My 5 Favorite Vampires

Carnage is usually a requirement, but sometimes sentiment kicks in

One of the best things about vampires is the leeway in mythology. They aren't real, so the author/creator has carte blanche to make the monster as horrific or beautiful as they choose. With so many flavors, how is it possible to choose just one favorite vampire? I thought about it for quite some time, and I could not land on just one. My favorite vampires aren’t necessarily reflective of my favorite books, movies, or television shows; they just happen to be characters that stand out. Here are my top five in no particular order.

Selene (Underworld)

There are countless movies that showcase male vampires with lethal talents, but there are very few female vampires depicted with their wits about them. Typically, they are vapid beauties with a screw loose and bats in the belfry. They are just nucking futs (*cough* Drusilla *cough*). Then there’s Selene. Finally a woman who is smart enough to sniff out deceit while kicking ass. Bonus points for looking phenomenal in leather pants.

Pam (The Southern Vampire Mysteries/True Blood)

There are a lot of vampires to love in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, but my favorite has always been Pam. I love her sarcasm, dry delivery, and affection for pastels. True Blood’s Kristin Bauer van Straten did justice to this wonderful character. With the dry delivery, it’s hard to tell whether Pam’s caustic comments are the result of wit or a really twisted take on reality. She consistently sees the writing on the wall first and revels in a little bit of carnage.

Gabriel Bolivar (The Strain)

I can hear people asking, "Who?" as they read this post. Gabriel is a philandering rock star turned vampire. He seemed well suited to The Strain's play on Romanian strigoi mythology from the start with his goth look (did anyone else think of Marilyn Manson?) and live hard attitude. The guttural snarls and declaration of "MINE!" didn't hurt either. 

Watching this show made me envision the creator being dragged to a vampire chick flick and emerging with a desperate drive to bring the myth back to its predatory origins. These vampire-meet-alien creatures with their projectile mouth gear take it to a new level, although the biology does remind me of an amped up Jared Nomak from Blade II. If you like your vampires violent, you will love this show. And did we just witness the introduction of the moroi in ninja form?

Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

If you want insights into my fascination with Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Big Bad, check out this post. Otherwise, we’ll just suffice it to say that I like a man with an inflated sense of ego and witty retorts.

Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries)

I've outlined the reasons Damon Salvatore is so enticing, but the simple truth: he’s gorgeous! The series wouldn't have made it off the ground without him. See also my fascination with an inflated ego and witty retorts.

Who are your favorite vampires? Who would you remove from this list?