Vampires

The Vampire Diaries would not be the show it is without its vampires. These one’s bring their own take on the vampire genre while displaying some stereotypical vampire characteristics.

The main vampires featured in The Vampire Diaries are Stefan, Damon, Katherine, Anna, Pearl, Vicki, Caroline, Rose and Elijah.

Turning process

• They must drink blood from a vampire themselves
• They have to die with the vampire blood in their system
• They’ll ressurect and thisleads to what is called ‘transitioning’
• While transitioning they will feel increased sensitivity towards sunlight
• To complete the process they must feed on the blood of a human, if they choose not to, they will carry on to die.

Appearance in vampire form

• Paler complexion
• Fangs
• Their eyes go bloodshot from the rush of blood and veins are visable around them.

Personality

• Hightened emotions such as love and anger from before and after they turned
• They have the ability to switch off their emotions, allowing them to kill without guilt.

Abilities

• Fast healing – Stefan healed almost immidietly after his hand was cut by glass, leaving no evidence of an injury.
• Control animals – a crow is seen to be controled in the season 1 pilot.
• Dream manipulation – Damon was able to control Stefan’s dream and enter Stefan’s mind, he also manipulated Rose to dream about her home as a human before staking her.
• Mind compulsion – they are able to place thoughts into peoples minds and manipulate them to do what they wish.
• powerful hearing – they are seen to be able to hear across large crowded rooms and tune into private conversations far away.
• Jumping heights – they are able to jump from large heights  such as roofs, with ease.
• Speed – Fast running to the point where they are just a blur.
• Fast reflexes – Stefan was able to catch a football aimed at the back of his head, earning him a place on the school team.

Weaknesses

• Vervain – will cause pain and weaken a vampire if ingested of directly injected. A human wearing vervain will be exempt from compulsion.
• Stakes – a stake in the heart will kill a vampire.
• Sunlight – without wearing lapis lazuli jewellery they will burn in the sun.
• Fire – will kill a vampire, the secret council set fire to the vampires they found on founders day.
• They must be invited into a home – by a human who lives there, once invited they are free to return anytime.

Stefan explaining the truth about vampires to Elena