13 of the most iconic vampires in modern pop-culture history, ranked
Of all the mythical creatures featured in popular culture, vampires are the best. Fact.
Some of them have a moral compass and others decidedly don't, but they all share a certain panache.
Here are our favorite vampires featured on movies and shows, ranked from least to most iconic.
Whether they're draining someone's blood or trying desperately to hold onto their soul, vampires have captivated audiences since they were first portrayed in films and later, on TV shows.
There are too many vampire-centric stories to count, but in honor of spooky season, we rounded up our favorite bloodsuckers from movies and TV shows, ranked from least to most iconic. We included half-human, half-vampires (known by some as dhampirs) too, because worrying about vampire genetic purity is weird and boring.
Here are the famous vampires who absolutely have a chokehold on us, for better or for worse. (Don't get mad if your favorites didn't make the list! We're all spooky pals here.)
13. Renesmee from the "Twilight" series
Sorry Jacob, but it's difficult to see how anyone could imprint on this genuinely terrifying little gremlin. The "Breaking Dawn" team clearly tried their best to capture Renesmee's ever-changing appearance (as the "Twilight" lore goes, Renesmee ages faster since she's a half-human, half-vampire), but baby Renesmee and toddler Renesmee (pictured above) are just too creepy. And don't even get us started on Jacob's nickname for her.
Things improve a bit when she gets older, but Renesmee is easily the worst part of "Breaking Dawn," and definitely not worth starting a vampire super-war over.
12. Nandor from FX's "What We Do in the Shadows"
To be clear, we love Nandor in all his adorable ignorance and attempts at leadership among the roommates. But of all the vampires on FX's "What We Do in the Shadows," he's probably the biggest softy, showing a genuine, if misguided, compassion for his familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) on certain occasions, and generally preferring to let things go, despite having once been a general in the Ottoman empire.
So while he's certainly a sweetheart, Nandor isn't quite as fierce as some of the other vampires on this list.
11. Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale from the "Twilight" series
Alice's clairvoyance is really cool, and it's pretty badass that she drives a Porsche. However, the reason why she and Jasper are ranked so low on this list is because Jasper was a Confederate soldier when he was alive, and seems weirdly homicidal even as a vampire. Yes, he's not supposed to drink human blood since he's part of the Cullen family, but Jasper seemed a little too eager in "Breaking Dawn" to go back into battle. And it goes without saying, but fighting for the Confederacy is an absolute no-go, even for fictional characters.
Unfortunately Alice doesn't seem to mind that her man was once a racist, so they're not high up on our list, although their vampy superpowers definitely give them a little zhuzh.
10. Colin Robinson from FX's "What We Do in the Shadows"
Colin takes his duties as an energy vampire super seriously, and can't even resist the urge to drain his vampire roommates with inanely boring conversations. Despite that, he does seem to be a considerate housemate, rarely causing a fuss or having weird vampire orgies in the house.
He lacks the power of a traditional blood-sucking vampire, but his business-casual attire and dedication to energy draining are definitely admirable.
9. Laszlo from FX's "What We Do in the Shadows"
Colin's roommate Laszlo, on the other hand, is a real larger-than-life personality in the house. Anyone who has an alter ego named Jackie Daytona is instantly iconic, and while he's definitely a blowhard at times, we can't deny that Laszlo is… kind of hot? After all, what's not to like about self-important English vampires who dabble in the arts and are obsessed with their wives?
Either way, Laszlo's swagger and exquisite sense of style (who else could pull off a witch-skin hat?) make him appear like the ultimate vampire, although he's a bit cowardly when it comes to actual conflict.
8. Lucy from "Bram Stoker's Dracula"
When viewers first encounter Lucy Westenra (Sadie Frost) in Francis Ford Coppola's film "Bram Stoker's Dracula," she's candidly discussing sex and marriage with her friend Mina (Winona Ryder). Lucy is clearly horny AF, and has no problem sharing that, even though the people around her are a bit scandalized. She's also juggling not one, but three different suitors, which is pretty badass in our opinion.
Unfortunately for our girl, she gets turned into a vampire by Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), and things quickly deteriorate from there. However, even in her final moments, she somehow manages to serve, appearing in an ornate lace gown and cap, accessorized perfectly with blood-red lips and dripping fangs.
7. Rosalie Hale and Emmett Cullen from the "Twilight" series
Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and Emmett (Kellan Lutz) are lowkey couple goals. They're clearly obsessed with each other (so much so that they had to live separately from the Cullens after they first got together because of how much sex they were having). And we love that Rosalie has finally found a loving, supportive man. (Fans may remember that her fiancé when she was still a human ended up killing her.) She's not the most supportive of Bella at first, but Rosalie comes in clutch during Bella's pregnancy, helping to protect her and baby Renesmee.
As for egg-loving Emmett, in addition to being a Wife Guy, he's also probably the funniest of all the Cullens, which earns him points in our book — a vampire that doesn't take himself too seriously is kind of a rarity.
6. Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Few people could make a leather jacket and bleached blond hair look as good as Spike does on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Like some of the other vampires on this list, he's definitely tortured, and doesn't always make decisions we can get behind when it comes to committing violence against people. He's also a terrible poet — what is it with English vampires and their love of poetry?
But when it matters, Spike is there, ready to give up his soul or his undead being if it means saving Buffy, her friends, her family, and/or the world. He's also back and at the center of the action in the new "Buffy" sequel, the Audible original series "Slayers."
5. Adam and Eve from "Only Lovers Left Alive"
Speaking of vampires in the arts — it'd be a mistake not to mention centuries-old Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) from Jim Jarmusch's stylish, moody vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive." Adam is a reclusive vampire whose musical prowess has made him famous, while Eve is shown to be friends with Christopher Marlowe, also a vampire and living in Tangier.
Neither Adam nor Eve kill humans, since both are afraid of drinking blood "contaminated" by 21st century pollutants. Instead, they rely on blood from blood banks, which later threatens their life together.
Of all the vampires on this list, Adam and Eve are probably the most stylish, and the ones we'd most likely want to sit next to at a dinner party. (Assuming we weren't on the menu, of course.)
4. Edward Cullen from "Twilight"
When we were younger, we were obsessed with Edward Cullen. (Yes, we've been Twihards since the beginning.) And while it's easier to see now that Edward (Robert Pattinson) isn't always a good partner to Bella (Kristen Stewart) for most of the "Twilight" series, we've still got a bit of a soft spot for him, mostly due to his loyalty to his family and Bella.
Call it an old habit, but this sparkly, mind-reading vampire will have our hearts forever, even if his brooding and overprotective nature gets old sometimes.
3. Armand from "Interview with the Vampire"
As Guillermo notes in FX's "What We Do in the Shadows," Armand (Antonio Banderas) is one of the rare examples of "an Hispanic" vampire. But while diversity is important in the vampire community, Armand's real appeal is that he wears insanely cool red outfits, and helps run a theater company in Paris called, literally, "Theater of the Vampires," that stages horror shows for unwitting human audiences. How iconic is that?
Unfortunately, Armand doesn't help Louis (Brad Pitt) save Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) from being incinerated by the sun. But he does look incredibly stylish while being a bystander to vampire capital punishment.
2. Nadja from "What We Do in the Shadows"
Loud, melodramatic, and horny, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is our kind of vampire. We love how open she is about her various sexual escapades over the centuries (especially her relationship with Gregor). She's also one of the few vampires in the house who can stand up to Laszlo's bullshit — when they're not all over each other, that is.
Not only does she look incredible and do whatever she wants, Nadja is also a natural leader among female vampires, even trying to teach newly-sired vampire Jenna (Beanie Feldstein) how to be an undead badass.
It doesn't necessarily go according to plan, but we love (vampire) women supporting (vampire) women.
1. Blade from "Blade"
Technically, Blade (Wesley Snipes) is a dhampir, but he's easily the baddest of all the vampires on this list. Dressed impeccably in leather, with incredible sunglasses to match, Blade takes no prisoners, and is a tireless advocate for humanity. Plus, he's got serious weapons skills, and is one of the few superheroes who doesn't seem too obsessed with his role as an enforcer of justice.
Blade just does what he has to do without making a big deal about it — looking, of course, stylish as hell while doing it.
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