Season 2 Spike, maybe could be number 2...but anything afterward was a big let down!! Angelus number one or Vampire Buffy!! That is all!! Twilight boy should be on no vampire list...he doesn't know how to be!!

BlueSkies | June 05, 13:23 CET

A little disappointed Mathilda May from "Life Force" didn't make the cut....she was good! And I forgotten how creepy Kristen Dunst was as Claudia.

Now, as for my favorite whedonverse vampire....which day of the week is it? I love them all, so can't decide! If you hold my feet to the flames, may have to call out Dru. What can I say, love those crazy ones ;

Madhatter | June 05, 13:46 CET

Vampire Willow should have been higher. For a vamp that only appeared in 2 episodes, she left an enduring impression that remains to this day.

Bored now.

Giles'chainsawchick | June 05, 13:51 CET

I'm always so happy to see Spike make #1 on these lists, as he so often does. I never endear myself to Angel fans with this observation, but he is well down on my list of favorite vamps, both as Angel and Angelus.
My second & third favorites aren't even 'verse vamps.... Lestat, and Gary Oldman's Drac (Christopher Lee's movies are just too campy for my taste).

Great to see Dru and Darla make the list, although I would have put both much higher, as well as vamp Willow.

And I have to admit that given a second change (SciFi re-runs), I like Moonlight a lot better than I did originally and have no problem with both Mick and Josef on this list.

Reading the text, the best line of all had to be this one, referring to Mick St. John: "He's the Edward Cullen for the mature woman, though a lot more eloquent (then again, there are sea sponges more eloquent than Cullen". ;)

Shey | June 05, 14:20 CET

What is Mr. Sparkles doing this list? No vampire list is respectable if he's in it.
On the rest, I also think that Vamp Willow should have been better placed.

Numfar PTB | June 05, 15:17 CET

Ya Spikey! It's so nice to see his character is still loved after all this time. :)

sueworld2003 | June 05, 15:21 CET

Spike had one of the best arcs of all time, happy to see some love for our lad. It doesn't get much better than the end of "Beneath You".

zeitgeist | June 05, 15:26 CET

Yay, Spike's still the number one and that with the show being of air for so long now.

The little blond one left a lasting impression on pop culture vampirism.

| June 05, 15:35 CET

Spike is number one...right where he belongs. I have never been so taken by any other fictional charater, ever. I don't know whether it was him, his story arc, or James Marsters that made me obsessed, but obsessed I am. Thanks for making my day!

luvspike | June 05, 15:51 CET

COUNT DUCKULA! Hooray! Little disappointed that he's beaten by Edward Cullen, but hey, at least he made the list!

Coleberg | June 05, 15:54 CET

Yay for Spike and the rest of Buffyverse vampires.

Outside of the selected circle I liked Miriam and Severen

There are a lot of Draculas on that list!

[ edited by anca on 2010-06-05 16:30 ]

[ edited by anca on 2010-06-05 16:30 ]

anca | June 05, 16:28 CET

Very enjoyable! I love that Spike is number one, because he's number one to me for sure. I'm with luvspike, not only best vampire but best character ever.

But I also loved a lot of their other descriptions. Funny, (Selene) and right on.

This is what I love about Angel:
"But there was another side to Angel; a wonderfully appealing, self-effacing humour, helped no end by Boreanaz’s ability to look like a slapped puppy. He was a vampire, for Christ’s sake – he should be big and hard and manly. And Angel could be. But he could also look sulky, pathetic, in need of a hug; and when he was in one of these moods, he usually ended up the target of ridicule from his friends. He was also a rubbish singer and dancer – which may sound like a facile comment, but his amusing awkwardness at such times spoke volumes about who he was."
Yep. Angel was basically Edward Cullen in Buffy, but in his own show he became a complex and endearing character you could root for.

Xane | June 05, 16:50 CET

Surprised by the lowness that is Bill Compton and Eric Northman. And very surprised that Jessica from True Blood is absent on the list. She's a very interesting character.

CaptainB | June 05, 17:00 CET

Interesting list - am surprised (but happy) that Cullen isnt higher.

My own personal list is

1-Angel
2-Lestat
3-Spike

angeliclestat | June 05, 17:03 CET

I'm happy that so many Whedonverse vamps placed, but the list ruined the #1 spot for me by saying "blah blah Spike (see #1)" waaay before I got there. Boo.

I'm also surprised that there weren't any anime/manga vamps on the list, either.

Waterkeeper511 | June 05, 17:05 CET

Sweet! Barnabas, Miriam, and Frank Langella. The only one missing from my personal list was Julian Luna, though I would've loved to have seen George Hamilton. And hells yeah, good for Spike!

Willowy | June 05, 17:34 CET

Awesome that Spike is number one. It's just a damn shame that Joss never gave the character the spotlight it so rightly deserved. The character Spike had so much potential to be more.

Vergil | June 05, 17:40 CET

Are you being sarcastic Vergil - Spike had an amazing arc.

angeliclestat | June 05, 17:58 CET

So happy to see the Whedonverse vamps so well represented! And I couldn't agree more about the #1 pick. Like a few above have said, Spike isn't just my favourite vamp but hit tops my list of fave character of all-time. The character arc, the actor, the look...doesn't get better than that for me!

pollyprissypants | June 05, 18:00 CET

Spike rocks. Full stop.

baxter | June 05, 18:09 CET

pollyprissypants, I really like your name. Made me giggle.

And I just wanted to add that I'm thrilled to see Drusilla and Darla on the list, they often get left off these kind of things.

Xane | June 05, 18:15 CET

If it wasn't for Edward Cullen, it'd be a great list. Although I think Claudia should be higher, she was played incredibly well. And the True Blood vamps were surprisingly low. Have to agree with Spike as number one :)

emmy | June 05, 18:37 CET

That's a damn good list of vampires and the actors who played them. Glad to see a couple of vamps from Near Dark listed, as well as Danny Glick.

Speaking of Danny, I'm always reminded of Salem's Lot when I watch Btvs the movie. The scene where Benny visits Pike after he's turned is eerily similar to the scene where Danny visits Mark Petrie.

menomegirl | June 05, 18:39 CET

No Angeliclestat, i'm not being sarcastic. I wasn't talking about the arc, i was talking about the character as the main-headline.
Like for example how Angel got his own show or when Btvs ended there was all that talk about a Faith spinoff.
Spike had the potential for a lot more, he already had the popularity. Characters that are very popular have the ability to become huge, like for example Batman,Wolverine. Spike never got such backing from the creators.

Vergil | June 05, 18:40 CET

Vergil, I don't think that's really the fault of Joss -- money plays its part in these things. But yeah.

You could blame Eliza for not doing the Faith spin-off, as the idea was to have Spike on that, but you also can't blame her for wanting to do something new.

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | June 05, 18:57 CET

He very nearly got his own DVD movie. Tim Minear was on board to write and direct. If 20th Century Fox hadn't been so penny pinching then it'd had happened. So I think Spike did get backing from the creators.

Simon | June 05, 19:09 CET

I dig the Buffyverse love, but the list is invalidated by having the Moonlight vampire at all. Especially as #4. Cocaine must be a helluva drug.

patxshand | June 05, 19:25 CET

Spike. always and forever.

It did say that Moonlight had a big block vote. I guess he'll be beating Spike again on Hawaii 5-0, what with being the protagonist and all.

redeem147 | June 05, 19:48 CET

Manenoughtoadmitit, you are right money is a huge part of it. But i still don't think that Joss ever gave Spike a true chance to take the spotlight.
Your example of the Faith spin-off shows this too. Why make a new show with Faith as the lead? Spike was just going to be the sidekick as usual, which he already got to be on Buffy and after that Angel. Faith the character was not even close to being as popular as Spike was and i don't think that Eliza was that big of an actress. Yet the Faith spinoff was what was going to happen if Eliza hadn't declined.

Simon, that movie-deal was not just about Spike, the Spike movie was just going to be the first. Possibly followed by a Faith,Giles,Willow,ect movie. I don't think we know nearly enough about this from Fox's point of view. We were told that the deal fell through because of money. But it might just as easily be because the offer was made for a 4-pack movie deal, Spike and the rest included. And Fox simply said no thanks. Who knows how it went.

Vergil | June 05, 20:10 CET

Faith the character was not even close to being as popular as Spike was

I'm going to disagree with that. Faith was, and still is, quite popular.

menomegirl | June 05, 20:36 CET

And it's pretty difficult to say how popular various characters are/were in relation to each other anyway, particularly when you're a big fan of one (because you tend to hang out in forums with like minded fans so it becomes self-reinforcing).

Saje | June 05, 21:51 CET

Although it's true that I mostly frequent Spike centric forums, no mainstream polls I have seen has ever put Faith near the top for what it's worth. Buffy, Spike, Angel, Willow, Xander, Giles, these characters usually score above Faith in popularity if I am remembering correctly.

Saying that though, the only popularity contest that really is relevant is the one where you poll only Joss. I guess Faith is number one.

Xane | June 05, 22:09 CET

I'd agree that Faith wasn't nearly as popular as Spike. She was popular, sure, but when people think of Buffy, they think core four and Spike and Angel. I'd go on to say that Buffy, Willow, Spike, and Angel are the most popular, iconic, and recognized characters from the show.

patxshand | June 05, 23:10 CET

I'm not talking about polls or about who I'm a fan of myself. I'm talking about a fannish opinion formed over years of reading articles & journal posts and fics and looking at thousands of icons. Spike is without a doubt the most popular but Faith would be a close second. IMO, of course.

menomegirl | June 06, 01:36 CET

I think it comes down to the story as opposed to a character's/actor's 'popularity'. Faith still had leaps and bounds on her road to redemption and there would naturally have been a substantial amount of material to work with in terms of her character arc. Spike, on the other hand, had pretty much ended his run on both shows - although NFA is questionable - and his story had evolved far more than Faith's had had the chance to. The delights of Spike's character - the snarkiness and insight - often worked best when thrown in the relief of other characters. As a 'secondary' character, he was able to shine more brightly as a foil, which is why I personally enjoyed his character. It's also a testament to Marsters' ability to elevate his peers' performances by simply acting as a foil and that wouldn't have translated as well if he hadn't been in that capacity, IMO.

cardea | June 06, 03:25 CET

This poll sure beats EW;s. All Twilight promoting and sparkly, with some Ann Rice bowing. No Spike no Near Dark's Lance Hendrickson and Bill Paxton, No Catherine Deneuve or David Bowie and no Spike at all. I think they may have mentioned Angel and Lost Boys. Overall, though, not cool.

cmbackshane | June 06, 04:02 CET

In fairness though, with fifty vampires in the list it's fairly easy to be all inclusive (hence the numerous Draculas).

Faith still had leaps and bounds on her road to redemption and there would naturally have been a substantial amount of material to work with in terms of her character arc.

Yeah, this is how I felt and still do. People laud Spike's arc (rightly so - it's either him or Wesley for best arc of the Whedonverse so far IMO and one of the best i've ever seen full stop) but the reason is surely, his arc reached completion (arguably twice). We know a lot about Spike, we know the major beats of his back-story, we see him come to terms with who he is etc. Faith is more interesting because we don't really know that much about her, in her own way she's still "baking" too, there're more stories still to be told there.

And I also agree that Spike works better with other characters to bounce off and respond to (e.g. being straightforwardly unapologetic when everyone else is consumed with white liberal guilt in 'Pangs' or being unthinkingly loyal when everyone else is being rational/nasty at the end of season 7 or bouncing off Angel in Ats S5).

Saje | June 06, 06:49 CET

All I know is, regardless of character arc I want to see more Spike, I always have, and I always will. I would be immensely happy if we had a Spike spin off. I really don't care much about Faith. I'd probably check it out, watch if liked it, but wouldn't be overly excited about the prospect.

Xane | June 06, 07:54 CET

Of course, you just want to see more Spike - whether there're interesting stories there to tell or not - because you're a huge fan (i.e. to you the worst story becomes interesting simply for featuring Spike). Personally I like the character a great deal but i'm not going to watch him just to see him, regardless of the overall quality (nor would I with Faith, Buffy, Willow, Wash or any of the others), if there's no way to tell good stories using them then i'd rather they were left be (character is more important than plot to me but good stories are a combination of both).

Saje | June 06, 08:41 CET

Does it irritate anyone else that the blurbs give away what other in-universe characters are on the list and at what position? I only had to read the entry on Darla to know where Angel, Spike, and Dru fell.

sbz | June 06, 08:43 CET

I disagree, when comparing Spike and Faith's stories to eachother, Spike to me still is the one with the most potential. Even with how much we saw of his story on both shows(which was almost always in service of someone else). The big difference between them is that Spike is a vampire, almost an immortal. Faith is only human and the vibe i'm getting from her story in season8 is that she's pretty much done. And Spike still had a lot of story to be told, the very reason why Joss said Spike was chosen, if there was no story to tell then he wouldn't have tried to make the Spike movie/series.
Every character plays better when being played off others, that ability has nothing to do with being the lead or not. Just as i don't think that Spike being the lead would make this ability dissapear.

Vergil | June 06, 08:48 CET

Yeah, fair point, playing off others works for every character. I guess since the mooted idea of a series featuring Spike was basically a two-hander with Faith it doesn't really matter to me whether he's the lead or not (since the two leads would presumably feature fairly equally). And if the Spike movie had got made then he'd obviously have been the lead in that anyway. I don't feel he's been slighted or not given his due as you seem to, he's featured in 6 seasons of Whedon shows, had a great arc, two great endings and many him-centric episodes (probably more than Xander for instance) so he's had a pretty good run.

And for a TV series of course, Faith being "only human" is actually a plus (since she can age with Eliza Dushku). They could probably workaround James Marsters (finally) starting to look closer to his real age but it's an added complication.

But as you say Vergil, we just disagree about story possibilities. Are there none with Spike ? Not saying that, i'm sure they could come up with some (even if it was a monster of the week type of thing) but to me there're more natural, organic stories to be told with other characters (Faith being near the top of the list since we know comparatively little about her, Giles being another since his Ripper aspect opens up possibilities). Mileage varies, as always.

[ edited by Saje on 2010-06-06 09:11 ]

Saje | June 06, 09:11 CET

I would never have watched the last 4 seasons of Buffy if not for Spike. For me that character is my favorite of all time and James played him to the hilt. He IS Spike. I got 2 of the mags last year and am hoping to get James to sign one in Nov when he is going to be in Austin, TX. Right now of the current vampire shows and movies, my favorite has to be Damon from Vampire Diaries, I just love the bad boys, Spike, Damon and Angelus.

rehabber | June 06, 13:50 CET

I don't really subscribe to the idea that some characters have more story possibilities than others. I think a creative writer can tell fascinating stories about any character. The story comes from the brain of the writers, not the character.
The character may determine how much the individual fan has invested in and enjoys the story.
I often hear people say that this or that character's story is over. I don't buy that for a minute. Characters are people, and our stories don't end until we are dead.

Xane | June 06, 16:00 CET

#34 - Eli is such a wonderful vampire; much too complex for my inadequate words. From the blurb: "...she’s actually one of the most ruthless vampires in this list." Truer words were never spoken. If you've never watched Let the Right One In, please watch it; it's a great, great movie.

#21 - Being Human season 2 is finally airing here in the States starting July 25 on BBCA; I am so frickin' excited! Mitchell is my favorite vampire whose show is still releasing new episodes.

#15 - I was kind of surprised that Herrick place higher on the list than Mitchell, but then again, I am not that surprised because Herrick is what a vampire is "supposed" to be: bloodthirsty, powerful, ruthless, sexual...

#14 - I've never read a Twilight book or seen any of the movies, so I honestly can't give a true personal opinion of Edward Cullen. But 1) I love the fact that Pattinson uses the method to play him and 2) Any vampire who makes as much money for the industry as Edward does is going to be on the list. Show. Business.

#10 - Yay! Drusilla!

#7 - Gary Oldman's Dracula; it is so good to see him on someone's vampire list because he is always left off. And lo-frickin-l at the blurb's description of Hopkins' van Helsing!

#5 - David and the Lost Boys; I am happy to admit that I am a part of the cult fanbase that the blurb refers to. And call me crazy, but Alex Winter is pretty hot as a Teen!Vamp as well...

#3 - Angel/Angelus; on my personal list, I place Angel lower than the seven vamps I've commented on so far and two I have yet to mention. Of course, my dislike of Angel isn't completely based on the character itself and has a lot to do with the fact that I never gave the character a chance to grow on me out of loyalty to Pike; it was very upsetting to me when BtVS made like Buffy + Pike basically never existed (talking show, not comics). Being honest, I cannot begrudge Angel his #3 spot on SFX's list because I know that his is a great story, but he is number ten for me.

#1 - Spike; Agreed.

Missing - Queen Akasha as played by the late Aaliyah. There are two reasons why Queen Akasha is one of my favorite vampires. One, I love her backstory. The mythology that Anne Rice created for Akasha is just one of the most imaginative I've ever heard. And two, although I hate to go there, vampiric woman of color! Of course I'm gonna love it!

tjbw | June 06, 17:09 CET

Spike crawled into my heart when he uttered, Hello, cutie to Buffy. The way James did it was just right. It seems now looking back, their future was foretold in that one short line, even though the reality at that point was he probably just wanted to drain her.

Tonya J | June 06, 17:15 CET

Re: Queen Akasha I love her backstory. The mythology that Anne Rice created for Akasha is just one of the most imaginative I've ever heard.

I totally agree with you.

menomegirl | June 07, 01:55 CET

Although my boy Spike is no 1 and Angel no 3, which is cool, not putting Barnabas Collins in the top 10 is a definite no-no.

zee | June 07, 04:17 CET