I know this might sound like a radical thing to say, but honestly, after reviewing the strips, there’s enough evidence that points towards the fact that… yes, Holy Rome never truly died.
Before I start, let’s just get a few disclaimers out of the way. Otherwise, this theory won’t work.
There’s a deleted comic where France tells Italy that Holy Rome is dead. Note the word deleted. As such, the strip should not be taken for canon value.
Next, there’s also the fact that people have said that Holy Rome is given a teenage appearance in one of the requests Hima completed for the Christmas 2011 event. If this were true, then there would be a notable inconsistency regarding his other appearances.
However, to me, this hardly seems to be the case. Holy Rome doesn’t look like a teenager at all here. He still very much looks like a child, judging by his height and his size when Hungary carries him in her arms. It’s important that I mention this, because Holy Rome’s appearance in the 2011 strip is consistent with his appearance in World Stars.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff. In chapter 187 of World Stars, we find out that even though he’s been dissolved and should have died already, Holy Rome is very much alive and is hiding away in Prussia’s house. He’s still very sick though, as “death is near.”
Since Holy Rome’s so weak, a “heartbroken” Prussia reads him fairytales, likely to distract the former from the fact that he’s dying.
Moving forward a bit, we know that it was Prussia who led the German Unification movement. He would have every reason to, as we’ve seen from the Christmas strip how negatively a lack of unity among the German states affected Holy Rome’s health.
If Holy Rome hadn’t died at this point, which I’m assuming to be the case, then it would be in Prussia’s best interest to unify the states and form a stronger country in order to save his younger brother.
This strip takes us to just before the unification process. Pay attention to the language used by the German states here. “New Country” and “New brother.”
It seems like they might not be aware of the fact that Holy Rome is still alive. Being nations themselves, they would know that it’s possible for personifications to adopt new titles. But, judging by the words they use, they believe him to be dead. Because of this, the possibility of Holy Rome adopting a new title wouldn’t have even crossed their minds.
It seems that only Prussia knew about Holy Rome still being alive…whenever that strip took place as it’s not entirely clear. (It’s sometime after the first publication of the Brothers Grimm Fairytales.)
Anyways, before the German Confederation is able to form, Austria, also thinking that they’re about to form a new country, insists that he will be the one to raise the newborn Germany. Yadda yadda, Prussia and Austria go to war, skip forward, and now we’re at Germany’s actual birth (???).
This is so important and I cannot stress it enough. There’s a massive difference in how the anime portrays Germany’s birth versus how the strips do.
In the anime, it makes it seem like the German states huddle together, only to have Germany emerge once they’re finished unifying.
The strips, which I’ll be using as the basis for this theory, depicts an entirely different reality. When Germany’s born for real, it doesn’t show the German states huddled together. Instead, it only shows a young Germany being helped up and/or greeted.
He’s wearing a nightgown…exactly like the one Holy Rome was wearing in chapter 187.
Yes, I’m aware that the nations are born in nightgowns, but there’s multiple ways of interpreting this. The nightgown/birth motif is definitely there, but…
Look at the one German nation holding Germany’s hand. He’s crying. Now, put this into perspective. How would you feel if you thought your little brother was dead, only to find out that he’s been alive all this time?
Maybe I’m biased, but Germany being helped up as well as wearing the nightgown seems as if he’s standing for the first time after being bed-ridden with illness for who knows how long. There’s also the fact that his age is consistent with the Holy Romes from the Christmas event and chapter 187.
Which brings me to my next point. At the end of the chapter, it states that Germany wasn’t born as a baby because he already had an existing body.
We all know Hima and how much he loves to make puns. What if “existing body” literally means an existing body. Holy Rome adopted the title of the German Confederation and became a stronger nation, but never actually died.
The German identity never died either, despite a lack of formal unification. Maybe that’s why Holy Rome still managed to exist, regardless of how physically weak he was.
The only setback to this is that there’s hints of Germany (aka Holy Rome) suffering from amnesia. Remember that in World Stars, it’s been made canon that it’s possible for the nations to acquire new personalities upon changing what they personify.
Now, isn’t it weird that in the same strip where Germany’s born, Prussia takes to reminding Germany that it’s okay to refer to him as an older brother…482 times? It’s like Prussia’s attempting to trigger Germany’s memory in the hopes of getting the latter to remember that he’s Holy Rome.
It would seem that on top of adopting a new title and personality, it might be possible for the nations to also lose memories from their past personifications.
It’s reincarnation, and yet it isn’t. I’m going to take the liberty and coin it as “re-personification” from now on.
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