List of True Blood characters

Main cast

The following actors appear in four or more seasons as main cast members.

Notes

Regular and recurring cast

Sookie Stackhouse

Sookie (portrayed by Anna Paquin) is a telepathic waitress in a small-town restaurant. Because of her ability, she has difficulty forming lasting human relationships. She becomes involved in a romantic relationship with a vampire, Bill, upon discovering that she can't read his mind. This relationship with a supernatural being causes controversy amongst the residents of her small town. In Season 3, it is revealed she is part faerie, a supernatural race thought to have been driven to extinction by vampires for their blood’s granting the ability to walk in the sun.

Bill Compton

Bill (portrayed by Stephen Moyer) is a vampire romantically involved with Sookie. Turned into a vampire against his will during the American Civil War, Bill shows more compassion for human life than many other vampires. He is outwardly expressive of his emotions and holds onto memories of his past human life—behaviors that are unique amongst his vampire peers.

Sam Merlotte

Sam (portrayed by Sam Trammell) is the owner of the establishment where Sookie works. During the first season, Sam is characterized by his adoration and loyalty towards Sookie. When Bill Compton becomes romantically involved with her, he openly disapproves of their relationship. Despite his initial support of vampire rights, Sam feels as though vampires and humans should be kept separate regardless of their equality. Sam is a shapeshifter and is often seen watching over Sookie in the form of a dog. He is the first supernatural introduced to the series who isn't a vampire.

Jason Stackhouse

Jason (played by Ryan Kwanten) is Sookie's not-too-bright, self-involved brother, who is vigilant in defending and protecting Sookie. He supervises a road crew during the day and is known for bedding the women of Bon Temps at night. During the first season, he is the prime suspect in the murders of four women, all of whom have a connection to him. After the death of his vampire blood-addicted girlfriend Amy, Jason believes that he must be responsible for the murders. He is then recruited by the Fellowship of the Sun, an anti-vampire church, who approve of what they believe to be his crime of killing "fangbangers" (i.e. people in sexual relationships with vampires).

Tara Thornton

Tara (portrayed by Rutina Wesley) is Sookie Stackhouse's best friend. She grew up with an alcoholic, abusive mother, resulting in trust issues and social difficulty. As a child, Tara bonded with Sookie's older brother, Jason, after he protected Tara from her mother. From then on, Tara developed an unreciprocated love for Jason.

As an adult, Tara is candid, distant, and struggles to keep a job until she starts bartending at Merlotte's. She has a brief friends with benefits relationship with Sam Merlotte in the first season.

Tara provides care for her mother, Lettie Mae, even paying for her mother to receive an exorcism from "Miss Jeanette" to cure her alcohol addiction. After this appears successful, Tara for a second exorcism. Miss Jeanette turns out to be a pharmacist in a nearby town running a scam; Lettie Mae relapses. In the second season, Tara falls under the maenad Maryann’s influence, leading to a relationship with Eggs (Benedict), who is later shot dead by Jason while confessing to murders Maryann forced. Heartbroken, Tara attempts suicide in Season 3 but is thwarted by her cousin Lafayette.

Tara is then abducted by a delusional vampire who plans to turn her. She escapes by drinking his blood for strength, smashing his skull, but not killing him. Jason eventually kills the vampire at Merlotte's. Traumatized upon discovering that Jason killed Eggs, Tara cuts her hair and leaves Bon Temps.

In the fourth season, Tara moves to New Orleans. She works as a cage fighter and is in a relationship with another fighter, Naomi. In the season finale, Tara is shot in the head by Debbie Pelt. To save her life, Pam turns her into a vampire at Sookie and Lafayette's insistence, causing a severe personality change due to the brain damage. Tara and Pam became close in the fifth season, with Tara deeply caring for her maker. She rescued Pam from the Vampire Authority, sharing a kiss. Tara is killed early in the seventh season by a Hep V vampire while protecting her mother.

Lafayette Reynolds

Lafayette (portrayed by Nelsan Ellis) is a short-order cook, drug dealer, and Tara Thornton's cousin in Bon Temps. Unlike the novels, where Lafayette is killed in the second book, fan demand led to his expanded role in the show.

Openly gay, Lafayette is largely accepted in Bon Temps. In the first season, when homophobic patrons sends back his burger (claiming that "it might have AIDS"), Lafayette confronts them directly: "Faggots been breeding your cows, raising your chickens, even brewing your beer long before I walked my sexy ass up in this motherfucker. Everything on your goddamn table got AIDs." He beats them up, to the delight of other guests in the restaurant.^[3]

Showrunner Alan Ball worried about casting a "phony" portrayal of Lafayette's sexuality. Actor Nelsan Ellis based the character's mannerisms on his mother and sister. Ellis found the elaborate costuming key to the role, noting: "I have more makeup on than any of the females in the cast. Once they get me with the fake eyelashes and the eye makeup, I listen to some Rihanna and I'm there."^[4]

Lafayette initially dealt vampire blood (also known as "vampire juice" or "V"). This leads to his torture by Eric in Season 2, before he is ordered to sell it again by the Queen in Season 3. His romantic interest, Jesús Velásquez, is a brujo and nurse for Lafayette's mentally ill mother, Ruby Jean (played by Alfre Woodard). In Season 4, Lafayette explores Wicca with Jesús at Marnie Stonebrook's palm reading shop. Marnie (played by Fiona Shaw) is the leader of a Wiccan coven who becomes possessed by a witch seeking revenge against all vampires. Lafayette later discovers that he is a medium. In a tragic turn, Marnie's spirit possesses Lafayette and murders Jesús, consuming his blood and transferring Jesús' inner demon into Lafayette.

Ellis received critical acclaim for his sensitive and complex portrayal of the character. In 2008, he received a Satellite Award from the International Press Academy for best supporting actor in a television series for his role as Lafayette Reynolds.^[5] In 2009, he was nominated for a Scream Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[6] In 2011, he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in True Blood.^[7]

Hoyt Fortenberry

Hoyt (portrayed by Jim Parrack) is Jason Stackhouse's best friend and fellow road crew worker. Hoyt is initially shy but uniquely unprejudiced against vampires. He enters a serious relationship with the newly turned vampire Jessica. They break up after Jessica attacks his mother, reconcile, but later split when Hoyt, unaware of her feelings for Jason, struggles with their abnormal relationship. Heartbroken after Jessica sleeps with Jason, Hoyt joins a hate group but can't commit to violence, freeing Jessica and calling the police. Fed up, he leaves Bon Temps for Alaska, asking Jessica to glamour him to forget their memories, which she tearfully does. As he leaves town, Jason pulls him over and begs him not to go. Jess's glamour works — Hoyt treats Jason as a stranger. As Hoyt drives off to Alaska, oblivious, Jason breaks down over the loss of his friend. Hoyt later returns for his mother's funeral with a new girlfriend and unknowingly avenges his mother by killing Violet. He and Jessica reunite, rekindle their romance, and marry in the series finale. His Alaskan girlfriend marries Jason.

Andy Bellefleur

Andy (portrayed by Chris Bauer) is a Bon Temps police detective who is a recovering alcoholic. He investigates the first season's murders, immediately and wrongly suspecting Jason Stackhouse. Suspended in season two, he returns after falsely claiming to have shot Eggs (who the town believes committed Maryann's murders). In season three, he replaces Sheriff Dearborne and reluctantly trains Jason. Mostly resistant to Maryann's influence until her death, he is one of the few who remembers what she did, though his memory is vague due to heavy drinking. Season four reveals his addiction to V and that he and his sister Portia are direct descendants of Bill Compton.

Eric Northman

Eric (portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård) is the Sheriff of Area 5, a vampire district in Louisiana. He is over 1,100 years old and is a powerful and wealthy member of the vampire community. Eric runs the vampire bar, Fangtasia, in Shreveport, and develops an interest in Sookie Stackhouse after discovering her unique ability to read minds during the first season.

Arlene Fowler Bellefleur

Arlene (portrayed by Carrie Preston) is a waitress at Merlotte's. Arlene is a four-time divorced single mother of two. She is good-hearted but bigoted toward vampires, outwardly disapproving of Sookie and Bill's relationship. In the first season, she gets engaged to Rene, who is secretly a serial killer. Sookie later kills Rene in self-defense when he attacks her. In the second season, she dates Terry Bellefleur but discovers she is pregnant with Rene's baby. Fearing the child will be a killer, Arlene unsuccessfully attempts to have a miscarriage. Terry accepts the baby, easing Arlene's fears slightly, though she remains convinced her son is evil due to Rene's genetics.

Jessica Hamby

Jessica (portrayed by Deborah Ann Woll) is a young vampire that Bill is forced to create as punishment for murdering a fellow vampire. Jessica's character is exclusive to the series, not appearing in the Southern Vampire Mysteries.

Thrilled to escape her strict and abusive Christian upbringing, Jessica's petulant attitude strains her relationship with her maker, Bill. Initially living at Fangtasia with Pam and Eric, she was soon returned to Bill due to her frustrating behavior. In Season 2, she dated Hoyt Fortenberry until she attacks his rude mother. After accidentally draining a person in Season 3, she reconciles with Hoyt and eventually moves in with him. He and Jessica reunite and marry in the series finale.

Pamela Swynford De Beaufort ("Pam")

Pam (portrayed by Kristin Bauer van Straten) was turned into a vampire by Eric Northman about a century before the series, serving as his loyal (though sometimes lazy) assistant and bouncer at Fangtasia. Formerly a San Francisco brothel madame circa 1905, she met Eric while being attacked by a serial killer and was turned after a suicide attempt to avoid a lonely death as a pariah. Cynical and devoted primarily to Eric (later to Tara), she often manages Fangtasia in his absence and once enlisted Lafayette to sell V for Eric.

Throughout the series, Pam displays a strong romantic and sexual preference for women. She is fiercely loyal to Eric, enduring torture by the Magister to protect him. She weeps blood tears when Eric tries to sacrifice himself to burn Russell Edgington. In season four, after the incident with the witches, Marnie curses Pam, causing her face to rot.

In season five, Pam turns Tara into a vampire to save her life. This decision leads to a close romantic relationship by the end of the season. They continue as a couple into season six, showing Pam's care for Tara. When Tara dies in season seven, Pam, initially emotionless while in Morocco, later reveals her sadness and tears to Eric. She and Eric occasionally speak in Swedish.

Alcide Herveaux

Alcide (portrayed by Joe Manganiello), a werewolf, initially helps Sookie Stackhouse find Bill Compton to repay his father’s debt to Eric Northman. Alcide is handsome and attracted to Sookie. His ex-fiancée, Debbie Pelt (also a werewolf) left him, claiming he wasn't "man enough." After Eric uses Alcide's truck to kill Russell Edgington, Alcide's debt is relieved. In season four, Alcide reconciles with Debbie in Shreveport. He reluctantly joins the Shreveport werewolf pack at her insistence, despite preferring to be a lone wolf. Their relationship strained due to his feelings for Sookie and differing life goals (family, pack involvement). Alcide loses faith in packmaster Marcus Bosman after Marcus kills Tommy Mickens. Alcide and Sam Merlotte team up for revenge.

Alcide kills Marcus by crushing his windpipe after finding him with Debbie, then abjures Debbie. Alcide takes responsibility for Marcus's death to protect Sam and covers for Sookie. He fights his new packmaster, who was working for Edgington and distributing "V." Alcide reluctantly becomes packmaster, which makes him more aggressive. Frustrated by the pack's violence and murder of students, Alcide covers up Nicole Wright's escape. When Rikki confronts him on his lies regarding Nicole and her mother, Alcide defeats his challengers but spares them, leaving werewolf society and befriending Sam again. Alcide and Sookie start a relationship after he supports her at Terry Bellefleur's funeral. Alcide is murdered in Season 7 by a hate group targeting supernaturals.

Rene Lenier/Drew Marshall

Rene (portrayed by Michael Raymond-James), the primary antagonist of season one, is introduced as a friendly, respected Cajun co-worker of Jason's in Bon Temps who approves of Sookie dating a vampire. He proposes and gets engaged to Arlene. He is secretly Drew Marshall, a man who fled Bunkie, Louisiana, after murdering his "fangbanger" sister. Under a false identity and trained accent, Rene uses Jason to identify women who have slept with vampires before committing a series of "fangbanger" murders. His psychopathic nature is only revealed when he attacks Sookie, who kills him in self-defense. Arlene, pregnant with his child, is distraught. Rene's ghost later appears in the Season 4 finale to warn Arlene about Terry. He tells her he's met the ghosts of Terry's past and she must run.

Terry Bellefleur

Terry (portrayed by Todd Lowe) is an Iraq war veteran and cook at Merlotte's. He is Detective Andy Bellefleur's cousin. He is a gentle soul, despite his unusual behavior and clear signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. He is kind to vampire Bill, particularly as a fellow war veteran. He develops a relationship with Arlene in seasons one and two. Their relationship escalates rapidly under Maryann's influence, in spite of Terry’s wishes. In season three, when Arlene reveals her pregnancy with Rene's baby, Terry wants to commit to the child as a parent.

Season five explores Terry’s experience in Iraq when Sgt. Patrick Devins arrives in Bon Temps, claiming their squad is being killed in fires. Terry's unit had brutally killed a local family after a member of their group, Private Eller, shot a teenage boy during an off-duty Fourth of July celebration. Before being killed, the boy's mother cursed them with the Ifrit monster. This incident caused Terry's PTSD. The spirit of the family’s grandmother gives Terry an ultimatum: either he or the captain who ordered the killings must kill the other to lift the curse. Terry intends on a fair fight, but Patrick takes Arlene hostage. Arlene manages to get a revolver to Terry. Despite the sergeant begging Terry to spare him, Terry shoots him. The Ifrit consumes Sgt. Devins body and lifts the curse.

However, Terry remains tormented and hires an old war buddy to kill him after arranging a massive life insurance policy for Arlene. Unaware of the hit, Arlene has a vampire friend glamour Terry into forgetting his Marine service and the assassination attempt. Terry enjoys a brief period of peace before being fatally shot by a sniper outside Merlotte's. Despite Arlene’s misgivings, he is buried with full military honors.

Lettie Mae Thornton

Lettie Mae (portrayed by Adina Porter)^[8] is Tara's abusive, alcoholic mother. After convincing Tara to fund an fraudulent exorcism for a supposed demon causing her addiction, Lettie Mae becomes a devout Christian. In Season 2, she helps Lafayette rescue Tara from Maryann's influence but later holds him and Sookie at gunpoint so Tara can save Eggs. In Season 3, she is oblivious to Tara's suicide attempt and is later discovered having an affair with her church's married reverend, who she eventually marries. She makes a single derogatory comment about her sister's son, Lafayette, calling him a "sexual deviant."

In Season 5, she rejects her newly-turned vampire daughter at Fangtasia. In Season 6, she and Reverend Daniels oversee Terry's funeral and she attempts reconciliation, letting Tara drink her blood. After Tara's death in Season 7, Lettie Mae, distraught, drinks Willa's blood, triggering visions of Tara that cause her to self-harm in order to drink her blood again.

Sheriff Bud Dearborne

Bud (portrayed by William Sanderson) is the sheriff of Renard Parish and an old friend of Sookie and Jason's deceased parents. While he is well respected in the town of Bon Temps, he goes out of his way to show his distaste for vampires and vocally objects to Sookie's relationship with Bill. He doesn't believe Jason is the murderer in the first season.

Despite the blatant prejudice he shows Bill, he regularly scolds Andy for being unfair and biased in his dealings with suspects. In the second season, he investigates the murders of Miss Jeanette and Daphne. His attempts at identifying and locating their killer is complicated by the outrageous behaviour of Bon Temps' residents while under Maryann's influence. In the third season, Bud resigns after yet another murder takes place and leaves Andy Bellefleur in charge.

In season 5, it's revealed Bud is in a group of assassins after shifters, dating the Dragon of the group named Sweetie Des Arts. When Bud and Sweetie are about to feed Sookie to pigs, the police show up and everyone is put under arrest. Bud resists, however, and is shot by Andy Bellefleur, killing him.

Nicole Wright

Nicole (portrayed by Jurnee Smollett-Bell) is a co-founder of the Vampire Unity Society (VUS), a group advocating for peace between vampires and humans. She encourages other supernaturals to "come out" after Luna Garza shapeshifts from Steve Newlin back to herself on live TV. When she tries to ally with werewolves, Rikki's pack attacks, killing her friends and boyfriend. Alcide saves her from Rikki. She later begins a relationship with Sam Merlotte and becomes pregnant. Early in Season 7, she is abducted by Hep V vampires but rescued. Fearing for her unborn child, she convinces Sam to leave Bon Temps with her.

Reverend Daniels

Reverend Daniels (portrayed by Gregg Daniel) is the pastor of one of the churches in Bon Temps and a respected member of the community. In Season 3, he begins a romantic relationship with a seemingly reformed Lettie Mae, and by Season 4, the two are married. He and Lettie Mae are sought out by Arlene and Terry in Season 4 to rid their home of the evil spirits that they believe are targeting their baby, Mikey. In Season 6, he performs the service at Terry's funeral at Arlene's request. Reverend Daniels is also a leading supporter of Sam's decision to pair up humans with vampires in an attempt to ensure mutual protection and security. In Season 7, he offers an aimless Willa the light-proof basement of the church as a place for her stay until she figures out a more permanent living situation.

Ginger

Ginger (portrayed by Tara Buck), a human employee at Fangtasia, first appears in the final episodes of season one. She is known by her shrill, and frequent, screaming. She is obsessed with Eric and fiercely loyal to him and Pam. Sookie shares that, according to her telepathic reading, Ginger is mentally unstable from excessive glamouring. Hearing this, Fangtasia's vampire bartender, Longshadow, attacks and is killed by Bill. Traumatized after witnessing Longshadow's murder, Pam glamours Ginger once again after deciding that further deterioration of her mind is preferable to transforming her into a vampire to ensure her silence.

In season two, Ginger continues to work at Fangtasia despite her unreliability. Under duress, she reveals Lafayette's location to Sookie and allows Sam, Lisa, and Colby Fowler into Fangtasia after Sam bribes her. By season four, her loyalty increased; she comforted Pam and held her in a coffin during Antonia's spell. In season six, Ginger is held at Governor Burrell's vamp camp for unwittingly helping in his daughter's kidnapping to supply food to prisoners until Eric rescues her.

In season seven, Pam reveals that Ginger actually conceived the idea for Fangtasia, which Pam took credit for after glamouring her. Before opening the bar, Ginger worked for Pam and Eric at the video store that they were assigned by the Magister. Ginger was a customer and fan of vampire films. She quickly developed a crush on Eric, which led her to apply for the daytime position. Though it is never made clear when or how she found out that Eric and Pam were vampires, it is implied that she was well aware even before vampires came out of the coffin.

Reverend Steve Newlin

Rev. Steve Newlin (portrayed by Michael McMillian), the anti-vampire leader of the Fellowship of the Sun, is a key antagonist in season two. He is married to Sarah Newlin. Newlin attempts to publicly burn Eric Northman's maker, Godric, who surrendered to the Church voluntarily. After a failed abduction, Newlin traps Sookie. Godric and other vampires thwart the burning, highlighting their superior humanity. It's revealed vampires killed Newlin's father, the previous church head.

In season three, Newlin calls for vampire deaths after Russell Edgington murders an anchorman on live-air. An interview reveals he is under IRS investigation and going through a divorce. Newlin vanishes for six months and is revealed to be a vampire in the Season 4 finale.

In season five, Newlin announces that he is now a "Proud Gay American Vampire" who has been in love with Jason ever since he joined the Fellowship of the Sun. He replaces Nan Flanagan as AVL spokesperson. After the Vampire Authority falls and Governor Burrell’s anti-vampire movement is set in motion, Newlin is captured by vampire police for study. Eric stops him from feeding on Bill as revenge for Godric and Nora. Sarah Newlin exposes him to sunlight; Steve dies proclaiming his love for Jason. In Season 7, a vision of Steve haunts Sarah.

Sarah Newlin

Sarah (portrayed by Anna Camp) is the main antagonist of Seasons 6 and 7. Initially a supporter of vampire rights until her sister disappeared, Sarah is a prominent member of the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun with her husband, Steve Newlin. She is attracted to Jason Stackhouse, and moves him from the Fellowship camp into her home to be close to him. This leads to an affair. Their relationship ends when Steve suspects Jason has been spying on them after discovering that Sookie is Jason's sister. Sarah disagrees with Steve's extreme anti-vampire methods and can be seen openly arguing with him on live television during an interview with Nan Flanagan after the Godric incident.

Between Seasons 2 and 6, Sarah divorced Steve and wrote a tell-all book. In Season 6, she is revealed as the mastermind behind the human-vampire war and the "Vamp Camps" in collaboration with her lover, Governor Truman Burrell. After Burrell rejects her desire for a child, she resumes a brief sexual relationship with Jason. Following Burrell's death, Sarah assumes full control of the camps, distributing TruBlood tainted with Hepatitis V to slowly kill vampires. She is revealed as the "blonde tyrant" Lilith prophesied.

Sarah assumes ultimate control of the Vamp Camps and their agenda to distribute TruBlood containing "Hepatitis V", a disease that causes vampires to slowly and painfully meet the "true death". Slowly becoming unhinged, Sarah seeks revenge on Jason through experiments on Jessica. After learning the truth of what's inside the TruBlood, several vampires (including Jessica, Pam, Tara, Willa, James, and Steve) all refuse to drink their rations of TruBlood. After killing a Yakonomo Corporation representative looking for the Governor, Eric confronts Sarah and frees the imprisoned vampires. She opens the roof to expose the vampires to the sun before fleeing after a confrontation with Jason, who ultimately lets her go.

In season seven, it is revealed that Sarah has dyed her hair and is living in a commune with a New Age guru. Eric and Pam, along with the Yakuza, track her down. They capture her, wanting to use her blood (which contains the cure for Hep-V) to synthesize and distribute a cure called "New Blood". Eric and Pam double-cross the Yakuza to distribute the New Blood cure themselves. Pam chains the increasingly deranged Sarah in the Fangtasia basement and charges vampires $100,000 to drink her blood. Sarah spends her days being haunted by visions of her dead husband.

"Eggs" Benedict Talley

"Eggs" (portrayed by Mehcad Brooks) is a companion of Maryann Forrester, a mysterious and nomadic woman who moves to Bon Temps at the end of season one. Eggs develops a romantic relationship with Tara Thornton during the second season, which is secretly manipulated by Maryann. Maryann is an ancient supernatural being able to manipulate human behavior who frequently places Eggs under her influence and compels him to commit horrific acts, including murder and cutting out human hearts.

After Maryann's death, Eggs seeks Sookie's help to regain his memories. With Sookie’s telepathic support, Eggs recalls murdering people on Maryann's orders. Shocked, he confesses to Andy Bellefleur and presents the murder weapon. Jason Stackhouse, mistaking Eggs' actions as an attempt to murder Andy, shoots and kills him.

Eggs' death devastates Tara. The police, however, blame him for the murders Maryann orchestrated. Tara ends her friendship with Sookie after learning that Sookie helped Eggs remember his crimes under hypnosis. They quickly reconcile after Sookie pays for Eggs' funeral.

Patrick Devins

Patrick (portrayed by Scott Foley)^[9] Patrick, an Iraq War veteran and command sergeant, was part of Private Terry Bellefleur's Marine unit. In Iraq, while intoxicated, their unit was involved in a tragic incident on the Fourth of July: Private Eller killed a teenaged boy after misunderstanding an order to "get rid of" him. The boy's family confronts the squad and the squad brutally kills them. Just before Patrick orders Terry to shoot the boy’s mother, she curses them all with the Ifrit monster. The squadron burns their bodies, and Terry, high on drugs, is unsure whether he sees the monster rise from the flames.

Patrick arrived in Bon Temps at the end of season 4, later telling Terry the squad have been dying in mysterious fires. After Lafayette conjures the spirit of the woman Terry killed, Zaafira, she reveals the curse requires one of them to kill the other. The situation ends when Terry shoots Patrick, after Patrick takes Arlene hostage, thus breaking the curse.

Adele Stackhouse (née Hale)

Adele Stackhouse (portrayed by Lois Smith) is Jason and Sookie's paternal grandmother ("Gran"). She is a presumed widow who raised them after their parents' deaths. Sookie lives with her and later inherits her house. Gran is a very kind, motherly figure, even helping raise Tara Thornton. She supports Sookie's relationship with Bill and is head of the "Descendants of the Glorious Dead," an organization devoted to the Civil War. She is greatly interested in Bill's historic knowledge of Bon Temps. Adele is brutally murdered by Rene Lenier, who broke into the house intending to kill Sookie. Adele had a disowned brother, Bartlett Hale (portrayed by Cheyenne Wilbur), whose pedophilic grooming of Sookie leads Bill to kill him. In the season 4 finale, Adele's spirit appears to take Marnie's spirit out of Lafayette.

Governor Truman Burrell

Governor Burrell (portrayed by Arliss Howard) is the Governor of Louisiana and the secondary antagonist of season 6. Governor Burrell imposes a vampire curfew after TruBlood factories are destroyed by the Vampire Authority. He also shuts down all vampire businesses and encourages human citizens to arm themselves. Secretly, he continues to synthesize blood production for re-election revenue. Eric Northman discovers Burrell's research facility/prison for vampires, which is developing anti-vampire weapons like silver UV bullets and contact lenses to prevent glamouring. Burrell's deep hatred stems from his wife's affair with a vampire. Empowered by Warlow's blood, Bill Compton decapitates Burrell during an attack on his mansion. Sarah Newlin and other politicians cover up his death, claiming the governor has survived and is operating from an undisclosed location while Sarah makes public appearances on his behalf.

Amy Burley

Amy (portrayed by Lizzy Caplan) is Jason's bohemian, V-addicted love interest. Hailing from Storrs, Connecticut, she meets Jason in the vampire bar Fangtasia. After learning he is looking for more V to use, she comes to his house and uses V together with him. She starts a relationship with Jason, who thinks that she might be "the one," and becomes a waitress at Merlotte's.

When she and Jason run out of V, she orchestrates the abduction of one of Lafayette's vampire clients, Eddie. It becomes apparent she has experience in kidnapping vampires, implying she is a drainer. She and Jason lock Eddie in the basement, but soon Eddie warns Jason that Amy is a psychopath. Jason disapproves of Amy's cruel treatment of Eddie and attempts to free him, but Amy stakes Eddie in reaction, straining her relationship with Jason. Amy promises she and Jason will do only one last trip of V—while they are tripping, she is strangled to death by Rene Lenier.

Dawn Green

Dawn (portrayed by Lynn Collins) is Sookie's co-worker. She briefly attempts to rekindle her relationship with Jason. When he criticizes her after discovering she slept with a vampire, Dawn forces Jason out of her house at gunpoint. Shortly thereafter, Sookie discovers her strangled body. It is later confirmed she was murdered by Rene Lenier. In the season one episode "Escape from Dragon House", it is revealed that Hoyt Fortenberry had a crush on Dawn, which Sookie discovers while reading the minds of several people at Merlotte's.

Nan Flanagan

Nan (portrayed by Jessica Tuck)^[10] serves as the televised spokesperson for the American Vampire League (AVL), presenting vampires as harmless and denying violence against humans. Off-camera, she is aggressive and a high-level bureaucrat within the vampire community. Nan is able to fire sheriffs, like Godric, but monarchs like Sophie-Anne are above her authority. Despite publicly advocating for True Blood, and claiming to drink it exclusively, she privately feeds on a woman in her limousine.

In Season 3, Nan conducts an interview with Eric on behalf of the Authority regarding Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi. She later orders Eric, on behalf of the Authority, to kill Russell.

Nan has a more prominent role in Season 4, after electing Bill Compton as Vampire King of Louisiana to restore a more positive representation of the vampire community. She clashes with Bill during the war against witches, prioritizing popular perception over survival. In the Season 4 finale, she reveals that she knows about the supernatural properties of Sookie's blood. She reveals to Bill and Eric that she has quit both the AVL and Authority and tries to them to help her overthrow the Authority. Bill and Eric refuse. When she threatens Sookie, Eric kills her guards while Bill kills Nan herself.

A mockumentary on the fifth disc of the season one DVDs shows photos of Nan Flanagan with both President Teddy Roosevelt (1858–1919) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945). She also appears in a painting by Georges Seurat (1859–1891).

Eddie Fournier

Eddie (portrayed by Stephen Root) is a middle-aged, overweight gay vampire. He is one of Lafayette’s primary sources of vampire blood (“V” or “vampire juice”) during the first season. He became a vampire after his marriage failed, hoping to attract men. However, he continues to live as he did before, spending most of his days at home alone watching television. Eddie appears to be under the illusion that Lafayette is genuinely attracted to him, although Lafayette’s intent is to collect his blood for dealing. Jason and his V-addicted girlfriend, Amy, kidnap Eddie to use as a V reservoir. After a few days, Jason gets to know Eddie and regrets their actions. Amy stakes Eddie before Jason is able to free him. In season two, Eddie briefly appears in Jason's nightmare regarding his mixed feelings about vampires. In season four, a witch named Marnie contacts Eddie's spirit, who tells her he has a rose for a stunned Lafayette.

Lorena Krasiki

Lorena (portrayed by Mariana Klaveno) is the vampire who “made” Bill. She is first introduced in a Civil War-era flashback when Bill, exhausted and near death, sought refuge in her cabin. She pretends to be a widow, tries to seduce him and, when refused, attacks him before eventually turning him. Lorena becomes emotionally dependent on Bill and turns him into a crazed killer; they torture and drain humans, often having sex while their victims bleed to death. Bill eventually regrets his actions, forcing her to release him and leaving her.

Bill and Lorena reunite 70 years later, in Season 2, when Eric summons her to Texas to hold Bill captive while Sookie infiltrates the Fellowship of the Sun. Despite her intensified longing, Bill eventually escapes by hitting Lorena with a plasma TV. After Godric is freed from the Fellowship of the Sun, Lorena confronts Sookie at Godric’s party. The two fight over Bill, but Lorena is stopped by Godric who comments on her old age and lack of meaningful change. He then orders her to leave his domain. She begrudgingly departs after an emotional goodbye to Bill.

Lorena returns in Season 3 as a guest in Russell Edgington’s mansion after Bill was captured. Bill initially attacks her, engulfing her in flames, but she survives. Though Bill resists her advances at first, the two end up having violent sex; he breaks her neck, twisting her head around, in order to avoid eye contact during their encounter. Bill subsequently ends his relationship with Sookie to protect her from Lorena. Eventually Bill's deception becomes apparent, and she resolves to kill him. She spends a lengthy and emotional time torturing him before allowing werewolves to feed on his blood. When Sookie escapes to save Bill, Lorena attacks her but Sookie stakes and kills her.

Russell Edgington

Russell (portrayed by Denis O'Hare) is the 2,800-year-old vampire king of Mississippi. He is the main antagonist of Season 3 and secondary antagonist of Season 5. He was born a Celt, though he speaks in German when angered.He implicitly sided with Adolf Hitler during World War II, telling Eric Northman, "Adolf was right; there is a Master Race. It's just not the human race."

Though often gentle and polite, Russell can be wrathful, manipulative, and unstable (particularly after his vampire progeny and consort Talbot's death). He does not recognize the power of "the Authority" over vampires and secretly defies them. Russell’s age makes him significantly stronger and faster than other vampires like Eric and Bill.

Russell plots to marry the Queen of Louisiana to merge their respective kingdoms. After discovering that Sookie has unusual abilities, he takes an interest in her. When Bill is no longer of use to him, Russell orders his execution but is thwarted by Sookie.

After Eric kills Russell's consort Talbot, in retaliation for Russell murdering Eric's human family centuries ago, Russell murders an anchorman on live TV and declares that vampires are superior to humans. This leads to widespread fallout. Eric, Sookie and Bill manage to dispose of Russell at the end of the third season by tricking him and burying him underneath concrete. He escapes in Season 4 and was freed in Season 5 by Salome to serve the Authority. Russell kills Roman, the Magister of the Authority, and escapes once more. He defies the Authority again after they reject his plan to drain all faeries in order to gain the ability to walk in sunlight. He is finally staked by Eric Northman in the Season 5 finale.

Salome Agrippa

Salome (portrayed by Valentina Cervi) was the main antagonist of Season 5. She was a Chancellor of the Authority and was revealed to be Salome from the New Testament, famed for her dance of the seven veils which, according to legend, impressed her uncle, King Herod, so much that he offered to give her anything in the world she desired. After consulting her mother, she requested the head of John the Baptist, who publicly condemned Salome's mother's remarriage to her former husband's brother as invalid. Roughly 2,100 years later, Salome tells Bill Compton a different version of the story; her mother used her new husband's "fondness for teenage virgins" as a political tool to eliminate her adversary, and the so-called dance was rather the delivery of Salome to the King's bed, resulting in rape. Salome cites the humans of her youth as "far more savage than any vampires [she] has known."

She was lovers with Roman Zimojic, who uses her as his secret weapon: to seduce Bill Compton and Eric Northman. She has claimed to have been lifelong friends with Nora Gainsborough, who is revealed to be involved with the Sanguinistas, who believe Lilith will rise and everyone against her will pay. Salome's true alliance remained with the Sanguinistas, as she's the one who freed Russell Edgington, lied about injecting him with silver, and tampered with his iStake, resulting in his escape, and the murder of Roman Zimojic. After Roman's death she became the new Guardian.

In the season 5 finale, after the remaining Chancellors are pitted against each other by Lilith through visions in which she tells each of them that only one can lead them, Salome, believing herself to be the true chosen one, as she is the strongest and most devout believer in Lilith, drinks the vial believed to be filled with Lilith's blood so that she can carry out her will, which she refers to as "The Rapture," but her blood was replaced by Bill's with his own and mixed with silver. Soon after, as Salome lay dying, she accepts her fate, and says to Bill, "Lilith chose wisely." admitting to herself that she was never worthy of having Lilith’s powers. Bill stakes her and consumes the blood himself, appearing to die and be reborn, thus fulfilling Salome's prophecy.

Lilith

Lilith (portrayed by Jessica Clark) was the true main antagonist of Season 5. Lilith is the goddess that the Sanguinistas (an underground religious group composed mainly of vampires) worship and pray to. She is acknowledged in The Original Testament, the vampire Bible and predecessor to both the Old and New Testaments, as the second vampire—after God himself—and is portrayed as the messiah of vampires. The Sanguinistas also possess a vial which they believe contains the blood of Lilith. She shares her role as the season's antagonist with Bill Compton and Salome Agrippa.

Nora Gainesborough

Nora (portrayed by Lucy Griffiths) is a chancellor of the Authority. Nora's maker was Godric, making her and Eric Northman siblings. Although members of the authority, Nora and chancellor Alexander Drew were both secretly members of the Sanguinistas, a group of vampires who take the Vampire Bible to heart and believe that humans are nothing more than food for vampires and believe that Lilith will rise and take down those who don't stay true to her. Nora's cover was blown when she tried to help Eric and Bill Compton escape the country for killing spokesperson Nan Flanagan. During her interrogation, she blew chancellor Drew's cover, and he is staked by Roman in front of the rest of the Chancellors. When looking for Russell, Bill theorizes that Eric told Nora and is using Russell to help her Sanguinista movement.

After Bill, Eric, Sookie and Alcide found Russell Edgington, Eric finds out that Bill is probably right, as Nora reveals to Eric that finding Russell Edgington was God's plan, and that Lilith will rise again. Eric tries to stop Roman, but is too late as Russell Edgington breaks free and stakes Roman in front of everyone. After they drink Lilith's blood, everyone is convinced they are doing God's work, until Godric appears before her and Eric and shows that the path they are taking is wrong. She and Eric escape the Authority, only to break back in again to get Jessica, Pam and Bill out. In the middle of their escape, Jason mentions the name Warlow, and Nora recognizes his name from the Vampyr Bible, Lilith's progeny. Afterwards, she tries to find Warlow, because only Warlow can kill Lilith. In her search for him she is caught by the new vampire police and is taken away. Nora is taken to Vamp Camp, where she is strapped to a gurney and infected with Hep V in front of Eric. Eric frees them both and takes Nora to Bill, begging him to use his new powers to heal her. Despite giving her some of his blood, Bill can't heal her. While Bill is trying to find Warlow, Nora succumbs to the virus and dies in Eric's arms.

Roman Zimojic

Roman (portrayed by Christopher Meloni) is the head of the Authority.^[11] Roman's ranking in the authority is the Guardian, as in Guardian of the Blood of Lilith, the first vampire created in God's image. What the vampires are holding back from the humans is they have a bible that pre-dates the Old and New Testament, which states that vampires were created in God's image and humans were created to nourish vampires. The Authority focuses on mainstreaming, claiming they believe the bible is a metaphor on how to live your life in peace among humans, and are trying to take down the Sanguinistas, who believe that humans should be farmed like cattle and serve as nothing but food. However, the Authority themselves are just using mainstreaming to gain power and satisfy their ego.

After what happened with the witches in season 4, the Authority issued the true deaths for Bill Compton and Eric Northman, and asked spokesperson Nan Flanagan to take them out. Eric kills her bodyguards and Bill stakes her to protect themselves, but shortly after are brought to Roman, along with chancellor Nora Gainesborough (Eric's sister), who tried to help them flee the country. Bill offers Roman an exchange: if they bring in Russell Edgington, they'll be let go. After bringing Russell in, Eric and Bill are freed and Russell is about to be executed, when we discover that someone tampered with Russell's iStake, who then rips it off and stakes Roman in front of everyone.

Willa Burrell

Willa (portrayed by Amelia Rose Blaire) is the daughter of former Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell who clashes with her father over vampire rights. Eric abducts and turns her into a vampire, revealing her mother had abandoned the family for a vampire and fueling her father's bigotry. Eric, seeking revenge, demands Willa return home as a vampire. Though her father considers ending the hunt, he orders Willa to be shot and arrested when she attempts to feed on him. Realizing he intends to "cure" her, Willa demands to be sent to Gen Pop to be trained by Tara. She helps Eric and Nora escape and informs Pam about Hep V in TruBlood, later enjoying the sun after feeding on Bill until Warlow's death.

In Season 7, following Tara's death alongside Pam and Eric's disappearance, Willa feels depressed and isolated. Eric returns to Bon Temp and summons her before his anticipated death, happy to see his young progeny. She yells at him for abandoning her so soon after she was made. Along with the other healthy vampires, Willa fights the Hep V Vamps. Eric later releases Willa, apologizes, and tells her that he is proud to have her in the family. Willa is last seen at a Thanksgiving celebration at Sookie's house, working for Arlene.

James Kent

James (portrayed by Luke Grimes and Nathan Parsons) is a vampire born in the late 1940s or early 1950s. James meets Jessica in a vampire camp, where experiments are done on vampires. When Sarah Newlin tries to force James to have sex with Jessica, James refuses. He is tortured for his refusal, enduring UV burns and broken teeth. Impressed, Jessica and James grow close. James later falls in love with Lafayette.

Violet Mazurski

Violet (portrayed by Karolina Wydra) is a vampire who was born in Prussia during the late 12th century. As Jason is about to be attacked by hungry vampires at the vampire camp, Violet claims Jason as her own. When Jason has sex with Jessica, Violet gets very jealous. She kidnaps Wade Cleary, Adilyn Bellefleur, and Jessica. However, Hoyt Fortenberry kills Violet and sets the others free.

Maenads

Witches, Wiccans, and brujos

Holly Cleary

Holly (portrayed by Lauren Bowles) is a witch, hired as a waitress at Merlotte's in the third season. She is very friendly and helps Tara and Arlene throughout Season 3. She reveals herself as a victim of a brutal rape from years before and a single mother of two. She is also a devoted Wiccan. When Arlene decides that she doesn't want her baby, but cannot morally abort it, Holly performs a Wiccan ceremony to help Arlene miscarry. However, the ritual is unsuccessful. She is also present at Tara's rape victim support group.

In season 4, it is revealed that Holly is one of Marnie's students and a member of her coven. After the incident with Eric, she leaves the coven. While she still is a waitress at Merlotte's, Sookie reads her mind and finds out that she has abandoned Marnie's witch coven for her and her sons' safety. Tara asks her to rejoin the coven and take revenge on the vampires who attacked them, but Marnie betrays the coven for her quest for power. She starts dating Andy Bellefleur at the end of Season 4.

In season 7, Holly is one of several characters captured by Hep-V vampires. She is rescued by Sookie and Bill when the vamps take her on a "field trip" as a food source. Sookie then later uses her powers to jog Holly's memories in order to find out the other prisoners are being held in the abandoned Fangtasia. In episode 5, Andy proposes to Holly and she accepts.

Weres and shapeshifters

Werewolves

Fae

Macklyn Warlow/Ben Flynn

Macklyn (portrayed by Rob Kazinsky)^[14] is the only known fae/vampire hybrid and the first of Lilith’s progeny.^[i] He is the main antagonist of True Blood Season 6. Born in 3532 BC, and turned at 32,^[ii] Lilith chose Warlow because she believed he could save the vampire race. Resentful, Warlow uses his faerie powers to kill Lilith. As such, he has outlived his maker by millennia and has been active sporadically in the human realm to modern times.

He has telepathy, fires energy beams, and can walk in sunlight. In 1702, Sookie's ancestor made a contract^[iii] to give Warlow his first fae-bearing female heir. When Sookie's parents refused to surrender her, Warlow killed them and was banished to another dimension by the faerie Claudine.

After escaping the faerie realm, Warlow poses as "Ben Flynn" to approach Sookie. Jason and Niall uncover his true identity and attempt to kill him, but he overpowers them. Sookie attempts to poison him with colloidal silver, but it has no effect. He tries to court Sookie, but she forces him out of her house with her faerie light in the middle of foreplay. Warlow explains that he killed her parents because they were trying to kill her in order to protect her from him. Sookie later discovers that this is true when her father's spirit possesses Lafayette and attempts to kill her again. Lilith's blood allows Bill to recognize Warlow as Lilith's progeny. His stable fae/vampire blood lets vampires walk in daylight, prompting Bill to ask the creator of Tru Blood to help synthesize it.

Bill frees Warlow to save Sookie, who transports him to the faerie realm to keep Warlow away from Bill. Warlow, seeking Sookie as his fae-vampire bride, develops a relationship with her. She Sookie asks Warlow to save her friends, Warlow demands that Sookie become "his" in exchange. Sookie agrees after much consideration, resentful of her parents' attempts to kill her. However, when Sookie brings Bill to Warlow, they find that Eric has attacked him. After Bill saved the other vampires by allowing them to drink the blood sample he drank earlier, Sookie tells Warlow that she wants to take things slowly and introduce Warlow to her friends and family first. Warlow grows angry and tries to turn Sookie by force. Bill, Jason, and others rescue Sookie, but Warlow follows and defeats them. Before Warlow can drain Sookie, Niall intervenes, allowing Jason to stake and kill Warlow. Warlow's death causes all who drank his blood to lose the ability to walk in daylight.

Vampires

Listed in order of first appearances.

Supporting characters