History ComicBook / AmericanVampire

** In ''Second Cycle'' its revealed that [[spoiler:Skinner Sweet is this for the Beast, being the chosen one to become his new host]].

* BigBad: Skinner Sweet was this for a time, but he's supplanted as the story goes on. Dracula himself is more the contender for this title, but after the timeskip, it's the Gray Trader.

* EldritchAbomination: Potentially what the progenitors of the vampire race are.

* TheWildWest: Skinner's story starts there.

* AssholeVictim: Hamilton Chase from the first arc. Not only did he [[UngratefulBastard backstab the vampire hunter who had saved his life]] and feed him to his quarry in return for fame, he fully assists with the European vampires' coven and feeds aspiring starlets to them. When he encounters the newly vampirized Pearl, he doesn't even ''remember'' he gave her to his partners the previous night. It's a bit hard to feel bad for Pearl making him her first kill. Little Feet Beales also deserves note given he spent years selling musicians to vampires to have their blood drained.

* NuclearOption: [[spoiler: After the American government disavowed the Vassals and therefore unwilling to hunt vampires and The Beast, the Soviet Union is willing to risk launching their entire nuclear arsenal on The Beast should it appear and knowingly causing MutuallyAssuredDestruction for the sake of it.]]

* NuclearOption: After the American government disavowed the Vassals and therefore unwilling to hunt vampires and [[spoiler:The Beast]], the Soviet Union is willing to risk launching their entire nuclear arsenal on [[spoiler:The Beast]] should it appear and causing MutuallyAssuredDestruction for the sake of it.

* NuclearOption: After American government disavowed the Vassals and therefore unwilling to hunt vampires and [[spoiler:The Beast]], the Soviet Union is willing to risk launching their entire nuclear arsenal on [[spoiler:The Beast]] should it appear and causing MutuallyAssuredDestruction for the sake of it.

** The underground nuclear tests conducted in Nevada in the 1950's were not tests but aggressive attempts conducted by Hobbes and the U.S. military [[GodzillaThreshold to kill]] [[spoiler:The Beast]].

* FallenHero: [[spoiler:Hurin was the original founder of the Vassals until he was turned by the original vampire, becoming the Great Traitor to humanity, or commonly known in his bastardized name the "Gray Trader."]]

** [[spoiler: We've now seen a kind of American Vampire that predates Skinner Sweet, Mimiteh, the native american vampire. It's a huge, terrifying lizard monster with orange skin, and a total immunity to sunlight.]]

* BattleCry: "SemperFi, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Motherfuckers!]]"

* CharacterDevelopment: One of the series' high points. As he lives longer, Skinner gradually becomes more human. Pearl Jones goes from a naive aspiring starlet to a powerful vampire trying to live morally. Linden Hobbes, head of the Vassals of the Morning Star progresses from an anti-vampire fanatic into someone who gradually realizes how his true fight is against ''evil.''
* TheChosenOne: One of the [[spoiler: The Ancients in ''Survival of the Fittest'' says this to Felicia in its language before she escapes.]]

* DistressedDamsel: Pearl starts off as one. It didn't work out so well. So she went ActionGirl and got revenge.

* GreaserDelinquents : Travis Kidd has everything : fondness for "race music" (he's seen dancing to The Nocturne's record) and fast cars/racing, leather jacket, sunglasses... And a very special switchblade [[spoiler: a golden knife in his sleeve.]]

* TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf: Played straight with the [[VampireVords Euro vamps]] while the American species have distorted reflections.
* TheWildWest: Skinner's story starts there.
* TheGreatDepression: Cashell's story starts here.
* TheVirus: Unlike most depictions, humans can only be turned into vampires by being infected with the blood of a vampire, not just by being bitten.
** Played straight with the Japanese vampires, who are completely feral. A single drop of their blood coming into contact with your skin will turn you almost instantly.
* [[spoiler:UndeadChild: Cash's son was born a vampire because of Sweet's actions and Cash's wife's death. Cash's attempting to find a cure for him is what his motivation in ''Survival of the Fittest'' is.]]

* AxCrazy: Skinner Sweet. [[spoiler: Hattie's getting there fast.]]
* BadassNormal: Cashell, who was Las Vegas' Chief of Police, as well as Henry, who served in the military. The human operative from the Vassals of the Morning Star also count, given that killing vampires is in their job description.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Skinner in #23]]

* {{Dhampyr}}: Felicia.

* KryptoniteFactor: Moonless nights and [[strike: quite possibly]] recently confirmed, [[spoiler: gold]].

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Pearl is a nice girl, until you push her. The Hollywood Coven found this out the hard way.
* BigBad: Skinner Sweet was this for a time, but he's supplanted as the story goes on. Dracula himself is more the contender for this title, but after the timeskip, it's the Gray Traveler.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Skinner Sweet again.

* HappilyMarried: Pearl and Henry.

* UndeadChild: [[spoiler: As of the newest arc, we have several. Each of a different breed of vampire.]]

* WorthyOpponent: Skinner sees Jim Book as this, going so far as to murder an actor that was portraying Book saying that he's not fit to wear the name.
** Makes sense, since [[spoiler: Skinner is Jim's adopted brother.]]
** It seems that [[spoiler:Travis Kidd]] may now be taking that spot, as he seems to impress Skinner a great deal in their fight.

* ButtMonkey: The Romanian Vampires have this as their hat, though they do [[AlwaysChaoticEvil deserve it]]. Not only are they the easiest of all vampires to kill (with a weakness to sunlight and wood), but they keep siring random people and creating stronger bloodlines then them. It's definitely ironic that they think of themselves as [[SmugSnake the superior species]].

* IdiotPlot: It is impossible for ''The Blacklist'' to work without the Vassals and Pearl having taken leave of their very senses. Despite having a traitor in the agency, nobody even begins to suspect Skinner, who's there against his will and has shown himself to be a treacherous monster multiple times. Despite Henry being at death's door, Pearl happily works with Skinner without even considering he's the one who leaked her and Henry's hiding place to the Hollywood covens.

* UsefulNotes/{{Hollywood}}: Pearl starts out as an actress trying to work her way up in the movie biz...[[spoiler: until she gets invited to the ''wrong'' party...]]

* VampireHunter: The Vassals of the Morningstar are a secret society of Vampire Hunters dating back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Thus far, there are also two mini-series, the first following Cashell and Felicia Book in Europe during WW2, and another upcoming one that follows Felicia some time after.

* HollywoodHistory: The earliest parts of the story go back to TheWildWest, skips a few decades, then starts again in the RoaringTwenties. So far, every main story arc has taken place around ten years after the last, with the story progressing through TheGreatDepression and WorldWarII. Judging by some solicitations, the trend will continue at least through TheFifties.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Skinner Sweet]] as of the end of the [[WorldWarII Ghost War]] arc. [[spoiler: This is revealed to be false during the Travis Kidd story arc.]]

* WorldWarII: The third arc of ''American Vampire'' takes place in the Pacific theater (Skinner Sweet, Pearl and Henry continue their story here) while the mini-series ''Survival of the Fittest'' takes place in Europe (Cashell and Felicia continue their story here).

* LizardFolk: the Japanese Vampires in the Ghost War Arc are eyeless lizard-men with ''huge'' fangs.

* EvilFamilyGoodOffspring: [[spoiler: In this situation it is reversed. It is revealed in later issues of American Vampire that Skinner Sweet and James Book are brothers, Skinner having been adopted into the family, thus turning the trope around. Or does it...? As there may be a hint that Pink himself may not be as good as he thought he was.

* EvilFamilyGoodOffspring: [[spoiler: In this situation it is reversed. It is revealed in later issues of American Vampire that Skinner Sweet and James Book are brothers, Skinner having been adopted into the family, thus turning the trope around. Or does it...? As there may be a hint that Pink himself may not be as good as he thought he was, if this troper understands the wording well.)]]