Anna

Lore & Background

Anna Valerious is the last surviving member of the Valerious family, an ancient Romanian lineage that swore an oath to destroy Count Dracula. Her ancestor, Valerious the Elder, was unable to kill his own son Dracula after the vampire made a pact with the Devil, and instead imprisoned him in an icy fortress. The family's failure meant that all Valerious souls would remain in Purgatory unless Dracula was slain. Anna, alongside her brother Velkan, actively hunts Dracula's minions, including werewolves controlled by the vampire. After Velkan is bitten by a werewolf and later killed, Anna continues the fight with Van Helsing. She is kidnapped by Dracula's bride Aleera and used as a bargaining chip for Frankenstein's monster, but is rescued by Van Helsing and Friar Carl. In the climax, Anna kills Aleera with Carl's help, then injects a lycanthropy cure into Van Helsing, but is killed by him in his werewolf form. Her body is cremated on a cliff overlooking the sea, and her spirit is seen reuniting with her family in Heaven.

In Their Own Story

In 1888 Transylvania, Anna and her brother Velkan attempt to kill a werewolf controlled by Dracula, but Velkan falls into a gorge, is bitten, and later transforms into a werewolf himself. Anna joins forces with Van Helsing and Friar Carl after they arrive in a village, fighting Dracula's brides—Verona, Marishka, and Aleera—and slaying Marishka. She pursues Velkan to Frankenstein's castle, where Dracula's plan to duplicate Frankenstein's experiments is revealed. After Velkan is killed, Anna is kidnapped by Aleera and offered in trade for Frankenstein's monster at a masquerade ball on Halloween night. Van Helsing and Carl rescue her, and they discover that only a werewolf can kill Dracula. At Anna's castle, Carl explains the Valerious family curse: Dracula is the son of Valerious the Elder, and the family must kill him to gain salvation. Anna helps Van Helsing fight Dracula, kills Aleera, and ultimately injects Van Helsing with the lycanthropy cure, but is killed by him in his werewolf form. Her body is cremated, and her spirit ascends to Heaven with her family.

Reader's Guide

Anna Valerious is a fierce and determined warrior, the last of the Valerious line, who fights to free her family's souls from Purgatory. She is skilled in combat, using a variety of weapons against Dracula's monsters, and is deeply loyal to her brother Velkan and later to Van Helsing. Her character arc is defined by sacrifice: she loses her brother, allies with a stranger, and ultimately gives her life to save Van Helsing from lycanthropy. Key moments include her slaying of Marishka, her rescue from the masquerade ball, and her final act of injecting the cure into Van Helsing. Anna's story is one of redemption, as her death ensures her family's salvation, with her spirit seen reuniting with them in Heaven. She has no supernatural abilities, but her courage and determination make her a formidable opponent to Dracula.

Did You Know?

• Anna Valerious is the last of an ancient Romanian family whose ancestor vowed that his descendants would kill Dracula or spend eternity in Purgatory.
• Anna kills Dracula's bride Marishka during a fight in a village, and later kills another bride, Aleera, with the help of Friar Carl.
• Anna is kidnapped by Aleera and offered in trade for Frankenstein's monster at a masquerade ball on Halloween night.
• Anna injects Van Helsing with a lycanthropy cure but is killed by him in his werewolf form immediately after.
• Anna's spirit is seen reuniting with her family in Heaven after her body is cremated on a cliff overlooking the sea.