Vampire Hunters

Lore & Background

Selene was born in Hungary to a stone mason father and mother. As a child, her family helped build a prison for Viktor's fortress. Years later, on the same night Lucian escaped captivity, Viktor killed everyone involved in the prison's construction to hide William's location. That night, he slaughtered Selene's entire family one by one but spared her, later telling Kraven he 'could not bear the thought of draining [her] dry' because she reminded him of his precious daughter. Tricked into believing Lycans were responsible for their gruesome deaths, a traumatized orphan Selene spent over six centuries hunting them. As a Death Dealer, she isolated herself from hedonistic vampires, viewing her duty as 'sacred'. She was sired personally by Viktor, whom she viewed as a surrogate father until discovering he was the true murderer.

In Their Own Story

Selene's life changed when she met Michael Corvin at a subway station moments before a shootout. Despite being warned against it, she drove while suffering from blood loss, passing out at the wheel—a testament to her stubbornness. Kate Beckinsale noted that by this point, Selene had 'almost forgotten she's a woman,' focused entirely on killing until meeting Michael sparked a memory of humanity. Unlike other vampires who indulged in temporary encounters out of curiosity or loneliness, Selene had never been in love before. Other characters like Kraven and Erika quickly noticed her feelings for Michael, though she struggled to open up, admitting she was 'not good with feelings.' When Viktor threatened Michael, Selene sliced through his head with Viktor's own sword without hesitation. Later, believing Michael dead after Markus impaled her, she launched a suicide mission to kill him and William. In Underworld: Awakening, when Lycans captured her daughter, she set silver gas explosives at every floor of the Antigen facility to rescue her.

Reader's Guide

Selene is described as 'steely-eyed' with extreme intelligence and sharp intuition, trusting almost no one. She possesses a passion for truth laced with vengeance, which traps her in a violent purpose. Her personality is headstrong; she refuses to back down even when it endangers her life. While she maintains a stoic, near-impervious exterior after centuries of discipline, cracks appear regarding those she loves. She does not fit in with the Coven's self-gratification, preferring to dedicate every waking hour to hunting Lycans. Kraven, who fancied himself her suitor, called her too serious about 'warrior business,' while Selene dismissed him as a 'pig, a coward and an insufferable egotist.' She rejects his advances publicly and privately. Her daughter once mistook her cold demeanor for being 'dead,' but Selene clarified that her heart was not cold, only broken by Michael's disappearance.

Did You Know?

• Selene was created by Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride.
• At the time of her family's murder, Selene was a child, not a young woman; the massacre included young children, an event that traumatized her for centuries.
• Prior to meeting Michael Corvin, Selene had never been in love; her few physical encounters were driven by curiosity and loneliness rather than lust.
• Selene is approximately six centuries old during the events of the first film.
• In Underworld: Awakening, Selene used silver gas explosives on every floor of a building to lure Lycan security into a trap while rescuing her daughter.