In the world of anime and manga, there are countless genres, just like in cinema. Action, comedy, everyday life, horror, romance... You can find it all! But did you know that there are vampire animes? Yes, these stories can range from the most brutal to romances involving these creatures and humans, but today we're going to tell you which are the best vampire animes of all time!
Ever since Bram Stoker's Dracula was released, the genre has become a hit and this work has inspired countless others, as well as horror anime and romance anime with vampires! If you are a fan of these creatures of the night, you can't miss our list! Let's go!
Blood+ (2005)
Starting off our list of the best vampire anime, we have the story of Saya Otanashi, a young girl who doesn't know it, but she's a vampire! She was living a normal high school life, until a sinister monster attacks her school and a mysterious family appears, encouraging the young girl to fight the beast. Thus, Saya defeats the creature and discovers her vampire powers and the existence of an organization that fights against dark creatures and protects humanity.
If you like anime with action scenes, Blood+ is ideal for you, because, in addition to the great development of the protagonist and other characters, the work also delivers great fights and moments of confrontation. The anime is available on the Apple TV streaming platform.
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)
Even though vampires are only a small part of the story, we couldn't leave Jojo's Bizarre Adventure out of our list of the best vampire anime. This is one of the most popular anime in the world and introduces us to the adventures of the members of the Joestar family, who have a common villain: the vampire Dio Brando! The first 3 parts of the series have vampires as the main antagonists and this echoes throughout the other seasons, even though the vampires were left aside.
This is a vampire anime from Netflix, as its seasons are available in the catalog for its subscribers. Dio, the antagonist of the series, has established himself as a bloodthirsty and cruel monster, with his vampire side emerging and devouring people, being considered by many to be one of the great villains of anime! The anime is available on the streaming platforms Netflix, Prime Video and Max.
The Case Study of Vanitas (2021)
Among the best vampire animes, we also have a story with a supernatural feel, where the plot is based on a legend found in a book called the “Book of Vanitas”. This book is a magical resource that was often used by a vampire who was destined to be born on a moonlit night and, thus, would be the destroyer of other vampires. However, this grimoire ends up falling into human hands and being used in a very different way… The grimoire is being used to cure vampires!
This is an anime that, despite being dark in some parts of the story, also manages to balance its plot with lightheartedness. The plot and character development deserve to be highlighted, delivering a complete first season and a second season that stood out. The anime is available on the streaming platforms Crunchyroll and Prime Video.
Seraph of the End (2015)
Imagine living in a world where people over the age of 13 end up dying from a mysterious disease. This is the initial premise of one of the best vampire animes, where the creatures of the night decide to intervene to take care of the surviving children, but demand a transfusion in exchange. Yuichiro Hyakuya is the protagonist and, after years, he decides to join his friends to try to escape, swearing revenge against the vampires.
If you like anime with intense fights, Seraph of The End is a great anime for you! In addition to a slight similarity to Attack on Titan, the protagonist has a clear objective and is always training and dedicating himself to face the feared vampires. The anime is available on the streaming platforms Crunchyroll and Prime Video.
Blood Blockade Battlefront (2015)
One of the best vampire animes features not only these monsters, but also aliens, humans, and demons coexisting in a single city called Hellsalem's Lot. As you might expect, this coexistence is not so friendly and only the strong can live in this place, but an organization called Libra decided it was time to fight against those who want to spread chaos.
Leonardo Watch is our protagonist, a man who joined Libra and received the power known as the “All-Seeing Eyes of God”, fighting alongside other characters to prevent threats from spreading throughout the city. The anime is available on the streaming platforms Crunchyroll and Prime Video.
Mignon (2023)
Mignon follows a slightly different approach, as it is a Korean animation that presents a story of “boys’ love” (or Boys Love/BL). This is a 12-episode anime, but it is still among the best vampire animes as it introduces us to a fighter who ends up getting injured and being treated by a doctor in the arena. What he didn’t expect is that this doctor is actually a vampire!
This anime is ideal for people who like this type of plot, and it's also super short, with episodes lasting only 5 minutes. Its story strengthens the bonds between the fighter and the doctor, giving us a story about love and other twists that you need to watch to see for yourself. The anime miniseries Mignon is available for streaming on Vimeo.
Call of the Night (2022)
Call of the Night introduces us to a young man named Kou, who suffers from insomnia and this results in him wandering around Tokyo at night. On one of these nights, walking the streets, he meets a strange woman named Nazuna, who doesn't seem to be from this world. Of course, to be among the best vampire anime, Nazuna would be a vampire, which makes Kou want to be transformed. But there is one condition: the transformation can only happen if the young man falls in love with the vampire.
Thus, the friendship between the two begins and we follow a journey of ordinary days, with a hint of the supernatural, in addition to slowly delving into the universe of vampires, learning more about this society and coming across tense and dark scenes. The anime is available on the streaming platforms Netflix and Prime Video.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
In addition to being one of the best vampire animes, this is also one of the best-known works of the genre, mainly due to the 1985 animated film, called “Vampire Hunter D”. Thus, this anime titled “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is a sequel to the film and follows D, a dhampir who hunts creatures of the night to be duly rewarded. The anime also brings the difference of seeing a forbidden love and the way other hunters seek D's targets and rewards.
If you're a fan of classic vampires and looking for an action-horror story with a striking gothic aesthetic and period audiovisuals, this is the anime for you! The anime is available on the Prime Video streaming platform.
Shiki (2010)
What if the fight against vampires was through the search for a cure for vampirism? Shiki It is one of the best vampire animes because it presents an apathetic doctor while vampires grow and destroy everything every night, with losses and violence in his small town. With scenes of horror, the vampire threat only grows and finding a cure seems to be the best solution to save the place.
However, both the human and vampire sides are shown in the plot and this makes us reflect on “how bad a human being can be” and, often, they end up being more cruel than the monsters themselves. The anime is available on the Crunchyroll streaming platform.
Hellsing Ultimate (2006)
Of course, Hellsing Ultimate couldn't be left out of our list of the best vampire anime, especially since it's one of the most acclaimed by fans of the genre. The plot introduces us to Alucard, the vampire hunter who works for the Hellsing organization and is willing to follow orders and face the most diverse creatures of evil.
This is a violent and brutal story, bringing up political issues from the past, issues such as war and extermination and the way in which Alucard, despite being a vampire, does not give up fighting against and following the orders given to him, even going over the heads of the Church. The anime is available on the streaming platforms Prime Video, Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Monogatari (2009)
To finish off our ranking of the best vampire anime, we have Monogatari, a series in which the protagonist is a former vampire! Araragi managed to maintain some of his vampire abilities, even after becoming human, but he remains connected to the vampire who transformed him. Now he uses his abilities to help people who have gone through similar issues to his, especially those related to the supernatural.
This is a work that doesn't just focus on vampires, but all the supernatural affliction surrounding them is very well explored while the animation style catches the eye and the characters captivate the audience. This has made Monogatari one of the most popular vampire animes today. The anime is available on the Prime Video streaming platform.
Conclusion
These are the 11 best vampire animes ranked, each with its own slant, story, and perspective. You'll find stories ranging from romance to the violent moments that are typical of vampire stories. You can explore this world and get to know each of these plots, making the most of the dark and supernatural experience of stories featuring these creatures of the night.
And if you like this type of content, also check out the 11 Best Yaoi Anime You Need to Watch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which vampire anime also offer comedic moments?
On our list, the vampire anime that have comedic moments are Call of the Night and Mignon.
What are the most classic and influential vampire series in Japanese animation?
Among the most classic ones, the following certainly stand out: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Hellsing.
