Sweden

Berwald Oxenstierna (ベールヴァルド・オキセンスシェルナ Beeruvarudo Okisensusheruna) is a character in the series Axis Powers Hetalia. He represents the country of Sweden (スウェーデン Suweiden).

Appearance


Berwald has short, light blond hair and greenish-blue eyes, and wears glasses. He wears a long blue overcoat with a matching hat, a black shirt and tie, and black pants, gloves, and boots. He is the tallest of all five Nordics, and there is approximately a 12cm difference between him and Tino (the latter standing at about 170cm, which would make Berwald 182cm). He is the same height as Ivan, making the two of them the tallest (so far) out of all the nations.

Personality And Interests
Berwald was once a viking and the "Conqueror Of The Baltic Sea", but now stands neutral in military matters and has calmed down, putting his strength into welfare. He is silent and difficult to understand, not speaking much due to the fact that he was born in a cold area. He is actually quite playful deep down, but it rarely shows through and he simply gives off an intimidating air.

His hobbies include making furniture and art, and it is said that his canned Surströmming can be used as a deadly weapon. He speaks in a Tohoku accent, often translated as grunting and truncated words.

Despite his silence, he apparently takes interest in arguments and debates.

Tino Väinämöinen (Finland)
Main Article: Tino Väinämöinen

The two were once under the control of Denmark, but escaped. From there on, the two began living with each other, Berwald considering him to be his "wife" (though Tino denies such relation). Tino later fell under the control of Ivan for some time, and stated that though he felt more "free" there, it was more fun being together with Berwald.

Tino often refers to Berwald as "Su-san" for short in the strips.

Denmark
Main Article: Denmark

Denmark once ruled over Berwald and Tino, but Berwald grew aggravated by his control and his refusal to listen and snapped, proceeding to run away from the home that they shared.

Peter Kirkland (Sealand)
Main Article: Peter Kirkland

Berwald's adoptive son, whom he bought from an auction. He also has partial custody of Raivis and Eduard.

In one strip, after Peter ignored his "papa" in favor of playing video games and watching TV, Berwald came up with a solution: He wrote "England" on a box, placed the box over Peter, and began shaking it (while the box made noises like "Please stop it!!"). He called it a Dambolis.

In The Anime


Berwald is first seen in a brief cameo in Episode 01, sitting next to Tino in the meeting room. He later appears in Episode 14 as one of the many characters stuck in line at the supermarket, and comments on what a peaceful day it is.

His character design was altered slightly for the anime, with his blond hair being changed to a light brown, while his eyes became a darker brown. However, in Episode 69, it appears that his eye color had been changed into a shade of blue, while his hair has been changed into a lighter blonde.

Trivia

 * It is assumed that his surname came from the Swedish statesman Axel Oxenstierna (Oxenstjärna), and that his given name Berwald came from Franz Berwald, which the Berwaldhall in Stockholm was named after. The Berwaldhallen also happens to be near an Oxenstiernsgata (Oxenstjärnsgatan).


 * His birthday corresponds with the National Day of Sweden, also known as Swedish Flag Day.


 * It has been said by Hidekaz Himaruya that Berwald is a homosexual. It has also been said that he only acts that way towards Tino Väinämöinen. Berwald seems to be the only character with a confirmed sexuality.