| “ | Freedom without laws means anarchy; laws without freedom means tyranny. So as much as they hate restrictions, they fear unlimited freedom. | ” |
— Tanya Degurechaff[5]
| ||
Tanya von Degurechaff is the main protagonist of Youjo Senki: The Saga of Tanya the Evil. Formerly a ruthless atheist salary man in modern-day Japan, he was reincarnated as a young orphan girl in an alternate war-torn world by a mysterious god-like entity known only as Being X.
In this new life, Tanya became a magically gifted Mage in the Empire's military at just nine years of age, quickly rising through the ranks due to her tactical genius, deadly efficiency, and unrelenting ambition. After graduating from the War College, she was granted the title of von[1].
Tanya is notorious throughout the continent for her cold-blooded combat prowess, earning many awards such as the Silver Wings Assault Medal[6], Field Assault Badge[7], and the Wound Badge[7]. Along with her many awards, she was put in charge of her own Mage Battalion known as the Imperial 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion.
Appearance
In her original life, Tanya was a tall middle-aged Japanese salary man with short dark hair, rectangular glasses, and a strict business demeanor. He had a good physique with broad shoulders and wore a typical suit and tie.
After reincarnation, Tanya becomes a young girl with a petite build, fair skin, blonde hair that is often tied up, and striking blue eyes that occasionally glow yellow with magical energy. Her appearance contrasts sharply with her brutal nature, with her face often described as beautiful and doll-like.
Most often, Tanya is wearing her military uniform accompanied by her Silver Wings Assault Medal. Her military uniform resembles a M1910 Feldrock (WW1 German Army Uniform), with its dark green coloring and red accents on the lining. During combat, she wears thicker and baggier clothes, sporting a high collar with fur lining. She also has on black gloves, a black vest with many pockets, and the Empire's Flight Gear. The Flight Gear contains a large black box with a red front and black iron cross that is strapped onto the front of the person and is connected to the leg brace on the right leg.
Personality
Tanya is a very complex character. In her past life, Tanya described herself as someone with many complexes and that he was twisted. She has both superiority and inferiority complexes, which is shown by how she compared herself to real geniuses she couldn't compete with, while also desired to be above others.
Psychopath
Tanya has a lot of sociopathic traits; cold, calculating, and often sees others as objects she can use to her advantage. This allowed her to rise rapidly through the ranks of her careers in both lives.
Tanya places her faith in numbers, following the Chicago School of Economy, which states that everything has a price. This could be seen from how effectively she picks and raises her subordinates to be a valuable human resource she can use. This also allows her to become a very efficient commander as she is both a decisive strategist and cunning tactician who is not hindered by her emotions.
Tanya also sees herself as a profitable human resource, doing everything to raise her value in the eyes of her superiors, which drives her to put up a front of the perfect soldier since her recruitment. This impresses and also unnerves her comrades, particularly Erich von Rerugen, who considers her a psychopath for her ruthlessness.
Sometimes, this trait also becomes a disadvantage to her, such as her lack of empathy that disables her from putting herself in other people's shoes. In particular, her lack of insight of possibility that the people she offended by her callous dismissals would take revenge on her.
Libertarian
She is also a libertarian, as it could be seen from her monologue about freedom of will and goal for a comfortable life in the rear. Something she had sought in previous life, too. This trait of personality is also the source of her frustration on how the Imperial Army treats their soldiers, in which mission is an absolute and she couldn't disobey even suicide missions. It's also why Tanya loathes Being-X for disrespecting her freedom and intending to convert her even against her will.
Paragon
Due to her faith in signaling theory, Tanya dons a mask of the perfect soldier. On the surface, Tanya is every bit what an Imperial soldier should strive to be. A harsh disciplinarian who still cares about the lives and safety of her troops. A stupendously powerful and brutal warrior that still adheres to international laws. A person with a sharp tactical mind, unflinching courage, and unquestionable loyalty to her country. An officer who nevertheless remains humble and respectful to even non-commissioned officers. A devout believer in religion who often calls upon God to bless her country. All of these would make her an inspirational figure, the fact that she is a young girl only makes the adults around her vow to work harder.
Tanya has an iron-clad belief in her ideology and methodology, which is also why she is oblivious of the fact that what she did in her previous life didn't give the same result in her current career and timeline. More often than not, she has assumed other soldiers would share her mindset, such as refusing to apply for a dangerous assignment, leading her to a series of failures in achieving her goal. While she did notice she didn't get the results she wanted, Tanya stubbornly believes her method isn't the reason.
Anime Version
Though the anime follows closely to the original source, it markedly highlights the brutal and cruel side of Tanya's character. This can be seen from a number of differences in her monologue and action. In the first episode, Tanya purposely arranges the death of two insubordinate soldiers under her, while in the original source, they are simply taken off of her platoon to prevent discord. She also behaves colder and distant towards Visha; as opposed to being delighted by her help during the recruitment period of the new mage battalion, she wishes she could have left Visha in the Rhine instead.
Abilities & Equipment
Physical Traits Capacity
As a child, Tanya didn't possess much physical strength. However, she is able to enhance her basic physical abilities through magical enhancement spells. This allows her to engage in proper close quarter combat and wield a rifle like any other soldier.
Air Warfare
Her movements are said to resemble a fairy dancing in the sky although most enemies only yell "Monster!" as she dodges all mana targeting spells. Her main tactics are focused on outmaneuvering her opponents, luring them into close quarters for her mage blade or mass elimination with single powerful spells. Air warfare may be conducted against other aircraft, against targets on the ground, and against targets on the water or beneath it. Air warfare is almost entirely a creation of the 20th century, in which it became a primary branch of military operations.
Prayer/Blessing/Gospel Magic
By using the Elenium Type 95 and praying to Being X, her eyes turn gold and her physical and mental psyche increases beyond the extent of a normal human. Moreover, she has increased accuracy and prediction in a shooting and is able to cast a high tier powerful explosive spell that could destroy a whole company. This, however, makes her suffer by having mental corruptions, and barely remembers what she did after. The rosary on her neck is the only equipment that prevents her from being corrupted permanently.
Tactics (Strategy and Planning)
Although she has an average record in planning and strategy, she has a special aptitude for analysis and critical thinking skills. Moreover, she can manipulate the plan according to her will. When Tanya gives orders to her subordinates, they can expect harsh punishments if they fail to comply.
Manipulator
Due to her extremely dangerous cuteness and small size, she can easily fool someone by using her skills, e.g. during her short conversation with previously ranked Captain Maximilian Johann von Ugar, by persuading him to drop in the selection of being one of the Twelve Knights during War College Arc. Also, she has an ability to fool anyone with her voice, e.g in the light novel, manga, and anime version (Episode 5), where she used her child voice during the bombing of the Dacian Capital.
Equipment
- Elenium Type 95 (seldom used)
- Elenium Type 97 (usually used)
- Mondragón Rifle (anime)
- Gewehr 43 (manga)
- SIG MKMS (after novel vol.2 ch.4 / anime episode 7 / manga chapter 25)
Quotes
- Catchphrase : "Curse you, Being X!"
- (Tanya to Visha): "If you have time for idle chatter, spend it doing all you can to survive---We are soldiers. If the brass tells us to do something, we do it."
- (Tanya to herself): "It's all... Being X's fault. Until I pound free-market principles into that piece of shit, I won't die, no matter what! I'm going to live... to live and... I'm going to end this!"
- (Tanya's Magic Ignition): "God save the Fatherland."
- (Tanya's second Magic Ignition): "Lord, if the day comes when I fly through the heavens. I shall approach thee!"
- (Tanya's Speech to her Battalion): "If there is a God who rules this world, it is a stern, solemn, and definitely a good being. A being that is far too great. God keeps forcing us to confront these cruel fates. As those were the rules of this world! Oh, God... I'll slice you into tiny pieces and feed you to the pigs! Our battlefield is no place for that piece of shit, God! I think it's time we took over God's work. We, soldiers, will take God's place. Put the arrogant ass, God, out of a job! All right troops... It's time for war!"
- (Tanya von Degurechaff, Analects of a Rhine Front Commander): "A shovel is an implement born of civilization, Hooray for civilization."
Trivia
- In the German dubbing of the anime her name has been translated as Tanya Degretschow.
- Tanya Degurechaff has been compared to the Fallen Hero of Germany Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a Red Baron. Both of them are considered as "Ace of Aces" during their own World War.
- The Assault Silver Wings medal, which was presented to Tanya, could be based on the 1939 Iron Cross with Oak and Gold Wings, Swords and Diamonds.
- Tanya Degurechaff's achievements have been compared to Erich Hartmann, known as "Black Devil," who was highly feared by the Allied forces and the Soviet Union. All of the pilots ranked as "Ace of Aces" were killed by him.
- Tanya's traits and missions seem to be inspired by Erwin Rommel during WW1, as both shared the same destination and both are known for their talent with commando operations in small units.
- Tanya was born on July 18. However, her adoptive birthday is on September 24.[8]
- The name Tanya has its origin as a Russian diminutive of TATIANA. It began to be used in the English-speaking world during the 1930s.
- In anime, her eyes are in the vivid shade of azure blue, but in Light Novel and Manga, her eyes are in icy shade almost silver.
- In the manga and light novel, she is shown to be worried about her growth and even consults a doctor. She is told her growth is stunted due to being malnourished as an orphan and rigorous training as a soldier.[9]
- The anime highlights the orphanage Tanya used to live as a very poor one and in a difficult situation to feed their children, while in the Light Novel, it's mentioned by Erich that according to his intel, her orphanage receives a hefty donation and their children are well-fed.
- Tanya currently holds the world record for max height reached by mages in combat standing at 12'000 feet, the average height is 6'000 with Republicans chasing her at 8'000 feet above sea level.[10]
- According to the LN and manga, she wrote her first thesis at age nine (titled The logistics behind a highly mobile war theatre) that the railroad department deeply recognized and desired to recruit her.[11]
- Tanya hates cigarettes and the smell of smokers.[12]
- She loves coffee, especially those made by Visha.[13]
- She likes sweets, mostly chocolates.
- Tanya once fought while being doped in magic, which can simulate a feeling of intoxication due to the magic canals being unrestricted.[1]
- Tanya has a total confirmed 62 kills and 32 assists since her recruitment, when being considered for War College.[14]
- In the Light novel, she is publicly known by 3 names: White Silver as described by the front line troops, her official alias and what the front line troops think she especially after the aide she provides, Mad Dog by imperial command, mainly due to the amount of trouble she causes them, and The Devil of The Rhine, because she happily laughs and dances in the sky when she kills her enemies. These 3 were combined to give her a new nickname, Rusted Silver. This is because when blood dries up, it gives a colour similar to silver oxide (silver rust) in solution.
Reference
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Deus lo Vult - Chapter I: The Sky over Norden
- ↑ Deus lo Vult - Chapter III: The Watch/Guard on the Rhine
- ↑ Deus lo Vult - Chapter IV: War College
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Deus lo Vult - Chapter V: The Primeval Battalion
- ↑ Deus lo Vult - Chapter 0: Prologue
- ↑ Deus lo Vult - Chapter II: The Elinium Type 95 Computation Orb
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Viribus Unitis - Chapter IV: Value Verification
- ↑ Deus lo vult - Chapter 0 Prologue; Plus Ultra - Chapter I Dacian war
- ↑ Deus lo vult - Chapter V Primeval Battalion
- ↑ Deus lo vult - Chapter III The Watch/Guard On The Rhine
- ↑ Deus lo vult - Chapter IV War College
- ↑ Plus Ultra - Chapter III Norden II
- ↑ Abyssus abyssum invocat - Chapter V Timeout
- ↑ Deus lo vult - Chapter IV War College