Hilda

Hilda
Biographical information
Given name	Hilda
Nickname(s)	"Hot Ice" Hilda Rachel Sweet
Age	21
Blood Type	AB
Species	Terran
Planet	N/A
Physical description
Hair	Black
Eyes	Yellow
Height	5'9" (175 cm)
Weight	132 (60 kg)
Career information
Affiliation	Outlaw
Occupation	Con Artist Thief
Business Partner(s)	Swanzo Mikey Marx O'Malley
Ship	Horus
Weapons	Taser Pistol
Out-of-Universe information
First Manga appearance	Chapter 1: Fire & Ice
First Anime appearance	Outlaw World
English VA	Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Japanese VA	Toshiko Fujita

"No one's going to give you a map, you've gotta walk your own path."

—Hilda to Gene

"Hot Ice" Hilda (熱き氷のヒルダ, Atsuki Kōri no Hiruda^?) was an outlaw with an enigmatic life and a sworn enemy of the Kei Pirate Guild and the MacDougall brothers. Prior to landing on Sentinel III, she stole the prized possessions of the Kei pirates, the XGP 15A-II and a bio-android named "Melfina".

Biography

Pre-Series

Prior to the events to of Outlaw Star, Hilda earned the nickname "Hot Ice". The very mention of her in the company of pirates, Space Forces or other outlaws identifies her immediately, even among those who've never met her personally. At some point in her career as an outlaw, she made an enemy of the Kei pirates, a notorious Chinese pirate guild, whose reputation overshadows that of the Ban pirates. Alongside the Kei pirates, she also made an enemy of both the Space Forces and the MacDougall brothers, Ron and Harry.

Her feud with the Kei pirates came to a head when she killed one of their leaders. As a consequence, however, she lost her left arm and right eye. During her recovery, she replaced her lost limb with a cybernetic version, and plotted to pay them back for the damaged she sustained.

At some point, she heard of the union of Kei pirates and Space Forces that resulted in the creation of the XGP 15A-II and the bio-android they named "Melfina". In retaliation, Hilda stole Melfina and the XGP from under them before they could stop her. The Kei pirates pursued Hilda across space in an attempt to reclaim what was theirs. Prior or after she boarded her ship Horus, Hilda's cybernetic arm was severely damaged and in need of repair.

Landing on Sentinel III

Hilda's ship, Horus was nearly captured in space when the Kei pirate commander Soi Len and her subordinates, Roi Fong and Guugaku, cornered her with the help of their squadron of pirate cub fighters. In a risky move, Hilda activated Horus sub-ether driver and entered sub-ether space to escape. With nowhere to go, however, Hilda was forced to leave Horus in orbit and land on Sentinel III in her drop ship. There, she assumed the identity of a woman named Rachel Sweet, a young woman working for her father.

Rachel Sweet talks with Gene at Clyde's Bar.

As Rachel, she wandered the streets of Sentinel III in search of help. When she came across the aftermath of Gene Starwind's fight with Death Rob, she was detected again by the Kei pirates' android foot soldiers and forced to run for her life. She presumably killed the foot soldiers and, in the morning, contacted Starwind and Hawking for help. "Rachel" requested a bodyguard alongside bio-elements, nanotech and organic system parts for her damaged limb. Later that night she met with Gene at Clyde's Bar. When questioned about why she needed a bodyguard, Rachel admitted that she underestimated the dangers of the city. When their deal was made concrete.

During their wait, however, they were attacked by the Kei pirates' foot soldiers who threatened Gene to walk away from Rachel. Gene, however, objected and attacked them. He successfully managed to fend them off just as Jim arrived in his car. Rachel remained unassuming, as Gene and Jim discussed the incident in the alley, until her bodyguards were forced to stop before three Kei pirates demanding that Hilda reveal herself to them.

Knowing she was found out, Hilda threw a grenade and and ordered Gene to drive past them when it exploded. As they attempted to escape, Hilda revealed Rachel was a front, but her need for a bodyguard was legitimate. With Guugaku close in pursuit, Hilda took the wheel while Gene and Jim attempted to kill the pirate. Hilda was taken by surprise when Gene revealed a Caster gun and killed the Kei pirate with a single shot.

When they arrived to the wheat fields, Hilda lead them to a secluded farm and thanked Gene for his help by shooting him. Assuming Gene dead, Hilda held Jim at gunpoint and ordered him into the barn. Before Jim could do anything beyond revealing the suitcase, she was caught off guard by Gene (who had survived the shot due to Jim's computer in his pocket) holding a gun to her head. Demanding to know what was in the case, Hilda gave them the code: "VSD02C". The case opened to reveal a naked girl, Melfina, and Hilda revealed that her arm needed repairs. While Jim worked on her arm, Hilda offered Gene vague responses to her history with the Kei pirate and told Gene to ask Melfina "herself" what she was doing the case when her resuscitation cycle was complete.

When the Kei pirates discovered their hiding place, Hilda and Jim went to retrieve her drop ship from the lake at the back of the farm building. Her drop ship emerged from the lake and she used its armament Jim and Gene time to retrieve Melfina and escape on the drop ship back to Horus.

Return to Blue Haven

After Horus made the jump to Blue Haven, Hilda noted Gene's fear of space. When she asked, however, he evaded the question with a vague answer. When they arrived in the docking area of the Haven, Hilda reunited with Swanzo and Mikey, two close acquaintances. Swanzo informs her that McCoy dropped out of helping her with the XGP and that the MacDougall brothers were looking for her. Further into the free town, Hilda attempts to pass the responsibility of getting Melfina clothes to Gene. Gene instead suggests that Jim deal with Melfina and he accompany her to run her errand.

She obliges the idea and the two head for the bar where the two talk over their next plan of action. Gene inquires what kind of job requires more than one person, Hilda tells him she's looking to pick up a "very special ship" strong enough to penetrate the ether sargasso. Gene connects the dots and realizes Hilda is talking about a grappler ship. Their conversation is interrupted by McCoy, who's reconsidered backing out of Hilda's plan.

Gene and Hilda after the confrontation with McCoy.

Hilda rejects his offer, and nearly crushes his hand when he refuses to leave her alone. Gene attempts to defend her, but Hilda dismisses him, revealing a taser. She uses the weapon against McCoy and his friends, stunning them. Angry, the thugs walk off, swearing vengeance. Confused by the idea that McCoy and his friends could be outlaws, Hilda tells him that the kind of outlaw varies like dim and bright stars.

Impressed by her prowess, Gene asks her what outlaw she is, Hilda openly inquires if he'd like to find out. The two sleep together and sometime during the night, share a heart-to-heart. Hilda admits that the road of an outlaw is lonely and sometimes she's merely appreciative of feeling a warm body next to her own.

Final confrontation

While they're asleep, McCoy's friends attempt to kill them in their beds. However, Hilda and Gene are prepared for their retribution and deal with them easily. McCoy enters the hotel in a mech suit with the intent to kill them. Gene uses paint rounds to obscure McCoy's vision in the mech, forcing him out into the open. Hilda comes up from behind and attacks him with her taser. With McCoy out of the way, Hilda learns from one of McCoy's men that the MacDougall brothers hired them to kill her or keep her in the hotel.

Realizing the situation has escalated, Hilda and the others return to the docking bay where Swanzo is waiting for them. When Swanzo asks what she's gotten into, Hilda admits she's searching for the Galactic Leyline. As Horus departs from Blue Haven, they are chased by five grappler ships led by McCoy. Hilda evades them while Jim and Melfina use the laser canons to fend McCoy and his men off.

Nearly toward the exit of the asteroid field surrounding Blue Haven, Horus is confronted by the Ctarl-Ctarl ship, the Orta Hone Hone. Officer Aisha Clan-Clan of the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire demand that her ship be given the right of way, but Hilda uses her neutrality as an outlaw to maintain her course. The Orta Hone Hone is forced to change its course to allow Horus passage and Hilda is able to jump to sub-ether space and escape McCoy.

Momentarily out of danger, when he asks, Hilda explains that the Galactic Leyline is a "treasure" that the Kei pirates are desperate to find, so naturally she wants to get it before they do. Jumping back out of sup-ether space, Hilda attempts to hail her partners, Marx and O'Melly, but receives no answer. Upon discovering debris, Horus confirms one part of the debris belong to the ships formally known as the Leprechaun and the Purgatory. The group soon spots the Kei pirate ship belonging to Soi Len approaching. Realizing the the pirates have killed her friends, Hilda continues with the original plan without Marx and O'Malley anf gets ready to fight her way through the approaching cub fighters.

When Gene refuses to cooperate with her, she demands to know how long he intends to keep "running away" from his past. Put on the spot, Gene denies that he's running and mans the gunner chair as she ordered. When Horus fights its way through the pirates, they escape unaware that Horus has been branded with a tracking spell by Roi Fong.

Gilliam II registers Hilda as a crewmember of the XGP.

They arrive to the planet, Farfallas, with no further complications and board when Horus is safely anchored to the surface. Inside the asteroid, Hilda introduces them to the XGP 15A-II, the ship build by the minds of the pirates and Space Forces. Aboard the ship, Hilda activates the ship A.I., Gilliam II. When the computer inquires whether or not he could search for records of the ship's crew, Hilda tells him that they are the crew and that he obey them. Hilda attempts to name the ship, but is interrupted by an attack from the Kei pirates.

Frustrated, she returns to Horus and defends the XGP while Gene prepares it for launch. Though she uses the asteroid as a shield against the Kei pirates, her fight with them is made worse when Soi Len detaches the grappler module from her ship and captures Horus. The situation turns even more dire with the arrival of the MacDougall brothers, who intend to destroy the XGP, Hilda and the pirates on the order of their other client (the Space forces). The MacDougall brothers depart when they assume the Helicon missile they fired into the asteroid doomed Hilda and the pirates to the gravity well of Farfallas.

On Horus, stuck in a free fall toward the planet, Hilda attempts to hail Gene and Melfina on the XGP's radio. She assumes the worst until the ship's grappler arms shatters the asteroid and and they break free of the gravity well. Unable to do so in Horus Hilda abandons the ship in the drop ship. She is able to break free of the gravity well and demand that Gene grab her with one of the grappler arms.

Hilda attempts to kill Soi Len.

She's nearly within arms reach when the anchor from the Kei pirate ship knocks her away from the XGP and back down into the gravity well. Unable to save the drop ship, Hilda regrettably leaves Horus behind and using a hook to climb the tether of the Kei pirate ship's hook.

During the climb she is attacked by Soi Len, the leader and only surviving member of the pirates left. Hilda tries desperately to hit Soi Lin with her gun, but to no avail for the commander is encased within a powerful Tao shield and soon a blast from the pirate's Tao Magic snaps the hook's tether and they're both send careening towards Farfallas. Knowing Gene can't do anything to save her, she prevent Soi Len from completing her final spell to attack the escaping XGP by grabbing onto her leg and leaves Gene with a simple message: "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them." Biting down, she detonates a small but powerful bomb that kills both her and Soi Len before they can reach the planet.

Aftermath

The memory of Hilda remains with Gene in the aftermath of her death. She appears in a nightmare just before he faces off with the first of the Anten Seven, Shimi, when he assumes he's been killed by the Shimi impostor. He also remembers the night they spent together in Blue Haven after the round from his caster shell and Hazanko's Tao magic killed him and everyone inside the Leyline.

She and Gene's father urged him to keep going and not to give up on his dream. Her words were enough that he managed to reunite with Melfina and with the others, and kill Hazanko before he could destroy the universe with the power of the Leyline.

Characteristics

Appearance

As "Rachel Sweet", Hilda sports golden blonde hair and blue eyes. However, her true guise, "Hilda", is a woman with short spiky black hair, a gold left eye and a stoic expression. The patch over her right eye suggests that she lost it at some point.

Personality

Hilda is a woman who plays everything close to the chest, which suggests that she is an extremely guarded person as a result of her profession. What she allows an individual to know and do in her presence depends on how much she trusts that person. However, she has been known to refrain from telling even her most trusted allies (such as Swanzo), from knowing her every move, most likely out of protection for herself. The less someone knows, the more likely she is either not to trust them or is preserving the nature of the information for herself alone. There isn't anyone alive who can say that they knew "Hot Ice" Hilda completely. Hilda also has as ruthless side and won't hesitate to betray or even kill those she no longer has a use for, as she tried to do to Gene after escaping from the Pirate crew in pursuit of her and likely would have done the same to Jim if Gene hadn't gotten the jump on her.

When Hilda first comes into contact with Gene and Jim, she assumes the alias Rachel Sweet. While posing as Rachel, she has a pair of blue eyes, fair skin, red lips, and neck-length blonde hair. "Rachel" also wears a blue jacket, a red and white striped shirt, and a pair of large shades. In accordance with the last name "Sweet," Rachel acts as a kind, polite, and charming young woman who is willing to take dangerous work if it means helping someone she cares about, despite being terrified.

Giving off an air of innocence, Rachel shows no sign of being insulted when people are less than polite to her, such as how Jim addresses her quite casually when they talk over the phone. She also appears to be quite patient and flexible, reassuring Gene after he apologizes for Jim's tardiness and sitting quietly when they attempt to fix Jim's car after it breaks down. It is implied that Rachel has a knack for working with machinery.

However, everything about Rachel is false and a complete contrast with Hilda's true appearance and personality.

Abilities

As an outlaw, Hilda uses the trade of deception fairly frequently throughout her career. A fairly experienced pilot, Hilda is able to pilot Horus in situations thought to be impossible or extremely dangerous.

Physically, Hilda can hold her own against the biggest and presumably the toughest of men and can fight multiple enemies without trouble. In tense situations, she is able to think her way out of tight spaces; one example would be using the anchoring hook's tether to reach the XGP, the other, donning a disguise to hide from the Kei pirates on Sentinel III.

Trivia

• Hilda's death was censored by Cartoon Network during Outlaw Star's run on Toonami in 2001 and 2002. Instead of committing suicide by biting down on a bomb hidden in her tooth, her death scene was edited so that it appeared that she and Soi Lin were incinerated by the surface pressure of Farfallas as Horus and its drop ship crashed into the planet.
• It's never made explicit that Hilda and Gene slept together until episode 25, Maze of Despair, whereas it's explicitly clear in the manga's first volume.
• In the manga, Hilda dies before leaving Sentinel III, having been killed by Gene after shooting him in the back when Gene triggers a bomb he had secretly placed in Hilda's prosthetic when she hired him to repair it.

Gallery

Artwork

Animation cel of Hilda in World of Desires

Hilda speaking to Gene after they've slept together.

Screenshots

Rachel Sweet's biography (Outlaw World)

Hilda reveals her true identity to Gene and Jim.

Hilda in her usual attire

Manga

Hilda as she appears in the original Outlaw Star manga.

Concept Art