10 best vampires in anime

The best vampires in anime are popular all year round, not just around Halloween. Monsters that prey on humans, drink their blood, and turn them into ghosts have been part of the mythology of many cultures for thousands of years. Humans’ collective fear of disease, death, and the possibility of hiding in the dark has given rise to some of the most recognizable character types of all time.

Japanese mythology doesn’t contain vampires – at least not in the traditional Western sense – but since the creature first made its way into cinema, many media have embraced it, including anime. From lustful and seductive to terrifying and brutal, anime has put some truly original spins on vampires while staying true to their core premise.

10 Servamps

Servamp (2016) – Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Amazon Prime.

One of the best dark fantasy anime revolves around the concept of vampires, involving the worst of human sinfulness. Mahiru Shirota learns this the hard way when he stumbles upon a family of Servamps, seven ancient vampires who each embody one of the Seven Deadly Sins. They were the first vampires ever created, and the most powerful.

Servamps can change between human and animal form at will, though sunlight forces the transformation. Each possessed a variety of personal powers, from Hyde’s swordplay to Kuro’s claws and thorns. Unlike other vampires who control human servants, Servamps are required to make contracts with their human masters or Heves in order to survive.

9 Alucard

Hellsing: Ultimate (2006) – Available on Hulu

Alucard is probably the most famous anime vampire out there. Like the original Alucard from the 1943 film Son of Dracula, his name is an alias for his true identity as Count Dracula. Also, like the original Alucard, he is immortally devoted to a human woman, who will do anything to protect her: in his case, Integra has protected Hellsing since she was a child.

Decades later, his vast powers are still feared by his enemies and allies alike, and he is the protagonist of the Hellsing Organization. Alucard can do everything from walking through walls to shapeshifting to use a variety of psychic abilities in addition to vampires, with fearsome levels of strength and speed. With his powerful attack, he can literally summon anyone he kills, releasing many familiars. It drinks blood, but it does not starve without it, it just enters a state of sleep.

8 Blood Species – Kekkai Sensen

Kekkai Sensen (2015) – Available on Crunchyroll.

The lot of Helesalem – formerly known as New York City – is haunted by many terrifying creatures. The blood species equivalent of vampires, monsters with magic woven into their DNA, possessing superhuman strength, speed, and the ability to regenerate from attacks. They do not reflect, which makes it difficult to identify before it is too late.

While others possess various magical abilities, they lack many traditional vampire weaknesses. Leonardo’s ability to see their true selves is a game-breaker for Libra, allowing strong heroes to sniff them out. Although blood types are generally considered to be cruel and heartless, some of them can have true love, like KK shows to his son’s parent’s day at school.

7 Shiki

Shiki (2010) – Available on Crunchyroll.

Sometimes the most cruel vampires put their roots in the most unlikely places. In the sleepy coastal town of Sotoba, the mysterious Kirishiki family’s arrival at an abandoned castle in the nearby forest leads to disappearance after disappearance. Now the survivors must fight to avoid being defeated by the undead.

Literally translated as “corpse demon”, Shiki turns people into one by draining their blood. Immortal and invulnerable to injury, Shiki has sharp senses and the ability to weaken people. You can easily spot shiki if you know what you’re looking for, but especially powerful ones respawn like Jinro, who is not only indistinguishable from humans, but also lacks shiki’s weakness of exposure to sunlight.

6 D

Vampire Hunter D (1985) – Available on Amazon Prime Video.

Half-vampires like Dee usually have it the worst. Born to a human mother and a vampire father, Dee has been shunned throughout his life due to his legacy, despite his constant efforts to protect humanity from the monsters that roam the wasteland. However, he does not stop: he believes that the lack of a peaceful life is only natural.

Due to his long immortal life, Dee has become so skilled with a sword that his attacks are quick enough to reverse the regeneration of full-blooded vampires. Aside from the power of his parasitic left hand, he is superhumanly strong, fast, and agile, resistant to psychic attacks, and able to bite others for his pleasure. D suffers from traditional vampire weaknesses, his trademark large hat used to protect him from the sun.

5 I am Otonashi and Diva

Blood+ (2005) – Available on Tubi.

Given a normal life by scientists who experimented on them when they were children, and by imprisoning and torturing Diva, two of the best twins in anime never had the chance to form a sisterly relationship. Instead, they are embroiled in a brutal war. Diva is the leader of the bat-like Chiroptera and Saya, raised as a human, fights to destroy her own kind.

Despite differences in Diva’s personality and Saya’s emotions between the manga and anime, her powers as the Chiropteran Queen are consistent. She has the usual super-speed and strength, is bulletproof, and her song turns infected people into chiropterans. Saya is a skilled swordswoman after regaining her memories, and more bloodthirsty than a diva once her instincts take over.

4 Noah Archivist

The Vanitas Case Study (2021) – Available on Hulu and Crunchyroll

It takes a vampire – and sometimes a trusted “vampire doctor” – to solve vampire ailments. Noye’s legend is based on Vanitas’ self-proclaimed successor in search of the cursed Book of Vanitas. This new Vanitas book is dedicated to helping others, and to that end he and Noah decide to cure a mysterious plague that’s driving vampires insane.

Noye is as friendly and gentle a vampire as you could ever hope to meet, but cross him and that can go out the window quickly. He’s a powerful hand-to-hand fighter, but despite teaching him to rewrite the formula of the world, trying to bend the laws of physics makes him nauseous. He inherited his family’s ability to read anyone’s memories by drinking their blood, and as the sole survivor is the only vampire in the world to do so.

3 Zero Kiryu and Kaname Kuran

Vampire Knight (2008) – Available on Hulu, Peacock and Hoopla.

In one of the best fantasy shoujo, Zero and Kaname are rivals in the crosshairs of Yuki, who herself was supposed to be human before she was awakened as a Pureblood vampire. The plot of Vampire Knight is heavy with conflicts between humans, Pureblood vampires, and other classes of vampires. It is irrevocably captured in all of them with the original trio.

Zero fights his transformation into a rank E vampire, but his ability to understand other vampires and accelerated healing still gives him an edge in vampire hunting. Kaname, a thousand-year-old Pureblood, possesses special powers including but not limited to mind control, telekinesis, shapeshifting, and the creation of familiars. Both can steal the power of other vampires by drinking their blood and use this method regularly.

2 Michaela Hyakuya

Seraph of the End (2015) – Available on Hulu and Apple TV+.

Mika didn’t want to become a vampire after killing his entire foster family and enslaving the humans, but he had no choice in the matter and now sided with the vampires who turned him into monsters. The shock turns him from the happy boy he once was into a distant whiner: now the flu is deadly.

Because he has not yet drunk human blood, Mika is only a half-vampire, but he still uses terrible power. Bending over to the precocious and continuing to drink her blood gives him an advantage over older vampires, and he sharpens his sword by consuming his own blood. He distrusts both vampires and humans, and only cares about protecting Yuichiru.

1 Dio Brando – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2012) – Available on Netflix.

Newcomers to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure may be surprised to learn that vampires feature prominently in several of the story’s early episodes. Although Dio isn’t the progenitor of all vampires (that honor goes to Kars from War’s Tendency), his rejection of his humanity is the turning point of Phantom Blood and one of the most shocking moments in Jojo. Using a stone mask, he escapes punishment for his crimes and happily goes from bad to worse.

Initially having only “standard” vampire powers, Dio becomes even more powerful after activating the Stand, the world, which has the power to stop time. Although Jotaro defeats him at the end of the Stardust Cross, finally ending Dio’s curse on the Jostar family, his legacy of evil continues. His son Giorno Giovanna is the main character of the 5th Golden Wind and his crazy follower Father Pucci is the main character of the 6th Stone Ocean. Two optional Dio versions even come back in the Steel Ball Run.

Vampires remain one of the most popular creatures in fiction. They are extremely versatile, easily used to represent whatever the story calls for, and can play a variety of roles, from monsters to cursed lovers. Lovers. Everything from their powers to blood transfusions can be unique in the hands of a creative writer, making vampires some of the best characters in anime.