The following list of characters from the
''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while their upper
canine teeth
In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dog teeth, or (in the context of the upper jaw) fangs, eye teeth, vampire teeth, or vampire fangs, are the relatively long, pointed teeth. They can appear more flattened howeve ...
lengthen to become pointed fangs. At all times, the
upper lateral incisors and
upper canine teeth on all
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
s are elongated and come to a sharp point.
Biologically immortal transgenic
A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques, from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene, in a process known as transgenesis, has the potential to change the ...
s, the
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
s of ''Underworld'' display most of the prominent superhuman physical prowess commonly seen in popular culture, including superhuman strength, reflexes and speed, as well as an inhuman resistance to injury and accelerated healing. These abilities are maintained by feeding on blood, which is a prominent factor in their healing capabilities in addition to being strengthened with age. They do not possess any of the mystical weaknesses of mythological
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
s (crosses, holy water, garlic, stakes, etc.); however, they are
highly vulnerable to
ultraviolet
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nanometer, nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 Hertz, PHz) to 400 nm (750 Hertz, THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than ...
radiation. They can also die from a broken neck,
blood loss
Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...
,
nightshade poisoning, dismemberment, mutilation and other extreme physical trauma, especially if their head or heart is destroyed or removed.
The oldest vampires, the Elders, are, by consequence of their great ages, therefore the most powerful of their race, even stronger than Lycans in werewolf form. In the novelizations, the Vampire population as a whole is referred to as the "Vampire Nation", consisting of
covens; traditionally, before the events of ''Evolution'', the two main covens were the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
Coven (based in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, in the
environs of
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, with branch covens all-over the
Euro-Asian continent), and the
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
Coven (based in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
). But since the assassinations of the Vampire Elder, Lady Amelia, and the Vampire Council, by the Lycans, the Vampire Elder, Lord Viktor's death at Selene's hand after learning the truth of her family's deaths at his hands, the final Vampire Elder, Lord Marcus' destruction of the main branch of the Old World Coven and its seat of power, ''Ördögház'', and then his death at Selene's hand to stop him and his rampaging brother, William; the leadership and organization of the Vampire Nation was scattered and divided. The leadership and organization of the Vampire Nation is once again restored following the ascension of Selene, David, and Lena as the new Vampire Elders.
In the
post-production
Post-production is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording individual program segments.
The ...
of the film, the pallor of the vampires was achieved via
D.I. As explained by Selene in the first ''Underworld'' film, a bite from both a Lycan and a vampire is lethal, but Michael's bloodline allows him to survive and metamorphose into a hybrid of both species.
Death Dealers are vampires that are specifically trained and tasked to kill
Lycans.
Selene
Selene appears in the films ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'', ''
Underworld: Evolution'', ''
Underworld: Awakening'', and ''
Underworld: Blood Wars''; as well as in ''
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'' for a brief cameo. Her
lover is
Michael Corvin
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
, and together they have a daughter, named Eve. Selene is portrayed by
Kate Beckinsale
Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...
, and by Beckinsale's daughter, Lily Mo Sheen, in ''Underworld: Evolution'' in flashback scenes as a child. Selene was created by
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux (; born September 9, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the ''Underworld'' film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon ...
,
Len Wiseman
Len Ryan Wiseman (born March 4, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Underworld'' series, ''Live Free or Die Hard'', and the 2012 film '' Total Recall''. Wiseman runs the production company Sketch Films.
Early ...
, and Danny McBride. According to Kevin Grevioux, Selene is based loosely on the
Marvel Comics character of the same name. After the events of ''Evolution'', Selene is no longer merely a vampire, but a Vampire/Corvinus-Strain Hybrid, now more powerful and also immune to UV radiation. At the end of ''
Underworld: Blood Wars'', Selene is not only accepted once again by the vampire Covens, but also named a new vampire Elder alongside David and Lena.
In the non-canon novel, ''Underworld: Blood Enemy", Selene is also the main protagonist.
Viktor
Viktor is a vampire Elder. He is portrayed by
Bill Nighy
William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy, The Illuminatu ...
. Viktor is a
Hungarian general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
and
warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
born sometime in the 4th or early 5th century. As he is nearing the end of his life,
Markus Corvinus
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
, the first true
Vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
, offers immortality in exchange for Viktor's military expertise and army in fighting against the Werewolves, spawn of Markus' twin brother,
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
. When Markus metamorphoses Viktor, the general becomes a vampire Elder. The Death Dealers are created from Viktor's army. Viktor is a ruthless vampire Elder and, with armies loyal to him, he overthrows the original vampire Markus and sets himself up in Vampire myth as the first Vampire. Viktor is the most powerful vampire ever to have lived mostly because his manipulation, experience, and cunning far surpass the other Elders. He is killed by Selene who cuts his head in half with his own sword. In ''Blood Wars'', Selene is hunted by the vampires for killing Viktor. Selene's only two allies are Thomas, who has no love for Viktor, and his son David whose mother is secretly Viktor's fellow Elder Amelia. Due to the threat of the new Lycan leader Marius, the Vampire Council agrees to pardon Selene for Viktor's death if she will train their new Death Dealers but Semira, an old favorite of Viktor, frames Selene for murder to get revenge. Following the deaths of Marius and Semira, the Vampires' grudge against Selene for killing Viktor ends and she goes from pariah to one of the three new vampire Elders alongside Amelia's son David and the Nordic Vampire Lena.
Sonja
Sonja is the daughter of the vampire elder
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, introduced by flashback in ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'' and portrayed by
Jázmin Dammak
Miss Universe 2008 was the 57th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Crown Convention Center in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14, 2008. This was the first time that the Miss Universe pageant was broadcast in 1080i High-definition.
At the end of th ...
. The character is heavily featured in ''
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'', and is portrayed by
Rhona Mitra
Rhona is the name of:
* Rhona Adair (1878–1961), British golf champion
* Rhona Bennett (born 1976), American singer, actress and model
* Rhona Brankin (born 1950), Labour Co-operative politician and Member of the Scottish Parliament
* Rhona Bro ...
. She fell in love with the lycan slave,
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata, '; la, Lucianus Samosatensis ( 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer
Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore ...
, despite knowing her father would disapprove. Without Viktor's knowledge or blessing, she eventually married Lucian in secret, and became pregnant with his child. For breaking the Covenant, Viktor executed her and her unborn child by exposure to sunlight, and her husband was forced to watch. Viktor viewed the child as an abomination and was acting to protect the vampire line's purity, although Sonja's death haunted him for the rest of his life. His guilt over this led him to spare Selene, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Sonja, from the slaughter of the rest of her family. Sonja wore a pendant, which was given to her by her father. After her death, Lucian took that pendant as a keepsake of his beloved wife. This pendant proved to be vitally important to the events that unfolded in ''
Underworld: Evolution''. Her death started the war between Vampires and Lycans that lasted for centuries afterward.
Markus Corvinus
Markus Corvinus is the first vampire in the ''Underworld'' series. He is portrayed by
Tony Curran
Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in '' Underworld: Evolution'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Roots'', and the Netflix historical epic '' Outlaw King''. He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) as Bo ...
. Markus also appears in the novelization of the sequel. Born sometime in the 5th century; Markus was one of three sons of Helena and Alexander Corvinus, the first immortal. Markus was also the twin brother of William Corvinus; and they each inherited the immortality strain in its active form from their father. Together, Markus and William both shared a bond as twins that Alexander never truly saw. Markus was later bitten by a bat, thus making him the progenitor of what would become the Vampire species. His twin, William, was bitten by a wolf and went on to ravage the countryside of Hungary, infecting the populace with his highly infectious lycanthropy virus. In order to combat the growing werewolf threat, Markus approached Viktor, a dying warlord, to utilize his military genius and army (who became the Death Dealers) in exchange for immortality. Viktor accepted and became one of the Vampire Elders. After being revived by the blood of the Lycan Singe, Markus awakens and goes on a rampage to rescue William and metamorphose him into a Hybrid too. He kills his own father, and apparently his distant relative Michael Corvin, but is defeated and killed by an enhanced Selene in a final fight when she stabs him through the head with one of his own wing talons and knocks him into spinning helicopter blades, dismembering him.
Amelia
Amelia is one of the three Vampire Elders of the Vampire Nation in the ''Underworld'' series. She appeared briefly in ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'', appeared in a flashback sequence in ''
Underworld: Evolution'', and appears in archive footage and as a painting in ''
Underworld: Blood Wars''. She is portrayed by
Zita Görög
Zita Görög ( hu, Görög Zita; born 27 September 1979) is a Hungarian actress and model, often credited as Zita Gorog.
Life and career
Görög was born in Nagybátony, Hungary. She specialized in drama at the Bródy Imre Grammar School in ...
. Amelia was bitten and metamorphosed into a vampire, most likely by the first
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
,
Markus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to:
* Marcus (name), a masculine given name
* Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name
Places
* Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44
* Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...
himself, sometime around 1500 years prior to the events of the first ''Underworld'' installment, according to the first novelization ("''Although nearly fifteen centuries old, the Lady Amelia still had all the youthful beauty and haughty carriage of an international supermodel''"). As such, Amelia was the youngest of all three Elders, as well as the only female. She was elevated to the rank of an Elder, both in order to help control the chaos created by Markus's brother
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
(the first werewolf; William was unable to return to human form after his metamorphosis and his bite caused even the dead to metamorphose into werewolves), and to perform the role as a tie-breaker between her fellow Elders, Markus and
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, if there was ever a deadlock in the ruling of the coven. Her original background prior to her Vampirism is as yet unrevealed.
In 1202 AD. Amelia had to side with Viktor (who also sought to undermine Markus' authority, something he could not do without her help), supported him in locking-up
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
within a
coffin-like prison, in a remote place where Markus could not find him (which turns Markus against her too), as William was just too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. The capture of William would not have happened without Amelia's help. Ultimately, Amelia did not keep control during her last reign, spending the majority of her reign amongst the New World Coven, which only allowed Viktor's regent, Kraven, to conspire with Lucian, and Lucian to work deals with Tanis for weapons to kill Vampires. She herself was killed and "bled dry" by Lycans led by Raze during an attack on her train.
In ''Blood Wars'', Amelia was illustrated as having been something of a '
coven-builder', founding or else supporting the founding of a number of covens. It is also later revealed that Amelia and a high-ranking vampire
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
(later the leader of the Western Coven following the events of the Purge) had fallen in love, having fought first-generation Werewolves alongside one another, and, at some point, had entered into a secret, private relationship. At some point into their centuries-long love, in the late 20th century, Amelia discovered she had become pregnant, and she and Thomas made plans to keep her pregnancy a secret. Before her pregnancy started to show, Amelia announced her intention to visit old friends in the Var Dohr coven in Scandinavia and appointed Thomas as her sole escort. They both stayed with the Var Dohr coven for the duration of her pregnancy, culminating with the safe delivery of their pure born son,
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
. By this point, it would seem, Amelia's prolonged absence from the Vampire Nation at large had aroused at least some suspicion as to why she was absent, and Semira was dispatched to investigate. By this time, however, David having been born and Amelia having recovered from the birth, Thomas and Amelia had left with their son and gone their separate ways. To keep up appearances, Thomas put it out that he'd had a low-born vampiress for a consort who had just died during childbirth, and Amelia returned to the New World coven with no one wiser to the truth. It would seem that Amelia, despite siding with Viktor against Markus over William's sentence, didn't completely trust him, keeping the existence of her son a secret. During the main events of ''
Blood Wars'', Selene's ally David learnt that he was Amelia's secret son and thus her heir as the new leader of the Eastern Coven. Using some of Amelia's blood she had left behind in case anything happened to her, David was able to prove his claim as Amelia's rightful heir.
In the third instalment of the ''Underworld'' franchise, there was an unspoken allusion that Viktor was plotting to get rid of her and replace her with his daughter, Sonja: Viktor kept saying "''When'' you are an Elder" to Sonja rather than ''If'', but never alluded to a future ''when'' he would be gone. Touting the bonds of family and blood being stronger than anything else, as he sought to further increase and reinforce his own power base within the Vampire Nation, and believing Markus' lie about how his death would mean the immediate deaths of all Vampires, and that, as his own flesh and blood (and having planned out her whole life for her), Sonja would be a more loyal ally than Amelia, if Amelia should ever side with Markus against him (as Amelia had with Viktor against Markus over William's sentence), Viktor, paranoid and ambitious as ever, likely sought to replace Amelia with his daughter, Sonja, only to sentence Sonja to death for her affair and pregnancy with Lucian, abandoning this plan. Whether Amelia ever suspected anything about this is unknown, but would give
credence to her later efforts to keep the existence and birth of her son from Viktor and his followers (and, indeed, the Vampire Nation at large).
In the non-canon novel, ''Underworld: Blood Enemy'', Amelia, though making no physical appearance in the story, is described as having a habit similar to real-life historical Sanguinarian figure,
Elizabeth Báthory
Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed ( hu, Báthori Erzsébet, ; sk, Alžbeta Bátoriová; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the family of Báthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of ...
the "Blood Countess", of often indulging in baths of blood, believing it to enhance her beauty ("''The aroma of so much fresh blood was intoxicating. Sonja tried to imagine what it would be like to bathe in such a tub; her skin tingled beneath her gown. It was said that Amelia herself sometimes indulged in such luxurious ablutions in order to enhance her beauty''", ''Blood Enemy'' novelization, chapter 8).
Erika
Erika is portrayed by
Sophia Myles
Sophia Jane Myles (; born 18 March 1980) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds (2004 film), ''Thunderbirds'' (2004), Isolde in ''Tristan & Isolde (film), Tristan & Isolde'' (2 ...
. She is a character in the first two films of the ''Underworld'' film series as well as in the novelization of the first film. She is a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
seductress, a social-climbing courtier in
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
's mansion, obsessed with rising through the ranks of the vampire
aristocracy
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At t ...
. She is a high ranking maid who most recently began seeking the attentions of
Kraven, as well as having a one sided rivalry with Selene.
Kraven
Kraven is portrayed by actor
Shane Brolly
Shane Brolly is an Irish actor, writer, and director from Belfast, Northern Ireland, most known for his role as Kraven in the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Life and career
Brolly was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and comes from a family o ...
. The name "Kraven" is a derivation of the English word "
craven", meaning "coward", a reference to Kraven's spineless nature. Kraven has a
vainglorious personality and a highly inflated-but-extremely-fragile
narcissistic
Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance or image and an excessive preoccupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others.
Narcissism exists on a co ...
ego. He is a long-time suitor of
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
, a Death Dealer and fancies himself in a relationship with her, even though she spurns him at every turn. Yet, Kraven is so obsessed with Selene that the more she refuses him, the more he wants her. When it becomes evident that Selene has fallen in love with
Michael Corvin
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
, Kraven becomes insanely
jealous
Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety.
Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...
and highly
irrational
Irrationality is cognition, thinking, talking, or acting without inclusion of rationality. It is more specifically described as an action or opinion given through inadequate use of reason, or through emotional distress or cognitive deficiency. T ...
, demanding Michael's head, and even shoots Michael multiple times with
silver nitrate
Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides. It was once called ''lunar caustic' ...
bullets, nearly killing him. However, Selene revives Michael in the nick of time by biting him, thus turning him into a Hybrid.
In his quest for power, Kraven enters into a secret
alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
with Lucian in order to overthrow the Elders, helping to set up an
ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactics, military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbru ...
for the Lady Amelia. After Lady Amelia's death, and with Lucian and Viktor dead, Kraven goes after a slumbering Markus and tries to murder him in his sleep. However Markus surprisingly wakes as a Hybrid and
massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
s Kraven's men. Markus then bites Kraven and obtains his blood memories. Although Markus stops before Kraven dies of blood loss, he turns down Kraven's offer to 'assist' him, seeing Kraven as untrustworthy. Immediately after that, Markus kills Kraven by beheading him.
Andreas Tanis
Andreas Tanis is a character in the 2006 movie ''Underworld: Evolution'' and in the 2009 movie ''Underworld: Rise of the Lycans''. He is portrayed by
Steven Mackintosh
Steven Mackintosh (born 30 April 1967) is an English actor and narrator. He is perhaps best known for his role as Andreas Tanis in the action horror films '' Underworld: Evolution'' (2006) and '' Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'' (2009).
Mack ...
. Tanis is a vampire of considerable age (estimated at over 1000 years old at the time of his death), he was at one point the official
scribe
A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of automatic printing.
The profession of the scribe, previously widespread across cultures, lost most of its promi ...
and
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
of the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
Coven. An ambitious man, Tanis knew things about other vampires and kept the things he knew secret until it was of use for him. Coveting a rise in status to a member of the
Vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
Council
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
, Tanis enters into a covert alliance with Sonja and Lucian, aiding them in exchange for his silence and Sonja's seat on the council; his part in Sonja's and Lucian's plan remained a secret after Sonja's execution, and later after Lucian's faked death. However, over 300 years prior to the events that occurred in the
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
second installments, the Vampire Elder, Lord Viktor, in his bid to rewrite history, turns on Tanis and orders his
banishment
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
, citing that Tanis had been recording "malicious lies". The order of banishment was carried out by
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
, who escorted him to an abandoned monastery on Viktor's orders. Over three hundred years later, Selene would learn the truth about Viktor and realize that what Tanis had recorded years earlier was, in fact, true. Tanis is later killed by Markus after being drained of blood.
Soren
Soren, having a surprising lack of personal ambition for a vampire, was
Kraven's
janissary
A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orhan ( ...
, and, being two of a kind, he was the rival/vampire counterpart of
Raze before their deaths. He is played by Scott McElroy. Soren appears predominantly in the first film installment of ''Underworld'', but is also referenced in the novelization of the sequel and appears in the comic book prequel as well. Not much is revealed about Soren's past; rumors surrounding him say that he is almost as old as
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
himself (and was probably bitten by the Vampire Elder). Soren was originally Viktor's bodyguard, a position he may have held since before either were vampires. Later, he served as the head torturer in Viktor's employ. He proved to be very skilled in taming Lycan slaves with silver-edged whips, and even used them on Lucian at Viktor's request prior to Sonja's execution.
In the non-canon novel, ''Underworld: Blood Enemy'', Soren lost his position in Viktor's good graces after he left Viktor's daughter Sonja, whom he was charged to protect, alone during an ambush by mortals who were hateful of vampires. He also remained ignorant of the fact that Sonja was in love with the Lycan
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata, '; la, Lucianus Samosatensis ( 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer
Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore ...
until he was informed by a Lycan woman who had been obsessed with Lucian and resented him falling for Sonja. Soren informed Viktor, who then executed his daughter. Viktor blamed Soren for not protecting her.
Soren is one of the vampires involved in Viktor's assault on the Lycan base in the first film, and ultimately faces Raze in single combat. Soren initially holds the Lycan off, but after Raze shapeshifts into full Lycan form, he tackles Soren and apparently kills him, since Soren is not seen afterward and Raze is.
David
David is a character from the 2012 movie ''Underworld: Awakening'' and the 2016 movie ''Underworld: Blood Wars''. He is portrayed by
Theo James
Theo is a given name and a hypocorism.
Greek origin
Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example:
*Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...
. He is the son of Thomas, leader of the Western Coven and Amelia, the Vampire Elder. Although never trained as a Death Dealer, and in contrast with his father, Thomas, David is not a coward and fights when situations demand it. Fascinated by Selene's past as a Death Dealer, he brings her back to the vampire coven with her hybrid daughter, Eve, hoping she would teach some of the members so that they could become what she used to be, as there are not any left within the coven. David dies after a raid by Lycans led by Quint Lane, but is revived by Selene using her Vampire-Corvinus Strain Hybrid blood, metamorphosing him into a Vampire-Corvinus Strain Hybrid too. During the final assault on Antigen, David, now with similar abilities to Selene including sunlight immunity, arrives to help unexpectedly. Armed with a shotgun and two blades, David distracts Jacob Lane long enough for Eve to break free and fight back. As more Lycan guards arrive, David turns his focus to them and single-handedly kills around a dozen Lycans. After the battle, David joins Selene and Eve in searching for Michael Corvin who has escaped. In ''Underworld: Blood Wars'', David attempts to get Selene to return to aid the Vampire Covens against the new Lycan leader, Marius. His resurrection has become something of a legend amongst the Vampires as he is the first Vampire to have ever been brought back from the dead. His fighting skills also have been honed and he is now a capable combatant. After Semira betrays them, David and his father rescued Selene, but Thomas is killed after telling David to take Selene to the Nordic Coven. David is able to use his sunlight immunity to escape Semira's clutches and learns from the Nordic Coven that he is the son of the Vampire Elder Amelia and thus her rightful heir. During the Lycan attack on the Nordic Coven, David helps defend it and is devastated by Selene's apparent death. David then returns to the Eastern Coven and interrupts a coup attempt by Semira by presenting himself as the heir of Amelia with some of her blood to prove it. The Death Dealers and Vampire Council side with David and he leads a futile defense against a massive Lycan attack before a revived and enhanced Selene arrives with the Nordic Coven to help. David and Semira, who has metamorphosed into a Vampire-Corvinus Strain Hybrid herself by drinking Selene's blood, fight ending with David raising the shutters keeping out the sunlight. David is able to use Semira's distraction over her new sunlight immunity to kill her and after discovering that Selene has killed Marius, cuts off Marius' head and uses it to get the Lycans to retreat. Following the battle, David is made one of the new Vampire Elders alongside Selene and Nordic Vampire Lena.
Thomas
Thomas is one of the surviving Vampire Elders in ''
Underworld: Awakening'' and the father of David. According to David, his father was once a vampire who had "''defended
is coven
In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' i ...
with fire and steel, rather than hollow words''", and that Selene reminds Thomas of the way he once was. He does not trust Selene, and openly discriminates against her daughter, Eve, who is a Hybrid. In contrast with his son, Thomas is a coward and ordered the
coven to flee rather than fight, leaving David as de facto leader because of his demonstration of courage and intelligence, despite Thomas' status now as a coven Elder. His arrogance made him fail to realize the necessity of Selene's presence or what she has metamorphosed into, until she used her blood to resurrect David after he died from the critical injuries he received from Lycans. In ''
Underworld: Blood Wars'', Thomas is approached by Semira to petition the Vampire Council to grant Selene clemency in exchange for her help in training their Death Dealers. Thomas is successful, but Semira later frames Selene for murder and kidnaps her. Thomas helps David rescue Selene and orders his son to take Selene to the Nordic Coven. Thomas then battles both Semira and Varga before Semira kills him with a stab to the back of his head while he's distracted. Upon arrival at the Nordic Coven, David learns that Thomas once had a relationship with the Vampire Elder Amelia and he is their son as proven by blood memories left behind for him by Amelia. He is portrayed by
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in ''The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in ''A ...
.
Lena
Lena is a vampire warrior from the Nordic Coven. As a daughter of the coven's leader, Vidar, she is depicted as a calm and wise vampiress, but willing to use violence to protect her coven. She provides Selene with the cocooning process, thus not only reviving her, but also boosting her hybrid abilities to new heights. At the end of ''Blood Wars'', Lena becomes one of three new Vampire Elders alongside Selene and David. She is portrayed by Clementine Nicholson.
Semira
Semira is one of the leaders of the Eastern Coven. She is a fiercely ambitious vampiress in ''
Underworld: Blood Wars''. She is also skilled at sword fighting. In ''Blood Wars'', Semira gets the Vampire Council to grant Selene clemency in exchange for her training their new Death Dealers, but it is in fact a trap so that Semira can get Selene's blood and kill her in revenge for the death of the Vampire Elder Viktor who Semira had once been close to. Selene is rescued by David and Thomas, the latter of whom Semira murders, but Semira is able to get some of Selene's blood and learns of Selene and David's ability to walk in sunlight. Semira later sends Alexia to the Nordic Coven, knowing she is really the lover of the new Lycan leader Marius and kills her upon her return. Using Selene's blood, Semira is able to metamorphose herself into a Vampire-Corvinus Strain Hybrid like Selene and David and attempts to overthrow the Vampire Council. However, David returns and reveals himself to be the son of the Vampire Elder Amelia and thus her rightful heir and true leader of the Eastern Coven. At this revelation, Semira's own Death Dealers turn on her, including her lover Varga and she is arrested. Semira manages to escape when the Lycans attack the Coven and battles David, being an even match for him with her new powers and proficient fighting skills. Finally, David opens the shutters to Semira's office and lets in the sunlight, causing Semira to get distracted by enjoying her new sunlight immunity as David intended. With Semira distracted, David stabs her through the back of the head and out of her mouth with a sword, killing her in the same manner she murdered his father, Thomas. She is portrayed by
Lara Pulver
Lara Pulver (born 1 September 1980) is an English actress. She has played Erin Watts in the BBC spy drama '' Spooks'' and Irene Adler on BBC's TV adaptation '' Sherlock''. She won the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical i ...
.
Lycans
Werewolves in the ''Underworld'' films, like their vampire counterparts, are
biologically immortal transgenic
A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques, from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene, in a process known as transgenesis, has the potential to change the ...
s. Lycans display a number of greatly enhanced physical attributes in either form (superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, healing, etc.) although the werewolf form is physically superior to both their human form and even to most vampires. Lycans are highly allergic to silver, to the point of it being toxic and lethal to them, and it is even able to keep them weakened and unable to metamorphose into their werewolf form. They can also be killed or permanently damaged by extreme physical trauma as normal humans are, such as mutilation, a broken neck, or dismemberment, especially if their head or heart is destroyed or removed. However, while first-generation werewolves sired by William Corvinus are permanently metamorphosed and feral, second-generation werewolves, the Lycans, and those they convert, can become able to metamorphose between their human or werewolf forms at will and retain their personalities while metamorphosed. Their control over their metamorphoses increases over time, to the point where they can partially metamorphose to physically enhance themselves further, while age also gives them a limited tolerance to silver. As explained by Selene in the first ''Underworld'' film though, a bite from both a Lycan and a vampire is lethal, but Michael's heritage allows him to survive and metamorphose into a hybrid of both species.
Originally, Lycan’s were seen as a lesser race and were enslaved by the vampiric race. This was until the catalyst of Lucian and Sonja’s star crossed love, where the Lycan’s rebelled for their freedom and revenge.
Lucian
Lucian is the very first of the second-generation Lycans. He is the leader of the Lycan horde in the movie ''Underworld'' and appears in its prequel ''
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans''. He is portrayed by actor
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage rol ...
. Lucian is born the son of a captured female werewolf, who is killed when Lucian is a newborn. He is branded with Viktor's mark signifying that he is put into slavery under one of Viktor's early reigns as a blacksmith. Being born of two werewolves, he is a pure-blood Lycan. Lucian is a Lycan servant to
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
's clan. His relationship with
Sonja begins when they grew up and it is eventually revealed that Sonja is pregnant with his child, making their child a Lycan-Vampire hybrid; but Sonja is executed, preventing the birth of the child. He starts a war with Viktor as a result and fakes his own death with the help of Kraven, planning to metamorphose into a Hybrid in order to kill Viktor. His plan fails, but he holds Kraven off long enough for Selene to metamorphose Michael Corvin into a Hybrid. Selene also later kills Viktor to fulfill her own revenge against him. Despite his plans to metamorphose into a hybrid and to kill Viktor himself have failed, his will is seen through regardless with Michael's metamorphosing and Viktor's death.
Raze
Razahir "Raze" Khemse is a Lycan who is the right-hand man of the Lycan leader
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata, '; la, Lucianus Samosatensis ( 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer
Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore ...
. He is born in Sudan in East Africa during the 14th century. Raze is the son of a powerful Sultan but his family's lands are taken during a period of wars that spread into Africa. He is forced into slavery and taken to Hungary to be given as payment to Viktor the Vampire Elder. He joins Lucian's civil war and kills Soren during the vampires' attack on Lucian's base, but after believing Lucian to be dead, launches a suicide attack on Viktor who snaps his neck and stabs him with a sword. He is played by
Kevin Grevioux
Kevin Grevioux (; born September 9, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and comic book writer. He is best known for his role as Raze in the ''Underworld'' film series, which he co-created, as well as his voicework in the cartoon ...
.
Singe
Singe is a scientist employed by Lucian to find a way to mix the vampire and werewolf bloodlines to create hybrids. He kidnaps members of the human Corvinus bloodline, and mixes their blood with both vampire and Lycan blood to see if they are compatible. He finally finds compatibility in Michael Corvin when Michael is captured and brought to him to be tested. He's killed by Viktor towards the end of ''Underworld'' and his blood seeps into Markus' tomb and awakens him. Unlike the rest of Lucian's clan, he is unable to metamorphose into his werewolf form but still carries the werewolf traits. He is played by
Erwin Leder
Erwin Alois Robert Leder (born 30 July 1951 in St. Pölten, Lower Austria, Austria) is an Austrian actor. He is best known for his role as Chief Mechanic Johann in ''Das Boot'', a 1982 feature film directed by Wolfgang Petersen about a mission ...
.
William Corvinus
William Corvinus is the first and only Lycan Elder. Portrayed only in his metamorphosed state, he is played by
Brian Steele
Brian Steele is an American actor who has had many roles as monsters and creatures on television and in films. In 2018, he appeared as The Robot in ''Lost in Space''. Steele stands at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).
Career
On television, Steele was t ...
, but prior to his being a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
, he would have been identical in looks to his twin brother,
Markus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to:
* Marcus (name), a masculine given name
* Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name
Places
* Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44
* Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...
. Born sometime in the 5th century, William is one of three sons of Helena and
Alexander Corvinus
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
, the first
immortal
Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life.
Immortal or Immortality may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film
* ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
. He, along with Markus, inherits the
immortality
Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality.
Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
strain in its active form from their father. Markus and William both share a bond as twins that Alexander never truly sees. William is later bitten by a wolf, thus making him the
progenitor
In genealogy, the progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; german: Stammvater or ''Ahnherr'') is the – sometimes legendary – founder of a family, line of descent, clan or tribe, noble house, or ethnic group..
Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines G ...
of what becomes the Lycan
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
(his twin, Markus, is bitten by a bat). Unlike most later Lycans, his fur is
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
. William is unable to metamorphose back into his human form and has little more than ferocious savagery, nor is he ever shown in his human form in any of the films. His
lycanthropy
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
virus is much more potent than Markus'
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
virus, even allowing dead victims to metamorphose. William goes on to ravage the countryside of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, infecting the populace with his highly infectious lycanthropy virus. In order to combat the growing lycan threat, Markus approaches
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, a dying warlord, to utilize his military genius and army (who become the Death Dealers) in exchange for immortality. Later, William is successfully captured and contained by the combined forces of Markus, Amelia and Viktor and used by Viktor to keep Markus in line. After Viktor is killed, Markus releases William, hoping to metamorphose him into a Hybrid and restore his morality. Despite his bestial nature, William is shown to recognize his brother. In the fight that follows, Michael Corvin rips William's head in half with brute strength, killing him.
Dr. Jacob Lane
Dr. Jacob Lane is a ruthless and amoral Lycan. He betrays his own pack and reveals the existences of both vampire and lycan races so he can covertly experiment on both in order to create a new and powerful Lycan race by heading the research company Antigen, in hope of domination over human, vampire, and werewolf races. Using the blood of the Hybrid Eve, he enhances his own Lycan form, but not to the same degree as his son, Quint. During Selene's attack on Antigen, he battles Detective Sebastian and Eve and is killed when Eve rips out his throat. He is portrayed by
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea ( ; born 31 October 1946) is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in films such as ''V for Vendetta'', ''Michael Collins'', ''Interview with the Vampire'' and ''Breakfast on Pluto''. Rea was nominated for the Academy Award ...
.
Quint Lane
Quint Lane is the son of Dr. Jacob Lane, who is as corrupt as his father. After the public discovers him as a Lycan, his father helps to fake his death in order to continue his experiments upon him. He metamorphoses into a larger, fearsome and powerful Lycan, has the ability to rapidly heal, is seemingly immune to silver, and is sometimes called a "super-lycan". He is killed by Selene who stuffs a silver nitrate grenade into an open wound on his abdomen, which quickly heals, preventing him from removing the grenade before it explodes; revealing his so-called "immunity to silver" to be actually only skin-deep, and his vital organs to be very much still vulnerable. He is portrayed by
Kris Holden-Ried
Kris Holden-Ried (born August 1, 1973) is a Canadian actor.
Early life and pentathlon
Holden-Ried was born in Pickering, Ontario. He studied at Montreal's Concordia University School of Business. He was a champion competitor in riding and fen ...
.
Marius
Marius is a lycan leader who rose to power following the destruction of Antigen. Marius, who is described as being unlike any Lycan leader ever before, manages to gather an army of Lycans loyal to him that slaughters several Vampire Covens using superior tactics. Marius also captures and murders Michael Corvin, using vials of Michael's blood to increase his own power and metamorphose himself into a Hybrid. The threat posed by Marius is so great that the vampire Council agrees to pardon Selene if she trains their Death Dealers to fight him, but she is betrayed by Semira and Varga and sent on the run. After being informed of Selene's location by his Vampire lover Alexia, Marius leads an attack on the Nordic Coven, his new Hybrid powers proving superior to Selene's. Marius attempts to get the location of Eve from Selene to use her blood to solidify his power and is horrified to learn that Selene truly does not know where she is. After Selene's apparent suicide, Marius calls off the Lycan attack on the Nordic Coven and sends Alexia to lower the defenses of the Eastern Coven so he can attack. Marius leads a devastating attack on the Eastern Coven and comes close to winning before Selene, her powers enhanced by the Nordic Coven, arrives to help accompanied by the Nordic Coven. Marius battles Selene who learns from his blood memories of Marius murdering Michael. Downing the last of Michael's blood, Marius metamorphoses and battles Selene inside of a cage. Using her newly enhanced speed, Selene is able to get behind Marius before he can react and rip out Marius' spine, killing him. David then cuts off Marius' head and uses it to convince the other Lycans that their leader is dead and get them to retreat. He is portrayed by
Tobias Menzies
Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English stage, television and film actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's series ''The Crown'', for which he won the Primetime ...
.
House of Corvinus
Alexander Corvinus
Alexander Corvinus (
Hungarian: ''Corvin Sándor'') is the first true Immortal in the ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'' movies and is the father of
Markus Corvinus
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
and
William Corvinus
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
, as well as an ancestor of
Michael Corvin
The following list of characters from the ''Underworld'' franchise.
Vampires
Their metamorphosis is not nearly as startling as their lycan counterparts. When they metamorphose, their eyes turn a shade of electric blue or bright gold, while thei ...
, who is a descendant of Corvinus's third and mortal son. He is portrayed by
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', ''The Tempest'', ''King ...
.
[Greg Cox. ''Underworld: Evolution'' (Simon and Schuster, 2006)]
182
Alexander was a
Hungarian warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
who lived in the early 5th century. He ascended to power just in time to watch his village ravaged by an unknown plague. Alexander was the only survivor of the plague. His body was able to adapt the virus, and, likewise be adapted by it, and through some unknown means consequently made him
immortal
Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life.
Immortal or Immortality may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film
* ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
. The plague that wiped-out his home town and mutated with Alexander ''may'' have been a part of the first wave of the
Bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
to hit
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
(otherwise known as the "''
Plague of Justinian
The plague of Justinian or Justinianic plague (541–549 AD) was the first recorded major outbreak of the first plague pandemic, the first Old World pandemic of plague, the contagious disease caused by the bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. The dis ...
''"), although the timing for the Justinian Plague is off by a nigh-century (although archaeo-pathological evidence reveals that Bubonic plague had been around as early as the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
), and that Bubonic plague is bacterial rather than viral.
Years later, with his wife Helena, he fathered three children, two of whom inherited the immortal strain in its active form: twin brothers Markus and William. Markus was bitten by a bat and metamorphosed into the first
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
. William was bitten by a wolf and metamorphosed into the first
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
. William became a savage beast that was unable to ever assume human form again, something Alexander attributed to his uncontrollable rage. Only Alexander's third son (who inherited the immortal strain in its inactive form) remained a human. Markus and his vampire army (led by
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
) captured his brother William and locked him in a secret prison for over 800 years, the location of which was kept from Markus. When Viktor ordered his vampire daughter executed for having been impregnated by a Lycan, he inadvertently touched off a centuries-long war between lycans and vampires. Alexander chose to keep the war contained from ever spilling into the
mortal
Mortal means susceptible to death; the opposite of immortality, immortal.
Mortal may also refer to:
* Mortal (band), a Christian industrial band
* The Mortal, Sakurai Atsushi's project band
* Mortal (novel), ''Mortal'' (novel), a science fiction ...
realm. He hired humans to clean up after the battles and to help conceal their existence from the normal human population. Alexander states in ''
Underworld: Evolution'' that he believes he and his sons were oddities of nature, and that the world is not theirs to conquer but belongs to the humans. Despite not displaying any powers of his own, he is referred to by
Selene
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Selene (; grc-gre, Σελήνη , meaning "Moon"''A Greek–English Lexicon's.v. σελήνη) is the goddess and the personification of the Moon. Also known as Mene, she is traditionally the daughter o ...
as the strongest of the immortals and the only one capable of killing his sons, indicating he does possess some abilities.
At the time of ''Underworld: Evolution'', Alexander was operating under the alias of Lorenz Macaro, and ran his operation from the ship "Sancta Helena". He meets with Selene and Michael, who ask for his help to destroy Markus and William. He reveals that no matter what they have become, he cannot help Selene and Michael against them, for they are his own sons. Alexander has come into possession of Viktor's body (and Viktor's half of the prison key that holds William Corvinus). Alexander is visited by Markus, who impales him with his wing talon, takes Viktor's half of the key and leaves him for dead.
As Alexander lays dying, he calls Selene to him to drink some of his pure immortal blood. The blood, he tells her, will make her "the future" and is her only hope of being strong enough to destroy the Corvinus brothers. After Selene and Michael leave, Alexander detonates a case of explosives on his ship, obliterating it in the harbor, along with killing himself. His blood enhances Selene's powers, making her equal to the Hybrid Markus in strength and giving her an immunity to sunlight, ultimately allowing her to defeat him. She tells Detective Sebastian in ''Underworld: Awakening'' about getting her sunlight immunity from Alexander, referring to it as a gift from him. Detective Sebastian displays knowledge of who Alexander is when Selene brings him up.
Michael Corvin
Michael Corvin (in
Hungarian: ''Corvin Mihály'') is a medical student who is a direct descendant of Alexander Corvinus. He is portrayed by
Scott Speedman
Robert Scott Speedman (born September 1, 1975) is a British-Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Ben Covington in the coming-of-age drama television series '' Felicity'', Lycan–Vampire hybrid Michael Corvin in the gothic horror–actio ...
in the first two films and appears in cameo appearances in ''
Underworld: Awakening'' and ''
Underworld: Blood Wars'' by
Trent Garrett
Trent Garrett (born March 2, 1984) is an American actor and model best known for his roles as Bowie Quinn on the Disney Channel series ''Andi Mack'', Wes on ''Splitting Up Together'', and John on '' Maggie''.
Personal life
Trent Garrett was bor ...
. Bitten first by Lucian and later by Selene, he metamorphosed into a Lycan/Vampire Hybrid. Being a hybrid, Michael can regenerate cells and muscle tissues as well as internal organs even when he is dead, as long as his body stays intact: such as when Markus killed him by impaling him through the chest. Counting the unborn child of Lucian and Sonja, Michael is the second Lycan/Vampire Hybrid. In the beginning ''Awakening'', he was captured along with Selene by the Lycan-run corporation Antigen, being labeled "Subject 0". By the end of the film, he seemingly escaped from stasis with his current whereabouts being unknown. However, it is revealed in ''Blood Wars'' that Michael was abducted by Marius, who then killed him and stole his blood in order to become stronger. He also plays a role in the third part of the animated shorts in ''
Underworld: Endless War'' voiced by Mark Oliver.
Eve
Eve is the
hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between group ...
of Selene and Michael Corvin, through whom she is a
descendant of Alexander Corvinus. In ''
Underworld: Awakening'', she tells Selene that her name is Subject 2. She was born without her parents' knowledge during their years of captivity in Antigen. The scientists in the facility told her that her mother was dead and never heard anything about her father. Eve eventually discovered Selene's body and breaks her mother out of cryo-suspension. After her escape, Selene discovers Eve and learns that she is her daughter, realizing that she had been pregnant at the time of her capture, and given birth to Eve all during her unconscious state. Being pursued by both humans and Lycans because of her unique origin, and despite Selene's attempts to shield her from the dangers around them, she is recaptured by Antigen, but is rescued by Selene and Detective Sebastian during an attack on the facility. Eve joins the fight herself and kills Doctor Lane. In ''
Underworld: Blood Wars'', Eve has gone away to prevent any vampires and lycans from getting her blood. As a result, Selene does not know where Eve is. However, she appears in the very last shot of the film, revealing that she has been following her mother; as her mother is now one of the Vampire Nation's new Elders, this makes Eve an heir to her mother and to the Vampire Nation. Eve is portrayed by
India Eisley
India Joy Eisley (born October 29, 1993) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Ashley Juergens in the ABC Family television series ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'', Eve in the 2012 film '' Underworld: Awakening'', Saw ...
.
Humans
Detective Sebastian
Portrayed by
Michael Ealy
Michael Brown (born August 3, 1973), professionally known as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), ''2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), '' Takers'' (2010), ''Think Like a Man'' (2012), '' About Last N ...
, Detective Sebastian is a police detective in ''
Underworld: Awakening'' who is shown to be sympathetic to immortals. He is first seen investigating a Lycan attack where he convinces his rookie partner to not jump to conclusions. While at the crime scene, he gets a brief glimpse of Selene and grows suspicious of Antigen, especially after he finds proof that they lied about their test subject, Selene, being dead. After an attack on a vampire coven that ends with her daughter being kidnapped, Selene confronts Detective Sebastian who admits he suspected the Lycans are not extinct. He then shows her reports a friend of his sent him shortly before dying of over 200 suspected Lycans being tested and all coming back negative, leading Detective Sebastian to think someone might be protecting them and letting them rebuild. Selene realizes that Antigen is run by Lycans and Detective Sebastian offers her his help in rescuing her daughter, explaining that his wife had metamorphosed into a vampiress and committed suicide to protect him. During the assault on Antigen, Detective Sebastian mans the security station to guide Selene through the building and races to the parking garage when he realizes Selene will not get there in time to stop Doctor Lane from escaping. In the fight that follows, Detective Sebastian kills a few Lycans but is unable to harm Lane who is now a Hybrid. He watches as Eve fights and kills Lane and David arrives to dispatch the other Lycans. As the police arrive, Detective Sebastian, who has an injured leg, tells the other three to go and he will misdirect the police to buy them time to get away.
References
{{Underworld (film series)
Underworld (film series)
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...