Vampires... Your definition?

[ctuncks]

if it glitters in the sun then it isnt a vampire
if it can go out in the sun they arent a vampire
needs to drink blood to live

Amusing that you mention that, becuase in Vampire The Masquerade, truely strong vampires are capable of going out in the sun, though it either takes immense unholy fortitude or other extraordianrily (for vampires) powerful techniques to pull off.

 

[joebthegreat]

It makes me laugh because Dracula isn't a vampire by a vast majority of the definitions.

It drinks blood/"life essence" for sustenance - it's a vampire. Other facts about it don't change this, the story being bad doesn't change this.

That is the only requirement that is able to hold all different mythologies and stories. If you demand it be more specific then you're not really describing "vampire" anymore, but some subset of a different type of vampire.

 

[thejboy88]

They must drink blood to survive. They do not age. They die when exposed to direct sunlight. They are allergic to garlic (for some reason). They mus originate from the Transylvania region of Romania. They must have an upper class feel to them, a well brought up gentleman or lady sort. They must be well-spoken. They must be well dressed. They cannot be killed except for a wooden stake through the heart, nowhere else will do. They must be able to turn into bats.

But they absolutely, positively, MUST NOT SPARKLE!!!

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

Boom vampire - http://www.rifters.com/blindsight/vampires.htm

On a side note, I have no clue who Alucard is, do you guys mean the character from Castlevania?

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well I'm not too hung up on the details as long as they are blood sucking super human bad-asses, and not sparkly emo vegetarian pussies.

 

[Wutaiflea]

I always quite liked the Buffy the Vampire Slayer definition of vampires. They seemed to have quite a believable mix of old lore, combined with how vampires might adapt to modern life. I don't know a great deal about Twilight vampires, but I preferred the idea in Buffy that vampires were somewhat hedonistic and soulless, rather than mopey and emo.

That said, I really don't get excited about vampires in general anyway- they're just one of those classic monsters.

 

[havass]

A vampire should drink blood to survive, burn in sunlight and be unable to enter the houses of others without permission. Why do so many pieces of vampire fiction forget about that last piece of lore?

The Vampire Diaries?

OT: Definition of vampires? "Oooh. Shiny."
In all honesty, though, I like TVD's version of a vampire. Blood-drinking, burns in sunlight, unable to enter houses without permission, regenerates any wound, super-strength that increases with age, relative super-speed that makes it look like they travel by flitting, weakened by verbena, dies only via a wooden stake through the heart.

 

[Astoria]

Well the drinking blood thing is a given but I'd say it doesn't kill them, just makes them really weak to the point where it drives them mad.
They burn in sunlight.
They're stronger and faster than humans.
Their skin is cold and they have no heartbeat.
You kill them by beheading.
They also are attractive and seductive.
Oh, and dead people's blood is like poison and temporarily weakens them.

Kind of a mix of different views.