Nahuel

"In some ways, he truly hated himself."

- Edward on Nahuel.

Nahuel (pronounced: Nah-well) is a human/vampire hybrid from Chile, aboriginal name of the Mapuche Tribe. Being roughly 150 years old, he lives with his biological aunt, Huilen, and is the only known male hybrid and the only venomous one in the series.

Early life
A century and half earlier, Huilen and her sister Pire lived with the Mapuche (Native people of Chile). Pire was a very beautiful woman and one day told her sister about an 'angel' that found her in the woods and used to visit her during the night. Huilen knew that this 'angel' was a Libishomen from their legends, or vampire, and warned her sister. But she did not listen and soon Pire discovered she was pregnant with the vampire's child. Knowing that the Mapuche people would want to destroy the child, Pire and Huilen ran away to the deepest part of the forest. Pire tried to find the father of her unborn son, but without success. Huilen cared for her sister during her dangerously rapidly progressing pregnancy, by hunting for her and trying to keep her alive through the hard time. Huilen wanted to kill the monster child, but Pire loved the vampire's child growing in her womb, even when he broke her bones. She named him Nahuel, after the jungle cat. Huilen was unable to save Pire's life when Nahuel ripped his way free of his mother's womb, killing her quickly. As Pire was dying, she begged her sister to care for her child, and Huilen reluctantly agreed. Nahuel's very first postbirth memory is of Huilen's scent, and of her face as she tried to lift him from his mother's body. He bit her and changed her into a vampire. After he found himself essentially alone and abandoned in the forest, he followed her scent to her, teaching himself to crawl in his first day of life. When Huilen's transformation was complete, they began their nomadic life.

His sister, Serena, came looking for him but Huilen chased her away with her newborn strength. They resided in the South American forests since then. Grieving the death of her sister, Huilen told him wonderful things about his mother, which made him hate himself. Though she never intended for the knowledge to turn into self-hatred, she did hold him responsible for her death. However, she also learned to love him over the years.

Nahuel's father, a vampire named Joham, came looking for him a few years later wanting his only son to join him. Joham believes he is creating a super-race with human/vampire hybrid children. He has three other hybrid daughters, and raises them to think of humans as animals. Nahuel does not like his father's way of thinking and refused to join him, as he already has a family with Huilen.

Nahuel was sad about his family. He was happy to have Hulien, but thought his father should be a better person than he actually was and that his mother deserved the life that Bella had. He also saw himself as an evil creation because his birth killed his mother.

Breaking Dawn
Nahuel and his aunt are recruited by Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale to testify for their family on occasion of the Volturi's interest in Renesmee.

He travels to Forks, Washington with Alice and Jasper, arriving just in time to prevent a battle from being commenced. He informs the Volturi on his own nature and his father's plans, but that his sisters have not committed any crime. Nahuel's testimony is critical in convincing them that Renesmee is not a threat, and after the confrontation, Nahuel was one of the last to leave. During his stay in the aftermath, his eyes are focused at Bella, but she mistakes that he is staring at Renesmee, the only half-vampire he is not related to. Edward later clarifies that he was staring at Bella.

In truth, Nahuel's encounter with the Cullens changed him. He sees in Edward what his father should have been, and in Bella the life his mother should have had. He also realizes that since Bella survived giving birth to a hybrid, then he himself isn't necessarily an evil creature, and is finally able to forgive himself for his mother's death.

Also, Nahuel seems to have an interest in Renesmee, to Bella's disapproval. This is never clarified, but Edward does find Bella's reaction amusing. Edward also likes the fact that Jacob might have some competition in the future.

Physical appearance
Nahuel is an extremely handsome young man of indigenous descent (native to Chile) with rich dark brown skin, eyes the color of warm teak, and extremely attractive features. Like his aunt, he is short, standing at 5 feet, 7 inches. He wears his black hair in a braid past his shoulders. Bella comments him as "beautiful".

Like Renesmee and all vampire hybrids, he has a rapidly beating heart and blood circulating in his body. His skin shows a faint illumination when exposed to sunlight, allowing him to blend in better with humans. He most likely lives on human blood as he shares a life with Huilen.

Personality
Nahuel, much like Edward in the beginning, had thought very negatively of himself, and always hated himself for the life he had taken from his mother. He is also quite determined, as his father and sisters have tried multiple times to persuade him to join them to no avail. He can also be depicted as caring.

When he meets Renesmee, another hybrid, and her parents, he sees the ideal perfection of what his parents should have been. His father should have been as caring and loving as Edward, and his mother should have lived the life that Bella has. After witnessing this family, he begins to see that his existence doesn't necessarily mean that he is an evil creation and begins to forgive himself, learning to think more positively.

Powers and abilities
"You were able to create an immortal?"

- Aro, to Nahuel.

As a vampire hybrid, he displays the same abilities of full vampires, supernatural senses, strength, healing, and speed, but to a lesser degree. His skin is harder than granite and his bones, including his razor sharp teeth and nails, are unbreakable. His saliva is venomous enough to induce a person's convertion into a vampire, as proven when he turned his aunt. Whether this is of random inheritance or of gender difference remains unknown, but he is the only known vampire-hybrid whose body produces venom, while his half-sisters and Renesmee do not.

Relationships
Nahuel is the son of Pire and Joham, the young half-brother of Serena and Maysun, the older half-brother of Jennifer, and the nephew of Huilen.

Huilen
Huilen is Nahuel's aunt on his mother's side. When Nahuel's father impregnated his mother and left, Huilen took care of her. It was her sister's dying wish that she will take care of Nahuel that kept her from killing him.

After he was born, he bit her and transformed her into a vampire.

Over the next one and a half century, they remain mostly in South America. Huilen blames Nahuel for his mother's death, but she has come to love him as well. When Nahuel's father, Joham, came for him a few years later, he expected his son to join his family. But he refused the moment he realized how little his mother's life mattered to him.

Whenever Nahuel wants to visit one of his sisters, she is always uncomfortable with leaving the country, and most of all, uncomfortable with being around Joham.

Jennifer
Jennifer is Nahuel's younger half-sister. Of all three half-sisters, he is closest to her and occasionally returns her visits; he is not at all close to Serena because she is too much like their father in personality, although he does like his other sister, Maysun. Since Jennifer is his little sister, he tends to feel protective of her.

Renesmee Cullen
"... It looks like he'll have some competition to worry about when the time comes."

- Edward on Jacob and Nahuel

Renesmee Cullen is the hybrid daughter of vampires, Edward and Bella Cullen, all three are members of the Olympic Coven. She was conceived when Bella was still human.

When her aunt and uncle, Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale, sought him and his aunt out, they explained their situation to them and persuaded him to join them back to Forks and testify against the Volturi's accusations in order to save their family.

Because Renesmee is so far the only hybrid he isn't biologically related to, Bella and Edward remark that he may want her as his mate when she reaches full maturity, and that Jacob may have some competition by then.

Etymology
Huilen tells that his name was based on the jungle cat.

Film portrayal
On February 25, 2011, it was announced that J.D. Pardo will play Nahuel in the second part of Breaking Dawn.

Appearances

 * Breaking Dawn
 * Breaking Dawn: Part II