The 4 types of vampires in Stephen King’s Multiverse

The 4 types of vampires in the Multiverse by Stephen King.

Vampires are regular characters in Stephen King’s Multiverse. In fact, there are at least four races of vampires in his work, from Salem’s Lot (Salem’s Lot) to The dark tower (The Dark Tower), and each one of them with unique characteristics.

Before entering into those particularities, let’s broadly review what a vampire is within Stephen King’s mythology.

All of these creatures are, in essence, bloodsuckers. That is, these are vampires who drink blood, from the most powerful to the most mindless minions. They can turn their victims into vampires but also spread all kinds of diseases. In fact, in Stephen King’s Multiverse they are often assigned the role of having produced several pandemics throughout history.

Most of Stephen King’s vampires continue the tradition started by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. That is: the vampire needs to be invited to enter a house, room or compound. Once this happens they can come and go as they please, even if the invitation is verbally withdrawn.

Now, let’s move on to the description of the 4 types of vampires in Stephen King’s work.

TYPE ONE Vampires.

They occupy the highest category. They are considered the diminished heirs of the Prim, a species of astral vampires that preyed on the primordial universe before Gan formed the Multiverse.

Although the appearance of these vampires is anthropomorphic, they are usually extremely deformed, tall, and with fangs so disproportionate that it is impossible for them to close their mouths. Some, however, are able to disguise these unpleasant aspects and move among humans with relative ease.

TYPE ONE Vampires are, in essence, efficient killing machines. They are extremely skilled predators. They can sniff out and stalk prey from a great distance. They drink enormous quantities of blood, to the point that their stomachs have the quality of expanding incredibly. They also have prehensile tongues capable of injecting anticoagulants into the wounds they produce.

While these vampires are not immortal, they can live for millennia, and even hibernate for entire centuries. Fire, above all, drives them away, and they can be reduced to ashes quite easily. They are also vulnerable to crucifixes, garlic and sunlight.

The paradigmatic example of TYPE ONE is Kurt Barlow, the vampire who terrorizes the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, in Salem’s Lot; and also Sister Mary, that vampire nun from The little sisters of Eluria (The Little Sisters of Eluria).

TYPE TWO Vampires.

They are, in short, humans turned into vampires by a TYPE ONE. The conversion does not occur as a result of the bite, but rather from the mixing of blood. When the occasion requires it, TYPE ONE Vampires give their victims their own blood to drink to convert them.

TYPE TWO Vampires have limited intelligence, and no ability to exercise free will. Not only do they follow the orders of the vampire who turned them, but they are virtually his extensions in terms of will and action.

While TYPE TWOs can live for millennia, their own clumsiness and insatiable bloodlust make them reckless in their hunts and, consequently, easy to hunt.

TYPE THREE Vampires.

TYPE THREEs occupy the lowest category on the evolutionary scale of vampires in Stephen King’s Multiverse. They are basically humans who have been turned into vampires by a TYPE TWO.

Despite the lack of considerable powers, they possess other abilities, such as moving freely in daylight, and even surviving for a long time without drinking blood. In fact, they can perfectly eat solid food and pass for human beings without major problems.

TYPE THREE Vampires also have a higher degree of intelligence than TYPE TWO; although they do not possess the power to turn others into vampires. They can be exterminated with conventional weapons.

TYPE FOUR Vampires.

TYPE FOURs are not exactly vampires, at least not as folklore conceives them, but rather psychic vampires, also called energy vampires or emotional vampires.

In general, TYPE FOUR Vampires fulfill the function of familiar spirits, that is, semi-human servants of TYPE ONE.

They possess intelligence but are incapable of experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions. They do not drink blood, nor do they seem interested in it, and they have great independence. However, they are faithful and willing devotees of the TYPE ONE Vampire who seduced them, like Richard Straker, Kurt Barlow’s servant in Salem’s Lot.

More about vampires. I Literature Workshop.

More gothic literature:

Article: The 4 types of vampires in Stephen King’s multiverse was made by . For reproduction, write to us at