Axis Powers Hetalia

Once upon a time, the Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean. Then it collapsed, leaving his grandson Italy in his place. But all he wanted to do was cook, draw, and flirt with women.

Cut to World War I. Germany waits at the Italian front, ready to face the heir to the mighty Roman Empire...

He finds Italy hiding in a tomato crate. Poor Italy is scared and has no idea what the hell is going on, so Germany takes him under his wing, where he remains until World War II. At the same time, the "Allied Forces" are getting ready to counter attack... if they can reach an agreement, that is.

A popular Japanese series by Hidekaz Himaruya that is an allegorical tale of the history of Europe, especially during World War Two, with anthropomorphizations of different countries and the various stereotypes associated with them. Axis Powers Hetalia is at once educational, irreverently silly, occasionally touching, and quite probably very offensive to certain people. Surprisingly, it gets many of the more subtle and less well known relationships between European countries rather well represented, which you usually wouldn't expect of foreign writers.

Starting off as a webcomic, Hetalia garnered a strong fan following, and was eventually published in print form. A series of drama CDs were made later; an Anime adaptation has been released, but broadcast on television was canceled in favor of alternate means. The word "Hetalia" is a portmanteau of hetare and Italia (Italy), which means "hopeless Italy", as Germany soon discovers. Hopeless in a cute way. You know, with the Axis powers, it's not bad to be bad at being bad.

Four volumes have been printed in Japan, the most recent in the summer of 2011. The manga adaptation was originally licensed by Tokyo Pop and two volumes were released. However, they went bankrupt before the third was finished, and the series has yet to be picked up by another publisher. In the meantime, the original webcomic can be read here, with scanlations at the Hetalia LiveJournal community (note that some entries are locked, so you will need a LJ account to view them) or here. A compilation can also be found at this site, which is very readable and easy to navigate, but which is missing many of the newer strips.

An anime adaptation by Studio DEEN began airing in January 2009, and currently[when?] has completed four seasons, (along with three additional "special episodes") with the third and fourth seasons under the title Hetalia World Series. A movie ("Paint It White") has been released in Japan and became available in North America in November 2011. Both the series and the movie have been licensed by FUNimation. However, it should be noted that for whatever reason, they never subbed or dubbed the episodes that were on the Japanese Fan Disc. While 2 of the 3 Fan disc episodes were just compilations of actual story arcs (Chibitalia and Storage cleaning, respectively) one of the episodes featured a story about the Cat Festival and when Prussia & Hungary were little. Because of this, any casual fan watching streamed episodes on YouTube might get confused when they see the episode where teenage Prussia realizes that Hungary has breasts.

Still, some of the subbed episodes can be viewed at FUNimation's website or on Veoh. The dubs of seasons 1-2 are now available on FUNimation's website. Hulu also has both subtitled and dubbed versions of the Axis Powers. (As does Funimation's YouTube Channel and the DVD release). Likewise, a sub of World Series is also officially available on YouTube and Hulu. The show is TV-MA, so an account on either is required.

Note that the dub deviates from the original to a large extent.

Now has its own Alternative Character Interpretation, Memetic Mutation, Hetalia Bloodbath 2010, Hetaween 2011, Hetalia Bloodbath 2011, Ship Tease, Ho Yay, Ron The Death Eater, Ships That Pass In The Night, and Die For Our Ship pages. It also has its own page on TV Tropes' Fetish Fuel wiki. Check them out!

And also fanfics with their own pages: All He Ever Wanted, You Can't Take the Sky Away from Me, Part Right, Half Wrong, a Third Crazy, The Pleasantville Series, Its a Small World After All, International Academy of Hetalia Fanfiction, Seven Little Killers, Brutal Series, A Castle of Silence and Bones, The Hetalian Monster, 1983 Doomsday Stories and From the Ashes. Along with the fanmade RPG games Heta Oni, Roma Heta, Heta Quest, Heta Hazard, and Tales of Hetalia!

Compare Scandinavia and The World, another webcomic that was inspired when a Danish artist disagreed with how some of the Scandinavians were depicted in this work.

By the way, there are two Italies (Veneziano and Romano), but assume we mean Veneziano (North Italy). Similarly, "Korea" refers to South Korea, as in the original comics he is called by the Japanese name for South Korea (Kankoku) and the name for the North (Chousen) is never shown.

Tropes used in Axis Powers Hetalia include:

A-H

  • A Boy and His X: Many nations, from Iceland and his Puffin, Canada and his bear, Greece and his kitties (just to name a few).
  • Accidental Marriage: In one comic, Italy greets Japan in the typical European fashion with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Japan demands that Italy accept responsibility and marry him.
    • Not to mention the same thing happen with Japan and Holland's pets, where Holland's rabbit licked Japan's dog and he immediately told Holland's rabbit to take responsibility.
  • Accidental Pervert: Holy Roman Empire, Several times he has accidentally lifted up (or pulled down) Chibitalia's shorts.
  • Actor Allusion: At the beginning of the "France teaching Italy about sexual intercourse" scene in the dub of World Series, Italy hums the first opening of Sgt Frog.
  • Adaptation Dye Job: Most obviously with America and England who apparently switched hair colors: America's hair is more of a dirty blond in the anime, while England's original ash blond hair got a lighter and more vivid hue.
    • Also Canada's hair color was altered from the light yellow-ish orange it was in the manga into dirty blonde so he would look juuuuuust a little more like America in the anime.
    • Other changes in hair colors include: Italy's brown hair being changed to auburn (sometimes appearing as a very saturated red), Belarus having dirty blonde hair instead of her original platinum shade, Sweden and Latvia going from being blond to having sandy brown hair (which is strange, because of all countries, Sweden should definitely be blonde), and Finland's light blond hair receiving the same hue as England. And in his unused anime design, Korea had chestnut brown hair instead of his original black.
      • Sweden's hair was changed back to blonde after (it is assumed) the producers realized that he looked like America minus Nantucket.
    • While his hair is colored black in the official manga art, the anime portrays China with "ash brown" hair.
    • Even more changes, from the official artwork to the anime: Lithuania's eyes going from green to blue, Estonia's eyes going from green to dark blue and his hair going from light blonde to dark blonde, Latvia's eyes going from purple to blue, Canada's eyes going from violet to blue (to look more like America), Finland's eyes going from violet to brown, Romano's eyes going from green (in early art) to gold (in both later art and the anime), Spain going from being tan to being much paler, and Belarus's hair going from platinum blonde to dark blonde.
  • Adaptation Distillation: The anime version of Hetalia, while having a number of differences from the source material, does try to stay close to the manga.
  • Affectionate Parody: Of history.
  • Alien Abduction: Occurs on a global scale in the end of "Paint it White", where the invading Pict proceed to have billions of converted humans enter their mothership and then fly back home to their home planet. Only Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland seem to be the only ones to escape unscathed.
  • Aliens Speaking English/Japanese: America's alien friend Tony.
  • The Alliance: The Allies, of course.
  • All Love Is Unrequited: England apparently has an unrequited(?) crush on America. The most obvious hint is the Valentines strip where England gives America some chocolates (Because America pulled back all of his troops because "Britain didn't get [him] chocolates or anything") while blushing and being all embarrassed. America giving mixed signals (mocking England in one moment, claiming to be hurt because England didn't give him Valentine's chocolates in the next) doesn't exactly help matters.
    • Unrequited love is the basis of the whole Belarus/Russia/Lithuania love triangle as well. Belarus likes Russia, Russia likes Lithuania (sorta), Lithuania likes Belarus, and it goes downhill from there.
    • Korea's incestuous affection towards China (and to a degree, Japan) isn't exactly requited either.
    • It is hinted that Prussia may have a crush on his childhood friend/enemy Hungary, who is obviously still infatuated with former-husband Austria, who cares for her but is not as vocal as she is about his feelings (but isn't indifferent either, like some people say).
      • If his April Fool's blog and drama CD of it are anything to go by, Prussia seems to have a crush on Italy, too.
    • In a more platonic version, Lithuania and Poland's early friendship. When Lithuania professes to hate Poland, Poland tells him that he doesn't care, and "it doesn't, like, change the fact that I like you"
      • Not entirely platonic, mind you - the expression Poland uses in the Japanese version could just as well mean "love".
    • The Holy Roman Empire also got rejected by Chibitalia who found him scary, but in the end Chibitalia returned his feelings.
  • All Part of the Show: When a star falls on England's head, America is nothing short of impressed.
  • All There in the Manual: Several characters appear in sketches in the author's blog long before their introduction in any strip. The blog regularly features a Q&A section that gives some insight and little tips about the nations themselves.
  • Also Sprach Zarathustra: Alluded to with the first few notes of the anime's opening music.
  • The American Revolution: Shown in a flashback during one of the rare serious strips/episodes, "America Cleans Out the Storage".
  • Amusing Alien: America's little buddy Tony, provided you find his habitual cursing and severe hatred of the English amusing.
  • Anachronic Order: Though the story may deal with history, the events aren't shown in historical order.
  • Anachronism Stew: Some of the comics have the Roman Empire and Prussia interacting with characters in ostensibly modern times.
    • In the real world, Prussia actually survived up until the end of World War II as a constituent state of Germany, and after WWII, it is implied that Prussia takes on the part of East Germany, often refering to his brother Germany as "West". With some East German nostalgia still floating around in the only recently-reunified Germany, Prussia probably won't be disappearing any time soon, and even with Germany's unification, Prussia will almost definitely still be around, just like Romano and Veneziano both still exist despite Italy uniting.
      • If his blogs (and the Kuzo game) are anything to go on, Prussia is now living in Germany's house. With Austria. Let's face it, he's too much of a fan favorite to get axed.
    • Austria is always wearing modern style glasses, even before the 20th century.
    • In one episode of the anime, Italy mentions that Germany has pornographic DVDs, though the DVD was not invented until several decades after that point in the story.
    • Don't forget Holy Roman Empire's alarm clock beeping in what's supposed to be the 17th century.
    • And Sweden and Finland adopting Sealand, though Sealand was founded almost one hundred and sixty years after Sweden and Finland historically separated. Although to be fair, only Sweden is shown taking care of Sealand. Fans naturally inter-operate Finland as the mother figure due to the whole "wife" thing. In fact, only a single strip even shows them all together, nevertheless acknowledging them as a family unit.
    • One anachronism is acknowledged in the strip. England asks America if he's trying to show off by having a computer that won't be invented for forty-two years.
    • WWII-era America having a "50" on his jacket representing the States (Alaska and Hawaii weren't added until 1959). This is removed in the English dubbed anime, probably for that reason.
  • Animal Reaction Shot: After America turns down a deredere England, his whale friend who was previously smiling like an idiot becomes sad.
  • Anime Accent Absence: Except for China who speaks with a stereotypical Chinese accent (even his Verbal Tic "aru" is a parody of that), and America who is once seen trying to speak Japanese with an English accent. It's worth noting, though, that characters from various countries speaking the language of the show with foreign accents is a cultural convention not shared by all countries. Many cultures, Japan included, don't use foreign accents or dialects unless it's actually important for the plot/character, etc.
    • The dub, however, is an aversion. There are disputes about whether or not it's better than the Japanese dub or outright offensive.
      • The English dub, features American actors doing purposely bad (Americanized, over the top) imitations of foreign accents suitable to each country. It definitely adds another layer of amusement to the show. Holy Rome's VA Chris Cason admitted that giving him a Germanic accent would make sense (given the actual geography of the poorly named Holy Roman Empire), but he did a more Italy-like accent because the director told him to.
    • Based on Word of God it's most likely that the Japanese in the manga is just Translation Convention. In a (now sadly deleted) blog entry Word of God confirmed that America and England speak English when they talk to each other which is obvious in the strip where England corrects America's English, or the rubber incident. Note also that in the former case it's a world conference so probably they're all speaking English as a lingua franca. In other strips there are more than one languages involved (such as America visiting Japan for the first time: there's even an interpreter present, and as noted above, America is speaking Japanese with an English accent; or the strip with Korea and a Chinese song). Word of God also said that probably there's a special language that all of them understand, which is how they communicate with newborn countries.
    • It should also be noted that many of the countries speak a unique Japanese dialect, although this has more to do with their personalities than their natural accents. Sweden, for example, speaks a northern Japanese dialect (Tohoku, often mistranslated as mumbling), and Spain uses a laid-back Kansai Regional Accent. Even Poland uses that Nagoya schoolgirl accent (fan-translated oh-so often as a Valley-girl accent).
  • An Axe to Grind: Denmark and Spain are sometimes drawn with one.
  • Anything That Moves: Word of God's stance on France's sexuality.
  • Attractive Bent Gender: Italy explains to Germany why he was captured by the Allies. "There was a pretty girl so I hit on her. But then, it was France in disguise!"
  • Art Evolution: The art has become much less angular, but the characters are still easily recognizable (in part because of pronounced physical traits, such as Russia's scarf).
    • Volume 3 features some strips that were entirely redrawn - it's most obvious in the "little America doesn't want England to leave" one.
    • Did Russia's nose get smaller?
  • Artifact Title: The Axis Powers have had the spotlight stolen from them. The third season of the anime even goes under the title of World Series Hetalia.
  • Art Shift: Almost all of the characters go chibi at one point. Also, France has a tendency to shift into a 1970s Shoujo art style when distraught.
  • Ascended Extra: This is arguably how the Allies and the more prominent Nations like Poland, Lithuania and the Frying Pangle (Austria, Hungary, Prussia) started off in the first place. This is also closely tied to Ensemble Darkhorse.
    • And given that world history is the source material, this goes right down to really minor characters like Monaco and Hong Kong.
  • Ascended Meme: Oh, FUNimation:

America: China, I choose you!
Narrator:Such is the way of the HRE.

    • And in most of the same episodes (yes, the "I choose you!" thing happens in more then one episode, and it's not just the line,the scene itself is recurring):

America: Great! We caught them all!

    • Sadly averted in the case of "vital regions".
  • Baka: what England often calls America. The barrage of 'baka's in the 26th episode of the anime should probably be referred to instead as a Cluster Baka Bomb. In an Image Song, England uses the word 31 times at America.
    • Thirty-one times in five seconds.
    • Thirty-two if you count the "America no baka!" at the very end.
      • Moar baka?
    • Wow, that's unintentionally ironic. It's almost forgotten now, but during WWII the Americans often called kamikaze planes "baka bombs" - and they did indeed attack in groups (aka clusters).
  • Bare Your Midriff: Wy and her Gender Flip self.
  • Battle in the Rain: Nearly happens in the strip dealing with The American Revolution.
    • Played straight when Italy tries to win his independance from Austria at Custoza
  • Banana Peel: America didn't expect it, and so he ended up breaking his leg. Which is odd because he landed face first.
    • And when it happened to Romano, who also landed face-first, all he needed was a band-aid.
  • Beach Episode: In the manga, England and America get "stranded" on an island (they're not really stranded but they don't realize this). In the anime, it's Germany, Italy and Japan. In the drama CD the entire main cast gets stranded on an island, but they don't seem to mind. In the movie, after all jump out of a UFO, they all land in different place on the same island.
    • Happened to the Axis in the strips and manga as well. It's pretty much a running gag by now, not that Italy ever seems concerned.
  • Beam Me Up, Scotty: Contrary to what Fanon says, the infamous "vital regions" memetic line was never used by either Prussia or Russia. Austria (in the "Maria Theresa" series) said Prussia had possesed his. Spain also used it (in Spain's Lazy Morning") and Lithuania (in Checkmating Poland).
    • And America never called England "Iggy." Nor "Dad" for that matter (see Big Brother Mentor).
      • True. France on the other hand does call him 'Iggy'. Here
    • Russia never referred to himself as "Mother Russia."
    • The "five meters" meme is entirely fanon, and has never been used anywhere in the series ever.
  • Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: France, UK, USA. (Perhaps also Italy, Japan and Germany?)
  • Bedmate Reveal: Germany often wakes up to Italy in his bed. Naked.
  • The Bechdel Test: For a cast with few girls, it actually passes nicely. When the girls gather, they very rarely discuss the dudes.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Between England and America, lampshaded by France in the dub: "When you two are done releasing sexual tension, we have got a meeting we need to finish!"
    • Britain and France. The Paint It, White dub took this and ran with it.

Narrator (about Britain):... France is a long time acquittance he's often found bickering with for bickering's sake. However, in their heart of hearts they love each other (Beat) Sexually.

  • Big Applesauce: At least in the series' origin. Himaruya first came up with it while he stayed in New York. Must have been something in the water supply that day.
  • Big Brother Mentor: Subverted. Latvia offers Sealand the benefit of his experience but when he remembers his history he's the one who needs a shoulder to cry on. Luckily, Sealand has confidence to spare.
    • France is a bad influence, verging on Trickster Mentor, to the Italies, mostly Veneziano, since Romano often screams and/or runs away every time he sees France.
    • Don't forget Switzerland and his little sister Liechtenstein.
    • And despite the fan tendency to make England America's 'mom' or 'dad', he explicitly adopts America as his little brother and America explicitly says "I'm not your little brother anymore!" when he severs their connection.
    • Let's not forget China, who basically raised all of his younger siblings as their older brother, even if he's rarely treated as such by anyone other than Korea.
    • In a way, Austria is also like this for Holy Roman Empire and Chibi Italy. He's just much more reserved about it. He also is sort of like this for Germany in the Valentine's strip. Though given his behavior, he might be something of an Aloof Big Brother as well.
    • Prussia, to Germany.
  • Big Damn Hero: America desperately wants to be this.
  • Big Damn Movie: Complete with an Air Vent Passageway escape, aliens that are something of a cross between The Greys and Humanoid Aliens, and not to mention Fridge Logic with a side helping of What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?.
  • Big Eater: America (to keep up to date with stereotypes) loves all manner of junk food, especially hamburgers and soda. One strip features him becoming concerned about his weight causing him to try out different diets. (He still appears fit no matter what, of course.) One World Series episode feature him pulling up his shirt, prompting pounds of candy to fall out of Hammerspace. Italy and his obsession with pasta fits here, too.

China: "I prioritize eating over everything else."

  • Big Screwed-Up Family: Two in Eastern Europe providing a general Dysfunction Junction.
    • Then there's the East Asian family, and to some extent, the UK and the former British Empire.
    • And England with his mean big brothers, assumed to be Scotland and Wales.
  • Big Ol' Eyebrows: The former British Empire. Possessed by England, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Wy and Sealand, but not Seychelles, Canada, America or Egypt.
    • Cuba seems to have them too.
  • Bishie Sparkle - Austria gets one when France takes a photograph of them together, England gets them when he dresses up as an Italian, multiple others.
    • Let's not forget Estonia! He's practically made of it. I mean this picture is a accurate interpretation.
  • Bishounen - Pretty much every single fanart of the characters.
  • Bizarre Human Biology: Possibly Italy's Idiot Hair, if it was in fact the hair and not his scalp which is the erogenous zone.
  • Blade on a Stick: Hungary's Weapon of Choice (aside of her frying pan).
    • Variation: During "America Cleans Up The Storage", England and America face off with muskets with bayonets.
    • Finland carries a spear as a baby Nation.
  • Bland-Name Product: In the first drama CD, Mc Donald's is censored just so you can hear "Mc * nald's". In the second CD, we get "D* nkin' Donuts".
    • Though America is eating a sandwich with a wrapper clearly labeled "Subway" in the second chapter of the published manga.
    • Dozens of pounds of "Spom" and "Snackers" poured out of his shirt in the anime.
  • The Blank: The Pict
  • Blind Idiot Translation All too common in fanfic, when authors want to add a little cultural flavor by having the characters speak in their own languages. Unfortunately, when the authors don't speak the language themselves, they often turn to Babelfish, with predictable results.
    • Not restricted to fanfiction at all. As with many times fanartists attempt to include another language, laughably bad translations vastly outnumber the correct ones.
  • Boring but Practical: China's Special Technique consist in calling people on the phone for help. Works just fine.
  • Boy In A Box: Germany first discovers Italy cowering in a tomato crate.
  • Brass Balls: China utters this immortal line to Hong Kong:

"Choosing to go naked rather than wear a maid outfit? ....YOU'VE GOT BALLS-ARU!!"

  • Sibling Incest: Belarus adores her older brother Russia and wants to marry him, much to Russia's horror. On the Ho Yay side, South Korea also makes no secret of his deep and apparently sexual affection towards China and Japan, wanting to claim their "breasts" as his own.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: In one episode, Japan talks to the viewer. It's a bit ... odd.
    • More recently in the anime, Prussia (the resident Ensemble Darkhorse), complains about how the show's writers don't make him a main character. Meanwhile, fangirls everywhere rejoice at his Day in The Limelight.
    • "They're even worse than our actual animation!"
    • Russia introduces the viewers to his sisters at the beginning of the strip.
      • In the anime adaption of the aforementioned strip, there is a scene in which Belarus talks to the viewer about how much safer she feels when she's around Russia. Then she proceeds to scare him off. While sparkling.
  • Brick Joke: Throughout the series, Chibi Italy is always seen wearing a maid's outfit, despite being a boy. In episode 48, he gets a growth spurt and his voice suddenly changes, causing Austria to realize he's a male, and he goes out and buys men's clothing.
    • In the opening of the movie, Iceland wonders aloud how he can get more tourists to go to his place. At the end, during The Stinger, it turns out he got some of the aliens to stay (somehow) and was using them to attract tourists.
  • Buffy-Speak: "Is this your girlfriend/boyfriend/gender neutral chibi thing?"
  • Call to Agriculture: A very literal example happens whit Poland and Lithuania in the "What Happened After Tannenburg" strip.
  • Calling Your Attacks: "Britannia Sword!"
    • "Eat this! Britannia Beam!"
    • "Britannia Fork!" (during the manga version of "Meeting of the World".)
    • "Britannia Fist!" (in volume 3)
    • Romano's "Napolitan Attack!" from Volume 3.
  • Canada, Eh?: Played straight. Canada is frequently forgotten about and mistaken for America, and says "Maple..." whenever he gets hurt. Awwww...
  • Cardboard Prison: Germany at one point simply digs a way out of a prison camp.
    • England repeatedly escaped from an Italian prison (because his jailers fell asleep from crying too much). Subverted in that Germany constantly dragged him back.
  • Cassandra Truth: England and his unicorn. This can be extended to England's ability to see supernatural creatures.
  • Cast Full of Gay: Well, of course it's subverted in that almost nobody's sexuality is actually stated—save Sweden, whose old character notes state it, France whose character description in Book 1 states that he goes for both men and women, and Austria and Hungary, who used to be married. There are hints to some others' sexuality, Italy in the Valentine's Day strips confesses that his first love was a boy (Holy Roman Empire) and Spain claims he wants to marry both North and South Italy, and waits until 2005 when Spain legalized same-sex marriages. But still, considering most of the characters are male...
    • Austria was also married to Spain at one point, and Poland and Lithuania were married (one of the first things Poland did was ask Lithuania to show him his penis).
  • Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Hungary and Liechtenstein are the most prominent female characters. There are quite a few more (Belarus, Belgium, Seychelles, Vietnam, Taiwan, Ukraine, Monaco, the not-quite a country Principality of Wy, Ancient Greece aka the actual Greece's mother, and actual Egypt's mother Ancient Egypt), but they are either peripheral (though Ukraine and Belarus have had strips of their own, Seychelles appeared in side stories once or twice and starred in Gakuen Hetalia, and Belgium, Wy, Monaco, Vietnam and Taiwan have -scarcely- appeared on strips of their own here and there) or where mentioned only in the author's notes. And even if you include them, they are still outnumbered significantly. Old concept art for Gakuen was thought to include female African nations, though they only turned out to be models for the African class uniforms. A female Kenya does appear in the demo, but has yet to show up anywhere outside of it.
    • It's now discussed if New Zealand is a female or a male. This sketch showing her or him is fairly androgynous so Himaruya has taken to teasing fans about it. Fans were hoping that s/he would get an appearance in the 2010 Bloodbath that would clear it up, but the one drawing of him/her was just as ambiguous as the first; in a later blog post he even posted a picture of him/her asking "Which [gender] do you think I am?".
    • It's been said that the artist didn't know how to draw female characters at first.
    • Averted in the case of the Japanese Prefectures, since the gender ratio is somewhat more equal for them. Those confirmed to be female (up to March 2010) are: Owari, Sendai, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Nagasaki, Fukui and Gunma. Chiba is still in the fence.
    • And then there's the Nyotalia version of the cast, who've begun to take on Ensemble Darkhorse levels of popularity.
  • Catgirl - Animal-Eared Headband: They found an excuse. Austria actually has a ceremony to honor dead cats.
    • The ceremony actually originated from Belgium and Belgium herself seems to be one. In one episode, her bow looks like cat ears, and Cat Smile is her default expression.
    • It has been shown that when France goes streaking, he will often wear cat ears and nothing else.
    • Japan also gives Greece some cat ears because Greece said he wished he were a cat.
    • Also the Holy Roman Empire has a dream about Italy and the cat festival.
  • Catch Phrase: "All will be one with Russia" and "Kolkolkolkolkolkol".
    • "PAAAAASTAAAAAAAA!"
    • Don't forget this one-aru!
    • Chigi! How can you forget the Hero!
    • This whole site was made in Korea!
    • Germany, Germany, let's be friends. Veeeee~
    • Limey bastard.
    • Big Brother! Let's get marriedmarriedmarriedmarriedmarried.
  • Chain Letter: Courtesy of Poland. And if you don't send it, your capital will become Warsaw.
  • Cheerful Child - Sealand, Latvia, and the Holy Roman Empire.
  • Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: Averted: Not France but Italy, The Millstone, so that makes it Pasta Eating Surrender Monkeys. In the webcast, the powers of Europe play football with the Chibitalia brothers. As in play football using them.
    • Actually, France too. It was eventually lampshaded in the dub by England.
    • Zig-Zagging Trope: However, Francis aka France does get this in the Chibitalia strips, although in the renaissance real France was no pushover. This is because France's adventures in Italy specifically were unsuccessful.
    • France rethinks his military history, and declares any loss on God playing tricks, and revels in victories where he obviously went after a country already defeated by someone else (and often told to go away because his attacks are weak and annoying). Italy, on the other hand, has a scrap book of his military history which just shows him hanging out with his allies (which implies that he let them do all the work).
      • Actually, Italy's scrapbook shows him with a series of different girls. He didn't fight, he flirted.
  • Chekhov's Gun: In The Movie: The pen Italy uses to scribble on the files in the beginning.
  • The Chew Toy: Ukraine and the Baltic States—Latvia and Lithuania in particular.
  • Chinese People: Thailand, China. Hong Kong, despite the Big Ol' Eyebrows.
    • Then again, most Thai people has thick eyesbrow anyway. Accord to research,if not, they used butterfly pea.
    • Anime Chinese Girl: Taiwan, Vietnam, China in the Gender Flip art (either fanart or the canon Himaruya doodles)
    • Mukokuseki This is a somewhat rare aversion of making the Japanese character generically stateless or anime-like but making other East Asians more realistic. This time, Japan looks like his relatives.
  • Christmas Episode: A very special Christmas episode. Oh, and there was another where Finland gives everyone presents.
    • The portion on the island is subverted in that what it's representing wasn't simply made up for the series to have a Christmas episode, but was an actual occurrence in WWII.
    • The original comic was followed by some bonus strips (you have to scroll down a bit) with even more nekkid goodness.
      • As well, Noto-sama and France get a nice Happy Ending in it.
    • Another special in 2010 proved to not only weild clothing damage, but epic Mind Screw, and a Fountain of Memes.
  • Christmas in Japan: What Prussia does, really. France and England ending up celebrating the beauty of friendship together has a distinct flair of the same.
  • Clothing Damage: The 2010 Christmas "Bloodbath" (See above), has shirts and pants sliced open by a mysterious figure.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: When you get right down to it, almost all of the characters are to a degree. The most noticeable examples would be Finland, Poland and North Italy.
    • England also has an extremely active imagination, in reference to the fact that the world's most famous fantasy authors are almost all English.
    • America definitely fits this as he loves dreaming up fantasy lands and heroes, and also is very ditzy and aloof to what most people have no promblem understanding, he also comes up with ridiculous outlandish ideas that are perfectly normal in his point of view.
  • Cluster F-Bomb: Tony the Alien has a spectacularly filthy mouth and peppers his sentences with "fucking." Romano is prone to "Goddamnit" whenever Spain is around, too. He also likes to call him a "jackass".
    • And leave us not forget Romano whenever Germany is around, especially when he is also around Veniziano. "POTATO BASTARD!!"
    • Not to mention the plethora of ethnic slurs that nearly all of the countries use for one another.
  • Code Name: The characters are usually called by their nation name in the series, but they also have human names.
    • To be fair, though, the human names were the creator bending to fan insistence, rather than that he actually wanted to include them (which is displayed in that not only are the names picked with relatively little care, but that they rarely appear in the series).
    • On the other hand, they remain popularly used in fandom, with the creator giving suggestions for characters who don't yet have a set "official name."
  • The Colonial Period: Shown in a few strips.
  • Continuity Lock Out: New readers of the manga will get totally lost with the developing characters, in-jokes, and historical references that not everyone in the world considers common knowledge.
  • Cozy Catastrophe: What the events of "Paint it White" look like from Switzerland and Liechtenstein's perspective, which seem as though nothing's happening. Thanks in part to Permanent Neutrality.
  • Covert Pervert: France insists England is one of these. When England denies it, he cites several sexual records held by English people.
    • Hungary insists that her love for Austria is "pure," but all the footage she has of him in compromising positions says otherwise. Even France himself is amazed on how dirty her mind is.
    • Japan is a more subtle version. IIRC, his Ukiyo-e stash includes shunga art, and Italy once mistook it for a Porn Stash.
      • Truth in fiction. Ukiyo-e has traditionally been sexual at times. The most famous of which involves a woman being pleasured by an octopus.
    • When Germany is captured, Italy claims that he is Too Kinky to Torture, and mentions in passing, the strange magazines and DVDs in Germany's house. "The latest one I found featured dogs!"
    • In one strip, 6 nations actually argue who the most perverted amongst them is.
  • Creator Provincialism: Both averted and played straight: Japan is the Straight Man of the Axis, but he has his share of bizarre quirks too.
    • It certainly helps that Himaruya used to live in New York, giving him a good "outsiders view" of Japan and a better understanding of the stereotypes associated with it.
    • Misplaced Nationalism: Part of the fandom.
  • Cross-Dressing Voices: In both versions, China, Sealand, Chibi America and Japan, and Kumajiro. Intentional with Chibitalia, as it's the reason characters thought he was female.
  • Crossover: The author has done a few short crossovers with his other works.
  • Culture Clash: When they aren't using history for comedy, they're using this.
  • Dating Sim: Parodied in one comic. No matter what option China chooses, it ends with Korea and sex. (Bad ending: "If you don't like me, I'll just XXX you!")
    • Played straight in Gakuen Hetalia.
  • Did Not Do the Research: In the episode where England is shown beating Spain, the anime gives England hilariously inaccurate warships, complete with a totally screwed-up version of the English flag.
    • In an early episode, Italy proudly shows Japan the sights of "Rome"...with the Florence Cathedral looming in the background. In this case, it was possibly a writing flub; however, there was actually a sad-to-read conversation amongst fans at one point when someone pointed this out, whereupon they went through a few of the weird errors that the anime had made in terms of geography, etc. A few of these were actually cleared up or even poked at in the American dub.
    • Instead of St George's Cross they made it look like an inverted Swiss flag.

'"On such a full sea are we now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures."'

    • A more minor example is with North Italy's consistent references to pasta... this despite the fact that, while pasta is eaten in the north, the specialty there is polenta, while pasta is more prevalent in the south.
      • Not only that, but pasta actually comes from China.
      • Pasta does not really come from China. Our earliest records show pasta in China, but it's attested to in a number of ancient and early medieval sources. If it "comes from China," it does so through diffusion, not importation.
      • The Pasta issue is noted on in volume 4 though.
    • One of the most egregious examples of this trope, and the most controversial, is the pronouncement in the manga's great depression strip that one of the reasons for the struggles of the Axis powers was the lack of colonies. Anyone who has read anything of the war in the Pacific knows that this was very much not the case for Japan. Koreans in particular were not amused.
      • Germany and Italy also had some foreign colony territories, but due to their late unification, was insignificant compared to the rest of Europe.
      • The latter point is actually lampshaded in the Gakuen AU where Ethiopia is ridiculed for being Italy's colony.
    • Ancient Rome is described as having been killed by Germania and Ancient Greece is described as being killed by Turkey (or something to that general effect). That completely ignores that point that after the Edict of Caracalla (the Constitutio Antoniniana) in 212, all free men under the rule of the Empire were Roman citizens (how could Germania have killed Ancient Rome if there were people all over the Eastern Mediterranean who were considered Roman citizens?). Also, it ignores the fact that what we call the Byzantine Empire called itself the Roman Empire and its people considered themselves Romans (in fact, to be called a Greek was an insult, one that implied the person being called Greek was a pagan). People in the West like to forget that the Roman Empire lived on until 1453 (and indeed after, since the hold-outs in the Morea and Trebizond considered themselves the remains of/successors to the Roman Empire) and simply lump the people into the Greek bin. It would perhaps be justifiable to call it Byzantium or Medeival Greece (since they spoke Greek and had definite cultural differences from Ancient Rome, Christianity and its influences on all aspects of life being a big one), but if nations represent self-conception, all records show this Nation-tan should be Ancient Rome (or Christian Rome) and if it is what we think of them as, then it should be Byzantium - not Ancient Greece (Christianity and Rome both saw to the end of Greek identity).
      • Not quite. It was pretty clear that as early at the time of Augustus, the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire still preserved a Hellenic (or Hellenistic) identity distinct from Latin-speaking Italia; the continued proliferation of Greek language and thought through trade, common tradition and even Christianity definitely helped. It wouldn't be surprising if Ancient Greece simply took up the mantle of the Byzantine Empire in the same way Gilbert went from Prussia to East Germany. Of course, by the time Ottoman!Turkey shows up to finish her off, she would have been aging owing to her identity being replaced by that of her son.
    • A lesser-known example is when Sweden and Finland go to see Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania in the 'Su-san and I' strips. Estonia was never a part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (unless you count it in terms of current-day geography), and Latvia wasn't even part of the Commonwealth until after Estonia was under Swedish rule.
      • Latvia is debatable as the current form of a unified Latvian identity did not exist until arguable some time during the Russian occupation. This meant you had micronations (given how small the current form of these countries are)such as Latgalia and Livonia. Part of it was part of the commonwealth while just about everything from right around Riga on north (Livonia primarily) has much more shared history with Estonia.
      • Can easily be current day as in modern times the Baltics have built a number of trilateral treaties, which did not happen often in the interwar period. Also, since independence, the Nordic countries have emerged as amongst the largest trade partners and investors with those countries.
  • Ditto Aliens: The Pict in The Movie (and with a good reason). Also, Tony's friends look very similar as well.
  • The Ditz: Italy is the 'cute and klutzy' type, America is more the 'space case' variety. When they're politely told to to 'read the atmosphere in the room' before they do something tactless, they think The Atmosphere In The Room is a book.
    • Word of God says that America could read the atmosphere if he wanted to - he just doesn't bother with it.
    • He also seems to indicate that the only ones truly incapable of doing so are the Italy's and Spain.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: "He crushed my vital regions! Crushed them!"
    • "Ah, my knob!"
    • Dubbed America's reaction to turning back into a human at the end of Paint It White was, um...

America: I'm happy to see you, hands! We're gonna have so much fun!

    • Waiter!France was also very keen on letting the Pictonians know that he "never lets a guest leave unsatisfied". This line would have seemed a whole lot more innocent if France's voice didn't make it sound like he was trying to have phone sex 24/7.
    • Ditto to America's "Because I know how to give a good time!" Lampshaded in the out-takes "What am I, a hooker?"
  • Dog Pile of Doom:Type C happens to Germany in the movie.
  • Doting Parent: Spain. England was a doting older brother when he raised America (the revolution kinda did away with that), but not Canada (whom he occasionally mistakes for America), let alone Sealand.
    • The Roman Empire with Italy. "Aww, he's so kyooot~"
  • Dreaming of Things to Come: As a child, Italy had a dream where he met a younger Japan.
  • Dropped a Bridget On Him: Young Prussia used to think that young Hungary was a boy; in all fairness, so did she, sometimes forgetting even after she grew up. And everyone thought that Chibitalia (child Italy) was a girl (the Holy Roman Empire included), until he hit puberty. Also, some fans refer to HK as a female, thinking "she" is a really convincing Bifauxnen, even though the character identification flowchart groups him with the guys.
  • Drowning My Sorrows: China and England, about their relations with Japan and America, respectively.
  • Edutainment Show: Admit it: Hetalia has taught you something.
    • Not to mention a few doujinshi here and there with educative points in them.
  • Egopolis: Inverted. Obviously, Veneziano/North Italy is named after Venice, a city in northern Italy, to distinguish him from his brother, Romano/South Italy, who's named after Rome, though it's actually in the centre. Romano's history usually covers roughly this area, but it probably settles who then has the middle.
  • Ejection Seat: Italy got the idea from Poland. It didn't work well for either of them.
  • Embarrassing Cover Up: America walks in on England doing some sort of secret magic ritual to curse Germany. England quickly welcomes him to "the costume party".
  • Embarrassing Old Photo: The driving force behind the Blackmail in the Fool's Bath 2011 ironically taking embarrassing photos of the nations in the different outfits is what France send Picardy to do.
  • Engrish: "Allied Foces".
    • The anime featured some segments in English, which was actually well-conjugated and sensical the majority of the time; the voice actors were just horrible at pronunciation.
    • Actually, there was a huge comedy sequence (apparently a simulation game where you play as Germany) being narrated in Engrish and Japanese. The English sounded vaguely like Jun'ichi Kanemaru, who's a part-time English teacher...
    • Done intentionally with Japan in the dub.

But prease do not worry. We succeeded in miniaturizing it using technorogy.

  • Mr. Fanservice: At this point Spain could be the posterboy of this trope, thanks to DATASS and thanks to April's Fools event 2011 (which is the cherry on the top of the cake).
  • Everyone Looks Sexier If French: France is actually a Casanova Wannabe and Handsome Lech who often gets bitchslapped for being a pervert. He still manages to undress and grope (and some more) the other nation-tans, though.
  • Everything's Better with Cows: Flying cows to be precise.
  • Everything's Cuter With Kittens: The Nekotalia strips in volume 3. Made its anime debut in World Series 26.
  • Eye Take: America walks in just as England is talking to and petting his nice spirits that come up to him (that America cannot see).
  • Faceless Masses: Seen in the first episode at the Meeting of the World, all sitting around the table.
    • Also the Pictonians in the movie Paint It White
  • Failure Is the Only Option: It appears as though the larger and more powerful a nation becomes, the less likely it is to survive. England and Turkey got off easy, but think about others like Holy Roman Empire who is (implied to be) Germany without any memories for the first few millenia of his life. Rome flat-out died because he grew too large, and whatever mechanics drive nation-tan death obviously don't base themselves on society/culture alone since the main (European) cast has been alive since The Middle Ages, modern Turkey fought with Ancient Greece, and China is (as he keeps mentioning) 4,000 years old. You could probably even attribute this to why Russia is who he is, especially since he was at his sanest when he was young and only a fraction of his current size.
  • Fan Service: Both sexual (due to France's machinations) and non-sexual (in the author's blog he sometimes grants requests like "South Korea wearing glasses" or switching around clothes).
  • Fairy Tale Motifs: The theme for the 2011 Halloween Costumes.
  • Fascist Italy: Obvious from the title.
  • Fate Worse Than Death: The Kolkhoz that Russia threatens his subordinates with. Or living/working/etc. with Russia for that matter.
  • Five-Man Band: The Allied Forces can be seen like this. Roles are subjected to change, of course:
  • Flower Motifs: Russia is sometimes seen with sunflowers. In one strip, Russia tells Lithuania that he dreams of "living in a warm place surrounded by sunflowers". They put the "dere" in Yandere for him.
    • Latvia attacks Sealand with a Lily of the Valley at one point (which is, interestingly, Finland's national flower), the first hint of his Yandere potential.
    • Rye fields. Just... dear God, the rye fields.
    • Meanwhile, fandom never misses an opportunity to depict England with roses (England's national flower). And then there's France and his own roses...
    • Let's not forget Hungary and Taiwan's use of flowers and/or flower-shaped hair jewelry as accesories. Hungary's pink flower symbolizes Lake Balaton aka The Hungarian Sea, BTW.
    • As red roses are a declaration of love in Germany, Italy giving them to Germany causes a great deal of confusion in the Valentine comic.
  • Foregone Conclusion: The Axis Powers lose.
  • Foreign Queasine: England cooks good food badly but Finland cooks horrible food well. Salty licorice, anyone?
    • "In hell, the chefs are English..."
      • In one of England's character songs, he says, "I know you all think I can't cook...but I just do it on purpose!"
    • It has also been mentioned that Sweden's Surströmming (canned fermented Baltic herring) can be used as a deadly weapon. Although whether the food itself or his preparation of it is what renders it inedible is not clear.
  • Foreshadowing: In Hetalia: Paint It White, Italy is using a felt pen to draw faces on the pictures of the faceless Noppera during a meeting between the Axis and the Allies. At the end of the movie, this is how he stops the Noppera's invasion, as well as how he gets all of the other countries back to normal.
  • Fourth Wall Mail Slot: Characters occasionally answer fan mail, sometimes devoting entire miniseries to it.
    • France has filled many a special dedicated to fan suggestions.
  • Freeze-Frame Bonus: In the scene where Italy is reading his so-called war records (read: photos of himself with pretty girls) in front of Japan, there's a bookcase in the background. If you look closely, you can see an entire series on pasta (including "Wonderful Pasta" and "Excellent Pasta"), a book called "Mr. Hetare", and a title with a German flag on on the spine with the title "German Dais..." before getting cut off by the screen. Other titles are in Japanese. Looks like the the Axis boys keep a communal bookcase.
  • Fun T-Shirt: "I ♥ Pasta"
  • Gag Boobs: Ukraine, who complains about them causing her stiff shoulders and is constantly reattaching one of the buttons on her shirt. In the anime she even has a special sound effect for them that can be heard through doors.
  • Gag Dub: The English dub certainly qualifies. Some English voice actors have admitted that a significant chunk of their dialogue was ad-libbed.
    • The dialog itself, when combined with the style of delivery and the already short (5 minutes, max) episodes, gives it a very The Abridged Series feel.
  • Gender Flip: The quasi-official genderswitched versions of the countries (girl!England and boy!Hungary in particular) are pretty popular, especially on the Japanese side of fandom, along with fannish versions.
  • Generation Xerox: Germania, Rome, Old Greece and Old Egypt are very similar to the Holy Roman Empire, The Two Italies, modern!Greece and modern!Egypt. (Respectively, duh).
  • Genius Loci: The Nations themselves, by their very nature, arguably count.
  • Genre Busting: The whole premise of the show itself is genre busting, being a show about personified nations living and acting out the lives based on the historical happenings and interactions of the countries they represent. For the most part it's a Comedy, it has its Historical Fiction values, and has plentiful Boys Love subtext to it. If that weren't enough, there is the occasional BLAM comics of it, has sort of a magical background to it (what with exactly HOW nations exist and all is still left a mystery) , and plenty of Fridge Horror once you get to really thinking about the series itself. From What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?? the world being invaded by alien blob-people and saved by permanent markers to Nightmare Fuel Bloody Sunday to Boys Love Germany confessing his love to Italy in the Valentine's Strip one can only be left guessing what might happen next in the series.
  • Genre Savvy: England took this to absolutely ridiculous levels in The Movie. After he and France are trapped in a corner, we get this gem of a moment:

England: Don't worry. There's always a way to escape!
*random rope falls from the ceiling for absolutely no plausible reason*
England: Aha! There it is!

  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: China meets a Hello Kitty rip-off named Shinatty-chan. "Shina" is a Japanese word for "Chinese" that is roughly comparable to the word "Negro" in the US; a formerly neutral word made charged by its derogatory use during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
    • There's a recurring joke about Prussia "invading" someone's "vital regions", and others either noting how inappropriate it sounds or making even more inappropriate comments. One of the funniest examples is when Prussia invaded the Silesia zone in Austria and then had Hungary threatening him with a spear and demanding to have "Austria's nether regions" back...
    • England refers to Germany as a "Kraut", a slur for Germans dating back to WWI, a few times.
    • This is almost entirely averted in the dub, where the radar doesn't seem to exist, or at least is broken.
  • Ghost in the Machine: During the Valentine Special, Germany's head-workers are swamped by foreign emotions.
  • Good Angel, Bad Angel: They appear in Germany's shoulder, Italy as the angel and Romano as the demon. Both of them give him the same option.
  • Good-Looking Privates: Approaching fetish levels.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: Lithuania (several, possibly due to Russia's abuse) and China (a single but large one, after Japan injures him with his katana and leaves). Both cover them with their clothes.
    • Chibitalia mentions that the Roman Empire has lots of scars and eventually died from them because of all of his battles.
  • Gory Discretion Shot: The silhouetted version happens to France in the Christmas Rampage strip, when an upset Switzerland shoots him.
    • In another strip, Japan pulls a katana on China and then the scene switches to a panda eating, with China's horrified screams on the background.
  • Grim Reaper: Appears in a strip where England is dying.
  • Gratuitous English: "HAHAHA! Nice fight!"
    • The previews for America's special. Enough said.
    • England and America's character songs as well.
    • Grandpa Rome let's out a big ol' "THANK YOU!" after performing the rock version of his Heaven/Hell song.
  • Gratuitous Foreign Language In the series, but mostly demonstrated in the fanworks. The major difference is that, where most of the mistakes in the series come from voice actors, most of the fan mistakes can be summed up with Blind Idiot Translation.
  • Grey and Grey Morality: None of the Nations are portrayed as completely evil, even Russia. Then again, despite being good-at-heart, they've done some regrettable things in history.
  • Groin Attack: When America and Canada are playing catch with a baseball, this happens to Canada. Ow.
  • Guilty Pleasure: For certain people who watch the show, including men, good luck explaining this. Of course, there's some consolation in knowing they're not alone.
  • Halloween Episode: There are several instances dealing with things like this, including America and Japan exchanging horror media, England trying to scare America on Halloween, and Germany panicking over the possibility of a ghost. See also Hetaween 2011.
  • Haunted Castle: One was turned into a hotel, in a strip where the resident evil spirit tries and fails to scare Japan, England and America.
  • Have a Gay Old Time: In one strip England grumbles about America's "incorrect" English.
    • Also the time where differing meanings for the word "rubber" caused America to give England a condom when the latter had asked for a pencil eraser.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: Poland and Lithuania, even if Poland pushes the definition of "heterosexual" quite a bit.
  • Het Is Ew: Surprisingly averted, since the het couples are less numerous for obvious reasons yet they have pretty loyal supporters.
  • High School AU: The computer game "Gakuen Hetalia".
  • Holding Hands: America's flashback within a flashback where the young America takes England's hand as they both go home. Pretty much a brief Crowning Moment of Heartwarming surrounded by a Tear Jerker.
  • Humiliation Conga: America, when he has to apologise for the Great Depression here, at the end of "Lithuania's Immigration" (leading to a Yank the Dog's Chain}.. Actually, the treatment he gets differs from country to country depending on how badly they crashed. It ranges from 'America it seems is too inexperienced in these things' (Japan -3), to 'Your Ass is mine!' (France, -30). And Russia takes the cake by being typically tactless (+ 65).
  • Hypocritical Humor: England and France both consider themselves gentlemen, but they are often shown otherwise, with foul language and loose ways respectively. At one point, England looks down on America for being childish, saying that a gentleman doesn't waste time on what a little brat does. America then insults England's cooking, which leads England to call him a *censored*...


I-P

  • Freudian Trio: Germany is Superego (rational), Italy is Id (emotional), Japan is Ego (middle man).
    • Comic Trio: More often than they'd like.
    • Fanon created other trios, including the so-called "bad-touch" trio of Prussia, Spain, and France, as well as the "fail brothers" Denmark, Prussia (again) and England.
      • Another popular trio consists of America, Denmark (again), and Prussia (again) aptly named the "awesome trio".
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Spain lets Italy leave during the War of the Austrian Succession.
    • Sweden also thinks this about Finland during the Polish-Swedish wars, however he thinks it's too embarassing to say just in front of Finland.
    • Another example could be with England and America. There's much fighting before England makes a choice between either shooting a disarmed America or letting him go. He doesn't shoot.
  • I Was Just Joking: When America tells England how great it feels to remember defeating him in the American Revolutionary War, England looks as if he's been genuinely hurt. America then says that that's a lie, which brings England back to his usual irritated Tsundere state.
  • Identical Grandson: Germany looks like Germania with shorter hair. The Roman Empire also looks like an older, more mature Italy.
  • Idiot Hair: North and South Italy, the Roman Empire, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada have one. For the Italy brothers, it acts as an erogenous zone (see here); Korea's is occasionally drawn with a face (supposedly representing his "Korean spirit.")
    • America and Austria didn't have it at first but seem to have developed it later.
    • Greece has a sort of double idiot-hair thing on top of his head.
    • Turkey has one similar to Greece on the side of his head, though it's hard to notice.
    • The Roman Empire seems to have a few of them, but the most obvious is one that is identical to that of North Italy.
    • Norway has one too, albeit, it's detached from his head and floats.
    • Australia has two of them.
    • Some of them seem to have some sort of importance, like America's being Nantucket, Austria's being Mariazell or S. Korea's being his "Korean spirit".
    • Hair is often the way of linking various relatives, as the Latin nations display the hair curl, and those connected to England have his eyebrows. This isn't all-encompassing, though, as America has normal eyebrows and Korea has a hair curl.
  • Image Song: Italy's VA Daisuke Namikawa sings the ending themes, and the main eight characters's seiyuus have their own respective albums.
    • This extends to those of other characters like Prussia, Austria and the Slavic Siblings.
  • Imagine Spot: Japan gets an...interesting one featuring his preconcieved notions of Switzerland. There is dancing.
  • Immortal Immaturity: Almost all the characters, but China stands out as a 4,000 year old Hello Kitty Shinatty-Chan lover. Inverted for England, who's grown out of his 'wild youth' (read: piracy on the high seas), which only survives as his foul mouth and his quick temper, and Sweden who grew out of his viking phase a while ago.
  • Incest Is Relative: Prevalent in the fandoms of East Asian couples and inter-New Continent Family relationships like America/England, Canada/France and America/Canada.
    • Not to mention Italycest and Germanycest having very loyal followings.
    • It's also unclear at times whether or not the characters are Not Blood Siblings, owing mostly to lack of knowledge about how exactly nations are born and how they are related to each other. For instance, China found newborn Japan in a forest, so it's debatable whether or not they're really brothers, and the same may apply for the rest of the Asian nations. Many fans are more than happy with this because it lets them decide for themselves whether or not some relationships are Squicky.
  • Innocent Fanservice Girl: Or Boy, rather. Italy frequently neglects to put on pants, much to his allies' chagrin, particularly Germany.
  • Innocent Innuendo: Italy's panicked phone call. "Germany! Romano's in bed! It won't come out! Ow ow! Take it out!" Their hair got tangled together.
  • Insulted Awake: America brings England back from the dead this way.
  • Invisible President: When the President of the United States appears, his face is obscured by the caption bubbles. Either we see the back of his head, or he bows and we only see the top of his head. A similar phenomenon occurs when Germany is talking to his "boss". As with Japan when he's talking to his "boss". China's 'boss' is a giant dragon. ...or edited to appear as such.
    • Averted when Austria, Prussia and Spain talk to their own "bosses" (Empress Marie Therese, King Friederich II and Queen Joanna of Castile, respectively), whose faces we can see clearly.
    • Also when Italy becomes aligned with Russia, Italy's "boss" is clearly seen, though Russia's is only shown from the back.
    • Ukraine's boss is also briefly shown clearly.
  • Island Help Message: That F*cking Island.
  • It's All Junk: America tries to pull this with the gifts given to him by England, but can't bring himself to do it.
  • Japanese Ranguage: Japan is the most prominent example of this in the English dub. Most of the other Asian nations also have accents, but less obvious with the R's.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Cuba is big, gruff, and intimidating and definitely doesn't get along with America, but he's actually a nice guy. He likes chilling out with ice cream or cigars and is friends with Canada (even if he sometimes mistakes him for America).
    • Many of the characters qualify for this. Russia terrifies everyone, but loves his big sister and seems to genuinely want the best for his people. America is obnoxiously blunt and full of himself, but he's great friends with Japan and is quick to appear whenever England gets in trouble (although how much good he does is another story). England's a grouch who presumably wasn't much fun for any of his siblings or those stuck with him during his empire days, but he genuinely adored America and wanted to protect him. Germany's a Drill Sergeant Nasty who's pretty tough on his allies...and will also run to their rescue should they ever need help, and who, despite his constant complaints, never abandons "useless" ally. The list goes on...
  • Jesus Taboo: Averted, he appears sometimes. At one point, he is shown to be frustrated with Prussia who all of a sudden seems to be remorseful about something (for once).
    • Probably pointing out that Prussia is one of the Teutonic Knights, which is a religious organization that has a long history of being very violent. The religious aspect of Prussia is so forgotten (mainly due to Prussia's outlandish behavior and ego) that to bring up that the character is probably quite devout is often something of shock.
  • "Just Joking" Justification: Something fans of this series use when defending it.
  • Kansai Regional Accent: Many of the countries speak a unique Japanese dialect, although this has more to do with their personalities than their natural accents.
    • Spain has a heavy Osaka accent, and Cuba speaks with a Kawachi accent, a rougher variation of the Osaka accent. Belgium speaks in Shiga dialect.
    • Other dialects include Poland's Nagoya accent, Sweden's -very- heavy Tohoku dialect, Norway's Tsugaru dialect, Hong Kong's Gyaru-o dialect, and so on.
  • Kawaisa
  • Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Korea is usually saying he invented things, like education. Also, Poland used to treat Lithuania like his lackey and tried to make Liet live like him. Many of the nation-tans have a moment acting like this (They are all good at heart, though).
  • Lemony Narrator: In the dub. The Narrator is very informational in the original.
    • "Oh! Pretty music!"
    • "Even Godless-er China."
    • "Gay Christmas... I mean, French."
    • "Hoist the main sail and get me my brown pants and holy crap a talking muffin! I love those jokes"
    • "Apparently, neutrality means: stay the F*** out!"
    • And then there's the episode when she talks about England trying to find friends in gossip girl speak.
  • Let Him Choose: In the comic that introduces Colonial America, England and France decide to have America choose which of them he wants as his big-brother. America sees a dispirited England in a Corner of Woe and chooses him over France.
  • Lethal Chef: England. No surprise. This trope is played with in the show and is a major plot point in the movie.
  • Light Bulb Joke: Once with Poland. This one with Greece also deserves mention. [dead link]
  • Like Is, Like, a Comma: Poland speaks in this manner.
    • in the dub, the narrator speaks like this for an episode
  • Limited Wardrobe: Sort of inverted, sort of not. The characters have costumes from across the centuries, but this still doesn't keep up the real world's evolution of fashions and still might be wrong for the period, especially since they tend to stick to one iconic look.
  • Little Green Men or The Grays: Tony is America's cute little alien friend (he crashed at Roswell in 1947), who can be seen most of the time at America's house. He has a foul mouth, speaks English/Japanese/Hetalia's universal language, watches America's movies, sometimes abducts people, and apparently hates the British.
  • Loads and Loads of Characters: This aren't even the full cast lists.
    • Justified because there are approximately 195-196 countries in the entire planet, and there's at least one character for each country.
  • Lonely Together: "The Anglo-Japanese Alliance Between Two Lonely People," anyone?
    • Not to mention Canada and Kumajirou.
    • Prussia and Canada shippers practically abusse this trope as justification for the pairing.
  • Love Bubbles: Not exactly, but the anime has a pretty pink background accompanying Germany whenever he goes into deredere mode, usually around Italy.
    • Italy tends to have hearts coming from him, but this is often towards Italian things (such as food and their traditions) as opposed to another character.
  • Love Hurts: In the Christmas Episode, a drunk England suddenly snaps out of his stupor when reminded of how he spent a hundred years trying to get over the pain of his unrequited love. (He didn't succeed; he just moved on to another stage.)
    • Belarus breaks all of Lithuania's fingers not even ten minutes into their date. And he doesn't seem to mind.
  • Love Triangle: Triang Relations type 2: Lithuania has a crush on Belarus, who completely abhors him. Russia's favorite subordinate is Lithuania, who is terrified of him. Belarus wants to marry Russia, who is terrified of her. It's very... twisted, indeed.
    • Type 3: Greece --> Japan <-- Turkey. Complete with the two ends of the triangle arguing about which one of them Japan pays more attention to. Japan may prefer Greece over Turkey (fandom certainly thinks so, and you can't really blame them), but he remains evasive of any questions about the matter.
    • Type 4: Austria and Hungary are an Official Couple, but it's hinted that Prussia has feelings for Hungary. That's likely the most canon take on their relations, but fandom enjoys playing with all possible combinations of the Frying Pangle, sometimes even making it a Type 7 or Type 8 in their works.
  • Lucky Charms Title: The Delicious★Tomato Song.
    • And Hello★China.
    • And, from the recent movie soundtrack release, Casino ★ Show Time!
  • Luminescent Blush: Most characters have this on constantly.
    • Though the character that blushes the most in the series has to be Holy Roman Empire when near Chibitalia.
  • Magical Realism: Hints of it, especially regarding the nature of the characters and how they come to be.
    • When a young soldier asked France about his true nature this is what he said:

France: If it's hard to understand, imagine a ship! The government is the mast, citizens are the wind and they swim on the sea of time, or so it says. If the mast stands straight and good wind blows, the ship goes forward. Well, sometimes it gets stranded and that was it. Something like that maybe?

  • The Man Behind the Man: Arguably Austria to the Holy Roman Empire. Subverted in that he's not evil at all, even though his stuffiness seems to give the impression.
  • Manga Effects
  • Medium Awareness: England stares daggers (well, arrows) at Russia. Russia then grabs and eats them.
  • Meganekko: Several characters wear glasses but Austria, Estonia and Thailand in particular fit the trope.
  • Meido: As a young child living with Austria, Italy used to wear maid outfits. Especially in the Chibitalia chapter, which lampshades the trope when the Holy Roman Empire is seen with a portrait of Chibitalia and is asked if the model was a servant.
    • Probably a historical joke, along with Chibimerica's light blue frock. See the Wholesome Crossdresser below.
  • Memento MacGuffin: Given their long lifespans, it's not surprising that a couple of the countries have these. Holy Roman Empire keeps Chibitalia's broom as a reminder of "her," and America can't bring himself to throw away the gifts that England gave him when their relationship was less dysfunctional. Arguably, the Iron Cross given to Italy by Germany also counts as a token of their friendship, though it's hard to tell how significant that is - it's rarely mentioned in canon, but Fanon tends to promote the necklace into the equivalent of an engagement ring, often making it part of a matched pair.
  • Misplaced Retribution: Canada is frequently the target of this because he looks almost identical to his brother America, though the countries that are pissed at America wouldn't harm Canada if they knew the difference. That he's very soft spoken means he rarely is able to stop the abuse or convince the other countries (rightfully angry at America) from beating up on him.
  • Misplaced Sorrow: When England 'dies' in the hospital after an accident involving the panjandrum, America gets teary eyed and tells him he can't go because he owes him a 'crap-ton of money'.
  • Modesty Towel: Variation in the Christmas Episode; Spain pulls a shower curtain towards himself and barely covers his crotch.
    • Often used whenever a character is displayed with their full body in nudity (as opposed to the hips and up). France gets this treatment quite a bit.
  • Moe Anthropomorphism: The other foundation the series was built on.
  • Moe Couplet: Sealand and Latvia. Sealand helps Latvia not be a twitching emotional wreck and Latvia keeps Sealand grounded to reality.
    • Also America and Japan. America can come across as obnoxious and pushy at times and Japan as dull to some. Put them together, however, and America becomes the cheerful, eager friend who gets Japan to open up to new things and Japan the calm, mature one who balances out America's boisterousness. Plus, in spite of the obvious Opposites Attract potential, many people prefer them as BFFs rather than lovers in the Western fandom.
    • Greece and Japan too, whose relationship seems to be mainly based on them both being quiet Kindhearted Cat Lovers who soften or endear each other's negative traits and are unlikely to ever fight. You can make a drinking game out of the number of times they're described as "cute" or "Moe" by fans, seriously. (Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.)
  • Monochromatic Eyes: Japan, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the Holy Roman Empire.
  • Mood Whiplash: The comics about the American Revolution, Lithuania's sleepover at Poland's house and Bloody Sunday. Just... Bloody Sunday.
    • There are quite a few milder examples than the ones given above as well. Episode 50 of the anime(the one with the table-turning) contains one between America and Japan. When America asks Japan if there's anything bothering him, Japan proceeds to pour his heart out, sharing with America how excited yet apprehensive he is about learning Western culture. Then he concludes by asking if they (Japan and America) will be able to get along from then on. Ouch.
  • Moral Guardians: Pulled the show off regular TV airings to other electronic distributions. Nationalist Korean netizens reacted to a Japanese parody of Korea being broadcast about as well as you might expect. Some of the English and Japanese fandom reacted to that about as well as you'd expect, too.
  • Ms. Fanservice: well Mr. Fanservice in this case, but at this point I think Spain could be the posterboy of this trope, thanks to DATASS and thanks to April's Fools event 2011 (which is the cherry on the top of the cake).
  • Muggles: We sometimes see normal people hanging around.
    • The prefectures of Japan have appeared as people in one strip, but Nantucket is America's idiot hair and Texas is his glasses, and Corsica is Italy's right nipple, and god knows what swapped around territories like Alsace-Lorraine are...
    • Their citizens are definitely around, as we see a great deal of them in the armies, and when the countries walk around various cities. England, at one point, tries to take advantage of this by blending into crowds in Italy.
    • This is touch upon in the strip Though I may depart, you shall remain when one soldier wonders what exactly France is, as the poor sap says that France hasn't aged since his grandfather's time.
  • Mythology Gag: In the dub, Todd Haberkorn voices Britain when he's a kid instead of Scott Freeman—possibly a nod to the fact he was supposed to voice Britain before North Italy had to be recast.
  • Nations as People
  • Neat Freak: Austria the aristocrat. He gets angry when seen disheveled, even if it's his wife. Netherlands hates messy gardens and doesn't let anyone touch the kitchen because of this. Germany is somewhat like this too; one strip has Italy cooking and Germany is cleaning up his mess right next to him. Which is funny because Italy was raised as a maid.
    • Probably more a sign of how obsessive Germany is about cleanliness, as he is shown scrubbing counters which have been kept neat.
    • Which culminates to Austria huffing over even Germany's worn drawers like an old wife, as Germany puts it.
  • Nice Hat: The Holy Roman Empire. Turkey combines it with Mask Power. Prussia is sometimes seen wearing one too.
  • Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Used in a Halloween strip as Japan tells America to use Russia as a receptionist in order to scare England. Otherwise, countries are often shown as being very scared of anyone who'd beaten them before or who has a reputation; hence why many freak out whenever they are asked to interact with Germany or Russia. Also, the Italies are afraid of England and Southern Italy appears to be terrified of France.
  • No Swastikas: Averted; they can be seen in the last chapter of Volume One of the published manga.
  • Non-Human Sidekick: America has whales and the visitor from outer space named Tony (who hates England for some reason), England has fairies and at least one unicorn, Germany has been shown with 4 different dogs, a little dog call Hana-Tamago goes along with Finland and Sweden, Greece has his cats, France has a manipulative little bird called Pierrot, Egypt has a jackal named Anubis and a falcon, Australia has a koala and a kangaroo in his sketch, New Zealand a sheep and a kiwi and Japan's dog Pochi seems to be friends with Netherlands' bunny. As of the April Fools '09 event, Prussia has at least one small yellow bird that likes to sit on his head. Canada also has his bear, Kumajiro.
    • Talking Animal: Hana-Tamago, Sweden and Finland's pet dog, can talk during the Christmas Episode. Finland is surprised but doesn't think too much of it when they start to read some fan letters. Also, Canada carries around a bear named Kumajiro, who always forgets who he is.
      • Iceland's Puffin can also talk, as shown in the 2010 Bloodbath strips.
    • When France comes over to get better relations with Japan, Japan is too scared to meet him but requests to see the cat that France brought along.
  • Not Blood Siblings: Switzerland and Liechtenstein (he found her in an alley, as she was slowly dying due to recession).
    • England and America. There's a reason the latter doesn't have the big ol' eyebrows as well.
    • And you also have England with most of his "charges".
    • And China and Japan - in the manga and anime, we see how China and Japan met. This may not hold true for the rest of East Asia.
  • Now or Never Kiss: Sorta. In the Chibitalia strip, Holy Roman Empire kisses Chibitalia on the lips before leaving Austria's mansion, since they don't know if they'll ever see each other again.
  • Odd Friendship: Poland and Lithuania; America and Japan.
  • Official Couple: Austria/Hungary, who were married.
  • Off-Model: Some moments in the anime. One that comes especially to mind is when they show Chibitalia with what's supposed to be a younger Romano in episode 2.
  • Old Shame: Himaruya has deleted some strips and illustrations for the series over the years, especially ones that he felt were either too embarrassing in content or in art style to keep on the site. Most notably, the original beginning to the third chapter of the webcomic is gone for good and it actually starts at the fourth page in its present form.
    • Since they were recovered by a fan, it turns out that he might have had a justified reason: Two out of the three pages had some Unfortunate Implications in mixing up Germany and Russia's roles in their pre-WWII relationship and could have caused controversy in being retained. It also seems he changed his mind on how to depict the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, along with possibly Germany's youth.
  • Older Than They Look: Most of the characters don't look older than thirty. Could be a case of Really Seven Hundred Years Old depending on your interpretation of the nature of the series. It's worth noting though that apparently all countries start out as children and with time they grow into adults (see the Italy brothers, Japan and America).
    • Most of the characters are described to be in their 20's. The ages are odd, though, in that countries like Germany and Italy are given the same age despite the two nations being around for very different periods of time; and China still being young despite him being several times older than any of the other nations. Japan is the only one who seems to feel his age, which is again odd as he's half as old as China.
      • Actually, China has expressed how he feels his old age to his "boss" (The Dragon, though not The Dragon) more than once in earlier translated strips. And the Germany thing is probably because he decided to change Germany's childhood, as stated elsewhere on this page (the whole Holy Roman Empire thing), though Fanon also has it that some countries age faster or slower than others, considering their development. (And I'm sure what kind of Bishonen Himaruya wants said country to look like plays a great part in it as well).
      • While the above examples can be argued, there are still examples that prove that the ages are odd such as Romano being older than Sweden (clearly shown otherwise when comparing strips) and Switzerland being younger than America (even though Switzerland was around long before the idea of the United States).
    • In the Chibitalia chapter, glimpses of the Roman Empire as an old, scarred, tired-looking man are seen and suggest that the characters can age and eventually "die".
      • Then again, when the Roman Empire reappears in a later strip he looks no more than forty and is quite energetic. Then again, at the end of the strip he mentions that he persuaded God to let him go visit Italy, so apparently countries that cease to exist eventually pass on to... heaven or someplace similar.
  • One Head Taller: The 2 cm height difference between America and England tends to be exaggerated by both fanartists and the author himself. (In fact, England is usually drawn much shorter than he actually is - according to the height info, he's the same height as France. This is possibly because his personality is very reminiscent of The Napoleon.)
    • England's height may have been retconned in the comic: in one strip young France teases England about being small. Sure, they're both children at that point, but little England is very short.
      • One can argue that France is older than England so France would be taller. However, I think the retcon was made that England had a complex about being shorter than his former male colonies than anything. The age thing doesn't seem to come into play though; as Prussia, who is over twice as old as Germany, is shorter.
      • Although it's been noted that although he is older, Prussia is shorter than Germany because of malnutrition.
    • Don't forget Italy and Germany. The anime even makes fun of the 8 cm height difference, as Italy finds it too hard to reach up and hug Germany, and his ankles give way, so Germany has to kiss him instead.
    • China and Japan. The characters are built on stereotypes.
    • Really, almost every single pairing in the fandom falls under this trope. Seriously. Just take a look at Sweden and Finland, Spain and Romano, and Greece and Japan. Or heck, even Korea and China, Seborga and Monaco and Russia and Lithuania.
    • Yaoi Fangirls also have a tendency to SHORTEN "submissive" characters' height, which is connected to Wimpification. For example, they shorten Finland's height a greatly exaggerated amount, sometimes to the same height as Sealand.
  • One of Us: Prince Paul of Wy.
    • And Char, Hetalia's Brand Manager at Funimation, is quite the fangirl.
  • One-Man Army: Every single character, in an unusually literal example.
    • Subverted once and a while, as both American and Italian armies are shown at points. It seems the multi-manned army only is shown for effect.
  • Only Sane Man: Germany for the Axis Powers and England for the Allied Powers. If you stretch the definition of "sane" a bit, that is.
    • For the Allied Forces, China sometimes reaches this level and acts as the voice of reason when England proves that he's Not So Above It All, especially when fighting with France.
    • Estonia for Eastern Europe as well.
    • Iceland of Nordics.
    • And Hong Kong of Asia.
    • Wy for the micro-nations, too. It seems that every character group has one.
  • Only Six Faces: Himaruya's character designs are actually very distinct from each other in subtle ways, like the shape of the face and positions and proportions of facial features, but the similarities between various character's hairstyles was Lampshaded when England decided to grow out his hair and France wound up having to help style it; England rejected the cut that looked like France's for obvious reasons, then asked him to change it again when the next one looked too much like Switzerland's. Played straight in this blog post, where Himaruya points out similarities between Sweden and Prussia's faces,
    • Hungary and Taiwan is remarkably similar as both has rather Tomboy personality despite their outfit and flowers.
  • Opposites Attract: Lithuania and Poland, Germany and Italy.
  • Perma-Stubble: France thinks this makes him look more mature, "like an older brother" (cue incest related squick). Fans think it just makes him look sexy and debonair.
    • Turkey, Grandpa Rome, and Cuba also have this too.
  • Perpetual Frowner: Sweden and Hong Kong. Also, Germany, while he does occasionally smile, generally has a serious or angry expression. Japan is also generally seen with a blank face, although he has smiled once or twice (because it involved cats, of course); one comic has Italy trying to get him to smile and succeeding only in making him show an angry/pissed-off face.
    • Switzerland notices he hasn't been laughing much recently, and tries to make himself laugh. He can't.
    • Norway and Iceland, too.
    • And Germania. I remember one strip where he tried to smile, but couldn't.
      • A similar joke is play up with Egypt.
    • Actually, Hong Kong is simply said to be very difficult to read because of his lack of facial expression.
  • Personality Swap: Germany and Italy (try to) switch personalities in one strip just for the heck of it.
  • Perverted Drooling: France sometimes does this, this is one of his ways that he shows attraction to some of his Nation peers.
  • Phenotype Stereotype: Most European nation-tans north of Italy are blond, if not blue-eyed (exceptions: Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, Monaco, and new nation-tan Holland).
    • Actually, this is a bit of Truth in Television, studies shown that the blond population in Europe increases if you go northward (the Nordic countries have a high population of blondes).
    • In evidence - the blond map of Europe shows the frequency of light-hair amongst the European population by country. As expected, all of Scandinavia, North Eastern Europe and the UK exhibit the highest percentages of light haired people.
  • Pinky Swear: Used to symbolize Germany and Italy's Pact of Steel.
  • Pin-Pulling Teeth: Italy attempts this method of detonation but throws the pin while still holding the grenade in his mouth.
  • Pity the Kidnapper: Germany takes Italy prisoner, but kicks him out at the end of the First World War.
    • A running gag in the series, as anybody who captures Italy is going to regret it very quickly.
    • Another one for the Italies is they pretty much regret that their trap work on England.
  • Planet Eris: Aliens? Check. Fairies? Check. Talking Animals? Check. Ghosts? Check. Monsters? Check. Santa? Check. Alternate Universe with cat people and 123 Frances? Super check. And yet, life goes on as if nothing happened.
  • Playing Against Type: Fangirl-magnet Vic Mignogna voices... a sleepy, silent, bored Greece. Who has less lines in season 1 and 2 than Canada!
    • And speaking of which, Eric Vale as sweet quiet Canada as well.
  • Please Don't Leave Me: Young nations (and grown up North Italy) tend to have abandonment issues.
  • Political Correctness Gone Mad: The plot of the OVA "Paint It White" deals with this.
  • Politically-Correct History: Needed to keep the series a comedy, but often used as a big complaint point for the series' critics.
    • Though he's not afraid to(respectfully) subvert this with stuff like the Bloody Sunday strip or on Japan's relationship with China.
  • Porn Stash: Italy mistakes Japan's ukiyo shunga for this.
    • From the Beach/Christmas episode, the viewer can tell Germany got one as a present. Since there hasn't been a show about anyone finding it, we can deduce it's Finland and Germany's little secret.
  • Privateer: There are a couple of strips which detail the story of England's privateers. Basically, England found a few pirates that were causing him trouble, and told them to "go beat up that Spain guy". They did, allowing England to get the upper hand over Spain. Whenever Spain complained to England, he would just apologize and say that the pirates were causing him trouble, too. That is, until Spain went over to England's house and saw him giving medals to the privateers. Whoops.
  • Proper Lady: Liechtenstein. She's humble, kind, quiet, deferring yet not completely submissive to her brother Switzerland, very mature for a young nation, and quite competent at housework.
  • Psychopathic Manchild: Russia. The author did state that Russia has a Child-like cruelty to him. Not to mention he has such a sweet face and is always smiling... Flanderized to a ridiculous extent in the fandom, seeing as he says creepy things and stalks people frequently but very rarely actually does anything.

Q-Z

  • Reading the Enemy's Mail: The Allies get a hold of Germany's diary and find little to help them defeat them.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Germany and Prussia have blue and red eyes, respectively. They very much fit the trope.
    • Denmark and Sweden as well, complete with color scheme.
  • Refuge in Audacity: If the series weren't so cute and silly, it would probably be much more offensive than it already is.
  • Regional Riff
  • Rie Kugimiya: The voice of Liechtenstein.
    • And Latvia in the drama CDs.
  • Roswell Incident: Though there were extra-terrestrials already in America by this time.
  • Rule of Cute
  • Running Gag: When something weird happens (well weirder than usual) nations will try to convince themselves that it was All Just a Dream.
  • Russian Guy Suffers Most: Inverted and played staight. Bloody Sunday and failed White Sea canal strips cover his history of suffering. But most of the time he's a superpower that likes making others suffer.
  • Sailor Earth: People tend to design their own countries frequently.
    • Including, of all people, Prince Paul of the Principality of Wy. And possibly you.
  • Say My Name: Estonia: LATVIAAAAAA!!!
    • America: "England? ENGLAND!!"
    • Germany: ITALIAAAAAA!! (Constantly.)
    • Italia: Doitsu Doitsu! (Constantly.)
    • Austria: Preußen? Preußen!? PRE Uß EEEEEEEEEN!!!
    • Spain: Romano? Romano! ROMANOOOOOOOO!!
    • And, in the movie:
      • England: "AMERICA!"[1]
      • Germany: "ITALYYYYY!"
  • Satellite Character: The Holy Roman Empire. Is he the boss? Does he just own the house? He doesn't interact much with the others. He's not Germany, by the way. Or is he? Hmmm...
  • Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: "Patapata! Patapata!" The sound effect for flapping...for Italy's white flag of surrender.
    • France's "Slap slap slap slap slap~" counts too.
  • Scarf of Asskicking: Russia and Holland each have one.
  • Sentai Has been mentioned in the Drama CD and during the Fourth Wall Mail Slot. America is the Red Ranger of course! America and Sealand are fans.
  • Sequel Snark: The anime adaptation uses this as a Running Gag with the phrase "To Be Continued... maybe..."
  • Sexy Discretion Shot: When Greece offers Japan a "private lesson" to help him improve his sex life, the scene switches to a "view" of East Asia with Japan's screams in the background (and China yelling back at him because he can't sleep). When we're back to Japan, he's naked (or at least shirtless) in bed next to a sleeping Greece and screaming his head off.
  • Sexy Santa Dress: Poland. 'Nuff said. Though there was this one picture on the author's blog where Vietnam wore one, too.

France: So, how about Hungary's sexy Santa? Only this year.

  • I Am Not His Wife: Sweden calls Finland his wife. Finland does not like it at all.
  • He Is All Grown Up: England leaves young America to return to his country, telling the boy to do his best and become strong. When he comes back, England is shocked to find that America has grown to be taller than him.
  • Shirtless Scene: Germany and Italy have a few. Usually together. There's also an entire Christmas special devoted to characters taking off their shirts (and a bit more).
    • Often tied to France, as he is quick to try and strip others (and, evidently, has a long history of doing this to raid other countries while they're unconscious).
  • Short Anime Movie: * Hetalia: Paint It, White would just under an hour long, about the length of two regular half-hour episodes, without the clips from the series thrown in. Given the source material, they didn't have a lot to work with, but wanted a feature-length film. The move proved controversial in Japan and the Japanese DVD release removed the clip show parts, but the American release includes them.
  • Show the Forehead: Netherland, Denmark, Thailand and Australia. Earning them nickname of "The Forehead Four"(Unofficial of course.)
  • Shown Their Work: If Himaruya didn't do his research, it would be a DISASTER. He even cites his sources. He says that it's because good researchers do, but it's secretly because he didn't want to be sued.
    • However, there are some inaccuracies that might be there for the sake of avoiding censorship, such as saying that Japan had no colonies around the time of the Great Depression (when in fact, it already had Taiwan).
    • The comic also says Italy didn't either, so it may just be in comparison to Britain and France.
  • Shout-Out: Finland's last name is a reference to The Kalevala. Namely, to Väinämöinen, the main hero of the story.
    • Of course, they could've used a name from Kalevala that was actually used as a name in Finland.
    • Episode 3 of the World Series opens with Japan and Greece looking at the Spartan ruins, and Greece says: "This... is... the land of Sparta."
    • On his blog, Himaruya once posted a drawing of Hungary holding her frying pan, with "Let's Frying Pan Love" written next to it.
    • The dub takes liberties to add different shoutouts... and perhaps, more in number than the original version. The Narrator tells the audience to "Google it" after explaining something.
    • The Pokémon shoutout mentioned above. As an extra kick, America adds that "they caught em all!"
      • Not to mention the many times where America says, "China, I choose you!" and China proceeds to go down to the beach and beat the crap out of the Axis with a wok and ladle.
    • Italy sounds like Mario in the dub. In fact, his English dub voice actor explained in a commentary that at first he tried to play it straight with a realistic Italian accent...but when he heard the accent Chibitalia's voice actress was using, he decided to completely go for broke and use the most ridiculous Italian accent he could think of...which happened to be Mario!
    • In the beginning of the movie, the dub gives us this gem: "Time-traveling phone booths can only go so far..." Jamie Marchi put that reference into the script specifically for Doctor Who fan J Michael Tatum.
    • In the Japanese version of episode 7, a variation on the music from Rocky plays in the background during the segments where England is training.
    • In one strip, France imagines Germany as Light from Death Note (Just As Planned Catch Phrase included.)
    • Germany in the movie dub tells Italy, "There's no crying in alien warfare!"
    • England's lullaby to America in episode 39 of the dub is a rushed version of Phantom of the Opera.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: North and South Italy; Switzerland and Liechtenstein; America and Canada; Prussia and Germany.
  • Silk Hiding Steel: Lithuania, from Europe but male, fits this trope very well too: he's sweet, hard-working, and shown to not only be excellent at cooking and house-cleaning (to the point where he actually works as America's housekeeper for some time) but also formidable in battle. However, he also happens to be the main Woobie of the cast, which tends to overshadow his other traits, especially considering that his deference, loyalty, and humility might actually be one of the causes of him tending to be pushed around by Poland, Russia, and Belarus.
  • Sitcom Arch Nemesis: The only surefire way to keep England out of your house is to invite France. America observes that after 900 years of war the only thing that keeps these two old timers going is antagonizing each other.
    • Greece and Turkey are also this too. In fact, the only time Greece loses his easygoing nature is when Turkey's around.
    • Cuba considers America his nemesis, too. Poor Canada...
  • Slasher Smile: Usually smiling calmly, Russia usually pulls this out by the end of a strip he's in.
    • In one strip, Japan imagines Italy pulling one.
      • See this strip as well.
    • In another strip, America has this while wielding a chainsaw along with Scary Shiny Glasses. Probably the only time America didn't look his normal self. Though it was only scary due to Canada's paranoia, as America was just normally using his chainsaw to cut wood.
      • This might be a Shout Out to the recent soft wood crisis between Canada and USA (to make a long story short, USA decided to overtaxes Canada's softwood as an attempt to promote its own lumber. However, according to treaties they both signed, this was forbidden.) Or not.
        • Probably not...
  • Slave Collar: Happens to Seychelles in the Gakuen Hetalia game.
    • And to Spain when the pirates capture him.
  • Sleep Cute: Lithuania, exhausted from being overworked by his boss Russia, unintentionally falls asleep on a couch only to wake up to find himself beside Russia, who for once is in deredere mode.
    • Subverted with Greece and Japan, when the first dozes off next to the other for some seconds but then wakes up like nothing happened.
    • The end of the 2010 bloodbath, oh so much.
  • Sliding Scale of Silliness Versus Seriousness: For most of the series, it falls on the silly side, but it is occasionally serious without moving into any jarring Mood Whiplash. The series cannot be taken too seriously without dire consequences.
  • Soft Snow: Averted, when Russia thinks he doesn't need a parachute when he sees snow on the ground from an aircraft, adding that no one knows snow like him. He ends up breaking all his bones (only one in the anime).
  • Sorry I Left the BGM On: Austria in episode 4.
  • Smoking Is Cool: Cuba and his famous Cuban cigars.
    • Netherlands, too, with his Pipe of Asskicking.
  • Stalker with a Crush: Belarus, to Russia. Russia himself, to Lithuania. Russia also wears a panda suit and stalks China.

Belarus: "Damn doorknob, getting between me and niisan!" [Rips it out] "Niisaaan, that obstinate knob is no more. Now then, let's get married married married married..."

  • Standard Snippet: The Oriental Riff was used in episode 23 when Germany, Italy, and Japan stumble onto a Chinatown.
  • Stock Footage: Applies to the anime with "That F* cking Island", as some fans refer to it. Basically involves the Axis being stuck on an island, ambushed by the Allies, and attacked with a wok by China until some diversion comes to break it up. The same exact animation and lines are recycled, save for a few minor differences. It got so excessive that the plot of the Christmas story with Finland was even changed to take place on the island, rather than out in the remote wilderness.
    • Some Youtube comments speculate that they were trying to make fun of Endless Eight...
    • Also egregiously used in the movie where entire episodes were thrown in.
  • Stoic Spectacles: Actually, Austria has a great emotional range: he can be 'solemn', 'sullen', 'stern', 'saturnine', 'harsh' and 'sterner'.
    • Except when he's being undressed against his will.
    • Not to mention Sweden, who speaks in a grunting dialect, rarely changes his facial expression, and scares pretty much everybody when they first meet him.
  • Summon Magic: England.
    • Also chock full of Shout Outs.
  • Super-Deformed: Done sometimes in the strips, but almost the only thing you see in the merchandise.
  • Surprise Santa Encounter: Finland and America have both dressed as Santa Claus at one point. Poland did and turned up expecting presents.
  • Tactful Translation: Done at least once, when America comes to Japan to make friends with whales.

Japan: Go Away.
Translator: It's nice that you have such interesting pursuits, but please pursue them in your own residence.

  • Take That, Audience!: From the narration of episode 47 of the English dub: "Polish horses never charge German tanks at the battle - right, anime fans. Germany invaded Poland in '39 - right, American fans. Poland is a country. In Europe!" Funimation is based in Texas, however.
  • Talking to Himself: The Italy brothers have the same seiyuu, as do the North American brothers.
    • China and Taiwan are also voiced by the same actress in China's drama track, while the child versions of the Italy brothers now share the same voice (Aki Kanada being a replacement for Daisuke Namikawa for Chibi Romano).
    • Mostly averted for the dub, with the exception of Eric Vale as both America and Canada.
  • Team Dad: Austria in the Chibitalia chapters.
  • Tertiary Sexual Characteristics: After Leichtenstein cuts her hair, her big brother Switzerland gets her a hair ribbon so people won't mistake her for a boy.
  • The End of the World as We Know It: Little England and France were very surprised when the world didn't end in the year 1000.
  • Theme Tune Cameo: Both endings have been sung by Italy in-universe (his voice changed in the middle of Maru Kaite Chikyuu, and in World Series 34 Germany tells him to stop humming Hatefutte Parade).
  • The Movie: The Plot? Alien Invasion.
  • Thigh-High Boots: Almost every member of the male cast, especially Italy, Germany and Japan.
  • Together Umbrella: Japan and Greece in one comic. Italy makes a poster of himself and Germany under one, not quite understanding what it means (but then again, maybe he just doesn't mind).
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: Ukraine and Belarus. Vietnam and Taiwan.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Almost every character makes a reference to their own cuisine. America loves hamburgers, England loves tea, North Italy loves pasta, South Italy loves tomatoes, and all of the North American nations love ice cream.
  • Triple Nipple: France may count as such ever since the strip "Let's Assist the French Economy!", wherein he claimed Italy's right nipple, which apparently represents Corsica. At the very least, Italy is down to one....
  • Tsundere. Several male characters fit in the Type A. England and Germany are frequently called Tsundere even in official canon, namely author's notes and the drama CD.
    • England is heavy on The Smirk, And especially when around America. When he's in deredere mode, though, he sometimes shows such vulnerability that he qualifies as The Woobie. He's also referred to as a Tsundere by both fandom and Word of God (specifically, the Drama CDs and some author notes)
    • America seems to be a odd variation of the Type A Tsundere himself. His tsuntsun/The Smirk side is represented less by mood swings and more by his penchant to step on people's toes with his rampant KY-ness, cheerful Love Freak mannerisms and occasional arrogance; he also shoots down England's advances and seems to have fun when he relentlessly teases the other nation-tan. However, he has shown genuine sadness and melancholy as he remembers their common past times (especially in "America Cleans Out The Storage"), as well as some degree of worry for the other's well-being, which can be seen as him being deredere.
      • It could be that he's a Type B (dere dere), since England is the only one he purposely annoys/teases.
    • Switzerland is a combination of Type A and He Was Never My Heterosexual Life Partner to Austria. The Gunslinger is especially fond of The Violent Approach (duh).
    • Himaruya actually calls Germany a Tsundere in the notes. It's hard to tell his exact type given his usually staid demeanour. He seems to be a Type A fond of a mix between Cold Shoulder and Smirk (less about merely throwing insults around or having mood swings, more about being grumpy and a Drill Sergeant Nasty to Italy). He's usually a 'take no guff' guy around everybody, but you can just tell he's making exceptions for Italy. And to drive the point further, the Valentines strip had Germany pretty much the whole time in full-blown deredere mode.
      • He also displays his deredere side in The Movie when he finds out that all of the other countries survived the fall from the spaceship.
    • South Italy is a fierce mix of all Tsun Type A varieties, partially out of insecurity that Spain only wants him for his inheritance and that his lack of domestic/artistic talents made him inferior to his little brother. And yep, Romano's Tsundere side is specially strong when around Spain.
    • When asked by Japan to explain his odd mixture of affection and confrontation, Korea, of course, claims to have invented Tsundere (all types, presumably). He's still not one himself, though.
  • Twincest: The Fanon America/Canada pairing, which has a small but very loyal following in some Ho Yay centered circles.
  • Uncatty Resemblance: All the cats in the Nekotalia strips look like their owners.
  • The Unfavorite: Canada has always been overshadowed by America ever since they were little. As soon as England seemed to be paying more attention to Canada, America came along and took his attention back.
    • For that matter, poor Canada is usually treated as a non-entity - people either forget who he is or don't even notice him. (In one strip Russia spends a whole meeting sitting in his lap because he didn't notice that Canada was already sitting in the chair. Later Russia comments to Belarus on how comfortable his chair was.)
    • Also played with in regards to Belarus. She treats the other Baltics so badly because she thinks she is Russia's Unfavorite because of them. Hell, she's even jealous of Ukraine...
    • Romano (South Italy) is this in some degree, especially during his "childhood" days when Spain was more fixated on Italy than him. He was seriously worried that he didn't have anything to offer, lacking his brother's domestic and artistic skills.
  • The Unintelligible: Sweden, according to Fanon. In Japanese he speaks with a Tohoku Regional Accent, which is perfectly intelligible if a bit unusual, but due to fan translators' attempts at localizing it this got Lost in Translation and after some Flanderization it ended up looking as if Sweden was grunting and mumbling intstead of just using a dialect.
  • Unusual Euphemism: Sealand lampshades this in the dub:

Sealand: Sometimes I ride the goat while swabbing the deck, and that is not a euphemism for anything.

  • Turtle Power: All over this strip
  • Unkempt Beauty: Greece, apparently. Iceland as well.
  • Valley Girl: Totally Poland, like ehmagawd. Based on the Japanese equivalent. Averted in the dub, although he's still laidback.
    • America has sort of a variation on this in the dub.
  • Verbal Tic: China ends most of his sentences with "aru", which is derived from a Japanese stereotype of Chinese people. When talking to England (for example in the Britannia Angel strip) "aru" sometimes changes to "ahen" which means "opium".
    • Sealand finishes most of his sentences with "desu yo," which is basically ending everything with an exclamation point.
    • When America talks business, he develops the Verbal Tic "-gates".
    • How did this get so far without mentioning Italy's "ve"?
    • Or Romano's "CHIGI!" when he's especially upset or when his ahoge is touched?
    • Thailand is often portrayed saying 'ana' at the end of his sentences.
    • Don't forget Korea, da ze!
    • Or even Spain, ya de!
    • Like, I can't believe we totally haven't like, mentioned Poland!
    • Become one with Russia, da?
  • Vocal Evolution: Japan's voice in the first Drama CD is very soft. In later CDs and the anime, the same seiyuu switches to a much deeper tone, allegedly because fans complained that he'd sounded too similar to Italy.
    • In the first CDs, America has a sort of low tenor voice. Then in the anime and consecutive drama CDs his voice gets higher and higher (as well as more and more hyper), except for dramatic scenes where it drops back to its normal tone.
    • Canada's voice has been getting less inaudible lately.
    • Greece's voice in the anime became considerably slower from his episode with France to his episodes with Japan, presumably to emphasize his Heavy Sleeper nature better.
  • We ARE Struggling Together!: The Allies find working with each other difficult.
    • That pretty much goes for any group ever, as all the countries seem to hate at least something about every other one, and it's hard to find even a single pair that don't bicker at some point.
  • What Could Have Been: Todd Haberkorn was originially supposed to voice Britain, but the show was temporarily stalled for dubbing for legal matters, and circumstances led him to be the initial main character instead.
  • White-Haired Pretty Boy: Iceland and Prussia, though Prussia's Hot-Blooded personality is a subversion.
  • Wife Husbandry: The way some (fanon) couples like England/America and Spain/Romano can be seen as.
  • Who Is This Guy Again?: Cana - er...who?
  • Wholesome Crossdresser: Poland and both Italies (when little). Japan wears an apron over a woman's kimono when he cleans house and cooks. Although the Italies' dresses may be another historical in-joke
  • Wine Is Classy: Interestingly, France only gets one wine drinking scene in the anime.
  • The World Cup: The author grabbed the opportunity to draw some funny strips and cute chibis playing football. Fandom grabbed the opportunity to revel in the (perceived) UST.
    • Japanese fanartists have developed a new meme of depicting Spain as a football referee, handing out yellow and red cards. This is, of course, a reference to the Germany v. Serbia game where the Spanish referee went a bit card-happy and one of the German team's players ended up being ordered off the pitch.
  • World of Symbolism: And cheerfully candid about it too.
  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Written-In Absence: In the Drama CD titled Prologue, America is assigning Power Ranger colors to the five main allies. He says China will be green, but he's not there because he's busy taking care of his panda. China did not have a voice actor until later.
  • X Meets Y: Anime Ho Yay meets Histeria!... for anyone who remembers that show.
  • Yandere: Russia, Russia, Russia. Latvia shows signs of this as well, likely because of Russia. Also, Russia's sister Belarus: she is obsessed with her older brother, is often represented with a knife, and shares Russia's penchant to abuse people who show care for her - especially Lithuania... Heck, Belarus is so Yanderiffic that Russia is scared of her!
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: Taiwan has the looks (but not the personality). On the other side of the gender fence, Japan's Gender Flipped self is a completely straightforward YN, according to the author's notes)
  • Yaoi Fangirl: The most prominent fanbase for this show, in the English-speaking world at least. Or at the very least the most vocal.
    • And Hungary as well. In Fandom? All girls san at least Belarus.
  • Yonkoma: Most of the series is in this form.
  1. ↑ Doubles as Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other - America has just been hit by an alien's transformative attack, and England freaks out. Then he gets hit too.
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