10 Best Animated Vampires, Ranked

Many beloved monsters are popular culture’s mainstay, and one of the most prominent is the vampire. These undead terrors of the night are known for preying upon the living by draining their bodies of blood, which can sometimes turn their victims into vampires as well, shapeshifting into animal form and having an aversion to sunlight. Due to their long list of powers and numerous ways they can be adapted—from tragic figures to savage predators—vampires have appeared in a plethora of movies and television shows.

The medium of animation is one of the best for bringing vampires to life. Unconstrained by the limitations of physical reality, vampires can be portrayed as fast, powerful predators that only the bravest of heroes can overcome. Or they can be more on the silly side, especially if it’s a kid’s show, but even this lighthearted approach doesn’t make them any less memorable. These are the best vampires in animation, ranked by how effective they are and how lasting their legacy is.

10

Dracula (Phil LaMarr)

‘The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy’ (2003-2007)

In his youth, Dracula (Phil LaMarr) was the world’s most powerful vampire and a boyhood icon to the Grim Reaper (Greg Eagles). He married a woman named Tanya (Diahann Carroll) and had a human son with her, but due to a misunderstanding, Tanya attacked him in his bat form, so Dracula left her. He now lives in a retirement home for other monsters but still knows how to cut loose and have fun.

This version of Dracula is a homage to the classic Blacksploitation film Blacula, which helps make him stand out compared to other adaptations. His love for dancing, take-no-nonsense attitude, and habit of calling people “Dummy” make him one of the most popular characters in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Later, it is revealed that Dracula is the grandfather of Irwin (Vanessa Marshall), and though he’s upset to know his family is full of nerds, Dracula seems to try his best to be a good grandfather.

9

NOS-4-A2 (Craig Ferguson)

‘Buzz Lightyear of Star Command’ (2000-2001)

To defeat Star Command, Evil Emperor Zurg (Wayne Knight) creates NOS-4-A2 (Craig Ferguson), a robot that can drain the energy from other machines. He nearly succeeds by controlling the robotic space ranger XR (Larry Miller and Neil Flynn) but is defeated by Team Lightyear, who helps XR break free of the energy vampire. NOS-4-A2 later escapes his captivity and breaks free of Zurg’s influence, traveling the galaxy to sate his hunger for energy.

Making NOS-4-A2 a robot vampire allowed the crew of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command to still hit the horror notes found in vampire fiction without making the censors angry since you can do all sorts of violence as long as it’s to a robot. Though he primarily affects machines, his bite, in combination with the radiation of the Canis Lunis moon, can transform humans into cyborg monsters called Wirewolves. Personality-wise, NOS-4-A2 checks all the boxes for a good vampire villain, accentuated by the posh British accent Ferguson chose to go with.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is not available to stream or purchase in the US and Canada.

8

Mavis (Selena Gomez)

‘Hotel Transylvania’ (2012)

Following the death of his wife, Martha, Dracula (Addam Sandler) builds a hotel for monsters to keep his friends and his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), safe from humans. As she ages, Mavis longs to explore the human world, though her father does everything in his power to keep her safe in the hotel. Despite his efforts, she eventually meets a human named Johnny (Andy Samberg), and the two fall in love.

Mavis brings youthful energy and a more level head to the Hotel Transylvania series, especially as the films continue. Compared to her father, she is more adventurous and compassionate, willing to see the brighter side of humanity. Eventually, she and Johnny have a son, and while motherhood does see Mavis become a bit more protective and take on some of Dracula’s parenting traits, she never loses her fun-loving spirit.

7

Dracula (Peter Stormare)

‘The Batman vs. Dracula’ (2005)

While trying to look for a hidden treasure stash in Gotham City’s graveyard, the Penguin (Tom Kenny) accidentally discovers the tomb of Dracula (Peter Stormare), whose remains were moved to Gotham after he was killed. Penguin accidentally spills some of his blood on the corpse, reviving Dracula, who enthralls Penguin to be his mortal servant. As he preys on humans to regain his strength, he prepares to resurrect his lost love, which brings him into conflict with Gotham’s Dark Knight, Batman (Rino Romano).

The Batman vs. Dracula is a spinoff to perhaps the most underrated Batman show, and it pulled no punches when it came to adapting the Prince of Darkness. When on the hunt, Dracula is a terrifying predator, ambushing his prey from the shadows with lightning-fast reflexes and pinpoint accuracy. When not hunting, he is civil enough but always reminds humans of his superiority, captured perfectly through Stormare’s arrogant yet charismatic delivery.

Rent on Amazon

6

Dracula (Graham McTavish)

‘Castlevania’ (2017-2021)

The life of vampire king Vlad Dracula (Graham McTavish) changed forever when he met a human scientist named Lisa (Emily Swallow). Amazed at her lack of fear and good heart, Dracula eventually married Lisa, and they had a son named Adrian (James Callis). Sadly, Lisa was burned at the stake for suspected witchcraft, causing Dracula to declare war on all of humanity with an army summoned straight from Hell.

Castlevania‘s take on Dracula is a major reason for this show’s high ranking among vampire television. He lives up to his reputation as the most powerful vampire through gorgeously animated action sequences, where he effortlessly fights off heroes and other vampires with superhuman strength and hellish abilities. Yet, Dracula’s greatest moments are the ones where his inner pain and shreds of humanity come to the surface, showing that, no matter how much power you have, we can all be brought down by grief.

5

Seras Victoria (K.T. Gray)

‘Hellsing Ultimate’ (2001-2002)

After witnessing the brutal murder of her parents, Seras Victoria (Fumiko Orikasa and K.T. Gray) was determined to become a police officer. As an adult on the force, she was attacked by a vampire posing as a priest and was fatally shot by Alucard (Jouji Nakata and Crispin Freeman), a vampire working for the Hellsing Organization, when the vampire tried to use her as a shield. Before she died, Alucard offered her the chance to die a human or live as a vampire, and she chose the latter.

Though she is now a vampire, Seras is a beautiful representation of the human spirit thriving even in the darkest of circumstances. Despite the terrible circumstances that led to her joining the Hellsing Organization, Seras refuses to abandon her integrity or moral principles and often tries to be the voice of reason to keep Alucard from killing innocent mortals. That said, Seras also won’t hesitate to rip apart anyone who threatens her friends and colleagues, especially when she stops holding back and unlocks her true vampire potential, contributing to the anime’s kill count.

4

Marceline the Vampire Queen (Olivia Olson)

‘Adventure Time’ (2010-2018)

Born to a human mother named Elise (Rebecca Sugar) and the demon Hunson Abadeer (Martin Olson), Marceline (Olivia Olson) witnessed civilization come to an end in the terrible Mushroom War, which claimed the life of her mother. She spent some time travelling with Simon Petrikov (Tom Kenny), until he left her as his mind succumbed to the magic of his Ice Crown, and learned that vampires had appeared and were preying on humanity. Using her demon powers, Marceline hunted the vampires but was bitten by the Vampire King (Billy Brown), ensuring she would be the last vampire in the new land of Ooo.

Thanks to Olson’s performance, her chill yet chaotic attitude, and her rich backstory, Marceline became one of the most popular characters in Adventure Time. Though she is introduced as a hostile prankster, Marceline develops a good relationship with protagonist Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and becomes like a cool older sister to him. Marceline also enjoys writing sad songs to help her process her emotions, which are well-loved thanks to Olson’s beautiful voice and Sugar’s evocative lyrics.

3

D (Michael McConnohie)

‘Vampire Hunter D’ (1985)

In the far future, humanity struggles to survive in a world populated by monsters, including vampires who call themselves the Nobility. However, the Nobility lives in fear of D (Kaneto Shiozawa and Michael McConnohie), a dhampir born from the union of a human woman and an incredibly powerful vampire. Unfortunately, humanity shuns D for his vampire heritage, so he wanders the world, cutting down every vampire he sees until he finds the one who fathered him.

The world of Vampire Hunter D is bleak, dramatic, and existential, but D himself acts as a beacon of light against the darkness. Even though he is hated by both of the worlds he came from, D never stops trying to protect humanity and shows more compassion than many of the humans who hire him. Though he lacks all the powers of a true vampire, D makes up for this through dedicated training, which allows him to strike his foes so quickly he can negate their healing factors.

Buy on Amazon

2

Dio Brando (Patrick Seitz)

‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ (2012)

After poisoning his abusive father, Dio Brando (Takehito Koyasu and Patrick Seitz) is taken in by the Joestar family and makes it his mission to claim their fortune for his own. When his plans are investigated by Jonathan Joestar (Kazuyuki Okitsu and Johnny Yong Borsch), Dio acquires a stone mask and plans to use it to kill Jonathan. However, he discovers that the mask can turn its wearer into a vampire, so he uses it on himself with new plans to conquer the world.

Dio is the main antagonist of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and audiences can’t get enough of him. He represents all the worst traits in humanity, caring nothing for his fellow man and desiring only to increase his power and see his rivals broken and humiliated before him. While this could be seen as simplistic, Dio makes it work thanks to his charisma and how he revels in his wickedness. Dio knows he’s irredeemable and doesn’t care; after all, he’ll conquer the world with style.

1

Alucard (Crispin Freeman)

‘Hellsing Ultimate’ (2001-2002)

After being defeated by the Ottoman Empire, Count Vlad III Dracula drank the blood of the fallen soldiers before he could be executed, transforming him into a vampire. In 1897, he was defeated by a force led by Abraham Van Hellsing (Chikao Otsuka and Curt Lowens), who chose to bind the vampire to his bloodline as a servant. Now, going by Alucard, he obeys the current Van Hellsing, Sir Integra (Yoshiko Sakakibara and Victoria Harwood), and hunts down supernatural threats to humankind.

However, beneath his arrogance, Alucard’s heart is full of regret, and he longs for a human brave enough to slay him in battle.

Alucard perfectly captures all that is tragic and badass about vampires, and his character is a major reason for the success of Hellsing Ultimate. He displays a wide array of supernatural powers and won’t hesitate to butcher any man, woman, or monster who stands between him and his mission. However, beneath his arrogance, Alucard’s heart is full of regret, and he longs for a human brave enough to slay him in battle since only a man can kill a monster. Both a cautionary tale and an alluring depiction of immortality, Alucard is the pinnacle of vampiric depictions in animation.

NEXT: 8 Vampire Romance Movies That Are Better Love Stories Than ‘Twilight’