Death Dealers

Lore & Background

The Death Dealers were established as a specialized force within the Vampire Coven long after Viktor's turning, not directly formed from his original human army. Viktor, a Hungarian general and warlord, was turned into a Vampire by a different Vampire lord after being mortally wounded in battle—not by Markus Corvinus. He later rose to become a Vampire Elder through political power and age. Over the centuries, the Death Dealers became the backbone of Vampire military operations, tasked with maintaining the secrecy and dominance of their kind. In Underworld: Blood Wars, following the threat of the new Lycan leader Marius, the Vampire Council agrees to pardon Selene for killing Viktor if she will train their new Death Dealers. This demonstrates that even after Viktor's death, the role of Death Dealers remains vital to the Coven's survival, adapting to new threats and leadership changes within the Vampire Nation.

In Their Own Story

The Death Dealers were forged in the crucible of the Vampire-Lycan war, originating from Viktor's personal army. When Markus approached the dying warlord Viktor, he offered immortality in exchange for Viktor's military genius and army to combat the rampaging Werewolves spawned by William. Viktor accepted, and his soldiers became the first Death Dealers, trained specifically to hunt and kill Lycans. For centuries, they served as the Coven's elite enforcers, patrolling the shadows and eliminating any Lycan threat. Their tactics relied on coordinated ambushes and superior numbers, utilizing silver-tipped weapons to exploit Lycan weaknesses. In Underworld: Blood Wars, the Death Dealers' importance is reaffirmed when the Vampire Council seeks Selene's expertise to train a new generation of these hunters, recognizing that their skills are essential to counter the rising Lycan threat under Marius.

Reader's Guide

Death Dealers operate under the direct command of the Vampire Elders, with their hierarchy rooted in Viktor's original military structure. Their primary goal is the elimination of Lycans, and they are bound by a strict code of loyalty to the Coven. Internal politics within the Death Dealer ranks can be influenced by the ambitions of individual Vampires, as seen when Semira, an old favorite of Viktor, frames Selene for murder to get revenge. The Death Dealers maintain a tense relationship with standard Coven guards, viewing themselves as superior due to their specialized combat training. In the eternal war against the Lycans, they stand as the Coven's first line of defense, adapting their tactics as the conflict evolves to include hybrids and new alliances. Their stance remains one of aggressive hunting: track, engage, and eliminate any Lycan threat to protect the Vampire Nation.

Did You Know?

• Death Dealers are a specialized force within the Vampire Coven, not directly formed from Viktor's original human army at the moment of his turning.
• In Underworld: Blood Wars, Selene is asked to train new Death Dealers as part of a pardon for killing Viktor.
• The Death Dealers were originally formed to fight against the Werewolves spawned by William, Markus's twin brother.
• Viktor was turned by a different Vampire lord after being mortally wounded in battle, not by Markus Corvinus, and became an Elder later through political power and age.