Lycan Virus

Lore & Background

Before Lucian's rebellion, vampires hunted and contained feral werewolves—savage beasts unable to take human form—but no organized war existed. Viktor, seeking control, took Lucian as a child and enslaved the Lycans, envisioning a race of slaves to guard the fortress by day and labor at night. The countryside was overrun with these feral beasts born from William's rampage, prompting human nobles to beg Viktor for protection in exchange for silver tributes that kept his slave army in check. Lucian and Sonja fell in love, initiating a secretive intimate relationship. When Lucian escaped his shackles to rescue Sonja from his own werewolf brethren, he was punished by a whipping and imprisoned. To secure his release, Sonja blackmailed Andreas Tanis by threatening to reveal his affair or treason. Lucian was already a Lycan able to transform at will before Sonja's death; he did not gain control over the packs only after transforming into a full werewolf. As Lucian liberated other Lycans, Viktor discovered their affair and pregnancy through memory-reading via blood, leading to Sonja's execution by sunlight. This tragedy triggered Lucian's rebellion, storming the fortress and killing numerous council members, but he did not defeat Viktor in that battle—Viktor survived and was later killed by Selene.

In Their Own Story

The saga begins with Lucian escaping his chains to save Sonja, an act that results in his imprisonment after Viktor discovers their relationship. Sonja enlists Andreas Tanis to free Lucian in exchange for her seat on the council, but she remains behind, planning to meet him later. When Viktor confronts her about the escape, he bites her neck to read her memories, uncovering the truth of their love and her pregnancy with Lucian's child. Disgusted, Viktor imprisons them both. At a trial presided over by Viktor himself, Sonja is unanimously sentenced to death and executed in front of Lucian. Enraged, Lucian turns into a werewolf and summons wild packs to attack the fortress. During the melee, vampire nobles and aides are killed. Lucian pursues Viktor, trapping him with sunlight shafts before stabbing him through the mouth with a sword and pushing his body into water. While Raze declares victory, Lucian knows the war is just beginning. Meanwhile, on a fleeing ship, Tanis seals the wounded Viktor in an elder hibernation chamber.

Reader's Guide

The film establishes that the Lycan strain originates from William's rampage, creating savage werewolves unable to take human form until Lucian, the first of his kind, is born with this ability. Lucian's role evolves from a slave laborer and day-guard for the coven to a revolutionary leader who recruits both human slaves and wild werewolves. The turning point occurs when Sonja reveals her pregnancy to save Lucian, leading to her execution by sunlight exposure—a method used by the vampire council to punish traitors. Following this, Lucian gains the unique ability to communicate with and control feral werewolves, a power he uses to storm the fortress and kill the vampire elite. The conflict concludes with Viktor's apparent death via sword and sunlight, though he survives in hibernation. The narrative connects directly to the first film through a scene where Kraven reveals to Selene that Viktor killed her family, not the Lycans, and spared Selene because she resembled his executed daughter Sonja.

Did You Know?

• Kate Beckinsale, who starred in the previous Underworld films, appears briefly at the end of Rise of the Lycans.
• The film premiered at the ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles on January 22, 2009, before its US release on January 23.
• Michael Sheen's performance as Lucian received significant acclaim, with critics calling him the movie's greatest asset.
• The opening day of the film grossed an estimated $8,050,000 in the United States, debuting at number one.
• Viktor survived his execution attempt by being sealed in an elder hibernation chamber by Andreas Tanis.