Vampire
Species Information
Status	Endangered Undead
Related species	Human Hybrid
Season(s)	1, 2, 3, 4, 5 The Originals
Distinction	Undead humans who feed on blood and who do not age, due to their Immortality

Vampires are undead immortals who feed and survive on the blood of the living.

Description

Humans who have consumed vampire blood and died within 24 hours of doing so will rise undead. The nature of the human's death is irrelevant, however the body must be preserved and able to function. Upon mortal death, the undead body will awaken in a state of transition. In order to complete the transition, within the next 24 hours the person must consume an exceptional amount of human blood or else they will die. Vampires can only feed on human blood to complete the process.

History

The Old One

Over 2000 years ago, there was an extremely powerful warlock named Silas. He wanted to live forever with the woman he loved so he created a spell of immortality. His best friend Qetsiyah, who was in love with him and also a witch, helped him by casting the spell on him making him into the world's first vampire and immortal. As soon as he became immortal he planned on making his lover immortal too. However, Qetsiyah became enraged when she found out he was in love with another and killed his lover. She then lured him to an Island and sealed him along with The Cure hoping he would take it and die. To spite her he refused to take the cure and was laid buried for over 2000 years. It was later revealed by Silas himself, that he created the immortality spell, by himself and Qetsiyah never helped him create the immortality spell.

The Originals

During the early Middle Ages of Europe, an old world family abandoned their homeland, soon after a severe virus, known as the plague, spread throughout their village. With the help of a powerful witch named Ayana, the family traveled to America where they settled in a beautiful unnamed hamlet. However, after the untimely death of Esther’s youngest child Henrik, Esther was later convinced by her husband to transform their family into the second known vampires. They, just like Ayana had foretold, started a "plague" by creating more vampires(albeit much weaker then themselves) birthing what is considered the modern vampires.

Food and Nature

Food

Blood is the main component of a vampire's diet. Whether it be animal, human or vampire, if a vampire fails to drink blood their body will become severely weak, and will ultimately desiccate into mummification. Blood (especially human blood) will not only satisfy a vampire’s thirst, but will also increase and their supernatural abilities. The longer a vampire abstains from blood the more likely the vampire will lose all sense of their humanity and rationality until they finally give into their bloodlust. Due to their acute senses, a vampire can detect whether or not a human has recently consumed alcohol or drugs, because their blood tastes unclean and can leave a vampire with a nasty aftertaste.

Nature

Vampires are one of the many known supernatural species in The Vampire Diaries Universe. It is known that humans can be changed into vampires, and werewolves can be changed into hybrids.

Vampires themselves are extremely feral, predatory creatures, and far more beast-like and savage than their human appearance suggests. They growl, hiss, snarl, and curl their lips back baring their fangs as signs of aggression when provoked. When they sense danger, they will immediately evade the area.

The bite of a vampire can sever the limbs of both animals and humans, as vampires are known for having extremely sharp and strong teeth. Despite their nature, vampires are also capable of human emotions, such as compassion, love, and self-control. However the emotions of vampires are far more intense than the emotions of humans; anger, happiness, hate, love, etc. Whenever a vampire is faced with a powerful feeling (such as hunger, anger, happiness, love ect.) their faces transform into a paler complexion, while blood rushes to their eyes with small veins protruding around the area. Their canine teeth will lengthen into fangs, giving them a more predatory look to scare off or threaten their prey.

Powers, Abilities and Features

• Super Strength - Vampires are much stronger than humans and grow stronger with time. Even new vampires who are still in transition can toss a fully grown human across a room with great speed and force. Their strength is also more powerful then werewolves that are not in wolf form.

• Super Speed - Vampires can accelerate their movements to cover short distances in an instant, faster than the human eye can see. When running across long distances, they appear as vibrating blurs of motion.

• Emotional Control - The supernatural ability to control and manipulate the emotions of one's self, and others.

• Dream Manipulation - Vampires can control dreams and subconscious. The vampires can produce and modify dreams, bestow nightmares or lucid dreaming. Other effects of this ability is the distortion of reality and trapped in the dreams.

• Heightened Senses - They can hear whispered conversations, even ones in far off buildings, smell blood and bodies decomposing, and see in total darkness.

• Mind Compulsion - Vampires have the ability to control minds, plague people's dreams, and alter/erase human memories.

• Immortality - A vampire stops aging once turned. Upon their transformation, vampires then on become immune to all conventional illness, disease, virus and infection. The only known disease or infection that can kill a vampire is a werewolf bite.

• Healing Factor - Vampires can snap their finger bones back into place after being broken and have been seen to fully recover from gunshots, stab wounds, and torso impalement.
• Super Durability - Vampires can take a great amount of damage. 

• Fangs - Vampires can grow fangs which they use to feed, they might come out when a vampire is close to blood or angerd.

Former Powers and Abilities

Originally, vampires had additional powers in the early episodes of show, but these powers were later written out of the show by the writers. These powers displayed were:

• Weather Manipulation - Damon Salvatore was able to create fog, haze, and mist from nothing, and then return the weather to normal later. (In the novels, Klaus, Katherine and Damon use this power.)

• Compelling Animals - Damon was able to compel a crow to spy on Elena, and go through the window in Stefan's room. (In the novels, Damon was able to transform into a crow.)

Weaknesses

Note: The Hunter's Curse is a fail safe spell/curse. It is a by product of a magical spell and therefore not a stand alone weakness. As such it will not be written as one.

• Decapitation: The act of dismembering or removing the head of a vampire will result in permanent death.

• Fire or Sunlight: The act of exposing a vampire to fire or sunlight will result in permanent death.

• Vervain: The act of exposing or ingesting a vampire with vervain causes a vampire to become severely feverish and weak. Also, If a vampire's skin is exposed to vervain, it can result in burning them. Also vampires cant compel anyone on vervain.

• Wood: The act of wounding a vampire with wood will cause the vampire to become severely weak and if a vampire takes a wooden stake through its heart it will result in permanent death.

• The Gilbert Device: The Gilbert Device is a powerful tool enchanted to bring excruciating pain upon vampires.

• Heart Extraction: The act of extracting or removing the heart of a vampire will result in permanent death.

• Invitation: Vampires cannot enter a home without an invitation by the owner.

• Magic: Vampires are susceptible to the powers of witchcraft. 

• Desiccation: Vampires who abstain from blood for extended amounts of time will eventually desiccate into mummification.

• Vampire Bloodline: If an Original vampire dies, all vampires descended from their bloodline will slowly perish.

• Werewolf Bite: The bite of a werewolf is extremely lethal to vampires. It will cause them to hallucinate, grow severely weak and go rabid until it kills them. Klaus' hybrid blood can cure the bite.

• White Oak Ash Dagger: Although never seen, it has been said if a vampire daggers an Original, they will die.

• The Cure: If a vampire takes the cure he/she will become human.

• Broken Neck: Breaking a vampires neck is a common way to subdue one, it will not kill them but it will keep them unconscious for several hours and when they are still unconscious they won't have a pulse and appear to be dead.

Myths

• Garlic: The Vampire's supposed repulsion towards garlic may have been a fabricated lie, similar to how Werewolves really react to silver. This myth was presumably started to hide the fact that Vampires are actually vulnerable to Vervain.

• Holy Items: The myth that Vampires could be harmed using holy artifacts like crosses, and holy water may have circulated from the belief that they are unholy creatures.

Known Vampires

Vampire	Description	Status
Silas	Silas was a witch who became the first vampire in the world. According to Atticus Shane, Silas, with the help of his best friend Qetsiyah, created and cast the first immortality spell on himself.(In form of his True-Self)	Undead
Mikael	Mikael was one of the Original vampires and a vampire hunter. He was the husband of the Original witch Esther, father of the Original Vampires and the step-father of Niklaus.	Deceased
Elijah	Elijah Mikaelson is an Original Vampire, and the second-born child of Mikael and Esther.	Undead
Finn	Finn Mikaelson was one of the Original Vampires and the third-born child of Mikael and Esther. He was killed by human Matt Donovan.	Deceased
Kol	Kol Mikaelson was one of the Original Vampires, and the fourth-born child of Mikael and Esther. He was killed by hunter Jeremy Gilbert.	Deceased
Rebekah	Rebekah Mikaelson is one of the Original Vampires, and the fifth-born child of Mikael and Esther.	Undead
Sage	Sage was the former lover of Finn Mikaelson. Sage died as a result of Finn's murder, due to the fact that she was a member of his bloodline.	Deceased
Pearl	Pearl was one of the tomb vampires and was stake by John Gilbert.	Deceased
Mary Porter	Mary Porter was a vampire who turned Rose back in the 15th century. She was staked by Kol in an attempt to keep Damon from figuring out where his bloodline originated.	Deceased
Marcel	Marcel is Klaus' former protege and a vampire that he turned back in the day. Marcel has created a whole set of rules and a whole society for the supernatural community which he is in charge of making him resident king of the supernatural community of New Orleans.	Undead
Rose	Rose was an ally of Damon and his friends. She was stake by Damon as a means of ending her misery after being bitten by Jules.	Deceased
Anna	Anna was a vampire whose goal was to open the tomb and free her mother and the other vampires. She fell in love with Jeremy Gilbert but was staked by his uncle John.	Deceased
Trevor	Trevor was a vampire turned by Rose. He and Rose had been running from the Originals ever since they helped Katerina Petrova escape. Rose was very loyal to him, up until he was killed by Elijah as his punishment for trusting and helping Katerina escape.	Deceased
Katerina Petrova	Katerina (now known as Katherine Pierce) was the first Petrova doppelganger until she was turned into a vampire by Rose. She was the sire of Stefan and Damon Salvatore. When she was fighting Elena at Mystic Falls High School, Elena shoved the cure in her mouth and broke the seal. Katherine took the cure forcably, that meant that she she human again. Elena did say this to Katherine, "Have a happy human life Katherine".	Undead/Alive
Alexia Branson	Lexi was Stefan's companion and best friend. She was killed by Damon to make others believe that she was the Mystic Falls killing vampire and was finally dead.	Deceased
Damon Salvatore	Damon is the older brother of Stefan Salvatore and the current boyfriend of Elena Gilbert. He was the primary antagonist of Season One.	Undead
Harper	Harper was a vampire who fought in the Civil War. He was turned by Pearl in 1864 but was stake by John Gilbert in 2010.	Deceased
Noah	Noah was a vampire who became obsessed with Elena, due to her being physically identical to Katherine Pierce. He unsuccessfully attacked Elena on several occasions. He was staked by Stefan Salvatore.	Deceased
Bethanne	Bethanne was one of the 26 vampires trapped in the tomb, also she was Frederick's girlfriend. She was staked by Stefan Salvatore.	Deceased
Henry	Henry was a tomb vampire and the friend of Katherine Pierce. He was staked by Alaric Saltzman.	Deceased
Frederick	Frederick was one of the vampires who was trapped in the table with Anna's mother, Pearl. He was also Bethanne's lover, the one responsible for turning her. He was staked by Stefan Salvatore.	Deceased
Stefan Salvatore	Stefan is the younger brother of Damon Salvatore and the former boyfriend of Elena Gilbert. He was one of the antagonists of Season Three.	Undead
Cody Webber	Cody Webber was a vampire who was in contact with Slater. Shortly after showing up to find Elena, he was killed by Elijah who ripped his heart out of his chest.	Deceased
Charlotte	Charlotte is a vampire who was turned by Damon in the 1940s. Charlotte was also sired to Damon, until he let her go.	Undead
Slater	Slater was a vampire who was a friend of Rose and also Alice's boyfriend. He was compelled by Elijah to kill himself.	Deceased
Abby Bennett	Abby Bennett Wilson is the daughter of Sheila Bennett and mother of Bonnie Bennett. Abby was once a witch, but when she abandoned Bonnie, her magic was weakened to the point where she could not use it. She is now a vampire, after being turned by Damon Salvatore.	Undead
Isobel Flemming	sobel Flemming was the wife of Alaric Saltzman and the biological mother of Elena Gilbert. She was turned by Damon Salvatore by request. She later committed suicide by walking into the sun.	Deceased
Alaric Saltzman	Alaric "Ric" Saltzman was a vampire hunter and a history teacher at Mystic Falls High School. He was made into an Original Vampire by Esther but was later killed (indirectly) by Rebekah when she caused Matt and Elena drive off of Wickery Bridge.	Deceased
Lee	Lee is a vampire who was turned by Lexi, his late girlfriend, many years ago so they could be together forever. He attempted to kill Damon as revenge for him killing Lexi.	Unknown
Logan Fell	Logan Fell was a news reporter at WPKW9 in Mystic Falls and Jenna Sommers' ex-boyfriend. Logan was later turned into a vampire by Anna, who compelled him to drink her blood, but he was killed by Damon Salvatore after Logan attempted to kill him.	Deceased
Jenna Sommers	Jenna Sommers was Elena and Jeremy 's aunt, who became their legal guardian after their parents were killed in a car crash. She was turned by Klaus and sacrificed in a ritual to make Klaus a Hybrid.	Deceased
Ben McKittrick	Ben was a football player that went to school with Elena and her friends. He was turned by Anna and killed by Stefan.	Deceased
Caroline Forbes	Caroline is the best friend of Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett. Damon Salvatore feeds Caroline his blood to heal her after she suffers from internal bleeding. Caroline is smothered to death with a pillow by Katherine Pierce, who found out that Damon gave her some of his blood.	Undead
Elena Gilbert	Elena was the current Petrova Doppelganger until she became a vampire with the help of Damon's blood.	Undead
Vicki Donovan	Victoria "Vicki" Donovan was Matt's sister and the first character that becomes a vampire since the Salvatore brothers returned to Mystic Falls. She was also Jeremy and Tyler's love interest. Damon Salvatore turned her, and Stefan later staked her.	Deceased

Trivia

• In the books, the most important vampires are: Klaus, Katherine von Swartzschild, Damon Francesco Salvatore, Stefan Antonio Salvatore, and Sage.
• Vampires enjoy stalking and toying with their victims before biting and drinking their blood. Stefan Salvatore once explained to Elena how the hunt is often more enjoyable to vampires than the actual feeding.
• Vampires are excellent predators, as they can hunt their victims while remaining unseen.
• Vampires can suppress their bloodlust to a degree by consuming alcohol. They might consume coffee to keep their body warmer to avoid spooking humans when in a crowd.
• Stefan qualifies as a Friendly Neighborhood Vampire (when he is not off the rails), as he avoids killing innocent people (most of the time). 
• It is disputed whether removing organs will kill a vampire. Elijah was able to kill a vampire by ripping out his spinal cord, however, when Damon's eyes were clawed out by Pearl, they later regenerated. It is very likely that the damage done by ripping the spinal cord is what can kill a vampire as opposed to its removal.
• Silas is the only vampire that seems to be able to walk during the day, does not require an invitation, is not affected by vervain, and can defeat the Hunter's Curse.

See also

• List of Vampires - a complete list of all vampires that have appeared in the series.