Other

The Other is the foundational category of existence in Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch universe, defining any human being who has crossed into the parallel dimension called the Twilight and thereby acquired supernatural powers. Others are not a separate species; they are ordinary people in whom latent magical potential has awakened, often spontaneously, and who must then choose between the Light and the Darkness. This choice is irrevocable and determines their moral nature, their allegiance to one of the two Watches, and their role in the eternal struggle that shapes human destiny. The state of being an Other is a condition of both immense power and profound limitation, binding the individual to a hidden war that ordinary humanity never sees.

Identity and Initiation

An Other is defined by the ability to enter the Twilight, a shadowy parallel world that exists alongside ordinary reality. As Anton Gorodetsky explains to the newly awakened boy Egor, "Sometimes people appear who can enter the Twilight world. They take the side of either Good or Evil. Light or Darkness. They are the Others. That's what we call each other, the Others" . The moment of first entry is critical: the Twilight is "a raging river flowing in all directions at once," and the initiate's experience there determines whether they will become a Light One or a Dark One . The Twilight itself is described as an "old movie" compared to the colored world of ordinary reality, a sepia-toned realm where time moves more slowly and where Others draw their power (E00676–E00677). The process of becoming an Other is not a matter of inheritance; as Anton notes, "it doesn't follow that a magician's daughter automatically becomes an enchantress, and a werewolf's son won't necessarily be able to change his form on moonlit nights" .

The Twilight and the Nature of Power

The Twilight is both the source of an Other's power and a constant threat. Entering it requires expending vital energy; if an Other loses control, the Twilight will "suck all the life out of you" . Anton describes the experience of summoning the Twilight: "The world sighed as it opened up. It was as if airport searchlights had suddenly come on behind me, casting a long, thin, sharp shadow. The shadow swirled up, acquiring volume; the shadow was drawing me into itself—into a dimension where there are no shadows" (E00262–E00264). The Twilight has multiple levels; deeper levels are more dangerous and require greater power to access. The first level is a gray, muted version of the human world, while deeper levels become increasingly alien and hostile. The Twilight is also described as a "raging river flowing in all directions at once" , suggesting that it is not a static place but a dynamic, living force that responds to the will of those who enter it.

The Great Treaty and the Watches

The fundamental law governing all Others is the Great Treaty, a truce between Light and Darkness established to prevent a war that would destroy the world. The Treaty is recited by Anton to Egor: "We are the Others, / We serve different forces, / But in the twilight there is no difference between the absence of darkness and the absence of light. / Our struggle is capable of destroying the world. / We have concluded a Great Treaty, a truce" (E01401–E01408). The Treaty establishes the Night Watch, so that "the forces of Light may monitor the forces of Darkness," and the Day Watch, so that "the forces of Darkness may monitor the forces of Light" (E01410–E01414). This mutual surveillance is the core of the balance. The Treaty also permits licensed hunting: vampires may, with a license, feed on human blood, and the Night Watch's role is to ensure "there's no poaching" . This legalized predation is the source of the deepest moral anguish for Light Others like Anton, who must accept that some humans are sacrificed to maintain the peace.

The Moral Burden of Choice

The defining act of an Other is the choice between Light and Darkness. This choice is not a single moment but a continuous process of moral decision-making. As Anton tells Svetlana, "If you always put yourself and your own interests first, then your path leads through the Darkness. If you think about others, it leads toward the Light" . The Light path is harder: "Being on the side of the Light is much tougher than being on the side of the Dark" . Light Others are bound by the Treaty's restrictions; they cannot perform good deeds without giving the Dark Ones the right to perform evil ones in response. This creates a paralyzing moral calculus. Anton reflects on the impossibility of pure action: "Every action taken by Good grants permission for an active response by Evil. The Treaty! The Watches! The balance of peace in the world?" . The Dark Ones, by contrast, are free to act on their desires, drawing power from human suffering. The Light Ones draw power from human joy, but taking that joy diminishes it, so they rarely do so. This asymmetry makes the Light path one of constant self-denial and compromise.

The Inevitability of Compromise

No Other, Light or Dark, can escape the necessity of compromise. The entire system of the Watches is built on it. Anton's mentor Boris Ignatievich tells him, "The common good and the individual good rarely coincide" . This truth is demonstrated repeatedly: Anton must accept that vampires are licensed to kill; the Night Watch must sacrifice pawns to achieve larger goals; and even the highest magicians like Gesar manipulate their own agents for strategic purposes. The most painful lesson comes when Anton realizes that the entire complex maneuver involving the Maverick and the Dark Magician was orchestrated by Gesar to train Svetlana. The boss admits, "I have to use what I have… the people I have" . The Other's existence is thus one of permanent moral tension, caught between the desire to do good and the knowledge that every action has consequences that may cause harm. As Anton tells Svetlana, "You'll never stop asking yourself if every step you make is the right one" . This is the burden of the Other: to live with the knowledge that power and morality are never cleanly aligned, and that the struggle between Light and Darkness is fought not only in the Twilight but in the soul of every individual who has crossed its threshold.