Kate

"Anyone who tries to touch me drops like a human that's been tasered. It only downs him for a second, but that's long enough."

- Kate commenting on her ability

Katrina, commonly known as Kate, is a vegetarian vampire and one of the "original" Denali sisters. She has a strong relationship with her coven, as well as with the Olympic Coven, and the Denalis consider themselves to be the Cullens' extended family or "cousins". Kate is strong-minded and has the talent of creating a mental electric current on her skin which shocks anyone who comes into contact with her.

She and Garrett become mates in Book 3 of Breaking Dawn, just before the confrontation with the Volturi. He is willing to sacrifice his more "traditional" vampire lifestyle and become a vegetarian.

Early life
Kate was an attendant to a highborn female of a warlike Slavic tribe. She was trained in the tribe's martial arts, and protective of her mistress. Kate was guarding her on a caravan when Sasha attacked, along with her daughter Tanya. Sasha was impressed by Kate's courage and determination to defend the caravan, and so she changed her into a vampire.

Kate quickly became loyal to Sasha and Tanya. Later, Sasha added Irina to join the sisters, and they all saw Sasha as their mother. They were left orphans when it was discovered that Sasha had created an immortal child named Vasilii. Fortunately, Kate and her sisters knew nothing about the boy until they watched him burn in their loving mother's arms. Aro thus spared their lives, and since then they have been purists for the law.

They initially fed on male humans after sexual intercourse, but later moved to Denali to adapt to a vegetarian diet after developing their own consciences. Sometime after they moved to Denali and became vegetarians, they were joined by Eleazar and Carmen, and later Laurent after he left James' Coven before getting killed by the Quileute werewolves in New Moon.

Breaking Dawn
"Now he tells me."

- Kate on Garrett, after he tells her he'll follow her anywhere if they survive the battle.

Kate, along with the rest of the Denali Coven (except Irina, who still harbors a grudge against the Quileute shape-shifters for killing her mate Laurent) attend Bella and Edward's wedding.

Along with Tanya, Carmen and Eleazar, she was called upon as a witness by the Cullens, and she grows attached to Renesmee after finding out that she wasn't an immortal child. Kate, aided by Zafrina, helped teach Bella to extend her shielding range in the hope of including as many people as possible during the final confrontation with the Volturi. She agreed to help Bella on condition that she wouldn't break her radius, due to Bella's phenomenal strength. During their practice sessions, Kate shocked Edward with a powerful electric current that she could generate all over her skin over and over again as a way to motivate Bella. This did not motivate her enough though, so Kate used Renesmee instead, and Bella succeeded in extending her shield, though almost lost her temper and attacked Kate for attempting to harm her daughter.

During the build up to the fight, Kate developed an attachment to Garrett. She was present during the confrontation, ready and willing to fight if it came down to it. She was forced to watch her sister Irina be burned to death by the Volturi, and attempted to attack them but was stopped by Garrett, Bella and Zafrina. Kate is known to dislike Jane of the Volturi, and claims Jane as her opponent, saying she would like to give her a taste of her own medicine. After the Volturi left, she and Tanya were left to grieve for her, though had gained a mate in the form of Garrett.

Physical appearance
Physically, Kate is never completely described. She has golden eyes because she lives on a diet of animal blood as opposed to human blood. She also has hair that is "long, pale blond, straight as corn silk," and stands 5'6".

Personality
Due to her mother's passing for creating an immortal child, Kate, along with her sisters, are "purists" when it comes to vampire laws, and before Breaking Dawn had a healthy respect for the Volturi. Kate is passionate and determined, and she would rather fight to the death on the side of those she loves than sit on the side-lines, guaranteeing self-preservation.

She and her sisters enjoy pleasurable company of men, both human and vampire, and felt guilty when she killed some of them. However, after falling in love with Garrett, an adventurous vampire, she begins to attempt monogamy for the first time.

Internally, Kate can be described as laid-back. She is not as serious as her sister Tanya, rolls her eyes often, and does not fear danger (except for immortal children) or even death. For example, after being told that fighting the Volturi would be a suicide mission, Kate grins and shrugs nonchalantly, "I'm in." She is also very loyal, especially to those she considers family such as the Cullens, and has a conscience.

After helping Bella harness her own talent, Kate remains at the Cullens' side during the Volturi confrontation. She gracefully braces herself for death to come when all hope seems lost. At the end, she returns to Denali with her coven and her new mate, Garrett.

Powers and abilities
In The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, Kate is described as having once been a well-trained bodyguard. Though she does not demonstrate any combat skills in the series, it is implied that she is not to be underestimated.

Electrical current
"Heaven knows, I've been working on it for centuries and the best I can do is run a current through my skin."

- Kate on her gift

Kate can generate an electrical current in her body. Upon physical contact, and depending on the power behind it, a target may just feel a static shock or be stunned as if touched by a cattle prod at full charge. Because it doesn't affect Bella, the current most likely is a mental illusion similar to Jane's gift.

Kate explained that when she first began, she could only project it on her palms, but, as she practiced over the centuries, she learned to run the current over her entire body, which comes very useful in self-defense.

With her knowledge in the use her special ability, she helped Bella with her shield projecting by giving Edward shock after shock while Bella tries to shield him, and saying "That wasn't low either," when Bella successfully shields him.

Kate's talent was considered special enough that Aro offered her a place among his guard, even though Stefan and Vladimir thought it would not be necessary because of Jane, who could create an illusion of burning pain from a distance.

Relationships
Kate is the mate of Garrett, the adoptive sister of Tanya and the deceased Irina and Vasilii, and adoptive daughter of Sasha. She is also coven members with Eleazar and Carmen, and former coven members with Laurent.

Garrett
"If we live through this, I'll follow you anywhere, woman."

- Garrett to Kate.

Kate and Garrett first met when they agreed to help the Cullens witness. Garrett is quick to befriend her coven and shows fascination to Kate's ability to shock people (vampire or human). As the weeks passed, they spend a lot of time discussing various subjects, one example being the Denalis' diet on animal blood. After their confrontation against the Volturi, Garrett becomes her mate, and they return to Denali together.



Tanya
"Keep the dream alive."

- Kate to Tanya

Tanya is Kate's oldest adoptive sister and leader of the Denali Coven after their mother was terminated by the Volturi. They were changed around the same time, and have been close sisters ever since.



Irina
Irina is Kate's youngest adoptive sister. She died during the confrontation between the Volturi and the Cullens. They were changed around the same time, and have been close sisters ever since, making it a huge blow when they lost her.



Eleazar
Eleazar is Kate's coven mate. He is the only vampire in the family who has a gift besides herself.

He and his wife, Carmen, joined their family a few centuries ago after leaving the life of Volterra to live a more peaceful life. By shifting their diet from human blood to animal, Eleazar and Carmen found the life they had been yearning for.



Carmen
Carmen is Kate's coven mate, and Eleazar's wife. Though it is not determined how close they really are, it seems they have a fairly mutual connection, as Eleazar points out that by abstaining from human blood allows them to form true family bonds.

Sasha
Sasha was known to be Kate's adoptive mother. They first met when Sasha and Tanya attacked a small caravan that was transporting her charge.

Because she shared some similarities to Tanya and her determination and courage, Sasha decided to turn her to add a sister to Tanya. It did not take long before she became closely bonded with her new family. Losing her mother was a tremendous blow for all three of them, and has plagued her and her sisters for centuries.

Film portrayal
Kate is portrayed by Casey LaBow in Breaking Dawn. Her character was given the surname "Denali" in the films.

Appearances

 * Twilight (mentioned)
 * New Moon (mentioned)
 * Eclipse (mentioned)
 * Breaking Dawn
 * Breaking Dawn: Parts 1 &amp; 2
 * Midnight Sun (mentioned)