Break it down: The Vampire Diaries

There are a lot of vampires in Mystic Falls now that the Salvatore brothers are back in town. So much so that it gets a little confusing. So here's a quick breakdown of vampires on the show so far.

The Salvatore Brothers are Stefan and Damon Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. Stefan's in town to figure out why the heck main character Elena Gilbert (Nina Debrev) looks so much like his (and his brothers...eww) ex-lover Katherine Peirce, the vampire seductress that turned them both. Turns out Elena isn't a Gilbert at all but a Pierce. She was "adopted" right when she was born by her parents.

Damon's motives are a bit more complex. At a glance it seemed that Damon was in town to wreck havoc on Stefan's life but now it seems that Kathrine isn't as dead as once thought. He's searching for a way to open a tomb with Kathrine and twenty something other sleeping vampires in it.

Enter Anna or rather Anabelle, who is after the same thing. To open the tomb and awaken the vampires within.

One vampire in particular seems to be at the heart of her mission. In flashbacks in the last episode "Children of the Damned" Anna, called Anabelle back then is always within reach of her "mother" Pearl.

Ben, Anna's accomplice. A fairly new vampire, he was changed by Anna to get an in with the teens in Mystic Falls. Ben was a former high school football star but since graduating didn't go anywhere and ended up bartending at a local hangout. So far the plan is to get friendly with Bonnie Bennet, Elena's best friend and also a witch related to Katherine's handmaiden Emily back in the day. She was kidnapped last episode. In the grand scheme of things I don't see Ben lasting very long.

Kathrine Peirce, Sleeping. Selfishly turned both Salvatore brothers wanting them all to get along in a very twisted love triangle with her at the center. Once thought dead, burned in the towns old church it turns out that her handmaiden Emily sealed her and the other vampires in a tomb in the church to keep them safe from the fire.

Pearl, Sleeping. Most likely Anna's creator, Pearl lived in Mystic Falls back in the day. She was in love with Jonathon Gilbert, but upon discovering she was a vampire he turned on her and had her "burned" in the church.

Noah, Deceased. An older vampire. Stupidly got caught up in the fact that Elena looks like Katherine. His obsession with messing with her ended in his death.

Vicki Donovan, Deceased. Vicki was Elena's brother Jeremy's love interest, Elena's ex-boyfriend Matt Donovan's little sister, as well as Tyler Lockwood's on again off again girlfriend. Quite a mouthful huh? Seriously messed up on drugs and family problems not to mention countless attacks by Damon finally resulting in her death and rebirth as a vampire. She tried to take Jeremy and turn him. Stefan had to kill her before she killed Elena right in front of Jeremy. He doesn't remember anything though cause Elena had Damon erase his pain and memory of the event.

Lexi, Deceased. Stefan's best friend. She comes to visit him for his 162nd birthday and is tragically set up and murdered by Damon to take the fall for recent deaths in the town. Her death helps The Founders Council believe the vampire threat has ended and takes the heat off the Salvatore brothers much to Stefan's chagrin.

Logan Fell, Deceased. Can't seem to find a picture for Logan sadly. Anyway, Logan was Jenna Sommer's(Elena and Jeremy's aunt) ex-boyfriend from high school. Became the local news reporter, and a member of the Founders Council. Went hunting for vamps and got killed. Sadly it was his blood that Vicki finally drank (after he died) after resisting for a whole day (such restraint ) to became a vampire. Alaric Saltzman, not a vampire as once previously thought. He sports a fancy ring much like Stefan and Damon's that help them go out in the sunlight. Turns out he a Van Helsing-like character out for revenge against Damon for killing his wife Isabel (strangely the same name as Eleana's birth mother...dun dun dun! The plot thickens!). Killed Logan.

Not to be outdone, there also seems to be a werewolf in Mystic Falls as well. In an earlier episode, after Vicki's death and Jeremy's all well adjusted in attempt to put the past behind them Jeremy tries to befriend once enemy Tyler Lockwood only to be punched out. After Jeremy asks what the heck is wrong with him in a classic scene Tyler shouts that he doesn't know, fixes his jacket and walks off as the camera angles towards the full moon! Chilling and very exciting for supernatural enthusiast such as myself.

Well that took forever and I'm very tired for the effort. Hopefully I'm not forgetting anyone. If I am, comment below :-P