Olaf

Spoilers: Serpentine This article or section contains spoilers for 2018 novel Serpentine. Proceed with caution.

Spoilers: Sucker Punch This article or section contains spoilers for 2020 novel Sucker Punch. Proceed with caution.

Olaf
Appeared in	Obsidian Butterfly The Harlequin Skin Trade Hit List Serpentine Sucker Punch
Mentioned in	Affliction
Also Known As	Otto Jefferies Otto Jeffries Pestilence (by vampires) Olaf Gundersson Sherlock/Holmes (by Anita since Serpentine) Moriarty (by Anita since Sucker Punch)
Status	Alive
Species	Human (until Hit List) Werelion (since Hit List)
Age	maybe bewteen Anita's and Edward's age (in Sucker Punch)
Residence	Hamburg, Germany unknown, USA
Occupation(s)	Mercenary Serial Killer Federal Marshall

Olaf is a recurring character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. He is an associate of Edward, and he occasionally joins Anita Blake on preternatural hunts when Edward is involved. He is also a serial killer, and he is a vampire executioner because he enjoys killing.

His legal name for his official work in the USA is Otto Jefferies (or Jeffries), and his official backstory is that he's a 'retired government worker'. He was a government spook and is now a freelance assassin, and he occasionally helps train anti-terrorist infiltration groups. As of Skin Trade, he is a federal marshal.

He has an ID with the name of Olaf Gundersson, although it's unclear whether that is his real name.

In Hit List, he is infected with werelion lycanthropy.

Appearance

Olaf is extremely tall, over six feet, eight, and has to bend over to get through doorways. His body is broad and muscular, without an ounce of fat, and he moves like a well-oiled machine. He is completely bald, with heavy black eyebrows. His eyes are brown and set deeply into his face. He has a deep voice with a trace of German accent; he is originally form Hamburg, Germany. Olaf favors black clothing, even black pajamas, although it doesn't always fit perfectly as a consequence of wearing Jolly Green Giant sizes. He needs to shave twice a day to avoid 5 o'clock shadow.

Personality

Olaf operates from a black well of hatred, focused on women (Specifically petite, brunette women). It cripples him because it colors his reactions and makes him underestimate them. There is a question whether he desires more to kill women or to catch his prey. He can also turn the scary face on and off, and tune it to an understandable sort of scariness.

He lusts for the kill and the blood, and yearns to hunt with Anita at his side.

History

Olaf was imprisoned once for rape, and often brags about it. He has raped and killed other times, mostly outside of the United States. The government turns a blind eye to it, as long as he keeps his sprees outside US borders.

In Obsidian Butterfly, Olaf is called in by Edward to help investigate the murders committed in New Mexico. He is chosen for his expertise in torture.

Olaf helps Bernardo Spotted Horse style his hair, very skillfully, but bristles when Anita makes a jest about being gay. He is seriously upset about the vampire feeding on Seth by sucking his penis, though he is aroused by the whippings. He plans to kill Professor Dallas if Anita doesn't come to check on her, but her arrival with Bernardo derails that plan.

He returns in The Harlequin along with Edward and Peter to help Anita fight the Harlequin. Since Obsidian Butterfly he has remained in close proximity to Anita hoping that she would contact him and they would hunt together.

In Skin Trade he joins Edward, Anita and Bernardo into hunting Vittorio. He also expresses his willingness to suspend his more creepy ways for the chance at dating Anita in a culturally acceptable fashion.

In Hit List he is turned into a Werelion after The Harlequin attempts to kill him and Nicky. He vanishes from the hospital soon after the blood work comes back. At the end of the book, he leaves a note for Anita explaining that he still wants her but it'll be on his terms so he won't be a "pet cat" like Nicky is. 

Olaf is back in Serpentine when Donna invites him to her and Ted's (a.k.a. Edward's) wedding, hoping to repair the rift between the men without knowing any details of why it's there. No one is happy to see Olaf, but he mostly behaves. He has learned impressive control over his lycanthrophy, and is still a federal marshal in good standing. With the werelion speed and powers added on top of his already impressive fighting skills and Anita isn't sure even Nicky could beat Olaf anymore. Fortunately for everyone, Olaf isn't there to fight. He has decided he wants to play Sherlock Holmes to Anita's Irene Adler, and Anita plays along for lack of better ideas. She is also unhappy to realize that her inner lioness likes Olaf's lion a lot, although she's determined to disappoint her inner lioness on that. Dealing with Olaf is still not easy, and he makes most situations more difficult and creepy than they need to be, but he's also useful.  

In Sucker Punch Olaf is serving a warrant within an hour's drive of Hanuman, Michigan , where Anita is assisting with another warrant. Anita doesn't want to call Olaf for assistance, but when a new crime is attached to the Hanuman warrant the closest nearby Marshal gets routinely notified. Having concluded his own warrant and seeing Anita's name listed, Olaf heads over even if the new crime isn't violent. Despite being his usual creepy self and Edward still being on his way, Olaf surprises everyone by trying very hard to navigate the road into a consensual sexual relationship with Anita. She talks him into accepting nickname Moriarty over Holmes , and asking for permission before he touches her . In turn he manages to talk Anita into allowing him to kiss her , and enters into negotiations over what exactly would be included to make a sexual encounter both safe and enjoyable to both parties . He also successfully avoids falling into a trap set by Angel and Pierrette where they pretend to fit his victim profile, with the goal of giving them an excuse to kill him. Even Edward concludes that they are fast arriving to the point where Anita will either have to turn the fantasy into reality of they'll have to kill Olaf, and isn't entirely certain anymore that the second option is the better of the two. Anita isn't happy with this reasoning even if her inner lioness still likes Olaf very much for a potential mate, although now also wary of the possibility of him being a 'cub-killer' . As far as the case is concerned, Olaf turns out to be useful at unearthing the truth but is very disappointed about the lack of actual hunting. Despite eventually getting to kill a man with Anita he doesn't find it as satisfying as he expected, although he doesn't specify why. The mastermind behind the initial murder and the ensuing mayhem moves into a tropical country with no extradition treaty with the United States, but Olaf later sends Anita and Edward postcards that strongly imply he hunted her down and killed her. Anita's card includes hopes that they can go to a hunting trip like that together someday. Edward's card mentions that it's Olaf's first trip outside the country in years, which would imply that he hasn't been abroad since becoming a werelion.

Abilities

Olaf is a covert spook, excels in hand-to-hand combat, knows "any weapon you care to name", and is better with explosives than Edward is, by Edward's own admission. He has been a special-ops assassin most of his adult life. He is also highly skilled in torture and the dismemberment of his victims.

He speaks several Middle Eastern languages.

As of first full moon after Hit List will have all the abilities of a lychanthrope Werelion. 

Equipment

Olaf uses a variety of weapons from handguns to machine guns and knives. When working as a federal marshal he wears a cross from a holy man for protection.

Trivia

• Olaf's legal last name is spelled "Jefferies" in Obsidian Butterfly and Hit List, and alternatively spelled "Jeffries" in The Harlequin, Skin Trade, and Affliction.
• Olaf has a 'black file' with the government.
• He likes his bacon crisp.
• He does not like fire.
• He enjoys other people's fear even when he isn't the one causing it.

Inconsistencies

• Olaf actually doesn't admit to being from Hamburg, but from Hapsburg, Germany. However, there is no such place. There is a Swiss municipality called Habsburg, which housed the family seat of the Austrian royal house commonly spelled House of Hapsburg in the U.S., and which is these days located in northern Switzerland, relatively close to German border. It was never part of Germany, even if most of the population does speak German, and it's nowhere near German lowlands, as those are located in northern Germany, where Hamburg is. So even if Hapsburg is mentioned several times and Hamburg only once, it seems likely that Hamburg is the intended spelling for this exchange.