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Stories about the dead rising from their graves at night to suck the blood of the living have frightened people for centuries. The sparkling, glittery vamps from Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga may have softened their image in pop culture. Yet these menacing creatures of the night continue to be some of the most terrifying monsters ever to appear in cinema.

Whether it's their sharp fangs, supernatural strength, or an unquenchable thirst for human blood, vampires have the uncanny ability to appear terrifying. Throughout horror cinema, plenty of creepy or unsettling vampire films feature these bloodsuckers looking quite intimidating. Here are ten of the best vampires to appear on the big screen, ranked by their frightening appearances and abilities to scare.

10 The Alpha Male - 'I Am Legend' (2007)

I Am Legend sees Will Smith as Robert Neville, one of the last few human beings on Earth after a devastating virus collapses society and turns most of the population into cannibalistic, mutated vampires known as the "Darkseekers." In his race to find a cure for these creatures, Neville also has to fight them off, among them being their stronger and far smarter leader, the Alpha Male (Dash Mihok).

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The Alpha Male was an apex predator who ruled over his territory, with many other Darkseekers acting as his subordinates. While the original version of the film showed the Alpha as an aggressive animal relentlessly pursuing Neville as an intruder or for food, the alternate ending revealed that it was Neville who was the true villain of the film who kidnapped and tortured Darkseekers, leading the Alpha to defend his species.

9 Jan Valek - 'John Carpenter's Vampires' (1998)

John Carpenter's Vampires depict these famous fictional monsters as brutal and vicious creatures less likely to charm and seduce people and more focused on tearing them into throats. It follows the ruthless vampire hunter Jack Crow (James Woods) as he races against time to stop the vengeful master vampire, Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), from using a ritualistic cross to become unstoppable.

Valek was turned into a dark immortal being after a botched exorcism left him cursed and full of rage. He was smarter and more powerful than any other of his kind, with no weaknesses except sunlight. His goals were to increase his and other vampires' powers, so they could walk during the day and eventually take over the world.

8 David and the Lost Boys - 'The Lost Boys' (1987)

Joel Schumacher's 1987 horror comedy The Lost Boys offers a unique spin on the classic Peter Pan story about a group of boys living carefree lives in a land where they never grow old or die. It features the titular Lost Boys, led by their charismatic and bloodthirsty leader David (Kiefer Sutherland) as they secretly terrorize the crowded beach community of Santa Carla, California.

The Lost Boys managed to be cool and terrifying at the same time. They presented themselves as free-spirited youths with trendy clothes and hairstyles, but underneath, they were savage monsters preying on the innocent and showed no mercy towards anyone they viewed as threats.

7 Amy Peterson - 'Fright Night' (1985)

Fright Night follows teenager Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), who employs the services of a fading horror movie star named Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) after he suspects his mysterious next-door neighbor, Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon), is a murderous vampire. Later, the two band together to defeat Jerry to save Charley's girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) after falling victim to the vampire's curse.

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Although Amy doesn't appear as a vampire until the final act, once she does transform, she becomes a truly nightmarish creature with haunting red eyes and a menacing, sharp-fanged grin. Her shocking appearance left a lasting impression on the viewers, and it became one of the most memorable parts of the film and even featured on the poster.

6 Marlow - '30 Days of Night' (2007)

30 Days of Night depicts vampires as relentless killing machines with soulless eyes and unquenchable thirsts for blood and carnage. It follows the residents of an isolated Alaskan community that turns into the scene of a massacre as a group of vampires, led by their ruthless leader Marlow (Danny Huston), plague the town once it experiences 30 days with no sun.

Marlow appeared as the most human out of all the other vampires in his group, being able to speak and demonstrating intelligence. He was also able to have some restraint over his animal impulses and used his self-control to outsmart his victims. He's easily one of the most intelligent and pure evil vampires to ever appear on-screen with no redeeming qualities.

5 Dracula - 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' (2023)

There have been many retellings of the famous literary tale of Dracula. The Last Voyage of the Demeter shows a unique and terrifying version of the Count, this time depicting him as a nightmarish demon slowly picking off the ship's crew that's transporting his coffin to England.

This Dracula is never once called a vampire on-screen and appears more like an unstoppable force of pure evil. As the body count rises and his powers grow, his frightening appearance slowly resembles less of a human and more of a bat, symbolizing how animal-like this version of Dracula truly is.

4 Nomak - 'Blade II' (2002)

Guillermo del Toro's impressive sequel to the first Blade movie sees the half-immortal Blade (Wesley Snipes) as he reluctantly partners up with his vampire enemies to stop a new deadly subspecies known as "The Reapers." Soon, he finds himself in a vicious battle to save the world against the Reaper's relentless leader, Nomak (Luke Goss).

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Nomak was nearly invincible in his quest for revenge against the ones who created him, posing a severe threat to the mortal world. With haunting eyes, pale physiques, and frightening gaping mouths, he and his Reapers were a unique variation that proved to be even deadlier than the average vampires.

3 Eli - 'Let the Right One In' (2008)

Let the Right One In is a beautifully told non-English horror film that follows a troubled young boy named Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) as he befriends his mysterious new next-door neighbor Eli (Lina Leandersson). As their newfound friendship evolves, Oskar soon learns the tragic but terrifying secret that Eli is a centuries-old vampire that constantly needs to feed.

Looks can be deceiving with Eli as she appears to be an average, nonthreatening little girl. However, under the surface, she harbors an uncontrollable thirst for blood and kills her victims in some brutal fashions. While she can control herself most of the time, it's still terrifying to think that this supernatural killer is masquerading as an innocent child.

2 Kurt Barlow - 'Salem's Lot' (1979)

Stephen King's Salem's Lot shows what would happen if the frightening vampires of European folklore creep into modern American society. It follows a writer named Ben Mears (David Soul) and a horror-obsessed teenager named Mark Petrie (Lance Kerwin) as they try to save a small town from the nightmarish evil vampire Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder).

Despite having limited screen time, Barlow's sinister presence loomed throughout the story as he slowly turned the town's residents into members of his undead army. With a unique and frighteningly ghoulish appearance, he's become recognized among Stephen King fans as one of the writer's best antagonists ever to appear on-screen.

1 Count Orlok - 'Nosferatu' (1922)

Nosferatu is a true horror classic of the silent era that became one of the first films to adapt Bram Stoker'sDracula novel to the big screen. It also features one of the most iconic depictions of a vampire ever with the film's eerie and menacing antagonist, Count Orlok (Max Schreck).

Count Orlok didn't need the use of sound to come across as downright terrifying. Everything from his creepy rat-like appearance to his inhuman body movements makes this unsettling creature one of the most memorable monsters in horror history. Despite appearing in a film over one hundred years old, Orlok still manages to be as frightening and intimidating today as he was in 1922.

NEXT: The 28 Best Vampire Movies That Aren't Dracula, From 'Interview with a Vampire' to 'Nosferatu'

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