaz Himaruya states that he played around with the idea of making Switzerland a female character and that Germany would be shocked when he saw her in women's' clothing. He changed his mind upon seeing a Swiss man out shopping with a gun.
- Additional sketches reveal that Switzerland has three pet goats: Eiger, Jungfrau, and Mönch, named after Switzerland's famous mountains.
- His Japanese voice actress, Romi Park, also voices Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, as well as Toushirou Hitsugaya from Bleach. Incidentally, Liechtenstein's voice actress is Rie Kugimiya, who also voices Alphonse Elric. In addition, Romi Park voices Naoto Shirogane, who also carries a gun, from the Japanese RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, and Rie Kugimiya voices Rise Kujikawa, another playable character in the game.
- His last name could possibly be named from Huldrych Zwingli, a Swiss Protestant leader who started the Reformation in Switzerland.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Himaruya, Hidekaz (May 2007). "(cache) 【ジョルジュ長岡を心の底から愛でまくるサイト】 キタユメ。 【まゆ毛がステキ】". Archived from the original on November 22, 2007. http://megalodon.jp/2007-1122-0436-47/www.geocities.jp/himaruya/5gatu.htm. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Himaruya, Hidekaz (2008). ヘタリア Axis Powers [Hetalia: Axis Powers]. Gentosha. p. 107. ISBN 978-4-3448-1275-8.
- ↑ Himaruya, Hidekaz (2021). ヘタリア☆Collezione [Hetalia☆Collezione]. Shueisha. p. 88. ISBN 978-4-0888-2870-1.
