Whistler is an original character created by Goyer, although some comparisons have been made to Jamal Afari who appeared in the comics as Blade's mentor.

Ahead of Kristofferson's casting and the film's release, Whistler first appeared onscreen in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in 1995, adapted from Goyer's then-unfilmed screenplay, where he was originally voiced by Malcolm McDowell and later by Oliver Muirhead.

In the Marvel Comics created by Chris Claremont and Tony DeZuniga Blade had a mentor, a jazz musician called Jamal Afari.

He was unable, and a few hours before dawn, the vampire left him with a damaged leg, other injuries, and the drained corpses of his family.

Certain they were safe, Whistler then left them to fend for themselves after giving them a substantial amount of money he'd earned from stealing from the vampires and their familiars.

Several years later, Whistler met up with a young boy who he'd almost mistaken for a vampire – Eric Brooks, a half-vampire, half-human miracle.

Determined Blade wouldn't have to fight the war on his own, Whistler secretly began forming a team of vampire hunters.

Around the same time, Abigail Whistler showed up, having tracked down her father, determined to know the man who had left her and her mother alone while occasionally supporting them.

Later, Whistler was nearly beaten to death by Deacon Frost's goons and shot himself in an attempt to prevent resurrecting as a vampire.

He came back, only to be kidnapped by the vampires working for Eli Damaskinos, who saw Whistler as a great advantage over the Daywalker and someone who could prove useful.

Abraham Whistler's background in the animated series is the same as that in the films, although he appears younger and unlike the cinematic interpretation of the character does not have long hair and a beard.

In the first Blade film it is revealed that Whistler lost his wife and two daughters to an attack by a vampire who had arrived at their home posing as a drifter.

It is revealed in the second Blade film that Whistler survived his suicide attempt to be kidnapped by another gang of vampires and taken to the Czech Republic.

After killing all but one of the vampires responsible for his imprisonment, Blade frees him from suspended animation, taking him to Prague and injecting him with the "cure".

Blade, Whistler, and Scud were summoned by the Shadow Council, ruled by overlord Eli Damaskinos, to eradicate the reaper threat.

This was Abigail Whistler, who eventually tracked down her natural father when she came of age, and asked to be trained as a vampire hunter.

[citation needed] Actor Ethan Hawke praised Kristofferson's "pitch-perfect" performance and called it "the grounding wire running through those two popcorn movies.

"[6] In retrospect, some criticized Kristofferson's casting as whitewashing as Whistler replaces Blade's mentor from the comics, Jamal Afari, who was black.