First Kill is Netflix's new supernatural sapphic romance, and if its first season is any indication, viewers have a lot to look forward to as its doomed love story continues. Vampire Juliette and monster hunter Cal feel an immediate connection, and most of the episodes center on their desire to be together despite their families' wishes. Unlike other star-crossed lovers' narratives, First Kill tells both families' stories, and viewers get to know the nuance involved in the teens' upbringings and cultural ties.
Though family is deeply important to both protagonists, it's often difficult for their family members to actually like each other. However, viewers are able to see each character's arc evolve for better or worse, and their favorite character will likely change a few times while watching the first season.
Jack Burns
By the end of Season 1, viewers don't know much about Jack Burns' backstory, other than that his first wife, Theo's mom, was killed by a vampire. Jack is often away on missions for the Guardian Guild, an elite organization of monster hunters. When he's home, Jack is a strict parent and trainer who doesn't cut his kids much slack when they make mistakes.
The end of the show's first season leaves Jack with an impossible decision to make—but he may lose viewers' empathy with his closed-minded thinking concerning monsters versus humans.
Elinor Fairmont
Elinor comes off as the cool older sister in the beginning of the series, and she seems willing to help Juliette navigate coming of age struggles as a vampire. And besides her familial responsibilities, Elinor answers to no one, exuding enviable confidence in every interaction she has.
However, viewers soon see the darker side of Elinor's inheritance as a Legacy vampire and her emotional disconnection from humanity becomes more apparent. As Juliette struggles to maintain her empathy, Elinor actively discourages it, even trying to trick her into giving up her principles and kill the people she feeds on.
Apollo Burns
Apollo is a character with a great deal of room for growth, which viewers begin to see toward the end of Season 1. He is stubborn, narrow-minded, and far from a team player, which are problematic traits when you come from a family of monster hunters.
Related: The 10 Best Netflix Original Shows Based On Comics
Though he admires his brother Theo, he doesn't try to emulate his positive traits. However, viewers begin to see some growth in Apollo when Theo is in grave danger, though this development may feel too little too late.
Margot Fairmont
Viewers meet Margot Fairmont as a buttoned-up wife and mother who is as disdainful of the humans she meets as her Legacy vampire community. She appears to be the primary party pressuring Juliette to make her first kill, and seems to have little empathy for Juliette's predicament as a daughter of a human-turned-vampire.
But as the series continues, Margot is rounded out as a character—she has bitingly funny interactions with Cal's mom, Talia, fights against her own domineering mother's expectations for her and her family, and stands by her husband, who she married against her mother's wishes. Besides Juliette and Cal, this pair is an excellent example of couple goals in First Kill. Overall, Margot may be a character with a larger redemption arc than most.
Sebastian Fairmont
Juliette and Elinor's dad is introduced as a tough, yet kind-hearted person who, like Juliette, seems to struggle between his human instincts and his identity as a vampire. He blends into the town as the District Attorney, but he becomes a pariah in the community when others accuse him of having a soft spot for monsters.
When Sebastian is gravely ill, his mother-in-law is persuaded to turn him into a full Legacy vampire, a process which remains mysterious, though it includes the Legacy's beloved snake, the Emerald Malkia from the biblical Garden of Eden. Though First Kill definitely isn't too scary for TV, the later scenes involving Sebastian's transformation are deeply unsettling, and may indicate that things will change for the worse for this character in Season 2.
Talia Burns
Cal's mother Talia initially presents a collected and tough exterior to the world, though it becomes clear that she is softer when it comes to her family. She verbally spars with Juliette's mom Margot and is a fierce advocate for Cal's wellbeing, whether that means kidnapping Oliver Fairmont as collateral for Cal's safe return or understanding that Cal needed a second chance to have her first monster kill.
Ultimately, viewers are on Talia's side as she fights for her family's safety, and by the end of Season 1 she even begins to see the humanity in monsters. Unfortunately, her judgment in monsters may not be as sound as her daughter Cal's.
Theo Burns
Theo starts off as the most cool-headed Burns, demonstrating superior monster hunting technique and acting with maturity in difficult situations. Though he and Apollo butt heads when things go south, Theo is deeply connected to his family. Their brotherly bond is reminiscent of other family monster hunting shows like Supernatural, which makes their dynamic in First Kill feel vaguely nostalgic.
As Theo begins to obsess over his mother's death, he seems to become an increasing threat to the Legacies' bloodline, problematizing his character in the plot arc. However, his fate at the end of Season 1 has likely changed his monster hunting career for good.
Ben Wheeler
Ben is arguably the most forgiving, reliable character in the series; even after finding out his best friend kept her identity a secret from him, he learns to accept her for who she is. Ben becomes a trio with the show's main duo, adding a set of wheels and his insider knowledge on the Mothers Against All Monsters movement, aka M.A.A.M., which is headed up by his own mom.
Though Ben goes through some difficult times with his closeted boyfriend Ben, who is unfortunately killed by a zombie, he remains a steadfast friend to Juliette and advocates that not all monsters are evil.
Juliette Fairmont
Since she is the series' protagonist, it's important that viewers understand and respect Juliette's decisions and motivations. Though the young vampire has an instinctual desire for human blood, she fights against it and refuses to kill to feed, which lends her the moral edge over her family members.
She makes mistakes, but ultimately strives for good in every situation, fulfilling her role as a caring daughter, sister, and friend to the best of her abilities. And, of course, Juliette's likability has a lot to do with providing plenty of steamy moments with her love interest Cal, which make First Kill a prime example of the sapphic TV storylines that viewers have been craving.
Calliope "Cal" Burns
Cal is clearly the series' true badass, as she shows off her monster fighting chops when she kills zombie "Smashley" in the school's cafeteria. Coming from a family of monster fighters hasn't made Cal's life easy, but she's been remarkably resilient through her family's near-constant moving and strict training regime.
When Cal and Juliette fall for each other, it becomes clear that there's nothing she won't do for the people she loves. Even if their relationship is doomed, the viewers can always take Cal's side, since she's level-headed, kind, and wise beyond her years. Plus, it may be easier to root for a human protagonist amidst a town filled with monsters, even the ones trying to be good.