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Macklyn Warlow

Macklyn Warlow
Appearances
Season(s)
5, 6
First seen
"Hopeless" (flashback)
Last seen
Appeared in
11 episodes (see below)
Mentioned in
{{{Mentioned}}}
Biographical Information
Also Known As
  • Ben Flynn
  • Warlow
Status
Age
5,542
Turning age
32
Vampire age
5,510
Date of birth
3532 B.C.
({{{BirthEp}}})
Date turned
{{{Turned}}}
({{{TurnedEp}}})
Date of death
3500 B.C. (made vampire)
2010 (destroyed)
Origin
Profession
Religion
{{{Religion}}}
Gender
{{{Gender}}}
Family Information
Family members
Unnamed Father †

Unnamed Mother †
Lilith - Maker

Sookie Stackhouse - Intended wife-to-be
Supernatural Information
Species
Powers
  • Enhanced vampire abilities
  • Enhanced faerie abilities
  • Portal Generation
  • Flight
Has shifted into
{{{Shifts}}}
Notable Progeny
{{{Progeny}}}
Notable kills
{{{Kills}}}
Cause of death
{{{Cause of death}}}
Killed by
{{{Killed by}}}
Physical Appearance
Height
{{{Height}}}
Hair color
{{{HairColor}}}
Eye color
{{{EyeColor}}}
Portrayed by
Actor
Unknown extra (in Season 5)
Robert Kazinsky (in Season 6)
Actress
{{{Actress}}}

[[:Category:{{{Images}}}|Images]]

"The darkness in me; it battles with the light every second of my being. But even in the darkest hour, as I stood over the dust of my own mother and father, I couldn't bear to kill a child."
―Macklyn Warlow, on the dual sides of his psyche[src]

Macklyn Warlow, also known as Ben Flynn or simply Warlow, was a Faerie-vampire hybrid on the HBO original series True Blood. First played by an unknown extra, Warlow makes his debut in a flashback, on the episode "Hopeless" in the series' fifth season. Replaced by British starring actor Rob Kazinsky, starting with the episode "The Sun", in the series' sixth season, Warlow was the second oldest vampire, and third oldest supernatural being in the series, next to Lilith and Maryann Forrester. A powerful hybrid, possessing both faerie and vampire abilities, Warlow plays a recurring role through the series' fifth and sixth seasons. Seeking to take possession of Sookie Stackhouse to turn and marry her, Warlow, along with Sarah Newlin, was the main antagonist of the series' sixth season. Warlow meets an untimely demise in the Season 6 episode "Radioactive".

Biography

Background

PrimordialWarlow

Warlow before being a vampire.

Warlow, as stated in the Book of the Vampyr, is one of the progenies of Lilith herself. He outlived his maker by over 5,000 years, and was active in some form well into the Common Era. His name is known to those who have studied the Book of Lilith, but he remains a somewhat mysterious figure even to Lilith's most ardent followers.

LilithandwarlowturningS6E5

Lilith seducing and biting Warlow, beginning his turning into a vampire.

Thousands of years ago, when the fae still lived openly on Earth and the human and vampire races were young, Warlow was a faerie prince living in the same village as Niall Brigant. One evening, Warlow left the village to collect water from a nearby stream, where he encountered a beautiful naked woman, dark as the night, who could move at astonishing speed. Astonished by the smell of his blood, Lilith raped and then turned him, saying that God had sent him to her for a higher purpose: to save all vampire-kind. ("F**k the Pain Away")

Warlowrage

Warlow loses control and massacred his village.

Four years later, a homesick Warlow returned to the village (against her advice), where he slaughtered the entire village after losing control of his vampire side. He managed to spare Niall; although he had only been recently turned and reduced his own parents to dust, Warlow "couldn't bear to kill a child." ("At Last") A distraught Warlow returned to Lilith and destroyed her cave with photokinesis, forcing her to meet the sun. He then turned his back on the vampire race. ("F**k the Pain Away")

Millennia later, Warlow located one of Niall's sons and got him to sign a contract promising the next fae-bearing female Stackhouse to him. Warlow lost the Stackhouses' trail for several centuries until the night he killed Sookie and Jason's parents, at which point Claudine was able to successfully banish him from this plane. However, the ritual that Sookie and Claude performed 20 years later gave Warlow a beacon to follow, and he was able to return.("The Sun")

Season 5

"Hopeless"

Macklynbridge

Warlow ambushes Corbett and Michelle.

"I am coming for you! You are mine!"
―Warlow to Sookie[src]

Warlow is first seen in a flashback when he sensed/smelled Sookie's bloody band-aid in the back seat of Corbett and Michelle's car. It was assumed they were killed in a flash flood on a bridge, however Sookie discovers a vampire was actually to blame. ("Hopeless")  

"Somebody That I Used to Know"

MacklynSookie

Sookie sees an apparition of Macklyn in her bathroom.

Sookie uses Claude and other faeries to perform a ritual to try and discover who actually attacked and killed her parents. She discovered that Claudine had zapped the culprit. Sookie remembers that Claudine had called him "Warlow". He later reached out to Sookie through the ripples, and threatened that he was "coming for her". ("Somebody That I Used to Know")

"Gone, Gone, Gone"

After Jason finds an old manuscript under Adele Stackhouse's floor board, Sookie and Jason take it to an expert to have it identified. The expert declares it is not any language known to humans. The Stackhouses take it to the faeries to translate. According to Maurella, it is a vellum document signed in blood dated in 1702, a contract between John William Stackhouse and M. Warlow that promises the first fae-bearing female in the Stackhouse line to Warlow. According to Claude, that female happens to be Sookie. ("Gone, Gone, Gone")

Season 6

"How'd you know Warlow?"
Nora Gainesborough, to Jason Stackhouse[src]

"Who Are You, Really?"

Jason mentions under his breath that he is coming for Warlow; an astonished Nora overhears and asks what Jason knows about him. Later, Nora reveals to Jason that Warlow is mentioned in the Vampire Bible and was one of Lilith's progeny, one of the first vampires. Now being vehemently opposed to anything to do with Lilith, Nora warns of the danger that Warlow poses and that he must be eliminated. ("Who Are You, Really?")

"The Sun"

Warlow-S6

Warlow coming to the earth realm

Warlow forces his way back into this realm on the bridge. He poses as Ben Flynn and stages being attacked by a vampire in Bon Temps. While walking to work, Sookie finds him in the bushes. At first, she tries to walk off. She however changes her mind and comes to help him. After fishing through his mind, Sookie has a telepathic conversation with Ben, in which she learns that he is a hybrid like her.

Sookie brings 'Ben' back to her house and treats his wounds. When he reveals he has no place to stay, she suggests he go to Hot Wings. On the way to the faerie club, the subject of Sookie's ex comes up. This prompts her to give 'Ben' the rest of the directions and leave.("The Sun")

"You're No Good"

BenHurt

Warlow staging the vampire attack

When Niall visits Hot Wings, he discovers that Warlow entered the club and attacked the fairies who were there. He leaves and reveals to Sookie, Jason and 'Ben' that there were no survivors. Niall managed to retrieve a sample of Warlow's blood, which oddly, glows brightly when exposed to Photokinesis. Niall and 'Ben' later ambush a vampire watching the Stackhouse home, who turns out to be Nora.("You're No Good")

"At Last"

Niall catches up to Nora, who explains that she is also hunting Warlow, but not for the same reasons. According to her new translation of the Book of the Vampyr, Warlow is the one who cause Lilith to meet the sun. Nora interprets that Warlow is the only one who knows how to kill Lilith (and by extension, Billith).

Warlow

Warlow shows his vampire side

Meanwhile, 'Ben' and Sookie tend to Jason. Sookie frets that she doesn't have any V for Jason and calls 911. When she is out of the room, 'Ben' bares his fangs and feeds Jason his blood, healing him. Later that night, Sookie cleans up and finds some of 'Ben's' blood. Suspicious, she exposes it to her light, thus confirming that Ben is Warlow.

The next morning, Jason frets over an erotic dream involving 'Ben', but after talking with Niall, realizes he's coming off of a V high. They come to the same conclusion as Sookie. Niall notes with dread the implications of a Faerie-vampire.

Sookie goes on the offensive and lays a honey trap for Warlow, inviting 'Ben' to dinner that night. Oblivious to her plans, Jason and Niall try to ambush Warlow in the shower. He turns the tables on them, incapacitating Niall and glamouring Jason away. Warlow drains Niall of his blood, but revives him with some of his own, restoring him to health but negating his powers. He then reveals that he intentionally spared Niall all those centuries ago, as he couldn't bring himself to kill a child, even after reducing his own parents to dust. Warlow decrees he would spare Niall again, by trapping him in the same dimension Claudine had trapped him in.

AtLast19

Sookie and Ben/Warlow make out on the couch.

Warlow proceeds to Sookie's house for dinner. He is unaffected by the silver that Sookie has laced his meal with. Sookie presses him for details about why she is so important, Warlow only waxes poetic about finding someone who understands him. After dinner, Sookie succumbs to Warlow's amorous advances, at least for as long as she needs to generate her photokinesis supernova, at which point she orders, "Get the fuck off me... Warlow."("At Last")

"F**k the Pain Away"

The episode opens to Sookie Stackhouse revealing she knows that Ben Flynn is actually Macklyn Warlow, whom she threatens with vampire killing faerie magic. Warlow tries to explain, but Sookie lays into him, yelling about how sick and tired she is of vampires ruining her life and acting like they own her. Warlow tells her he loves her and has been dreaming of her for decades, but Sookie ignores him and demands to know why he would kill her parents if he truly loves her so much. Warlow tells Sookie the reason he killed her parents is because they were trying to kill her, and he wanted to save her. Sookie blasts Warlow with her light, throwing him backwards.

ImagesookiewarlowS6E5

Sookie confronting Warlow

At that moment, Bill jumps up and feels a pain on his chest in the same area Sookie burnt Warlow. He then sees visions of all the memories of Lilith and her progenies.

Sookie is shocked when she sees Warlow's wound from her faerie magic heal instantly, despite Niall Brigant's claims that such magic should instantly kill a vampire. Warlow states that Sookie belongs to him, but she argues that neither he nor anyone else is allowed to own her. She is further angered when Bill arrives, but her anger turns to confusion when Bill declares that Warlow is his progeny and must do as he orders. Warlow tries to argue with Bill, and threatens him for bothering Sookie, but is quickly commanded to follow Bill to his house. Unable to resist his maker's orders, Warlow leaves with Bill.


Imagewarlowbillblood

Bill taking Warlow's blood

Bill escorts Warlow to the basement of the Compton house and explains to him that he can control Warlow because Bill has merged with Lilith by drinking her blood. Wanting to escape Bill's imprisonment, Warlow takes Hido Takahashi prisoner and threatens to kill him. Warlow argues with Bill, speaking to him as he would Lilith. He tells Lilith that she made him into a monster, but Bill retorts that Warlow knew better than to return to his faerie camp. Warlow then sees a flashback of himself a few years after he had been turned by Lilith. He returns to his camp, but the other faeries shrink back at the sight of his fangs. Warlow hugs one of his relatives and loses control due to the smell of the faerie blood, killing everyone there but a young boy, leaving Niall Brigant as the soul survivor of the massacre. Bill tries to convince Warlow that he is destined for great things and that Takahashi will help save the vampire species from extinction. However, Warlow replies that he despises vampires, and would enjoy seeing the entire race destroyed.("F**k the Pain Away")

"Don't You Feel Me"

Sookie is being drowned in a lake by her father (possessing Lafayette). Bill feels her fear and reluctantly allows Warlow to go save her. As Sookie's father believes to have killed her, Warlow flies in. He throws Lafayette into a tree before retrieving Sookie from the lake and laying her down. As he checks if she is okay, Sookie's father attacks Warlow. He is about to bite Lafayette when Sookie stops him, telling him it is actually her father possessing Lafayette. She has him use his faerie magic to force her father out of Lafayette's body. Sookie tells her father to stay out of her life forever, leaving him in tears.

Lafayette, Sookie, and Warlow are talking when Bill summons Warlow. Sookie tells Warlow that for saving her life she will save him this time. She grabs his hands and teleports them to a land of the Faerie, leaving Lafayette alone in the woods.

Sookie and Warlow are in the land of the Faerie and Warlow asks Sookie to tie him up. Sookie, confused, asks him why and he tells her that night is coming. Still confused, she says the light is bright in the sky. Warlow states that the sun never sets on the plane of the Faerie but that he can feel night coming. He fears he will not be able to control himself when it comes. Sookie binds his hands behind his head to a tombstone and strengthens his bonds with Faerie magic. To kill time, they begin to talk. Warlow wished she had not found out about her parents trying to kill her. Sookie says it was her fault for trying to speak to them. Warlow stops her, telling her she is the only one who is completely innocent. Sookie mentions how shocked she is by the truth when Warlow bares his fangs and yells, obviously fighting his nature.

IhQXYIAB

Warlow speaks with Sookie

Sookie questions Warlow about his age and past. Warlow tells her she is worth waiting for and is the only thing he doesn't regret. Sookie then asks him how he thought it would go, just showing up on her doorstep trying to turn her into his Faerie-vampire progeny. Warlow answers it was custom back then for arranged marriages but if it meant anything he would tear up the contract. He then states the only reason he wants to turn her is because they can survive off each others blood and they can go and live anywhere they want. He would give her the world if she would only just be his.
True-blood-6

Sookie and Warlow having sex.

Sookie tells Warlow that the one thing she hated about being a faerie was knowing what everyone thought of her. Warlow tells her that is why he has spent so long alone. Sookie reveals that the town calls her a "danger whore." Warlow tells her they are wrong but Sookie admits she has noticed the pattern herself and perhaps she should just accept it because she can't explain why she feels the way she does for Warlow. She then strengthens the rope binding Warlow and tells him he needs to feed. Warlow bares his fangs and hesitates for a moment before feeding on her. After feeding on her for a couple of seconds, Sookie then feeds on him. She takes off her and Warlow's clothing and proceeds to make love with him, a glowing light emerging from them. ("Don't You Feel Me")

"In the Evening"

Imagewarlowsookielovescene

Sookie and Warlow together

Sookie and Warlow lay naked in the sun on a plane of the Fae together. Just having made love, Sookie realizes this was the first time she has made love in the daytime and Warlow says she just wrote their wedding vows. Sookie tells Warlow just because they had sex doesn't mean they are getting married. Warlow thought that Sookie had said yes to his proposal and Sookie says she doesn't think its just an infatuation but she also doesn't want to rush anything. She stands up when she hears crying. As she hears the person clearer, she realizes it's her friend Arlene Fowler Bellefleur crying from the earth realm. She tells Warlow she has to go help her friend because she fears something bad has happened but she will be back later. She uses her faerie magic to teleport back to the Bon Temps cemetery leaving Warlow alone. ("In the Evening")

"Dead Meat"

S6E8DeadmeatSookieWarlow

Sookie making a deal with Warlow

Sookie comes to the Bon Temps cemetery and returns to the plane where Warlow is hiding. She feeds him because he is hungry and while doing so she asks him for the favor of helping Bill save the vampires. Warlow asks if she still has feelings for him, and she admits she doesn't but she needs to save her friends and if she feels Bill will let him die, she will cut off the deal. Warlow says he will help Bill if she agrees to let him turn her. She tells him she needs time to think about it and leaves back to the cemetery. Unbeknownst to her, Eric was watching her from a distance and walks over to see that he cannot travel there, but knows how to get to the plane.

Sookie and Bill arrive at the cemetery and Bill asks her what changed her mind about being turned and Sookie says destiny is too much of a hassle to keep fighting. They take each others hands and Sookie transports them to the other plane, only to find Warlow still tied to the headstone with bite marks and blood all over his neck. Bill realizes it had to have been Eric who attacked Warlow and almost drained him. ("Dead Meat")

"Life Matters"

Warlow after being almost killed by Eric Sookie holds the drained Warlow in her arms, intending to feed him her blood in order to heal him. Before Warlow can heal Bill demands that Warlow come with him but Sookie states thanks to Eric that deal is now off. Bill grabs Warlow and threatens Sookie's life to get off this plane of the fae but Warlow instructs Sookie to use her faerie magic to force Bill out of the plane. He lands in the Bon Temps Cemetery and runs away. Warlow begins to feed on Sookie to regain his strength.

Sookie is finished helping Warlow and tells him she needs to go to her friend's funeral. Warlow asks her if the deal is still on for her to be his and she assures him she will not break the promise she made to him before leaving. She uses her light to travel to the cemetery but no one notices her unusual arrival. ("Life Matters")

"Radioactive"

Warlow Threatens Sookie

Warlow chokes Sookie

When Sookie came back from Terry's funeral, she told Warlow that she needed more time, and that she wanted to date like a normal person, and she wanted Warlow to become part of the community of Bon Temps. Warlow didn't agree with this, and slapped Sookie. He wanted her to be his, as soon as possible, and had no interest in living a "normal life" with Sookie in Bon Temps. Bill figured out what Warlow was up to, and assembled a team to save Sookie, consisting of Jason Stackhouse, Andy Bellefleur, Adilyn Bellefleur and Violet Mazurski. With Adilyn's help they broke into the faerie realm, where Bill briefly brawls with Warlow.

JSW

Jason stakes Warlow.

Despite being no match for his opponent, Bill managed to distract Warlow long enough for the others to get Sookie back home. Warlow returned to Earth, with Bill chasing him, and tried to get to Sookie. He blasted Violet with a ray of light, and sealed Andy and Jason in the special cupboard in Sookie's basement, and then blasted Bill as well after realizing the latter had lost his Lilith-powers. He made his way to Sookie, whom hid herself in her bathroom, where Niall returned and held Warlow long enough so Jason, who came to find Sookie, could stake him. The only faerie-vampire hybrid in existence was no more. ("Radioactive")


Powers and Abilities

Ben's Powers

Warlow opens a portal to the "dark realm".

Warlow was the first and only faerie-vampire hybrid in existence. Warlow possesses all the abilities of the fae, such as telepathy and photokinesis. Warlow is capable of sending others to other dimensions against their will, though his ability to manipulate the veil between worlds is less precise than that of traditional faeries, such as Niall or Claudine. Warlow's fae side seems to render him capable of consuming ordinary food and beverages (something vampires cannot do themselves) and may have also made him immune to silver. The full extent of his powers and weaknesses was never revealed. Warlow's blood seems to give vampires the ability to walk in the sun indefinitely, as Bill was able to walk in the sun for consecutive days. Warlow is also capable of entering the homes of human's at will.

It can be assumed that due to his age being greater than Niall, and that a Faerie's powers become stronger with age, that Warlow's fae abilities are stronger than Niall and any other Faerie in the history of Faes. This is demonstrated by the fact that Warlow rendered both Bill and Violet unconscious with a single zap of his faerie light, while Niall only managed to momentarily stun Nora despite striking her multiple times with more pronounced blasts.

Faerie-Vamp Hybridd

The vampire side of Warlow.

In addition to his faerie powers, he has the common powers of a vampire, such as superhuman strength, speed, healing and a natural affinity for glamouring along with the rarer ability of flight, and his blood possesses all the qualities that could be expected from high-grade V. Due to him being over 5,500 years of age, Warlow's powers are extremely advanced - he is in all likelihood far stronger than other millennia old vampires that have featured on the show like Russell Edgington, Godric and Salome Agrippa. The only people capable of taking him on would be Lilith, the sirens, and the Lilith-augmented Bill Compton. Warlow demonstrated his superior vampire strength by easily overpowering Bill after the latter lost his Lilith-granted special powers.

Under normal circumstances, a vampire of his age would be killed by sunlight almost instantly, but as a faerie, he can walk in the sun with no ill effects whatsoever.

Warlows truedeath

Warlow's True Form and True Death

Despite his immense age and implied strength, Warlow has been shown to be rendered almost completely defenseless when restrained by bonds that were enchanted by faerie light. In this state, Eric Northman (a vampire much younger and weaker than Warlow) was able to attack and drain Warlow almost to the point of the true death.

Like ordinary vampires, Warlow can be killed by staking, and that is how he met his true death. ("Radioactive") However, like the Faerie-enhanced Russell Edgington, it took considerable time to take effect. Like ordinary faeries, his true form was revealed in death as a pointy-eared goblin-like creature.

In addition to this, the power of daywalking died with Warlow, as all the vampires that fed on his blood lost this ability after he met the true death. Eric Northman was even shown burning in the sun immediately after Warlow perished. Being not only a faerie-vampire hybrid but also the oldest vampire in the series (with the exception of Lilith) he is most likely the most powerful vampire in existence after Lilith's death.

He is capable of traversing dimensions himself and is definitely immune to silver as he consumed it with no effect. He could also enter homes without an invitation.  His only weakness was staking. After the death of Billith, Warlow was likely the most powerful being in existence.

Personality

Warlow claims to be a decent person at heart, which can be seen in his act of saving Jason Stackhouse's life. As Warlow was born faerie, he was born with their sense of honor and kindness. His kindness and desire to help others lead him to perform acts that could risk revealing his true identity. According to the Book of the Vampyr, Warlow will be the savior of the entire vampire species, perhaps because his blood allows vampires to walk in the sun. The book claims that Warlow will lead Lilith to the sun, thus destroying her and saving the vampires from extermination. 

Despite the strength of Warlow's faerie side, he also has a dark side. He attacks and kills an entire clan of faeries including the family of Niall Brigant. When confronted with the possibility of being attacked by Niall in retaliation for his parents' murders, Warlow incapacitates Niall and throws him into a portal to exile, rather than killing him.

In his quest to gain possession of Sookie, Warlow kills both of her parents, draining their blood. It was later discovered that Warlow saved Sookie from being killed by her father. Warlow deeply loves Sookie and mentioned that whenever he sleeps, he'd dream of Sookie and spending the rest of his life with her.

Another side of Warlow was revealed when Sookie hesitated to be turned into a vampire. Warlow lost all patience and began to forcefully turn her. He tried to give this violent act some credibility by performing it in some faerie marriage ritual fashion. While he acted, he told Sookie how much disregard he had for her "low-born" friends, thus showing he harbored deep supremacy feelings towards ordinary humans and possibly other less powerful supernaturals. His arrogance was ultimately a major reason for his demise similar to Russell.

It is unknown why Warlow's personality took such a dark turn prior to his True Death, but Warlow mentioned having to constantly fight off his dark-side which he is apparently unable to do when night falls unless he has already fed, Also Eric Northman had drained Warlow of nearly all his blood and thus his "light", possibly allowing his darker, vampiric side to dominate his psyche though even after this, he managed to retain a merciful side as rather than kill all those that stood in his way such as Bill, Violet, Jason and Andy, he merely subdued them.

Gallery

Images

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Trivia

  • Warlow is the name of a municipality in Germany.
  • Warlow is an English surname of medieval origins.[1]
  • Warlow is the oldest vampire to physically appear in the series, supplanting Russell Edgington. Although Lilith herself is older, she has only appeared in hallucinations and visions.
  • The name Warlow is deeply connected to modern vampire lore. Barlow was the name of the master vampire in Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot, and Marlow was the name of a sadistic vampire villain in 30 Days of Night.
  • Warlow is not an original character from Charlaine Harris' novels, but he might be the show's counterpart of the evil water-fairies who killed Corbett and Michelle Stackhouse on the bridge, an event that occurred on screen and in the books.
  • Warlow was a minor antagonist in Season 5, and the secondary turned true main antagonist of Season 6.
  • Curiously, Warlow died the same way as both a faerie and a vampire, reverting to his true faerie form and then dissolving into a pool of bright red blood.

References

Appearances

Season five appearances
"Turn! Turn! Turn!" "Authority Always Wins" "Whatever I Am, You Made Me" "We’ll Meet Again"
"Let's Boot and Rally" "Hopeless" "In the Beginning" "Somebody That I Used to Know"
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" "Gone, Gone, Gone" "Sunset" "Save Yourself"
Season six appearances
"Who Are You, Really?" "The Sun" "You're No Good" "At Last"
"F**k the Pain Away" "Don't You Feel Me" "In the Evening" "Dead Meat"
"Life Matters" "Radioactive"
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