Tristan de Martel

**Notice:** This **article** uses content directly taken from the Tristan de Martel **article** at the Vampire Diaries Wiki, and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

## Biographical Information

### Born

* 10th Century  (Southern France, Age Unknown/1017+)

### Occupation

* Nobleman  (Formerly)
* Member of The Quadrinity
* Co-Leader of The Strix  (Formerly)
* Prisoner

### Titles

* Lord Tristan
* Little Weasel and Filth  (all by Elijah)
* Second-rate Napoleon  (by Athena)
* Pompous Dick  (by Elijah and Alex)
* Elijah Mikaelson  (Fake Identity)
* My Beloved Brother  (by Aurora)

### Species

* Human  (Originally)
* Vampire  (Elijah's Bloodline)

## Family Information

### Family Members

* Count de Martel †  (Father)
* Countess de Martel †  (Mother)
* Brett de Martel †  (Younger Brother)
* Aurora de Martel †  (Younger Sister)

## Supernatural Information

### Significant Kills

* Mohinder  (as a vampire)
* Jackson Kenner

### Cause of Death

* Unknown  (as a human)
* Elijah's Death  (as a vampire)

### Killed By

* Elijah Mikaelson  (as a human)
* The Hollow  (as a vampire)

## Physical Appearance

### Height

* 5'10"  (Feet)
* 1.78  (Meters)

## Appearance

### First Seen

* *For the Next Millennium*  (Flashback)
* *You Hung the Moon*  (first modern day appearance)

### Last Seen

* *A Streetcar Named Desire*

**Tristan de Martel** was a recurring character and the tertiary antagonist in the third season of *The Originals*. He was the brother of Brett and Aurora de Martel and the son of the Count de Martel. He was the first vampire ever turned by Elijah Mikaelson, one of the Quadrinity, and the former co-leader of the Strix. He was trapped inside a container at the bottom of the ocean, drowning repeatedly. His suffering has ended with Elijah's death in *Queen Death*.

**Tristan** was a member of the **De Martel Family**.

## Early History

Tristan was the son of Count de Martel and lived in his castle with his brother and sister, Brett and Aurora. In the year 1002, he and his family met the Mikaelson siblings when they, aided by Lucien, pretended to be the wealthy children of a friend of the Count's.

Later that year, when Aurora was secretly meeting with one of the Original Vampires, Niklaus Mikaelson, Tristan caught her with their servant Lucien, who had always loved Aurora and had discovered her affair with Klaus. Tristan, believing that it was Lucien whom Aurora was having the affair with, ordered the guards to take him.

Tristan tortured Lucien in the dungeons when Klaus and his brother Elijah attempted to stop him. Tristan revealed that he learned the truth about them from a woman who had survived an attack from their brother, Kol. He threatened that he would expose them if they did anything to him and then pulled out a dagger, slashing Lucien across the mouth, scarring him. After the torture, Tristan spoke to Aurora but was attacked by a healed Lucien, who, unknown to him, had been healed by Klaus's blood. One of the guards stabbed Lucien in the back, killing him, though it would not last as Lucien had begun his transition into the first sired vampire.

Tristan was turned into a vampire by Elijah in the year 1002, and he, along with Brett, Lucien, and Aurora, were compelled in believe that they were the Mikaelson siblings, and were used as a diversion for Mikael to hunt while his children escaped to Tuscany. However, in the year 1114, they were released from the compulsion via the daggering of Elijah by the Brotherhood of the Five. Enraged, the four swore an oath of their own; an oath of vengeance against the family that had ruined their lives.

After Elijah had created The Strix, in hopes of a building a better future for the world, he was forced to flee from the society when Mikael came for him. Tristan and Brett arrived in the aftermath of the attack and took command the of The Strix, forging them into a violent secret society responsible for conducting world events from behind the scenes.

Tristan continued to try and find a way to kill the Originals with Brett, Aurora, and Lucien but after Finn and Kol died, they learned that they and their sirelines would die along with them if the Originals died. Tristan instead focused on trying to trap the Originals, hoping to contain them permanently somewhere safe, where their deaths could never effect him or his sireline. When he learned about the Serratura, he planned to travel to New Orleans under the pretense that he and Lucien were at war, not wanting the Mikaelsons to suspect that he and Lucien were actually planning to seal them away.

## Personality

### Human

Lucien once described Tristan as having a wicked personality. This was later proven by his vicious punishment of Lucien after he thought he caught the servant and his sister together, for no apparent reason. He seemed to enjoy the power his nobility gave him, flaunting it over his servants and enjoying disciplining those beneath him.

Tristan also possesses a very stoic personality, rarely showing surprise or fear, and when he does, it is very muted. His expression barely changed when Klaus had him in a chokehold, and he responded by revealing that he knew what they were and that they were running, unafraid even when threatened. Likewise, he showed only the briefest moment of surprise at Lucien coming for him, completely healed. Klaus believed him to be arrogant.

### Vampire

Tristan is both charming and worldly, a man born into such wealth and power that he carries with him the cool assurance of his own superiority. With those he loves, he can be equal parts warm and caring, obsessive and co-dependent. But with his enemies, he is cruel and completely merciless. Tristan is very elitist, only associating with those he deems as "true equals" like the members of the Strix, and looks down on anyone that does not meet his standards. He also has an unhealthy obsession with his sister, only ever lowering his guard when she was endangered. He is a commanding, elegant, educated aristocrat who can be diabolically vicious and can be very vindictive to his enemies and those who insult him. An example of his cruelty is when he ripped out Jackson's heart in front of Hayley, taunting Jackson before he killed him when Tristan overheard Jackson professing his love to Hayley, calling it "Darling" and "Pathetic" to Jackson.

Tristan was a charismatic leader, able to lead the Strix for centuries without incident. They saw him as a savior for coming to them in their time of need and helping them consolidate more and more power. Tristan chose to act in manners he believed Elijah wouldn't, staying loyal when Elijah might betray and remaining with the Strix through difficult times instead of abandoning like Elijah had. However, Elijah refused to acknowledge Tristan as a legitimate leader, referring to him only as a poisonous snake who warped the original purpose for the Strix, caring more for his own vendettas than the group. He remained bitter toward Elijah for nearly a millennium, but thankful for the time he spent compelled as him, unlike Lucien and Aurora, who despised their time believing they were the Originals.

## Physical Appearance

Tristan was a man of average build with short, brown hair and blue eyes. He dressed well, in suits and ties, in a similar manner to his sire.

## Powers and Abilities

Tristan possessed all the standard powers and abilities of a non-Original vampire. But being over a thousand years old, he was one of the strongest non-Original vampires in existence.

Tristan had been shown to be a skilled swordsman while sparring with his sister Aurora.

Through unknown means, Aurora claims that she, Lucien, and Tristan cannot be easily compelled anymore. He was also able to resist Elijah invading his mind through physical contact even in a debilitated state due to magic and werewolf venom.

## Weaknesses

Tristan had the typical weaknesses of a non-Original vampire.

## Relationships

* Tristan and Aurora (Siblings/Former Allies)
* Tristan and Brett (Siblings/Former Allies)
* Finn and Tristan (Former Acquaintances)
* Tristant and Lucien (Former Allies/Enemies)
* Tristan and Aya (Boss/Employee/Former Allies)
* Elijah and Tristan (Enemies/Former Allies/Elijah turned him)
* Tristan and Alex (Enemies)
* Tristan and Hayley (Enemies)
* Tristan and Vincent (Enemies)
* Tristan and Jackson (Enemies/Tristan killed him)

## Appearances

**Season Three**

* *For the Next Millennium* (Flashback)
* *You Hung the Moon*
* *I'll See You in Hell or New Orleans*
* *A Walk on the Wild Side*
* *The Axeman's Letter*
* *Beautiful Mistake* (Mentioned)
* *Out of the Easy*
* *The Other Girl in New Orleans*
* *Savior*
* *A Ghost Along the Mississippi*
* *Wild at Heart* (Mentioned)
* *Dead Angels* (Flashback)
* *Heart Shaped Box* (Mentioned)
* *A Streetcar Named Desire*
* *The Devil Comes Here and Sighs* (Mentioned)
* *Where Nothing Stays Buried* (Mentioned)

## Name

* **Tristan** is a given name of Welsh origin. It originates from the Brythonic name Drust or Drustanus. It derives from a stem meaning "noise", seen in the modern Welsh noun trwst (plural trystau) and the verb trystio "to clatter".
* **de Martel** is one of Britain and France's most famous and historic surnames. It derives from the French word "martel" meaning "hammer".