Vampires (Buffyverse)

Vampires are a major antagonistic species found in the "Buffyverse" - a word coined by fans to describe media relating to Buffy the Vampire Slayer or its spin-off series: when the show first aired vampires were considered universally evil but with the arrival of Angel things quickly changed and vampires become more and more morally complex, though most of them remained bloodthirsty monsters.

In the Buffyverse Vampires are not true undead as in folklore but are instead demons that inhabit the bodies of recently deceased - a person who is bitten by a vampire will not rise from the dead unless they willingly make a pact with a vampire (under normal circumstances).

Many vampires in the show are shown as extremely weak but they vary greatly in threat and power, the most powerful of all vampires was considered to be The Master - though Dracula has also become known as a powerful and unique vampire, as has Angelus and several other "Big Bads".

Due to the fact vampires tend to be weaker than "full-blooded" Buffyverse demons they tend to act as lesser antagonists or henchmen for more powerful beings - though there are many examples of vampires who excel at being recurring antagonists in the series (though some, like Spike, have since become reluctant "heroes").