Vampire Academy For Beginners: A Guide to the VA World

With so many vampire-centric TV shows and movies nowadays, it can be hard to keep track of all the differences. Vampire Academy is the latest film featuring bloodsuckers and, naturally, has its own terms for different kinds of vampires. So, to prevent you from getting all confused in the theater, we're breaking down the VA world. The film, which opens this weekend, is based on Richelle Mead's popular YA novel of the same name and revolves around Rose (Zoey Deutch) and Lissa (Lucy Fry), two best friends who are dragged back to their school for supernatural beings after escaping for shadowy reasons. Read on to get the scoop on who's good, who's bad, and everything in between.

Moroi: Basically these are "living" vampires — the good guys. All Moroi, including Lissa, need blood to live, but they also possess magic. Each one specializes in a certain element: earth, water, fire, or air. Though they have these gifts, using them is not allowed, especially for personal gain. Physically, most Moroi girls have slight, slim builds, and they can tolerate some sunlight.

Dhampir: These are a strange hybrid of Moroi and human. Because of a genetic glitch, Dhampirs can't have children with each other, but they can reproduce with Moroi. This is part of why Dhampir want to protect the Moroi, because without them, their race would die out. Dhampir girls — including Rose — are curvier, and they are attractive to Moroi men as "exotic" conquests.

Strigoi: These are the bad guys. Technically, they're the "undead" vampires, unable to go out in the sun at all. There are a couple of ways to make a Strigoi: either a Strigoi can forcibly turn a human, Dhampir, or Moroi with one bite, or a Moroi can become a Strigoi by choice by purposely killing another person while feeding on his blood. That second route is considered really dark and twisted. Strigoi can be killed one of three ways: with a stake through the heart, by cutting off its head, or by setting it on fire.

Guardian: A Dhampir who volunteers to undergo strict training to protect a Moroi.

Novice: This is a guardian-in-training. Novices are attending Vampire Academy to learn who to protect the Moroi they'll be assigned to after graduation.

Psi hound: Magical creatures that roam the earth. They travel in packs and look like mutant wolves.

Feeders: Humans who volunteer to donate blood to feed Moroi. Because Moroi saliva triggers an endorphin rush when it enters the bloodstream and causes a high, these people are generally regarded as addicts. Though they're necessary to Moroi survival, the feeders are looked down upon as drug users.