Underworld Endless War: How The Animated Series Fits Into The Movies

Underworld: Endless War is a collection of three animated shorts that slots into the long-running action/horror franchise starring Kate Beckinsale. Debuting in 2003, the Underworld franchise has crafted a surprisingly complex mythology, considering it at first appeared to be little more than an excuse to show off slick action scenes and vampires fighting werewolves. That’s not to say doing those things is bad, as there’s nothing wrong with a movie that just sets out to be a fun time, but the series overall has ended up revealing more layers to its story.

At the center of Underworld‘s universe is Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire death dealer whose world is changed when she meets and falls for a man named Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman). Michael ends up being directly descended from Alexander Corvinus, the common ancestor of both vampires and werewolves (which Underworld dubs lycans), and after being bitten by both, becomes an extremely powerful hybrid of the two creatures. The two later have a child, complicating things even further.

There have so far been five Underworld movies, with the most recent arriving in 2017. No further installments are currently planned, but some type of follow-up will likely materialize in time. Back between the third and fourth Underworld films though, Screen Gems released the animated project Underworld: Endless War, and here’s how it fits into the timeline.

Underworld Endless War: How The Series Fits Into The Movies

Part 1 of Underworld: Endless War is set over 100 years prior to the first Underworld film, in 1890, giving fans an extended look at what Selene (voiced by Kate Beckinsale) was up to as a Death Dealer way back then. In this instance, she’s been dispatched to Paris, and given the mission of taking out three lycan brothers who’ve positioned themselves as wealthy lords in the area. Selene manages to kill the oldest brother, Darius, but the other two escape, although not without serious injury. Part 2 continues that storyline, but fast forwards about 80 years to 1967. Selene is once again working in Paris, having heard reports that Vregis and Krandrill, the two surviving lycan brothers, have returned to the French city.

As it turns out, they have, and they’re looking to reclaim their old castle from the powerful vampire Lord Clovis. Selene is charged with protecting Clovis, but at that mission she fails, as the brothers decapitate him to draw her out. Selene kills Vregis, but Krandrill once again escapes. For Part 3 of Underworld: Endless War, things jump forward all the way to 2012, between the events of Underworld: Evolution and Underworld: Awakening. Selene is now joined by Michael Corvin, back in Paris hunting Krandrill. With Michael’s help, Selene is able to finally put the lycan brothers who’ve been on her hit list for over 120 years to rest. However, with humanity now hunting vampires and lycans after the death of Alexander Corvinus, Selene has new problems to worry about. This directly leads into Underworld: Awakening.

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