Characters to sink your teeth into…

From the fearful Count Dracula to the sparkling Edward Cullen, there’s no shortage of vampires in film and television. The vampire has been adapted and changed more frequently than a politician changes policies but we’ve picked out some of the most significant adaptations and then chose our character from that franchise. As the halloween period comes around we here at the Edge we took a look at some of the best and worst judging our vamps based on a fang and smoulder rating method with the fang rating being our defining factor and the smoulder rating just being for our own benefit. We eventually crowned our winner.

Edward Cullen – Twilight – Robert Pattinson

Edward Cullen. The name itself causes shivers. But these are not the type of shivers usually associated with a blood-sucker. No, they are cringing shivers – shivers of remembrance and instant regret. Because though it’s painful to admit, for both us and Robert Pattinson, The Twilight Saga happened and we were all far too involved. Stephenie Meyer’s sparkly vision is a poor excuse for a vampire. He‘s a vegetarian. He won’t drink human blood, and gets all girly about biting an all too willing Bella. He is not an archaic gothic beast; he’s a mopey pale-faced prat. And for that he gets

Fang Rating: 2/10
Smoulder Rating: 5/10

Selene – The Underworld – Kate Beckingsale

First and foremost, as expected, she is an immortal with a superhuman strength. She also is extremely fast and intuitive. Disappointingly enough, she does faint after losing, what seemed to be maybe a spoonful of blood, and almost drowns, ending up being saved by a mortal. Nonetheless, her cold and distant attitude as well as shooting skills and smooth moves, make her look like a badass. We do not, however, see her consuming blood.In the end, her unnatural persistence in overcoming obstacles and mesmerizing, extremely sleek outfit which makes her body look divine, all make her a worthy although not an outstanding, vampire.

Fang rating: 5/10
Smoulder rating: 7/10

John Mitchell – Being Human – Aidan Turner

Being Human remains one of the most fascinating and unusual takes on the modern supernatural/gothic genre produced in the last decade. Toby Whithouse’ uncompromising story arcs and dark humour cultivated some beautifully complex characters, with Vampire John Mitchell (Aidan Turner) being the show’s best. Mitchell’s vampirism is clearly influenced by drug addiction, with his continuous battle against bloodlust framing his entire narrative. Turner injected the character with an excellent tone of sarcasm; something that was often employed to cover-up the more fragile aspects of the character. And some of Mitchell’s best moments are those that emphasize his humanity; a final goodbye to an old lover in season one, the many hilarious escapades with his best friend George and his tentatively charming relationship with Annie in season three. Combine these elements with some gorgeous looks and a husky Irish accent, and you’ve got a vampire brimming with sex, violence and compassion.

Fang Rating: 7/10
Smoulder Rating: 9/10

Pamela Swynford De Beaufort – True Blood – Kristin Bauer van Straten

True Blood is full of smouldering, blood thirsty vamps, but none ooze the glamour and bad-ass nature that Pamela Swynford de Beaufort (Kristin Bauer van Straten) does. This vamp is unique in that her no nonsense attitude is complimented by her love for her maker Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard). Whilst she may seem a fierce, villainous character at first, she is shown to be at least willing to be a good vampire, providing its worth her while.

Fang Rating: 8/10
Smoulder Rating: 8/10

Eli – Låt den Rätte Komma In (Let The Right One In) – Lina Leandersson
In this rare case of a movie adaptation that’s even better than the book, Lina Leandersson plays a fairly traditional, but grippingly real interpretation of vampire mythology as Eli. Eli can’t eat normal food without throwing up, she’s been sort-of-dead for a long time, and she can’t enter buildings without invitation (hence the title). Interestingly though, she rarely kills her own victims—her (human) paedophilic father figure Håkan does most of that. But what’s best about Eli is that she feels completely realistic: less a mythical creature, more a scientific anomaly.

Fang Rating: 8/10
Smoulder Rating: 0/10

Alexander Grayson – Dracula – Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Meyer’s interpretation of the cold-blooded killer is not only stunning but eerily accurate who meets many of the classic vampire attributes such as regeneration, invisibility in mirrors and as we’ve seen before having to be invited into another’s home. Ridiculously good looking Meyers portrays a classic example of a familiar vampire that is perfect for those who love a good gothic drama.

Fang Rating: 9/10
Smoulder rating: 10/10

Graf Orlok – Noseferatu – Max Schreck – Our winner

Way before vampires were obsessed by fashion, not-biting anyone and their level of sexy-ness lies Max Schreck’s 1922 flawless interpretation of Nosferatu for F. W. Murnau’s eponymous silent film. Nosferatu is the first and quintessential Dracula film. Rooted in German expressionism, the film displays a strongly distorted setting, where shadows and crooked décor entrap the victims of the vampire. Schreck’s acting skills and his obvious talent for make-up and costume fabrication allow for a vampire that truly haunts the material of the film. The last scene where the monster is caught in day light and dies, not only remains one of the most fascinating scene of cinema but is also a strong landmark in the history of film, and thus 92 years after its release.