42 Facts About Eric Northman

Eric Northman is a fictional character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, written by Charlaine Harris.

Aude and their sixth child died of a fever shortly after the birth when Eric Northman was in his early twenties.

Eric Northman is always shown in dark blue jeans with a black singlet and a black leather jacket.

When he and Pam face difficult challenges and situations, Eric Northman puts her needs above his own.

Eric Northman is portrayed in the books as being somewhat arrogant, but having a true joie de vivre.

Eric Northman is confident almost to a fault, once reprimanding a thug in the third book, Club Dead, for threatening Sookie and referring to her as his "future lover" although no potentially romantic relationship between Eric and Sookie yet existed.

Eric Northman is not above using deceit though it seems to be a last resort when it comes to Sookie.

Indeed, Sookie frequently remarks how conversations with Eric Northman are seldom single layered and how he never says something without reason.

Eric Northman is not sentimental in the least but shows a great deal of concern over Sookie and her happiness and well-being, perhaps making the relationship between Eric and Sookie all the more impressive.

Sookie believes that, although Eric Northman has created a modest, but thriving business empire and carved out a position of authority in the delicate vampire hierarchy, at heart he remains a born-Viking warrior, ready to leap into battle at any instant.

Eric Northman is the most powerful vampire in Area Five of northern Louisiana: a territory that includes the small town of Bon Temps.

Eric Northman serves as Sheriff of area 5, or local boss, of that area and owns a vampire bar in Shreveport called "Fangtasia," that serves as his headquarters.

Eric Northman takes his responsibilities and role within the vampire hierarchy very seriously.

The state of Louisiana was in disarray after the results of Hurricane Katrina, and after the Queen of Louisiana, Eric Northman's hierarch, was crippled in an explosion and eventually killed by the vampires of Nevada under Felipe de Castro's order.

Eric Northman was spared since he was the most practical of the Sheriffs and had one of the largest money makers, Bill Compton, living in his area and owing fealty to him.

Under the new regime, Eric Northman has spent a significant amount of time acclimating himself to his new overlords.

Eric Northman then appears in all the subsequent novels and has either saved or attempted to save Sookie's life in every book.

Eric Northman asks her to discuss it, and she refuses.

In Dead and Gone, Eric Northman sends Sookie a velvet parcel that he instructs her to give to him in front of King Felipe de Castro's representative, Victor Madden.

Eric Northman reveals that the curse that had been placed on him made him unconsciously seek out the presence of his heart's desire.

Eric Northman was promised by his maker, Appius, to marry the Queen of Oklahoma, and he has spent much of his time figuring out how to get out of the promise.

Sookie wants Eric Northman to choose her outright and Eric Northman explains that he just can't ignore a command from his maker even though he is dead.

Eric Northman ends up using it at the end of the book to save Sam Merlotte's life and Eric just walks away after he sees this.

The book ends with them basically in the same spot, not knowing if Eric Northman is going to marry the Queen of Oklahoma or stay with Sookie.

Eric Northman is set to officially marry Freyda, the Queen of Oklahoma, and he has been banned from ever seeing Sookie again.

In True Blood, an HBO series based on the earliest books in the series, the character of Eric Northman is played by Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard.

In Season 2 Godric commits suicide by exposing himself to sunlight, causing Eric Northman to shed bloody vampire tears in the novels he cries for the first time in book 9.

Eric Northman has not demonstrated the outward concern for Sookie that he exhibited in the early novels, but he appears to be developing an uneasy, guarded affection for her and the series seems to portray a reluctance on his part to show people, particularly Sookie, his genuine emotions.

In episode 10, Eric Northman kissed Sookie, after proclaiming that if he were to die a true death without having at least kissed her, that would be his greatest regret.

Eric Northman chained her up in his basement a few minutes later as bait for Russell.

Eric Northman again reveals his guarded affection for her when prompted by Russell to drink her blood, he hesitates and strokes her affectionately on the cheek.

Eric Northman gave his dying father a vow to avenge them all.

Eric Northman only spared Russell because he thought death would be too merciful for him; after knocking out one of his fangs, he buried the crippled vampire in silver chains and wet concrete, intending to let him starve in agony for 100 years but never die.

In Season 4, we see the relationship of Sookie and Eric Northman develop after he loses his memory to the witch coven; first, Sookie shelters him in her house from Bill.

Eric Northman manages to successfully escape with Nora and searches for Sookie to enlist her help; in the process, he manages to kill his archenemy Russell Edgington, fulfilling a vengeance that he began when he was still human.

Later, he returns Sookie's house to her for her protection; while she is grateful to him and considers him a friend, she still banishes him from the house, and Eric Northman tells Nora they will stay away from her now.

In Season 6, Eric Northman finds his latest threat to be the humans, especially Governor Truman Burrell, who declares war on vampires.

Regardless, the Governor has them both placed in "Vamp Camp", where Eric Northman is later forced to helplessly watch his sister, Nora, receive a lethal injection of "Hep V".

Eric Northman is shown in the sun on a mountain top in Are, Sweden when Warlow's blood wears off, causing Eric Northman to burn.

All the while, Eric Northman sits on his throne on the Fangtasia stage, relishing his accomplishments.

In episode 4 of season 3 of True Blood, Eric Northman says he played by the North Sea as a child.

Eric Northman speaks Swedish with Pam and Godric in some episodes.