Summary
Vampires in animetend to fall into one of two categories: hero or villain. There’s no shortage of the latter, but as the former they can occupy several interesting spaces in storytelling, whether they’re noble protagonists carrying a heavy burden, light-hearted figures looking to have fun with their powers, or conflicted beings coming to terms with their place in the world.
At the more brooding end, there are icons like D from the eponymousVampire Hunter Dseries, but there are also several other characters, from the cartoonish Karin Maaka inChibi Vampireto the ruthless Alucard inHellsing. Each of them does their bit to break the mild and prove that not all bloodsuckers or creatures of the night are bad guys.
Cast
As its name implies,Chibi Vampire(known asKarinin the West) is a light-hearted affair featuring afemale vampirethat puts a unique twist on the usual tropes. Its hero is Karin Maaka, who identifies as a rare “reverse vampire” - she doesn’t drink blood, instead she produces an excess of it. This makes her one of the more philanthropic vampires as she must inject her surplus blood into others, leading to a slew of comedic encounters as Karin tries to navigate everyday life.
Life gets even messier when she develops feelings for Kenta Usui, a human boy whose presence triggers even more of Karin’s blood production. Can she reconcile her identity with the world she finds herself in? Either way, Karin is a breath of fresh air amid her more conflicted contemporaries in other anime, and she is a kind-hearted (albeit sometimes clumsy) figure who wants to try and make life better for the people around her.
7Zero Kiyuu (Vampire Knight)
Dark and Moody
In stark contrast to Karin, Zero Kiyuu is one of theiconic vampiresfromVampire Knight. Zero is deeply conflicted and carries a painful backstory: his family was slaughtered by vampires while he was a child, after which he was turned against his will by the pureblood Shizuka Hio. All of this provides plenty of fuel for Zero’s resentment toward vampires, even though he is one of them and must live with the same urges.
Dedicated to protecting humans, his inner conflict makes him one of the most compelling characters in the story, and though he comes across as cold and distant, as a Vampire Hunter he also fights passionately to protect others, including those closest to him. At the same time, he is also beset by intense self-loathing due to his seething hatred for all vampires,
Similar toChibi Vampire,The Vexations Of A Shut-In Vampire Princessoffers a cheerful post-modern spin on a well-worn archetype. Terakomari Gandesblood was born into nobility and as such, carries the expectation that she will be a ruthless warrior. In reality, she is a pacifist and an introvert, better suited to staying indoors. Not only that, she refuses to drink blood and lacks physical strength. Her life changes forever when she is put in charge of a unit in the Mulnite Imperial Army, leading a battalion of hardened soldiers.
With the help of her loyal maid, she embarks on a dedicated program of bluffing, deception, and forging allies as she attempts to lead her band to victory, despite her glaring lack of combat experience. The anime’s beguiling mix of fantasy elements with action and comedy is embodied through its heroine, who goes from insecure leader to inspiring figurehead, gaining the admiration and respect of her army. She embodies the belief that brains are sometimes just as important, if not more so, than brawn.
Sometimes life isn’t easy for a vampire. There’s the whole palava over drinking blood and other related issues regarding upkeep, and for one such individual it’s all too much and they’d rather just be watching anime and playing video games. This is the case for Staz Charlie Blood, the central protagonist ofBlood Lad. In spite of his lofty status as a boss in the demonic underworld, he is in fact obsessed with Earth media and would much prefer to indulge in his hobbies rather than indulge his vampirism.
When he crosses paths with a human who is accidentally killed in the demon world and becomes a ghost, his priorities change and he decides to help bring her back to life. So begins an epic quest that showcases Staz’s kindness, courage, and loyalty to his loved ones. The absolute opposite of a brooding, tortured soul, Staz is instead a courageous, compassionate who, despite his immense strength and supernatural prowess, avoids misusing his powers.
One of themost powerful vampiresin anime,Hellsing’sAlucard is a vampire who exists to rid the world of not only other vampires but also any supernatural threat which puts the world in peril. Armed with his trademark red garb and malicious grin, he is a world away from more low-key figures like Staz Charlie Blood or Terakomari Gandesblood and takes immense pleasure in exterminating his demonic foes, often with a well-placed taunt.
But Alucard also comes with a more nuanced side, as he comes to terms with his abilities and his interactions with the human world. Complementing that, however, is his immense strength and perseverance in battle. His status as a top-tier monster slayer is what makesHellsingsuch an incredible watch, with its rivers of gore and stunning set pieces.
Castlevania
Hopes were high when theCastlevaniaanimedebuted on Netflix. Not only were those hopes met, but they were also exceeded, as the combination of great writing and compelling characters made the show a hit, and also one of the best video game adaptations ever made. One of the series' most compelling characters was Alucard, son of Dracula and reluctant ally in the battle against evil. Softly-spoken but terrifyingly powerful, he dominates the narrative.
Alucard’s showdown with his father was a bloody, brutal fistfight that provided the epic finale to the show’s second season, but his story also takes a more melancholic turn in its aftermath, as he becomes withdrawn and holes himself up in his castle. A fierce fighter but also a reluctant ally for humanity, Alucard proves that sometimes, the most noble route can also be the loneliest.
2Saya
A Sword-Wielding Super-Teen
Blood: The Last Vampireis remembered as one of the stand-out OVAs of the 2000s. Animated byProduction I.G.from a script by Kenji Kamiyama, it tells the story of a lone wolf named Saya, who works for a secretive government organization that tracks down and eliminates Chiropterans; monstrous creatures that disguise themselves as humans and who prey on those weaker than them. In the film, Saya has little moral conflict; she is a living weapon and dedicates herself to the job.
Unlike some of the other protagonists on this list, Saya is unique owing to her status as a contractor for a higher authority. Her supernatural vampiric abilities are also combined with deadly mastery of the sword, meaning that she can make quick work of even the toughest foes. Cold and lethally efficient, with a mysterious past, her appearance as a teenager is just a smokescreen for the devastatingly powerful fighter underneath.
Arguablythemost iconic vampire in anime, D is recognized instantly by his long coat, wide-brimmed coat, and giant sword. The D stands fordhampyr; a half-human, half-vampire being who possesses the morality of the former, mixed with the deadly powers of the latter. The character got his start in a best-selling series of novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by legendaryFinal Fantasyartist Yoshitaka Amano and has since been adapted into acclaimed anime.
D gets the top spot as he is the most badass of all thevampire hunters, but also the most unique; his talking left hand, known helpfully as Left Hand, provides assistance in battle but also humorous asides. He embodies the eternal struggle between darkness and light. His combat skills are second to none, but he also has a firm moral center and he is dedicated to protecting humanity by wiping out monsters.
