Bill Compton

True Blood

Before becoming a vampire, William Thomas Compton (b.1835) lived in Bon Temps, Louisiana with his wife Caroline and two children, Thomas and Sarah. He was a 1 Lieutenant in the 28 Louisiana Infantry during the Civil War. After the war on his way back home to his family he became lost and took shelter in a cabin and accepted aid from a widow. The widow was actually a Vampire named Lorena Krasiki. She tried to seduce him, but since he was a married man he resisted the temptation. She fed on him, and instead of killing him, she decided to turn him, becoming his Maker.

The Vampire Bill

After becoming a Vampire in 1865, Bill wasn’t able to return to his family, and he did not go home to Bon Temps until his son died in 1868. Lorena and Bill became lovers and spent their time feeding on and robbing rich couples. For a time they lived together in Los Angeles, California but in 1935 Bill grew tired of the constant murdering and chaos that surrounded them. Since Lorena was his maker she had quite a bit of control over him, and he begged for her to let him leave her. He said that he never loved her and that he would kill himself if she did not let release him. She eventually gave in because she did not want him to die. In the 1960’s he began to work for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, the Queen of Louisiana.

Bill moved back to Bon Temps, shortly after the death of his last living relative, Jesse Compton. When he first entered Merlotte’s he met the waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who was equally as interested in him, as he was her. That same evening he was attacked by the Rattray’s, who were Vampire drainers who sold Vampire blood or “V”. Sookie came to his rescue scaring them off temporarily, but when they returned the following night, he was able to help Sookie. She was injured, and he gave her some of his blood in order to help her heal. He soon met Sookie’s Gran, Adele Stackhouse when he was invited to their home. He spoke to her group the “Descendants of the Glorious Dead” about what it was like to be in the Civil War. That same night Gran was found dead in her kitchen by Sookie and many people though Bill had something to do with her death. Bill and Sookie’s relationship began to grow after Grans death, and he becomes very protective of her. He even goes so far as to staking the Vampire Longshadow when Sookie, using her telepathic abilities exposes him as a thief and liar, and he lashes out at her.

As punishment for staking Longshadow he was ordered by a tribunal over seen by the Magister, to replace the Vampire he destroyed by creating a new one. He was forced to turn a teenage girl named Jessica Hamby. Since then he has been in charge of teaching her the ways of the vampire and how to adjust to the changes in her lifestyle. She was quite difficult to control at first and he asked Eric Northman, the Sheriff of Area 5, and owner of Fangtasia to take her off his hands. Sookie and Sam Merlotte became close while Bill was gone, aand when he returned to Bon Temps, he started a fight with Sam after seeing Sookie kissing him. Sookie was attacked during sunlight by Rene Lenier (who had previously murdered women who associated with Vampires, including his own sister and Adele Stackhouse) but Bill, sensing she was in danger came to her aid and risking his life. Sookie thought he was going to die (a true death), but he healed. Everything was right again with Sookie, until Eric brought Jessica back.

Season 2

When Sookie found out about Jessica, she was angry at Bill for not informing her earlier, and was further angered when she found out he killed her Uncle Bartlett (which he did after finding out he had abused Sookie as a child.) He told her he loved her and she forgave him, since she felt the same. Shortly after they make up, he becomes angry at her for bringing Jessica back to her family home, which forces him to Glamour her entire family so they would forget about seeing their daughter again. They fought in the car home to Bon Temps and when she angrily went off on her own, she was attacked by something which his blood could not heal and he took her to Fangtasia for her to be healed.

Bill goes with Sookie and Jessica, to Dallas to investigate the disappearance of a very old and important Vampire, Godric. While he and Jessica are in their coffins a man associated with the Fellowship of the Sun tries to abduct Sookie. In Dallas Bill was reunited with his Maker, Lorena and she held him against his will while Sookie was in danger. While escaping from Lorena, he stops by Jessica’s room and finds her having sex with Hoyt, and he tells Hoyt to take Jessica back to Bon Temps. Bill later finds Sookie and tries to explain to her why he was not able to help her when she was captive in the FOTS church. They returned home to Bon Temps to find that a Maenad, named Maryann Forrester was living in Sookie’s home and has put the whole town under some sort of spell. He attacked her, but her blood was poisonous to him and he had to feed on Sookie in order to live. Together he and Sookie managed to find out from Tara Thornton what Maryann was doing to everyone, and he also found out that Eric Northman was forcing Lafayette to sell Vampire blood. Bill left to see the Queen in hopes that she would be able to help with the Maenad situation. While leaving the queen he ran into Eric, and threatened to expose him to the queen for selling blood. Bill and Sam come up with a plan to kill the Maenad. After the Maenad is dealt with Bill and Sookie go out to dinner, and he proposes. Sookie goes to the restroom to think, and returns to find him gone.

Season 3

Bill was kidnapped by werewolves who work for Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi and is held as a prisoner in the Kings mansion. While in the mansion he is questioned about Sophie-Anne and is shocked to find his Maker, present. He lit her on fire with an oil lamp, but she does survive. Russell wishes for Bill to pledge his loyalty to Mississippi, and to convince the Queen of Louisiana to accept his request of marriage. While in the mansion, he sleeps with Lorena, and afterwards he calls Sookie to tell her that he no longer loves her. The next night Bill accompanies the King and Lorena to fetch dinner, who us a dancer at a club. They all feed off of her in the limo.

When Bill and the others return to the mansion covered in blood, he sees Tara, who was abducted by the vampire Franklin, and he refused to assist her. It is soon found out that Bill has kept a file on Sookie and Russell is curious as to why. Bill is also informed by a werewolf that Sookie is sleeping with werewolf and he manages to escape the mansion and find her at Alcide’s, only to be brought back to the mansion along with Sookie. Lorena was ordered to stake Bill but she went about killing him slowly, because she did not want him to die. Sookie rescued him by staking Lorena and the escaped together with the help of Tara and Alcide. On the way home, Bill almost kills Sookie by drinking so much of her blood, and in doing this Tara throws him out in the sunlight, but astonishingly he is able to withstand the light for a short time. Sookie forgives him, although he almost killed her.

Awhile later Bill finally comes home and tries to release Jessica, but she refuses and stays and learns how to fight. After that they go to Sookie's house to kill off the wolfs that the king sent. Jessica goes outside and is caught by the king and he bites her. Bill mocks him and calls him out she gets let go runs away a wolf follows and gets killed by her Bill who fights the king doesn't even stand a chance but before its over he leaves cause Eric killed Talbot. Bill goes inside and has make up sex with Sookie. Bill and Sookie appear to make up. Sookie however; bemoaning that she was meeting Bill half-way to becoming a vampire- after not being surprised to find a dead body in her house. Bill informs Sookie that he is keeping a file on her to figure out what she is. The next day he has a dream state encounter with Claudine (apparently another effect of drinking so much of Sookie's blood). Bill tells Sookie the truth of her existence and tells her that he to met Claudine, he also tells her that the Fey were believed to be wiped out years ago by vampires. As Bill is watching TV and see's Russell's angry killing of the TV news anchor, Eric comes to the house he and Bill have a discussion about Sookie, that is interrupted by the woman herself. Bill down-plays the effect of Sookie's blood to Eric so as to protect. Later on Bill gets angry at Jason for allowing Sookie to escape, Jason get's angry and rescinds his invitation. Bill goes to Fangtasia sensing Sookies fear (she was chained by Eric) he quickly overpowers Pam, but she manages to subdue him using silver spray, he is saved when Yvetta and Sookie. As Sookie and Bill are driving back from Fangtasia they have a touching conversation about starting over again. This is interrupted by Russell and Eric nearly breaking Sookie's car. When they arrive back at Fangtasia Eric reveals to Bill that he has a plan to dispose of Russell. Inside Fangtasia Bill goes along with Eric's pretense that Sookie is a fairy. She screams that she will never forgive him and that she hates him. In the finale Bill gives Sookie his blood so she can survive, when she wakes she immediately slaps him, he then angrily reveals to her the plan. She, is still angry at him, storms outside despite his warnings. When

Sookie saves Eric, Bill get's angry and side's with Pam that they should not save Russell. However Russell is saved by Sookie. Later on he and Eric encase Russell in cement and taunt him as he is drowning, Bill then does the same to Eric by handcuffing him in silver and throwing him into a separate pit. He then calls Reuben and order's him to kill Pam. Bill then reveals to Sookie what he was going to do in order to protect her. However an Eric who is covered in cement knocks on the door and reveals to Sookie why Bill was actually here, and how Bill tricked her into nearly getting beaten to death by the Ratrays and drinking his blood. A distraught Sookie then rescinds her invitation from her house and Bill is forced to leave. A distraught Bill then invites Sophie-Ann to his house on the false pretense of having Sookie there to feed on, after he flatters the queen he proceeds to challenge her to a duel, she scorns him saying that she is over twice his age, he replies that he has nothing left to live for the two levitate and charge towards each other.

Season 4

Bill, sensing that Sookie has returned, arrives at her home after nightfall. It appears he is happy that Sookie is alive, yet Sookie reminds him that to her it's only been 15 minutes since he broke her heart. Eric shows up soon after and tells Sookie that everyone, including Bill has forgotten about her. Bill tells Sookie that she can use the ruse of having secret vampire business. This would also help prove that Bill wasn't involved in her disappearance, as most people believed. It is revealed that Bill is now the Vampire King of Louisiana.

One of the younger witches from the circle, Katerina, reports to Bill that the coven brought Marnie's bird back to life. Bill tells her that her work spying for him in the coven is done and that it's no longer safe. She unbuttons her top, and Bill takes her to his bed. Sookie heads up the stairs and greets Bill just as Katerina, who is still getting dressed and has his bite marks on her neck, is walking out of his bedroom. Sookie tells Bill that Eric has purchased her house with the intent of owning her, and asks Bill to use his royal influence to order Eric to give back her house and leave her alone. Bill tells her that Eric has friends in high places, but he'll do what he can to help her. Until he can figure out a work-around, he advises Sookie to find shelter in another human's home. Sookie asks what good that would do if Eric can buy that one too. Sookie bids Bill good night, calling him "Your Excellency."

Then she asks how Bill became King, anyway. He balks, and she decides not to press the issue, telling him "If there's one thing I learned from us being together, it's that every time I found out something new about you, I ended up wishing I didn't know it." As she walks out, Bill looks utterly pained and heartbroken. A flashback then shows Bill having Sophie-Anne meet her true death.

We then see Bill in 1982. Bill, in full punk-rock get-up spiky hair, motorcycle jacket trolls a bar where a band is raging onstage. He goes to the bar and strikes up a conversation with the bartender using a cockney accent. He buys the bartender a drink, and the next thing you know he's drinking from Callum's neck in an alley. Callum is squealing and struggling, but then Bill glamours him. Under Bill's influence, he comes to believe that none of this has happened and that he'll just feel a bit weak for the next few days. Bill heals the bartender's wounds and sends him running off.

"You don't kill them," says a female voice behind him.

Bill wheels around and shows his fangs, to see Nan Flanagan wearing an '80s power suit. Nan is impressed that Bill seems to want to fit in, and recruits Bill to join their cause of mainstreaming, explaining that the greatest minds in the vampire legions, including Louis Pasteur (yes, he's a vampire) are working on synthesizing human blood that vampires can survive on. She tells Bill that she's looking for a few good vampire spies to infiltrate the monarchies and plant the seeds of discord from within. "So," she concludes, "are you in, or are you out?"

Back in the present, we see that Bill looks troubled by just how far in that he is.

Bill gets a visit from a very guilty Jessica, who has just cheated on Hoyt (or at least in a vamp version of cheating) and isn’t sure what to do. This brings to light Bill’s deceptions to Sookie, and creates a sweet moment between the maker and his progeny.

Bill visits Pam at Fangtasia. He is questioning the whereabouts of Eric, but Pam tells him she knows nothing. Later, Nan pays a visit to Bill, angry for making him go near wiccans. She forces him to take care of the situation personally. Bill approaches Sookie's home looking for Eric. He threatens to come into her home and look for Eric, but she stops him. She tells him that she has never once lied to him, and Bill believes her. He leaves without searching for Eric.

Bill has to glamour Portia after she continued to hit on him. She now screams and runs from him anytime she see's him. Pam visits Bill and insists on his help in reversing the spell on her face.

Bill has Marnie captured, but after glamouring her for information, he finds out that Marnie doesn't know how to reverse the spell. While attending a meeting with local vampire sheriff's, Pam accidentally tells Bill about Eric. He finds out that Sookie has been keeping Eric all along, and lied to him.

After hearing that Sookie is hiding Eric, Bill appears in her home; interrupting the moment between she and Eric. Eric attacks Bill and almost stakes him, but stops when Sookie yells. She explains that Bill is his king, making Eric put the fire poker down and bow. Bill apprehends Eric, saying he is a threat. Later, Bill is about to give Eric his true death, when Eric begins to explain his love for Sookie. Bill let's him and Pam go.

Bill is pouring Tru Blood from a decanter when Luis wanders, still under Marnie's control. A struggle ensues, during which Luis shoots Bill with a silver bullet and Louis ends up forcing a silver and wooden stake into his own heart, whispering the word “resurrection” before exploding. Bill explains to his sheriffs that Antonia/Marnie will cast a spell to force every nearby vampire to meet the sun the next morning. To avoid mass incineration, he instructs the vampires, as well as all of the vampires in their areas, to bind themselves with silver in their coffins, which will prevent them from heeding the call to turn up the sun.

Bill later visits Sookie and Eric before morning, and silently deduces that they have slept together. Nevertheless, he has come to help Eric survive the next day, bringing multiple silver chains. He explains the situation to them and instructs them to bind Eric if they want him to survive. Somehow, the spell allows Jessica to break some of her silver chains (out of sympathy for her pain, Bill had unwisely placed less silver on her than on himself), which allows to to escape her cage after knocking out a security guard and stealing his keys. She ignores a direct order from Bill (which should have been impossible) to free him as well. ("Cold Grey Light of Dawn") Jessica, still under the spell, attacks Jason and almost bites him. Jessica snaps out of it however, and draws back her fangs. She tells Jason that he saved her life and the two begin to kiss. Meanwhile, Bill is screaming for Jessica and crying at the thought of her death. Jason carries Jessica back to her cell and Bill is relieved to see her alive. Jessica's face is burned and she is upset when she discovers she killed Bucky. Bill calms Jessica then suggests she get back into the cell because Antonia may has only temporarily have dropped the spell. Jason binds Jessica in silver. Bill comments how he underestimated her strength. Bill tells Jason that they are indebted to him. While ready to leave, Jason sees the body on the floor and Bill tells him that he cannot afford to have it reported in any way.

Eric tells Bill that Sookie has a warrior’s heart and she is prepared to fight for Bill. Sookie tells Bill she can help, she has powers. Bill tells her she could die and she tells him if she can save people she loves she is willing. he two factions meet in the graveyard, the situation escalates as Antonia reveals she's not alone, while Bill is joined not only by Eric and Sookie but also his human commandos as well as a number of vampires.

Alcide carries Sookie away from the battlefield and as he runs Bill intercepts him and grabs Sookie. Bill brings her to the house and lays her on the sofa and tries to get her to drink his blood. Bill tells Alcide they have to pray as she barely has a pulse. Sookie eventually wakes after Bill's blood saved her. She instantly asks where Eric is and barely acknowledges Alcide's presence, much less the part he had in saving her life. Alcide is frustrated with Sookie and angrily leaves her home.

Bill, Jessica and Nan are all silvered below Bill's home. Bill tells Nan they must cancel tomorrow’s “Festival of Tolerance” event because Eric is missing. Bill and Nan Flanagan clash over their respective agendas. Nan tells him the festival is going forward and Bill better be in a tolerant and better mood. Meanwhile, Sookie gets to the festival just as they are introducing Bill. Antonia and Roy are watching in the balcony. Bill begins to make his speech when Sookie calls for him from the crowd. The 3 human security guards are gutted and hanging from the grips of the bewitched vampires. The people panic and begin to run. Sookie screams ‘RUN’.

The scene opens at "Festival of Tolerance", as Antonia is trying to get her subjects to kill the king. Sookie tries to let Eric's grip on Bill go but Eric pushes her down and Bill shoots him. Kirsch (under the spell of Martonia) slaps Joyce Watney. Nan takes a pencil to Blackburn and Eric and Bill are fighting. Sookie uses her powers to get Eric to stop fighting. Eric suddenly gets his memories back, he also remembers his time with Sookie. Antonia sees all the Blood shed and then casts a spell and disappears. Sookie says she still loves Bill and that’s how she was able to stop Eric from killing Bill. Later, Eric, Bill, Pam and Jessica arrive at the Moon Goddess Emporium to take out the witches.

Eric, Pam, Bill and Jessica are getting ready to blow up Moon Goddess Emporium while Jesus, Lafayette, Sookie, Holly, Tara and the other witches are in there and all of them are terrified, except for Marnie who is calm as she says her protection spell will protect them, so she makes jokes about the situation causing Casey to get mad and try to attack her. Marnie, thinking it was self defense, flings a knife at her magically, killing Casey in the process.

The vampires are ready to attack, they are interrupted by Jason who explains that Sookie is inside. This prompts Eric and Bill to say "F**kin' Sookie" causing Jason to stand up for his sister and he shows them the protection spell around the Emporium. Eric and Bill try to think of another way to get inside and how to disable the spell. Suddenly, Kirsch and Duprez come out of seemingly nowhere, attacking the vampires. Bill kills Duprez. He grabs a handful of the former sheriff, holding it over a subdued Kirsch in an attempt to snap her out of Marnie's mind control. Eric states she must be killed, but not before Pam pulls Kirsch's "vintage Cartier" necklace from her neck. A reluctant Bill asks if there is any way to break the conditioning, as it was done with Eric. Eric suggests it might be possible when Kirsch professes her loyalty to Antonia. Frustrated, Bill picks Kirsch up and slams her face first into the pavement, then calls out Marnie to break the spell on Kirsch.

Holly and Sookie speak to Marnie and persuade her to negotiate with the vampires outside. She agrees, as long as Sookie goes with her. Once outside, she gives the "kill the king" command to Kirsch, who once again attacks Bill. Bill throws Kirsch into the force field, where she gets caught and burns to death. Marnie lets everyone know the force field is solar-powered, then tells Bill and Eric that she will free Sookie if they both kill themselves. They agree, but before they have chance to, Pam fires a rocket to stop them. The shield stops the rocket, which explodes toward those outside the shield.

Outside, the vampires see the protection shield go down. Pam tries to apologize to Eric, saying she knew the rocket wouldn't penetrate the shield. Eric, still pissed, tells Pam to leave before he kills her. Shattered, Pam dashes away. Bill and Eric rush inside Moon Goddess to kill everyone, but Sookie stops them, telling them that the majority of people in there were being held hostage by Marnie. Bill aims a gun at Marnie but Roy stands in her way, saying they'll have to go through him to get to Marnie. Eric rushes up to him and pulls his heart out, sucking the blood from it like a straw in front of a horrified Marnie. Bill then takes aim at Marnie, who berates Bill saying "Nobody lives forever--not even you!" As the words leave her mouth, Bill shoots Marnie multiple times, including a final shot into her forehead.

Afterward, Eric glamours several people in the area under Bill's orders. Unsure of her feelings and stunned from the recent rescue/attack, Sookie can do little but stand and stare at both Bill and Eric.

Powers and Abilities

Bill possesses the common powers associated with being a vampire: glamouring, superhuman strength, speed, and accelerated healing. These things are accentuated by age, which makes him stronger than Vampires younger than him but not those who are older than him, such as his Maker Lorena or Eric Northman. Also, when he ingested a large amount of blood from Sookie Stackhouse, he was able to withstand the suns light for a short period of time before he started to burn. He was also able to enter a realm where fairies existed, in a dream.

vulnerabilities

Bill's weaknessess are the same as other vampires. These include silver, fire and a stake to the heart. Another weakness he possesses is his affection of Sookie Stackhouse.

Bill Compton is portrayed by Stephen Moyer on HBO’s Original Series, “True Blood”.