Summary
The genre of vampires has come and gone through horror and romance genres, not to mention many others, over centuries' worth of extraordinary stories that have been told in many different ways. Although the more common trajectory for the genre is to showcase vampires as villainous monsters, this isn’t always the case.
There have beena number of films featuring vampiric creatureswho aren’t outright villainous, and even a few where they are proper heroes. Though these characters are the exception to the rule, they have helped create a heroic mark for vampires across cinematic history.
9Edward Cullen
A Fandom’s Bloodsucking Beloved
Thoughmuch maligned by many vampire lovers, the effect ofTwilightand Edward Cullen on the genre cannot be denied. The modern idea of vampires as more than villains came in part from this franchise, and while there are some stranger elements added, the entire Cullen family is undeniably not evil vampires.
Choosing to feed themselves in other ways, and trying to keep the peace in their world and the human one, Edward seeks only to protect his loved ones and fight when necessary, like a true hero. This franchise will remain a divisive one forever, but it definitely is a well-known media representation of vampires as heroic characters.
8Mina Harker
A Character Reinvigorated With New Life
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemenwasn’t a beloved film, but it did introduce some memorable versions of characters from famous novels.Mina Harker, a character born inDracula, is a dangerous vampire fighting for the side of good to try and save the world in this story, and her mixture of ancient knowledge and a great performance by Peta Wilson made her a memorable hero.
Having a history with Dorian Gray, Mina was presented as a scientist with all sorts of skills, including some particularly dangerous ones. An infamous character turned into much more than a helpless victim like she was inDracula, Mina is a memorable hero.
7Eben Oleson
A Sheriff That Turns For Good
Although30 Days of Nightis another film that didn’t receive high critical scores, it was a fascinating idea that was executed quite well. A sheriff must attempt to protect his Alaskan town from vampires that invade during a full month without sunlight. Josh Hartnett plays the titular sheriff who can’t fight against such a powerful evil and is forced to watch as he loses many of the people he knows and cares about.
After attempting and failing to fight them at every turn, Eben injected himself with vampiric blood to turn himself into one, allowing him to fight and stop the other vampires in a heroic act of self-sacrifice that ends with his death as the sun rises. This gesture, short-lived but proving great strength through Eben’s ability to keep his morals intact after changing, was a mighty moment in vampire cinematic history.
6Mavis
Dracula’s Dream-Filled Daughter
Some vampires in films aren’t meant to be taken as terrifying at all. This goes forall the vampiric family inHotel Transylvania, the Adam Sandler-led family-friendly animated film. Filled with all sorts of traditional monsters, including mummies, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster, the story centers on the desires of Dracula’s daughter Mavis, who wants to see the world and fall in love.
Mavis is a wonderful character embodied by Selena Gomez who falls in love with a human, shows her father that she is capable and deserving of a freer lifestyle, and evolves throughout the series from basically a teenager to a mother and owner of the hotel alongside her husband, Johnny. The moral center and most fun addition to the story, Mavis helped to make theHotel Transylvaniafranchise as successful as it has been.
5Rose Hathaway
Vampire Academy’s Young Hero
Technically not a vampire but a Dhampir, a cross between a vampire and a human, Zoey Deutch’s leading character in the teen fantasy filmVampire Academywas undoubtedly a heroic one. In this franchise, the normal type of vampire is known as a Strigoi and is considered a horrible thing by many to become in lieu of the mortal vampires and Dhampir, which are well-looked-upon.
Rose helps the royal vampire she is supposed to be guarding, Lissa, by protecting her against threats and helping her unlock her magical abilities. Though the rest of theVampire Academynovels weren’t adapted for film, Zoey Deutch helped turn Rose into a memorable cinematic hero.
4Louis de Pointe du Lac
A complicated film filled with complex characters,Interview With A Vampireis an amazing example of how immortal beings like these are likely to focus on other things than humanity and their squabbles. It is hard to either call Louis de Pointe du Lac a hero or a villain. He has survived centuries, attempting to remain good but hounded by his mentor Lestat, and the difficulties associated with their child vampire creation, Claudia.
By the time he is being interviewed in the film’s framing story, Louis appears to be filled with regrets over his long lifetime and desperate to find a way to make amends. He doesn’t find this in the interviewer, Molloy, but perhaps he went on to do so, having acted as a protagonist throughout the film despite his murders of various people at different times.
3Dracula
A Heroic Warrior Take On The Legend
There have beena huge number of versions of Dracula, the overwhelming majority of which are villainous. However, there was one who was undoubtedly presented as a hero throughout his film, with it being unknown if he became more of a villain in the years that followed. The Luke Evans character, Vlad III The Impaler, is a prince and a Great War hero who is forced to become a vampire to gain the power to save his family.
The heartbreak of the journey gone through which forces Vlad to stay in his vampiric form, trapped forever, and the moment he realizes that others cannot be trusted with the same gifts he has obtained, makesDracula Untolda truly devastating film. However, the chance to see the huge powers of a creature like that unleashed made this a memorable series of heroic endeavors.
2Selene
Underworld’s Leading Lady
There aren’t many franchises that set a vampire as a leading action hero, butUnderworldwas far from ordinary. It featured Kate Beckinsale as Selene, an elite warrior in the eternal conflict between vampires and Lycans (werewolves). When she falls in love with a human that is attacked by a Lycan, Selene turns against her coven and becomes an army of one.
Turning into a full franchise,Underworldset a memorable mark on vampiric and werewolf romances beforeTwilightever existed. It featured great action and horror elements alongside the central romance, and though there was never a true conclusion, the shadowy war between races makes for a lot of great memories, particularly of Selene as a defining early 00s action heroine.
1Blade
The Original Vampire Hero
There is no heroic vampire as infamous asBlade. The indelible mark left on cinematic history by the vicious style of film that the Wesley Snipes character starred in was so large that it helped define many vampire-related properties that have come since, and the Snipes version of the character was iconic enough to return inDeadpool & Wolverinemore recently.
One of the very first Marvel films,Bladebegan with a blood-soaked nightclub scene that blew the minds of audiences. The Daywalker has gone on to become an icon in many sectors, but none more so than in the world of vampiric heroes, where he remains to this day the absolute benchmark.
