Seth Clearwater

"He has one of the purest, sincerest, kindest minds I've ever heard. You're lucky to share his thoughts."

- Edward Cullen on Seth to Jacob

Seth Clearwater is a member of Jacob Black's renegade shape-shifter pack and was first introduced in New Moon as Leah's younger brother and one of the youngest members of Sam Uley's wolf pack before joining Jacob's in Breaking Dawn. After Jacob and his own sister Leah Clearwater, he is the most developed shape-shifter in the Twilight Saga. He is the son of Harry and Sue Clearwater, and is also the second cousin of Emily Young.

Early life
Seth was born and grew up in La Push with his family. As a child, he has always been happy, optimistic and purely kind. His parents had always known that he had werewolf genes of the Black, Ateara and Uley family lines, and would someday become a shape-shifter to protect their tribe from vampires.

New Moon
Seth first appears in New Moon when Bella meets him at a dinner party at Billy's house, where Seth hangs out with her and Jacob. Seth apparently looks up to Jacob, and it is stated that he "hung on Jacob's every word with idolizing eyes." Seth interrupts Jacob whenever it seems like he might have forgotten him. When his older sister, Leah, phased in front of the family one night, the shock caused their father, Harry, who already had a weak heart, to have a fatal cardiac arrest. The upheaval all around him catalyzed Seth's own transformation, earlier than it would normally have happened; he phased immediately. In the movie, Harry is part of the hunting party searching for the wolves believed to be killing hikers and suffers a heart attack caused by Victoria's sudden appearance.

Although Seth was deeply saddened by his father's death, he accepted his transformation far better than Leah did hers. He didn't have the same challenges to deal with, because she has to constantly deal with being around Sam and his thoughts about Emily that triggers her own thoughts and make the entire pack go through her agony. And at the same time, she blames herself for having caused their father's fatal heart attack.

Seth attends Harry's funeral, which Edward mistakes for Bella's.

Eclipse
Seth's role becomes larger in Eclipse. In the book, he is present at the clifftop bonfire where Bella hears the Quileute legends for the first time and pays close attention to the tales, leaning forwards eagerly. In the movie adaptation of Eclipse, this is where he first appears, and addresses himself as the "newest, bestest, and brightest". Jacob then adds that he is also the slowest.

In preparation for a huge battle against the Seattle newborn army, his pack go to attend training sessions with the Cullens.

He later goes with Jacob, Bella and Edward to serve as a connection between the werewolf pack and the small camp during the battle, and fights alongside Edward against Victoria and Riley. He manages to defeat Riley after an unneeded interference from Bella, who had thought Seth was wounded while in reality he was feigning injury. While Edward is fighting Victoria, Seth hurls Riley's dismembered arm at her, knocking her out of the air as she lunges for Bella and giving Edward the chance to finish her. Seth then seizes Riley from behind and drags him into the trees where he tears him to pieces (in the film, he drags Riley behind a snow-covered hill).

After the battle, Seth develops a genuine friendship with Edward and returns to La Push as a hero. In the film, he is last seen waiting outside of Jake's house while Jake is under severe medical treatment.

Breaking Dawn
By the beginning of Breaking Dawn, Seth and Edward have become good friends in the aftermath of the battle with Victoria and Riley (according to Jacob, Seth hero-worships Edward). He also respects the Cullens a lot more than any other member of the pack, even using their first names in casual conversation. Bella calls him regularly for updates on Jacob, who has fled the reservation after discovering that Edward and Bella are engaged and refuses to transform back into his human form, instead living in the wilderness in Canada as a wolf. Bella also genuinely enjoys talking to Seth, though doesn't dare to talk to Leah for whom "the phrase 'bite my head off' was not entirely a figure of speech".

Seth attends Bella and Edward's wedding with his mother and Billy Black, and tells Edward that "It's good to see things work out for you, man. I'm happy for you". When Jacob arrives and loses his temper with Bella after discovering that she and Edward will make love on their honeymoon, Seth and the Uley pack restrain Jacob and drag him into the trees before he phases.

A week after Edward and Bella return from their honeymoon, Charlie Swan phones Billy at Sue's house to tell her that Bella is home but ill, and the Cullens will not let him see her. Seth informs the pack and Jacob sets off to the Cullens to try and destroy them, believing they have broken the treaty and bitten Bella. He discovers that she is in reality pregnant, and returns to the pack. Sam decides that a half-vampire, half-human hybrid will pose a threat to the Quileute tribe and that the best course of action is to kill Bella and the Cullens, who suspect that the baby will be dangerous but who refuse to kill it and continue to protect Bella. Jacob and Seth both refuse to fight against the Cullens with the pack; Seth feels that he would be betraying them. When Jacob breaks away and becomes Alpha of his new pack, Seth is the first to follow him, and becomes a temporary second-in-command, or "Beta". Leah later joins this new pack and replaces him as Beta after a while.

During the tensions between Jacob's and Sam's packs, Seth and Leah regularly patrol the perimeter of the Cullens' land with Jacob. The Cullens, especially Esme and Carlisle, are very grateful towards them and provide them with food and clean clothes. Jacob calls Seth a "happy little punk", and Edward tells him that he is lucky to have a connection to such a pure and happy mind. Jared comes to try and convince the renegade pack to return to La Push, claiming that Sue feels betrayed by her children's abandonment, so soon after their father's death. Though it pains Seth, he refuses, and stays loyal to Jacob and the Cullens'.

In Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Seth first appears at the wedding, then on the beach sitting alongside Jacob, Leah, and Embry. He wonders whether Jacob would be able to kill Bella if she becomes a vampire. He is present during the pack's meeting to discuss killing an unborn Renesmee. He, along with Jacob, are forced to bow down to Sam after they protest about killing Bella. Soon after Jacob quits and leaves the pack, Seth quickly follows suit and joins him, only to get upset when Leah joins them as well. He is later seen with Jacob and Leah patrolling the Cullens' land and happily receiving food from Esme. He is present during his pack's conversation with Paul, Jared, Quil and Embry about Jacob wanting Sam to take back him and Leah. Him and Leah later come to the aid of the Cullens as they battle the Uley pack.

Renesmee's birth resolves the feud between the two packs as Jacob imprints on her, but Seth leaps between Bella and Jacob when the newborn Bella attacks Jacob upon discovering that he imprinted on Renesmee and nicknamed her "Nessie". This results in him getting a broken arm and collarbone, which Carlisle is able to repair. After the two packs have made peace, Seth and Leah are able to return to La Push though still visit the Cullens' with Jacob almost daily. The Clearwater family spend Christmas at Charlie Swan's house with Sam, Emily, the rest of Jacob's pack, Bella, Edward and Renesmee.

Seth, along with all the Quileute wolves, stands by the Cullens and their allies during the confrontation with the Volturi.

In Alice's vision of the battle, Seth is shown leaping after and destroying a Volturi guard. He is then confronted by Jane, who tortures him with her power, allowing Felix time to crush his neck, killing him. Leah is infuriated by this. In the end, the battle doesn't happen as Aro changes their action, and Seth lives.

Physical appearance
As a human, Bella describes Seth as having a "tall, gangly build", with a youthful face and a "huge, happy grin" with brown eyes and around 6 feet tall. His skin is russet colored and his hair is black, worn short like the other boys in the pack. Bella notes that he reminds her of a younger Jacob.

Wolf form
As a wolf, Seth remains tall and gangly, and has sandy colored fur and oversized paws. In the film version of Eclipse, his build takes on the appearance of a Mexican wolf, smaller and rangier than those of the older shapeshifters.

Personality and traits
Seth is immature, childish, but cheerful, optimistic and exceptionally kind, much like Angela Weber. He idolizes both Jacob and Edward. Edward comments that he has one of the purest, kindest, sincerest minds he'd ever heard. He can also be depicted as forceful and independent when he wants to do something important.

Although he repels vampires' smell just like all the other shapeshifters, he doesn't mind it, and even praises Edward on his cooking abilities. He is also the first of his pack to truly like the Cullens', due to their diet on animal blood, which allows him to think of them as people rather than actual vampires.

He also has an energetic and self-assured attitude, which is shown when he departs from Sam's pack to join Jacob. Whenever Jacob gives him an order, he would obey without question or hesitation. He sees his powers as a gift instead of a curse, and enjoys them more than most of his pack members.

Wolf abilities
Seth is noted to have the best hearing among his pack mates. He demonstrates this skill in Breaking Dawn when he listens to decipher the number of wolves coming their way.

Although physically smaller than most wolves in his pack, he can still take down a lone vampire by himself. This is shown when he fights Riley Biers in Eclipse without help. However, his pack members and sister still think of him more like a kid that needs protection.

According to The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, Seth and his sister Leah are the only pack members who inherited shape-shifter genes from all three families.

Relationships
Seth Clearwater is the son of Sue and Harry Clearwater, the younger brother of Leah Clearwater, and second cousin of Emily Young.

Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen is Seth's vampire friend. Originally, there was no interaction between Edward and Seth. When the wolves and the Cullens agreed to join together to fight Victoria's army, Seth and Edward ended up fighting side-by-side against Victoria and Riley. After defeating them, there was clearly no hostility between Edward and Seth, despite the fact that wolves and vampires were natural born enemies. They find it easier to cope with one another because of their will to protect humans, unlike most vampires.

By Breaking Dawn, Seth and Edward have become close friends. This friendship is part of the reason Seth joins Jacob's pack in his revolt against Sam's authority as Alpha when Sam decides to launch an unprovoked attack on the Cullens. Seth also stands with Edward and his family when the Volturi arrive to destroy them.

Jacob Black
"Stop being so... optimistic. It's getting on my nerves." "No problem. You want me to be all doom and gloom, or just shut up?" "Just shut up." "Can do."

- Jacob and Seth

Jacob Black is Seth's friend and idol figure; he follows his words with admiration.

When Jacob breaks away from Sam's pack to protect Bella and the Cullens, Seth is the first to follow him. Though he continues to persuade him to go back to Sam, he remains determined to stay with him to help the Cullens and acts as his second-in-command until Leah takes over the role.

Leah Clearwater
"Go away, Leah. I can take care of myself." "That you think so proves that you need a babysitter."

- Seth and Leah

Leah Clearwater is Seth's older sister. Though they are fairly close siblings, Seth finds her company annoying because she forces the whole pack to go through her pain over Sam's break-up, and accuses her for "ruining everything" when she joins Jacob's renegade pack for his safety (and to get away from her telepathic connection to Sam). Despite this, Leah is really very protective of her brother and joined Jacob's pack to watch over him.

Etymology
Seth is named after Stephenie Meyer's brother, who is also her site's webmaster.

Trivia

 * He was the youngest member of the pack before Brady Fuller and Collin Littlesea.
 * According to The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, Seth was born in 1992 and phased in 2006, which means that he was around 14 years old when he phased, not 15 like the series depicted.

Film portrayal
Seth Clearwater is portrayed by Boo Boo Stewart in Eclipse, Breaking Dawn - Part 1, and Breaking Dawn - Part 2.

Appearances

 * New Moon
 * Eclipse
 * Eclipse (film)
 * Breaking Dawn
 * Breaking Dawn - Part 1
 * Breaking Dawn - Part 2