History DarthWiki / AltTalia

* CrapsackWorld: It isn't an exaggeration to say that almost everyone has done something awful at one point, and awful stuff keeps happening. All countries are outright stated by WordOfGod to be "almost mildly sociopathic" by instinct; while they might all act differently, all, when stripped down, are driven primarily by self-interest, often making shifting alliances that no one even pretends are actual friendships, backstabbing, sabotaging, and engaging in extreme amounts of hypocrisy and manipulation, with even strong friendships having the potential to go up in flames or be straight-up forgotten (a great departure from the author's other works which often have ThePowerOfFriendship as a theme). While there are a select few seeming exceptions, they all had exceptional circumstances, whether it be these instincts just had no need/chance to express themselves historically (e.g. Iceland; and even ''he'' becomes really greedy with fishing space in the Cod Wars, even if it is somewhat PlayedForLaughs), were extremely stunted by bad luck or lack of historical claim (Belarus, AKA TheChewToy of Europe, and Macau, who is still a really debatable example), or most notably, having been forced to come to the realization of what he has done (Modern Germany; by far possibly the only example of a nation who comes across as genuinely selfless). [[AWorldHalfFull Though even then there is an undercurrent of hope lingering, and the moments of international friendship and goodwill shine through even more because of it]].

* DysfunctionJunction: ''Hoo boy''. When many of the main characters are actual war criminals, functioning like a normal human is actually something pretty impressive. The EU bloc, the most developed ones at least, seem to not be this, but it's just that they're not so much anymore, and even then they still can be prone to many complexes. In fact, it's been said that nations have a different set of instincts from humans, which often manifests as what seems to be very mild sociopathy. It's telling that they seem right at home in an Evillious Chronicles setting, and in fact there they somehow seem less morally ambiguous.

** Hong Kong and Macau form a similar duo, the former being the rebellious, independent one and the latter the one favoring stability and prosperity. While Hong Kong values democracy and his right to be heard and is willing to fight to get it, Macau doesn't mind as long as the gambling money keeps coming in. This naturally frustrates Hong Kong to no end, and after China starts using Macau to convince him he basically shuts him out completely.

** Anerica too, in a similar way to Russia sort of (he actually comes up with the idea to strap bombs on bats to send them at enemies. And yes, that was actually an idea someone had), plus stuff like calling french fries Freedom Fries for a while after getting salty that France doesn’t like him invading Iraq.

* CrapsackWorld: It isn't an exaggeration to say that almost everyone has done something awful at one point, and awful stuff keeps happening. [[AWorldHalfFull Though even then there is an undercurrent of hope lingering, and the moments of international friendship and goodwill shine through even more because of it]].

** This is also regularly hammered home in art, such as in their portraits, always drawn with their new personalities in mind as well as the Feliksball comics. Then there’s things like the two-panel {{High School AU}}-esque comic in which Hungary and Romania (pending) are arguing, which the author has admitted to drawing purely to have a group crowd shot which happens to have characters like Poland, (albeit seemingly drunk) [[OnlySaneMan Lithuania]], Italy, [[{{Sleepyhead}} Greece]], Egypt, and [[PrincelyYoungMan India]] going nuts and chanting “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” (followed by a tiny panel in the corner of Prussia with a “I’m so done with this place” look on his face no less).

* AmazinglyEmbarrasingParents: A lot of the quirkier rulers (and there are many), particularly in pre-modern times, are basically this to their realms/nations whenever their quirks show up; despite the fact that 99.99% of the time the nation/realm is much older. Especially if the realm/nation appears to be younger-looking, with the nation/realm being just as likely to act like an embarrassed parent if older-looking. The “Misadventures At The Top” fic compilation is basically just eccentric rulers being eccentric and embarrassing their nations/realms. Though it also serves as lighthearted respite as many of these are remembered fondly by the nation themselves.

** Exploited by Prussia when raising Germany. Germany, already basically a product of German nationalism, was probably predisposed to at least some chauvinism already; but to reinforce it, as a general exercise in dehumanization, and because Prussia just plain despised Poles, it's shown that Prussia basically forced Posen (their partition of Poland, who has now been split into three people (pending)) to become Germany's personal ButtMonkey both via neglect and deliberately when he was very young, encouraging abuse towards him and treating him like a pet, telling Germany that "Poles are savages. They aren't like us." as justification for this. However, probably due to being a nation, it's shown that this conditioning hadn't made Germany entirely impervious to the suffering of those he was told to dehumanize, as he was rather [[EveryoneHasStandards horrified]] when he heard about the colonial genocides in Africa and the mass-expulsion of Poles with foreign citizenship by Prussia; being told those things and actually seeing it actually kill people were two different things, apparently. Though Prussia slaps and eviscerates him verbally for this.

* TheAtoner: Germany, starting from around the 60s or so, full stop. He has the distinction of being one of the few characters to acknowledge and repent for what he has done, and in modern day gives nowhere near the militaristic impressions canon Germany gives, [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange wearing his hair down]] and muscle-concealing clothing, making efforts to not get angry at others, and keep his humility in check. He's one of the few characters who can be called genuinely, completely good in modern day, and tries harder than anyone to be kind, to the point of being a bit of a bleeding-heart. Anything, so he doesn't [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany repeat his past]], and he intends on always keeping this burden with him, even for "a thousand years". He has tried so hard to better himself that calling him a [[AllGermansAreNazis Nazi]] is one of the easiest ways to break him. He is even apprehensive about waving his flag for any reason outside of soccer, and even then France notes the small German flags in the trash after a match. It's even stated that the realization of his crimes has caused the mildly sociopathic instincts that all nations tend to have to be blocked, despite the fact that previously he showed a strong tendency towards them.

---> Prussia: *slowly facepalms as Brandenburg looks sheepish* Your Highness, you’re not helping the rumors of you being a sodomite.]]

* TheAtoner: Germany, starting from around the 60s or so, full stop. He has the distinction of being one of the few characters to acknowledge and repent for what he has done, and gives nowhere near the militaristic impressions canon Germany gives, [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange wearing his hair down]] and muscle-concealing clothing, making efforts to not get angry at others, and keep his humility in check. He's one of the few characters who can be called genuinely, completely good in modern day, and tries harder than anyone to be kind, to the point of being a bit of a bleeding-heart. Anything, so he doesn't [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany repeat his past]], and he intends on always keeping this burden with him, even for "a thousand years". He has tried so hard to better himself that calling him a [[AllGermansAreNazis Nazi]] is one of the easiest ways to break him. He is even apprehensive about waving his flag for any reason outside of soccer, and even then France notes the small German flags in the trash after a match.

* ButtMonkey: Poor Italy is a bit of this during the WWII arc, as well as some vaguely canon short comedic one-shots. He’s obviously in over his head, being subjected to stuff like wearing shoes with cardboard soles while invading the Soviet Union in winter, his tanks breaking down at the most inopportune moments, or chronic supply and resource shortage even by Axis standards, cursed with his usual clumsiness and fumbling with his guns and tripping mid-charge, and unlike canon Italy doesn’t even have the friendship of the other Axis members, Germany in fact blaming a lot of failures on him even when Italy actually does something right; their alliance can be described as abusive at worst. Though the audience is also made to feel sorry for his sorry state.

** Also of note is that Italy is incredibly reluctant about turning in Jews, even when he's a devoted Fascist.

* FiveManBand:
** The most prominent members of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (while other members exist, these are the most consistent and most often featured together) :
*** TheLeader: Poland (headstrong)
*** TheLancer: Lithuania
*** TheSmartGuy: David (While an on-and-off member, he may as well be a member with how the plurality of his time is spent here and how often he is written as if he's part of it)
*** TheBigGuy: Lipka (Not in the traditional sense, being an archer and all, but she not only is basically Lithuania's bodyguard, or at least starts as such, but she has the mentality of this character type)
*** TheChick: Natallia/Byelorussia

** The author often averts this when a non-English speaking nation curses in a more lighthearted entry, directly translating swears, idioms, or interjections that sound silly in English just for RuleOfFunny, resulting in China calling a pedestrian he almost runs over a "son of a turtle", Argentina [[LargeHam dramatically]] shouting at Chile he hopes he gets fucked by a fish, Serbia angrily shouting "fuck your blood!" after Croatia... or any curse word Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, or Bosnia says when translated for that matter. [[SirSwearsALot And they do. A lot.]] For less vulgar ones, there's things like Poland expressing surprise by saying "By St. Hyacinth and his pierogis..." instead of his standard "kurwa" (unfortunately he doesn't say it much anymore), or the myriad of GoshDangItToHeck-esque swears Lithuania and Latvia used for most of their life if the need arose (e.g. "Green Rue!" and "Gritty Flour!").

* TheKlutz: Italy is much less of a [[TheDitz Ditz]]... but almost as if to make up for it he’s at least half as clumsy if not more. He loses things, is very inefficient, can barely hold something without at least fumbling with it a bit, trips anywhere one could conceivably trip, and in one of the official chibi sprites, which are supposed to be representative of the character, papers are falling from his arms as he fumbles with them and runs. If he isn’t 100% invested in something, chances are the results are going to be extremely sloppy - though when he is (e.g. his looks, cooking, art, preserving his independence), the results can be truly impressive.

** Eye color changes also occasionally happen with those with normal eye colors; most commonly green eyes, due to their rarity in real life. Lithuania for example goes from having green eyes to blue, and Spain, Portugal, South Italy, Greece, and Egypt all go from having various shades of green eyes to hazel. Then there are more subtle ones like Estonia having greyish eyes much like Finland or Lichtenstein having more of a dull green shade than the bright teal she has in canon, and Poland’s formerly bright jade eyes also being more dull (These except for the hazel eyes and Poland are also pending).

** Poland gets this treatment sometimes; more commonly in modern day/contemporary stories, but occasionally even Commonwealth Poland can occasionally have very bad luck just due to his potential for extremely over-the-top reactions.

** The author often averts this when a non-English speaking nation curses in a more lighthearted entry, directly translating swears, idioms, or interjections that sound silly in English just for RuleOfFunny, resulting in China calling a pedestrian he almost runs over a "son of a turtle", Argentina [[LargeHam dramatically]] shouting at Chile he hopes he gets fucked by a fish, Serbia angrily shouting "fuck your blood!" after Croatia... or any curse word Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, or Bosnia says when translated for that matter. [[SirSwearsALot And they do. A lot.]] For less vulgar ones, there's things like Poland expressing surprise by saying "By St. Hyacinth and his pierogis..." instead of his standard "kurwa" (unfortunately he doesn't say it much anymore).

* CloudcuckooLander: All of the micronations to some extent, as they're as eccentric as their creators, and are given more leeway to be so. Though many come off as just having innocent childhood fun and imaginations; and then there's those who show a more anarchic or loony bent, often confusing the more innocent ones. The former are more likely to inspire amusement (or even slight envy) at their innocence than the latter.

* DenserAndWackier: The micronations. Most of them are pretty cartoony, usually having a very strong "quirk" to define them (e.g. Kugelmugel and Ladonia are [[EccentricArtist artists]], Other World Kingdom is a {{Dominatrix}} and the TokenAdult, and Hay-on-Waye is a {{Bookworm}}, plus the many anarchic ones), even more so since they understandably only occasionally are shown, mostly as a BreatherEpisode. They resemble early canon Hetalia characters quite a bit in this way, and their DayInTheLimelight episodes are also almost always this, which coming from normal Alt-talia can be a bit jarring even if the main story, especially the more humorous entries, can have pretty cartoony moments. Downplayed for the major out of them, Sealand, who is basically a rebellious young boy with a super active imagination, but compared to canon he isn't as obnoxious about wanting to be recognized, as he doesn't care that no one recognizes him as a country, saying he's confident enough in himself to not need outside validation... or so he states. However, there was a time where micronations created in response to actual issues are shown, and while they're still very quirky the issues are treated seriously (pending).

* BlackComedyRape: If something is from [[CardCarryingVillain The Great Khanate/Mongol Empire’s]] POV, her doing... unpleasant things with some unfortunate man may be mentioned casually.

* CloudcuckooLander: All of the micronations to some extent, as they're as eccentric as their creators, and are given more leeway to be so. Though many come off as just having innocent childhood fun and imaginations; and then there's those who show a more anarchic or loony bent, often confusing the more innocent ones.

** However, there are two groups that have many exceptions to this; Micronations, particularly the "quirky" ones like Sealand, Molossia, or Aerica (as opposed to the explicitly anarchic ones, who might act more like edgy teenagers instead, some like Christiania casually using drugs. Though Sealand does have shades of being anarchic, he usually doesn't take it this far. He's genuinely confused and horrified when learning that he's been used as part of a criminal crime right without knowing it), and egg-nations, who all act decidedly like little children as their appearances suggest. Which make them being thrust into nationhood usually traumatic. Japan also exploits the innocence of egg nations by trying to brainwash Hyun and Yong-Soo, though the former already is starting to show nation-like behavior.

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still admits that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy" despite its significance and sentimental value to him; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), according to Poland "Can tell a damn good tale to chill the nerves", very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Franchise/HannibalLecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive and alright with [[KidsAreCruel doing some very brutal things as children]], including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending). He’s also shown to like snakes due to their old association with life and rebirth in his youth, and shocks Belarus by keeping one under their bed for good fortune.

** And then there’s Latvia. Despite seeming to be merely a somewhat rough around the edges, if sort of shy mix between a streetwise, brawl-loving kid and country bumpkin, like his canon self he has occasional moments of weird behavior or creepy statements; including working at a hotel where he gets to act as an abusive prison warden and his fascination with his pagan past, his face apparently lighting up as he talks about the creepy things the old spirits got up to at a camping trip held to commemorate the former Eastern Bloc’s entry into the EU.

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still admits that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy" despite its significance and sentimental value to him; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), according to Poland "Can tell a damn good tale to chill the nerves", very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Franchise/HannibalLecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive and alright with [[KidsAreCruel doing some very brutal things as children]], including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending).

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still admits that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy" despite its significance and sentimental value to him; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), according to Poland "Can tell a damn good story to chill the nerves", very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Franchise/HannibalLecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive and alright with [[KidsAreCruel doing some very brutal things as children]], including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending).

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still admits that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy" despite its significance and sentimental value to him; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), according to Poland "Can tell a damn good story to chill the nerves", very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Franchise/HannibalLecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive and alright with [[KidsAreCruel doing some very brutal things as children]], including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending). Though as a child he comes across as more of this, gleefully talking about sacrifices and how the demons of the forest would inflict AFateWorseThanDeath on the Teutonic Order (on top of the above-mentioned “Cooking a knight in his armor” episode).

It is also extremely different in tone, being usually ''much'' DarkerAndEdgier. more on the cynical side of SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism and a serious drama with focus on historical accuracy, nuanced explanation of modern international relations, and to a lesser extent cultural discussion, or at least as accurately as possible. It is a series of stories told through both individual, stand-alone fics and massive "event arcs". The author especially places weight on character motivation, writing under the philosophy that as bleak as the world can seem, people rarely commit acts out of pure malice, but more often because of what they think is right; "[[Franchise/EvilliousChronicles Everyone is searching for their own utopia]]".

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Or rather, straight-up rewriting would be more accurate. At least half of the cast that is a holdover from canon is altered in some major way, many of them straight-up inverted due to initial inaccuracy. [[TheDitz Italy]] is a [[DeadpanSnarker sharp-tongued]], argumentative loudmouth, [[StepfordSmiler Russia]] rarely smiles, [[{{Tsundere}} England]] is the epitome of StiffUpperLip, [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling South Korea]] is a troubled, stressed, [[ThePerfectionist incredibly perfectionistic]] young man, and so on. There's so many of these changes to characters that another page is probably needed to list them all. Even those that do remain similar to their canon counterparts on the surface like America have changes, especially due to the shift in tone. The author also likes going out of her way to highlight these changes. This results in scenes like Italy laying thick TrashTalk on Germany during a football game, Poland making RatedMForManly statements like “A REAL man _!” and calling Italy gay for fussing over his messy appearance, Russia being freaked out over others smiling at each other, Finland and Lithuania lashing out at Sweden and Poland respectively, Sweden calling Finland a redneck, or Prussia telling Austria that his smile is annoying and Austria proceeding to annoy him further, that are often initially extremely surreal to read for Hetalia fans going in blind (or even those with prior knowledge for that matter).

* AgeLift: The nations of course are often old by human standards, but physically they have a set “age”. These are changed for many characters in this canon, most being aged up; in modern day, England/Arthur Kirkland and France/Francis Bonnelfey are physically in their early to mid [=30s=], America/Alfred F. Jones is in his mid to late-[=20s=], and there are also many minor ones like South Korea/Yong-Soo Lee being 17 instead of 15, and Latvia being 18 instead of 15. Prussia/Gilbert Beildshmidt is physically in his late [=20s=] by the time Germany is born, and is shown aging beyond that. Though there are also those who are somewhat aged down, like Greece/Herakles Korais, who is 20. Then there are also very major ones like Moldova/Aurel being 18 instead of 10, most of the micronations being aged down to children around or under Sealand’s age, and Holy Roman Empire, who is depicted to be a teenager at oldest in canon, being depicted aging rapidly and even going senile.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Or rather, straight-up rewriting would be more accurate. At least half of the cast that is a holdover from canon is altered in some major way, many of them straight-up inverted due to initial inaccuracy. [[TheDitz Italy]] is a [[DeadpanSnarker sharp-tongued]], argumentative loudmouth, [[StepfordSmiler Russia]] rarely smiles, [[{{Tsundere}} England]] is the epitome of StiffUpperLip, [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling South Korea]] is a troubled, stressed, [[ThePerfectionist incredibly perfectionistic]] young man, and so on. There's so many of these changes to characters that another page is probably needed to list them all. Even those that do remain similar to their canon counterparts on the surface like America have a lot of changes, especially due to the shift in tone.

* AmbiguousInnocence: Some of the TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior is said to be attributed to this in a way, as when, say, nations in the Middle Ages were children such things were acceptable and they didn't know any better. Though they seem more aware of how monarchy works than children should be.

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still says that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy"; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), according to Poland "Can tell a damn good story to chill the nerves", very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Franchise/HannibalLecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem blissfully ignorant to [[KidsAreCruel how horrific the stuff they did as a child were]], or at least weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive at the time, including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending). Though as a child he comes across as more of this, gleefully talking about sacrifices and how the demons of the forest would inflict AFateWorseThanDeath on the Teutonic Order (on top of the above-mentioned “Cooking a knight in his armor” episode).

---> [[spoiker:Prussia: *eye twitching*]]

---> [[spoiker:Frederick: They can believe what they want to believe.]]

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still says that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy"; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), according to Poland "Can tell a damn good story to chill the nerves", very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Hannibal Lecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem blissfully ignorant to [[KidsAreCruel how horrific the stuff they did as a child were]], or at least weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive at the time, including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending). Though as a child he comes across as more of this, gleefully talking about sacrifices and how the demons of the forest would inflict AFateWorseThanDeath on the Teutonic Order (on top of the above-mentioned “Cooking a knight in his armor” episode).

* CardCarryingVillain: Hello, Mongol Empire. [[BloodKnight Her sheer revelry in bloodshed]] even by medieval standards can CrossTheLineTwice due to how unapologetic she is, instead of falling into the contradictory self-defense arguments that appear often later.

* NightmareFetishist:
** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is, complimenting his somewhat dark, mysterious aura, his occasionally coming off as a bit weird and ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus, his ex-wife, was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still says that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy"; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shaking like a leaf), very much enjoys the fact that he was chosen as Hannibal Lecter's homeland (though this may also have to do with the fact that he got noticed), and has come to humor the fact that he has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. He also happily recalls that time he [[CruelAndUnusualDeath literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor]] (then again a lot of nations seem blissfully ignorant to [[KidsAreCruel how horrific the stuff they did as a child were]], or at least weirdly accepting and at peace with the fact that they were more naive at the time, including and especially the usually sweet-natured Nordics). Also despite the trauma of the Soviet Union, the pain of which was very much genuine and real, he thinks the idea of a genuine KGB experience camp sounds like something people would enjoy and that he wants to share. [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant He doesn’t even realize how weird it is until Poland points it out]] (pending). Though as a child he comes across as more of this, gleefully talking about sacrifices and how the demons of the forest would inflict AFateWorseThanDeath on the Teutonic Order (on top of the above-mentioned “Cooking a knight in his armor” episode).

** Really downplayed example, but one of the things which differentiates this canon's Lithuania from the [[OnlySaneMan canon version]] is his occasionally coming off as ever so slightly creepy (which means, ironically, that now he's the creepy one while Belarus was one of the more well put together of the Eastern Bloc, while the opposite was true in canon). For one, he has a dimly-lit room full of grotesque pagan and Catholic paraphernalia from his childhood/youth that he says puts him at ease (though he still says that his iconic Hill of Crosses is "a bit creepy"; though note, this is while Ukraine is huddled on his arm and shivering) and likes the fact that he was chosen as Hannibal Lecter's homeland. He also positively recalls that time he literally cooked a Teutonic Knight alive in his armor (then again a lot of nations seem blissfully ignorant to [[KidsAreCruel how horrific the stuff they did as a child were]], or at least weirdly accepting that they were more naive at the time). (pending)

** Poland gets this treatment sometimes; more commonly in modern day/contemporary stories, but occasionally even Commonwealth Poland can have very bad luck.
* BlackComedyRape: If something is from [[CardCarryingVillain The Great Khanate/Mongol Empire’s]] POV, her doing... unpleasant things with some unfortunate man may mentioned casually.

** Rivaling her is her ex-husband Lithuania. He might not drink ''quite'' as much as some others, but he's still very much up there, and he apparently binge drinks quite often as well. Transitioning to a capitalist system wasn't quite easy for him, and when his emotional state was finally starting to improve the 2008 recession hit and bought it crashing down again.
** Of course, [[VodkaDrunkinski Russia]] is a pretty massive alcoholic; however, he is notable for it as his problems with booze are emphasized a bit more; he basically grew up an addict since childhood, so much so that his Czars started taxing booze. In at least one AllThereInTheManual prompt, he describes it as a family problem, though his sisters only really started sharing their brother's habit after Russia annexed them, and even then by virtue of being women they weren't as bad. While many do try to remedy this, it always hardly worked in the long term, usually only earning them his resentment for their efforts. In the desperate times of the 90s, he actually resorts to aftershave and rubbing alcohol as serious withdrawal symptoms compound his anemia and other health issues. Oh yeah, and he's basically a [[JustForPun Russian Roulette]] of drunkenness, as at times he can be a really sentimental drunk, a happy drunk who acts more like his canon counterpart if your're lucky (very rare)... or become ''[[OhCrap terrifyingly violent]]''. And he can go from the former to the latter in a heartbeat. And Poland, David, Lithuania, Estonia, and even Belarus are shown to get the brunt of these rages directed at them in brutal fashion. ...However, in the most modern day stories, it's shown that he's finally starting to kick the habit, as indeed alcoholism rates steeply declined in the 2010s thanks to legislation.
** Finland must be mentioned again; even at the physical age of 12 while living under Sweden, he was infamous for his drinking habits that could put Russia to shame. He's a major reason why Sweden started imposing restrictions on booze during the later parts of his empire. He actually ''did'' recognize he had a problem however, and try to remedy this, enacting a prohibition law soon after gaining independence that he had been considering for ages (which he never got to enact because of Russia's intervention)... [[GoneHorriblyWrong and it backfired horribly]] as he starts experiencing withdrawal immediately. And unlike Russia, he really can't seem to kick the habit, though nowadays he's become progressively more NeverGetsDrunk (whereas in the postwar era his drunken rages could scare poor Aland into staying under the table for hours).
** South Korea/Yong-Soo Lee, despite by physical age (17) not being allowed to drink legally, also shows some signs of this. He's more of a social drinker, but he apparently grows a bit restless if he goes two days without soju; which, note, is basically GargleBlaster.

** North Korea (along with other North Koreans) often speaks like this, plus a few {{Perfectly Cromulent Word}}s for new words, and the narration often gains a few shades of it as well when focusing on him. The whole Korea family used to talk like this until as late as the =[1950s=] (leading to the strange circumstance of Yong as a child having more flowery vocabulary than he does now), but South has dropped it since then, leaving only North speaking like an old man. The writer has stated this is one of the reasons why she loves writing him so much. This also has the effect of adding to his... overall unsettling-ness. This is, in fact, TruthInTelevision, as North Korean is in fact more dated and archaic than South Korean due to a dedication to language purity. North doesn’t have much of an accent though, unlike most North Koreans, probably so that his speech isn’t incomprehensible.
* TheAtoner: Germany, starting from around the 70s or so, full stop. He has the distinction of being one of the few characters to acknowledge and repent for what he has done, and gives nowhere near the militaristic impressions canon Germany gives, [[ExpositoryHairstyleChange wearing his hair down]] and muscle-concealing clothing, making efforts to not get angry at others, and keep his humility in check. He's one of the few characters who can be called genuinely, completely good in modern day, and tries harder than anyone to be kind, to the point of being a bit of a bleeding-heart. Anything, so he doesn't [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany repeat his past]], and he intends on always keeping this burden with him, even for "a thousand years". He has tried so hard to better himself that calling him a [[AllGermansAreNazis Nazi]] is one of the easiest ways to break him. He is even apprehensive about waving his flag for any reason outside of soccer, and even then France notes the small German flags in the trash after a match.

** Poland; specifically Commonwealth Poland. ''And how''. In contrast to his rather feminine personality in canon, and despite his slender appearance, Commonwealth Feliks is pretty much the archetypical example of this trope; loads of ham, an open heart, an ego the size of Jupiter, clothing that pretty much was woven from RuleOfCool, and a fondness for big feasts and drunken fights. Though his ego proves to be his downfall as well.

* ButtMonkey: Poor Italy is a bit of this during the WWII arc, as well as the vaguely canon short comedic one-shots. He’s obviously in over his head, being subjected to stuff like wearing shoes with cardboard soles while invading the Soviet Union in winter, his tanks breaking down at the most inopportune moments, or chronic supply and resource shortage even by Axis standards, fumbling with his guns and tripping mid-charge, and unlike canon Italy doesn’t even have the friendship of the other Axis members, Germany in fact blaming a lot of failures on him even when Italy actually does something right; their alliance can be described as abusive at worst. Though the audience is also made to feel sorry for his sorry state.

** DudeMagnet: In one of the stories written pre-release in which [[GenderBender Marianne]] is used instead of Francis to represent France, it’s shown that most of Europe finds her hot, though not to the cartoony extent of a Hello Nurse character for all of them (with some exceptions like England, though even he begrudgingly accepts some of her traits are worth envying), [[FemmeFatale which she isn’t afraid to use]].

** Russia. Particularly when it comes to weird weapons and tactics.

* DraggedIntoDrag: One of Russia’s empresses, Elizaveta (not to be confused with Hungary, who is now Erzsébet), on top of her over-the-top parties, throws crossdressing balls; and had a giant sack-back gown tailor made just for poor, teenage Russia to wear to these like a little girl forcing her brother to role-play a tea party with her. Note, he’s a pretty traditionally masculine character and remains consistently so. And yes, other nations laugh at his expense for it. In Bons Baisers De Russie, Russia has the misfortune of her telling Marianne “Oh, he loves putting it on!”. Though despite this humiliation and her other eccentricities, he remembers her fondly for not being horrifically abusive or neglectful.

* DraggedIntoDrag: One of Russia’s empresses, Elizaveta (not to be confused with Hungary, who is now Erzsébet), on top of her over-the-top parties, throws crossdressing balls; and had a giant sack-back gown tailor made just for poor, teenage Russia to wear to these. In Bons Baisers De Russie, Russia has the misfortune of her telling Marianne “Oh, he loves putting it on!”. Though despite this and her other eccentricities, he remembers her fondly for not being horrifically abusive or neglectful.

* RussianGuySuffersMost: Russia, of course. Though unlike in canon where he becomes a StepfordSmiler, here he becomes hardened, cynical, and pretty much a PerpetualFrowner. He also believes that SufferingBuildsCharacter, so it's kind of a self-fulfilling thing as well, especially when he was more religious.

* GermanicDepressives: Germany, of course; he tends to be pessimistic, a complainer, and and rather worry-prone. However, it’s actually a bit downplayed, especially since his younger years, and in modern day he even isn’t that much of a {{Workaholic}}, seeing rest as an essential part of being a hard worker. And even when he was younger, he didn’t epitomize this trope as much as Prussia, who in this canon has NoSenseOfHumor, is almost a PerpetualFrowner, and once England even remarks he questions if Prussia even has a soul.
* GreyOnGreyMorality: Usually morality functions like this, maybe one side might be darker and the other lighter, but this was one of the goals of the series. Though if narrowed down to specific events, you might get more BlackOnGreyMorality situations like World War II, where the Axis are the clear villains but many of the Allies are also shown to engage in unsavory tactics, and have a history of doing so. Even many of the more innocent-seeming characters have probably done something awful in the past.
* HatesTheirParent: Germany, for a good while after coming to terms with the war, denounces Prussia, seeing his parenting as a major reason for him going down the dark path he did. The Allies told him such, citing him being the source of German materialism as their reason for finally killing him. After the turn of the 21st century though, he starts to see him in a more nuanced light. While Germany still doesn’t think his father raised him right, he recognizes why he did so, why he thought the way he did, and how he had a side that wasn’t just militarism.

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: America genuinely wants to be a beacon for democracy, the shining city upon a hill others can aspire to be, to help others. However, even after two MyGodWhatHaveIDone moments (one after the Philippine-American War, the other after the Vietnam War), he always finds himself getting into wars and playing manipulative games to further these supposed goals which only go against said goals, with many dictatorships and terrorist groups having sprouted up thanks to him, having to be “friends” with allies like Saudi Arabia who go terribly against his values, and alienating the very nations he was trying to help with his post-9/11 RoaringRampageOfRevenge, killing thousands without much to show for it. In the most modern stories he’s going through his third disillusionment, albeit one less extreme than before; however, it’s here he comes to realize that he’s become so intertwined with everything he can’t just pull out of things when they go south, and has to keep on beating problems down until they hopefully disappear.
** Oh Poland, oh Poland... back in his height, he used to take pride in his religious tolerance and diversity, making it a point that he thought all were God’s children regardless of faith. This starts to slip as his condition starts to deteriorate, but right before partition he tries his damndest to reclaim this; after partition his three parts pursue more liberal nationalism, fighting alongside everyone in the PLC, and thanks to that David always sided with him. He becomes the SpannerInTheWorks to the empires occupying him, and as such Russia and Prussia try their damndest to snuff his culture, language, religion, and identity out, being regularly abused and beaten, in the case of Posen being used to train Germany and be the kid’s plaything, which only causes him to double down. However, somewhere along the line his nationalism turned toxic and authoritarian; after he gains independence, one of the first things he does is try to force the same kind of assimilation policy on Belarusians and Ukrainians, and relations between him and David become extremely uncertain. In modern day he’s probably one of the more intolerant members of the EU and seems to value his own pride over democracy as well. While he’s still as stubborn and proud as ever, he seems to have forgotten what he stood for, though there are signs that he might be changing.

** [[BetaCouple Lithuania and Belarus]] actually get married in this universe after the latter is absorbed into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Pending), and ironically they’re probably the only completely, undoubtedly healthy couple in the series during their first marriage, despite essentially [[PuppyLove getting together as children]]. Their marriage lasts pretty long too.

* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Gender inverted, and inverted from canon, is a platonic example; the loudmouthed, extremely opinionated, [[BrutalHonesty brutally honest]] Netherlands, and the more reserved, poised, more phlegmatic Belgium. The former is often described as arrogant despite his tolerant reputation (to which he usually responds along the lines of "What? Why don't you state your opinion then?"; his general life philosophy can basically be described as "Everyone has the right to shout their opinion at the top of their lungs."), while the latter is sometimes called "boring" (something she wouldn't disagree with), though she seems to have her head in the clouds at times. Belgium also lacks in nationalism and has always been more willing to make concessions to others, though unlike the “passive” halves of other passive sibling-assertive sibling combinations in the series like Belarus and Ukraine or Macau and Hong Kong, Belgium still had enough independence to fight for it against the Netherlands. In all official art of them in casual attire the former wears bright, eye-catching colors and sharp fashion, something which is pointed out from time to time (making him resemble early fanon more), while Belgium wears way more neutral, muted browns or greys.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In contrast to canon, in WWII Italy only really allied with Germany because they had goals that didn't get in each others' way and that could possibly benefit each other, and even then he wasn't exactly gung-ho about it; he's the only one of the big three in the Axis who realizes that the war is pointless, Mussolini is an idiot, and that Germany and Japan are idiots for thinking they have any chance whatsoever and thinking they're on some grand mission, and gets the hell out as soon as he can. Germany has to force him to stay in a... pretty unsettling way. The rest of his family pretty much has the same idea, Sicily and Neapolitano/Lavinio being the first to jump ship before anyone.
** Russia in WWI throws two revolutions and cedes much of his associates just to get out of it.

** Poor Charles V finally has enough and abdicates, all but saying this word for word.

** Ukraine and Belarus; in this canon, while both are women who don’t smile much, Ukraine is the more rebellious, passionate, strong-willed idealist of the two sisters, preferring freedom and independence over order and stability, having a strong sense of self. Or rather, she sees her brother as someone who has been a magnet for misfortune for her, resents the fact that geopolitically she’s effectively a meatshield, and believes that distancing herself from him would entail more safety and stability in the long run. Meanwhile Belarus is sweet but passive, appears almost emotionless, preferring safety and stability over freedom and independence, as she doesn't think that she can change anything anyway, sticking with Russia both out of familial respect despite his at times unhealthy behavior and just in order to survive. Ukraine is fascinated by Europe and its promises and has traveled outside her land, but is way more likely to take extreme, almost irrational measures due to her passionate personality, while Belarus generally keeps to herself and tends to be afraid of change or any risk. Of course, this plays a major role in their modern dynamic, though it goes further back, with a similar dynamic being seen in the PLC era as well, even if Belarus isn't the super hopeless downer she is in modern day there.

** The author often averts this when a non-English speaking nation curses in a more lighthearted entry, directly translating swears or interjections that sound silly in English just for RuleOfFunny, resulting in China calling a pedestrian he almost runs over a "son of a turtle", Argentina [[LargeHam dramatically]] shouting at Chile he hopes he gets fucked by a fish, Serbia angrily shouting "fuck your blood!" after Croatia... or any curse word Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, or Bosnia says when translated for that matter. [[SirSwearsALot And they do. A lot.]] For less vulgar ones, there's things like Poland expressing surprise by saying "By St. Hyacinth and his pierogis..." instead of his standard "kurwa" (unfortunately he doesn't say it much anymore).

Several spinoffs are planned: ''My Stepbrother, My Enemy'', a crossover with ''Literature/AmericasStepbrotherAmericasEnemy'' starring America and an uncharacteristically idealistic tone more in-line with the author's other works, detailing America, his states, and his increasing allies' fight against the superstates of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''; ''DarthWiki/{{Evillious Chronicles x Alt-talia}}'' (or "Seven Deadly Sins"), which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, a human AU with the Alt-talia characters in the roles of Evillious characters more in-line with the main fics in terms of tone, as well as several others. There's also ''Feliksball'', which are simply Webcomic/{{Polandball}} comics drawn with Hetalia characters, occasionally uploaded on her DeviantArt account, erikatheraindeer. Another planned concept is ''DarthWiki/HetaliaEmblem'', a theoretical three-way ''Hetalia'' x ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' x ''[[https://world-flags.org/ World Flags]]'' fanmade crossover game (Hetalia characters, World Flags weapons, abilities and outfits, and Fire Emblem gameplay) with the distinction of being possibly one of the few works [=WannabeHistorian=] would ever think of using canon characterizations in. The stories which focus more on cultural differences, which often have a tone more in-line with canon Hetalia, are labeled under the "Culture Clash" series banner, and may be counted as separate.

* PowerfulPeopleAreSubs: According to WordOfGod, Germany/Ludwig is actually a bottom and even [[BrainsAndBondage at least a bit of a masochist]], as due to, on top of his already canonical apparent bondage fetish which is kept in this canon, his nationalism receptors being numbed, he doesn't like ruling or lording over others anymore, but his serious and reliable personality (and large population and economy) has made sure that he's unintentionally become the leader of Europe, making others accuse him of trying to gain leadership again, which of course tends to hurt him quite a bit; and before that point, he was basically raised to be domineering and merciless. Due to this, he apparently likes giving his theoretical partner full control and trust. Though this is only shown in practice in [[spoiler:the romance route of [[DarthWiki/{{Evillious Chronicles x Alt-talia}} The Key to Zorn]], a human AU, where Marianne initiates the kiss, pins him onto the bed, and the narration states that "And, for the first time in what seemed like forever, Ludwig fully gave himself to another"; as if to make it more clear, Marianne later jokes "To think that you were such an adorable little puppy last night!"]]. Though the author has also half-joked that due to her, erm, [[WeaknessTurnsHerOn preferences]], she kind of likes to think that all adult male characters she writes that she finds attractive are actually bottoms.

** Scotland’s broadsword. While it’s not like he uses it for his whole life, it’s definitely the most associated with him, and Anabla uses it in Evillious Chronicles x Alt-talia.