Lithuania

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

Appearance
He has shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. In his WWII appearances, he wears a green military uniform with tall boots (or simple shoes, depending on the reference image). Lithuania sometimes wears his hair tied back into a ponytail, such as when he worked as a housekeeper or when he was younger.

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

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

He is a bit of a serious introvert, winds up being easy to take advantage of, and is the type who will welcome one into his heart once he knows the person. He also tends to depress himself so much that he gets a stomachache. Lithuania is also said to be interested in martial arts and literature, and drives a second-hand car.

In a rare strip, it is shown that the other two Baltics think highly of him, but resent that he ignores them in favor of spending time with Poland.

America
Main Article: America

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

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

Belarus
Main Article: Belarus

Lithuania holds a crush on Russia's younger sister though it isn't returned, for she only has eyes for her brother and harbors hatred for Lithuania.

When he finally succeeded in going on a date with her for three minutes, it ended with her breaking all of his fingers (though he continued to remain oblivious to her harsh nature). Another strip revealed that Belarus had been breaking his limbs since they were children, with Lithuania not acknowledging it or thinking little of it as well.

It is implied that Belarus's hatred of him comes from the fact that her brother considers him to be his favorite.

Poland
Main Article: Poland

The two have been rather close friends, though Poland can be self-centered (as shown in the earlier strips where their relationship seemed to be more one-sided). However, their relationship is much less one-sided over the years than it was in initial strips. They were partners in the days of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, before Russia split them apart and took Lithuania under his control. When they managed to meet up again, Poland attempted to play a prank on Lithuania with a water gun but wound up discovering the scars on his back.

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

Russia
Main Article: Russia

After the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Lithuania became Russia's subordinate. It is suggested that he was Russia's "favourite" and so is often the target of Russia's bullying. After gaining independence in 1918 Lithuania spent eleven years working at America's house, but had to return to Russia after the Great Depression.

Russia visits at one point during Lithuania's outsourcing to tell America to take good care of him because "He is my ex, after all."

In the modern times, Lithuania is shown as sometimes being nervous of Russia, whose approach towards him seems rather unchanged. It is often speculated that the deep scars covering his back were inflicted by Russia because he was the main target of his harsh treatment. Russia once confided to Lithuania that his dream was to be in a warm place surrounded by sunflowers.

A comic from Volume 3 of the manga shows that the two of them met as small children while Russia was under Tatar's rule. Russia immediately declared Lithuania his friend, much to his confusion.

In The Anime


Lithuania first briefly appears at the meeting in Episode 01, as Russia states that he only wants to see him come running back to him with a troubled face.

He shows up later on in Episode 17: America's Cleaning Of The Storage, Part 1, which marks his first formal appearance in the anime and his first speaking part.

His character design was relatively unchanged in the anime adaptation, aside from his green eyes being changed to a shade of blue and his hair color lightened slightly.

Name
While his human name is usually rendered as Toris or Tolys, other spellings such as Taurys and Thoris have been used in both the Japanese and international fandoms. Toris is often the most popular rendering of his given name, though Tolys exists as an uncommon Lithuanian name. The Laurinaitis spelling for his surname is also in existence (as opposed to the non-existent "Lorinaitis" often used by fandom), though Thoris is also a surname. It seems the inspiration behind the entire human name remains a mystery.

Trivia

 * His birthday corresponds with the date of Lithuania's declaration of independence from Russia, on February 16th, 1918, but Lithuania would wind up occupied by both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in 1940, then reoccupied by Soviets in 1944. It would become the first Soviet republic to declare its renewed independence on March 11th, 1990, although no country would recognize Lithuania's independence for another year.
 * In a series continuity error, Lithuania is shown as a teenager (along with Poland) when fighting in the Battle of Grunwald, but later is shown to be a small child after the Italian Wars have taken place in Chibitalia, in a Comic Diary strip set during that timeframe (and written at around the same time as the Grunwald strip).
 * It should be noted that the United States of America never acknowledged Lithuania's incorporation into the Soviet Union, and so recognized Lithuanian independence even when Lithuania was not independent.
 * Due to a translation error in Episode 1, the name above Lithuania's flag switched to "Latvia" when Poland stepped in front of him.