HBO's True Blood spanned seven seasons and 81 episodes, including the pilot, with four of its main characters appearing in every episode. Spanning from 2008 to 2014, the show became a fan favorite for the network, and there is even a True Blood reboot in the works. Despite the series heavily featuring vampires, only one actually makes it into every episode, however.
Based on a set of novels by Charlaine Harris, the series takes place in a world where vampires have recently revealed themselves to the public and integrated themselves into society by living amongst humans in what they call "mainstreaming." True Blood's protagonist is a human/fairy hybrid named Sookie Stackhouse, who falls in love with a 174-year-old vampire named Bill Compton. The show is known for its colorful cast of characters that includes all kinds of mythical creatures, including werewolves, shapeshifters, witches, and even a maenad. Despite True Blood having a disappointing ending, the show was praised for its edgy and progressive tone.
Some of the characters who appeared most often have a self-explanatory reason for it. Sookie and Bill aren't surprising since they are the main characters, but others are a testament to the popularity of their characters. Lafayette's character was actually killed in Charlaine's second book, but the popularity of the character's TV adaptation convinced the showrunners to keep the character around for the show's duration. It is likely the same for Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's loveable, sometimes dimwitted brother. Lafayette's cousin Tara Thornton, portrayed by Rutina Wesley, came close to appearing in every episode, but Wesley got the role once it was recast after the pilot. Here are all four characters who appeared in every single episode of True Blood.
Sookie Stackhouse
True Blood's main protagonist is Sookie Stackhouse, portrayed by Anna Paquin. Originally thought to be just a telepath, it is revealed that she is a halfling, a hybrid of a human and a fairy. Due to Sookie's magical heritage, many vampires in the series are drawn to her, even becoming her love interests like Bill Compton and Eric Northman. Her fairy bloodline is royal, with her being a descendant of Niall Brigant, the King of the Fae. Throughout the series, Sookie struggles with her magical identity because it allows her to read people's deepest thoughts, making it hard for her to form relationships, romantic or platonic. However, she can not hear the thoughts of some magical creatures, such as vampires, which is why she is also drawn to them as well.
Bill Compton
Bill Compton was one of the oldest characters in the series at 174 years old at the show's beginning. Bill (Stephen Moyer) was turned into a vampire after the Civil War and was one of the original residents of Bon Temps, where the show takes place. He is also Sookie's primary love interest, with an on-again/off-again relationship throughout the series. The former Confederate soldier holds many unique distinctions in True Blood, such as being the only character to kill someone in every season, including several prominent characters. This statistic stands out as Bill is usually portrayed as mild-mannered and is not one of the more violent vampires taking up residence near Bon Temps. Notably, Bill also becomes the antagonist in later seasons after denouncing mainstreaming in favor of the Sanguanista movement. The movement believed that humans were primarily food for vampires, who were created in God's image. Bill met the "True Death" in season 7 at the hands of Sookie to prevent him from further suffering from the Hep-V disease plaguing many vampires.
Jason Stackhouse
Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) is the older brother of Sookie Stackhouse and a deputy of the Renard Parish Police Department, a fictional parish where Bon Temps is located. Jason worked for the parish road crew in the show's first three seasons. Unlike Sookie, Jason did not inherit the powers of the Fae, but because of his bloodline, he is attractive and naturally seductive. He is the town lothario, engaging in numerous relationships with women throughout the show's run. The older Stackhouse sibling is known for comedic mental lapses and charming simplicity. Though nothing is set in stone, Jason's character would make sense to return in the True Blood reboot if any of the original cast appear.
Lafayette Reynolds
The last character to appear in every episode is Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis). Lafayette is a cook at Bellefleur's Bar & Grill, formerly Merlotte's, and a cousin to Tara Thornton. Known for his flamboyant style and charm, Lafayette was, in many ways, the show's backbone. He was always there to support many of the show's main characters regardless of the situation. As the series progressed, it was revealed that Lafayette was a spirit medium that could see and communicate with the dead. This ability proved pivotal in the latter seasons as many characters went to Lafayette when any spiritual or supernatural occurrences happened. His character was immensely popular, established by the fact that he was kept around despite Lafayette being killed in the True Blood books.
Barely missing the cut is Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard), who appeared in 76 episodes of True Blood. The show's longevity is a measure of its success, released during a time when the vampire genre was very popular with other shows like The Vampire Diaries and the Twilight movie series. The genre has declined in the last decade, but the future reboot could renew interest.