There's just something about Eric Northman: The Viking Vampire's Appeal

There's just something about Eric Northman, the 1000 year-old Viking vampire.  He is tall, broad-shouldered, muscular and beautiful with his blue eyes, blond hair and sexy smirk. He reeks of self-confidence and swagger.

He is vengeful, proud and collected.  Does anyone really wonder why

 he is able to leave so many breathless and wanting more?  He is able to enter any room in flip-flops and track pants, managing to not only steal the scene, but makes us want more of the ancient Viking.  And who wouldn't want more of Eric?

Eric is the anti-hero.  He has no issue with being brutal or callous to obtain what he desires.  In season one, Eric needed Sookie to solve an embezzlement issue at Fangtasia.  In Season Two, he savagely killed Royce (one of the 3 men that killed Malcolm, Diane and Liam).  He kept Lafayette trapped in his dungeon for selling V.  He sent Sookie to Dallas to try to save Godric, his maker.  In Season Three, upon finding out that Russell Edgington was responsible for killing his human family, we watched him head down a path of vengeance, brutally killing Russell's consort of 700 years.  But we need to remember that Eric is a Viking Prince-a warrior that has spent 1000 years conquering his enemies.   He was able to survive so long by using his sharp instinct, intellect and charm.  He knows when to speak and when to remain quiet.  He has a biting sense of humor-and he enjoys prodding and provoking to get a rise out of those he considers his rivals.  

What else adds to the appeal of Eric Northman?  He is egotistical and narcissistic. He has no issue in using his good looks and attractiveness to his advantage. In Season Three, he used his charm, looks and sexuality to get his revenge on Russell Edgington by staking Russell's lover, Talbot.  Season Two, he approaches the men during the lock in at the Fellowship of The Sun, acting like a 'good 'ol boy to get himself and Sookie out alive.  

We also know that Eric influences those under him to be loyal and loving.  During the flashback scenes in Season Two (as we watched Eric remember Godric turning him), as Human Eric, he was injured during battle and near death.  His three fellow Viking warriors refused to leave him alone to die-they protected him and attempted to bolster his spirit.  In Season Three, we watched the heartfelt and touching scenes between Eric and his progeny, Pam.  Their love and devotion to each other was apparent, real and profound.  Their affection for each other goes to show that vampires are capable of feeling.  They love.  They hate.  They desire.  Eric doesn't want anyone to believe (or think) he has feelings.  In fact, he tells Sookie in Season Three: "I don't like having feelings."  To Eric, this makes him weak and a target.

Eric is a master strategist.  In Season One, he needed Sookie's help to find out who embezzled $60,000 from Fangtasia.  This thought occurred to me: Why did Eric need Sookie's help?  As a vampire, he was capable of glamouring any human working at his bar to get the information he needed.  I'm even going to be so bold to say that he knew Longshadow was the embezzler.  But Eric wanted to see Sookie again.  He wanted to see with his own eyes her ability, Bill's attachment to her and how he would react to the situation where Sookie would be in danger.  He stood back, letting Bill stake Longshadow and filed all the information he gleaned from this situation away for later use.  In Season Two, he sent Sookie to Dallas, let her infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun, called Lorena (Bill's maker) to Dallas to hold Bill against his will, letting him step in to save Sookie and Godric.  Finally, in Season Three, upon seeing the crown in Russell's collection, he remembers his human family being slaughtered by Russell and his wolves.  He coolly and methodically plans his revenge on Russell.  Not by killing Russell-by killing the one thing that Russell loves most: his lover, Talbot.  So he romances and seduces Talbot, staking and killing him.

Eric is a survivor.  In Season Three during a flashback scene, we see Godric and Eric dressed as Nazi Schutzstaffel agents in order to infiltrate "Operation Werewolf".  Eric became a chameleon to survive among humans to find the wolves and vampire responsible for killing his human family  It was never revealed to us how Eric fed.  Did he use glamour to seduce and feed?  Or did he live like Bill and Lorena, passing as humans for the purpose of cruelly feeding and killing humans as sport, and for monetary gain?  These are questions I don't have answers for now.

So now, as we wait for Season Four to arrive, I am anxious and excited to see more of Eric Northman.  Because baby, we haven't seen anything yet!