All About Vampires: Supernatural Powers, Features, & More

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Urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez goes over vampires’ popular powers, weaknesses, features, & creation myths

Co-authored by Sydney Bermudez and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: November 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Abilities
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• Weaknesses
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• Physical Features
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• Types
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• Becoming a Vampire
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• Vampire Media
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• Video

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From Dracula to Twilight, vampires have left a prominent mark on popular media. What makes vampires so interesting is the fact that they’re always portrayed differently depending on the source material. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into common vampire abilities, weaknesses, and creation myths, with help from urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez, to help you learn all about these creatures of the night.

Common Vampire Powers

Urban legends expert Sydney Bermudez says vampires are known for having powerful abilities in folklore and media, including:

• Immortality: Vampires cannot age or die from natural causes (though they can be killed).
• Shapeshifting: Vampires can often shapeshift into bats, wolves, or mist.
• Super strength and speed: Modern vampires are often depicted as having superhuman strength and speed.
• Hypnosis: Many vampires can hypnotize and enthrall their victims to do their bidding.
• Regeneration: Vampires often have regenerative abilities, allowing them to quickly heal from injuries.

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Section 1 of 6:

Vampire Abilities & Powers

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   Shapeshifting In some legends, Bermudez says vampires can shapeshift into multiple forms. This commonly includes bats, wolves, and even mist. This allows them to move around unnoticed.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Sydney Bermudez is an urban legends expert and horror content creator. She specializes in horror storytelling, Mexican folklore, creepy pastas, and urban legends, which she shares with her 400k+ followers.
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   Immortality Bermudez says in most folklore and media, vampires have the power of immortality. This means they do not age and cannot die from natural causes, such as diseases. However, this immortality is often conditional, as vampires can be killed by things like sunlight, decapitation, or a stake through the heart.

   • A vampire’s weaknesses depend on the specific legend or story. To learn more about these weaknesses, skip to our Vampire Weaknesses section below.
   • In a lot of vampire lore, vampires are “undead,” meaning they’ve already died and come back to “life” as a vampire. Because they’re already dead, they do not age.
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   Hypnosis Bermudez says vampires have the power of hypnosis and mind control in some legends. This power was largely popularized by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Vampires can often enthrall humans with a single glance, manipulating their emotions and controlling their actions, typically to feed on them or to turn them into a vampire.

   • Many vampires can also control the minds of animals to get them to do their bidding.
   • In a similar vein, Bermudez says vampires often have an enhanced ability to charm or seduce people.
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   Flight Depending on the lore, vampires often have the ability to fly. One of the most common ways vampires can fly is by turning into a bat or another flying animal. However, in some stories, vampires have wings, either permanently or through transformation. Some vampires also have the ability to levitate.
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   Telepathy Vampires often have telepathy alongside their hypnosis abilities. They use this power to speak to their victims through their minds, as well as read people’s thoughts. They may be able to create illusions or influence people’s dreams.
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   Superhuman strength In both folklore and modern tales, vampires are often depicted as having superhuman strength, says Bermudez. They’re much stronger than humans and use their strength to capture their victims. In some stories, drinking blood can increase a vampire’s strength, and older vampires are typically stronger than new ones.

   • If a vampire is starved of blood for a long time, it may become weak.
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   Superhuman speed Bermudez also says that vampires commonly have super speed in folklore and popular media. The exact speed varies depending on the source material, but vampires often move faster than the human eye can see and can cover vast distances quickly.
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   Telekinesis In some fictional universes, vampires have telekinesis, or the ability to move things with their mind. In some media, all vampires possess the ability, while in others, it’s a special ability that may manifest in older, more powerful vampires.
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   Enhanced senses Most vampires are depicted as having enhanced senses, says Bermudez. This typically includes sight, hearing, and smell that far exceed human abilities. They can often hear whispers from a distance, see in complete darkness, and smell blood from miles away.

   • They also often have a heightened sense of taste, which allows them to detect drugs or alcohol in someone’s blood.
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    Regeneration/enhanced healing Many vampires have the ability to heal quickly, explains Bermudez. They may be able to heal from gunshots, broken bones, or deep cuts in a matter of seconds. However, there are usually limitations to this ability, like being unable to heal from decapitation or dismemberment.
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    Scaling walls In many portrayals, vampires are able to walk or crawl up walls. They may crawl up walls, ceilings, or other vertical surfaces, much like a spider, by digging their fingers into the surface or relying on supernatural abilities that allow them to adhere themselves to the surface. In some cases, vampires may simply be able to walk up walls like they’re walking across the floor.
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    Necromancy In some stories, vampires are capable of necromancy, the ability to communicate with the dead. They may be able to speak with spirits or raise the dead as thralls. In other stories, though, vampires are actually the victims of necromancy and don’t practice it themselves.
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Section 2 of 6:

Vampire Weaknesses

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   Sunlight Sunlight is a classic vampire weakness, says Bermudez. Originally, sunlight only weakened vampires, but didn’t kill them. However, 1922’s Nosferatu introduced the idea that sunlight destroys vampires by killing them instantly or causing them to burst into flames.

   • Not all vampires are harmed by the sun. For example, daywalkers are vampires or half-vampires who can go out in the daylight without being harmed.
   • In Twilight, vampires sparkle in the sunlight, which is why they don’t go outside during the day. In The Vampire Diaries, vampires wear magical rings that allow them to go out in the sun.
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   Garlic Garlic is another common vampire weakness, agrees Bermudez. Historically, garlic was used to ward off evil and disease. Its pungent smell could also be overpowering to creatures with heightened senses. Because of this, it has traditionally been used to protect people from vampires.

   • This myth may also be partly inspired by porphyria, a medical condition that causes sun sensitivity and a corpse-like appearance. Garlic could make these symptoms worse, so people with the condition often avoided it.
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   Silver Silver is another classic vampire weakness, says Bermudez. It was historically associated with purity and was believed to have cleansing powers that could ward off evil. Because of this, vampires are often depicted as having an extreme silver allergy, which could cause them to go into anaphylactic shock. Touching silver may burn them or cause them pain.

   • Silver bullets may be more closely associated with werewolf weaknesses, but they’re also often used to kill vampires.
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   Religious iconography Vampires are often repelled by religious (especially Christian) iconography, such as crosses. Bermudez says holy water is another common vampire weakness. The idea is that vampires are demonic creatures and that a divine force, like God, can banish them. The person wielding the holy item often has to have faith in order for the object to work.

   • Often, vampires can’t enter hallowed ground, including churches, cemeteries, or other religious sites.
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   Beheading or dismemberment Vampires are often described as having extreme healing and regenerative abilities, meaning they can recover from injuries that would easily kill a human. However, Bermudez explains that decapitation is a common way that they can be destroyed.

   • In many Eastern European legends, people would decapitate the vampire and bury the head away from the body or between its legs and stuff garlic in its mouth to prevent the vampire from rising again.
   • Sometimes, the body has to be dismembered and then burned to completely destroy the vampire.
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   Stake to the heart A wooden stake to the heart is another common vampire weakness, says Bermudez. It immobilizes the heart, prevents regeneration, or disrupts the vampire’s undead state. Originally, a stake simply pinned the vampire down so it couldn’t rise again, but some myths state that a wooden stake acts as poison. When driven through the vampire’s heart, the wood spreads through its body and kills it.

   • Because wood was once alive (part of a tree), some myths claim that a vampire’s regenerative abilities extend to the stake, causing the wood to fuse with the body and permanently trap it.
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   Reflections In traditional media, vampires can’t see their reflection. This doesn’t harm the vampire, but it can help humans determine if someone is a vampire and destroy them before they cause too much harm. Historically, reflections were believed to represent the soul, and since vampires are portrayed as soulless, they can’t see themselves in mirrors or other reflective surfaces.

   • Old mirrors were also made of silver, which is another known weakness of vampires.
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   Invitation According to Bermudez, “Many depictions also show that vampires must be invited into a home before entering.” This likely comes from European folklore, where homes were blessed or spiritual sanctuaries that were naturally protected from evil. Because of this, evil could only enter the space if it was let in willingly. This is why in some media, vampires have to be explicitly invited inside.

   • In modern stories, this also symbolizes human vulnerability and consent.
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   Fire Bermudez says in some folklore and media, vampires can be destroyed by fire. This may be due to the fact that vampire bodies are sometimes depicted as being unnaturally dry and flammable, which makes them extremely vulnerable to burning. Also, fire has historically been associated with both purification and destruction.
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    Werewolves In pop culture, vampires and werewolves are often depicted as mortal enemies capable of destroying each other. In some media, werewolf bites are venomous and deadly to vampires. In other cases, werewolves are strong enough to rip apart vampires and kill them.
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    Running water Historically, running water has been viewed as a symbol of purity and life, which is the opposite of the “unclean” and undead nature of vampires. Running water serves as a spiritual barrier that washes away evil, so vampires can’t cross it.
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    Counting In European and Chinese folklore, vampires have a counting compulsion. A vampire’s victim may dump small objects like rice or seeds on the ground, and the vampire will have no choice but to stop pursuing them and instead count all the spilled objects. This delays the vampire, often until sunrise, allowing the victim to escape.
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    Vervain Vervain is a type of plant that has historically been used for medicine. However, in some media (particularly The Vampire Diaries), it can be deadly to vampires. If a vampire makes contact with vervain in any form, it will burn them. If they ingest it, their throat and digestive system will burn, and they will become feverish and weak.

    • In The Vampire Diaries, a human who ingests vervain will be protected from a vampire’s compulsion.
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Section 3 of 6:

Vampire Physical Features

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   Fangs Vampires are commonly described as having sharp fangs, says Bermudez. In most cases, vampire fangs are elongated canine teeth, though some may have multiple sets of fangs or have them in place of other teeth, such as those between the canines and the front teeth. Fangs may be visible at all times or only appear when the vampire is about to feed.

   • Some vampires, like those in Twilight, don’t have fangs at all.
   • “In modern portrayals, some [vampires] have a more human appearance that only changes when they feed or reveal their true nature,” adds Bermudez.
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   Pointed ears While less common in modern media, many older depictions of vampires, such as 1922’s Nosferatu, feature pointed ears. This inhuman feature is likely meant to make the vampire appear more demonic or batlike. Pointed ears may also give the vampire enhanced hearing abilities.
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   Enhanced beauty In many books and movies, vampires are described as having a “haunting beauty or allure,” says Bermudez. They often use it to draw their victims in. They may gain this beauty after their transformation, or they may use a magic glamour to hide their true, grotesque form.

   • In some cases, vampires’ beauty is directly related to when they last fed. If it’s been a long time since they’ve drunk blood, they may begin to show their true, ancient age.
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   Pale skin Often, vampires are described as pale, agrees Bermudez. This applies even if they have naturally dark skin. This is because vampires are dead and no longer have the blood flow that gives their skin a natural, healthy color. They also typically avoid sunlight, which further adds to their pale complexion.
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   Pointed fingernails/claws Vampires often have long, pointed fingernails or actual claws to represent their predatory nature. Their nails are a natural weapon used for attacking and feeding, and they may be retractable depending on the story.

   • The idea that vampires have long nails may have originated from the fact that corpses’ fingernails appear to have grown after death.
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   Unnatural eyes Bermudez explains that vampires are often described as having “red or glowing eyes.” Their eyes may appear unnatural after they’ve fed or when they’re in an intense situation. Vampires’ eyes are often a representation of their thirst, diet, or emotional state.

   • For example, in Twilight, vampires who drink human blood have red eyes, while those who drink animal blood have golden eyes. When a vampire is hungry, their eyes turn black.
   • In Van Helsing, a vampire’s eyes turn red when in a blood rage.
   • In Underworld, their eyes turn vibrant blue during intense situations.
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Section 4 of 6:

Types of Vampires

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   There are different types of vampires depending on what they consume. While most vampires consume blood, this isn’t always the case. Depending on the lore, some vampires may consume energy, emotions, or even souls. Here are some common types of vampires:

   • Sanguine: Sanguine vampires are traditional vampires that must drink blood to survive.
   • Emphatic: Emphatic vampires feed on human emotions, often drawing their strength from love, fear, or any intense feeling.
   • Psychic: Psychic vampires feed on psychic energy, leaving their victims feeling drained, confused, or with a headache. They prey on psychics, telepaths, and people with strong emotions.
   • Energy/Psi: Energy, or psi, vampires feed on various types of energy, not just psychic or emotional. They often feed on humans’ life force, but may also feed on magical energy, electrical fields, or the life force of plants.
   • Sexual: Sexual vampires are similar to succubi; they feed on sexual energy from their partners.
   • Soul: Soul vampires consume the soul energy of their victims, which can visibly and significantly shorten their life.

Section 5 of 6:

How People Become Vampires

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   Vampire bite/blood exchange “Traditionally, people become vampires after being bitten by one and drinking their blood,” says Bermudez. In some media, a person only has to be bitten to transform. Often, though, the person has to be bitten by the vampire and drink some of the vampire’s blood to become a vampire themselves.
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   Improper burial rites Bermudez says that in older legends, not giving someone a proper burial could turn them into a vampire. For instance, this includes not giving them proper burial rites or burying them in an unmarked grave. If the living were worried a corpse would become a vampire, they’d take extra measures, like burying them face-down, beheading them, or sticking a stake through their heart to prevent them from rising again.

   • Similarly, in Slavic and Chinese folklore, if an animal (particularly a cat or a bird) jumped over a corpse before it was buried, the corpse may become a vampire.
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   Witchcraft In some vampire myths, Bermudez says a person could be cursed to turn into a vampire. This might be by a witch or a malevolent spirit, and the person might not turn into one until after they die. The person may not even realize they’re cursed until they rise from the dead.
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   Necromancy In some vampire stories, a necromancer (someone who can communicate with or raise the dead) can place a deceased soul back inside its body, reanimating the corpse as a vampire. The necromancer may even be able to control the vampire once it’s “alive” again.

   • This form of vampire creation is depicted in the Legacy of Kain video game series.
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   Soul transference Similar to necromancy, a vampire can sometimes reanimate a human corpse (even those that have been dead for a long time), causing the person to be reborn as a vampire. The original vampire then shares part of their soul with the new vampire.

   • This is also depicted in the Legacy of Kain video games.
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   Demonic trade In some media, such as the Elder Scrolls video games, a demon can possess a human and turn them into a vampire. In other stories, a person may make a pact with a demon to achieve immortality and become a vampire. They may also dabble in dark rituals.
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   Birth In some legends, vampires can mate with humans and conceive a dhampir, a half-vampire, half-human offspring. Dhampirs often have traits of both their human and vampire parents. They’re typically mortal but drink blood like vampires.

   • According to folklore, some believed that babies born with a red caul (amniotic sac) over their head, teeth, or an extra nipple were likely to become vampires. Some people could be born with the curse of vampirism and not discover it until they die and rise again.
   • Some legends also claim that people born from incest or out of wedlock would also become vampires.
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   Living a violent life and dying a violent death According to Bermudez, vampirism is sometimes caused by “dying under mysterious or violent circumstances.” For instance, if someone lived an amoral life, like being a murderer, and also died a violent death, they were likely to become a vampire. Additionally, people who died by suicide could also become vampires.
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Section 6 of 6:

Popular Vampire Media

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1. Vampires have haunted popular media for centuries. From the Gothic classic Dracula to the angsty teen drama Twilight, vampires have long been depicted in all forms of media, including books, movies, TV shows, and video games. If you want to see all the unique ways vampires have been portrayed over the years, take a look at some of these popular titles:

   • Dracula
   • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
   • Twilight
   • The Vampire Diaries
   • Interview with the Vampire
   • Nosferatu
   • Dark Shadows
   • Hotel Transylvania
   • Blade
   • Castlevania
   • Carmilla
   • Salem’s Lot
   • True Blood
   • What We Do in the Shadows
   • The Strain
   • The Originals
   • Midnight Mass
   • Sinners

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