There are a ton of excellent vampire anime for fans of vampires to sink their teeth into. Vampires haven’t lost their intrigue and have always been a popular myth. The Vampire Diaries was incredibly popular during its runtime, showing just how loved the genre is. With it over, there are plenty of fantastic alternatives.
What makes vampire anime a great alternative is the amount of creativity that is explored. For those wanting a more traditional gothic-inspired vampire anime, Vampire Knight is a fantastic alternative. The vampire genre even dives into sci-fi with Trinity Blood. Whether vampire fans are looking for something new or traditional, anime covers a ton of bases.
10 Strike the Blood Is Both a Lighthearted & Action-Packed Anime
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Strike the Blood is a vampire romance anime that treads into lighthearted humor. Kojo Akatsuki wakes up as one of the strongest vampires in the world and is forced to live his new life suddenly. It has a ton of fun action scenes and detailed art that easily catches the viewer’s attention.
Strike the Blood also puts a unique spin on the vampire trope. They’re able to summon familiars. They come in all shapes and sizes; some are even incredibly large beasts. While romance isn’t the main focus, the budding relationship between Asagi and Kojo is humorous and full of banter.
9 Blood Lad Is the Perfect Comedy Vampire Anime Series
Streaming on Hulu
Blood Lad has a humorous take on the vampire theme. Staz is a vampire who hasn’t met a human before and sends his underlings to do his dirty work. The anime follows his growth upon meeting Fuyumi, a human girl. While the story follows their relationship, Blood Lad also has a ton of colorful side characters that enhance the anime further.
There aren’t just vampires in Blood Lad. There are other mythical creatures like werewolves and witches that add even more chaos. Even though characters die, it’s done so in a light way. Blood Lad is perfect for those who are looking for something more lighthearted in the vampire genre.
8 Call of the Night Shows the Thrill of Nighttime Life
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Call of the Night gives nighttime a special touch. As creatures who thrive in the night, the vampires in Call of the Night do an amazing job at bringing the world alive once the sun drops. Nazuna changes Kou’s world, introducing him to a life that he wouldn’t have found otherwise. Kou, who starts off as a reserved character, learns to open up upon meeting Nazuna.
Call of the Night has a slice-of-life premise to it where each episode slowly builds up Kou’s development. The romance between Kou and Nazuna is gradual and doesn’t feel forced. While romance is an important aspect of Call of the Night, the friendship between characters is equally heartwarming to watch.
7 Vampire Knight Focuses Heavily on the Thrill of Love Triangles
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
For those who enjoyed The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Knight is the perfect anime to pick up on. Vampire Knight focuses heavily on the romance of Yuki and becomes increasingly complicated as it progresses. It has an intricate story that will capture viewers straight from the get-go. Its gothic art style and themes are breathtakingly beautiful.
Yuki is the daughter of a famous vampire hunter and finds herself stuck in the world of vampires. It constantly challenges the concept of humanity in vampires and how empathetic they are. The side characters are the stars of the show, mostly due to how complicated and complex they are. The vampires are full of mystery which the series holds up well until the end.
6 Hellsing Ultimate Doesn’t Shy Away From Brutal Action & Gore
Streaming on Crunchyroll
The reboot of Hellsing, which is Hellsing Ultimate, does its original predecessor justice. Arucard is just as badass as he was in the original. Integra shines even more in this version of Hellsing, building up on her already solid character. The fore presented in Hellsing Ultimate does the job at making the viewers squirm in their seat from how gruesome it is.
What stands out the most is its incredible fight scenes, which the remake improves upon. The plot for Hellsing Ultimate is telling enough: fighting the remnants of an undead army. It’s no surprise that the fights are the focus of the anime and the reboot puts a ton of care into the animation for these scenes. For those who enjoy watching vampire fight scenes with no censor, Hellsing Ultimate checks the box.
5 Trinity Blood Is a Unique Sci-Fi Vampire Anime
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Trinity Blood puts a unique twist on the vampire genre. It adds a touch of uniqueness to it by including sci-fi elements in its story. While sci-fi elements may seem odd in a vampire anime, Trinity Blood actually integrates them seamlessly. There’s a treaty between humans and the vampires, though it’s extremely fragile, and another group called the Rosen Kreuz Order is determined to break the peace treaty apart.
Trinity Blood makes even the smallest of characters important to the overall story. Every character holds a motive and goal, one that they strive to aim for. This helps create a deep and personal connection to each person and makes them feel more alive. Abel Nightroad is an incredible protagonist to follow, as the anime does justice in making him appear as a flesh-out character full of personality.
4 Seraph of the End is an Anime Survival Series in a Dystopian World Run by Vampires
Streaming on Apple TV
Seraph of the End is set in a dystopian world that’s getting overrun by vampires. A mystery virus wiped out every human above the age of 13, leaving most of the cast incredibly young. It has a hint of fantasy to it that makes the world feel much more impressive. In order to rival the vampires, the humans don weapons infused with demons.
Yuichiro lived a cruel life under the reign of vampires, which helps explain his quick-tempered personality. Many children from the orphanage met a terrible end during their attempt to escape the vampires. Seraph of the End doesn’t hide how brutal the vampires are and how they can only be met with violence. The humans aren’t as innocent and just either, and dive into experimentation to try to increase their chances of survival.
3 Shiki Is a Classic Take On Horrifying Vampires
Not Currently Streaming
Shiki is one of the most popular vampire anime. Despite it being released 2010, it still holds up because of its chilling and creepy atmosphere that it excels at. The anime takes care of differentiating the lifestyle of vampires and doesn’t clump them into one group. Some kill to live, while others show no remorse for killing. The vampires are not flashy and announce their presence, but live quietly in the shadows, lurking in the darkness.
Shiki constantly challenges the viewers’ moral compass. Nothing is truly good or evil in the anime. While it is a source of fiction, it’ll have viewers thinking about their own lifestyle and the parallels that it draws on. Viewers will constantly flip sides, which makes every episode of Shiki interesting to watch.
2 The Case Study of Vanitas Has Rich Lore & Even More Vibrant Visuals
Streaming on Crunchyroll
The visuals and cinematography of The Case Study of Vanitas makes it one of the best vampire anime that has come out in the 2020s. The soundtrack is just as beautiful as its stunning art, which quickly immerses viewers in its beautiful world. The Case Study of Vanitas also covers a ton of genres that mesh together perfectly. From horror to comedy, there’s not a single boring scene.
The anime throws viewers into its world, but this matches the mysterious theme that The Case Study of Vanitas has. It’s an eccentric story with complex characters. Vanitas isn’t like the typical protagonist and is an incredibly intriguing character because of his strange personality. Noe’s normalcy in comparison makes their duo dynamic even more entertaining to watch.
1 Blood: The Last Vampire Is One of the Most Iconic Vampire Anime Series
Not Currently Streaming
Blood: The Last Vampire leaves every viewer wanting more by the time they reach the end of this movie. Despite it being on the shorter side, it actually doesn’t need more and executes its purpose perfectly. Saya, a vampire hunter, enters high school on a US military base in Japan during the 1960s. The film has great potential to be explored further.
Saya is a mysterious protagonist who is half human and half vampire. The action in the anime stands out the most. As soon as it starts, it becomes fast-paced and incredibly precise. She shows no remorse for killing the vampires. The anime’s art style perfectly captures the grim world that Saya lives in.
