Eric Northman

Eric Northman is a fictional character in Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries, and an antagonist turned anti hero of the popular HBO series True Blood. 
He is a 1,000 year old vampire who was turned by a young looking but much older Vampire named Godric on his deathbed after coming from a losing war. In his human life Eric was a Viking whose family was killed by a ruthless vampire named Russell Edgington, and Eric manages to enact his revenge on Russell centuries later.
He was portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård, who also portrayed Tarzan in The Legend of Tarzan, Charlie Venner in the 2011 remake of Straw Dogs, Stone Hooper in Battleship, Nathan Lind in Godzilla vs. Kong, and Amleth in The Northman.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Eric was born in 906 A.D. to Ulfrik and Astrid in Sweden, and is the older brother to an unnamed sister. The son of a Viking king, Eric enjoyed living an unmarried life despite his father's wishes to have become king and marry. In 919 A.D., Eric's family were killed by werewolves and his father's crown was handed to a cloak figure, which was later revealed to the vampire Russell Edgington. Before Ulfrik passed away, he made Eric king, and his son decided to spend the rest of his life ruling while also searching for his family's killer. 
===Becoming a Vampire===
Traveling across Scandinavia in search of his family's killer, Eric was wounded in battle, and told his companions to leave him. While awaiting to die, he was greeted by Godric, a vampire who offered the Viking prince immortality after seeing his strength and prowess on the battlefield. Being turned by Godric, Eric became his companion, and the two were spotted in the 1600s, living in London during the plague. Eric came across Nora Gainesborough, a woman who cared for those infected by the plague who in turn became infected herself. Seeing her courage, Eric brought her to Godric, who turned Nora into a vampire, thus making her Eric's vampire sister.
In the 1900s, Eric would meet Pamela Swynford de Beaufort in San Francisco after stopping someone from attacking her in the streets. He was impressed by Pamela's lack of shock at Eric's abilities, and decided to befriend the woman by meeting her at the brothel she worked at. While at the brothel, Eric learned that Pamela was losing her employees by vampires Lorena Krasiki and her progeny, Bill Compton. Eric drove the two away from the brothel, and when Pamela asked for him to turn her into a vampire, Northman refused. However, he was forced to turn Pamela when she slit her writs to force him to turn her. Pamela would act as Eric's close friend and confidant for centuries to come. 
During the Second World War, Eric and Godric started hunting down werewolves who were attacking American soldiers, and learned that the werewolves' master was a vampire. Eric and Godric were shocked to learn this, and the two agreed to hunt down the vampire, and the two parted ways. Eric wouldn't see his master for centuries, and continued his search for his family's killer. While still searching, Eric and Pam would move to France in the 1980s, and Eric fell in love with a woman named Sylvie. During this time, Eric's disobedience and recklessness caused the Authority to come after him, as he wasn't obeying the vampire sheriff. When the Yakuza kidnapped Sylvie and Pam, Eric was forced to choose which one would live, and he reluctantly chose Pam while Sylvie was killed.
As punishment for their public activities, Eric and Pam were relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they had to run a video store and give eighty percent of the profit to the Authority. Though Eric was chosen to be the sheriff of Louisiana Area 5, he was bored with his position. Eric and Pam would then turn the video store into Fangtasia, a local vampire bar and had one of their employees, Ginger get people to come.
===True Blood===
====Season One====
Still running Fangtasia with Pam, Eric becomes fascinated with Sookie Stackhouse, who came to the bar after her brother, Jason was accused of murdering women. Since the victims visisted Fangtasia before their deaths, Sookie arrives to the bar with Bill, who has become her lover. When Sookie warns of a police raid at the bar, Eric learns that Sookie can read mins, and becomes intrigued with her ability. Eric would later use Sookie's ability to learn who stole his money from his bar, and Sookie learns that it was the vampire Longshadow. The vampire attempts to kill Sookie, but is stopped and killed by Bill, and Eric warns Compton that he will have to pay for what he did to the Authority.
==Trivia==
*According to Pam, he owns land in Sweden, which is possibly the site of his ancestral family.
*He is the oldest living vampire in the tv series as of the series finale.
Category:Male
Category:Book Heroes
Category:Horror Heroes
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Category:Friend of a Villain