Nadja

Biography

Before she was a vampire, Nadja was a simple peasant girl from Antipaxos, a tiny island in the Mediterranean. Her foray into running her own nightclub resulted in some mild arson and an unfruitful insurance claim. Also, the spirit of the ghost of the human Nadja before she technically died and became a vampire lives on in her little sidekick, the Nadja Doll.[7] Human life

Nadja was born in Greece sometime during the 15th century to an impoverished Romani family during her human life.

Her village, located on the island of Antipaxos, was once a utopia, until it was razed to the ground by the army of an unknown warrior (who's identity she would later discover as her future roommate, Nandor the Relentless) around 200 years before she was born. Only the "stupidest" people were spared, and the village never recovered, leaving its citizens badly affected by famine and poverty.[8]

Nadja's family was very poor, and had to burn donkey dung (and eventually the donkeys themselves) for warmth.[6] When Nadja was young, her mother gave Nadja her own jade necklace just before she left and was promptly eaten by a bear; her dying screams were apparently absorbed by the necklace.[3]

It is unclear how Nadja became a vampire, as she tells an entirely different story which conflicts with her husband, Laszlo's own account. Nadja claims that she was turned while working as a throat singer while singing to the island's snakes when a female vampire (in the form of a snake) bit and turned her. Nadja was subsequently chased off the island by her fellow villagers, which included her family.[9] However, according to Laszlo, it was Baron Afanas who turned her.[10]

Life As A Vampire

After becoming a vampire, Nadja had many lovers, most of them being reincarnations of Gregor; originally a warrior who was decapitated in battle, he would continually return for Nadja in different forms, always dying by way of decapitation.[11]

Nadja also had a relationship with Baron Afanas, whom she described as a good lover, though had a habit of giving orders to his subordinates during the moment of climax, causing Nadja to miss his instructions to take over the new world.[6]

One night, Nadja flew into the window of the English human Laszlo Cravensworth, seduced him, drank of his blood, and turned him into a vampire. The two eventually married. [11] Laszlo became a member of the prestigious Sherwood Club, but was kicked out as they disapproved of his relationship with Nadja, who they deemed to be a peasant with no surname. Laszlo kept this hidden from Nadja and was so disgusted by the club's elitism that he vowed to leave the UK and never return.[12] Around 1861, the couple were driven out of Europe due to anti-vampire prejudice.[11] They were shipped to the USA along with fellow vampire Simon the Devious, with who Nadja most likely had an affair. Laszlo brought his witch skin hat with him, which Nadja grew to resent as the hat was obviously cursed. She tried to throw the hat away several times, but it kept literally crawling back.[13]

At one point, Nadja was good friends with a witch named Lilith, but they fell out after Lilith slept with Laszlo. The incident caused Nadja to develop a serious hatred of witches.[14]

Nadja helped Laszlo compose a number of songs as a musical duo during the 18th and 19th century that would later become re-interpreted into other popular songs during the 20th century. Examples of their collaborations include a “seafaring song” composed in 1792 that would later become The Beach Boy’s Kokomo, and Wannabe by the Spice Girls.[15]

Common Powers

Nadja has all the common abilities of a vampire which include:

Immortality: Vampires do not age past the point from when they were turned and are thus unable to die from old age. Enhanced Strength: Nadja is easily able to throw a full-grown human across a room or fling them into a wall, breaking it. Enhanced Speed: Vampires are able to move extremely quickly, appearing as a blur. Nadja was able to rip out the heart of a vampire in the blink of an eye. Enhanced Durability: Vampires are able to shrug off mortal wounds that would kill a normal human. Enhanced Senses: Vampires have heightened senses, including enhanced hearing, smell and the ability to see in the dark. Flight: Vampires can levitate off the ground and fly unassisted. Hypnosis: Vampires possess a form of mind control through eye-contact and verbal commands. They can compel their victims to follow orders or erase their memories. Nadja's ability for hypnosis also allows her to seduce anyone. Shapeshifting: A vampires can transform into different animal forms, such as bats or canines. Regenerative Healing Factor: A vampire's body will heal quickly when wounded. Wall Crawling: A vampire can climb walls without the use of tools or any kind of equipment. Unique Abilities

Nadja is among those vampires that has abilities unique to her.

Telekinesis: Nadja has telekinesis to a limited degree, she has only been seen to be able to open doors. Enhanced Wall Crawling: Nadja is a very proficient at climbing up walls without any assisted means. Enhanced Hypnosis: Nadja's ability for hypnosis allows her to also seduce anyone. Sonic Scream: Nadja has the ability to shout so loud it causes lights to explode and cause both vampires and humans to feel a great amount of pain. Humans afterwards have trouble hearing temporarily. As shown, the force of Nadja’s scream is powerful enough to fling another vampire a considerable distance away and knock them out. Weaknesses

Nadja has all the weaknesses that come with being a vampire:

Sunlight: Will burn in sunlight, with even small amounts of exposure causing her to start smoking. Wooden Stake: A wooden stake to the heart will instantly kill her. Decapitation: If Nadja's head is cut off she will die. Holy Water: Contact will cause her skin to burn. Garlic: Contact will cause her skin to burn. Silver: Contact will cause her skin to burn. Salt: Contact will cause her skin to burn. Blood Diet: Without blood, Nadja will grow weak and become decrepit in appearance over time. Invitation: Nadja cannot enter a home or premises without an invitation from the owner. Religious Imagery: Will harm or frighten her. Prolonged exposure will cause her to burn and bleed from the eyes, even references as small as crossed fingers can repel her. Being inside a religious building/site induces the same effect, also eventually causing her to spontaneously combust into flames. Religious Phrases: Her mouth will catch fire if she tries to say religious phrases sincerely. Homeland Soil: Nadja cannot rest or regain her vampiric powers without sleeping within close proximity to soil from her place of birth. Nadja, from What We Do in the Shadows, is a vampire with a distinctive and engaging personality. She is fierce, assertive, and has a commanding presence. Nadja is also quite glamorous, with a penchant for drama and a strong sense of her own importance. She often exudes confidence and has a sharp, sometimes biting sense of humor.

In terms of appearance, Nadja typically dresses in a way that reflects her old-world charm and elegance. Her style is often vintage and dramatic, which complements her timeless and sophisticated aura. She has a striking and memorable look that aligns with her centuries-old vampire heritage.

Nadja's speech reflects her personality and background. She speaks with a slight accent, which varies depending on the context of the scene, but is generally rich and melodic. Her dialogue is often laced with sarcasm and wit, and she is not afraid to speak her mind or assert her dominance.