Germany

Ludwig Beilschmidt (ルートヴィッヒ, Ruutovihhi) is a main character in the series Axis Powers Hetalia/Hetalia: Axis Powers. He is the representation of Germany (ドイツ Doitsu), and leads the Axis Powers.

Appearance
He is a tall, muscular man with blond hair and blue eyes. He wears either a green Wehrmacht or Waffen-SS officers uniform with a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on the collar; in the early webcomic chapters that take place during WWI, he wore a gray-blue Waffenrock uniform (as seen in color artwork) characteristic of the German army uniform of that period (the color of this uniform was changed to green for the anime). However the black cuffs and white piping may also suggest Ludwig wears a Schutzpolizei administration uniform.

Personality And Interests
A serious and efficient man who always abides by the rules, Ludwig has to deal with an unreasonable boss along with the troublemaking Feliciano. He won't stand to make any mistakes, is a neat freak, and happens to have a rather pessimistic nature. His hobbies include making sweets (including his secret love of baking cakes), reading and walking his dogs. In Episode 08, Feliciano admits to Arthur, Alfred and Francis that Ludwig is a fan of BDSM.

Feliciano Vargas (North Italy)
Main Article: Feliciano Vargas

After discovering Feliciano hiding in a crate, Ludwig took him prisoner but eventually got annoyed and sent him back, only for the other man to come back and declare himself his ally. Despite their differences, the two have a rather close relationship, much to the disapproval of Feliciano's older brother Lovino, who hates Ludwig.

It is hinted obliquely, but not yet confirmed, that Ludwig may be the Holy Roman Empire, having lost his childhood memories.

It is also implied that Ludwig may be in love with Feliciano, supported by one of Himaruya's original webcomic strips, wherein Ludwig started reading a book about the way partners behave. He constantly found, as he read the book, that Feliciano's behavior towards him meant that he was in love with him and thus proceeded to follow the steps in the book to confessing his own feelings. Eventually, he proposes to Feliciano in a restaraunt, much to the horror of their waiter.

Roderich Edelstein (Austria)
Main Article: Roderich Edelstein

Roderich and Ludwig were allied in both World Wars, and lived together for a while during that time. Roderich gives him advice in his confusion over Italy in the Valentine's Day strips. They appear to be very close, although Roderich annoys him at times with his behaviour.

Honda Kiku (Japan)
Main Article: Honda Kiku

The last member to join the Axis team, Kiku had known Ludwig for some time (as depicted in the original strips), although Ludwig said he can never tell what Kiku has in mind. He is also rather serious, but quiet and inexperienced to the outside world.

Gilbert Beilschmidt (Prussia)
Main Article: Gilbert Beilschmidt

Ludwig's older brother and drinking buddy, who refers to him as "West." Prussia lives in Germany's house as revealed by the April Fool's, Prussia's Blog.

In The Anime
Ludwig first appears in the "Meeting Of The World" segment in Episode 01, as he orders everyone to stop arguing and present data if they want to make a statement. Later in the same episode, the anime skips back to WWI as he finds an abandoned tomato crate in the woods, setting the events of the main Hetalia storyline into motion.

Ludwig's SS uniform color is changed from dark green to teal for the anime adaptation, and the Knight's Cross is absent from his design. His WWI uniform was changed from gray-blue to green as well, though in the Axis training sequences, Ludwig is briefly shown wearing the green version of his WWII SS uniform.

Trivia

 * In the original webcomic artwork, most notably in the World War-era strips, Ludwig was represented with the Nazi German Reichskriegsflagge (due to the setting of the comic). Later-era strips and artwork used the more modern flag, while the Reichskriegsflagge was done away with in later media adaptations of the series.


 * Ludwig's three dogs went unnamed for some time in canon, until the second "Character CD" revealed their names to be Blackie, Berlitz, and Aster.


 * Ludwig is notable for being the only character with a human name who was not given a surname. Hidekaz Himaruya, in his original listing of the names, stated that there was a reason he did so and that fans would eventually find out. As the human names and most references to them were later discarded, it appears that this is moot. However, the name Ludwig used to be a very common German name that happens to have been shared by various German historical figures, most notably Ludwig II of Bavaria and Ludwig Van Beethoven.
 * His efficient and perfectionist personality is a reference to the German culture of cleanliness and tidiness. Feliciano revealing Ludwig likes BDSM is a reference to the fact that German pornography is often very hardcore and kinky compared to most porn, and that an unusual amount of scat porn is exported from Germany.
 * Ludwig has also been said to have been based on a German friend of Hidekaz Himaruya.