Inspired by urban legends and mythology, creatures of the night haunt nearly every genre of anime. They can be love interests, fearsome foes, or celebrated heroes. However, few monsters in anime captivate viewers like vampires.
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A vampire’s reliance on and isolation from others make them a paradoxical promise of intimacy, eternity, and new possibilities. They are terrifying yet beautiful and uncannily human, and their lives demand to be seen even in the darkness. The mysteries of the night constantly inspire new vamp stories, and the best vampire anime have achieved immortality in more ways than one.
Castlevania is not included since, technically, it is not an anime. However, we will include vampire donghua if they warrant a mention, especially if they are available on a platform like Crunchyroll.
Updated July 5, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Summer 2025 marks the return of one of the best vampire anime ever, as Call of the Night Season 2 will be airing on HIDIVE. As exciting as this continuation is, you will only have one episode per week to get your fill of vampire goodness, as the season otherwise does not (seem) to have any bloodsuckers. Consequently, I’ve added three more shows as recommendations: Black Blood Brothers, All Saints Street, and Vampire in the Garden.
Admittedly, labeling Undead Murder Farce as a vampire anime is a stretch since only one character fits the bill. Despite being essentially a secondary antagonist who appears in only a handful of episodes, Carmilla is enigmatic and captivating enough to justify a recommendation. More importantly, the show is an all-around fantastic monster mash filled with fun twists on classic archetypes, including literary figures like Sherlock Holmes. The story revolves around an unorthodox trio who travel the world taking on supernatural-themed cases while simultaneously pursuing their own goals. The group’s supreme detective is Aya Rindo, an immortal being who has been reduced to just a head; luckily, her mind is still sharper than a chef’s knife.
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Thanks to incredible directing, this series became one of the most pleasant surprises of the Summer, with hopefully more to come.
Undead Murder Farce blends Gothic imagery, engaging murder mysteries, and charismatic characters to create an anime that is constantly entertaining. While not a comedy, the show has a good and dark sense of humor that arises naturally from its cast’s big personalities, and that extends to the villains. Carmilla largely acts as a center for the main group’s powerful maid, and like every other figure in the story, she is larger-than-life.
All Saints Street is based on Lingzi’s manhua, which follows a group of mythological personalities who live together in the human world. The protagonist, Neil, is a demon, but his best friend is a vampire, and they spend their time with an angel, a mummy, and a werewolf. All Saints Street is a donghua, so it looks notably different from a Japanese anime; however, the show is available on Crunchyroll, so it is quite accessible for anybody craving a charming slice of life that has almost no tense moments.
While the series has four seasons, the episodes are short, so they amount to about 10 normal-length chapters. As such, you can easily complete All Saints Street in a single afternoon, and it would be time well spent. Now, while Ira is a fun and important character, he is the only significant vampire in the show. Consequently, I cannot exactly promote this donghua as a vampire story.
Boys love anime are an acquired taste, and Babanbabanban Vampire is niche even by that genre’s high bar. This is one of those shows that viewers are likely to either love or hate, and they might pick their side by the end of the first episode. However, the anime takes a while to find its footing as it gradually ramps up the absurdity, becoming far more enjoyable and hilarious during the second half of the season.
So, what is the premise? Well, Babanbabanban Vampire revolves around Ranmaru, a vampire who prefers fine dining over fast food. He sets his sights on Rihitio’s blood, but he wants to wait until the 15-year-old boy reaches maturation before sticking his teeth into his neck. More importantly, Rihito must remain a virgin, a situation that threatens to change when the teenager falls in love with a girl named Aoi.
Babanbabanban Vampire quickly devolves into a love fest as everyone starts showing interest in each other, and, especially, Ranmaru. The humor falls into black comedy territory, and it can be pretty great at times.
Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are prefects at an academy that accepts vampire students at night. To protect the daytime students and the status of the academy, they both take their position seriously. However, their situation and feelings become complicated when Yuki, Zero, and the vampire students realize they are more connected than they thought.
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Vampire Knight is a shojo take on vampires with drama and romance. However, while fans have mixed feelings about how Vampire Knight handled its love triangle, it might very well be the most well-known vampire-themed romance in anime. However, if someone is not fond of the genre’s shojo tropes, they will likely not enjoy this series.
2006 – 2006
Tokyo MX, Kids Station
Hiroaki Yoshikawa
Do you have that one show that you seem to always find while perusing an anime store or something similar? For years, Black Blood Brothers was that DVD for me. Eventually, I picked up a copy and gave it a watch, only to find a good 2000s anime that, unfortunately, ends a bit too quickly to be an easy recommendation. At just 12 episodes, the adaptation only scratches the surface of the light novel, to the point that the former kind of comes across like an ad for the latter. Still, the actual content is pretty entertaining.
Black Blood Brothers has complicated lore, but the main crux of the story is that it takes place in a city designed to allow humans and vampires to co-exist. Jiro, a vampire with a blade, is one of the strongest vamps in this city, and he acts as a protector for humans while still caring about his own species’ safety. More importantly, he is raising his younger brother, Kotaro, although their situation is way more unique than it sounds.
Black Blood Brothers has solid animation, a charming decade-appropriate aesthetic, and strong characters. It is just a shame the anime ends so quickly.
A slightly forgotten anime due to being a Netflix exclusive that only produced 5 episodes, Vampire in the Garden manages to tell a complete story within its short timeframe, all the while introducing a pretty interesting world that is just begging to be explored further. For the most part, I love a Wit Studio production, and this 2022 release showcases the company’s talent for top-quality animation and great music. If nothing else, Vampire in the Garden is a treat for the senses.
Story-wise, the anime has a solid but familiar foundation. Vampires and humans exist at odds with each other, but a human (Momo) and a vampire (Queen Fine) connect over a shared love of music and decide to look for a place where both species can live at peace. Their dynamic is quite typical for these types of narratives, and their friendship blossoms as expected (albeit done well). Beyond that, Vampire in the Gardens does a great job of establishing both societies.
Delico’s Nursery had a seemingly rough production cycle, based on its late Summer 2024 debut and mid-season break. While the visuals and presentation leave something to be desired, the vampire anime still has a few positives that make it worth a recommendation, especially for anyone craving a show with a Victorian aesthetic. Combining childcare and a murder mystery, Delico’s Nursery revolves around four vampire fathers who must meet their parental responsibilities while investigating a rather heinous case.
The story is a bit all over the place and, at times, struggles to build up momentum, especially when it comes to the central mystery. However, the fathers are generally quite interesting, and the children are given enough to do so they feel like genuine characters rather than just cute props.
The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess follows Terakomari Gandesblood, a girl of noble blood who is pushed into a leadership role that she is widely unprepared for. While not completely incompetent, Komari has largely lived as a hikikomori, and she has no real affinity for magic due to being a vampire who would rather not drink blood. Still, if she wants to fulfill her role and survive, she must bluff her way through war speeches, battles, and plenty of encounters with powerful people who want to use her.
The Vexations of a Shut-In Vampire Princess is one of those anime that people will either love or hate. The show jumps back and forth between dark humor and straight-up drama, and the tonal inconsistency gets exhausting after a while. The harem aspect can also be hit or miss, especially since the protagonist is pursued quite aggressively by her love interest. Still, this anime has plenty of strong positives. For one, Komari is a fantastic lead and a fun twist on the vampire trope. Vilhaze is also entertaining and by far Komari’s best partner, even if she does transition from the second protagonist to a supporting character as the season progresses.
Noblesse, the manhwa, is phenomenal. Noblesse, the anime, is a mildly amusing mess that should have been way better. While the latter is somewhat worth a watch, it is by no means a replacement for the former. They should not even be compared.
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Noblesse refers to Raizel, a powerful vampire who is trying to keep a low profile. Consequently, he decides to attend a school and pretend he is just a normal teenager rather than a superpowered immortal being. The plan might have had potential, but Raizel is not exactly great at blending in, nor does he try all that hard to avoid attracting attention.
Despite ending with a series of battles, Noblesse is arguably at its best when focusing on Raizel’s fish-out-of-water antics at school. His deadpan demeanor can be quite funny, making for a pretty entertaining watch.
Somewhat polarizing, Mayonaka Punch was either one of Summer 2024’s most underrated anime or a complete misfire, depending on the viewer. The characters are charismatic but also kind of obnoxious, and the humor is all over the place in terms of execution. Still, there is a lot to like about this vampire streamer anime.
After being thrown out by her NewTube partners, Masaki is determined to start an even more successful channel. In pursuit of this goal, she stumbles upon Live, a vampire who takes a quick liking to the girl’s blood. Desperate for revenge, Masaki makes an offer that Live cannot refuse: Help me gain 1 million subscribers and I am yours.
Mayonaka Punch improves considerably once the character roster expands beyond Masaki and Live, paving the way for something resembling an ensemble comedy. The vampire aspect is central, and the anime does dive a bit into that culture.
