Vampire

Vampire (also known as Van-Tal in the dimension Pylea) is a demon species which can only exist in the physical plane bye possessing and animating a human corpse, making them hybrids. They are easily recognizable because they feed on the blood of mammals, specially humans.

Origins
According to Rupert Giles (in The Harvest), before leaving our world the last of the Old Ones mixed their blood with that of a human, creating the first vampire.

However, Illyria is familiar with vampires, indicating that they already existed before the Old Ones were driven away from this world. She referred to them as half-breeds.

Turok-Han vampire
The final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduces a species called Turok-Han, described by Rupert Giles thus:

As Neanderthals are to human beings, the Turok-Han are to vampires. They're a primordial, ferociously powerful killing machine, as single-minded as animals. They are the vampires that vampires fear. An ancient and entirely different race, and until this morning, I thought they were a myth.}}

The Turok-Han share some traits with the common vampire: when killed by decapitation or the sun, they go to dust as common vampires do. However, their armored chest cavity is nearly impervious to stakes. Their blood is of a dark black colour rather than the vampire's distinctive red colour.

Vampire psychology

 * "You listen to me! Jesse is dead! You have to remember that when you see him, you're not looking at your friend; you're looking at the thing that killed him." &mdash;Giles to Xander in "The Harvest"

Unlike many other species of demon, the demon component of a vampire appears to have no more intelligence than that of solitary hunting animals such as tigers; whenever we see a "purer" vampire, it is incapable of language. Other than the Turok-Han the principal evidence on this question comes from Angel's visit to the demon world Pylea; when he took on "vampire face" (see below) in that world, he unexpectedly became a mindless demon.

For this reason, an ordinary vampire shares many qualities with its human predecessor, including his or her memories; though it lacks a human soul and thus a conscience. As Darla puts it ("The Prodigal"), "What we were informs what we become". A vampire's personality can be the corrupt, opposite version of its human predecessor, or an expression of the human's hidden potential, as well as his/her fantasies and desires, held unchecked by the human soul.

Examples

 * Jesse McNally was attracted to Cordelia Chase, who snubbed him for his awkwardness. As a vampire, Jesse approached Cordelia in a predatory manner, filled with confidence and charisma, and for once she consented to dance with him.


 * Harmony Kendall was a vain, vapid, and snobbish member of the Cordettes before being sired. As a vampire, she was still vapid and snobbish, and remarked that it was harder for her to do the right thing without a soul, although she remained mostly unchanged.


 * Drusilla was a pious and chaste Catholic girl, gifted/cursed with psychic abilities and disturbed because she did not know what was causing her visions. As a vampire, Drusilla is highly sexual and kinky, and revels in her psychic powers.


 * Darla despised religion as a human and as a vampire. Angel mentions that Darla had a fascination with religious wars. Christian religion rejected Darla's lifestyle as a human, so it seems the vampire Darla enjoys religious war as an example of religion causing destruction and bloodshed instead of salvation.


 * Angelus: Liam lived haunted by his father's disapproval and expectations that he would never be more than a lazy, womanizing drunk. As a vampire, Angelus is driven by the memory of his father's contempt to show that he can be something great: the most flamboyantly sadistic vampire ever recorded.


 * Spike: William the Bloody was an outcast, rejected and ridiculed by his contemporaries whom he regarded as ignorant and insensitive despite their wealth. As a vampire, Spike lashes out at society, rejecting bureaucracy, aristocracy and authority and finding pleasure in mayhem and chaos, while still remaining a romantic at heart. In addition, William was a shy young man with a peaceful nature and a love for poetry; in contrast, he later was considered one of the most violent vampires to exist (though not nearly so much as Angelus). However, while he lacked much of Angelus's utter cruelty, Spike loved simple combat more. Angelus enjoyed combat, but loved tormenting his enemies more than killing them. Spike simply loved battle for its own sake. Both as a human and as a vampire, Spike demonstrates a potential for all-consuming, obsessive love, first for his mother, then for Drusilla, and finally for Buffy. He will often pursue his love object to the point of near-self destruction.


 * Anne: William's devoted mother feared he was too attached to her but could not bring herself to the cruelty of saying so. As a vampire she has no such compunctions, and taunts William with the insinuation of Oedipal deviancy. ("Lies My Parents Told Me")


 * Sam Lawson: Sam Lawson's need to serve a higher purpose, to be guided by a cause giving sense to his actions, haunted him into his unlife. He found himself completely incapable of obtaining pleasure from killing or torturing. While Lawson believes this was caused by being sired by a vampire with a soul, Angel believes Lawson merely lacked a mission, a cause to live for.

The demon within
The demon that possesses and animates the vampire's body is not the main factor that outlines the vampire's personality. The demon, which Pyleans call "Van-Tal" (Drinker of Blood), is little more than a bestial, hematophagous creature that only adds the bloodlust and killer instinct to the vampire.

The Van-Tal has green skin and rows of spines on its forehead and skin. It also has clawed hands and red eyes. It cannot speak nor walk erect.

In a line cut from the script of Through the Looking Glass, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce states that such a demon could have been the one that created the first vampire.

Vampire's siring and rebirth
As mentioned above, the blood exchange is required to create a new vampire. Victims of vampire attacks do not turn into new vampires unless they consume the sire's blood when near death. If the vampire drains all of the victim's blood, they will simply die. Vampires obtain pleasure from the act of siring, and sometimes they might sire new vampires by instinct, which would explain why many vampires are abandoned.

Vampires' Rebirth
Following the blood exchange, the victim dies of blood loss and will reawaken as new vampires after an undetermined time (there are examples of vampires rising again after a day or after hours). No special preparations, such as burial, are required for the vampire's rebirth. Vampires mostly rise from graves because they spent a time between death and rebirth as corpses and were buried.

In any event, new vampires often awake with a sensation of disorientation, in which most vampires are highly violent and feral, before recovering and realizing their new status. This clarity usually "kicks in" after the vampire rises from the grave or at least after the first feeding. In any event, when the vampire overcomes the confusion, they experience a sensation of clarity that is new and unique, and which they will express in different ways:


 * Jesse: "I feel good, Xander! I feel strong! I'm connected, man, to everything! I can hear the worms in the earth!" (The Harvest)


 * Andrew Vorba: "He is risen in me! He fills my head with song! You're the chaff, unblessed. I'll suck the blood from your hearts, he says I may!" (Never Kill a Boy on the First Date) (Caveat: Vorba spoke much the same way when alive.)


 * Alonna Gunn (to Charles Gunn): "Don't be sad. I'm not. On this side there is no guilt, no grief. I got the greatest guilt cure ever. I can free you!" (War Zone)


 * Darla: "It all makes sense now, doesn't it?" &mdash; Angelus: "Perfect sense." (The Prodigal)


 * Spike: "Becoming a vampire is a profound and powerful experience. I could feel this new strength coursing through me. Getting killed made me feel alive for the very first time. I was through living by society's rules. Decided to make a few of my own." (Fool for Love)


 * Holden Webster: "No, it feels okay. Strong, and I feel like I'm connected to a powerful all-consuming evil that's gonna suck the world into fiery oblivion." (Conversations with Dead People)

All the examples show that the new vampire is commonly astonished by the new sensation of power and the connection to an "all-consuming evil".

The Sire's Psychic Link
In the Angel episode Somnambulist, Angel dreams of his progeny Penn's actions, later telling his friends, "I used to have a connection with those I sired. It just means he's close. That's all". Angel had already demonstrated this to track down Drusilla when she first appeared on Sunnydale.

Vampire Society
Like humans, vampires are social beings, often living in groups organized like packs or prides. These groups are commonly organized with the purpose of protection and feeding.

The leading vampire is known as "Master", usually the sire of the group, or the eldest and most powerful. However, there are some cases in which the leading position is occupied by a dominant couple, like Spike and Drusilla or James and Elisabeth.

The followers are commonly known as "minions" or "lackeys", though sometimes they can also be referred as "acolytes". These are commonly the progeny of the master vampire, or vampires that fall under the authority of the master due to their own weakness or youth. While minions are expected to follow the commands of their master and are punished when failing, there are examples of vampires rebelling against their masters, or even choosing to serve a new one.

Vampire clans, packs and cults

 * Order of Aurelius (Buffy Season 1 & first part of 2)
 * Darla, Angelus, James and Lisbeth (Heartthrob)
 * Darla and the Roman vampires who rescue Angelus from the Inquisitore (Offspring)
 * The Scourge of Europe: Darla, Angelus, Drusilla and Spike.
 * Spike and Dru and their minions: Dalton, Julia, Lucius, etc. (BtVS Season 2).
 * Angelus and his "boys" - and girls as well. (1998)
 * Kakistos and the vampires that lived and died for him, including Mister Trick and a female vampire, though these two refused to die for him (Faith, Hope & Trick)
 * Zachary Kralik and Blair ("Helpless")
 * The Master and the Order of Aurelius, which included Vampire Willow and Vampire Xander, his most powerful acolytes (The Wish)
 * Vampire Willow and Alphonse and the other ex-minions of Mayor Wilkins (Doppelgängland)
 * Sunday and her lackeys in Psi-Theta frat house: Dav, Rookie, Tom, Jerry and Eddie (The Freshman)
 * The Punk vampire pack (Bachelor Party)
 * Knox the skinhead vampire and his pack (War Zone)
 * Count Dracula and the Three Sisters
 * Harmony and her minions: Brad Konig, Mort, Cyrus and Peaches (Real Me)
 * Whip and the Vampire Bite Den. (Into the Woods)
 * Doug Sanders and the vampire pyramid scheme (Disharmony)
 * Carl and the rebel vampire posse: Justin, Zach, Christy, Marla, Glenn and other vamps. (All the Way)
 * James and Elisabeth and their vampire pack (Heartthrob)
 * The Vampire Cult of Ul'thar (Quickening, Dad)
 * Angelus and his fans: Karl & Paco

Vampire minions of non-vampires
There are cases, though, in which vampires wind up in the service of non-vampires, such as very powerful sorcerers or demons, even though vampires are commonly rejected by other demons who regard them as the ultimate filth since they have human bodies.


 * Mayor Wilkins and his lackeys: Mister Trick, Lenny, Alphonse and other ex-minions of Spike and Angelus
 * Balthazar and El Eliminati (Bad Girls)
 * Adam and his vampire minions: Boone and his pack (Adam's "first"), Jape (Adam's right-hand henchvamp), Spike, and his many vampire followers.
 * The drug lord demon and his henchvamps ("The Prodigal")
 * Deevak and his vampire thugs (First Impressions)
 * Teeth the loan shark and his vampire thugs (Tabula Rasa)
 * Senator Helen Brucker and Ernesto and the rest of her "campaign staff".
 * Wolfram & Hart employs vampires, including an agent, Harmony, and Tamika.
 * The Scourge, an army of pure-bred demons obsessed with scouring the world of "impure" demons who had a part human ancestry, briefly counted Angel among their ranks under the pretense that he despised his own humanity (Hero). Due to the Scourge's view of impure demons, this can be seem as the exception rather than the rule.

Vampire master, non-vampire minions
There are some cases in which a powerful vampire requires the service of human minions and lackeys, and sometimes even demons:


 * Russell Winters and his hired muscle, butlers, bodyguards, lawyers and executives. ("City of")
 * Spike mentions that he once employed two Fyarl demons. While demons, both pure and half-breeds, often regard vampires as inferiors, Fyarls are usually too dim-witted to grasp the concept of racial discrimination. (A New Man)
 * Dracula and his "bug-eaters" (Buffy vs. Dracula)

Vampire Physiology
Vampires are commonly described as "dead". Death can be defined as a status in which the body lacks living physiological functions, such as having a pulse or breathing. However, vampires are able to move, feed, talk and feel despite inhabiting dead bodies. The term "undead" seems much more fitting as the vampire, while not living, isn't dead either.

When a human is sired, a demon spirit takes possession of the corpse, reanimating it and altering its physiology. The demon within the vampire causes these alterations:


 * Requires mammalian blood to maintain strength. Usually, this is human blood, but rats, pigs and otters have been consumed on the show. The blood of supernatural, human-appearing mammalian beings, such as the Children of the Senior Partners feeds a vampire as well and often has added benefits (see below). Vampires have not been shown to feed off of other demons.
 * Facial alterations (brow ridges, golden eyes, elongated upper canines, and pointed upper incisors) when feeding or under stressful situations such as fighting, in which a vampire might assume its real face in preparation for feeding or to intimidate the opponent.
 * While their hearts don't beat, vampires have some kind of blood flow which allows the blood in their bodies to be transported. This also means that vampires can be rendered unconscious if blood flow to the brain is interrupted (Spike did this to Drusilla in Becoming, Part Two) and that vampires can become intoxicated (Spike becomes drunk multiple times). Male vampires are capable of having sex, so they do have some blood flow enabling an erection.
 * They generate no body heat while at rest, though muscle action produces transient heat. However, humans seem rarely to perceive vampires' skin as cold (one who does is Billy Fordham on meeting Angel; "Lie to Me"). However, vampires are shown on a few occasions with visible breath when in the cold, such as in the scene where Liam (not yet called Angelus) first emerges from the grave and is talking with his sire, Darla, in "The Prodigal," which seems to indicate some sort of body heat, even immediately after reanimation.
 * Their bodies perform motor functions like human bodies, often better than humans.
 * Their lungs do not absorb oxygen or any other gases; vampires thus cannot be drowned or asphyxiated, although their bodies may retain the breathing reflex (Angelus choke-holding Spike in Fool for Love). A vampire can certainly breathe enough to speak and smoke, however, Angel says that he cannot give artificial respiration to a drowned human ("I have no breath"; Prophecy Girl).
 * Vampires heal rapidly, albeit in a similar way to human bodies (Spike's broken back heal but after months have passed). However, they can suffer from trauma which renders them unconscious.
 * They do not generate life force, and their brains do not have the same mystical qualities of a human brain, which means Glory can't feed on vampire brains. Nor could the Root Monster of Couplet suck the life force from Angel--and defeated itself trying.
 * Their bodies cast no reflection on mirrors or water. This also causes them to be immune to mind reading powers as shown in the episode Earshot. Angel realizes Buffy is trying to read his mind and says, "You can't get into my head." Buffy taken aback by his realization asks "How did you..., Why not?" Angel responds with, "It's like the mirror, the thoughts are there but they create no reflection within you". However, they can still be photographed or video taped.

Strength
Vampires possess superhuman strength. The exact limits of this strength are debatable and often vary from individual to individual. Some vampires have been shown capable of deforming metal with their hands (The Harvest), while others have been held back by wooden doors. Chains have had varying success at restraining vampires; Angel was able to break out of them after hours of trying, while others found them unbreakable. They have also been shown to throw human bodies anywhere from 5 to 25 ft away.

This strength appears to be largely metaphysical, as it does not appear to add to their body mass, as they do not immediately sink in water. Furthermore, waif-like vampires such as Drusilla, Darla and Gunn's sister have shown great feats of strength with no apparent added muscle mass.

The blood of enhanced human and human-like beings augments their strength to a great degree. Vampires also derive pleasure from the act of feeding off such humans. Examples of vampires feeding on superhumans and gaining a charge include:


 * The Slayer's blood is the only cure for a poison called the Killer of the Dead ("Graduation Day, Part Two"). Feeding off Slayers has been shown to provide a temporary "high" as well; Spike likened it to an aphrodisiac on his first taste. Slayer (Buffy's) blood also provided enough temporary strength to enable the Master to escape his mystical prison, although the strength may have only been primarily mystical rather than physical.
 * For his initiation in the Circle of the Black Thorn, Angel is given "supercharged warrior juice": Drogyn's blood.
 * Angel's strength is greatly augmented after drinking from Marcus Hamilton, a supernatural humanoid-being infused with the power of the Senior Partners and dramatically stronger than Angel.

Age
Being "dead", vampires do not age as living humans do, but the passing of centuries does affect them.


 * Physical strength, agility, reflexes and stamina improve with age. The Master's advanced age made him able to kill his victims before they could draw breath.


 * The ability to take on human appearance is lost; a very old vampire always looks more demonic than a young vampire's "vampire face". Russell Winters, while able to assume human visage, had a much more deformed vampire features, indicating an old age, though not one as advanced as that of the oldest vampires seen: The Master, Kakistos, and The Prince of Lies. The three vampires do not resemble each other, yet they all have obtained more demonic features. Kakistos has cloven hooves instead of hands and feet, while the Prince of Lies has elongated talon-like fingers and pointed ears.


 * The Master's skeleton, uniquely, remained when his flesh turned to dust (Prophecy Girl). The Master also bears a slight resemblance to the Turok-Han.

Senses
Being primarily nocturnal, vampires have enhanced hearing, smell and night vision (though Angel is on one occasion seen wearing night vision goggles). They are especially sensitive to the scent of blood, and can distinguish individual humans and vampires by scent. Spike in particular has an acute sense of smell, one which, in the later seasons, he uses to help the Scoobies find enemy hideouts, demons, etc. On one occasion Angel tells by scent that Wesley had sex with a bleached blonde the night before.

Several vampires (Dalton, Penn, Marcus) are seen wearing eyeglasses, however, William wore eyeglasses while Spike does not seem to need them (he shows no signs of either myopia or farsightedness; he can do things like read books and aim guns with no problem).

Breathing
Vampires do not require oxygen to survive, allowing them to survive in poisonous atmospheres, underwater and resist strangling. Angel was unaffected by gas (Out of Mind, Out of Sight) and was even able to survive in the poisonous atmosphere of the home dimension of Jasmine's zealots (Sacrifice and Peace Out). He was also able to survive underwater for 3 months.

However, vampires do maintain some sort of breathing reflex, which allows them to smoke, and gag reflex, which can affect them when choked, though they can learn to ignore it, such as Darla when Angel strangled her (Offspring). While unable to perform CPR, vampires are capable of smoking.

Eating and drinking
A vampire's normal diet consists solely of blood, and Angel says other food has little flavor. However, Spike enjoys beer, whisky, Weetabix (which he mixes into blood for texture), ate a box of chocolates from a present meant for Buffy, Buffalo wings and onion blossoms; and Angel occasionally drinks coffee.

Vampires do not die of starvation like humans, yet they can suffer certain effects if they do not feed for prolonged periods:
 * First, their strength dwindles considerably and they become paler and can experience cold (Spike in Pangs).
 * Second, after months of not feeding, they suffer damage to higher brain functions, which can result in extremely vivid hallucinations (Deep Down). Blood from a healthy human is required for the vampire to recuperate.
 * Third, they become "living skeletons", according to Spike (Pangs).

Drugs and poisons
Vampires can be affected by any kind of drugs and poisons just like humans, though lethal drugs and human poisons do not kill them:


 * Spike smokes tobacco, but isn't affected by the smoke. He reports that at the Woodstock Festival he "fed off a flower person and spent the next six hours watching [his] hand move," presumably an effect of LSD. He also can drink himself to unconsciousness.


 * Angelus tries to drink Gage Petronzi in Go Fish, but spits out his blood because either the steroids in it or the ongoing transformation into a fish creature give it a bad taste.


 * Kralik (Helpless) is treated with and dependent on anti-psychotic pills.


 * Vampire Willow is knocked out by a tranquilizer dart commonly used on Oz in his werewolf form.


 * The Killer of the Dead is a mystical poison mentioned in Graduation Day, Part One. It causes a severe fever and kills the vampire in a matter of days. The blood of a Slayer is the only known cure.


 * Angel is paralyzed by a neural paralytic drug that would kill a human being in I Fall to Pieces. He is also highly susceptible to the effects of caffeine.


 * Vampires captured by The Initiative are fed drugged packets of blood to be incapacitated for vivisection.


 * Calynthia powder seemingly augments Angel's synapses enough keep him in unrestful sleep, plagued by dreams, and renders him more suggestible. (Untouched)


 * Vampires get high from feeding off junkies using intravenous drugs, such as Orpheus, a mystical drug. Orpheus


 * Dana, a Slayer, incapacitates Spike with the drugs previously used to disable her. (Damage)


 * In the episode Eternity actress Rebecca Lowell slips Angel a "happy pill", which gives him a false sense of bliss and for a limited time causes him to revert into Angelus, making him an immediate threat to Wesley, Cordelia and Rebecca.

Injuries
Vampires can suffer severe injuries and require a long time to recuperate.


 * Drusilla, almost killed by an angry mob in Prague, was left extremely weak for months, until she was cured by a special ceremony requiring the blood of her sire (Angel). Angel in turn requires time to recuperate from the ordeal.  (What's My Line, Part Two)
 * Spike is forced into a wheelchair when an entire church organ collapses on him, but months later he's back to his feet. (What's My Line, Part Two; I Only Have Eyes for You)
 * Wishverse Angel had gruesome burning scars from Willow's torture. (The Wish)
 * Vampires can lose appendages, and cannot regrow them. (Teacher's Pet)

Mental health
Vampires suffering from some sort of mental illness as humans will keep it as vampires. This illness will also be central for the formation of the vampire's persona:


 * Drusilla's visions and her subsequent ordeal at Angelus' hands traumatized her into some sort of schizophrenia. As a vampire, Dru remains schizophrenic, yet she's not paranoid or depressive like her human predecessor. Combined with her psychic powers, Drusilla's madness gives her a unique perspective in which she revels.
 * Andrew Vorba (Never Kill a Boy on the First Date)
 * Zachary Kralik (Helpless)

Vampire's weaknesses
Vampires die when impaled in the heart with a wooden object, beheaded, exposed to direct sunlight or consumed by fire.

When vampires die, their bodies and clothing turn to dust in a matter of seconds.

Wood
If the heart of the vampire is pierced with a wooden object, the vampire will immediately die. Instances have included a stake, an arrow, a tree branch (When She Was Bad) and a pencil (Choices; All the Way).

Materials such as metal, plastic wood grain or synthetic wood do not work. Bullets and blades can cause great pain, but will not kill the vampire, unless, of course, they result in decapitation (see below).

The vampire's flesh seems to be especially vulnerable to wood, which would explain why it is relatively easy for Cordelia, who has no fighting training or enhanced strenght, to stake a vampire minion during the Graduation Battle, how Candy Gorch gets dusted by a spatula (Homecoming), or why Jesse is accidentally dusted when pushed against the stake Xander was holding (The Harvest).

The amount of wood also seems to be another factor to consider when analysing vampires' weaknesses. A vampire as ancient as Kakistos barely even feels pain when stabbed with a common stake, but dies when impaled with a large beam of wood (Faith, Hope & Trick) while common vampires can be staked with a wooden pencil.

Fire and sunlight
When set on fire, the body of the vampire will be consumed in a relatively short time. The more powerful the vampire is, the longer it will take for their bodies to be properly destroyed, which explains why Darla and Drusilla are able to survive being set on fire (Redefinition) while an anonymous vampire is quickly consumed when Spike lights him with his Zippo lighter (Bargaining, Part One).

Should a vampire survive the fire, the healing process will regenerate the charred flesh, skin and hair. The time required also depends on the age of the vampire: Following their immolation at Angel's hands, Drusilla healed faster than Darla because she was now the older vampire.

The light emitted by the earth's sun (Sol) is extremely hazardous to vampires, should they be exposed directly to it. When exposed to direct natural sunlight, the body of the vampire combusts and will quickly be consumed by the resulting flames. However, older and more powerful vampires like Spike or Angel can resist sunlight better than younger, weaker vampires like Boone's buddies (Who Are You), who are consumed almost instantly.

Filtered and/or indirect sunlight may not cause any kind of injury to vampires. If protected from direct exposure to sunlight, vampires can be active in the middle of the day. To protect its vampire employees, the Los Angeles offices of Wolfram & Hart employ "necro-tempered" tinted glass to filter the components of light that are dangerous to vampires, while leaving brightness intact.

Also, the light of suns in other dimensions has been shown to not injure vampires in any way. The twin suns in Pylea and the sun in Wolfram & Hart's suburban prison dimension are safe for vampires.

Decapitation
It is also possible to kill a vampire through decapitation. This can be done with use of any tool such as swords, knives, scythes, an accurately thrown cymbal, an accurately aimed shotgun (which would decapitate or entirely destroy the head) or even a car door. A strong enough demon can also tear the vampire's head off bare handed, as demonstrated in Bargaining Part 1.

Crosses and Holy Water
Crosses and holy water (water blessed by a priest) burn vampires on contact, producing smoke but not flames. The sight of a cross appears to cause pain even without contact. One vampire who swallowed holy water was burned to death from within (Helpless). However, to some vampires the cross seems to be only an inconvenience - see for instance Spike use a cross to fight Angel in Destiny despite getting his hands charred.

The substance of the cross is apparently irrelevant: wood and metal crosses have the same effect. However, two rods temporarily held in the shape of a cross are insufficient.

Turok-Han vampires unaffected by crosses, though holy water does burn them like acid.

Absolute Invulnerability
Vampires can achieve invulnerability to all their weaknesses mentioned above in at least two ways:


 * wearing the Gem of Amarra (The Harsh Light of Day; In the Dark), which has since been destroyed.
 * having a procedure that removes the vampire's heart and infuses his body with mystical potions (Heartthrob). While having the same effects as the Gem of Amarra, its effects only last for six hours. After these have passed, the vampire instantly dusts.

In either case, the vampire is immune to the effects of sunlight and instantly regenerates wounds, such as those caused by staking.

Invitations
Vampires can enter a private residence, including houses and apartments, only if invited; otherwise they will hit an invisible barrier. Vampires can enter all other buildings as normal.


 * The inviter need not be aware that the invitee is a vampire:
 * Buffy invites Angel and Joyce invites both Darla and Dracula into the Summers residence (Angel; Buffy vs. Dracula)
 * Cordelia invites Harmony into her apartment (Disharmony)


 * The invitation need not be immediate or specific:
 * Cordelia invites Angel to her apartment before she has found it (Rm w/a Vu).
 * Rebecca Lowell invites Angel to watch a movie at her house without specifying a time (Eternity).
 * Wesley posing as Angel is invited by Benny into Magnus Bryce's residence; Angel himself later acts on that invitation (Guise Will Be Guise).


 * The invitation can be written instead of spoken:
 * In Heartthrob, the vampires are allowed into the dorm room because of an invitation flyer stating that 'Everyone's Invited'.


 * The inviter must be a resident, but not necessarily the owner:
 * Kathy invites the newly sired Liam, her brother, into the family house (The Prodigal).
 * Buffy and Dawn do not own the Summers residence but have invitation rights, unlike Xander or Anya.


 * Squatters and guests can also gain invitation rights:
 * Faith's occupancy of Dick the Pimp's apartment gives her invitation rights. (Five by Five)
 * Andrew obtains invitation rights by staying at Buffy and Dawn's apartment in Rome (The Girl in Question).


 * The mystical barrier fades if all residents die. Angel enters the residences of Lester Worth (Graduation Day, Part One), Tina (City of), Trevor Lockley (The Prodigal), the Hired Rapist (Untouched), and the Kramer Family (Dead End). Likewise, Darla enters Liam's former house after he murders his family.


 * No invitation is required for temporary accommodations such as motel rooms (Consequences), hotel rooms (Are You Now or Have You Ever Been) and frat houses (Reptile Boy) or if the vampire owns the building (Russell Winters in City of).


 * Invitation has been shown to be necessary for dorm rooms: When Spike knocks on Willow's dorm room door (The I in Team), she shouts back, "Come in!" which grants him entrance.
 * On the other hand, since Angel is not the legal owner of the Hyperion Hotel and it no longer functions as temporary accommodations, Fred must invite Angel to her room, as she has taken residence of her room (Heartthrob).


 * Once invited, the vampire is always free to enter, unless the invitation is magically revoked. This is performed by Willow and/or Tara with respect to Angel (Passion), Dracula (Buffy vs. Dracula), Harmony (Real Me) and Spike (Crush).


 * The residences of vampires (who can also be counted as being dead) and other demons are not protected:
 * Darla enters Angel's apartment (Angel)
 * Angel breaks into Russell Winters' mansion (City of).
 * Angel doesn't require Wesley's invitation to Penn's lair (Somnambulist). Even if he did, Wesley's invitation wouldn't work as he's not the resident or the legal owner.
 * Spike enters Doc's place at his leisure (Forever and Weight of the World).
 * Angel, likewise, enters Merl's lair whenever he desires.
 * Angel enters Billy Blim's mansion (Billy).
 * Angel also enters Connor's place uninvited (Slouching Towards Bethlehem); Connor is confirmed as human-demon hybrid, like Billy, in Release, as he's knocked by the anti-demon violence force field in Hyperion Hotel.


 * Troublesome cases:
 * The hand of one of The Three passes the jamb of Buffy's door ("Angel").
 * A pseudo-vampire (a human wearing a cursed vampire costume) enters Buffy's kitchen uninvited. (Halloween)
 * Angel asks Buffy if he can come into her dorm room, to which she replies, "I guess." He then states that he needs a more definite invite (The Yoko Factor).  Yet Joyce's asking Darla "Would you like to come in and wait for her?" was sufficient (Angel).
 * Angel breaks into Allen Lloyd's shrine. It is never revealed whether the shrine was at Lloyd's residence or at some public place, like Lloyd's offices. (Sense & Sensitivity)
 * Angel rushed into Kate Lockley's apartment to save her from a drug overdose. This unique case is actually mentioned in the episode; Kate said, "I think maybe we're not alone in this [...] I never invited you in" indicating that there may have been intervention from the Powers that Be. (Epiphany)

Reflections
Vampires can't be seen on reflective surfaces like mirrors, glass or water. The source for the lack of reflection is unknown; even though tradition states it was due to a vampire's lack of a soul (as mirrors were believed to reflect a person's soul) Angel doesn't cast a reflection either. However, vampires can be seen in photographs, daguerreotypes and video tapes.

The lack of reflection also works on telepathy: a vampire's thoughts and memories can't be read. However, a vampire's mind is still susceptible to other sorts of mystical links, which allowed Buffy to be put into Angel's dreams and Darla to experience the Three Trials through Angel's eyes. Also Drusilla seems to be capable of mind-reading to a certain extent, however it is not certain if she actually reads the mind or the aura. However, empaths are capable of reading vampires, as their powers are not telepathic in nature.

Psychic Powers
Some vampires have been displayed possessing certain psychic abilities.

Vampires with psychic abilities:
 * The Master can perform hypnosis, which he channels by merely waving his hand. He was also capable of sensing sources of mystical power and projecting his thoughts to plague dreams.
 * Drusilla's psychic powers (clairvoyance, hypnosis, mind reading, aura reading) came to her as a human, and she retains them as a vampire.
 * Marcus the vampire torturer senses Angel's soul and that he has known love (In the Dark). As a vampire is immune to mind-reading, it indicates that he's an empath.
 * Darla, like Marcus, sensed Angelus's soul when he was first cursed. Wesley confirms some vampires are capable of sensing Angel's soul (Disharmony).
 * Angel's psychic link to his progeny allows him to perceive their actions through dreams and track them down as well, though he can only do it consciously. He is incapable of sensing their presence by intuition. Angel tracked Drusilla shortly after he was aware of her arrival in Sunnydale (Lie To Me) and Penn after he confirmed his presence in Los Angeles. Angel did not similarly perceive Sam Lawson's presence in Los Angeles.
 * Dracula is able to hypnotize humans, placing them under his "thrall." Spike, however, dismisses Dracula's special abilities as "showy Gypsy stuff," rather than natural abilities.  (Buffy vs. Dracula)

Other powers

 * Dracula is able to take the form of a wolf, a bat and a green mist. He is able to reassemble himself after being staked and turned to dust. Spike claims these powers stem from gypsy magic. ("Buffy vs. Dracula"). Spike vs. Dracula reveals Dracula was the benefactor of the Kalderash tribe that cursed Angelus.


 * In the episode Deep Down, the vampire Marissa; who Connor chases; is seen scaling up the side of a building like a spider, moving very quickly, once she makes contact with the building.


 * Penn, the vampire that Angel sired when he was still Angelus; is shown to possess supernatural speed, as he is seen taking out a room filled with armed police officers; moving quicker than what has been seen with most vampires in both Angel and Buffy ("Somnambulist"). The episode's writer, Tim Minear, has stated, "...to my mind we didn't really invent new powers for our vamps. Penn did leap into a second story window, but he had been feeding and was fueled with adrenaline. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. As far as anything that may have seemed new... I made a point to have Penn "speed up" or go all Matrix-y when we were in a scene that was Kate's POV".

Influences
Whedon's vampires owe more to the cosmos of H. P. Lovecraft than they do to the European and Christian traditions that inform most such creatures, being remnants of an ancient race of demons, or semi-demons, that ruled the Earth before the advent of humans; were displaced by humans; and are now seeking to wrest the world away from humans. The shows' writers added their own ideas, often based on popular culture, to the vampire myths that they, with Whedon, collectively developed throughout the duration of the series. These popular culture sources included a few of the traditional myths; comic book villains; The Exorcist; and makeup artists' ideas of how to depict demons, some of which ideas were inspired by reptiles (specifically, alligators) (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Monster Book).