Vampires are thirsty for blood and people are thirsty for more vampire anime. This can be told because the vampire genre has been getting more popular. People cannot seem to get enough of them, which is why many vampires anime, manga, OVAs, light novels, etc. are made every year. With so many vampire anime available, finding the best ones isn’t easy. So, in this top list, we have picked out the best anime with these blood-sucking creatures.
Fans love vampire anime because of how different, dark, and mysterious they can be. The characters are usually complex which makes them entertaining to watch. They have splendid animation and engaging storylines as well. Vampire anime has sub-genres such as action, comedy, romance, etc. Also, one can’t disagree that vampires are so hot and attractive. Who wouldn’t want to see them?
If you’re into vampire anime, you might also want to see these best seinen anime, best samurai anime, or best shounen anime.
1. Hellsing Ultimate
Hellsing Ultimate is an anime that defines the vampire anime genre and inspired the creation of many anime afterward. A decade has passed since Hellsing Ultimate ended, but it remains to have a huge fanbase that respects each aspect of this anime. This series is a follow-up of a 13 series OVA that aired from 2001 to 2002. When watching this anime, you think this can’t get any better. But it does.
The anime revolves around the Royal Order of Protestant Knights, which is an organization that fights against vampires. It was founded by Dr. Van Helsing and is currently run by his descendant, Integra Hellsing. Integra is a very strong woman who has the ultimate weapon on her side, Alucard. Alucard is a mysterious, yet extremely powerful vampire who fights against his own kind. He also has a vampire called Seras Victoria as his sidekick. Be prepared to see a lot of bloodshed and action when watching this anime.
2. Seraph Of The End
It was hard picking the second place, but Seraph of The End won the spot because of its interesting plot, amazing fights, and background story that is somewhat similar to our modern world. Without giving spoilers, I can tell you that the anime shows that humans can sometimes cause harm to themselves by themselves. Anyways, Seraph of The End is a vampire-themed anime that currently has two seasons. It is so entertaining that there is hardly an anime vampire anime fan who doesn’t love this show.
The anime is set in a world where a virus kills everyone under the age of 13. Then, vampires take over the world and capture all the children who survived. The anime focuses on the story of Yuichiro Hyakuya whose siblings are killed by the vampires, and he escapes to an area where only humans are living. He then joins the vampire-fighting unit to achieve his goal of killing all the vampires once and for all.
Seraph of the end has many fighting scenes which would keep you on the edge. There is some humor to keep lightheartedness in the show. Also, there are plot twists. Both the evil and good characters in the anime are very interesting.
3. Vampire Knight
It isn’t possible for you to be a vampire anime fan and not have heard of Vampire Knight. Vampire Knight is a mystery and romance anime targeted toward young women. Although it has a huge fanbase which shows that it has many male fans as well. Vampire Knight is an anime sure to give you an unforgettable experience.
The plot is set in the Cross Academy where humans take classes in the daytime and vampires in the nighttime. Yuki Cross is a student of the academy and the adopted daughter of the school’s headmaster. She is also a guardian against vampires at the school. Vampire Knight shows the love triangle of Yuuki, Zero Kiryuu, and Kaname Kuran. Zero is a student who became a vampire after being bitten by an undead while Kaname is a pureblood vampire.
4. Trinity Blood
The anime is set in a world where vampires and humans are in a conflict against each other for gaining power. In the middle of this conflict, there are a group of people who only wish for harmony by humans and vampires living peacefully with each other. Although both the factions are trying to avoid the war, extremist groups such as Rosenkreuz Order are trying their best to start the war.
To investigate disturbances made by these groups, the AX unit is made. In this unit is Abel Nightroad, a disoriented but kind-hearted vampire who drinks the blood of other vampires. Trinity Blood is filled with a lot of action and eccentric characters with disturbing background stories.
5. Shiki
Shiki isn’t a vampire anime for everyone. It can mainly be enjoyed by those who love the horror genre because Shiki is very scary, filled with gore, and has a lot of things that would send chills down your spine. The anime is set in the small town of Sotoba in Japan. A 15-year-old girl mysteriously dies and afterward, an epidemic begins which causes ordinary people to turn into vampires who call themselves Shiki.
Toshio Ozaki, a young doctor decides to investigate this issue but realizes he has to forgo his humanity to learn the mysteries behind Shiki. He pairs up with Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial young city boy. Together they aim to investigate this matter before everyone in Sotoba becomes turns into these blood-sucking creatures.
6. The Case Study of Vanitas
The Case Study of Vanitas or Vanitas no Karte is a relatively recent vampire anime on this list. But this anime is so good, it has left behind a lot of other good series. This anime has an excellent supernatural setting, many taboos, vampire societies, and stunning characters. The animation is also top-notch as it has been animated by Studio Bones. The Case Study of Vanitas is not a cliché vampire anime which makes it even more entertaining.
There is a legend that a vampire named Vanitas created the “Book of Vanitas” which punishes the crimson moon vampires. The anime follows the story of Noé Archiviste in the 19th century who is in search of this book. On his way to Paris, Noé encounters a self-proclaimed Vanitas who is an eccentric doctor. He says that he uses that book to restore vampires which are turned into mindless blood-thirsty vampires by Charlatan, back to their usual selves by using their real names. The anime then follows the journey of Noé and the doctor who travel together to find out the dark secrets behind this epidemic of vampires.
7. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a bit more colorful and has a different setting than the usual vampire-themed anime. But it has a lot of action and a great storyline which makes it one of the best classic vampire anime. Also, it has 90s pop culture as it is filled with music with reference to the 90s. Quite unusual of a vampire anime, right?
The story is set in 1868 where George Joestar and his son Jonathan are saved by Dario Brando in a carriage accident. 12 years later after his death, George adopts his son, Dio to pay back Dario’s debt. Dio acts like the perfect son but in reality, he wants to ruin George and Jonathan and take over their belongings. It is later found that Dio also has a strange stone mask that gives him supernatural powers.
8. Bakemonogatari
Bakemonogatari is a romance vampire anime with multiple sequels and prequels. It is one of the best anime with a vampire theme and it has a huge fanbase worldwide. The anime follows of high school student named Koyomi Araragi. One day he is attacked by a vampire, but he survived it with the aid of a mysterious man named Meme Oshino. Although Koyomi remains human, he is left with some superhuman abilities such as fast healing and exceptional eyesight.
One day, Koyomi lifts his classmate Hitagi when he fell on the stairs and finds out that she is weightless. Koyomi then finds out the young women in his school are mainly being affected by these supernatural issues. He decides to take the help of Meme Oshino to use his powers in order to fight against the entity which is disturbing the peace of these young people.
9. Blood+
The Blood+ anime series is inspired by the movie Blood: The Last Vampire released in 2000. It became so popular that this anime series of it had to be released. The story is set in Okinawa, Japan where a young girl named Saya Otonashi lives peacefully with her adoptive family. She’s an ordinary schoolgirl but the only different thing about her is that she is anemic, and she doesn’t have any memories of her life before last year.
Things take a turn for Saya when she is attacked by a monster that drinks human blood called Chiropteran. But she is saved by a mysterious man named Haji. Saya is able to slay the monster by herself using her blood. She then joins the Red Sheild, an organization that kills these monsters. Along with Haji, Saya works to cleanse the world from these blood-sucking monsters while also finding out the truth behind her past and the mysteries of her blood. Blood+ is an unpredictable anime as you will constantly be wondering about what will happen next.
10. Rosario to Vampire
Rosario to Vampire is for all those harem, comedy, and ecchi vampire anime fans. If you’ve had enough of those dark, gory anime, then Rosario to Vampire will be a fun high school romance anime to watch. It follows the story of Tsukune Aono who is unable to get into any high school because of his bad grades. To save his education, he joins the Youkai Academy which at first seems like a normal high school. But the truth behind is that it’s an academy filled with monsters that are learning to live with humans.
Each monster is supposed to come in the appearance of a human. However, there is a rule that any human found on the campus must be immediately killed.
Tsukune encounter’s the school’s most attractive girl, Moka Akashiya. He wants to stay on the campus and develop a closer relationship with Moka but little does he know that she’s also a monster. Tsukune must hide his humanity while also adjusting amongst the many monsters around him. The anime follows Tsukune’s daily struggles as a human, high school comedy, and his weird experiences around these inhuman creatures.
11. Vampire Hunter D
Finally, a 90s anime is added to this list. If you want a taste of what the vampire anime looked like in a medieval setting, then Vampire Hunter D would be the best choice for you. The anime follows the story of a vampire hunter named D. He is known for being the best vampire hunter. One day he is contacted by a young girl who has been bitten by Count Magnus Lee who is using her for his entertainment.
D finds out that the Count is ruling over the small hamlet and is using many other innocent people. He decides to take this matter into his hands to defeat the Count and free all the people from his horrible rule. That starts D’s journey of killing each Count’s soldier to reach up to him and defeat him. Vampire Hunter D is an anime ahead of its time. Its art style is very good, the storyline is interesting, and it focuses on themes such as empathy and loneliness.
12. Blood Lad
Blood Lad is an anime with a concept never used in any vampire anime before. It follows the story of Staz Charlie, a powerful vampire who is the ruler of Demon World’s eastern division. But Staz isn’t least interested in the human blood. He isn’t interested in governing his district either as he leaves the management to those under him. Instead, he is an Otaku who likes to laze around all day engaging himself in anime, manga, and video games.
One day, a girl from the human world named Fuyumi Yanagi accidentally enters the Demon World. Soon, She and Staz begin to feel attracted to each other. But suddenly Staz’s territory is attacked. Fuyumi dies and becomes a wandering ghost. Staz then decides to find a way to restore Fuyumi back to life. The anime then shows the journey of Staz, Fuyumi, a half-werewolf Wolf, and spatial magician Bell as they begin searching for the resurrection method.
13. Blood Blockade Battlefront
Now, this is an anime where you not only get to see vampires but also other supernatural creatures such as Supersonic monkeys, talking fishmen, etc. The story is set in a city called Hellsalem’s Lot, previously known as New York City. Three years ago, a gate between the Beyond and the Earth opened. Creatures from the other world and humans were then forced to live together. A secret organization called Libra is in charge of maintaining peace with the city and not letting this madness spread outside of it.
The protagonist is an ordinary photographer named Leonardo Watch. One day, he receives the “all-seeing Eyes of the Gods”. Leonardo Watch visits the Hellsalem’s Lot to investigate this mysterious power. Things take another turn when he encounters the Libra and joins them. Blood Blockade Battlefront follows Leonardo’s journey as he meets eccentric comrades, adjusts to this new city, and goes through difficult experiences that he never thought would have happened to him.
14. Strike The Blood
Strike The Blood was banned in China because of violent content. But this anime isn’t all about gore scenes and fights. It is also a high school anime with a harem and lots of ecchi scenes. It is a coming-of-age series covered with supernatural elements. The anime is set in the Demon District of Itogami Island where Kojou Akatsuki, a high school student gains the powers of a vampire.
Later, it is found that Kojou is also the Fourth Primogenitor which is an extremely powerful vampire considered to be a legend. Scared by his immense power, the Lion King Organization sends a sword-shaman Yukina Himeragi to keep an eye on him and kill him if he becomes a danger to humanity. Kojou and Yukina are forced to form an alliance and work together against the dangerous creatures on the island.
15. Karin
This rom-com vampire anime has an opposite plot from usual anime with vampires. Normally, anime about vampires has a dark setting but this one is not like it. What makes it so different is that the protagonist Karin does not even drink blood. She is somewhat a “reverse vampire” because she was born with polycythemia. A condition that would cause her to produce an excessive amount of blood.
She often gets nosebleeds and anemic because of producing so much blood. Here’s another plot twist, the only solution to this is Karin forcing her blood into others. Having her blood also makes the victims happier. Things get more complicated when Karin has a new classmate named Kenta who makes her blood race for other reasons. Karin is an anime that would keep you laughing for hours. It would be the best pick for you if you are looking for a comedy vampire anime.
This brings an end to our list of best vampire anime. If you are looking for more anime recommendations, check out these lists of best anime with overpowered main characters or best steampunk anime.
