Along with vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies are a few classic monsters that take the spotlight in anime shows, as seen in the most recent season ofCastlevania: Nocturneand the highly anticipated animeVampire Dormitory. It’s obvious that there’s an enduring interest in vampire anime. Since the publication of Irish authorBram Stoker’sDraculain 1897, audiences' interest in vampiric entities never seems to falter as these creatures have gone through sundry revamps in mass media.
In anime, vampires are beloved characters as they represent a striking blend of darkness and allurewith their supernatural powers and deep, complex behaviors that make for compelling storytelling. They also often possess supernatural abilities like super strength, speed, and telepathy, making them formidable characters to root for (and be scared of). From the eerily mysteriousShikito the action-packedBlood+, there’s a ton of great vampire anime that will keep viewers sinking their teeth into more.
12’Vassalord' (2013)
Created by Nanae Chrono
Holding a remarkably shorter runtime than other entries on this list,Vassalordis based onNanae Chrono’s josei mangaand is adapted into an Original Video Animation (OVA) of 30 minutes. The animecenters around the ambiguous relationship between Charley, a vampire hunter for the Vatican who is also a cyborg-vampire hybrid, and his vampire master Johnny who relishes in his playboy lifestyle.
Bearing themes of suspense, mystery, and young love,Vassalordsees Charley controlling his urge for Johnny’s blood whilst the latter finds Charley’s resistance to being amusing yet seductive.What makesVassalorda compelling show is its exploration of immortality, as it sees a vampire who has lived for centuries, portraying his long life as both a blessing and a curse. For viewers who want to lose themselves ina great vampire anime show, they should check outVassalord.
Vassalord is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase.
11’Blood: The Last Vampire' (2000)
Created by Mamoru Oshii
Inspired byBram Stoker’s Draculaand the American supernatural drama television seriesBuffy The Vampire Slayer,Blood: The Last Vampireis a Japanese animated horror fantasy anime film that features a world guarded by a high school girl named Saya — who just happens to be a katana-waving, vampire hunter.
Unlike traditional vampire lore, Saya does not possess the usual weaknesses such as sunlight or garlic. Saya relinquishes Chiropterans, bat-like vampiric creatures who can pose as humans and, ironically, like drinking their blood as well. Set in the 1960s, Saya is allocated to the American Yokota Air Base where it is believed that a Chiropteran has infiltrated the army base. Alongside its thrilling action sequences,Blood: The Last Vampireis a superb anime about vampires as it explores Saya’s predicamentas someone who is conflicted with her identity.
Blood: The Last Vampire
Rent from Vudu
Created by Yuuki Kodama
Most fans of vampires have, at one point in their lives, fantasized about becoming one themselves so that they could possess abilities like superhuman agility and ageless lifespan.Anunderrated anime show from the 2010sthat everyone should watch,Blood Ladfeatures the descendant of Dracula, Staz Charlie Blood, an otaku who indulges in Japanese culture whilst bearing no interest in human blood or the vampire lifestyle.
When an ingenious Japanese high school girl, Fuyumi Yanagi, accidentally barges into the Demon World, Staz becomes immediately attracted to her. Their allegedly romantic encounter is cut short when Fuyumi is eaten by a carnivorous plant demon and becomes a ghost, but not even the afterlife can put a hindrance on Staz’s resolution to get the girl of his dreams.Watch on Hulu
9’Vampire Princess Miyu' (1997 - 1998)
Created by Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki Hirano
Adapted from the eponymous manga series,Vampire Princess Miyuis one of the more underrated vampire anime shows out there. It’s centered on a girl named Miyu, who finds herself stranded between the human and demon worlds. Born a vampire, Miyu’s destiny is linked with her Shinma side (god-demon), and she believes her purpose is to catch others like her to send them back to the underworld.
Vampire Princess Miyuis definitely gorier and more brutal than your typical beginner anime, but viewers will surely appreciate it for its hauntingly beautiful art style and atmospheric soundtrack. Audiences who don’t have the stomach for extreme violence and graphic killings may want to skip it, but fans of that aspect of the genre will likely enjoy this lesser-known series.
Buy on Apple TV
8’Kizumonogatari' (2016)
Created by Nisio Isin
After the release of the critically acclaimed, jaw-dropper smash hit seriesBakemonogatari, it’s no surprise that its prequelKizumonogatariwill delight both fans and newcomers to the franchise. That’s due in large toits emphasis on vivid body horror elements, reminiscent ofbody-horror movies likeRawandFresh.
The anime movies follow the main high school student protagonist Koyomi Araragi as he learns of a rumor about a beautiful blonde vampire seen lurking around town. On the same day, Koyomi encounters the blonde-hair, golden-eyed Vampirella, albeit lying in a pool of her blood with all four of her limbs cut off by vampire hunters. When the badly mutilated vampire cries out for his help, Koyomi’s decision would result in his life completely changed, for better and for worse.
Rent on Amazon
7’Seraph of the End' (2015)
Created by Takaya Kagami
Seraph of the Endis a somewhat light-hearted anime about vampires that combines military confederacies with supernatural elements, albeit in a post-apocalyptic setting that caters more to younger audiences. The action-adventure series chronicles the events undergone by the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, where exterminating vampires is just part of their daily routine. The main protagonist Yuichiro Hyakuya is one of the young survivors who are untouched by a man-made virus ravaging the human populace in 2012.
After Yuichiro escapes from being captive and food supply to vampires, he becomes determined to avenge his friends who weren’t as lucky as he is. Apart from its incredible world-building that involves the political dynamics of a vampire society, viewers will also enjoy the anime thanks to its intense action sequences that are primarily focused on the battles between humans and vampires.
Seraph of the End
Watch on Hulu
6’Blood+' (2005 - 2006)
Created by: Asuka Katsura
Aside from having the same name for the protagonist,Blood+is an equally fascinating anime spin-offset in an alternate universethan its movie predecessorBlood: The Last Vampire. The show is substantially popular with its inclusion of radically diverse characters as well as action-packed sequences fully taking advantage of vampires' badass qualities.
Living with anemia and unable to recollect memories beyond the previous year, Saya Otonashi’s ordinary life is shattered when she is attacked by a Chiropteran. After drinking the blood of her savior, Saya learns that her blood becomes a catalyst for slaying the bloodsucking monsters. Armed with a katana, Saya’s mysterious past extending over decades and centuries is slowly revealed as she travels around the globe eliminating Chiropterans.
Buy on Amazon
5’Shiki' (2010 - 2011)
Created by Fuyumi Ono
Translated as “Corpse Demon,“Shiki’s story takes place in Sotoba, a small quaint Japanese town plagued by a string of mysterious death, coinciding with the arrival of the enigmatic Kirishiki family who had moved into a long-abandoned mansion on the outskirts. The village doctor Toshio Ozaki and other citizens of Sotoba begin investigating and even receiving visits at night from vampiric creatures named Shiki.
The anime vampire supernatural horror series is more of a slow-burn, opting for the routes of psychological horror rather than full-blown action sequences like the previous two entries. That said, the wayShikigives life to its complex characters, particularly the vampires who struggle with their new existence and morality, is pretty interesting to watch. After watchingShiki, audiencesmay never have a good night’s sleep without making sure that no one resides underneath the bed.
4’Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure' (2012 - )
Created by Hirohiko Araki
One of thelongest-running anime series beloved by fans newand old around the world,Jojo’s Bizarre Adventureis well-known for not only its intriguing storylines exploring different timelines, themes, and genres, but also its incorporation of pop culture references as exemplified in its unique art style and infamous poses.
The first three seasons of the supernatural adventure anime show see vampires as the show’s primary antagonist, with the army of undead creatures led by one of anime’s most charismatic villains, Dio Brando. Owning abilities like high-level regeneration, body manipulation, and blood-sucking tentacles on their fingers, these undead creatures aren’t the typical vampire audiences are familiar with as they could easily (and accidentally) transform into zombies if their vampire transformation process is handled incorrectly.
3’Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust' (2000)
Created by Hideyuki Kikuchi
Encompassing breathtaking visuals, provocative dark humor, and chilling orchestral sound work, gothic horror aficionados will definitely loveVampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. This adult horror fantasy movie revolves around D, a reticent and taciturn vampire hunter who is half-vampire, half-human. Feared and renowned for his exceptional skills at hunting down creatures of the night, D is hired by a wealthy businessman to track down his daughter Charlotte, believing she was kidnapped by a vampire baron named Meier Link.
The tables are turned when it is revealed that Charlotte and Meier share an authentic mutual endearment, but prize-seeking bounty hunters and sempiternal sinister forces demand to interfere.There are a lot of concepts that makeVampire Hunter D: Bloodlusta memorable anime, including its use of technology in a fantasy setting, as well as its opening sequence where D is riding his bionic horse through a barren wasteland. It’s truly a vampire anime film like no other.
