Human characters of Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter
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This is an alphabetical listing of significant human characters in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels. Non-recurring characters can be found in the article about the novel in which they featured.
Contents |
[edit] Major characters
[edit] Anita Blake
Anita Blake is the title character of the series: animator, vampire executioner and necromancer.
[edit] Edward (aka Death aka The Undertaker aka Ted (Theodore) Forrester)
Edward is 5'9" with blond hair and blue eyes. Anita describes Edward as "not an imposing man", appearance-wise. She also describes his eyes - "as cold and as distant as wintery skies". A hitman, he now specializes in assassinating supernatural targets, because humans were too easy. He particularly hunts vampires and lycanthropes, and taught Anita most of her combat skills. Anita considers herself to be possibly Edward's only true friend.
Edward is an extremely dangerous man, as Anita describes him. He is known to the monsters as Death, seemingly because he has had so many kills. Edward is a gun freak, knowing a lot about every brand of gun. As Anita says, "He carries more firepower than Rambo". He has given Anita several "toys" (as he calls his weapons), at various times including a Mini-Uzi and a sawed-off shotgun, and she was envious of his custom Seecamp auto. He uses any sort of firepower, regardless of any innocent bystanders. Edward has been known to use a flamethrower on vampires. He also customises his bullets, filling the silver hollow points with holy water and mercury, sealed with wax.
Edward is a sociopath alongside Anita. Sociopathy plays a big part in the series. Between Anita and Edward's relationships, they often talk about how effortlessly they can kill, without feeling anything, without caring for the ones they kill. Another topic that they openly discuss, have discussed, many times, is "who would be better". Edward says that his greatest fantasy is to go against Anita, and see who is better. Edward claims to have dreamed about it. Anita can see the excitement in his eyes and believes him. Edward acts like he doesn't really care about anything, but we see in Obsidian Butterfly he shoots through a whole gang of baddies, to save his girlfriend Donna's children, Becca and Peter. "I always thought Edward killed emotionless, his eyes cold." Anita said, in Obsidian Butterfly, "But when I looked into his baby blues, they were filled with fire. I had always thought Edward was scariest at his most cold. I was wrong. Edward the family man was downright terrifying."
Edward leads a double life; Edward as an assassin is the true Edward (as far as we know). He has an alias, his only legal identity (as far as we know) called Ted Forrester. Ted is a licensed bounty hunter, and "good ol' boy" operating out of Santa Fe; like Anita, he becomes "grandfathered" in as a Federal Marshall. Ted is engaged to a widow, Donna Parnell, with two kids, Peter and Becca (aged 14 and 6 in Obsidian Butterfly), not to mention the two maltese Peeka and Boo. He appears to have a close relationship with them, and Anita almost thinks that Edward could be in love. However, in The Harlequin, it is clear that Donna and Becca do not know "Edward", only "Ted". Anita is surprised to learn that Peter knows "Edward" - and wants to follow in Edward's and Anita's footsteps.
History: Edward's past is shrouded in mystery, however we do know that he once worked and was trained by a man named Van Cleef, with the suggestion of a military connection. He is recognised by others who trained under Van Cleef who call him "The Undertaker" a name he apparently acquired due to having the highest kill count of any of Van Cleef's trainees. Edward tells Anita that he was allowed to leave on Van Cleef's troop on the condition that he never spoke about it.
According to Anita's account in Guilty Pleasures, approximately two years before the start of the series, Edward and Anita collaborated in the hunt for Valentine and his nest of vampires. Ultimately, Edward used a flamethrower, burning a house down around himself and Anita. This story is told in a 2 issue comic book "The First Death."
Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, Circus of the Damned, The Lunatic Café, The Killing Dance, Obsidian Butterfly, The Harlequin.
[edit] Animators, Inc.
[edit] Bert Vaughn
Bert is the founder and managing partner of Animators, Inc. Over 6 feet tall and built like a former athlete, Bert is an unscrupulous boss who is inclined to sign the animators up for almost any job if the price is right. He and Anita often clash over Bert's choices of potential clients and jobs for Anita. As of Cerulean Sins Bert's status was downgraded to business manager and most of the animators were upgraded to full partners, Anita says. The series doesn't exactly explain why, but in previous books Anita had often thought about taking her business and clients away from Bert's micromanaging. Appearances: Most of the books.
[edit] Charles Montgomery
Charles is another animator who works for Bert Vaughn. Because he is built like an offensive lineman, Anita sometimes uses Charles as "muscle." However, he is actually a gentle family man who would not hurt anyone. Appearances: Laughing Corpse.
[edit] Jamison Clarke
Jamison is an animator at Animators, Inc. He is a thin African-American with curly red hair and green eyes, who typically clashes with Anita over Anita's side job as vampire executioner. Unlike Anita, Jamison believes that vampires are essentially people, and disapproves of executing them without trial. Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse.
[edit] John Burke
Six feet tall with movie-star good looks and a white streak in his dark hair, John Burke is a powerful animator, vaundun priest, and vampire hunter. He was originally active in New Orleans, Louisiana, but moved to Saint Louis after his brother Peter (who could also raise zombies) was killed in that city. Burke also stated that the New Orleans police and he had had a "misunderstanding" over Burke's involvement in a series of murders. After moving to Saint Louis he and Anita dated briefly, and he accepted a job at Animators, Inc. He can raise at least four zombies in a single night. Appearances: The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned.
[edit] Lawrence Kirkland
Five foot four and red-haired, Larry Kirkland reminds Anita of Howdy Doody. Larry first joined Animators, Inc. as a twenty year old co-op student and wants Anita to teach him to be a vampire hunter. Anita feels very protective towards Larry and doesn't want to see him killed. Larry is very powerful, probably a necromancer in his own right. Later married to Tammy Reynolds of RPIT, who is expecting. Currently, he is a fully licensed vampire executioner and federal marshal. Appearances: Circus of the Damned, Bloody Bones, Burnt Offerings, Micah, Incubus Dreams.
[edit] Manny (Manuel) Rodriguez
An older animator/vampire executioner, Manny is an animator at Animators, Inc., and was Anita's mentor, but is largely retired. Manny was present when he and Anita confronted Valentine's nest, before the events of Guilty Pleasures. Before his marriage and conversion to Christianity Manny was a vaundun priest who was involved with Dominga Salvador. Appearances: The Laughing Corpse (first mentioned in Guilty Pleasures).
[edit] Veronica "Ronnie" Sims
Veronica "Ronnie" Simms 5'9" blonde and is Anita's best friend and her usual workout partner and confidante. A private investigator on retainer with Animators, Inc. She is not a "shooter" like Anita. Of late their relationship has broken down. Ronnie, once the one to encourage a sexually carefree attitude in Anita, is now monogamous while the initially prudish Anita currently sleeps with several different men a day. This puts a strain on their relationship, since Anita always thought she'd have one man of her own and has been often conflicted with having more than one to love or sleep with. While Ronnie is rather stunned at the realization of only having one real lover for the rest of her life, potentially, after hitting "triple digits" in bed partners before falling for biology professor and wererat Louie Fane.
Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, The Lunatic Cafe, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned, Burnt Offerings, Cerulean Sins, Narcissus in Chains, Incubus Dreams, Danse Macabre.
[edit] Regional Preternatural Investigative Team (RPIT)
[edit] Clive Perry
An extremely polite member of RPIT. Anita has no idea what he did to get put on the squad (generally it's a punishment).
[edit] Rudolph "Dolph" Storr
Six feet eight inches tall and built like a wrestler, "Dolph" Storr is head of the RPIT. He is normally extremely "by the book" and clean cut, with close cropped black hair and a neatly knotted tie and jacket, even at 4 a.m. crime scenes. At that point, Dolph was such an excellent police officer that Anita wondered what he had done to be assigned to RPIT, a low-status position within the police force.
Prior to the series and throughout the earlier books, Dolph was a friend and mentor to Anita. In the later books, Dolph and Anita's relationship has become strained, in part because Anita no longer believes that all vampires and shapeshifters are monsters, but Dolph still does, leading to distrust over Anita's increasingly close relationships with the various vampire and lycanthrope communities in St. Louis. Their relationship has also been strained by Dolph's personal situation; his son Darrin is married to a vampire (and possibly becoming one), and Dolph and his wife Lucille are grieving over the prospect of a life without grandchildren. (Dolph's younger son, Paul, cannot have children). His wife's name is Lucille.
In the later books of the series, Dolph's personal problems and conflict with Anita appear to come to a head. Dolph manhandles Anita at a crime scene, attempts to have Jason Schuyler locked up in a secured facility simply for being a werewolf, and is temporarily relieved of duty. Although Dolph is now back on duty, he and Anita are approaching their relationship carefully.
Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, The Lunatic Cafe, Bloody Bones, The Killing Dance, Burnt Offerings, Blue Moon, Narcissus in Chains, Cerulean Sins, Incubus Dreams, The Harlequin.
[edit] Tammy Reynolds
A Christian witch, married to Larry Kirkland and expecting a child by him. She is the first detective witch and she chose to work with RPIT. Being a witch, she knows more about detailed spells or rituals than Anita does. Anita knows the basic ideas behind stuff, she says she took a few general classes in college. Tammy is five foot ten inches in height, somewhere around Anita's age, but she still has an innocence like Larry does which is slowly being worn away with police work.
First appearance: The Killing Dance, Burnt Offerings, Cerulean Sins
[edit] Zerbrowski
Another friend and member of the spook squad, Zerbrowski is the stereotypical rumpled, smart-alec, but highly competent detective and a loyal friend to Anita. He also makes wisecracks about Anita's personal life and is a cheerful lech. Anita has told him he has very slight psychic abilities; but he is almost a nil. His car is what Anita calls "a toxic waste zone" and his appearance is usually mismatched and unruly. Anita, along with almost everyone else, is surprised that he got Katie to marry him. Appearances: Most books.
[edit] Katie Zerbrowski
Zerbowski's wife. Anita has often wondered how or why Katie married Zerbrowski in the first place. Anita also wonders how Katie allows Zerbrowski to leave the house looking so messy when she is so neat. First appearance: The Lunatic Cafe (First mentioned in Guilty Pleasures)
[edit] Other
[edit] Anthony Dietrich
Twins Stephen and Gregory's father, Mr. Dietrich molested and pimped out his children at a young age and is one of the great traumas in their lives. He reappeared in St. Louis during the events of Cerulean Sins and has been trying to see his children, ignoring their restraining order against him, although he has not yet revealed the reason for his attempted contact.
Appearances: Mentioned in Cerulean Sins, appears in Incubus Dreams
[edit] Special Agent Bradley Bradford
Part of the Special Research Section, essentially the FBI's version of RPIT. He works with Anita in Branson, Missouri, and in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and thinks very highly of her. In pulling her file to consider her for possible FBI work, Bradford inadvertently gets Anita tapped as a potential "Spook" - dangerous types hired by the FBI with blacked-out files.
[edit] Bernardo Spotted-Horse
Bodyguard, mercenary and assassin, associate to Edward. Not as psychotic as Olaf.
First (and only) appearance: Obsidian Butterfly.
[edit] Catherine Maison-Gillette
One of Anita's friends, Catherine serves mainly as a plot point in the first few novels, as Anita is forced to attend or prepare for her bachelorette party, wedding, Halloween party, etc. She is a criminal attorney at the same firm as Monica Vespucci.
Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, The Killing Dance, Blue Moon; mentioned in The Laughing Corpse and Circus of the Damned.
[edit] Charlotte Zeeman
Richard's mother, a small blonde woman who looks younger than she actually is. She is very strong and commanding, despite her size, and all the Zeeman men love, adore, and fear her. She is now missing a finger, which Anita fully avenged.
First appearance: Blue Moon
[edit] Daniel Zeeman
One of Richard's brothers, a few years younger than Richard and adorably cute. He has the nearly same hair as Richard, only slightly darker. Other physical features include a nose that didn't quite heal right from being broken, naturally tan skin, high cheekbones, brown eyes, and a dimple in his chin. Daniel is for a long time the only member of Richard's family to know that Richard is a werewolf.
First appearance: Blue Moon
[edit] Dominga Salvador (aka The Señora)
An evil voodoo or vaudun priestess, who Anita says is the most powerful one she has ever met, maybe the most powerful one in North America. Dominga was once also Manny's lover and leader, for her he did many things he probably regrets now. She is in her early sixties, has pure white hair and black eyes. She found a way to make a perfect looking zombie that will not rot, by simply capturing the soul before it moves on, calling up the zombie, and putting the soul back inside the dead body. She hopes that Anita will join her, learn from her, but Anita refuses. She vanished while under investigation for crimes which would carry an automatic death penalty; the police suspect Anita of having killed Salvador, but have no evidence.
First (and only) appearance: The Laughing Corpse
[edit] Harley
Psychotic but loyal back-up for Edward, Harley appears in The Killing Dance. Anita realizes he sees the world in a totally different way, and only listens to people he can "see". After a metaphysical change in Anita, Harley no longer recognizes her (seeing "only monsters") when Edward goes down and starts to kill everything he can see, including Anita, who regretably kills him first. It is his death that makes Anita owe Edward a favor (which he calls in in Obsidian Butterfly).
[edit] Luther
Human bartender for Dead Dave, Luther works the day shift and frequently acts as Anita's informant on Dave's behalf. Luther is a grey-haired, very dark-skinned, chain smoker, and Anita describes him as fat, "but a solid fat like a kind of muscle".
Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse.
[edit] Marianne
The vargamor for Verne's clan in Tennessee, sort of a half pack witch, half pack therapist. She helps Anita with some of the magical issues that Anita faces, such as learning how to control the munin. Marianne is around 50ish in age and has white-blonde hair, and a mechanical heart valve. Anita has called her a few times for help and received tarot readings instead, which are eerily accurate. She even called Anita once to give her a message from God. (Anita described this as He couldn't speak to you, so he left a message on your machine)
First appearance: Blue Moon
[edit] Monica Vespucci
Vespucci is a lawyer at Anita's friend Catherine's law firm, and a vampire aficionado. She is one of the bridesmaids at Catherine's wedding. In Guilty Pleasures, Vespucci is part of the plot to blackmail Anita into solving a series of vampire murders. Later, Vespucci marries Robert. After Robert is killed, Jean Claude promises that Monica and their child would "want for nothing."
Appearances: Guilty Pleasures, The Killing Dance.
[edit] Olaf (aka Otto Jefferies)
Assassin, sadist and convicted rapist, associate to Edward. Serial killer with physique and M.O./victim profile similar to Edmund Kemper. He thinks all women are beneath him, but came to feel that Anita was his soul mate, despite -- or because of -- her nominally fitting his vic profile. He has a special "black file" which means he did something for the government, but no one knows what. Edward warned Anita in Obsidian Butterfly that if he comes looking for her, for any reason, to run. He reappears in The Harlequin, only to become further smitten with her (it is revealed in that novel that Olaf has turned down more satisfying work abroad to remain in the U.S. near St. Louis and, presumably, Anita).
Appearances: Obsidian Butterfly and The Harlequin.
