Bill Compton (The Southern Vampire Mysteries)

William Erasmus "Bill" Compton is a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series by author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire and is introduced in the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark, and has appeared in all of the novels since.

Human life

In the book series, Bill was born on April 9, 1840. He lived in Bon Temps, Louisiana, and fought for the South during the Civil War. He was a married farmer with three children (there is inconsistency in the storyline, with Bill telling Sookie that he had five living children with his wife in Dead Until Dark). On November 20, 1868, some years after the war, he was made a vampire by Lorena, with whom he had a long and stormy relationship. Later in the book series, Bill discovers that he is related to the Bellefleur family in Bon Temps and secretly provides them with funds to aid in the repair of their ancestral home. The Bellefleurs, who do not know he is the source of the income, dislike him, though he briefly assisted Portia Bellefleur during her murder investigation in Living Dead in Dallas.

In "Living Dead in Dallas" Bill's middle name is given as Thomas, rather than Erasmus.

Work and position within vampire hierarchy

At the end of the first novel, Dead Until Dark, Bill is concerned about the power of Area Five sheriff Eric over him and Sookie. He decides to apply for that area's investigator position and he gets it. It was revealed that Bill works for Queen Sophie-Anne and she has sent him to Bon Temps to seduce Sookie Stackhouse and investigate her telepathic abilities.

Bill is also the creator of a valuable database in which all the vampires in North America are listed along with their significant information. Vampires from other areas of the world, such as Peru, have also provided information for this database. The database itself has been controversial because of potential security issues and is only available for purchase to other vampires. While most older vampires have good memories, Bill's ability to recall precise details, faces and conversations is reputed to be exceptional, even among other long-lived supernaturals.

Romantic relationships

• Sookie Stackhouse

In the first book, Dead Until Dark, Bill has returned to his ancestral home in Bon Temps, which is separated from the Stackhouse home by the Bon Temps cemetery. After briefly meeting Sookie at her place of work, Merlotte's bar, Sookie saves Bill from being "drained" by the Rattrays, a husband and wife who sell vampire blood for profit. Bill later saves Sookie by giving her his blood when the Rattrays seek revenge. They subsequently embark on Sookie's first serious romantic relationship. Sookie has to endure a fair amount of dislike from the Bon Temps locals, who dislike Bill because he is a vampire.

Sookie and Bill's relationship falls apart when Bill is called back to his maker, Lorena, who entraps him in Mississippi to gain control of a project on which Bill is working for Sophie-Anne. After being rescued by Sookie and Eric, an injured Bill drains and rapes Sookie in the trunk of the getaway vehicle. Their relationship ends, and is dealt a further and final blow in Definitely Dead when Eric discovers and immediately discloses to Sookie that Bill came to Bon Temps on a mission to secure her telepathic abilities for use by Louisiana's vampire Queen.

Bill continues to appear in the novels however his relationship with Sookie is not romantic in nature, and by the events of Dead Reckoning he has become a trusted friend.

• Lorena Ball

In the third book, Club Dead, Lorena is introduced as Bill's maker and sire. They were lovers since Bill became a vampire and they had an intense relationship. They broke up eighty years ago. In this novel, Bill tells Sookie that he had gone to Jackson because Lorena had called him and he was obeying her summons. Before leaving, he tells Sookie that if he has not returned or been heard from in eight weeks, she should go to Eric and place herself under his protection. According to Bill, Lorena ordered him to leave Sookie and threatened to kill her. While Bill is with Lorena, it is revealed by Eric and Pam that he had contacted them and told them he was leaving Sookie and he wanted to make financial arrangements for her care.

• Selah Pumfrey

Following his broken relationship with Sookie, Bill briefly dated a real estate agent named Selah Pumfrey. Bill makes it obvious that he still carries a torch for Sookie and continues to try to be involved in her life, he uses Selah to try and make Sookie jealous, therefore objectifying both Sookie and Selah.

• Judith Vardamon

Bill's "sister" who looks like his former human wife, was turned by Lorena Ball in an attempt to placate Bill after he was caught staring fondly at Judith. Reunited only recently by Sookie's interference in Dead In The Family in order to save him from silver-poisoning, Judith and Bill's affair only lasted one book, as she has recently left Bon Temps in "Dead Reckoning." Not knowing Judith was standing within earshot in the treeline behind Sookie's house, Bill tells Sookie that Judith is obsessed with him and although he had hoped to return her love he does not. A dignified Judith reacts and vampires out of his life, for now. Bill then confesses he felt obligated to have sex with Judith after his healing but he yet again expresses his feelings for Sookie, continuing the cycle of obsessive love in the Ball family.

• Caroline Compton

Bill's wife and mother of his two children.

Television portrayal

In True Blood, an HBO series based on the books, this character is played by British actor Stephen Moyer.

References