Darren Shan

Darren Shan is the main character in  The Saga of Darren Shan.

Cirque Du Freak (book)
Before the Cirque, Darren would hang out with his three friends:

Steve Leonard

Tommy Jones

Alan Morris

The four were soccer fans, and had a lot of fun together. Darren Shan lived a happy life with his Mom, Dad, and younger sister,Annie.

When Alan brings a poster to school advertising a Freak Show, Steve manages to raise the money to buy the tickets. However, they were only given two by the sales person, due to Special Conditions. They decide to compete for the tickets, or rather ticket, as all of them agreed that Steve deserved a ticket for raising the money in the first place. Darren wins, catching the ticket by chance. They go to the freak show, but Steve realises that one of the performers, the spider-wielding Larten Crepsley, is a vampire. After the show Steve stays behind, telling Darren to go home without him, but Darren disobeys. He sneaks up to the balcony and sees everything unfold from above.Shocked to know that Steve wants to be a vampire (and that Steve has evil blood), Darren flees home. That conflict is put aside, as Darren then realizes that he can in fact own Madam Octa, Mr. Crepsley's deadly performing spider.

Darren steals Madam Octa the spider from the Cirque du Freak and develops a telepathic connection with her. However, when he is demonstrating his control over her to Steve, Annie startles him, and his control over the spider is lost, giving Madam Octa the chance to bite Steve. He goes to hospital but none of the doctors can figure out what type of poison it is. Darren goes to Mr. Crepsley for the cure and the vampire gives Darren an offer: Darren must become his assistant in order for him to be given the antidote. Darren agrees and is blooded by Mr. Crepsley. He fakes his own death and leaves his hometown to follow his life as a vampire. After three days, paralyzed in a hospital bed and then in a grave, his actions to save his friend Steve backfires, and on his way he is ambushed by Steve, who is unwilling to kill Darren. He thinks that Darren plotted against him all along, and promises that he will someday find Darren and have his revenge.

The Vampire's Assistant
With his peaceful life gone, Darren starts anew with his master, Mr Crepsley as his new assistant. Darren is still struggling with his new life but is beginning to cope up as a vampire's assistant though he refuses to drink human blood. He still hates his companion, Mr Crepsley, for turning him into a half vampire which has led him to faking his own death. Eventhough he is far more stronger and faster than any human, as he discovers,he's finding it hard to adjust his life. He's unnatural strength causes him to be alone, as he can't be friends with humans without breaking their bodies. Mr Crepsley teaches him all about vampirism and sometimes showing regret for blooding him.He understood Darren's problem and decides to take Darren to Cirque Du Freak.

There,Mr Tall led Darren to Evra's tent and soon after that, they became good friends. Evra Von is the snake boy who preformed at the Cirque with his gigantic snake. He is then dutied to do some chores around the Cirque with the help of Evra Von. While doing some of their chores, they spotted a boy hidding in the bushes as if spying on them. They pulled a quick prank on him but backfired. The boy introduced himself as Sam Grest, a village boy living with his parents and lots of pets.

Tunnels of Blood
Mr. Crepsley then has to leave on a mission, and takes Darren and Evra Von with him. They arrive at a city, apparently the city from which Mr. Crepsley was born and raised. While Darren and Evra explore the city on their escapades, Mr. Crepsley is secretly busy on his mission. Darren quickly befriends a human named Debbie, and they develop a relationship. Darren has less and less time, even more so when he finds on the news that bodies had been found in the city completely drained of blood, to which Darren is horrified, jumping to the conclusion that Mr. Crepsley is behind it. Like most plots in the Darren Shan series, the situation quickly spirals out of control, ending up with Darren ambushing Mr. Crepsley just as he was about to capture a Vampaneze, injuring Mr. Crepsley and greatly agitating him. When Darren finds out what is really going on, he quickly forgives Mr. Crepsley, and starts helping him. Darren, now having even less time for Debbie, is worried. Debbie invites Darren to her Christmas party, but Darren, excepting the inevitable, that he will have to leave eventually, decides to tell them he is moving again. Debbie, greatly disappointed, tries to convince him to stay just that one day, but Darren disagrees. Finally, Darren decides to tell Mr. Crepsley, about Debbie, to which he surprisingly finds that Mr. Crepsley is not mad, even delighted that he brought up the topic. After a brief talk with him, they both resume tracking down the Vampaneze. However, they meet some bumps along the road. Evra gets kidnapped and when darren and Mr. Crepsley are searching for him Darren and Mr. Crepsley get into another argument, an ensuing fight leaves the vampires one-up to the vampaneze. You then find that it was all one massive plan to capture and kill the Vampaneze. However, Darren admits that there were certain parts that were left to chance, and that the plan could have failed at anytime. Then it is shown in this passage of how Darren says goodbye to Debbie.

Vampire Mountain
Darren begins to like Vampires, and does not hate Mr. Crepsley so much anymore. Together, he, Mr. Crepsley, Gavner Purl (an old friend of Mr. Crepsley) and two little people travel to Vampire Mountain. On the way, they meet a pack of wolves, who are naturally drawn to vampires, and they develop a friendship. In particular, the friendship between the feisty wolf cub Rudi and Darren Shan. While Mr. Crepsley and Gavner Purl were away hunting, they are suddenly attacked by an insane bear, and although at first Rudi fends off the bear, he is injured by it and becomes frightened, hiding in a tree for the rest of the battle, although Darren notes that were it not for Rudi, they would all be dead. Then, the other wolves arrive, but they are unable to defeat the bear, being knocked back. They then stay back to comfort Rudi, leaving Darren and the two little people. One of the little people tries to fight the bear, but the bear kills it gruesomely. The other little person is unable to make a difference in the fight, so it is up to Darren. He takes the bones of the dead little person and manages to severely injure and kill the bear. When the two other vampires return, Darren tells them about the bear, and Mr. Crepsley reveals that the bear had consumed the blood of a Vampaneze. Darren then finds that the other little person can speak, and that his name is Harkat Mulds. He reveals that he does not remember much, but remembers that Mr. Tiny revived him from the dead, in exchange for his service for an indefined period of time.

 When they reach the mountain summit, Darren is introduced to the many aspects of Vampire life that he was not aware of, and finally gets a grip on the Vampire Honor Code. He is introduced to many gruesome rooms, including a group of pale-faced humanoid creatures. He also learned about the oldest vampire alive, Paris Skyle, who resides at the mountain as a prince. He also learns that Mr. Crepsley was once a vampire general (and was almost elected to become a prince), until he quit in search of more interesting things to do. He posed many questions, such as how human blood was collected in these regions, to which was only vaguely answered. He then becomes even more famous when he faces off on the bars against the undefeated champion Arra Sails, and did not admit defeat until he was completely knocked out and received a handshake from Arra Sails for his courage, (something that is very hard to come by) then colaspes on top of her. At the next meeting, they discuss Mr. Crepsley's decision to blood a child, something that has not been done in centuries. Mr. Crepsley cannot come up with a legitimate reason, and after a series of arguments and negotiations, the Princes try to find a suitable punishment. Surprisingly, the punishment given was to initiate Darren in the trials. Thus, Darren decides to take the Trials and only later finds that the price of faliure is death...

Trials of Death
His first trial was the Aquatic Maze, for which Darren had to find his way out of the maze carrying a heavy boulder half his weight before the constantly pouring water filled up the maze and drowned him. After a day of training, Darren still struggled to complete the trial, almost drowning in the process, but just making it out by the skin of his teeth. The next day, he was assigned his second trial, in which he has to walk through a cave filled with sharp, heavy stalactites. After prolonged training, Darren again struggled to complete the event, impaling himself several times. When he was done, he passed out and was transferred to a hospital. Luckily, the Festivals were the same day, and so he got a three day break from the trials. His third event, arguably his most difficult, was the Wall of Fire, in which he had to stay alive in a room filled with holes, which erupted into searing hot flames. The aftermath of this competition meant that Darren was in serious condition, barely able to stand let alone handle his fourth trial, the Blooded boars, having to kill two crazed boars who had injested vampire blood. Kurda Smahlt managed to convince the Princes to postpone the trials, and after three days Darren faced his fourth trial. He was fighting the boars and seemed to have the upper hand when an injured boar squashed him in place, leaving the other boar to charge at him. At the last moment, it seemed hopeless, but Harkat Mulds, the little person, inadvertently rescuded him, thereby disqualifying him from the Trial, and deemed the same as failing. Although many argued that it was not Darren's fault, and the trial should be redone, the Princes were unable to disobey tradition, and they seemed to be leaning toward execution at the pits. He is forced to flee the Mountain (with some persuasion). As he escapes, he learns that one of the vampires Kurda Smahlt (who is about to become a Vampire Prince) is plotting to betray the vampires to the vampire's blood cousins the vampaneze, in the hopes that he can organize a peace between the species (to try to prevent The War of the Scars).

The Vampire Prince
Darren is nursed back to health by a pack of wolves and, with some reluctance, returns to Vampire Mountain to warn the vampires of the treacherous Kurda Smahlt. He interupts Kurda's accention and manages to tell the princes of how Kurda murdered Gavner Purl and betrayed the clan. Kurda is then imprisoned and an attack on the waiting vampaneze planned.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Seba Nile, Mr.Crepsley and Darren each take control of a group of the mountain's residant spiders. They flush the vampaneze out of their hiding place and into a group of waiting vampires. An ensuing fight leaves Arra Sails fataly wounded; the one-eyed games keeper, Vanez Blane, loses his remaining eye; and Seba ends up limping, from a wound to his leg. The vampaneze left alive are interrogated and executed, along with Kurda, and the dead are cremated - including Arra and Gavner (Kurda told the vampires where to find Gavner's body)

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren is then judged and, since no one wants to kill him, is made a Prince.

Hunters of the Dusk
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Later, Darren becomes one of the Vampaneze Lord hunters. He and Mr. Crepsley head for the home of Lady Evannaand, on the way, meet Vancha March. When there, they find the secret of Mr. Crepsley's scar.

Allies of the Night
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren ends up going back to school, which causes a problem for their search for the Lord of the Vampaneze. Along the way he meets Debbie, as a school teacher, and Steve, and invites them to search for the Vampaneze Lord. Steve fakes his alliance with the vampires in order to later lure them into a trap, in the sewers, where hoards of vampaneze were waiting for them. Steve takes Debbie hostage and reveals that he is a vampaneze and had been planning the trap for years-the faking of Darren's enrollment forms to high school and, carving the tunnels in the sewer. R.V is also revealed in this book as having joined the vampaneze, with the edition of adding hooks instead of hands when the wolf-man ripped them off in the second book. By the end Gannon lets Darren, Harkat, Mr. Crepsley, and Vancha leave with Steve (as a hostage) and another hostage because many of Gannon's men were dying. They gave them only a limited amount of time to escape before he set the vampaneze on them once again.

Killers of the Dawn
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren has been accused of commiting a crime that the vampaneze committed, landing him in jail for a while. But he, Harkat, and Mr. Crepsley escape when Steve, who had been held in the police's "hospital", kills a couple nurses and makes a break for freedom. Later on in the books Darren, Steve, and the supposed Vampaneze Lord, have another showdown. Steve knocks Mr. Crepsley on fiery stakes,leading to his demise. Later, Steve reveals to Darren that he is actually the Lord of the Vampaneze.

The Lake of Souls
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren and Harkat are told by Mr. Tiny that they must travel in order to find out who Harkat used to be. They encounter many fearsome battles and in the end they realise that Harkat was Kurda Smahlt in his previous life. Darren then returns with Harkat to the Cirque Du Freak, where they remain for two years. Darren picks up the nightmares that Harkat used to have - and reveals his secret that either Steve Leonard will be the Lord of the Shadows and destroy the world, or Darren will. Mr. Tall tells Darren that the Cirque will be returning to his home town...

Lord of the Shadows
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren's friend from school, Tommy, sees Darren at the Cirque Du Freak and Darren and Tommy start talking again. Tommy, gives Darren a ticket for the soccer game. Darren ends up going and then Tommy was shot. Darren was the first to run down the stadium and go to Tommy's assistance. Darren fallows Morgan James and R.V. In the shadows 4 figures apear (Steve, Morgan, R.V, and Darrius).Darren gets beaten up. Then, Darren runs into LittleKenny and Declan who save his life. They take him to Debbie and Alice. Darren's purge starts up again turning him into a full vampire {not in this book}.Darren learns from Evanna that he might become the Lord of Shadows. Either him or Steve would become the Lord of Shadows. Darren learns that his sister, Annie, has a child who turns out to be Darrius. Darrius is Steve's kid, aka Darren's nephew. Darrius leads Darren, Harkat, Evanna, and Vancha to the old abandom theature where Darren has a flash from the past. Darren's best friend, Evra, kid, Shancus kid is held captive to Steve's mercy. Steve ends up killing Shancus and devistates everyone. Darren feels something that wasn't human or vampire, and feels the need to kill.

Sons of Destiny
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">In the beginning he reunites with Annie and informs her that her son, Darius, has become a vampaneze. Darren then trades blood with him, hoping to turn him into a vampire. Since Darius was already a vampaneze the blood almost kills both of them as vampaneze blood is lethal to vampires and vise-versa. Luckily they survive, but soon Darren, Vancha, and Harkat have to go and fight Steve in the soccer stadium. Darren sends Annie and Darius to Vampire Mountain to be looked after. In the end he faces Steve in battle and they both mortally wound each other, both dying shortly after. Darren had the opportunity to kill Steve although at the last second he found a loophole in Mr. Tiny's plan and lets Steve kill him so neither would become the Lord of the Shadows and destroy the world. There is a short chapter or two where Darren describes himself in the Lake of Souls. Darren is brought back by Mr. Tiny as a Little Person, after being fished out of the Lake by Evanna. On the way to Mr. Tiny's house/lair Evanna tells Darren she is pregnant with twins, both by a vampire and vampaneze, so one of the races would not be dominate. After he is changed into a little person, which is described as the most painful experience ever, he is sent back in time and sees his younger self at the Cirque with Steve. He scares himself off so that he doesn't see Steve and Mr. Crepsley, cutting off the original chain of events that made Darren a Vampire. He then gives his diary entries to Mr.Tall, (to be given to his human self at a later date and be published as a book) unravels, and dies peacefully on top of the Cirque's roof.

Personality
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Initially, Darren is a goody-two-shoes kind of boy, as referred to by Steve. He tries to stay out of trouble and is good in eveybody's eyes. He is loyal to his friends and puts them first before himself, willing to sacrifice than to see them hurt. He is also stubborn as he chooses to stay with whatever decision he has made and will go through it stoicly. He also despises killing, and believes that it is wrong. Eventually, he becomes filled with hate and it appears to start influencing his decisions. Evanna tells him that if he were to become the Lord of the Shadows, he would be a cruel, merciless ruler and be hated and feared by all. Steve would bring humanity and the living dead to their knees, but Darren would bring basically destruction.

Powers & Abilities
<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren is much stronger, faster, more agile, and tougher than any Human. He heals much faster and his senses are sharper, allowing him to see in the dark. He ages five times slower than a normal Human. Being a son of Mr. Tiny he has the ability to command and control animals.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Movie)

 * This article is a stub. Please help The Cirque du Freak wiki by expanding it.

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<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;"> A boy named Darren Shan begins his life as nothing less than a normal –were it not for his unhealthy obsession for arachnids- 16 year old boy. He is considered a good student and son amongst many people and likes it that way. That is, until, he begins to befriend, what some might call, a trouble-making boy by the name of Steve Leonard. Everything runs smoothly until a flier for a travelling freak-show intervenes, this will change both of their lives for the worst... =Biography=

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren was about to go to his usual classes when new-comer Steve persuaded him to abandon Mr Kersey's lesson. They went to the roof of the school and throw stones at windows and lamps, only to be caught. After being given a severe tongue lashing from both her parents and the school, Dani is forbidden to be involved with Steve. Darren agrees to this, if anything to please his parents, but continues to befriend Steve in secret; realizing that he no longer wishes to have things planned out for him by others. When a mysterious flier is thrown from a passing car, the number-plate labelled with the letters DES-TINY, it irreversibly changed the lives of our two young characters. As an act of rebellion- to prove that he didn’t want to live a predictable life, Darren went with Steve to The Cirque du Freak; where Steve recognized Mr. Crepsley as a Vampire by the name of Vur Horsten. Unable to resist the temptation, due to his love for spiders, Darren goes to steal Mr Crepsley’s performing spider, Madam Octa, and before he can be discovered, hides in the nearby cupboard. From here, he hears a conversation between Mr Crepsley and a fellow general, Gavner Pearl, about Vampires, Vampaneze and Vampire Generals. Soon, Steve enters the room and asks to be blooded, or turned into a vampire, only to find that he has bad blood, and as a result can never become one. Steve later leaves in a rage after swearing to kill Mr. Crepsley for his mistake.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Before Mr Crepsley has time to react to the disappearance of his spider, Darren slips away through a secret passage through the back of the cupboard and escapes to find the same car from which he received the flier, its owner, Mr Tiny, is waiting for him. A Vampaneze by the name of Murlough is also present in the car. Darren is asked many questions about his beliefs and immortality.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Afterwards, Darren goes back to school as if nothing had happens and puts Madam Octa in his locker in order to look after her as best he can. Steve notices Darren’s avoidance of him and asks to know why, he then finds Madame Octa. As Steve becomes aware of the fact that Darren had been present the whole conversation about wanting to be a vampire and Mr. Crepsley not granting his wish because of Steve's "evil" blood. The bell rings and Darren drops Madam Octa. She runs around the frightened people before biting Steve, who was trying to kill her out of spite. Steve is then forced into a fatal coma; Darren knows better than anyone that his death will now be inevitable unless he can find an antidote for the poison.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Unable to help but feel responsible for the mess, a reluctant Darren Shan heads to the Theatre in order to find to find Mr. Crepsley and ask for his help. He says yes, but Darren must become half-Vampire. He unwillingly accepts and then gets blooded. They flit to the hospital where Steve is given the antidote. Darren then sets off the alarms and Crepsley runs away.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Later, Darren comes home and almost bites his sister. Darren then goes into his room to see Crepsley there. After a brief discussion, they decide to 'kill' Darren. Darren is given the potion to numb him and slow his breathing and then Crepsley breaks his neck and throws him off the roof.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">At the funeral home, Steve sees the scars on Darren's fingers and then starts shouting at his 'corpse'. He is taken away by Mr. Kersey. Darren is then buried.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Darren is unburied by Crepsley. Before they can get away, Murlough attacks! Almost managing to kidnap Darren and do away with his old foe Crepsley in the process. After an intense struggle, Mr. Crepsley manages to out think the Vampaneze by luring him in front of a moving truck; unfortunately resulting in the death of the driver as he tried to help. Both Mr Crepsley and Darren are able to escape, before coming to The Cirque Du Freak in seek of refuge.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Upon arrival, also at the temporary consent of Circus Ringleader, Mr Hibernius Tall, Darren is given a tent space with Evra Von, more commonly known as “The Snake Boy”, and after bonding over their love of music and abnormality, the pair soon become friends. He, Evra and a girl named Rebecca do chores around the camp together, chores including; cleaning the Wolfman’s cage and getting food for the Little People. Darren then becomes acquainted with many of the performers, consisting of; “The Bearded Lady”, “The Thinnest Man”, “Corma Limbs” and a “Little Person” called Harkat Mulds, who had tried to bite Darren on the way to Evra's tent. Both Darren and Rebecca become really close to each other; despite this, however, Rebecca is hesitant to tell Darren what she is doing at a Circus of the abnormal, when she seemingly ever so ordinary.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">When Mr. Tiny comes to the Cirque, Darren is told to stay in his tent whilst Mr Tall and Mr Crepsley argue over his fate. A short time after, the Vampaneze attack without warning, Darren goes to the clothes trailer with Evra and Rebecca. The Vampaneze attack and Darren fights and escapes with the aid of Mr Crepsley; who tells him that until he accepts his nature and drinks blood, he will do little good to defend himself. Rebecca is soon kidnapped by the Vampaneze leaving Evra badly injured.

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">When Darren finds out that Rebecca has been taken, he goes after her. Upon receiving Evra’s message that Darren needs to “come home.” Darren heads back to his house to find his family missing and the flier which started everything, with a note telling him to go to the theatre. He arrives to find the place abandoned and encounters Murlough as well as his family and Rebecca. During a short and brutal fight between Crepsley and Murlough, Rebecca escapes from her ropes by using her tail to untie them. Darren tries to fight Steve, but he is weak because he has not had any human blood to strengthen him, so he is beaten before he even has a chance to get into the fight. Rebecca, who has escaped relatively unnoticed, manages to pull Darren to safety. Since Darren needs to be stronger in order to fight she allows him to drink a small amount of her own blood. Darren and Steve battle it out as Crepsley and Murlough attempt to kill one another. Murlough wins against Mr. Crepsley having the advantage of numbers and Darren and Steve are stopped by Mr. Tiny, before Steve can kill Darren Mr. Crepsley stabs Murlough through the heart and ends the Vampaneze’s life. Steve and Mr. Tiny leave together; Mr Tiny offering to teach him his ways and promising that and prophesizes that Darren will join them soon, being as he is the blood thirsty one- to which Darren openly denies, stating that it is about who a person becomes as opposed to what people make them out to be. Darren and Mr. Crepsley go back to the Cirque, we see Mr. Tiny bring Murlough back as a Little Person and as a result we learn the shocking truth of where they come from. ..

<p style="color:rgb(213,212,212);font-size:13px;">Once back at the Cirque, Mr. Tall holds a vote on whether or not Darren should be accepted into the Cirque as an official member. Despite the unknowing danger Darren brings, many agree that he should stay, including Harkat, as they all relate to being cast out from the world. Darren is now a “real vampire”, who can flit and sleep in a coffin.

Books

 * "Cirque Du Freak" (first)
 * "The Vampire's Assistant"
 * "Tunnels of Blood"
 * "Vampire Mountain"
 * "Trials of Death"
 * "The Vampire Prince"
 * "Hunters of the Dusk"
 * "Allies of the Night"
 * "Killers of the Dawn"
 * "The Lake of Souls"
 * "Lord of the Shadows"
 * "Sons of Destiny" (death)