Most Iconic Child Vampires in Movies, Ranked

There’s an unwritten rule in horror: don’t kill the kid or the dog. In general, audiences don’t want to see it, so if a film is going to cross the heinous line, it has to make the death poignant and significant to the story. That’s why the dog can often be seen climbing out of a crawl space, several scenes after seemingly perishing off-screen, whereas children tend not to be involved, at least not as the victim.

However, there are no such rules about casting creepy child monsters that spring forth much more frequently in franchises like The Ring. Vampires are a particular subset of monsters that have enjoyed diverse cinematic representation, from skulking Nosferatu, through Hammer Horrors, up to their more recent reboot as brooding teen heartthrobs. That leaves the mood a little all over the place with these iconic child vampires in movies.

Related

8 Most Iconic Male Vampires From Movies, Ranked

Discover the most iconic male vampires in movies. From Nosferatu to Blade, these characters define cinematic vampire history.

7

David (The Lost Boys)

Leader Of The Gang

The Lost Boys

Release Date

July 31, 1987

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

Joel Schumacher

Like Netflix casting a high-school drama, let’s take a broad view of what constitutes a child, from a millennial perspective. Starting off with what is likely the most egregious example, David from The Lost Boys is intended to be 18, so right at the cut-off point to adulthood. If Keifer Sutherland passes as a kid in Stand By Me, then it still counts.

David is the leader of the gang of vampires who serve as the film’s antagonists. Sutherland’s performance was so influential in shaping the style and perception of vampires in future fiction that the character deserves a shout-out here.

6

Los Ninos de Limbo (Children of the Night)

Bloodthirsty Orphanage

• Released: February 2, 2014
• Cast: Lauro Veron, Ana Maria Giunta, Toto Munoz
• Studio: Noel Films

Also known as Limbo to avoid confusion with the 1991 American film of the same name, Children of the Night is a little-known Argentinean horror film that makes some of the best use of child vampires as a dread-inducing antagonist in all of cinema.

Los Ninos De Limbo, as the group is collectively referred to, are the residents of a secluded orphanage that provides the setting for the horror flick. When a journalist visits the orphanage, she discovers that the children have all been turned into vampires by the matron.

5

Mavis Dracula (Hotel Transylvania)

Under The Cloak Of Her Father

Hotel Transylvania

Release Date

September 28, 2012

• 

Hotel Transylvania is a surprisingly moving animated movie about an overbearing Count Dracula who seeks to protect his daughter from a ruthless outside world that will seek to harm her. Mavis Dracula is the film’s central protagonist, who is reaching the age where she is ready to fly the nest and get out from under her father.

Related

8 Most Iconic Female Vampires From Movies, Ranked

These movie vampires are all undeniably queens of the night, but who among them deserves to reign supreme?

Along the way, the duo learn to put aside prejudices after Mavis befriends a human and Dracula learns that he must allow his daughter to be who she needs to be. It’s a sweet tale that has diminishing returns in the myriad of sequels it spawned, but Mavis remains a great protagonist, earning more screen time than anyone else on this list.

4

Alec & Jane

Powerful Siblings

Twilight

Release Date

November 21, 2008

• 

The most divisive vampire franchise, Twilight, has certainly popularized the monster for modern audiences, with no shortage of vampire stories and fan fiction since. Avoiding the low-hanging fruit, attention is instead turned to a pair of siblings portrayed by seasoned child actors Dakota Fanning and Cameron Bright.

What’s notable about Alec and Jane is that they are Immortal Children aligned with the Volturi, who have since declared the practice punishable by death, which serves as a significant plot point in the series. The pair also each possess advanced supernatural abilities that make them a threat to any vampire beyond their physical prowess.

3

Abigail

Becoming The Hunted

Abigail

Release Date

April 19, 2024

Runtime

109 Minutes

Director

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

When a group of ne’er-do-wells take a young girl hostage, they are expecting a handsome payout from her wealthy father. All they have to do is keep her contained for one night. Unfortunately, the eponymous Abigail turns out to be a powerful vampire who promptly breaks free and turns the tables.

Unable to escape the house after it triggers a lockdown, the crew must fight through the night to survive as Abigail hunts them down one by one. This sinister antagonist is portrayed with just enough levity to keep the adventure fun and action-packed.

2

Eli (Let The Right One In)

What Lurks Next Door

Let the Right One In

Release Date

December 12, 2008

• 

At the height of Swedish cinema, at least in terms of global appeal, were The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and one of the most popular child vampire flicks, Let The Right One In. Both films swiftly received American remakes, but ardent fans insist it’s worth the language barrier to experience the superior originals.

Let The Right One In centers on a young boy who befriends his neighbor, Eli, only to discover she is a vampire. It’s a slow-burn horror as the friendship is forced to endure Eli’s lust for blood and penchant for violence. Chloë Grace Moretz portrays the character in the US remake, Let Me In, for anyone looking for an English alternative.

1

Claudia (Interview With The Vampire)

Daughter Of Burden

Interview with the Vampire

Release Date

November 11, 1994

Runtime

123 minutes

Director

Neil Jordan

The most acclaimed performance from a child actor playing a vampire comes from Kirsten Dunst in Interview With The Vampire. Dunst’s character, Claudia, is a central part of the story, which largely chronicles her turning by the protagonists Louis and Lestat in a macabre affair following the loss of her mother at a young age.

She essentially serves as their daughter, remaining with them for 65 years until her eventual execution. Requiring Dunst to deliver a performance far beyond her years in the complex saga of anguish and lust that is the trio’s life as recounted in the titular interview.

More

18 Best Anime About Vampires, Ranked

Vampires are a timeless trope in any media, but in anime, the following shows take the cake as the best vampire anime series.