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| 2 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16752960470.80310800 |
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| 6 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vhd4.png]] |
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| 8 | ->'''''THIS STORY TAKES PLACE IN THE DISTANT FUTURE. WHEN MUTANTS AND DEMONS SLITHER THROUGH A WORLD OF DARKNESS.'''''[[note]][[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant No, not]] [[TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness that one]].[[/note]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | A horror novel series by Japanese author Creator/HideyukiKikuchi, a horror novelist in the same "vein" as Creator/HPLovecraft and Creator/StephenKing,[[note]]At least according to the blurbs on the back of the books themselves[[/note]] ''Vampire Hunter D'' is the story of a [[{{Dhampyr}} half human, half vampire]] vampire hunter, usually just called D, who is scorned by the world that he roams. With the help of a morbid and otherwise obnoxious (but very useful) parasite that lives in his left hand, D wanders to wherever he is needed in a [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic world]] in the year 12,090 AD where monsters roam and humans live in fear. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Like ''Film/{{Zeiram}}'' and other series of the mid-eighties, ''Vampire Hunter D'' focuses more on atmosphere than plot or prose, and pulls it off beautifully. It began as an extremely long-running series of light novels (thirty-two as of January 2018, some of which are several volumes long) which spawned two anime movies. The first, based directly on the first novel, was simply titled ''Vampire Hunter D''. It involves him being hired to protect a young woman who has become the chosen prey of an "Aristocrat" (what vampires call themselves in this world), the sinister Count Magnus [[Creator/ChristopherLee Lee]]. In the second, titled ''Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust'' (based on the third novel), he is called upon to find a girl who has run off with her vampiric lover, and finds himself clashing against a group of mortal hunters. The character designs for the movies were done by Creator/YoshitakaAmano, who also did the cover art for the light novels. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | Both the books and the movies possess a considerable sense of style, but are also quite disturbing, and not recommended for the faint of heart. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | An anime OVA feature adaptation was released in Japan in 1985, and it was dubbed and released on VHS in North America by Creator/StreamlinePictures in 1992. Advertised as the "first animated horror film for adults," the feature acquired a cult following in the US following broadcasts on Creator/CartoonNetwork, [=SyFy=] Channel, and TBS. Its success spawned an animated sequel, ''Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust'', which was first released to US theaters on the film festival and art-house circuit in 2000; a Japanese release followed in 2001. Both films were originally released on DVD by Urban Vision, and when those licenses eventually fell through, Creator/SentaiFilmworks re-released the first film on Blu-ray (with a new dub), while Creator/DiscotekMedia re-released ''Bloodlust'' (with the original dub, and only that dub). |
| 17 | |
| 18 | In 2000, a video game adaptation of the ''Bloodlust'' movie was released for the [=Playstation=], simply titled ''Vampire Hunter D''. The game closely followed the plot of the movie, but was entirely set in Meier Link's castle and featured 3 endings, one of which mirrored the movie ending. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | [[folder:List of novels]] |
| 21 | |
| 22 | * Volume 1 - ''Vampire Hunter D'' (1983; English 2005) |
| 23 | * Volume 2 - ''Raiser of Gales'' (1984; English 2005) |
| 24 | * Volume 3 - ''Demon Deathchase'' (1985; English 2006) |
| 25 | * Volume 4 - ''Tale of the Dead Town'' (1986; English 2006) |
| 26 | * Volume 5 - ''The Stuff of Dreams'' (1986; English 2006) |
| 27 | * Volume 6 - ''Pilgrimage of the Sacred and the Profane'' (1988; English 2006) |
| 28 | * Volume 7 - ''Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Parts 1 & 2'' (1988; released in English as Volumes 7 & 8, 2007) |
| 29 | * Volume 8 - ''The Rose Princess'' (1994; released as Volume 9 in English, 2007) |
| 30 | * Novella 1 - ''Dark Nocturne'' (1992; released as Volume 10 in English, 2008) |
| 31 | * Volume 9 - ''Pale Fallen Angel, Parts 1-4'' (1994-1996; English omnibus for Parts 1+2 released in 2008 as Volume 11, English omnibus for Parts 3+4 released in 2009 as Volume 12) |
| 32 | * Volume 10 - ''Twin-Shadowed Knight, Parts 1 & 2'' (1996; English omnibus released in 2009 as Volume 13) |
| 33 | * Volume 11 - ''Dark Road, Parts 1-3'' (1999; English release in 2010, Parts 1+2 omnibus released as Volume 14, Part 3 released as Volume 15) |
| 34 | * Volume 12 - ''Tyrant's Stars, Parts 1-4'' (2000-2001; English omnibus for Parts 1+2 and Parts 3+4 released in 2011 as Volumes 16 and 17) |
| 35 | * Volume 13 - ''Fortress of the Elder God'' (2001; released as Volume 18 in English, 2012) |
| 36 | * Volume 14 - ''Mercenary Road'' (2003; released as Volume 19 in English, 2013) |
| 37 | * Volume 15 - ''Scenes from an Unholy War'' (2003; released as Volume 20 in English, 2013) |
| 38 | * Volume 16 - ''Record of the Blood Battle'' (2004; released as Volume 21 in English, 2014) |
| 39 | * Volume 17 - ''White Devil Mountain, Parts 1 & 2'' (2005; English omnibus released as Volume 22 in 2014) |
| 40 | * Volume 18 - ''Iriya the Berserker'' (2007; released as Volume 23 in English, 2016) |
| 41 | * Volume 19 - ''Throng of Heretics'' (2007; released as Volume 24 in English, 2016) |
| 42 | * Volume 20 - ''Undead Island'' (2008; released as Volume 25 in English, 2017) |
| 43 | * Volume 21 - ''Bedeviled Stagecoach'' (2009; released as Volume 26 in English, 2017) |
| 44 | * Volume 22 - ''Nightmare Village'' (2010; released as Volume 27 in English, 2018) |
| 45 | * Volume 23 - ''The Tiger inWinter'' (2011; released as Volume 28 in English, 2019) |
| 46 | * Volume 24 - ''Noble Front'' (2012; released as Volume 29 in English, 2020) |
| 47 | * Volume 25 - ''Gold Fiend, Parts 1 & 2'' (2012; to be released in English omnibus as Volume 30, announced for 2024) |
| 48 | * Volume 26 - ''Sylvia's Road Home'' (2013) |
| 49 | * Volume 27 - ''Festival of the Nobility'' (2014) |
| 50 | * Volume 28 - ''Banquet in Purgatory'' (2014) |
| 51 | * Volume 29 - ''The Twisted Nobleman'' (2015) |
| 52 | * Volume 30 - ''The Wicked Beauty'' (2016) |
| 53 | * Volume 31 - ''Lost Legion of the Nobility'' (2016) |
| 54 | * Volume 32 - ''The Five Assassins'' (2017) |
| 55 | * Volume 33 - ''Cursed Demon Flight'' (2018) |
| 56 | * Volume 34 - ''Deadened City'' (2018) |
| 57 | * Volume 35 - ''The Visitor in Black'' (2019) |
| 58 | * Volume 36 - "Mountain Demon" (2019) |
| 59 | * Volume 37 - "Dark Witchsong" (2020) |
| 60 | * Volume 38 - "The Assassins' Stronghold" (2021) |
| 61 | * Volume 39 - "Demon Howl Expedition" (2021) |
| 62 | * Volume 40 - "Bloodwind Trail" (2022) |
| 63 | * Volume 41 - "Dawnshadow Legion" (2023) |
| 64 | * Volume 42 - "Chronicle of the Mystic Battle in Demonvale" (announced for2024) |
| 65 | |
| 66 | |
| 67 | [[/folder]] |
| 68 | |
| 69 | An [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-06-30/exclusive-vampire-hunter-d-has-new-animated-series-in-the-works/.89840 animated series]] initially entitled ''Vampire Hunter D: Resurrection'' is being produced by Unified Pictures and Digital Frontier, with Hideyuki Kikuchi and ''Bloodlust'' director Creator/YoshiakiKawajiri involved in the production. As of October 2018, it has simply been renamed ''Vampire Hunter D: The Series''. Due to being considered more appealing to Western audiences than Japanese audiences, it is set to be [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff distributed in America first]]. |
| 70 | |
| 71 | In addition, the novels have been adapted to manga format in ''Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D'' published by Media Factory and Digital Manga Publishing, which adapted the first seven novels of the series, luckily, the artist emulates Yoshitaka Amano gothic style with a new twist, but overall, most characters are recognizable. There were also plans to bring the character over to Western media as a Devil's Due Publishing comic titled ''Vampire Hunter D: American Wasteland'' by Jimmy Palmiotti which would have seen the title character travel to the United States still under control of the Nobility, but the series was ultimately cancelled. |
| 72 | |
| 73 | A successful Website/{{Kickstarter}} campaign for a brand new series called ''Message from Mars'' by Strange Comics, based on a unpublished story by Kikuchi was held in 2016. An RPG supplement for ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' called ''The World of Vampire Hunter D'' was written by F. Wesley Schneider and published by Paizo as one of the stretch goals for the ''Message from Mars'' campaign. |
| 74 | |
| 75 | By 2021 Dark Horse Books began to republish the series in a new omnibus collection. Each Omnibus usually contains three of the previously released English volumes.So far, four books were released, with two additional books being announced to be raleased in 2024. |
| 76 | |
| 77 | ---- |
| 78 | !!This franchise provides examples of: |
| 79 | |
| 80 | * TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: Having begun production in the late 1990s, ''Bloodlust'' utilizes digital animation for some of the more complex shots and matte paintings (such as the introduction of the Castle of Chaythe). While it has aged fairly gracefully, it is still much more obvious than CG in modern anime. |
| 81 | * ActionGirl: Leila can hold her own in a fight. |
| 82 | * AdaptationalBadass: Rei asks Count Magnus' messenger if he came to kill him for failure. In the Japanese dub, he states that he couldn't beat Rei if he wanted to, while in the English version he is given a more menacing voice and merely says that killing Rei was not part of his orders. |
| 83 | * AdaptationalHeroism: The Marcus Brothers are ''much'' nicer guys in the movie version, being TheRival at most to D, and friendly rivals at that, especially Borgoff and Leila. In the original novel, the brothers were almost as vile as their opponents, particularly in how they treated Leila. For that matter, their counterparts in the Barberois bodyguards are, while still antagonists to the heroes, are not as vile as they were in the novel--Mashira and Caroline remain completely loyal to Meier, rather than betraying him for their own selfish interests as they originally did, and Mashira in particular is reimagined as a dignified NobleDemon rather than a crazed rapist. |
| 84 | * AdaptationDistillation: ''Bloodlust'' sheds a lot of the more... unpleasant aspects of the third novel. |
| 85 | * AdaptationDyeJob: For whatever reason, Larmica (blonde hair) and Doris (dark/black hair) had their hair colors swapped in the first movie. |
| 86 | * AdaptationExpansion: The ''Bloodlust'' movie added an incredible amount to the original story it was based on (''Demon Deathchase'') as well as changing a lot of details. Most notable was the introduction of a proper BigBad and a BittersweetEnding rather than the DownerEnding of the original, which was virtually a ShaggyDogStory. |
| 87 | * AdjectiveNounFred: The title itself, ''Vampire Hunter D''. |
| 88 | * AfterTheEnd: Two separate catastrophes: a nuclear war that destroyed human civilization, and a rebellion that overthrew vampire civilization. |
| 89 | * AlienSky: The opening shot from the 1985 OVA depicts a sky with two moons, yet for some reason we only see one moon throughout the rest of the film. |
| 90 | * AllCGICartoon: ''Resurrection'' will be completely animated in CGI. |
| 91 | * AndNowYouMustMarryMe: In the first volume and the 1985 film, Count Magnus Lee is determined to marry Doris Lang. |
| 92 | * AndThatLittleBoyWasMe: Not only does the shopkeeper turn out to be [[spoiler:one of the rescued children from his story]], but D is also [[spoiler:the rescuer that the townspeople betrayed in the end]]. |
| 93 | * {{Animesque}}: Yes, even a text novel can be this, though considering when it was written it may have been the TropeCodifier for a lot of things we take for granted in anime. For example, throwing something so fast it's just a flash of light (in this case a wooden stake, thrown so fast it glows from air friction!) or the [[SpeedEchoes "create lots of images of yourself by running around really fast" concept]]. |
| 94 | * AristocratsAreEvil: In this setting, "aristocrat" is a euphemism for "[[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]]". The novels translate the term as "Noble", probably for the sake of brevity. Still, the trope applies: the high-class rulers of the old civilization were vampires, thus earning their new name. |
| 95 | * ArrowCatch: The most iconic moment of ''Bloodlust'' happens when D plucks Borgoff's arrow out of the air as [[RearingHorse his horse rears dramatically]] in the moonlight. |
| 96 | * TheArtifact: The climactic scene of Meier Link walking in sunlight to recover Charlotte as the Marcus brothers sadistically mock and torture him, even joking about letting Charlotte kill herself since they get paid whether they bring her back dead or alive, made sense in the original novel, where the Marcus brothers were sadistic rapists and glorified bandits, as bad as their prey and worse. It’s a lot less fitting in the film, where they’re [[AdaptationalHeroism stand up guys who generally don’t play with their food and don’t have a grudge against Meier personally compared to the henchman who killed their brother that they've already dealt with]]. |
| 97 | ** A counterargument is that while Nolt's murder ''had'' been avenged with Benge's death, the Marcus Brothers would never have wound up on this hunt if not for Charlotte's abduction and the ensuing bounty. So, Meier is still indirectly responsible for Nolt's death and their petty sadism can be justified in-story (even if it is somewhat out of character based on their depictions up to this point in the film). |
| 98 | * BadassCape: D has one, not surprisingly. As does Meier Link (Mayerling in the original ''Demon Deathchase'' light novel). |
| 99 | * BarehandedBladeBlock: Justified in that only someone as powerful as a vampire could possibly hope to pull it off. Double justified in that even a vampire would have to ''practice'' this. Count Magnus Lee learned this trick from the Sacred Ancestor himself. |
| 100 | * BigBad: |
| 101 | ** The first novel and film have Count Magnus Lee, who is trying to make D's current client his bride. |
| 102 | ** The ''Bloodlust'' film has [[spoiler:Carmilla the Blood Countess, who's manipulating a vampire-human couple into assisting her in being resurrected]]. |
| 103 | * BiggerOnTheInside: In the novels it is often described how the vampire castles, carriages and even coffins may be vastly huge on the inside thanks to the space-warping technology the Nobility used to possess. There are tales of people entering a vampire's coffin and never finding the way out again. They were often built to accommodate their owner for centuries, yet another way the Nobility tried to forget their own decline. |
| 104 | * BittersweetEnding: Both movie adaptations. |
| 105 | ** The 1985 Film: [[spoiler: Count Lee is killed, the House of Lee collapses, and Doris' hummanity is restored. But D is incapable of returning Doris' feelings for him and, as a Dhampir, he doesn't get to have a normal life and moves on to the next hunt.]] |
| 106 | ** ''Bloodlust'': [[spoiler:D and Meier Link both kill Carmilla, preventing the resurrection of one of the most dangerous Nobles in vampire history. Leila also retires from hunting and lives long enough to build a family and not die alone as she'd feared (with D honoring his half of the pact they'd made earlier in the film). However, the Marcus Brothers and Charlotte are all dead (with Meier taking her body to the City of the Night, leaving it ambiguous if he'll try to revive her as a vampire). And unlike Leila, D doesn't have the option of retiring and living a normal life; the hunt goes on as ever.]] |
| 107 | * BlatantLies: Carmilla in ''Bloodlust'' claims this is the truth behind her reputation as the 'Bloody Carmilla' and that these rumors stem really from envy and jealousy within the Vampire community. Of course, it's quickly proven she's lying...which amusingly means she's blatantly lying about the 'blatant lies'. |
| 108 | * BloodBath: In the ''Bloodlust'' movie, the spirit of the main antagonist, Carmilla, is brought back to her physical body by bathing her corpse in [[spoiler:Charlotte's]] blood. |
| 109 | * {{Bowdlerise}}: The strange Spanish dub of the first movie toned down some of the risqué elements, though, oddly enough, not all of them. For example, it removed all the references to demons, replaced Doris offering her body to D with her offering him to "kiss her," and made some minor changes, while leaving intact the rest of the depravity of the film, including the scene in which Doris's breasts are shown. It also changed Rei Ginsei's skill from curving space to "curving steel" to explain how he redirected D's sword to himself, apparently believing ViewersAreMorons in all its glory. |
| 110 | * BrainwashedBride: In the 1985 movie, Count Magnus Lee bites Doris Lang, the daughter of a deceased werewolf hunter, after the Count defeats the Vampire Hunter known as D, he eventually hypnotizes her into becoming his bride. It's only when D kills the Count that the hypnosis is undone and D, Doris, and her brother Dan escape the castle. |
| 111 | * BuyThemOff: D attempts this in ''Bloodlust'' when he learns Meier ''didn't'' hire the Barbarois and that someone's paid them $100 million to protect him. D suggests he can match the price, which the Elder finds entertaining. |
| 112 | %%* CapeWings: In ''Bloodlust'', Meier plays this straight and D subverts it. |
| 113 | * CassandraTruth: During their first fight atop the carriage in ''Bloodlust'', Meier claims he didn't abduct Charlotte and she's here by her own choice. Initially, it seems that he's just lying and D doesn't believe him...until she calls out his name after D injures Meier. |
| 114 | * CelibateHero: In the movies and novels both, D either ignores or pushes away anyone who comes on to him. He does [[spoiler:get to first base with Doris]] in the first novel, [[spoiler:but he leaves at the end of the book before things can go any further]]. In the first movie, Doris tries to put the moves on him, but it starts to bring out his vampiric side and he shuts things down before he loses his self-control. |
| 115 | * {{Chickification}}: Doris Lang sadly falls prey to this after making a strong first impression in both the novel and movie. It's not directly stated that the Lees drained her willpower or whatever, she's just ''too tired'' to be an Action Girl any more. |
| 116 | * ClaimedByTheSupernatural: The first movie starts with Doris being marked by Count Magnus Lee (shown as an unhealing bite mark on her neck) and she hires D to take care of him before he comes back to claim her completely. |
| 117 | * CombatTentacles: The Three Sisters' hair, which immobilizes their victim with pleasure, followed by unpleasant execution and digestion. |
| 118 | * CompositeCharacter: An interesting knock-on case across both movies: |
| 119 | ** In the first movie, Count Lee's werewolf footman and coachman Garou is AdaptedOut, with Rei Ginsei taking his spot as the Count's main enforcer, rather than a wandering bandit the Count hired to take out D as he was in the book. |
| 120 | ** Then in ''Bloodlust'' the Barberois bodyguard Mashira is changed from a parasite creature of the same species as D's left hand to a werewolf, driving Meier Link's coach and remaining loyal rather than betraying Meier as he does in the book, making him ''another'' composite with Garou and basically adapting the character back in again. |
| 121 | * CrapsackWorld: Technology has regressed from a super-advanced future to a mix of medieval and futuristic where mutants, monster, vampiric nobles, and highly advanced technology exist to kill the average human who usually live in poor village with horrible things just outside vision radius during the daytime. |
| 122 | * CrossMeltingAura: Meier Link is to crosses as psychics are to spoons. |
| 123 | * CruelTwistEnding: The end of ''Pale Fallen Angels''. |
| 124 | * CurbStompBattle: Dan's attack on Lee in the movie lasts less than a second with the vampire swatting Dan, knocking the kid off the bridge. |
| 125 | * DarkIsNotEvil: D; In spite of his cold, distant nature he has made it a point never to kill humans, offering his services when offered the right price or purely to do what he feels is right. |
| 126 | * DaywalkingVampire: As a dhampir (half vampire, half human) D can exist in sunlight without being damaged (as he does at the end of the 1985 film). That said, in ''Bloodlust'' we see he is not immune to it entirely. Staying out in the sun for too long causes him to experience what is referred to as Heat Syndrome, sort of akin to a heat stroke for normal humans in unbearable temperatures. If D's reactions are any indication, it also hinders his breathing, which if left unchecked would be obviously fatal. |
| 127 | * DeadpanSnarker: Lefty often, but D could be one at times depending on how you take some of his comments in his downtime. |
| 128 | * DeathFakedForYou: Leila says she and D will claim Charlotte is dead so that she and Meier can go in peace. |
| 129 | * DepravedBisexual: Rin-Ginsei is implied to be one of these in the novel. |
| 130 | * {{Determinator}}: |
| 131 | %%zce** D fits this trope to a D. |
| 132 | ** Deconstructed with Borgoff in ''Bloodlust''. [[spoiler:Continuing the hunt after Nolt's death and while grieving for a lost brother is one thing. Continuing the hunt after Kyle's death is the sunk cost fallacy in action and crosses into RevengeBeforeReason. This determination leads to Borgoff blowing off Grove's justified pleas to abandon the chase, leading them into the dreaded Castle of Chaythe, and ultimately getting his entire family wiped out.]] |
| 133 | * DevastatingRemark: Lamika is utterly stunned and stricken when her father, Count Magnus Lee, reveals that she is a half-breed, and that her mother was a human. She decides from that point on that if she is not a full vampire, then she would rather FaceDeathWithDignity. |
| 134 | * {{Dhampyr}}: D and a few others are children of vampires and the living. The dhampirs of this series have radically different powers, if any. Then again, almost no actual dhampir beside D actually shows up, and the few that do almost never really show off their abilities. Most of the comments about dhampir could qualify as UnreliableNarrator and in a few instances are heavily implied to actually be [[spoiler:D, who is much older than he appears.]] Even then, some of the dhampir that do show up, [[spoiler:including D]], are either artificially created, genetically enhanced or otherwise modified. |
| 135 | %% ** There's really no baseline for anyone else, either. Vampire, human, mutant, construct, anything can range from minimal threat to insanely powerful. Though vampires are a bit scarier, on average, due to having spent the past ten thousand years dominating the planet. |
| 136 | * DistressedDamsel: Doris Lang in the first movie and novel. Subverted in that she's an ActionGirl too, but not tough enough to stop a millennia-old Noble on her own. |
| 137 | * DownerEnding: Several stories end like this. |
| 138 | * {{Dracula}}: The Nobility calls him the Sacred Ancestor, the god of their people. D calls him... well, [[IHateYouVampireDad a lot of things, mostly bad]]. The author himself gives Dracula different interpretations. At times, he makes Dracula out to be a heroic figure, even once fighting an perverse and evil vampire to save a human village in the backstory for Novel 7. Other times, like in [[spoiler:novel 2]], he's portrayed as more of a villain, apparently [[spoiler:being the one responsible for transforming the kidnapped children into strange, kinda-sorta vampires. This is more WellIntentionedExtremist however, since he's attempting to create vampires immune to sunlight - it's implied that such vampires would have the best qualities of humans and vampires.]] [[spoiler: Becomes a bit more explicit in book 6 with the confirmation that [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil he outright assaulted Tae to impregnate her with another child like D]]... And then loops right back around to ambiguous when she notes that she doesn't hold a grudge against him, despite her trauma, because of [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone how horribly saddened he was]] [[IDidWhatIHadToDo from the experience]].]] |
| 139 | * TheDragon: [[spoiler:Rei-Ginsei]] after he makes a deal with Count Magnus to become one of the Nobility. In the movie his role is drastically reduced and this is pretty much all he is. |
| 140 | * DreamApocalypse: The fifth novel takes place in a village where humans and vampires once lived together in peace. About thirty years ago, one girl was attacked by a vampire and has been in a coma ever since. [[spoiler: The village D visits is actually the girl's dream-within-a-dream and the inhabitants are desperate to keep her from waking up and ending their existance.]] |
| 141 | * DubText: The Creator/StreamlinePictures dub inserts a direct ShoutOut to ''Film/{{Shane}}'' in the originally wordless ending scene. |
| 142 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness |
| 143 | ** In the first novel, Rei-Ginsei actually ''kills'' D using the time-bewitching essence to throw off D's senses just long enough to land a fatal blow (although [[OnlyMostlyDead he survives]] thanks to Left Hand). The idea that [[InvincibleHero D]] could be defeated so easily, even with a handicap, would seem ''absurd'' in later stories. |
| 144 | ** Also, D is notably more human in the first novel, compared to the detached, emotionless, almost callous character seen in later books. He insults Rei Ginsei to his face when they confront each other (calling him "the bastard son of the Devil and a hellhound"), may have been about to succumb to Doris' seduction when she comes onto him (actually brushing her hair aside to kiss her), and delivers a withering TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to the villagers when they come to take Doris and hand her over to Count Lee, threatening to slaughter them all if they push their luck. |
| 145 | ** Another thing from the first novel: humanity being bred to have an innate case of LaserGuidedAmnesia should they discover a vampiric weakness. This was phased out in later novels and dropped completely. |
| 146 | * EndOfAnEra: A common theme of the series is that the vampire empire is long gone and that the world is slowly being taken back by humans. Most vampires are either dead, left the planet entirely, or are in eternal sleep. The few still around might have small fiefdoms with citizens they oppress, but aren't a major threat to the world anymore. Because of this decline, it made the Sacred Ancestor decide that even if vampires as they were cannot survive, their bloodline and legacy could possibly be continued by humans. |
| 147 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: Left Hand's exposition scene in ''Bloodlust'' reveals [[spoiler: Dracula was utterly disgusted with Carmilla's vanity and gluttony and this was part of his motivation for killing her.]] |
| 148 | * EvenTheGuysWantHim: D - most men in the novels commented how seeing D makes them wish they were women(!). |
| 149 | * EvilCounterpart: Rei-Ginsei to D. [[spoiler:He's quickly blown away.]] Later books feature several others; a couple even bring in an EvilTwin of one sort or another. |
| 150 | * ExpositionOfImmortality: Count Magnus Lee provides a pretty good example of this, though he paints a less pleasant picture of the passing of ages than a lot of immortals: |
| 151 | -->I have lived for 10,000 years. Believe me, you have no idea what that means for me: boredom. Everlasting, hideous boredom. A never-ending search for ways to pass the time, and mating with a human woman is one of the few I enjoy. |
| 152 | * EyeScream: Subverted in the first movie. Count Magnus Lee gets a dagger thrown right in his eye. He doesn't react, doesn't even blink, just pulls it out and regenerates the damage with a bored expression. |
| 153 | * {{Fanservice}}: In the first anime, Doris gets her top pulled down by [[spoiler:Dr. Fehring after he turns traitor]], and later has a shower scene. However, she keeps her clothes on when she first meets D, unlike in the novel. |
| 154 | * FailedASpotCheck: All of the Marcus Brothers during the bridge confrontation in ''Bloodlust'', but Leila especially. [[spoiler: They were all so focused upon the burning, suffering Meier that none of them realized Mashira had survived his plunge over the side and had climbed back up the bridge. Leila in particular, by virtue of watching all this from miles away, was in the best position to realize the last Barbarois warrior wasn't dead and to warn Borgoff over the radio. She was just too engrossed to notice until it was too late.]] |
| 155 | * FantasyKitchenSink: You can expect just about any creature, power or trope from horror or fantasy traditions to make an appearance in some shape or form during the novels. Even {{Atlantis}} receives a mention! The first novel reveals that a good chunk of the stuff was recreated by the Nobility just for the sake of it. |
| 156 | * FauxActionGirl: |
| 157 | ** Doris Lang becomes one, eventually. Supposedly, it's due to her relying on D way too much (and falling in love with him). |
| 158 | ** This happens to a lot of the female characters in the novels. |
| 159 | * {{Flatline}}: ''Bloodlust''. After Grove sacrifices himself to save Leila from a vampire, the audience can hear the flatline sound from the medical equipment attached to him. |
| 160 | * ForbiddenZone: The Castle of Chaythe in ''Bloodlust''. Thanks to Carmilla's bloody legacy, even experienced hunters are ''terrified'' of the keep and going in is considered suicide. |
| 161 | * FullFrontalAssault: During their fight in the novel, Doris Lang tries to distract D by dropping her clothes. It only distracts him on a very small scale, but for a completely different reason.... |
| 162 | * GiantPoofySleeves: Charlotte |
| 163 | * HalfHumanHybrid: |
| 164 | ** D's mother was human. His father was [[{{Dracula}} the Sacred Ancestor himself]]. |
| 165 | ** In the first movie, [[spoiler:Larmica was also one]]. This was completely absent from the original story. |
| 166 | ** The Barberoi, an entire village of monstrous hybrids. They're pretty scary, but the elder of the village in the novel remembers how hard it was for all of them to survive and is quite reverent to D when he realizes who D must be. This sympathetic characterization was largely absent from the movie version of ''Bloodlust.'' |
| 167 | * HandSignals: ''Bloodlust'' (2000). Borgoff, the leader of the Marcus brothers, makes a "move forward" gesture to his men to order them to advance toward the vampire's carriage. |
| 168 | * HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Leila]] in the climax of ''Bloodlust'' after [[spoiler:the now-vampiric Borgoff and Grove both die in quick succession]]. [[spoiler:Leila]] doesn't contribute to the remainder of the final battle with Carmilla; [[spoiler:she's too shellshocked by the complete death of her surrogate family and team]]. |
| 169 | * HeroicWillpower: D, despite being a dhampir, is ''far'' stronger than most of his opponents because of his willpower and resolve not to become a monster. It helps his dad was the [[{{Dracula}} Big D]]. |
| 170 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Grecko in the OVA, who steals the candle tainted with incense from Rei-Ginsei that was meant to paralyze D for his own purposes in seducing Doris, who was being held hostage by Larmica. This effort fails, and he staggers home only to be confronted by a ''royally pissed off'' Rei who had by this point lost his hand to D as a direct result of Grecko's meddling. [[ForegoneConclusion Rei is quick to repay him for that offense]]. |
| 171 | * HoYay: [[invoked]] This often happens with several male characters who encounter D. Some are subtle, while others say things that require BrainBleach. |
| 172 | * HunterOfHisOwnKind: In the first anime film, the half-vampire D protects Doris and her younger brother against Count Magnus Lee and the other vampires. |
| 173 | * ImplausibleFencingPowers: D lives and breathes this trope. The impossibility of some of the stuff D pulls is mentioned repeatedly by other characters and the narration. One example from the novels is when he cut a hologram...and rendered it incapable of reforming. |
| 174 | * ImprovisedLightningRod: Unintentional example in ''Bloodlust'' when [[spoiler: Caroline tries to kill Leila in the forrest. Having dropped her gun while being pulled up into the tree, Leila throws one of her knives at Caroline's forehead. It doesn't kill the Barbarois, but it ''does'' provide an unintended lightning rod for the storm that's begun during this fight. Sure enough, the knife catches the next bolt of lightning and Caroline's instantly killed.]] |
| 175 | * InTheBlood |
| 176 | ** Rather literally with Vampirism. It's not until ''Bloodlust'' that we even get a hint that vampires are capable of love. |
| 177 | ** Well, in the first novel there was [[spoiler:Larmica, who was a full vampire in this version]]. |
| 178 | ** Also, isn't it pretty much stated in the first novel that the dear Sacred Ancestor really did [[spoiler:love a human woman, resulting in, of course, D?]]. Of course, given his sometimes-hero-sometimes-monster portrayal between novels, it's really uncertain exactly WHAT he was doing... The implications aren't very good, considering that in novel 6 he explicitly rapes a young woman to produce another dhampyr descendant. Though since she goes her way to mention how sad he looked in the act, he probably wasn't getting kicks out of it, either. |
| 179 | * InconsistentSpelling: In ''Bloodlust'', the main villain Noble is referred to in both text and dialogue as "Meyer Link", despite the fact that a handwritten letter shown partway through the film spells it "Mayerling". The novel uses "Mayerling" consistently. |
| 180 | * InvincibleHero: D tends to be this, sometimes veering into ShowyInvincibleHero depending on how [[PurpleProse purply]] the prose describes his actions. The Author knows this as novels rarely focus on D and instead focus on the human characters and D instead acts like a DeusExMachina for them to escape deadly situations. In short, D is as much a plot device as he is a character. More, in some stories. |
| 181 | * InvincibleVillain: Vampires as a whole in the first book. One aspect that was thankfully discarded without a trace for later books: they've bred it into humanity that if any human discovers one of their weaknesses (like garlic), they'll automatically ''forget'' it so humans can never get the upper hand. |
| 182 | * ItOnlyWorksOnce: Benge's shadow attacks in ''Bloodlust''. The first time, he manages to catch the Marcus Brothers off guard and kills [[spoiler:Nolt]]. However, it doesn't work during the rematch because thanks to [[spoiler:Nolt's]] words of warning, they know what to look for (i.e. the shadows) and are able to use that to sucker Benge. |
| 183 | * ItsPersonal: A driving motivation for D and the Marcus Brothers as the narrative of ''Bloodlust'' progresses. [[spoiler: The murders of Nolt and Kyle drive Borgoff insane with rage and grief, leaving him to continue the chase even though it's now a zero-sum game. Leila's initially more invested in recovering Charlotte because it reminds her of her mother's abduction (at least until her rage upon learning Charlotte ''wasn't'' a victim). Meanwhile, Left Hand correctly guesses Charlotte's infatuation with Meier -- and the thought of the two lovebirds giving birth to a Dunpeal -- ''really'' gets to D as a Dunpeal (and his own issues with his parents), something which prompts D, for the only time in the entire film, to muffle and silence Left Hand.]] |
| 184 | * LaserGuidedAmnesia: The early novels used this as a means of keeping the Nobility at the top of the food chain, with them having genetically altered humanity to outright ''forget'' vampiric weaknesses after discovering them. Later novels phased this out completely. |
| 185 | * LoadBearingBoss: In the 1985 film, when Count Magnus Lee is killed his castle self-destructs. Something similar happens in ''Bloodlust''. Vampire castles apparently have NoOntologicalInertia. |
| 186 | * LongRunningBookSeries: Been going since 1983, with no signs of stopping. |
| 187 | * MagicVersusScience: In ''Bloodlust'', D and the Marcus Brothers are basically this to each other in their attempts to reach and recover Charlotte first. D is a dhampir with a supernatural background and vampiric abilities. The Marcus clan are humans armed with combat training and technology to allow them to keep up with the Vamps. |
| 188 | * MechanicalHorse: Regular horses don't even seem to be around anymore, just the cyborgs. |
| 189 | * MinorCrimeRevealsMajorPlot: A major part of ''Bloodlust'''s plot. The abduction of Charlotte Elbourne, which D and the Marcus Brothers take on as a simple job, instead turns out to be [[spoiler: the linchpin of a plot to resurrect one of the most dangerous Nobles in Vampiric history.]] |
| 190 | * TheMole: In the 1985 film. While D is rescuing Dan from Rei Ginsei, Dr. Fehring takes Doris Lang to a safe location. When Dr. Fehring and Doris meet Count Magnus Lee's daughter Lamika, Dr. Fehring reveals that [[FaceMonsterTurn he was turned into a vampire the day before and turns Doris over to Lamika]]. |
| 191 | * MovingTheGoalPosts: Possible example when D is hired by the Elbournes to rescue Charlotte. The Elbournes spare no expense to engage two of the top bounty hunters in the 'business' to recover Charlotte. However, they hired the Marcus Brothers first ''before'' hiring D. The implication (supported by the FantasticRacism during D's meeting) is that while the Elboyrnes value his skills and reputation, their preference would be for Charlotte to be rescued by a ''human'' hunter rather than a half-vampire one. Alternately, it's possible it took the Elbournes longer to track down and contact D compared to the Marcus Brothers (or there was conflict between John and his father about whether or not to hire D or not, hence the delay). |
| 192 | * MsFanservice: Doris' skirt is so short it's a mystery why she even bothers putting it on. Clearly she has the same tailor as ''Anime/AgentAika''. |
| 193 | * MonsterTown: The Barberois town, high in the mountains. |
| 194 | * MultipleHeadCase: The Three Sisters and D himself, sort of. |
| 195 | * NakedOnRevival: Carmilla revives herself out of pure blood in the ''Bloodlust'' movie, leading to this. |
| 196 | * NobleBigot: Countess Larmica Lee does not appreciate her father's zeal to marry the commoner Doris Lang, thereby bringing the House of Lee to ruin, [[spoiler:but midway through the picture she starts to realize that perhaps murder may not be the only option and decides to help Doris]]. |
| 197 | * NoblewomansLaugh: In the 1985 film Countess Larmica Lee has one that she uses to express her disdain toward D and Rei Ginsei. |
| 198 | * NoodleIncident: Several in ''Bloodlust''. |
| 199 | ** During Left Hand's first scene, the parasite reminds D of his susceptibility to Heat Syndrome. According to Left Hand, D almost died the last time he ignored it, but we don't learn any other specific details about this prior close call. |
| 200 | ** When Borgoff and Kyle are devising their plan for entrapping Meier's carriage on an upcoming bridge, Kyle recognizes his brother's strategy as one they'd used during a previous hunt against vampires at Keldo. [[spoiler: Unlike the Keldo Incident, this one ends ''badly'' for the Brothers.]] |
| 201 | * NoOntologicalInertia: In the movie, this was the cause of [[spoiler:the Count's castle crumbling to dust when he died]]. In the book, though, it was due to [[spoiler:Larmica's betrayal]]. |
| 202 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: In ''Bloodlust'', Kyle begins genuinely freaking out when he realizes Meier's carriage is headed for the Castle of Chaythe. This is the first time in the film Kyle's lost his composure and flippancy, which instantly speaks volumes about the Castle and its reputation. |
| 203 | * OneLetterName: D |
| 204 | * OrganAutonomy: D's left hand is alive. And it won't shut up. There's an upside when your hand can survive being severed for a while and has every reason in the world to give you CPR... |
| 205 | * OurVampiresAreDifferent |
| 206 | ** They follow most of the traditional vampire traits and weaknesses, but there are always a few exceptions--it's mentioned a few times that some vampire lines have different talents. It gets quite a LOT of attention when a vampire acts abnormally (such as the one that can move through water freely). |
| 207 | ** This trope really comes into play with the other Dhampirs. Their abilities almost never resemble D's. |
| 208 | *** Dhampir other than D are quite rare. The few that show up are usually artificially created or genetically modified, which further explains the range of powers beyond simply the unpredictable results of cross-breeding two different species. |
| 209 | *** D is also [[spoiler:explicitly stated to be the only successful attempt to create essentially a super Dhampir]]. The fact no other Dhampir have his powers is, if anything, required by that plot point. |
| 210 | * OutWithABang: The Three Sisters are killed by D while in the ecstatic throes of absorbing his life force. |
| 211 | * PercussivePrevention: In the 1985 movie, when danger approaches Doris Lang's house she volunteers to fight alongside D. D uses the talking mouth on his hand to put her to sleep so she can resist Count Magnus Lee's summons. |
| 212 | * PointedEars: In ''Bloodlust'', D's ears are shown to be slightly pointed, one of the few physical hints about his vampire blood that we see aside from his pale skin. |
| 213 | * PoorCommunicationKills: In ''Bloodlust'' when D finally catches up to Charlotte Elbourne, he discovers [[spoiler:not only are she and Meier Link lovers, but according to Charlotte, her father knew of her feelings for the vampire]]. In other words, [[spoiler:John Elbourne hired D and the Marcus Brothers to go after Meier while withholding a ''very'' important piece of information -- an omission that ''immensely'' complicates what both parties had thought going in was just a simple retrieval job]]. |
| 214 | * PowerAtAPrice: Grove is bedridden, sickly and barely able to move, but when he shoots up with a powerful (and toxic) drug, he's able to create an astral projection of himself made of pure energy that blasts anything to ashes with ray beams. Oh, and apparently the power trip makes him feel awesome, because he's usually ''smiling'' beautifully during all this. |
| 215 | * PowerFloats: In ''Bloodlust'', Grove's astral form floats through the air as he wreaks havoc. |
| 216 | * PragmaticAdaptation: The original movie was a very simplified version of the first novel (most notably the Fiend Corps were reduced to a group of mute monsters and Rei Ginsei became simply Count Magnus' [[TheDragon Dragon]]), but this improved the pacing of what was a very slow book. |
| 217 | * PrehensileHair: The Three Sisters use their hair to ensnare their victims. |
| 218 | * PrettyBoy: |
| 219 | ** D, who is described as being impossibly beautiful and has [[EvenTheGuysWantHim everyone]] he meets falling for him left and right. |
| 220 | ** Vampires and dhampyrs in general are described as being unearthly beautiful creatures, when they aren't showing the monstrous side of their appearance. |
| 221 | * PublicDomainCanonWelding: ''Bloodlust'' has the BigBad revealed to be Literature/{{Carmilla}}, who attacks Meir Link and then drains and kills his LoveInterest, Charlotte, to revive herself. |
| 222 | * PunchCatch: D to Rei-Ginsei in the first movie. Shocking both him and Larmica as Rei-Ginsei is shown to strength and speed beyond most humans. |
| 223 | * PuppeteerParasite: One shows up in the novel that formed the basis for ''Bloodlust.'' It's from the village of the Barberois, but it's only got a passing interest in actually helping Meier Link and is more concerned with raping and taking over people's bodies. It's also apparently related to the talking hand thing that D has. |
| 224 | * PurpleProse: The early novels have bits of memorably overripe prose. For instance [[DistressedDamsel Doris Lang]] is described as having "a naked form so celestial none save the goddess Venus herself could have fashioned it." This decreases some in later novels. |
| 225 | * PutDownYourGunAndStepAway: In ''Bloodlust'', after Borgoff is turned into a vampire he takes Leila hostage and orders D to drop his weapon. |
| 226 | * QuirkyMinibossSquad: The novels ''always'' have one and they can be relatively mundane mercenaries to outlandish, literally out-of-this-world monstrosities. |
| 227 | * RaceAgainstTheClock: ''Bloodlust'' starts off as this. Both D and the Marcus Brothers are racing each other to get to Meier Link first, rescue Charlotte, and collect the considerable reward her family's offered for her recovery. However, the race gradually becomes ''much'' more complicated as it becomes clear this ''wasn't'' a simple abduction and there's a larger game being played here. |
| 228 | ** By the second half of the film, both parties realize Meier's final destination is the Castle of Chaythe. It then becomes a race to intercept them before they can reach that sanctuary (as even experienced hunters are ''terrified'' of the Castle and its reputation). [[spoiler: They fail and D and what's left of the Marcus Brothers have to go in after them anyway.]] |
| 229 | * ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: D appears to be a young man (and is in fact repeatedly described as such by the narrator in the novels) but is actually ancient. In at least one instance the deeds he performed in a certain area have literally passed into legend by the next time he returned there. |
| 230 | * RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Larmica]] |
| 231 | * RedEyesTakeWarning |
| 232 | ** Most vampires when they're angry, if they don't have it all the time. If D gets Red Eyes, it's time to run. No, wait, too late. You're dead already. |
| 233 | ** The 1985 movie: |
| 234 | *** Doris Lang encounters three opponent with red eyes: the monster she's hunting, a werewolf that tears off her crucifix, and the vampire leader Count Magnus Lee. |
| 235 | *** At Count Magnus Lee's castle D meets a giant, a mutant who can summon up a ghostly wolf and the three Snake Women of Midwich, all of whom are Lee's evil servants and who have red eyes. |
| 236 | ** ''Bloodlust'' (2000): |
| 237 | *** The horses pulling the vampire's coach near the beginning have glowing red eyes. And if that isn't enough to tell you they're evil, they have fangs as well - apparently they're ''vampire'' horses. |
| 238 | *** Some evil vampire bats that appear later also have red eyes. |
| 239 | * TheRemnant: Human civilization is coming back full force and the "Aristocracy" of vampires is on the decline. Vampires can only be found in the hills of the Frontier away from the Capitol at the center of the continent. In their little micro-fiefdoms, though, they still exercise a degree of might. |
| 240 | * RewatchBonus: Multiple instances in ''Bloodlust''. |
| 241 | ** Charlotte's abduction in the very first scene. [[spoiler: She's not having a sleepless night as it appears on the first watch. She's awake and nervous ''because'' she knows tonight's the night she and Meier are going to flee town together.]] |
| 242 | ** John Elbourne's sole scene early in the film after the reveal that [[spoiler: Charlotte and Meier are actually lovers -- and that he knew this when he hired D and the Marcus Brothers. With that new context, her father's subdued behavior and request to D to kill Charlotte if she's been changed play differently. Elbourne already knew how this was probably going to end and he wasn't in denial about it like Alan clearly is. Elbourne also loses some of the sympathy he has on the first watch, knowing now that he withheld this crucial information from D and the Marcus Brothers -- an omission which ultimately plays its part in wiping out the entire family of hunters save for Leila.]] |
| 243 | * RevengeBeforeReason: Borgoff in ''Bloodlust'' after [[spoiler:Kyle's murder. He's determined to keep pursuing Meier to avenge Kyle and Nolt and to honor their memories]]. He refuses to listen to Grove's pleas that going into the Castle of Chaythe will only get them all killed -- a prediction which will indeed come true. |
| 244 | * RuleOfCool: Even in the first novel, the combat is ridiculously over-the-top. D throws stakes so fast that they're a flash of light. Not because they're silver, no, they're wood; because he's ''throwing them so fast they're incandescing from the air friction.'' |
| 245 | * SecretTest: In the 1985 film version Doris Lang confronts D as he travels. She challenges and attacks him to find out if he's a tough enough vampire hunter to take on the vampire noble Count Magnus Lee. |
| 246 | -->'''Doris''': I apologize for attacking you without just cause. I had to make certain you weren't a coward like so many of the others. |
| 247 | * SeeYouInHell: In the 1985 movie, D says this to Rei Ginsei when he paralyzes D with the vampire-affecting candle. |
| 248 | * ShootTheShaggyDog: ''Demon Deathchase'' ended up being one of these. [[spoiler:EVERY character except D and Leila [[DroppedABridgeOnHim died a pointless and unpleasant death]] and Mayerling's entire journey [[ShaggyDogStory was meaningless from the start]], as the spaceport he'd been heading to had been ruined for centuries. There was no real BigBad and there were almost no sympathetic characters (especially the Marcus Brothers, who are complete scumbags in the book).]] |
| 249 | * ShoutOut: |
| 250 | ** Village called Tepes in the second novel. ČšepeČ™ (Romanian for impaler) was a nickname of [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad III of Wallachia]], better known as Dracula. |
| 251 | ** Count Magnus Lee is named after Creator/MRJames's famous ghost story "Count Magnus" and Creator/ChristopherLee. |
| 252 | ** Larmica is an anagram of Carmilla, from [[Literature/{{Carmilla}} an early vampire story]] by J. Sheridan [=LeFanu=]. |
| 253 | ** The Snake-Women of ''Midwich'' might refer to ''[[Film/VillageOfTheDamned1960 The Midwich Cuckoos]]'', despite absolutely no similarities between the two. |
| 254 | ** Carmilla in the second film is also obviously a shout-out to the literary Carmilla, as well as the historical Countess Bathory along with sporting a similar hairstyle as Dracula in ''Film/BramStokersDracula''. |
| 255 | ** In ''Mysterious Journey to the North Sea Part 1'', the seventh novel of the series, there is a town named Cronenberg, after, of course, horror film director Creator/DavidCronenberg. |
| 256 | *** In the same novel there's also a village called Lugosi, obviously paying homage to Creator/BelaLugosi who famously played {{Dracula}} in the [[Film/{{Dracula 1931}} first official adaptation]] of Creator/BramStoker's [[Literature/{{Dracula}} novel]]. |
| 257 | *** There's also a vampire named 'Meinster.' Given Hideyuki's love of Film/HammerHorror, the fact that this is the villain of ''Film/TheBridesOfDracula'' is assuredly not coincidence. |
| 258 | *** In the first book, there's briefly mentioned a minor character named [[Creator/PeterCushing Cushing]]. |
| 259 | ** Frequent use of QuirkyMiniBossSquad was inspired by the many works of [[Manga/TheYagyuNinjaScrolls Futaro Yamada.]] |
| 260 | ** TONS of Westerns such as ''Film/TheSearchers'', ''Film/{{Shane}}'', and the ''Film/DollarsTrilogy'' are used as inspiration or WholePlotReference. |
| 261 | ** In ''Bloodlust'', Benge sarcastically calls Grove's spirit form [[Literature/PeterPan Tinkerbell]]. |
| 262 | * ShowerScene: In the 1985 movie, after D returns Larmica to Count Magnus Lee's castle there's a brief scene in Doris Lang's house where she takes a shower. |
| 263 | * ASimplePlan: The hunt for Charlotte Elborune in ''Bloodlust''. Both D and the Marcus Brothers take the job believing this is a relatively straightforward kidnapping and recovery operation. Each party also has to reach Charlotte first before the competition can beat them to it. The hunt, however, quickly proves to be ''far'' more complicated than either party foresaw because [[spoiler:it turns out it's ''not'' an abduction, but an ''elopement'']]. |
| 264 | * SlaveToPR: Invoked by the Barbaois Elder during ''Bloodlust'' when D attempts to buy out his contact to protect Meier Link. He points out that after 5,000 years of serving the people of the night, the Barbarois aren't exactly going to jeopardize that reputation anytime soon, are they? That said, as the Elder concedes, if there was hypothetically ''anyone'' that could get them to change their stripes, it would be for someone like D. |
| 265 | * SlidingScaleOfVampireFriendliness: On the low end. |
| 266 | * SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:Leila]] is the only surviving member of the Marcus Brothers by the end of ''Bloodlust''. |
| 267 | * SophisticatedAsHell: D on a few occasions. |
| 268 | ** When he learns that Lefty failed to protect their current employer: "Useless little bugger." |
| 269 | ** Seeing a giant get beat down by phantoms: "They're beating the hell out of him." |
| 270 | * TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Rei-Ginsei tries this at the end. [[YourHeadAsplode It doesn't end well for him.]]]] |
| 271 | * TheStoic: D. His parasitic hand {{lampshades}} this occasionally. |
| 272 | * {{Stripperiffic}}: Doris' outfit in the first film. |
| 273 | %%* SuperLoser |
| 274 | * SuperpoweredEvilSide: On rare stressful occasions, D sometimes 'vamps-out' -- his eyes goes [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing blood red]], he displays conspicuous fangs (which he bares in a [[FangsAreEvil terrifyingly feral manner]]), and his strength and presence becomes even ''more'' overwhelming. In that state he's basically a uber-Noble on super-steroids. A CurbstompBattle almost always follows. This transformation appears to be involuntary and it takes obvious HeroicWillpower to pull himself back to his usual self. It is usually triggered by combat, but can set off by emotional turmoil -- i.e., with Doris Lang when she offers himself to him. |
| 275 | * SwordSparks: Memorably going to the point of a 'hot blade' BladeLock where one blade was a vampire's ''wing''. |
| 276 | * TerrifyingRescuer: [[spoiler:Rei-Ginsei becomes this for Dan (for no particular purpose)]] when the latter gets hurled off a bridge, and the former has decided to become TheStarscream. |
| 277 | * ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: In the 1985 film, when D is fighting Count Magnus Lee, he throws his sword at Lee and pins him to a wall, killing him. In the corresponding book, D throws the broken-off tip of his sword--with the same results. |
| 278 | * TimeAbyss: Most of the Nobility, [[spoiler:as well as D himself]]. Their lifespans are usually in the range of several ''millennia''. |
| 279 | * TooManyMouths: D's parasite shows up as a face in his left palm. |
| 280 | * TranshumanTreachery: Generally, vampire thralls end up evil, and which of the mind control tropes it is varies. |
| 281 | * TranslationTrainwreck: The Balkan word for the child of a human and a vampire is "dhampir". When that word was transliterated into Japanese for the novels and then back into English for the American release of the movies, we ended up with "dampiel" in the first film[[note]]At least, as far as the dub by Creator/StreamlinePictures goes. This was rectified in the Creator/SentaiFilmworks dub.[[/note]] and "dunpeal" in ''Bloodlust''. The novels correctly use "dhampir." |
| 282 | * TraumaCongaLine: Doris, which decays her status from ActionGirl to more DistressedDamsel as the film goes on. After [[spoiler:losing her horse and getting bitten by the Count in the opening]], she still has to deal with [[spoiler:being shunned by the townsfolk, being kidnapped by the Count twice, having her brother kidnapped (and thinking him dead), having the only other human on her side get turned into a vampire and lead her into a trap, and fending off the lecherous son of the town mayor in between it all]]. Poor girl needs a hug after all that. |
| 283 | * UnnecessarilyLargeInterior: The vampires love these both in the movies and novels. The novels explain that the vampires attempted to delay their inevitable decline with increasingly ambitious projects, from building miles-tall high-rises to sending expeditions to other galaxies, even though it would take thousands of years and serve no practical purpose. |
| 284 | * TheVamp: Larmica, quite literally. |
| 285 | * VampireHunter: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Obviously]], but D doesn't do it as much as one might expect. In the time frame of the movies and novels vampires are mostly extinct, and D's jobs are often related to the Nobility only tangentially. |
| 286 | * VampireMonarch: Count Magnus Lee, and Carmilla in ''Bloodlust''. |
| 287 | * VampireRefugee: The plot of the first novel and film. |
| 288 | * VampiricDraining: In the 1985 film the three Snake Women of Midwich drain D's LifeEnergy by wrapping themselves around him. |
| 289 | * VeinOVision: How vampires see humans. It's made a point of in the novels how even the most kindhearted of Nobles will inevitably succumb to their instincts if they have to spend long periods in the company of mortals. When exceptions are seen, they tend to be huge plot points. |
| 290 | * VillainRespect: Borgoff towards D in ''Bloodlust''. While the rest of the Marcus Brothers and Leila all have varying degress of contempt for their competitor, Borgoff at least ''does'' respect D as a fellow vampire hunter (and is genuinely impressed by D's ArrowCatch during their first meeting). |
| 291 | * VillainRevealsTheSecret: [[spoiler:Just before his death]] in ''Bloodlust'', Mashira reveals to D who really hired the Barbarois to protect Meier Link. [[spoiler:It's justified because even though he's about to die, Mashira fulfilled the terms of the Barbarois' contract by delaying D long enough for Meier and Charlotte to make it to the Castle of Chaythe. D knowing the client was Carmilla won't make a difference now, and D by this point has a good idea who's behind things; only the motive is still a mystery.]] |
| 292 | ** In the Japanese dub, even as he lays dying, Mashira refuses to reveal who hired the Barbarois, citing their honour as the reason for that and half-playfully, half-admiringly complaining about D's impudence. |
| 293 | * WalkingTheEarth: Hunters must do this constantly, D, obviously, being no exception. |
| 294 | %%* WarmBloodbagsAreEverywhere |
| 295 | * WeakenedByTheLight |
| 296 | ** Sunlight isn't immediately fatal to vampires. Rather, exposure to more than a few seconds of direct sunlight causes them to catch fire, burning painfully so long as they are exposed. HeroicWillpower is invoked if a vampire stays in sunlight to do something important, as is a vampiric HealingFactor if they make it back to shade. However, only the High Nobility are capable of even trying this. Most vampires are entirely comatose during the day, even if they remain underground. |
| 297 | ** While sunlight does not affect dhampirs to nearly the same degree as full vampires, it is painful for them and can cause a form of heatstroke called Sunlight Syndrome. |
| 298 | ** The 1985 film. Count Magnus Lee sends Rei Ginsei a candle. Its light paralyzes any being with vampire blood in its veins. Greco Roman steals it and uses it against the Count's daughter Lamika. Rei Ginsei gets it back and uses it against D (successfully) and Count Magnus Lee (not so successfully). |
| 299 | ** In addition to the above world building and elements, ''Bloodlust'' also uses this as a minor plot point (and advantage for D and the Marcus Brothers) during the first Act. Due to his sunlight weakness, Meier's carriage can only travel at night. So, despite having a 48 hour headstart, he's had to go to ground for at least half that time period (allowing D and the Marcus Brothers to eventually catch up). Once Meier hooks up with the Barbarois, however, Mashira and the others are able to drive the carriage during the day (thereby eliminating the advantage D and the Marcus Brothers enjoyed). |
| 300 | * WeMeetAgain: In the 1985 film Rei Ginsei says this to D when D arrives at Count Magnus Lee's castle. They had met earlier when Ginsei visited Doris Lang's farm. |
| 301 | * WeirdWest: While the main influence is Westerns, there is literally no genre the series doesn't have in it. D regularly bumps up against marauders, GothicHorror beasts, HighFantasy monsters, DarkFantasy abominations, literal space aliens, and Cthulhu. |
| 302 | %%* TheWestern |
| 303 | * WhamLine: From ''Bloodlust'': |
| 304 | ** "Meier!". Charlotte's very first line in the film. It startles D in mid-fight with Meier and, as he concedes to Left Hand afterwards, it indicates Meier ''may'' have been telling the truth about this not being an abduction after all... |
| 305 | ** "Someone paid me a $100 million to protect Meier Link." This piece of boasting of the Barbarois Elder, which is another clue that this isn't a simple abduction and that Meier has a secret, powerful benefactor. |
| 306 | * WhoAreYou: In his final moments Count Magnus declares, ''"Who [[WhatTheHellAreYou the hell]] are YOU?!"'' at D in the English dub of the anime. [[StrongFamilyResemblance Magnus finds the answer himself just a second later]] [[spoiler:from a portrait on the wall right nearby]]. |
| 307 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: A minor one from the climax of ''Bloodlust''. [[spoiler: The fate of the Marcus Brothers' Tank, as Leila hitches a ride with D when they depart the collapsing Castle of Caythe. The last we see of the Tank is that Borgoff parked it in the Castle's interior courtyard (right alongside Meier's carriage). It's possible the Tank had already been crushed by crumbling debris and D and Leila discovered this while exiting the main foyer. It's also possible that a grieving Leila simply couldn't bear to see Grove's dead body.]] |
| 308 | * WhyDontYouJustShootHim: This is what gets [[spoiler:Kyle]] killed in ''Bloodlust'' [[spoiler:after he and Borgoff corner Meier's carriage on the bridge. Rather than just killing Meier and getting it over with, the brothers keep toying with him and torturing him (though it's arguably justified in-universe because the pursuit of Meier was what got Nolt killed earlier in the film). Their delay gives Mashira enough time to not only scale the bridge (after having been shot over the side earlier), but to remove Borgoff's explosives before killing Kyle just as he's about to *finally* kill Meier.]] |
| 309 | * WorldOfBadass: The stories run on the physics of ''awesomeness.'' |
| 310 | * WorthyOpponent: Mashira in ''Bloodlust'' praises D as one and is glad to have met him in battle [[spoiler: just before succumbing to the wounds D inflicted]]. |
| 311 | * WouldntHitAGirl: D goes out of his way to avoid hurting Lamika, despite her numerous attempts to kill him and Doris. |
| 312 | * XanatosGambit: Downplayed in ''Bloodlust'', but the Elbournes set up the hunt for Charlotte to be one. In addition to hiring the Marcus Brothers, D is also contracted as insurance just in case the human hunters can't get the job done. [[spoiler: While both parties ultimately fail to save Charlotte, the Elbournes also would never have learned her ultimate fate without D's involvment in the hunt (as everyone else was killed, or ''about'' to be killed, by Carmilla.)]] |
| 313 | * YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Lamika does this to Dr. Fehring after he turns Doris over to her. In his last moments, he regrets what he had done under the influence. |
| 314 | * YourHeadASplode: Rei's ultimate fate after attempting to paralyze Count Magnus Lee for breaking his promise to make him immortal, in a very gruesome manner. |
| 315 | |
| 316 | ---- |
| 317 | ->''"[[ButNowIMustGo Transient guests are we.]]"'' |
| 318 |
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