Highlights

• Vampires in anime represent dualities like intimacy and terror, captivating viewers with their complexity and alluring mystique.
• "Vampire Dormitory" and "Undead Murder Farce" add unique spins on vampire stories, while "Vampire Knight" explores romance and drama.
• From comedic adventures like "Blood Lad" to dark narratives like "Blood+", anime vampires come in various genres and styles.

Inspired by urban legends and mythology, creatures of the night haunt nearly every genre of anime. They can be love interests, fearsome foes, or celebrated heroes. However, few monsters in anime captivate viewers like vampires.

A vampire’s reliance on and isolation from others makes them a paradoxical promise of intimacy, eternity, and new possibilities. They are terrifying yet beautiful and uncannily human, and their lives demand to be seen even in the darkness. The complexity of vampires and the mysteries of the night constantly inspire new vampire stories, but these vampire anime have achieved immortality in more ways than one.

Updated April 14, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Spring 2024 has arrived, and the season has one story that covers the vampire theme. While this series has yet to prove whether it is among the best vampire anime ever, it warrants a spotlight in case someone is searching for a weekly show to add to their schedule.

Also, while not warranting a spot in the rankings due to vampires only making up a very small part of the overall story, the recent season of Bungo Stray Dogs dived into the subject to largely positive results. Even Winter 2024's The Unwanted Undead Adventurer touched upon vampires briefly, and it is a great option for fantasy fans.

Spring 2024: Vampire Dormitory

Due to just starting, Vampire Dormitory is only receiving a special mention and is not officially part of the rankings. The Spring 2024 anime season is still in its infancy, and many new shows are vying for the audience's attention. While still too early to definitively state anything, Studio Blanc's series will probably not sit among the quarter's most-discussed releases when everything is said and done. Shojo anime are usually fighting an uphill battle for attention, and Vampire Dormitory leans into genres that are not extremely popular in Western spheres. The first episode was also not great, which could put off people who opted to give it a try.

Living just the most unfortunate life, Mito has been to hell and back. One day, she contemplates jumping off a bridge, although she only ends up slipping off by accident. Fortunately, she is saved by a vampire named Ruka, who has been looking for someone who he can suck blood from. As blood tastes better when someone is loved, Ruka offers to take in Mito. Complicating matters is the vampire's mistaken belief that Mito is a guy and not a girl, something that could prove to be an issue sooner rather than later.

Vampire Dormitory will hopefully hit its stride once a few more characters are introduced since Mito and Ruka might not be quite interesting enough to carry a show on their own.

14 Undead Murder Farce

MyAnimeList: 7.90

Admittedly, labeling Undead Murder Farce as a vampire anime is a stretch since only one character fits the bill. Despite being essentially a secondary antagonist who appears in only a handful of episodes, Carmilla is enigmatic and captivating enough to justify a recommendation. More importantly, the show is an all-around fantastic monster mash filled with fun twists on classic archetypes, including literary figures like Sherlock Holmes. The story revolves around an unorthodox trio who travel the world taking on supernatural-themed cases while simultaneously pursuing their own goals. The group's supreme detective is Aya Rindo, an immortal being who has been reduced to just a head; luckily, her mind is still sharper than a chef's knife.

Undead Murder Farce blends Gothic imagery, engaging murder mysteries, and charismatic characters to create an anime that is constantly entertaining. While not a comedy, the show has a good and dark sense of humor that arises naturally from its cast's big personalities, and that extends to the villains. Carmilla largely acts as a center for the main group's powerful maid, and like every other figure in the story, she is larger-than-life.

13 Vampire Knight

MyAnimeList: 6.87 (Season 1)

Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are prefects at an academy that accepts vampire students at night. To protect the daytime students and the status of the academy, they both take their position seriously. However, their situation and feelings become complicated when Yuki, Zero, and the vampire students realize they are more connected than they thought.

Vampire Knight is a shojo take on vampires with drama and romance. However, while fans have mixed feelings about how Vampire Knight handled its love triangle, it might very well be the most well-known vampire-themed romance in anime. However, if someone is not fond of the genre's shojo tropes, they will likely not enjoy this series.

12 The Vexations Of A Shut-In Vampire Princess

MyAnimeList: 7.19

A Fall 2023 anime that went by somewhat unnoticed, The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess follows Terakomari Gandesblood, a girl of noble blood who is pushed into a leadership role that she is widely unprepared for. While not completely incompetent, Komari has largely lived as a hikikomori, and she has no real affinity for magic due to being a vampire who would rather not drink blood. Still, if she wants to fulfill her role and survive, she must bluff her way through war speeches, battles, and plenty of encounters with powerful people who want to use her.

The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is one of those anime that people will either love or hate. The show jumps back and forth between dark humor and straight-up drama, and the tonal inconsistency gets exhausting after a while. The harem aspect can also be hit or miss, especially since the protagonist is pursued quite aggressively by her love interest. Still, this anime has plenty of strong positives. For one, Komari is a fantastic lead and a fun twist on the vampire trope. Vilhaze is also entertaining and by far Komari's best partner, even if she does transition from the second protagonist to a supporting character as the season progresses.

11 Blood Lad

MyAnimeList: 7.25

Blood Lad is a refreshing change from serious vampire anime. Its light-hearted story follows Staz Charlie Blood, a powerful vampire who loves humanity and considers himself an otaku. It’s the best moment of his life when a human accidentally wanders into the demon world.

Sadly, the human dies before Staz gets to speak to her, so he decides to go on a quest to bring her back to life. As Blood Lad is predominantly a comedy, Staz often tries to take the easy way out and ends up in bizarre situations. Frustratingly, the anime ended after only 10 episodes, so there is very little payoff to anything the plot sets up. Still, the available content is fun.

10 Blood+

MyAnimeList: 7.62

Saya Otonashi doesn’t know she is a vampire until a monster attacks her school one night. However, encouraged by a mysterious man playing the cello and her family, Saya slays the beast, awakening to her vampiric powers before joining a demon-fighting organization to protect others.

Blood+ is an action-packed story about Saya’s past and determination. Its characters are charming and compelling, and the series gives them time to process the events they are going through. Altogether, Blood+ backs up its fights with a strong story.

9 The Case Study of Vanitas

MyAnimeList: 7.90 (Season 1)

The Case Study of Vanitas is a supernatural anime that begins with a misunderstanding. According to legend, the Book of Vanitas is a magical tool used by a vampire born under a blue moon to curse and destroy vampirekind. However, when the vampire Noé Archiviste comes across the grimoire, not only is a human using it, but he is using it to cure vampires from corrupt forces.

The Case Study of Vanitas can be light-hearted, but its use of misunderstandings propels its plot and characters toward meaningful growth.

8 Seraph Of The End

MyAnimeList: 7.49 (Season 1)

After a disease killed everyone older than thirteen in Yuichiro Hyakuya’s hometown, vampires stepped in to care for children in exchange for blood. Hyakuya and his friends spent years under their unjust rule until they decided to escape. However, he was the only one to survive, and since then, he has sworn his revenge on vampires.

Seraph of the End works because it’s similar to Attack on Titan, and it impresses with its fight scenes in humanity’s last stronghold as Hyakuya and others train to fight the vampires.

7 Blood Blockade Battlefront

MyAnimeList: 7.79 (Season 1)

Hellsalem’s Lot is a brutal yet magical town where reality and other worlds have combined. Aliens, demons, and humans coexist, but only the toughest can survive. Driven to protect the city, the organization Libra fights against those who would harm its citizens. The newest member of Libra is Leonardo Watch, who received the power of the “All-Seeing Eyes of God” against his will.

Blood Blockade Battlefront is a story of betrayal and familial love. Vampires and other creatures threaten not only the city but Leonardo’s friends as well. Along with colorful characters, the anime really delivers in its action sequences, which are brilliantly animated and creative.

6 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

MyAnimeList: 7.89 (Season 1)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most well-known action anime in the world. The series is broken into parts that each focus on a different descendant of the Joestar family tree. While vampires are only the main antagonists for the first three parts of the series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders brought the series to fame with Jotaro’s quest to defeat the power-driven vampire Dio Brando. Its subsequent parts may not be about vampires, but Jotaro and Dio’s influence is present throughout the series.

That said, the best JoJo sagas are arguably the ones that follow Stardust Crusaders, and they move away from the concept of vampires. Even the entries that do feature these creatures feature long stretches without them in the forefront.

5 Castlevania

MyAnimeList: N/A

Castlevania is a series based on a popular game franchise of the same name. While the show has some differences from the games, it still follows three familiar protagonists - Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and Sypha Belnades - on their quest to kill the vengeful Count Dracula.

Moral and familial conflicts are at the heart of the series, making many of its conversations intense and emotional. With its classic vampire aesthetic, compelling characters, and stunning animation, Castlevania is perfect for newcomers to the series and devoted fans alike.

Technically, Castlevania is not an anime; however, the show will be included since it takes a lot of inspiration from Japanese animation.

4 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)

MyAnimeList: 7.92

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a cult-classic sequel to the animated film Vampire Hunter D (1985). Both films follow D, a dhampir with a symbiotic left hand who hunts down other creatures of the night in exchange for rewards. While fans of the series love both films, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust has a more complex plot with forbidden love and other hunters pursuing D’s target.

For those looking to enjoy an animated vampire film, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a beautiful yet action-packed story that uses the often-overlooked dhampir. The anime's gothic aesthetic produces some genuinely jaw-dropping visuals and backdrops.

3 Shiki

MyAnimeList: 7.73

Shiki has an inconspicuous opening that leads into a medical horror series and a psychological thriller about trying to cure vampirism and prevent a murder spree in a small town. As the vampire forces grow larger each night, the town doctor becomes more apathetic toward the town’s concerns and loses, and the feeling of being watched becomes prevalent.

Shiki uses a slow-burn approach to its horror, allowing the terror of each moment to set in before moving on to show vampires, and humanity, at their darkest. The anime's second half is filled with hard-to-watch sequences that blur the lines between the two sides, showing that humans can be just as vicious as monsters.

2 Hellsing Ultimate

MyAnimeList: 8.35

Hellsing Ultimate is an original video animation retelling of Hellsing. Aside from having longer episodes and revamped animation, fans consider Hellsing Ultimate a faithful version of the vampire hunter Alucard’s struggles against other vampire-hunting organizations because it more closely follows the manga.

Alucard’s story is brutal, violent, and stunningly created. He by no means hides his love of vampire hunting, even as a first-class vampire himself, and has unshakable confidence in his skills. Hellsing Ultimate is exceptional from the beginning, making it one of the best vampire anime available.

1 The Monogatari Series

MyAnimeList: 8.33 (Season 1)

The main protagonist of the Monogatari series is an ex-vampire who managed to retain some of his superhuman qualities. Although he remains connected to the vampire who cursed him, his primary goal is to help others who have experienced supernatural, personal, and spiritual challenges.

The Monogatari series has a distinct and engaging animation style that uses changes in aspect ratio, text on still frames, and a combination of photography and animation at different times. While the art is memorable, the characters and the story’s focus on helping others made the series skyrocket in popularity.

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