How to Kill a Vampire in a Fictional Work

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 8, 2023 References

In Fiction

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In Role-Play

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Other Methods

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Q&A

Vampires are creatures with a long and complex mythology. There are, however, a few basic rules that never change. It's part of what makes them vampires. If you intend to include vampires as part of a novel, or as part of cosplay or role-playing, you should know the basic rules for killing them off. Even though there can be quite a lot of variation, there are some basic rules you should follow for killing vampires. You can even adjust some of these tactics using clever wordplay or modern technology to widen the possibilities of your vampire story.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

In Fiction

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Identify the vampire. Your audience needs to know that your character is a vampire. You can state it outright, or, if you want to be more subtle, give clues so your reader (and maybe your characters) can discover the vampire. If you want to build some mystery and suspense (always a good idea with vampires), it is better to show the character is a vampire rather than stating outright.^{[1]
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- Feel free to ignore certain rules. To make your work stand out, you can ignore or modify certain character traits of the vampire. Unpredictability can be a good thing in fiction. Just make sure you explain these to your audience at some point.^{[2]
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- If killing the vampire is integral to the story, there must be a way of killing it. If the vampire is the hero, and can't die, then there is little suspense. If the vampire is the villain, then you have given your heroes an impossible task, and the story will only end in failure.^{[3]
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2
Ward the vampire off. Your character may not need to kill the vampire right away, especially if he is the main villain. You will want your hero to be able to keep the vampire away while he looks for what is necessary to kill it. Some of these actions include:^{[4]
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- Holding holy objects, like a cross or Bible. Vampires are evil creatures, so they generally reject sacred items. Similarly, vampires resist sacred places, so churches and other religious buildings can be safe spaces. These do not have to be exclusively Christian, so symbols from Judaism, Islam, and other faiths can work. It is important to remember that the symbol itself is not as important as the faith of the person using it.
- Spreading small grainy items like salt or sand. Traditionally, vampires will obsessively count objects they come across, so something small that you can drop in large amounts can delay your foe. Fine grains like oats or rice will also work.
- Similar to fine grains, vampires may also count the knots in a fishing net. Hanging one over doors and windows will buy some time if a vampire tries to enter.
- Having certain plants. Vampires resist plants that generally symbolize new life, such as roses, holly, or hawthorn. Other traditions use plants such as buckthorn, juniper logs, blackthorn, or rowan. Your character can have these around the home, or carry them around.
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3
Decapitate the vampire. One good way to kill a vampire (or any other creature) is by cutting off its head. In some genres, the mouth is then stuffed with garlic to prevent the vampire from coming back.^{[6]
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Attack it with other objects. There are certain objects, like bullets or wooden stakes, that can be driven into a vampire's heart or chest, that will kill it.^{[7]
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- Wooden stake. There can be something special about the wood (from a particular tree, or shaped into a holy object like a cross), or it can just be a sharp piece of wood. Some vampire stories in modern day settings use everyday wooden objects like pool cues and coat racks.^{[8]
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- Like some of the wooden stakes, in many cases there is something special about particular bullets that will kill vampires. They can be silver bullets (as with werewolves), or blessed by a priest to be sacred objects.
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Spray the vampire with holy water. Vampires are evil creatures, and may not react well to sacred objects. Spraying them with sacred water can scald or burn vampires. You'll have to decide if the vampire need to be doused in it, or just a splash will do.^{[9]
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Bring the vampire into sunlight. In some traditions, vampires need to avoid the daylight, or else they will turn into dust. In other works, vampires move around in broad daylight without any problems.^{[10]
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Equip your hero with the appropriate tools. The characters killing the vampire need to be able to accomplish the task, so they need a way to acquire necessary items. If they need holy objects, your characters may need access to a church or priest. If their weapons require a certain type of wood, those trees should grow in your setting.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

In Role-Play

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Discuss your methods with other role-players. Both the vampire and the vampire-slayer characters should discuss the "fight" and "kill" scenes in advance to make it appear more realistic, and to ensure that nobody gets hurt.
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Bring garlic bulbs. One of the most effective ways of killing a vampire (or any creature really) is decapitation. After cutting off the head, you then stuff the mouth full of garlic.^{[11]
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Carry a wooden stake. Driving a wooden stake into a vampire (sometimes, but not always, through its heart) is a traditional method to kill vampires.^{[12]
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Carry holy water. For role-playing or fancy dress, simply find a little bottle and pour in some water. Perhaps for added effect, add in a bit of glitter to give it a "special" effect. Not all vampires are killed by holy water, merely repelled, so you'll want to know how your vampire player will react.^{[13]
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Have other vampire hunting tools. If you are portraying a vampire hunter, or vampire killer, you can carry other objects with you that won't kill a vampire, but can slow it down These include:^{[14]
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- Holy objects, like a cross or Bible. Vampires are evil creatures, so the generally reject sacred items. These do not have to be exclusively Christian, so symbols from Judaism, Islam, and other faiths can work.
- Small grainy items like salt or sand. Traditionally, vampires will obsessively count objects they come across, so something small that you can drop in large amounts can delay your foe.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Other Methods

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Fire a wooden bullet. Many nations used them as training rounds, though rumors abound that they were meant to splinter inside the victim. This creates the possibility that your vampire could die when one of these splinters pierces its heart.^{[15]
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Use a flash grenade. The explosive won't necessarily kill the vampire, but the flash could produce enough light to cause the vampire to disintegrate.^{[16]
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Shine artificial light. If the vampire doesn't like light, but you are stuck in the dark, you may be able to use technologies that generate powerful lights.^{[17]
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- An ultraviolet laser can use concentrated UV rays that create glare. Even more useful to the would-be killer, the glare also prevents the victim from seeing the direction of the beam. This means you can attack from any angle.
- A flashlight or battery-powered lantern can be effective if the goal is to use brightness. A military-grade flashlight is probably preferred, but you'll have to decide how powerful or concentrated the light will need to be.
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Create an artificial cross. Because the cross is more important for symbolic reasons, an item or setting that looks like a cross (such as the shadow of a windmill in the film "Brides of Dracula") can defeat a vampire.

Community Q&A

Question

Why are vampires afraid of the cross?

Community Answer

It is because of the historical, mythological background of vampires. In some instances, they are believed to be followers or even descendants of the devil. It is the same thing with holy water. "Unholy beings" and holy items don't mix well, to summarize.
Question

Are you really serious with this?

Community Answer

It depends. Are you writing a play with a vampire in it, acting as a vampire on stage or role playing? If so, then yes, the article details what to do. On the other hand, if you think that vampires are real, we can't help you.
Question

What is the name of a vampire found in Ancient Egypt?

Owen Vazquez

Community Answer

There's an ancient Egyptian goddess with a cat face who drank blood. Her name is Sekhmet, goddess of war and possibly the very first vampire.