Count Dracula (Van Helsing)

Villain Overview Gallery

Evil-doer
Full Name	Vladislaus Dracula
Alias	Count Dracula Dragula Vladius Dragula Vlad the Impaler Vladislaus Dragulia
Origin	Van Helsing (2004)
Occupation	Lord of the Vampires Ruler of Transylvania Master of Castle Dracula
Powers / Skills	Flying (when in Hellbeast form) Vampire speed Endurance Healing factors Immortality Wall climbing Jaw strength Roar Strength Shape-shifts into a Hellbeast High Intelligence Senses Fangs Claws
Hobby	Bringing life to his Vampire children Feeding on the blood of the living.
Goals	Bring life to his Vampire children by using the Frankenstein Monster's life energy (succeeded for a while). Feeding on his victims' blood so that his life shall continue. Kill Van Helsing and his allies (both failed).
Crimes	Murder Attempted genocide
Type of Villain	Legendary Vampire

“	Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Count Vladislaus Dragulia. Born: 1422. Murdered: 1462.	„
	~ Count Dracula introducing himself.

“	(Frankenstein: Get off me, you vermin from hell!) What are you complaining about? This is why you were made! To prove that God is not the only one who can create life! And now you must give that life to my children.	„
	~ Count Dracula to the Frankenstein Monster

“	Don't you understand? We could be friends. Partners! Brothers-in-arms! Did I mention that it was you who murdered me? It must be such a burden. Such a curse... to be the Left Hand of God. All I want is life, Gabriel. The continuation of my kind. And perhaps the return of my ring. Don't be afraid, Gabriel. Don't be afraid. I shall give you back your life, your memory.	„
	~ Count Dracula's last words to Van Helsing.

Count Vladislaus Dracula was the main antagonist in the 2004 dark fantasy horror action film Van Helsing. He was another version of the Dracula character. He was the arch-enemy of Gabriel Van Helsing and his main goal was to bring life to his vampire children, thus allow his vampire people to live forever.

He was portrayed by Richard Roxburgh, who also played Hugh Stamp in Mission Impossible II and the Duke of Monroth in Moulin Rouge.

Biography

Background

Born in 1422, Dracula was actually the son of Valerious The Elder and lived in the very castle his descendants did 450 years onwards. In 1462, Dracula was apparently murdered by the left hand of God, but his spirit made a pact with Satan for a new life, which Satan agreed to yet he had to sustain his life by drinking the blood of others. Valerious The Elder was ashamed that he had sired the evil being and banished him to an icy fortress, sending him through a door from which there was no return, but the Devil then gave Dracula wings so he was free to come and go. Valerious The Elder then sought forgiveness from God and made his own vow for future generations to have Dracula slain so they may enter heaven. The descendants of Valerious The Elder were unsuccessful for centuries however because Dracula resisted every known form of vampiric weaknesses and escaped death, but learned that Dracula had a Werewolf cure for unknown reasons.

1887

Dracula recommended to Dr. Frankenstein to make a creature that could show that God wasn't the only one who could make life, in an attempt to bring his children to life. After the creature was created, Dr. Frankenstein refused to give it away for such a malevolent use against God's will. Dracula murdered the Doctor, but the creature woke up and threw a giant machine towards Dracula, who was sent backwards against the fire of the smokestack. While the creature escaped with Frankenstein's dead body, Dracula came out of the fire, barely bleeding and with some burns that healed almost instantly. After the creature escaped, Dracula began looking for a new way of bringing his children to life. Dracula tried a similar process with Boris Valerious as a substitute for the monster, but the experiment had not worked, which brought sorrow to Dracula's Brides.

1888

He was awoken from his icy sleep when his Bride Marishka died, shouting out her name in grief. He also felt the presence of Van Helsing, like someone familiar to him but he couldn't understand why. He planned to awaken his children again, but his Brides told him not to, as another loss would be too much pain to hold. He screamed to them in a vampiric way, making his Brides frightened, but he pleaded with them not to fear him and said that everybody feared him, but his Brides did not, whereupon they sprang at him and nuzzled and caressed him. Before leaving with his Brides, he ordered Igor (a former assistant of Dr. Frankenstein's) and the Dwergi to move to Frankenstein's lab, where they will try to bring the children back to life.

After Velkan Valerious (Anna's brother who had been bitten by a werewolf) went to Frankenstein's lab, Dracula told him about Velkan's father (who had disappeared a year ago). Velkan's father was used as a power source to bring Dracula's children to life. Though Velkan tried to fight Dracula in a sudden burst of rage, Dracula hold him off with nothing but his finger, and put him in the machine to use him as power source.

Moments after his children came to life, Van Helsing (who followed the werewolf with Anna) started shooting the children, so Dracula attacked him. Though Dracula couldn't find Van Helsing he was still able to hear his heart beat. After some minutes, Dracula gave up looking for him, only to be suddenly stabbed in the heart with a silver stake. Though Van Helsing thought he had killed him, Dracula took out the stake after greeting Van Helsing, calling him by name. He asked Van Helsing how long has it been, something to which Van Helsing couldn't understand. Dracula knew he had lost his memories, and so he asked if he had nightmares of ancient battles. In a final attempt, Van Helsing used a crucifix, that only melted in Dracula's hand. Dracula replied that they would talk in another moment. After Van Helsing escaped with Anna while they were been chased by the werewolf Velkan, the children died and Dracula ordered the werewolf to kill them both.

After the Werewolf found the location of Frankenstein's monster, Dracula ordered him and his Brides to retrieve it and bring it to the castle, so they could finally gave eternal life to his children. Though one of his Brides, Verona, and the werewolf died (though biting Van Helsing) the remaining Bride, Aleera, kidnapped Anna in an exchange between Anna and the monster. Though Van Helsing hid the monster in a graveyard, Dracula seemed to have thought ahead and placed Igor in the graveyard, who captured the monster. During a masquerade ball in Dracula's summer palace, he tried to bite Anna and turn her into his newest Bride, but Van Helsing and Carl were able to save her, though Dracula only cared for having the monster. Later at his castle, he had the monster hoisted up to bring life to his children, knocking Van Helsing from the top of his tower when he arrived and tried to prevent this.

Dracula's death as he dissolves into a skeleton after being bitten by Van Helsing in his Werewolf form.

When his children revive successfully, Dracula confronts Van Helsing with this, and to his shock his foe transforms into a Werewolf. Transforming into his Hellbeast form to match Van Helsing's strength, the two engaged in a brutal fight, which leaves Dracula scratched up by the end of the first round. Attempting to ally with him and again offers to restore his memory after Helsing returns to human form following the moon being dimmed out, Van Helsing verbally refused Dracula and finally killed him for good after transforming back by biting his throat, with the Werewolf venom coursing through his veins rotting the very flesh from Dracula's skeleton.

Personality

Dracula is shown as a very cunning and manipulative man, only interested in his personal goals. He claims to have almost no emotion such as love, fear, joy or sorrow because he has no heart, which makes him feel hollow. He only cares about himself, his Brides, and his children as shown when he said to Victor Frankenstein that he was free to kill himself, as he didn't need him any more. He hasn't shown very much attachment to his Brides, for when Marishka died, he just replied that he would just have to find another one (though he did cry Marishka's name when he sensed she had been killed), but in the end he has shown that they are very important to him, as he said that everybody hates and fears him, yet his Brides do not and he did not want them to fear him. The fact Dracula thinks he feels nothing causes him to hate even himself. He is a lustful and seductive villain, as shown through his interactions with his brides and Anna Valerious. He has a deep desire to kill Anna, (the last of the Valerious line) before she destroys what he desires to create. However, this is contradicted when he is seen trying to seduce her into becoming his Bride; it is unclear if he does this because of her beauty or just to kill the entire Valerious' family, though he does admire her for being "Strong... and beautiful". Likely this idea only came to him after the death of Marishka, and he saw Anna as a fitting replacement, not only becoming his new Bride but also ending the Valerious line. He also enjoys toying with Van Helsing, who murdered him centuries ago. His primary goal is to bring his children to life, continue the vampiric kind, and also perhaps regain his stolen dragon insignia ring. Little is known about his human life or human personality.

Powers and Abilities

Dracula is the most powerful of the vampires. He has the abilities of vampire being pure.

• Immortality: Dracula made a deal with the Devil to live forever. However, he needs to feed on human blood to sustain that life.
• Healing Factor: He heals from any wound of any severity within seconds and is immune to disease.
• Vampiric Weakness Immunity: Unlike regular vampires, Dracula barely pains when attacked by silver, stakes, or holy water, as he cannot be killed by regular methods.
• Demonic Vampire Bat Form: To help him escape his icy fortress, the Devil eventually gave Dracula wings. He has the ability to turn into a large bat creature called Hellbeast unlike most regular vampires. In this form he can fly, move at alarming speeds and is strong enough to fight a werewolf.
• Superhuman Strength: His strength is so great he could stop Velkan Valerious in his tracks with one finger and threw a large equipment that was thrown at him by Frankenstein's Monster. He can also apply his strength into his bite which is strong enough to kill a normal human being.
• Flight: In his Hellbeast form, Dracula can fly with his 15-feet long chiropteran wings. His top speed is unknown. It is his power of flight that also gives him the ability to scale walls and ceiling with great ease.
• Elemental Manipulation: Dracula can manifest and influence the elements.
• Superhuman Stamina: Being undead, he has shown no sign of being exhausted from anything such as fighting or chasing.
• Vampire Infection: He can turn humans into vampires.
• Werewolf's Control: He has the unusual ability to force some werewolves under his control. But on a more powerful werewolf like Van Helsing he has no control at all (though Carl claimed that Van Helsing would only be able to resist Dracula's control until the stroke of 1 o'clock).
• Senses: His senses are higher then humans as he possibly has night vision.

Weakness

• Werewolf Venom: Only venom from a werewolf bite can kill him.
• Werewolf Claws: Only claws from a werewolf can slow/weaken his healing.

Video game appearance

Dracula in the Van Helsing video game.

Dracula also appeared in the video game adaption of Van Helsing as the game's main antagonist and final boss.

In the game, Dracula's backstory is much more different then his film counterpart. Dracula and Van Helsing were both best friends and knights in the Holy Order and had to follow only two rules. 1. That the Order doesn't exist. 2. All members must live a life of celibacy. While Van Helsing did both, Dracula fell in love with a woman.

The Hellbeast in the video game.

Somehow, the Order found out and decided to have the woman banished from the city. When the Order attempted to take her, a struggle occurred and the woman was killed. When Dracula found out, he was so angry and filled with grief that he left the Order. He later went to where the woman was buried and intended to use dark magic to bring her back to life. When the Order discovered this, they ordered Van Helsing to stop Dracula. When Van Helsing caught up with Dracula, a fight ensued between both men. Eventually, Van Helsing got the upper hand and ran Dracula through. With his dying breath, Dracula made a deal with the Devil for immortality. The Devil granted Dracula his request and made him a vampire.

Trivia

• Dracula only kills one person in the film, Dr. Frankenstein.
• Dracula's Hellbeast form is not seen until the final climactic battle, only seen through shadows for most of the film.
• The actors who play Dracula and Verona, Richard Roxburgh and Silvia Colloca, are married in real life as they met during filming and married the following year.