Sookie Stackhouse

Sookie Stackhouse
The Southern Vampire Mysteries and True Blood character
Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse
First appearance	Novel: Dead Until Dark Television: "Strange Love"
Last appearance	Television: "Thank You" 7x10
Created by	Charlaine Harris
Portrayed by	Anna Paquin
Information
Species	Human (fairy ancestry)
Occupation	Barmaid/Waitress
Family	Jason Stackhouse (brother) Adele Hale Stackhouse (grandmother) Niall Brigant (great-grandfather) Fintan Brigant (grandfather) Eric Northman (husband, in the novels) Sam Merlotte (husband, in the novels)
Relatives	Dermot Brigant (great-uncle) Claudine, Claude & Claudette Crane (half cousins once removed) Hadley Hale (cousin) Hunter Savoy (cousin once removed)
Nationality	American

Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of The Southern Vampire Mysteries book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, True Blood, Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin.

Creation and casting

Sookie was created by Charlaine Harris. Harris stated that she decided to "shake up [her] writing style by trying something new". The author said that to do this she would include "all the elements I loved: mystery, the supernatural, bloody adventure, and a dash of romance. And since people had told me for years that I had a great sense of humor, I thought it would be interesting to try to include that in the book, too".^[1] Harris went on to establish the protagonist of the series. When naming the character Harris decided to use her grandmother's best friend's name because "it was a fine old Southern nickname, I thought it would do well for my heroine. And "Stackhouse" just flowed right after it".^[1] Sookie, Sooky, Sukie, Sukey, Sook etc. are historical Southern U.S. regional nicknames for Susannah or Susan (Hebrew, "Lily"). ^[2] In subsequent stories involving his characters, Truman Capote identifies the initially unnamed female "best friend" and cousin of Buddy, the narrator of his well known 1956 short work A Christmas Memory as "Sook". Harris wanted to "write from the point of view of a human". To make Sookie more interesting as Harris would have "to live with Sookie" while writing, she decided to have the character partake on a relationship with a vampire as an introduction to a foreign world. Harris then decided she would have to establish a reason "sensible Sookie" would "do such a crazy thing" which led to her giving Sookie the power of telepathy.^[1] In an interview Harris stated that making Sookie telepathic is "the worst thing I could think of to do to anybody". She explained this further saying "it would just be absolutely horrible to know what people really thought about you".^[3] Harris felt that there are "definitely elements of Sookie in me—or, more correctly, there are elements of me in her. [...] I wish I were as brave as she is!"^[4] Harris said that when writing for Sookie it is "second nature to me to step into Sookie's skin".^[5]

Anna Paquin was cast in the HBO television adaptation True Blood, with her casting being announced on 26 February 2007.^[6] In September 2011, Harris said that although some characters in the series were portrayed in the television adaptation as she intended, Sookie is not, saying: "Anna [Paquin] has never been the way I think of as Sookie. I think she does a great job, but she's just not my Sookie".^[7]

Appearances

Literature

Dead Until Dark

Sookie, a telepath and waitress working in Merlotte's Bar and Grill in Bon Temps, Louisiana is introduced. She meets and falls in love with Bill Compton, a vampire to whom she is attracted partly because she cannot read his mind. Sookie saves Bill from Denise and Mack Rattray who intend to drain their victim's blood for use as a narcotic. Sookie is later attacked by the Rattrays but Bill saves Sookie and kills her attackers. Several murders occur in Bon Temps with Sookie's brother Jason and Bill both becoming suspects due to the presence of fang marks on the victims and to their previous relationships with Jason. After Jason is arrested, Sookie visits a vampire bar, Fangtasia, in an attempt to discover if any vampires knew the victims. Sookie meets vampire sheriff Eric Northman who discovers the waitress' telepathy. Sookie uses this ability to help Eric discover that vampire Long Shadow has been embezzling from Fangtasia. A confrontation ensues and Eric saves Sookie's life by staking Long Shadow when he attacks her. Sookie discovers her Gran, Adele, has been murdered. Bill leaves to improve his position in the vampire hierarchy. Sookie discovers that her boss, Sam, is a shape-shifter. While Bill is gone, Sookie discovers that the murderer is her brother's friend Rene Lenier. He almost kills her, but she fights back and manages to get the better of him, he is arrested and admits to everything. Bill returns and has become area investigator, working under Eric.

Living Dead in Dallas

Sookie is later attacked by a maenad and is treated by Dr Ludwig as instructed by Eric. Eric then sends Sookie go to Dallas to search for a missing vampire. Sookie goes to the Fellowship of the Sun church where the Dallas vampires believe the missing vampire to be. The Dallas vampire's associate Hugo accompanies Sookie, who discovers that he is a traitor. Sookie is injured while escaping the church. Eric tricks Sookie into ingesting his blood so that he will be connected to her. Sookie returns to Bon Temps after arguing with Bill but the pair later reconcile.

Club Dead

Bill goes missing after traveling to Mississippi and Eric suspects that Lorena, who made Bill a vampire, is to blame. Sookie travels to Mississippi to use her telepathy to try to locate Bill. Sookie is escorted by Alcide Herveaux (a werewolf) to a vampire bar where she learns that Bill is being held captive and that vampire king Russell Edgington may be involved. While attempting to prevent one of Russell's employees from being staked, Sookie herself is injured. While receiving medical treatment at Russell's mansion, Sookie learns that Bill is being tortured in the pool house. Sookie kills Lorena and saves Bill but is locked in the trunk of a car with him. Deprived of blood, Bill drinks from Sookie and rapes her. Sookie is driven home by Eric. On the way back to Bon Temps two people raid a gas station while looking for Sookie and Eric. At Sookie's house Eric and Sookie are attacked by several werewolves who are then killed. Sookie ends her relationship with Bill.

Dead to the World

Sookie finds Eric, who has had his memory wiped. She is persuaded by Eric's second in command, Pam Ravenscroft, to allow him to live with her. Sookie learns that a witch coven is believed responsible for Eric's memory loss. Jason goes missing. Sookie has sex with Eric and falls in love with him. Pam suggests several people fight off the coven and Pam captures the witch responsible for Eric's memory loss, making her lift the spell. Eric regains his memories but forgets his time with Sookie. Sookie and Sam discover that Jason has been held captive in Hotshot, a local werepanther community where he has been changed into a werepanther. Alcide's jealous girlfriend, Debbie Pelt, breaks into Sookie's house and tries to shoot her but Eric takes the bullet before Sookie shoots Debbie.

Dead as a Doornail

Sookie learns several were-animals and shape-shifters have been shot and injured, including Sam. Sookie gets a replacement Bartender, Charles Twining, from Eric. Jason is blamed by Calvin Norris, leader of Hotshot, for the shootings. Sookie's house is set on fire but Sookie is rescued by her fairy godmother, Claudine Crane. A dead man is found outside and is blamed for the fire. Sookie is shot. While trying with Sam to track down the shooter, Sookie is confronted by Merlotte's employee Sweetie Des Arts who reveals herself as the shooter and then also shoots Tray Dawson, a werewolf protecting Sookie sent by Calvin, before being shot dead by Andy Bellefleur. Charles attacks Sookie and reveals that he was sent by Longshadow's maker to hurt Eric by taking something that he loves. Charles had shot Sam so that Sookie must find a replacement bartender and had set her house on fire before framing an innocent man. Sookie learns her friend Tara Thornton is being forced into a relationship with Mickey. Eric helps free Tara of Mickey but in exchange Sookie tells Eric about what happened when he had amnesia including their relationship and her killing of Debbie.

Definitely Dead

Sookie begins dating Quinn and is attacked by werewolves while on a date with Quinn. Sookie learns that her vampire cousin, Hadley Delahoussaye, has been murdered. Hadley's landlord, witch Amelia Broadway, had put Hadley's apartment under a spell but when the spell is broken Sookie and Amelia are attacked by newly turned vampire Jake Purifoy who does not rise due to Amelia's spell. Sookie and Amelia are taken to the hospital where Bill, while being pressured by Eric, reveals that he had been asked to move to Bon Temps to learn more about Sookie's telepathy. Sookie tells the vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq that Amelia plans to magically reconstruct the time of Jake's turning, which Sophie-Anne watches the witches perform. Sophie-Anne tells Sookie that she has fairy blood which attracts supernaturals. Sophie-Anne asks Sookie to look through Hadley's apartment to locate a missing diamond bracelet once given to the queen by her husband; the discovery that this bracelet is missing would mean political disaster for Sophie-Anne. A group of Werewolves kidnaps Sookie and takes her to the Pelt family. With help from Eric, Sookie is able to resolve her differences with the Pelts. Sookie and Quinn attend the party Sophie-Anne and her husband, Peter Threadgill, throw in celebration of their new union. Peter attempts to take over Louisiana and in the violence, Quinn is injured. Peter is ultimately killed and Sookie then returns to Bon Temps.

All Together Dead

Sookie agrees for the benefit of Sophie-Anne to listen to the thoughts of humans at The Summit, attended by powerful vampires. Sophie-Anne is accused of killing her husband, though Sookie knows that she is innocent. Sookie discovers a bomb planted outside of the Louisiana suite and warns Sophie-Anne. At Sophie-Anne's trial Sookie helps to prove that Sophie-Anne's accusers are being manipulated. Sophie-Anne's child, Andre Paul, forces Sookie to exchange blood with him to try to tie Sookie to Sophie-Anne. Eric exchanges blood with Sookie to prevent Sookie being tied to Andre. This exchange with Eric causes Sookie to become more closely bonded to Eric. Sookie and fellow telepath Barry Horowitz, who met previously in Dallas, learn that multiple bombs have been planted in the hotel by the Fellowship of the Sun. Sookie and Barry help to get some humans and vampires free before the bombs detonate. Sookie and Barry discover that if they hold hands their telepathy is magnified and by doing this they help find humans buried in the rubble. Sookie finds Andre alive but Quinn stakes him to stop his intentions to use Sookie. Sophie-Anne escapes but loses her legs. Sookie rescues Eric, Pam and Bill.

From Dead to Worse

Sookie learns that boyfriend Quinn is missing. Sookie also finds that she is part fairy after having discovered that her grandmother had had two children with a half-fairy. While her grandfather is dead, her great-grandfather Niall Brigant, who is a fairy prince, wants to meet her. Sookie discovers that a pack of werewolves has begun killing the Shreveport pack and is entangled in a brief war between the two, with the Shreveport pack winning and Alcide its leader. Felipe de Castro, vampire king of Nevada, kills Sophie-Anne and all of the vampire sheriffs of Louisiana except Eric, who surrenders. Sookie learns that her blood bond with Eric allows her to detect his feelings and to know his location. Quinn has become Felipe's prisoner in exchange for his help in recapturing Quinn's mother, who has escaped from a were sanatorium. Sookie reunites with Eric. Jason's wife, Crystal Norris, is unfaithful to him so, as werepanther tradition dictates, Crystal's uncle Calvin must have his hand broken by Sookie. Sookie stops speaking to Jason. Sookie rescues Felipe, Eric and Sam from Sigebert. Sookie visits Hadley's son, Hunter Savoy and discovers that he is a telepath.

Dead and Gone

The Louisiana town of Bon Temps—along with the rest of the world—is about to be rocked with some big supernatural news: like the vampires before them, the Were people—humans with the ability to change into animals—are about to reveal themselves to humanity. Telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse is apprehensive about the revelation, given the way some people in the small town revile anyone with extraordinary powers, including Sookie herself. While the initial announcement seems to go over smoothly with most people, tragedy strikes when Sookie’s sister-in-law, a werepanther, is found murdered and nailed up on a cross. Jason is the prime suspect, but Sookie has even bigger problems to deal with when she learns that a vicious fairy prince is determined to kill her.

Dead in the Family

Eric's maker, Appius Livius Ocella, arrives, bringing his other vampire child Alexei Romanov with him. Bill, who sustained silver poisoning while rescuing Sookie, refuses to ask any of Lorena's other vampire children for help so that his health will continue to worsen. Victor Madden who wants Eric, Bill and Pam dead, sends assassins after Sookie, Pam and Bill, but the villains are unsuccessful. Claudine's triplet, Claude claims to be suffering from the lack of fairy company after being locked out of the fairy homeland and so begins living with Sookie. Claude identifies that Niall's son, Dermot, and another fairy have been on Sookie's land recently. Sookie contacts Judith Varamon, Lorena's vampire daughter, who heals Bill. Sookie discovers that the unknown fairy previously on her property is Claudine's unborn child's father, Colman. Colman had planned to kill Sookie but decides that he wants her arrested instead. Alexei kills humans uncontrollably before he tries to kill Eric and Pam. Eric kills Alexei; Colman kills Appius; Eric kills Colman. Sookie and Claude free Dermot from a spell under which he had gone mad.

Dead Reckoning

Sookie asks Amelia to break her blood bond with Eric, which she does. Sookie learns Mr. Cataliades, having given Sookie's grandmother and grandfather some of his blood, is responsible for her telepathic abilities. Sookie sells some furniture to an antiques store where the owner, Donald Calloway, finds a secret compartment containing a letter from her grandmother and an object called a Cluviel Dor. Sookie's grandmother explains that the Cluviel Dor is a magical fairy love object which allows the possessor one wish and that it is now Sookie's. Sandra Pelt, Debbie's sister, hires people to kill Sookie, but they fail to do so. She then holds Sam and girlfriend Jannalyn Hopper at gunpoint, forcing them to take her to Sookie's house. Sookie shoots Sandra before Jannalyn kills her. Sookie, Eric and Pam plot to kill Victor and they succeed.

Deadlocked

Sookie struggles with what to do with the Cluviel Dor. Niall visits Sookie before taking Claude with him to discover who cursed Dermot. Felipe visits Eric to investigate the disappearance of Victor. At the gathering, Sookie arrives to discover Eric feeding from a woman, Kym Rowe, who is soon found dead on Eric's lawn. Eric's employee, Mustapha Khan is gone when the police arrive. Mustapha visits Sookie where she learns that his friend Warren is being held captive. Freyda, the Oklahoma vampire Queen, plans to make Eric her consort. Donald arrives at Sookie's house demanding that she give him the contents of the furniture she has sold him and then he pulls a knife on her. Mr. Cataliades kills him and informs Sookie that others know of the Cluviel Dor. Bill and Sookie retrieve Colton, whom Felipe has kidnapped, as he was present when Victor was killed. Four werewolves tell Sookie that they will take her to Alcide to identify Warren's body. Mustapha arrives and saves her from the creatures when she realizes that they intend to hurt her. Sookie learns that Jannalyn, who has held Warren captive, had told Mustapha to let Kym into Eric's house. Sookie, Mustapha and Alcide find and save Warren. Claude reveals that he had enlisted Jannalyn to find a werewolf to whom he would then give fairy blood, thus making them irresistible to Eric. Claude hoped that if Sookie were unhappy Niall would be drawn away from Faery. Jannalyn is tried by the Shreveport pack and she fights to the death with Mustapha. Sookie realizes Jannalyn is edging towards Alcide, whom Sookie warns. Alcide moves out of the way and Jannalyn kills Sam. Jannalyn herself is then killed. Sookie uses the Cluviel Dor to resurrect Sam.

Dead Ever After

Eric progresses with his marriage plans. Sam, Sookie's friend and now co-owner of Merlotte’s, is having a hard time dealing with having been suddenly brought back to life. Arlene has been freed from prison and asks Sookie for her job back. Arlene's body is later found, and Sookie is arrested for her murder.

To help her with these issues, Sookie is visited by Desmond Cataliades, Diantha, Barry Horowitz and Amelia Broadway and Bob. Sookie stops by Merlotte's and ends up having sex with Sam for the first time. Sookie tells Sam they must take it slow. She wants to be sure he's not a rebound relationship. Sookie, Sam, Jason and Michele go to Stomping Sally's to dance. Sookie is kidnapped by Johan Glassport, Steve Newlin and Claude Crane. Sookie manages to escape and runs from her kidnappers into the safety of a large group of people from Stomping Sally's, who have chased behind the van in an effort to save Sookie. Claude smashes Steve Newlin’s head, who confesses that he and Johan killed Arlene. Johan and Claude are shot dead.

After Jason and Michele get married, Sam drives Sookie home and wants to spend the night. Sookie hopes she and Sam will be still together by Christmas but, if they aren't, she'll know that she will be okay with it.

Television

True Blood, Season One

Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is introduced as a waitress working at Merlotte's Bar and Grill who has struggled with leading a normal life, due to her telepathic abilities. Sookie meets Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), the first vampire to visit Bon Temps since they went public about their existence. Sookie learns she cannot hear his thoughts. The following night, Mack (James Jean Parks) and Denise Rattray (Karina Logue) attack Sookie. Bill intervenes, killing Sookie's assailants and saving her life. Sookie meets vampires Liam, Malcom and Diane (Graham Shiels, Andrew Rothenberg, and Aunjanue Ellis) at Bill's house. Bill introduces Sookie as his partner so the other vampires are forbidden to bite her. Frightened, Sookie decides not to speak to Bill any more. When she tells her Gran, Adele Stackhouse (Lois Smith) about her decision, her Gran insists Sookie is afraid Sookie can't tell what someone thinks of her. Sookie and Bill become friends.

Sookie's boss, Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), asks her to check on fellow waitress Dawn Green (Lynn Collins) who has not turned up to work. At Dawn's house, Sookie discovers she has been murdered. Sookie's brother, Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten), had previously been dating Dawn and had had previous relations with Maudette Pickens (Danielle Sapia) who had also previously been murdered. Sookie begins listening to customers at Merlotte's to attempt to discover who killed the victims. Sookie asks Bill to take her to Fangtasia, a vampire bar. Sookie meets bar owner Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and his progeny Pamela Swynford De Beaufort (Kristin Bauer Van Strasen). Eric takes an immediate interest in Sookie upon discovering her telepathy.

Sam asks Sookie out on a date. Sam kisses Sookie but after Sam yells at her for dating a vampire, Sookie takes a cab home, arriving home late. Sookie discovers her Gran dead, the victim of a knife attack. At a wake for Adele Sookie is comforted by her best friend Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley) and Tara's cousin Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis). Jason arrives having only just been told about his Gran's death and slaps Sookie so hard that her whole head spins around, blaming her for their Gran's death. After her Gran's funeral, Sookie finds Bill and the two have sex. Sookie later tells Bill that her uncle Bartlett (Cheyenne Wilbur) sexually abused her.

Liam, Malcolm and Diane take Bill to their house after angering several Merlotte's customers. The vampires house is burnt down and four bodies are discovered. Sookie walks to Bill's house and is attacked. Upon discovering her assailant is Bill the pair have sex. Eric instructs Bill to bring Sookie to Fangtasia so she can use her telepathic powers to help him. Sookie reluctantly agrees, and finds out that she has to listen in on the minds of humans, who Eric suspects of embezzling money from the club. Sookie discovers through human Ginger's (Tara Buck) mind that it was vampire bartender Longshadow (Raoul Trujillo), embezzling the money. Longshadow who was present at the meeting, leaps on Sookie in rage but Bill manages to stake him before he attacks Sookie.

Sookie and Bill arrive at Sookie's house to discover her cat has been killed. Having killed an older vampire, Bill must leave to be put on trial by the American Vampire League. Sookie brings home a stray dog and lets it sleep on her bed. She wakes up in the night and finds the dog gone and lying beside her is a naked Sam. Sookie accuses Sam of being her Gran's killer before she runs and hides in the bathroom. Sam reassures Sookie he is not a murderer but a shape-shifter by turning into a dog in front of her. At Arlene Fowler (Carrie Preston) and Rene Lenier's (Michael Raymond-James) engagement party, Sookie is attacked but is not injured. Sookie reads the thoughts of the killer, discovering that another woman, Cindy, was murdered by him. She tracks down Cindy with Sam's help and discovers that Cindy's brother, Drew Marshall, was accused of killing Cindy but was never charged. Sookie and Sam kiss, interrupted by Bill.

Amy Burley (Lizzy Caplan), Jason's girlfriend, is killed. Sookie visits Jason who has been imprisoned, telling him she is close to finding the killer. Sookie leaves work but can't start her car. Rene offers her a lift home and tells Sookie he will stay with her to protect her. Sookie reads Rene's mind, discovering he is the killer. Sookie runs through the cemetery where Bill rushes to her aid into the sunlight where he begins to burn. Sookie decapitates Rene with a shovel before "burying" Bill. At Merlotte's, Sookie and Tara help Andy Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) into his car but find a dead body inside.

True Blood, Season Two

Sookie's relationship is strained when Jessica Hamby (Deborah Ann Woll), Bill's vampire progeny, arrives. Sookie later discovers Bill killed Sookie's uncle Bartlett because of his sexual abuse of her, angering her. Eric demands Sookie help in discovering a missing vampire, Godric (Allan Hyde). Jessica asks Sookie to take her to visit her family; Sookie agrees on the condition that Jessica doesn't leave the car. Jessica breaks the condition and threatens to kill her father before Bill arrives. On the drive back Sookie gets out of the car, and is attacked in the woods, leaving her scratched and poisoned. Sookie is saved with the help of Dr. Ludwig (Marcia de Rousse). Sookie discovers Lafayette is being held at Fangtasia by Eric, in exchange for his freedom and safety Sookie agrees to help find Godric in Dallas.

Sookie arrives at Dallas where a limousine driver sent by the Fellowship of the Sun attempts to kidnap Sookie. Sookie meets a hotel employee, Barry Horowitz (Chris Coy) who she discovers is also telepathic. Sookie volunteers to infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun after suspicions Godric is being held there. Sookie prepares to infiltrate the church along with Isabel's (Valerie Cruz) human companion Hugo (Christopher Gartin). Sookie reads Steve Newlin's (Michael McMillian) thoughts, discovering the organisation has a vampire in the compound and have been told of Sookie and Hugo's mission. They are taken to the basement to be held. Sookie discovers Hugo is a traitor. Gabe (Greg Collins) beats Hugo up before attempting to rape Sookie. Sookie is saved by Godric who reveals he is there voluntarily. Sookie is broken out of the compound by the Dallas vampires.

At the Dallas vampires nest, an intruder from the Fellowship of the Sun enters the nest, wrapped in silver chains and bullets, detonates a bomb. Sookie is shielded by Eric who sustains a bullet wound. Sookie sucks out the bullet, ingesting some of his blood in the process thus connecting Sookie to Eric. Sookie goes to watch Godric meet the sun, a process in which suicidal vampires wait for sunrise to kill themselves.

Sookie returns to Bon Temps, finding the town in chaos. She also finds Maryann Foster (Michelle Forbes) living there. Sookie learns Maryann was the creature who had attacked her in the woods. Bill bites Maryann whose blood is toxic. Sookie attempts to push Maryann away from Bill, shooting white light from her hands knocking Maryann away who ponders what Sookie truly is. Sookie later returns to her house where Lafayette creates a distraction so she can go inside. Maryann puts Lafayette under her influence and decides to make Sookie her Maid of Honor at her sacrifice ritual. Bill gives Sam to Maryann in exchange for Sookie. Sam is stabbed before he asks Sookie to destroy Maryann's ritual offerings, which she does. Maryann pursues Sookie but is stopped in her path by a bull who she believes to be her God. She is stabbed with the bull's horns who then transforms into Sam having been healed by Bill's blood. Maryann dies. Tara's boyfriend, Eggs (Mehcad Brooks), asks Sookie to help him recover his memories from when he was under Maryann's influence. Egg's discovers he killed while under her influence and holds Andy at knife point before he is shot by Jason. Bill takes Sookie out for dinner before proposing marriage. Initially unsure about her decision Sookie excuses herself but upon deciding to marry Bill she returns to find Bill has been kidnapped.

True Blood, Season Three

Sookie enlists Eric in helping her find Bill. Tara attacks Sookie after she discovers Sookie helped Eggs recover his memories. Sookie and Jessica find the wreckage of Bill's kidnapper's car and a body with an Operation Werewolf tattoo. Sookie notices a man watching her from the woods and she and Terry later find wolf prints there. Eric speaks to Sookie outside her house, telling her about a pack of werewolves who take vampire blood. Sookie invites Eric inside when he senses someone lurking nearby. A wolf appears about to attack Eric, but Sookie shoots it. Before the wolf, who transforms back into a man, is killed by Eric, Sookie hears him think about Jackson, Mississippi. Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello) later arrives having been sent by Eric to protect Sookie when she travels to Jackson to find Bill. Sookie is captured by the king of vampires and questioned. Meanwhile, Tara is held against her will by one of his minions, Frank. Outwitting him she rescues Sookie and she and Alcide rescue a tortured, chained and weakened Bill.

While he is being transported in Alcide's van, Bill attacks Sookie, drinking copious amounts of her blood. Sookie is taken to hospital after Tara kicks Bill out into the sunlight. Sookie remains comatose after doctors fail to discover her blood type. Sookie meets Claudine (Lara Pulver) in a dream state. Bill, who had been able to walk in the sunlight, gives Sookie his blood at the hospital. Sookie ends her relationship with Bill. Debbie Pelt (Brit Morgan), Alcide's ex-girlfriend and Cooter's girlfriend before he was killed, arrives at Sookie's house along with two werewolves. Bill and Jessica arrive, attacking the werewolves. Debbie and Sookie fight. Sookie and Bill reunite.

Sookie meets up with her cousin Hadley Hale (Lindsey Haun) who asks her to determine whether her son, Hunter (Max Charles), is telepathic, which Sookie discovers he is. Bill tells Sookie that she is part faerie and her blood allowed him to walk in the sunlight. Sookie and Eric kiss. Eric then locks Sookie up in Fangtasia's basement. She is soon after freed by Eric's employee. Sookie leaves Fangtasia with Bill, but they are stopped on their way back to Bon Temps by Russell and Eric, who take them back to Fangtasia. Eric and Russell drink from Sookie so they can walk in the sun. Eric has himself handcuffed to Russell as he plans to meet the sun with him once the effects of Sookie's blood has worn off. Sookie saves Eric and Russell. Bill later arrives, telling Sookie Russell and Eric are dead. Eric arrives, telling Sookie Bill was sent by the Queen of Louisiana to learn more about her. She tells Bill and Eric to leave. Sookie goes to her Gran's grave where Claudine and a group of other fairies suddenly arrive who take her away into a glowing light.

True Blood, Season Four

Sookie is transported to the home place of the fairies where she finds her grandfather, Earl (Gary Cole). Sookie learns she is in danger and manages to escape with her grandfather who swiftly dies when in the human world due old age catching up with him after being away from Earth for so long where he didn't age. Sookie learns she has been gone from the human world for a year in which time she was presumed dead and Jason sold her house. Eric later arrives, telling Sookie he now owns her house and she is his. Sookie later drives past Eric who has lost his memory. Pam asks Sookie to hide Eric from the witch coven who wiped his memory, to which she reluctantly agrees. Claudine later arrives asking Sookie to return to the faerie realm, to which she refuses. Eric then feeds on Claudine, killing her.

Tara warns Sookie away from Eric, listing his wrongdoing against Sookie which Eric hears. Eric runs away ashamed but Eric and Sookie soon after kiss. Bill, now King of Louisiana, arrests Eric, believing he is a threat Eric is sentenced to death. Eric is released after appealing to Bill's love for Sookie. Sookie and Eric then passionately make love.

The vampires and coven meet along with Sookie, who hears Marnie casting a spell. A fight ensues and Sookie is shot. The coven leader, Marnie Stonebrook (Fiona Shaw), casts a spell on Eric putting him under her control. Alcide rescues Sookie, taking her to her home where Bill heals her with his blood. Debbie offers to help Sookie rescue Eric by creating a diversion so Sookie can sneak into the witch's rendezvous point. Sookie finds Eric and in the process discovers Marnie's plan to use Eric to kill Bill at a vampire festival. Sookie arrives at the festival to warn Bill where Eric and other vampires under Marnie's control attack Bill and kill humans to create chaos and discredit vampires as safe. Sookie shoots the white energy out of her hands at Eric, breaking Marnie's spell on him. Sookie discovers the vampires plan to kill Marnie at Moon Goddess Emporium, the coven's meeting place where Tara is trapped. Worrying Tara will die in the fight Sookie, along with Lafayette and Jesus Velasquez (Kevin Alejandro), tries to retrieve her from Moon Goddess Emporium but Sookie, Lafayette and Jesus too are ultimately trapped inside.

Bill and Eric strike a deal with Marnie, if they walk into the barrier surrounding the shop which will kill them, Marnie will let Sookie leave. Pam fires a rocket at the barrier angering Eric as Sookie could have been harmed. The coven begin casting a spell to make Eric and Bill walk into the barrier but Sookie hits the coven with the energy from her hands, stopping the spell. Marnie casts a spell, encircling Sookie in fire. Sookie is saved when Lafayette and Jesus break the spell connecting Marnie and a spirit which has been giving her her immense power. The barrier is broken and Eric and Bill kill Marnie.

Sookie, Tara and Holly Cleary (Lauren Bowles) find Bill and Eric being held captive by Marnie who has now taken over Lafayette's body. Several spirits rise, including Sookie's Gran, telling Marnie to let go of the living world which she does, leaving Lafayette's body and freeing Bill and Eric. Sookie's Gran tells Sookie that being alone is not bad. Sookie soon after tells Eric and Bill that she loves them both but can't decide who she wants to be with so she wants to be alone. Debbie who has recently ended her relationship with Alcide and blames his feelings for Sookie breaks into Sookie's house with a gun. Debbie points the gun at Sookie but Sookie is knocked out of the way by Tara who takes a bullet to the head. Sookie wrestles the gun from Debbie, killing her. Sookie then cradles Tara crying out for help.

True Blood, Season Five

Pam appears in search for Eric, meanwhile Tara has been killed. Sookie and Lafayette ask Pam to turn Tara into a vampire which she agrees to if Sookie will fix the relationship between Eric and Pam. Alcide visits Sookie, revealing Russell is back despite Sookie believing he is dead. Sookie and Lafayette go to Lafayette's house where the dead body of Jesus has gone. Sookie and Lafayette await Tara's rising but when Pam rises from the ground Tara is assumed dead. Tara then rises before she attacks Sookie. Sookie is unharmed but she and Lafayette struggle to control Tara. Andy asks Sookie about Debbie after she is declared missing. Alcide arrives later at Merlotte's where Sookie tells him of Debbie's fate. Alcide tells Debbie's parents that Debbie is dead, although he does not tell them Sookie killed her. Alcide informs Sookie, who kisses Alcide. Alcide and Sookie go to Sookie's bedroom but are interrupted by Eric and Bill. Sookie helps Eric and Bill find Russell by reading the mind of a witness to Russell being dug up who had previously been glamoured into forgetting the event. They find Russell but as they get to him, Alcide is attacked by a wolf. The Vampire Authority saves them. Eric glamours Alcide and Bill pretends to glamour Sookie. Sookie recovers Alcide's memory when she realises Eric glamoured Alcide in to believing Sookie repulsed him romantically.

Eric and Bill return to The Authority and are praised as allies. The Authority praises their god Lilith and the idea of vampires mainstreaming shifts. Soon, chaos occurs within The Authority and the new intent of changing the vampire revolution around the world begins. Eric's alliances are challenged while Bill makes an unexpected decision. Eric seeks Sookie's help in the chaos, which only leads to more unexpected twists and damaging relationships.

Jason tells Sookie he has visited a faery club where he saw Hadley who told him he is not safe as a vampire killed his parents. Sookie and Jason go to the faery club where Claude (Giles Matthey), Claudine's brother, tells her that her parents were murdered by a vampire due to a bandage with Sookie's blood on it. Sookie leaves and after being told her faery powers are finite she begins attempting to use them up on the night sky so she can lead a normal life. Sookie is stopped by Jason. Sookie, along with Jason, Claude and Claude's sisters visit the site of Sookie's parents deaths. Using faery powers Sookie was unaware she harboured, she uses her psychic connection to her family to view the scenes of her parents deaths. Sookie psychically connects to the vampire and she sees Claudine who calls the vampire Warlow and tells him to stay away from Sookie. Claude tells Sookie she should not have been able to connect to the vampire. Sookie later psychically sees Warlow who tells her she is next.

True Blood, Season Six

In order to save Eric, Sookie attempts to stake Bill, only to find that it has no effect on him. After agreeing to stay away from her, Sookie is free to return to her normal life. On her way to work, she comes across a seemingly injured faery/human who goes by the name Ben Flynn. Ben and Sookie's grandfather, a faery king named Niall Brigant, offer to help her fight the mysterious faery/vampire Warlow, who has escaped from the dimension he was banished to by Claudine. Sookie later learns that Ben is actually Warlow, and that his faery half gives him the power to daywalk. She also learns that Warlow killed her parents to save her, after they intended on killing Sookie to "protect" her from him. Warlow proposes to Sookie and reveals he wishes to make her his faery/vampire bride, to which Sookie disagrees.

At Terry Bellefleur's funeral, Sookie finally confronts the town's suspicions about her being different by revealing that she is a telepath.

True Blood, Season Seven

Groups of vampires infected with hepatitis V terrorize Bon Temps. Sookie's boyfriend (Alcide) is shot and killed. Sookie becomes unknowingly infected with hepatitis V and passes hepatitis V to Bill when he feeds from her. Bill refuses to drink from Sarah Newlin and be cured. He asks Sookie to kill him. Sookie refuses to give up her fairy light, but stakes Bill in his coffin. Fast-forwarding into the future, Sookie is pregnant with the child of an unnamed, bearded man.

Romantic relationships

• Sam Merlotte (first season TV series; first novel and last)
• Bill Compton (novel; TV series)
• Eric Northman (novel; TV series)
• John Quinn (novel)
• Ben Flynn/Macklyn Warlow (TV series)
• Alcide Herveaux (novel; TV series)

References

• Harris, Charlaine (2011). The Sookie Stackhouse Companion. Gollancz. ISBN 0575097140.

1. Harris 2011, p.12.
2. Ely, Melvin Patrick (2004). Israel on the Appomattox: A Southern Experiment in Black Freedom from the 1790s Through the Civil War. Vintage Books. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-679-76872-2. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
3. "Interview with Charlaine Harris". TheAuthorHour.com. CharlaineHarris.com. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
4. Harris 2011, p.319.
5. Harris 2011, p.320.
6. "Anna Paquin finds 'True' calling for HBO". TV.com. CBS Interactive. 26 February 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
7. Bonner, Mehera (30 September 2011). "Charlaine Harris Doesn't See Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse!". wetpaint. Wetpaint Entertainment. Retrieved 26 June 2012.

External links

• Character profile on the HBO website