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| “ | An unknown chapter lies ahead. The lines that had divided the Clans have now been blurred. Chaos and infighting are inevitable. All that is certain is that Darkness is still ahead. But for now, for the first time, I look into the light with new hope. | „ |
| ~ Selene at the end of Underworld: Evolution. |
| “ | I have lived a thousand years, I may live a thousand more, or I may die tomorrow, but I no longer fear death for I have known it once already. I am reborn and my eyes have been opened to the sacred world and the promise of what is yet to be. There is no beginning. There is no end. There is only becoming. | „ |
| ~ Selene in Underworld: Blood Wars. |
Selene is the main protagonist of the urban fantasy action Underworld films.
She is portrayed by Kate Beckinsale and Lily Sheen young. In Underworld: Endless War, she was voiced by Laura Harris, who also voiced Shadowcat in the Astonishing X-Men motion comic.
In Japanese dub she was voiced by Atsuko Tanaka.
Biography[]
Early Life, Tragedy, and Becoming a Vampire[]
Selene was born to a Hungarian family sometime in the year 1383. Her father was a well-known architect who helped design a fortress for a Vampire general named Viktor. The fortress was, in reality, a dungeon intended for the imprisonment of the Werewolf William Corvinus, who was condemned for his bloody and destructive behaviour.
After Lycans supposedly killed her family, Selene was the only surviving human who had walked through the corridors of the fortress. She did not know, however, that her family was slain by Viktor himself, and not by the Lycans. She believed Viktor saved her.
She became a Death Dealer, fighting the war against the Lycans for revenge. Kraven, the Coven’s regent, was obsessed with her, though she did not return the feelings. She once exiled the Official Historian, Andreas Tanis, on Viktor’s orders, although the two seemed to have a grudging respect for each other.
The End of The War & Revelations[]
After a confrontation with the Lycan hit man, Raze, Selene discovers what is supposedly a Lycan lair. Not knowing that Kraven was in league with the Lycan leader, Lucian, to take over the Vampire realm from the Elders, she was angry when he dismissed her claims.
She tracked down the human she believed the Lycans had an interest in: Michael Corvin. Against the sacred rules of the covenant, she and the lycanthropy disease infected Michael fell in love. She awakened Viktor from his slumber, believing that only he had the power to deal with the conspiracy between Kraven and Lucian. She then led a mass assault on the Lycans’ underground bunker.
After Michael is shot by a jealous Kraven, Selene is forced to infect Michael with her Vampire virus strain, thus making him the first Lycan-Vampire Hybrid. She also learned the truth about her family’s murder from Kraven, which Viktor admits. Viktor made excuses that although he took many things from Selene, he gave her back so much more in return. But Viktor's 'gift' to Selene could not mitigate Selene's crushing feeling of betrayal: she struck down Viktor while the Elder was busy fighting Michael, most likely out of vengeance and to save Michael. She then retrieved Sonja’s pendant, carrying on the legacy.
Death of The First Immortals & The New Era[]
After Viktor’s death, Selene and Michael go on the run from both Lycans and Vampires. Selene is confronted by Marcus, the last surviving Vampire Elder. As Marcus attacks her for Sonja’s pendant, Michael intervenes and fights Marcus to protect Selene. After narrowly escaping Marcus and the coming sunlight, Selene and Michael take refuge in a warehouse. In the warehouse Michael attempts to tend to Selene's burn wounds, only to discover they have already healed. While hiding in the warehouse, the two become lovers.
To find out why Marcus was after the pendant, she seeks out Andreas Tanis. Tanis tells her the truth about her family’s slaughter and reveals to her that Marcus, not Viktor, is the original Vampire. He then sets up a meeting for her and Michael with Alexander Corvinus (who he calls Lorenz Macro, his alias), Marcus’ father and the first true immortal.
Selene becomes angry with Alexander (after realizing who he was due to his ring) for not removing the threats his sons posed long ago. Alexander then retorts by asking her if she would murder her own son. An interruption by Marcus in which Michael is seemingly killed results is Selene’s memories of the fortress to be taken by Marcus through her blood. Alexander tells Selene that the only way to defeat Marcus and William would be to drink his blood, adding that she would become the “Future”. Selene gains greater strength and new powers from Alexander’s blood. All through this exchange, she is grief-stricken over the loss of Michael.
Selene and a squad of Alexander’s ‘Cleaners’ invade William’s dungeon, trying to stop the threat. They arrive too late, however, and Selene is forced to fight Marcus. Marcus is shocked to smell his father’s blood flowing through Selene’s veins. After locking Marcus in William’s dungeon, Selene discovers that William has infected all the Cleaners, who then become Lycans themselves. On the verge of being overwhelmed, she is saved by Michael, who has regenerated due to his Hybrid powers. Selene fights Marcus once more, and the Elder drives his wing talon through her chest. Empowered by Alexander’s blood, Selene tears away the talon and drives it into Marcus’ skull before throwing him into the helicopter blades, thus killing him.
After Marcus and William are killed, Selene discovers that she is able to stand in the sunlight due to the pure Corvinus Strain from Alexander Corvinus. It phenomenally enhances her strength and healing to a level equivalent to that of a Vampire-dominate Hybrid.
Awakening and The New War against Humanity[]
Sometime after her victory over Marcus and William, she was captured by humans and was kept in hibernation. After twelve years, she awakens to a world that now knows of vampires and lycans. Humans now hunts down both races. Selene must contend against humanity and their new creation all the while she is searching for Michael Corvin.
Personality[]
Selene is stoic, serious, cold and detached, as she seldom smiles and is not known for having a sense of humour. She never seems to laugh and she has admitted that she is not "good with feelings" and has been described as "cold as one already dead". She is usually all-business and does not suffer fools gladly, given her opinion of arrogant and insufferable Vampires like Kraven.
She is also headstrong and stubborn to a fault, refusing to walk away during suspicious activity or until the task at hand is completed. She is also fiercely independent. This sometimes reaches a point where she ignores even life-threatening injuries, such as falling unconscious from blood loss at the hands of Lucian even after Michael warned her of her condition and attempted to help her. Her attitude stems from her centuries as a hardened warrior and pride of being a soldier of the vampire race.
However, despite Selene's stony exterior, she is not entirely apathetic, as she tends to become distressed and vengeful when those she cares about are threatened, injured or killed. It is possible that her apathy may be a result of her training as a Death Dealer, although it is noted in the films that her hatred of Lycans goes well beyond that of others of her species.
Selene does occasionally show her emotions and inner feelings, more so after she meets Michael. Selene shows concern for the fate of her fellow Death Dealers. She is shown to be very hurt and near tears when Viktor betrays her, both when he sentences her to be judged by the Vampire Council for awakening him ahead of schedule, and again when she confronts him in regards to the murder of her family. Selene is distressed when Michael is in danger and is clearly devastated when she believes him to be dead in Evolution. She later shows compassion to her daughter Eve, disallowing the girl from cutting herself with a razor, and attacking the men who kidnap her. It would seem that the people Selene cares about the most are the ones who bring out her emotions and her more compassionate side.
Appearance[]
Movies[]
- Underworld (2003)
- Underworld: Evolution (2006)
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
- Underworld: Awakening (2012)
- Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)
TV[]
- Underworld: The Making of Underworld (2004)
- MythBusters (2006)
Animated[]
- Underworld: Endless War (2011)
Comics[]
- Underworld (2003, 1 appearances)
- Underworld Evolution (2005, 1 appearances)
- Complete Underworld (2007, 1 appearances)
- Underworld: Blood Wars (2017, 4 appearances)
Novels[]
- Underworld (2003)
- Underworld: Blood Enemy (2004)
- Underworld Evolution (2005)
Video Games[]
- Underworld: The Eternal War (2004)
Gallery[]
.jpg "Underworld - Awakening (Original Motion Picture Score).jpg (22 KB)")
.jpg "Selene (Underworld).jpg (938 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Beckinsale stated that she wouldn't return in the sixth movie because she said she's done enough.
- Her name, "Selene" means "shining" or "luminous in Ancient Greek.
- She is loosely based on Selene Gallio from the X-Men comics, except unlike her she is a hero, rather than a villain.