Character Relationship Map: Beautiful Creatures

Characters

• Ethan Wate (played by Alden Ehrenreich) — protagonist

  The protagonist, a small-town teen who dreams of leaving for college. He bonds with newcomer Lena Duchannes after a chance encounter, discovering they share a past-life connection via a Civil War lock...

• Lena Duchannes (played by Alice Englert) — protagonist

  A powerful caster and the film's central figure. Bound by a family curse that forces her to choose between light and dark upon turning 16, she navigates complex relationships with Ethan and her own fa...

• Macon Ravenwood (played by Jeremy Irons) — supporting

  Lena's eccentric uncle and a powerful caster. Initially appearing to oppose Ethan and Lena's romance, he secretly orchestrates events to protect them. He ultimately disguises himself as Ethan during a...

• Genevieve Duchannes (played by Rachel Brosnahan) — minor
• Ethan Carter Wate (played by Sam Gilroy) — minor
• Mrs. Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes (played by Emma Thompson) — supporting

  Lena's biological mother and a powerful dark caster who abandoned her daughter. She secretly possesses Mrs. Lincoln to manipulate events and push Lena toward the dark side, aiming to use her power to...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ethan Carter Wate → Lena Duchannes (Temporal Ancestral Echo) — Ethan Carter Wate's tragedy becomes part of Lena and Ethan's inherited supernatural history.

  The locket's Civil War visions connect Ethan and Lena's present story to the earlier relationship between Ethan Carter Wate and Genevieve Duchannes.

• Genevieve Duchannes → Ethan Carter Wate (Romantic Lovers) — Their doomed romance establishes the historical origin of the curse.

  The Civil War flashback reveals that Genevieve Duchannes and the mortal soldier Ethan Carter Wate were in love.

• Mrs. Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes → Lena Duchannes (Family Mother) — Their biological bond is distorted by Sarafine's destructive agenda.

  Sarafine is identified as Lena's biological mother, although she did not raise her.

• Macon Ravenwood → Lena Duchannes (Family Uncle) — Macon is Lena's family guardian and a powerful caster.

  The plot identifies Macon as Lena's reclusive uncle and shows him attempting to protect her from dangerous influences.

• Ethan Wate → Lena Duchannes (Romantic Lovers) — Their love becomes the emotional center of the curse and its eventual resolution.

  Ethan and Lena bond after he gives her a ride, develop a romantic relationship, and share memories connected to the locket.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Mrs. Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes → Macon Ravenwood (Conflict Opposing Casters) — Their incompatible goals place them on opposing sides of the central supernatural conflict.

  Macon works to protect Lena and Ethan, while Sarafine works to force Lena into darkness and eradicate mortals.

• Macon Ravenwood → Ethan Wate (Alliance Protective Guardian) — Macon ultimately becomes Ethan's self-sacrificing protector.

  Macon disguises himself as Ethan during the deadly reenactment and sacrifices his own life, fulfilling his promise to Ethan's mother to keep Ethan ali...

Story Analysis

A forbidden love story follows Ethan and Lena as they confront inherited magic, sacrifice, and the choice between light and darkness.

Plot Progression

1. Dreams Meet Reality — Ethan's recurring dream gains meaning when Lena arrives in Gatlin. Their growing bond draws hostility from classmates and concern from Macon.
2. Secrets Beneath Gatlin — Lena reveals that she is a caster facing a light-or-dark choice on her sixteenth birthday. The locket uncovers a Civil War connection and the curse's origin.
3. Love Against the Curse — Lena searches the hidden caster library for a cure and learns that someone she loves must die. She erases Ethan's memories rather than sacrificing him.
4. Claiming the Light — The birthday reenactment becomes a supernatural battlefield, where Macon's sacrifice breaks the curse. Lena rejects the dark, seals away Sarafine, and helps restore Ethan's memories.