Jenna (2024)

Jenna is a college student turned vampire. She appears in What We Do in the Shadows (TV series).

Biography[]

Human Life[]

Jenna was a college student attending the Staten Island Community College. She was a keen LARPer and roleplayed as an elf character named "Jenelf". She shared a dorm room with Shanice, a fellow LARPer, and had a long-distance boyfriend (whom she communicated with via webcam) though they never met in person.^[1]

Because of her interest in LARPing, Guillermo believed that Jenna and her fellow LARPers were virgins (an assumption which turned out to be correct). He lured Jenna and her friend Jonathan to the house of his master, Nandor, so that they could be used as food to celebrate a visit from Baron Afanas. However, before they could be eaten they were found by Colin Robinson, who drained both of them of their energy and left their blood unsuitable for feeding. As the Baron had gone back into a slumber, they were allowed to leave alive.^[2]

Nandor, Laszlo and Nadja later eavesdrop on a LARPers meeting, with the intention of feeding on some of the attendees, however they are so depressed by the sights that they see that they elect simply to leave. However, Nadja took pity on Jenna after seeing her being bullied and mistreated by the other LARPers. She followed Jenna and talked with her on her walk home and discussed transforming her into a vampire, which Jenna misinterpreted as flirting due to Nadja's sexual language. Nadja then bit Jenna's neck and shared a flask of her blood with her, beginning her transformation into a vampire.^[1]

Life As A Vampire[]

Jenna began experiencing the heavy illness which accompanies the transformation, becoming pale and projectile vomiting. At one point she appeared physically dead, leading to Shanice calling an ambulance, though when paramedics tried to transport her apparent corpse off-campus, she woke up and rushed back indoors.^[3] She attempted to sate her growing hunger for blood by killing and eating animals, but to no avail.

Nadja, who had been watching Jenna's struggle from afar, then reappeared to Jenna and committed to teaching her how to live as a vampire and to complete her transition by killing a human and drinking their blood. They attended a frat party on her community college campus, where Jenna, frustrated at being ignored by the party-goers, first displayed her unique power of turning invisible. She immediately put her newfound powers to use by dragging the singer of the attending ska band out of the house and drinking his blood in the bushes outside.^[4]

Her first night as a true vampire complete, Jenna admitted to Nadja that it had been the best night of her life. She suggested that they watch the sunrise together to celebrate, with the two wearing motorcycle helmets to avoid being burned by the sunlight. However, this plan failed and the two were forced to retreat indoors after they started burning.^[4]

Jenna never returned to college and Shanice realized what had happened to her. As Shanice considered Jenna to be her first real friend, Shanice was so devastated that she joined a vampire hunting group, the The Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area.^[5] She encouraged the group to infiltrate the house that Jenna received her vampire training in, but this led to disaster as Shanice got the house mixed up with that of another vampire household.^[6]

Personality[]

Jenna is a very shy and quiet girl that has trouble standing up for herself. Jenna does appear to suffer from self esteem issues as she allows people to walk over her, both in her personal life when other larpers didn't allow her to participate. And in her romantic life when her boyfriend tells her what she likes sexually. Jenna may be soft spoken but she is very friendly and approachable person who always greats someone with a smile.

Jenna at her core is a kind and sweet girl who has seemingly adjusted well to her new life as a vampire.

Relationships[]

Larpers[]

The LARP group that Jenna was apart of brought her much joy and fun in her life but there were some members who didn't seem to like or respect Jenna enough to allow her to join certain activities.

Nadja[]

The relationship that Jenna and Nadja have is close to that of mother and daughter. When Nadja first met Jenna she felt bad for the way the other members of Jenna's LARP group were treating her, so Nadja decided to turn her into a vampire and take Jenna under her wing. The two get along very well and share many tender moments in the short time we see them together.

Online Boyfriend[]

Almost nothing is known about Jenna's online boyfriend. It is hinted that their relationship may be toxic and that he is controlling. Jenna states that her boyfriend decides what she does and doesn't like in their sexual relationship.

Shanice[]

Shanice and Jenna were best friends, roommates at college and members of the same LARP group. When Shanice realised that Jenna had been turned into a vampire she joined the Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area out of anger.

Powers & Abilities[]

Common Powers[]

Jenna has all the common abilities of a vampire which include:

• Immortality: Vampires do not age past the point from when they were turned and are thus unable to die from old age.
• Enhanced Strength: Jenna is easily able to throw a full-grown human across a room or fling them into a wall, breaking it.
• Enhanced Speed: Vampires are able to move extremely quickly, appearing as a blur.
• Enhanced Durability: Vampires are able to shrug off mortal wounds that would kill a normal human.
• Enhanced Senses: Vampires have heightened senses, including enhanced hearing, smell and the ability to see in the dark. Jenna could hear Guillermo whispering while she was outside the vampire's house.
• Flight: Vampires can levitate off the ground and fly unassisted. (Jenna is never seen doing this so it is unknown if Nadja taught her how to fly)
• Hypnosis: Vampires possess a form of mind control through eye-contact and verbal commands. They can compel their victims to follow orders or erase their memories. (Jenna is never seen doing this so it is unknown if Nadja taught her how to hypnotize humans)
• Shapeshifting: A vampires can transform into different animal forms, such as bats or canines. Jenna isn't very good at shapeshifting, when she tries she turns into a slightly larger and ugly bat-human hybrid form.
• Regenerative Healing Factor: A vampire's body will heal quickly when wounded.
• Wall Crawling: A vampire can climb walls without the use of tools or any kind of equipment. (Jenna isn't very good at wall crawling, despite Nadja's help)

Unique Abilities[]

Jenna is among those vampires that has abilities unique to her. Jenna's common vampiric powers are lack luster but she more than makes up for it with a very special ability, rare even among vampires.

• Invisibility: Jenna, at will, can turn herself completely invisible. Not only can no one see her, humans can't even hear her while she is screaming in their face.

Weaknesses[]

Jenna has all the weaknesses that come with being a vampire:

• Sunlight: Will burn in sunlight, with even small amounts of exposure causing her to start smoking.
• Wooden Stake: A wooden stake to the heart will instantly kill her.
• Decapitation: If Jenna's head is cut off her will die.
• Holy Water: Contact will cause her skin to burn.
• Garlic: Contact will cause her skin to burn.
• Silver: Contact will cause her skin to burn.
• Salt: Contact will cause her skin to burn.
• Blood Diet: Without blood, Jenna will grow weak and become decrepit in appearance over time.
• Invitation: Jenna cannot enter a home or premises without an invitation from the owner.
• Religious Imagery: Will harm or frighten her. Prolonged exposure will cause her to burn and bleed from the eyes, even references as small as crossed fingers can repel her.
• Religious Phrases: Her mouth will catch fire if she tries to say religious phrases sincerely.
• Homeland Soil: Jenna cannot rest or regain her vampiric powers without sleeping within close proximity to soil from her place of birth.

Trivia[]

• Since Jenna was turned by Nadja, Jenna could be considered Laszlo's vampiric sister.
• It is implied that Jenna may be bisexual. She has a boyfriend online and didn't reject Nadja when she thought she was flirting with her and seemed to enjoy being bitten.

Appearances[]

• What We Do in the Shadows (TV series)
  • Season 1: "Pilot", "City Council", "Manhattan Night Club", "Citizenship"

References[]