Alexei Levchenko

"You will begin to understand, Mr Dolohov, that things will change around here. But not all elementals are going to be spared by my wrath, not all of them."

Alexei Levchenko (DNL 5)

Alexei Levchenko (born 7th November 1974) is a central antagonist and elemental supremacist in the Darkness Not Light series. Regarded as a divisive figure in elemental history, some argue he is a bigoted, blood-thirsty Russian who was responsible for the death of millions during his crusade against humanity and his invasion of Europe. Others believe Levchenko was an military pioneer who realised that humans could not live peacefully with elementals.

Levchenko began the series as an ambitious Ministry spy working undercover within the Death Eaters. However, two years later, a power-mad Levchenko leads the magical community in the Elemental-Wizard War. During the battle, he establishes himself as the archenemy of Nuggets Dolohov and Isabella Riddle. He fatally wounds Dolohov, who traps his life within his Prism to cheat death.

In his finest achievement, Levchenko gains control of Britain and launches an invasion of Europe during the third episode. Having gained elemental powers through evolution the Russian becomes a dangerous He is killed by Dolohov, Isabella and Kaleina Riddle, yet manages to inflict suffering on the triumvirate including killing Dolohov again, who simply traps himself within his Prism yet again.

A decade later, Levchenko's son Dimitar uses The Master Prism to bring his father back to life. Levchenko heads a violent elemental uprising against the oppressive human government during the final Darkness Not Light episode. Dolohov and Isabella join this movement, Levchenko befriends Isabella after the death of Dimitar. However, he is killed by a Prism-inspired Dolohov before any chance of redemption.

Early Childhood
Alexei Levchenko was born on the 7th November 1978 in Volgograd, Soviet Russia to a poverty-stricken family. Anita Levchenko, his 19-year-old mother, was a peasant that worked on a communal farm while his father was a political prisoner. He had no siblings.

Levchenko and his mother lived in extreme poverty along with several other families. Alexei’s mother was an optimist who continuously believed life would get better and she always put on a brave face around her son. Alexei spent most of his childhood as a labourer and completed many chores around the farm.

Levchenko developed an angry, impatient personality living in the farm and showed early signs of extreme selfishness. For example he sometimes stole his mother’s food to feed himself. Levchenko tortured small animals and bullied other children on the farm. However, Levchenko was a keen academic and researched many topics including history, politics and philosophy. He wrote extensively about these subjects at the age of 14, demonstrating his intellectual prowess.

When Levchenko was 13, political prisoners from his village were returned home by the police. But instead of being returned to their families, they were executed by a firing squad. Alexei watched as his father was gunned down. Levchenko would go on to regret he did not kill the men responsible for his father’s death.

In 1992, despite the fall of the Soviet Union, the Levchenko family were still living in poverty. The 18-year-old Alexei worked in a factory, began demonstrating unnatural abilities such as manipulating electricity, although he struggled to control this power. Levchenko also had short-term relationships with both male and female co-workers.

Signed By The Ministry
A year later, Anita emigrated with Alexei with a young Russian businessman. They moved to England and lived on the outskirts of London. Whilst Levchenko struggled to adapt to the area, he got a job at a local bakery.

However his life in England was endangered when he was arrested for fighting three drunken men. During this battle, Levchenko used his limited electrical powers and a form of telekinesis. This attracted the attention of the Ministry of Magic, who found Levchenko had natural proficiency with a wand.

Levchenko became a rare example of a wizard who did not need professional teaching. He quickly learned spells and was able to use them effectively. Keeping his reputation on the down-low, the Ministry decided to use him as a young spy. Levchenko completed several missions by combining his magical abilities as well as his intelligence and charismatic personality.

Darkness Not Light 1
In 1996, the 22-year-old Levchenko was handed his most challenging objective yet. The Russian was to become a trusted accomplice of Voldemort and supply regular reports of what the Death Eaters were planning from within the organisation. Despite the risky nature of the mission, Levchenko approached the idea with determination and quickly won the approval of Voldemort, displaying his prodigious talent with a wand.

Instead of going through the usual Death Eater channels, Voldemort was so impressed with Levchenko that he made the Russian his protégé. Levchenko was tasked as the Dark Lord’s personal assassin; he would kill Death Eaters that Voldemort believed would betray him, acting as an unofficial secret police. Whilst Levchenko relished the role, he still remained loyal to the Ministry. Voldemort was concerned of others learning Levchenko’s identity that he referred to Levchenko as “Harold Travis” and ordered Levchenko to keep his facial features hidden at all times. Levchenko did this by wearing a hood.

Levchenko helped the Ministry on a few occasions. He saved a teenage Isabella Riddle from Malfoy Manor after her capture, returning her to Hogwarts safely and discreetly. He also handed Commander Parak over to the Ministry when they requested Levchenko to do so. By doing this, Levchenko had unknowingly set Parak on a Ministry-approved path to develop more Prisms which would culminate in the events of Darkness Not Light 4.

Levchenko is eventually pulled out of his mission by the Ministry in the aftermath of the Death Eater civil war with Levchenko’s superior, Mr. Blunt, believing the Russian’s life could be in danger. At this point, Levchenko meets his future right-hand man, Detralus the Vampire.

Darkness Not Light 2
Levchenko’s dark journey towards ruling the country has already begun as the Russian, who still works for the Ministry, displays an arrogant and power-mad streak. Feeling he is stagnating at the Ministry, he revels in helping the magical community’s battle against the elemental race.

In the climatic final battle, Levchenko engages in a fierce battle with Dolohov. With the former Death Eater on his knees, Levchenko avoids a killing curse aimed at him by Isabella. The curse hits Dolohov, who was behind the Russian. Only Isabella’s improvised attempts at reviving Dolohov, and the opening of his Prism, spares Dolohov a premature death. Despite this, Dolohov once again finds himself on the brink of death when Levchenko impales the elemental with his spear. Dolohov, desperate to avoid defeat, pulls the spear further through himself to loosen Levchenko’s grip on the spear. When the Russian does, Dolohov thrusts the other end of the spear into Levchenko’s chest.

By using the Prism, Dolohov is able to wipe the memory of the war from everyone’s mind involved in the fight, at the expense of his own life. Whilst another Elemental-Wizard war does not happen, Levchenko does his best to flare up tensions. He only stops this when he rediscovers his elemental abilities that were prevalent during his youth. Gaining these abilities, Levchenko goes on an egotistical mission to become the ruler of Britain, which he achieves by the time of Darkness Not Light 3.

Appearance
Levchenko is an athletically-built character but has a confident demeanor. Levchenko had blue eyes and blonde hair, although this got darker as the series progressed. Levchenko often wore suits, his trademark suit being his purple one that he often wore during Darkness Not Light 3. Upon his resurrection in Darkness Not Light 5, Levchenko had shorter hair and looked slightly different from the Master Prism effects.

Personality
Levchenko was a determined, power-hungry individual who would not let anything get in the way of his objectives. Often remaining very composed in times of danger, Levchenko had an unrivaled ability at winding up and manipulating his opponents. He managed to make Isabella hit Dolohov with a killing curse and he also controlled an entire nation by appealing to its patriotism. In the final episode, Levchenko managed to get both Dolohov and Isabella to join his elemental resistance and surprisingly forces them to serve under his leadership. Unlike Dolohov, Levchenko never shirked or avoided positions of command, instead it brought the best out of the Russian.

In comparison to Dolohov, Levchenko appeared to be his polar opposite. Dolohov believed in justice and often valued diplomacy over warfare. Levchenko had no interest in justice, and only followed his own strong ideals and usually achieved this through violence and exerting his power.

Levchenko was regarded as one of the most powerful beings in the elemental world. He is able to successfully duel elementals Dolohov and Isabella in Darkness Not Light 2, despite being restricted to magic. In Darkness Not Light, Levchenko was narrowly defeated by Dolohov, Isabella and Kaleina. Managing to battle them simultaneously and inflict great damage on all three characters before his death.

After his resurrection via Dimitar's use of the Master Prism, Levchenko becomes a slightly different person. Willing to use anybody to further his aim, he takes a rather noble cause in opposing the oppression of his race, although he uses violent methods to do so. After the death of his son, Levchenko forms a close friendship with Isabella and begins to show signs of possible redemption, but is killed by Dolohov in battle.

Levchenko possesses notable character flaws, most notably his extremely arrogant personality which deludes him into thinking he is the most powerful person on the planet. Even though he ranks highly, Levchenko often underestimates his opponents. He is always looking for ways to better himself, for example he opened Dolohov's Prism without any regard for the consequences which led to Dolohov being resurrected.

Levchenko's sexual orientation was also ambiguous. He is likely to be bisexual after relationships with both men and women during his life. He had a son, Dimitar, to an unknown mother. It is also debatable whether Levchenko secretly loved Dolohov. He is one of a few characters who had no romantic scenes during the series.