History Main / OurVampiresAreDifferent

The sheer number of different and contradictory myths that have built up around vampires over the years have made it difficult to explore all of them in great detail. To deal with this, writers have started [[VampireVarietyPack putting multiple types of vampire into their setting, with the explanation that different myths describe different types of vampire]]. These are often referred to as "bloodlines", although any term suggesting shared descent or culture may also be used. Particularly common types include a more refined and high-class one with little beyond tasteful fangs to mark them outwardly, sometimes embodying the more recent view of vampires as seductive predators; a more bestial, highly monstrous one, typically called "strigoi" or "[[LooksLikeOrlok nosferatu]]", [[BatPeople which may be visibly batlike even in human form]]; and an especially corpse-like one that puts particular weight on vampires' undead nature.

The "baseline rules" below are largely literary and cinematic inventions from the 20th Century with only limited ties older works and the original folklore. For instance, a vampire's [[WeakenedByTheLight weakness to sunlight]] is not from folklore, but may have its origin in the 1819 novella ''Literature/TheVampyre''. Sunlight holds no relevance to its vampire, but moonlight heals and revives him. Next up is the 1897 novel ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', which vampire suffers only the loss of his vampire powers in daylight. Following this build-up, the 1922 film ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' was the first piece of media to portray sunlight as deadly to its vampire. It's been a thing ever since, which over a century later may seem like it's ''always'' been a thing.

** [[MissingReflection No reflection]] (often because the vampire [[OurSoulsAreDifferent has no soul]], but see below). This sometimes extends to [[CastsNoShadow shadows]]. But it depends on the vampire apparently. In one medium there are several ''types'' of vamps who have various weaknesses. In more recent examples this has been 'modernized' in terms of the vampire not being able to be picked up by audio or video recording or transmitting equipment. The original reason for this is because early mirrors contained silver, and older cameras had mirrors ''and'' made use of silver in the film chemicals. With modern mirrors [[TechnologyMarchesOn using cheaper aluminum and most cameras being digital now]], this aspect of vampirism isn't as common as it once was.

Subtropes:
* ChineseVampire
* ClassicalMovieVampire
* {{Dhampyr}}
* FeralVampires
* TechnicallyLivingVampire
* VampiresAreSexGods

The "baseline rules" below are strongly influenced by Hollywood tradition, and not "real" vampire folklore, or even classic vampire fiction. For instance, as (properly) shown in 1992's ''Film/BramStokersDracula'' with Creator/GaryOldman and Creator/WinonaRyder, and in 2003's ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', {{Dracula}} and other "folkloric" vampires were at the most [[WeakenedByTheLight inconvenienced by sunlight]], not killed instantly. More to the point, sunlight didn't cause vampires to go up like flash paper in the original novel, nor in earlier vampire lore. Sunlight causing a vampire to suffer pain and damage, burst out in glitter, smolder, or go up like a one-man pyrotechnic show was created by the movies, from ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' (1922) and onward.

* Sometimes, vampires have two options of converting their prey ''a la'' TheVirus. With some effort and rule-following, they can be changed into full, if younger, vampires. Sometimes, they have the option of just making either [[ZombieApocalypse zombie-like]] or [[OurGhoulsAreCreepier less powerful (often carnivorous) vampire slaves]]. Killing a vampire [[NoOntologicalInertia also kills any vampires that particular one created]] by the above means. Occasionally, it just [[SnapBack restores them to non-vampiric life]].

** No mortal-brain activity [[Series/TrueBlood (making them easily recognized by telepaths)]]. However other vampires can seemingly pick up on the [[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade minds of each other]], thus some vampires have 'unique' mental signals that mortal telepaths cannot detect. This extends to some vampires having the power to [[Literature/TheVampireDiaries dominate the will of other]] vampires.

** Thorns (especially hawthorn) in Middle- and Eastern European folklore

** Garlic or Onions, although this was more to ward off vampires, not harm them, Mustard seed for Arabian Vampires who are Djinn-augmented Humans to start with..

* WolverineClaws: Fingernails of the lethal slicing kind, for both sexes.

The "baseline rules" below are strongly influenced by Hollywood tradition, and not "real" vampire folklore, or even classic vampire fiction. For instance, as (properly) shown in 1992's ''Film/BramStokersDracula'' with Creator/GaryOldman and Creator/WinonaRyder, and in 2003's ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', {{Dracula}} and other "folkloric" vampires were at the most [[WeakenedByTheLight inconvenienced by sunlight]], not killed instantly. More to the point, sunlight didn't cause vampires to go up like flash paper in the original novel, nor in earlier vampire lore. Sunlight causing a vampire to suffer pain and damage, burst out in glitter, smolder, or go up like a one-man pyrotechnic show was created by the movies, from ''Film/Nosferatu'' (1922) and onward.

The "baseline rules" below are strongly influenced by Hollywood tradition, and not "real" vampire folklore, or even classic vampire fiction. For instance, as (properly) shown in the 1992 ''Dracula'' with Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder, and in 2003's ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', {{Dracula}} and other "folkloric" vampires were at the most [[WeakenedByTheLight inconvenienced by sunlight]], not killed instantly. More to the point, sunlight didn't cause vampires to go up like flash paper in the original novel, nor in earlier vampire lore. Sunlight causing a vampire to suffer pain and damage, burst out in glitter, smolder, or go up like a one-man pyrotechnic show was created by the movies, from ''Nosferatu'' (1922) and onward.

Modern vampire treatment in popular culture is usually divided into cycles. The Malignant cycle (1931 -1948), the Erotic cycle (1950 -1985), the Sympathetic cycle (1987 -2001), the Individualist cycle (2003- present day). Malignant, meaning vampires are treated as creatures of pure horror, as popular in the early films like Nosferatu, and Universal films. Erotic, meaning they were considered evil but alluring, such as the Hammer films. Sympathetic, meaning they were seen as tragic monsters that were to be pitied, but still feared, although they could sometimes be redeemed usually by becoming human once more. And Individualist meaning that they could be bad, good, or in between, much like humans, and their transformation to vampirism did not imply a change in morality.

** Sometimes, vampirism [[NoOntologicalInertia is tied to the creator]]. Depending on [[RuleOfDrama how important the infectee is to the plot]], killing the VampireMonarch will either turn all of their "children" back into humans, or kill all of their creations with them. In some cases, killing the lower level vampires will do nothing to those they have sired; only the one at the top of the pyramid is tied in this way. There may be a psychic bond between creator and created.

* OurVampiresAreDifferent/{{Advertising}}

* OurVampiresAreDifferent/{{Music}}

* OurVampiresAreDifferent/VisualNovels

** In ''Pinball/MonsterBash'', Dracula is the lead guitarist and the FaceOfTheBand.

[[caption-width-right:340:[[Film/CaptainKronosVampireHunter As many species of vampire as there are beasts of prey.]] [[note]]From the top left: [[Film/{{Dracula1931}} Count Dracula]], [[Film/{{Nosferatu}} Count Orlok]], [[Film/VanHelsing Aleera]], [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Spike]], [[Film/ThirtyDaysOfNight Marlowe]], [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward Cullen]], [[Manga/{{Hellsing}} Alucard]], Manga/{{Karin}}, and [[Series/SesameStreet Count von Count.]][[/note]]]]

->''People have different standards when it comes to arguing what is and isn't a vampire...''

** [[MustBeInvited They cannot enter a home unless invited in by someone.]] This can range from killing them to simply that they physically can't enter. However, it is still a large [[WeaksauceWeakness disadvantage]]. The original Dracula was able to skirt around this problem if he had already drunk the blood of someone inside (Lucy sleepwalked, so he bit her when she left the house at night). Some versions allow the invitation to be revoked in an instant, others require elaborate ceremonies, while some do not allow the invitation to ever be revoked. In any case, locked doors are never an obstacle to an invited vampire. In other cases the invitation may need to be renewed every time the vampire returns. In some modern versions (''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'') the Vampire will begin to spontaneously combust if he crosses a threshold without an invitation, though elder Vampires are completely immune to this. ''Series/TrueBlood'' showed the logical downside to this flaw: all restrictions are lifted if the vampire ''[[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney buys]]'' the house. ''Film/FrightNight2011'' uses a different loophole: you don't need to get into the house if you can just set it on fire.
** In some folklore, vampires are all stricken with a debilitating obsession with numbers, if you throw a quantity of small objects on the ground in front of them (seeds, grain, beads etc.) they will not be able to resist the urge to pick it up and count it; this affords the victim time to either run away or kill the vampire. ("Three! Three mustard seeds! [[Series/SesameStreet Muha-ha-ha!]]"). Putting said objects into a vampire's coffin keeps them busy counting as well. Sometimes, the urge is powerful enough that you can force the vampire to expose itself to dawn. Sometimes it is not an "urge", but they are somehow forced to count those objects.

** The more involved procedure has regained popularity and explains why [[VampireProcreationLimit not every victim of a vampire becomes one]] and, by extension, their rarity such as in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', ''Series/TrueBlood'', and ''Series/TheVampireDiaries''; at the very least, it explains why the 'vampire plague' scenario many heroes from Stoker onward try to prevent didn't happen thousands of years back. Some still use the "drained to near-death and left for dead" approach, but the modern blood-drinking-and-sharing offspring are usually beholden as servants to the parent vampire until released. Very few have the HeroicWillpower needed to resist becoming fully evil. [[IHateYouVampireDad Attempting to change a loved one into an eternal companion this way rarely works]].

The purpose of vampires in the story varies quite widely. They serve as the BigBad or as a [[RuleOfSymbolism metaphor]] for something, be it addiction or denial of aging, or even communicable diseases like the plague or an STD. There is some danger of the vampire character being too [[{{Anvilicious}} on-the-nose]] for the metaphor.

[[BloodMagic "Blood mages"]] may also qualify for this trope if they extract blood and are generally portrayed as similar to vampires, or if they ''are'' vampires who have access to sorcery by way of their blood.

See also ChineseVampire, ClassicalMovieVampire, FeralVampires, LooksLikeOrlok, VampiresAreSexGods and {{Dhampyr}}.

* TheUndead: Technically, they are dead. Pretty spry for a dead guy, though. Alternatively, they may be perfectly alive, just of a different (sub-)species of humans, like werewolves. [[SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness Level of "deadness" varies.]] On one side of the spectrum, it's just lack of heartbeat and skin that's cool to the touch. On the other, they're literally a moving, rotten animated corpse.