Common Types of Vampires

I make it no secret that Anne Rice is my all time favorite author. Her work and story behind the work inspire me to no end. So today, in honor of the Vampire Chronicles adaptation by AMC (which I hold stock in), I have created a brief guide to vampires and the vampire hierarchy that is seen in popular fiction now, which we have Anne Rice to thank for (she also wrote some badass erotica but that’s another article for another day).

One of the biggest things to remember when trying to classify a vampire into a specific category, is that vampires are grouped according to what they use as their food/energy source. Not all vampires drink blood although that is the most common.

So let’s get started with the most common types of vampires, remember this is not an all encompassing list of every vampire type, only the most common vampires in popular media.

BLOOD DRINKERS:

Also known as Sanguine Vampires, this vampire category is what comes to mind for most people when you say the word ‘vampire’. The blood drinking vampire can be found in all cultures across the world and dates back all the way to mythology in Ancient Greece.

The blood drinking vampire must consume human blood in order to survive and can be seen hunting humans to get this blood-food source.

Resources on vampire lore say that one feeding on human blood (which kills the host human) can allow the vampire to last for up to two weeks but that is two weeks without harming the overall health and function of the vampire. Two weeks would be a survivor level diet, therefore, we see most vampires feeding at far more frequent intervals.

EMPHATIC VAMPIRE:

Also closely related is the Elemental Vampire, the Emphatic Vampire does not feed on human blood to sustain itself. An Emphatic Vampire can feed on emotions and feelings of the host human ranging from love to angst and every emotion in between.

In contrast, the Elemental Vampire also does not feed on human blood but also does not feed on human emotions or energy. The Elemental Vampire feeds on natural energy sources like lightning, wind, etc.

See Psi-Vampires below for Author’s Note on the evolution of Vampire feeding.

DISFIGURED VAMPIRES:

Also known as Nosferatu, Disfigured Vampires possess abnormal physical characteristics and are at times, a bit grotesque. The disfigurement was either a result of a very long vampire life with a lack of care OR a complication at the time of vampiric transformation.

GENETIC VAMPIRES:

Genetic Vampires are most commonly scene in the scifi/paranormal genre. Genetic Vampires fall into two main categories:

Vampires created in a lab by science.

Vampires that were created from the mating of one Vampire parent and one human parent (very similar to demi-Gods in mythology or the Nephilim in Judeo-Christian texts).

Genetic Vampires will exhibit some vampiric traits and abilities but not all. Again, a good reference is to the demi-gods seen in ancient mythology.

INSANE VAMPIRES:

Also known as Malkavian vampires, Insane Vampires are most commonly vampires who were once human who have not handled the transition well. Insane Vampires are erratic, hard to control, and many times dangerous AF.

PSI-VAMPIRES:

A more modern day vampire, this creature does not suck blood, but rather extracts life energy from the host or even a crowd of people in order to sustain themselves. Psi-vampires unlike blood sucking vampires do not kill the host human; rather, the host human may experience drowsiness, fatigue, or exhaustion.

Author’s Note: I believe this evolution of the vampire occurred as society has moved from an agrarian/industrial labor force where physical prowess ensured survival to the technology age where energy and intellect ensure survival. It only makes sense that the vampires would evolve as well.

SEXUAL VAMPIRES:

The most famous of the sexual vampires are the Succubus (female vampire) and the Incubus (male vampire) that feed off of sexual energy of their host human. While the Sexual Vampire can consume sexual energy just from the act of sexual contact, most Sexual Vampires prefer to extract the full sexual energy from the orgasmic energy of the host human at climax. (I think I’ve slept with one of those before!)

SOUL VAMPIRES:

The name is fairly self explanatory, Soul Vampires feed off of the soul energy of the host human. By feeding off of the soul energy of the host human, the host has a shortened lifespan as a consequence. Additionally, it is not uncommon to see a Soul Vampire unintentionally kill their host human by feeding too often on the soul energy of the host.

AUTHOR COMMENTS:

This list is intended to be a brief overview of the most common types of vampires seen in popular culture including movies, books, and television. It is by no means an exhaustive list and it should be noted that a vampire can fall into one or more categories.