‘Vampire Diaries’ Season 8 Spoilers: What Is A Siren? 6 Things To Know About The Villain And Her Mythology

“The Vampire Diaries” revealed their new big bad in the Season 8 premiere, and as promised, she has some deep roots in mythology. Sybil, played by Nathalie Kelley, is a siren who is controlling Damon and Enzo. Though the CW drama gave a little bit of information about the creature, there are some other things you should know, especially if you aren’t up to date on Greek mythology. A little background on the mythical creatures might come in handy later this season.

1. Songs — Viewers already heard Sybil’s song at the end of the premiere, but typically a song would be used to lure men in. Once they heard the song, the men would be under a siren’s control.

2. Birds — A lot of different myths with sirens depict the women as part bird. Some described them as having bird feet, feathers or even wings. Sybil’s human body looked pretty standard, but we’ll have to wait to see if she has any bird-like talents.

3. Two — The final season of “The Vampire Diaries” seems to be relying heavily on Homer’s “Odyssey,” where the author notes that there are two sirens. Will “TVD” follow his lead? Damon (Ian Somerhalder) told Enzo (Michael Malarkey), “If you care for nothing, they can see nothing.” It certainly sounds like there is more than just Sybil.

4. Targets — Again, this varies throughout different myths, but it’s already pretty clear that Sybil is targeting people who have done some dishonorable things.

5. Killing — Using the men they control as minions is definitely a “Vampire Diaries” twist. Typically, they attract their own victims who die shortly after meeting the sirens.

6. Weakness — There aren’t many ways to defeat Sirens. Enzo showed off Homer’s advice, which is just to plug your ears with wax and tie up any affected man until they’re out of the sirens’ range. However, Hyginus’ “Fabulae No. 141” notes that meeting anyone with the inexplicable ability to resist the sirens’ song causes the creatures to commit suicide. Will Enzo and Damon be able to save themselves if their willpower is strong enough?

It still isn’t clear just how much “The Vampire Diaries” will take from mythology and how much the writers will create. However, it’s obvious that Sybil is just as, if not even more, evil than the myths about her. It seems like audiences will watch her manipulate the vampires even more in the coming Season 8 episodes. According to her character’s description (via TVLine), she “uses her immeasurable power and influence to control other people, manipulating them into twisted games and tests for her own amusement and glorification.” Her character just might be darker than any of the myths yet.

“The Vampire Diaries” Season 8, the final season, airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EDT on The CW.