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the united states of america

America is a very unique nation from the rest of the countries in Hetalia. The circumstances of his childhood and his growth are unprecedented in world history up until the point of his rise to power. Even so, he is always smiling and laughing and doesn't seem to let much of anything sour his happy-go-luck mood.

In both the first episode of the anime and the opening chapter in the graphic novel version, America is the first character yelling right in our faces. He commands the attention of all the nations in the room and this becomes a trait he carries with him through the series consistently. It's a stereotype of Americans and the United States in general: always wanting to take control of the situation an to be the center of attention. America's need to be the leader probably steams from his quick growth and rise to a world power, feeling as though he's unstoppable, knows best and that everyone should listen to his advise and plans.

He does come off very brash and slightly tactless (which is a trait many Americans seem to carry when visiting foreign countries), but he means well. He has a certain type of sincerity in his words and actions that he thinks he really is helping, even if its off in his own little oblivious world. He's not without is constant ridiculous suggestions and inventions to "save the world."

That's another one of America's traits, his hero complex. The best example of this is in Hetare 2: Allied Forces in the main story line, in which America goes down the line of the Allied Forces telling each of them they will be his "back up" and when Russia then asks what it is that he will be doing then, he replies: "I'll be the hero, of course!" He loves to know and think he's making a difference and helping those who need a hero.

America's abnormal human strength might also only help to fuel his ever growing hero complex; as a child swinging buffalo around by the legs or pulling England's car around as if it was nothing. This super human strength most likely is from all the power America as a nation comes of have. It becomes a super power itself and in away is unstoppable in many ways.

But along with his brashness, something he has difficulty with is reading the atmosphere of certain situations. He even admits it in his character song HAMBURGER STREET saying, "I don’t read the mood at all". Especially in times when England makes obvious coming ons to him such as the "We're Shipwrecked Too" strip, where England tries to make the suggestion that he's cold and wants to cuddle with America. Where this would of been a cute moment, America ruins it by laughing at England and telling him he won't do anything with him. It happens again in "The long-awaited deep emotion is ruined," where America comes to find England on his death bed, but instead of worrying about his health, he's worried more over the debt he needs to be repaid. And then when England "dies" instead of crying over the loss of his friend, he celebrates, and in effect bringing England back to life with shock.

Even so, in the most obvious times he can't read the situation comes back to an interesting note made by Himaruya that: "in fact it's not that he can't 'read the situation,' but that he doesn't on purpose". It seems America slightly uses his carefree attitude to get at England and even the other nations for a laugh and to tease them because he know its easy to mess with them when he does so.

Another amusing trait his his lack of owning a real map of the world. Its seen at various different times such as Lithuania's Outsourcing and Power Ranger Allied Forces: England's Friends, his world map consists of only North America and he comments once that he thinks he can drive to Germany in his car. Yet another stereotypical trait shared by Americans is their lack of knowledge or interest in the rest of the world, which is mimicked in America's character many a time. Himaruya even notes that America's lack of interest of geography is based of a teacher of his, most likely one he studied under while at school in NYC.

America seems to easily irritate the other nations (making his friends very few) and his eating habits are no exception. He's always eating his favorite food: hamburgers. If he's not eating them, he's talking about them or slurping down a soda. He's not the best with his manners and even with being raised by a slightly stuck up gentleman such as England, he still eats loudly and will talk with his mouth full during meetings with the other nations. And in typical America fashion, he sees nothing wrong with his lack of manners.

America can be a little manipulative at times, but its always very innocent. Either from his hero complex or just his personality in general, he's still a very kind person. He does want to help others in a very sincere way, its just that his personality its so "in your face, look at me" that it turns the other nations off very quickly and that makes them want to wave him off as being an idiot, jumping much too quickly into the situation when he's not wanted and only doing it for his ego. He's truly your typical young, full of himself teenage kid. He's bright and hopeful and lacks much of the cynicism that the older nations of Europe and eastward look at the world with. This ends up being both a slight blessing and problem for him, but in the end he's a good kid and is happy with himself and his nation.