Vampires are a supernatural species. The origins of the Gates vampires are currently unknown.

Vampire

First Appearance

Biology

Vampires can be considered both dead and immortal simultaneously, however to become a Vampire the human does not have to die in the transformation (See Propagation of the Species section). We also do not know if they are to be considered 'soulless demons' and/or vampirism is ultimately biological in nature. Both Claire Radcliff and Gloria Bennett have shown emotions such as crying due to feelings of regret, loss and compassion. Another sign of the capability of emotions is of Claire and Dylan Radcliff caring for their adopted human daughter Emily Radcliff. This indicates they are capable of full human emotions and that they are not soulless.

Appearance

On the outside they seem like any normal human beings. Their "game face" (a term borrowed from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) however when their vampiric nature is fully aroused is rather benign compared to other representations of the mythos. Their eyes turn black when they're angry, and they also possess fangs that are normally hidden (when not feeding or angry) and they are comparatively small.

Nourishment

Like most myths about Vampires, vampires need blood to drink, however it does not have to be taken directly from a human to be drunk. They can feed off supplies from blood banks or other sources as Claire and Dylan Radcliff do with their using stocks of blood from Dylan's biotech firm. It is Dylan that has sworn off fresh human blood from a living person until the last minutes of the episode The Monster Within when he saved the life of Gates Police Chief Nick Monohan by attacking Teresa Goodwin, aka Amanda Walcott with his teeth, tearing out part of her throat. His wife Claire seems to have less success in avoiding killing for fresh human blood, having killed Mark Woodbury despite having a refrigerator full of chilled human blood from a blood bank. (Pilot) Other vampires live within the gates including Gloria Bennett, but there is a strict prohibition of vampires hunting and killing mortals within the Gates, on pain of death. It is possible for sustenance that Dylan Radcliff imports the blood supplies form his biotech firm and distribute them to his fellow vampires, but this has not yet been established. They could probably also subsist on animal blood if neccessary.

However, they appear to be able not only to physically process normal food and alcohol in their bodies they seem to take pleasure in eating normal food and drink. They can discern and appreciate the different flavors of food as any human can. Claire being able to cook foods that unsuspecting human guest find very delicious is evidence of this since taste testing is a must in the culinary arts where the discerning of the correct and pleasurable interaction of ingredients to taste is a prerequisite as it does in appreciating win. The Radcliffs have a small selection of wines in their home and are often seen drinking alcohol. Further evidence is that Christian Harper took Claire to the "Red Door" Night Club for dinner the night he met her. (Breach)

Sexual Relations with Mortals

It is still unknown if the Gates version of the vampire mythos a vampire can have normal sexual relations with a mortal. However there have been two examples in the show (Frank & Vanessa Buckley and Gloria Bennett & Barbara Jansen) where vampires were sexually active with a mortal.

Propagation of the species

According to the Gloria Bennett, to create another vampire a mortal is brought to the point of death by draining his or her blood. The vampire than feeds the near dead mortal his/her blood into the mortal's mouth and down the throat, but this has to be done within a certain amount of time and not after death of the mortal, otherwise it will not work. In this manner, a mortal doesn't really die when s/he is transfigured into a vampire. (Jurisdiction)

With The Gates vampires it is still unknown if there is any waiting period as the body adjusted to its new state or if the transformation is near instananeous.

Sire & Their Sired

Between a vampire sire and their sired there is a bond. The bond between them might be caused by just creating them. It is currently unknown if the bond stays because they would repeatively bitten/fed off each other or just because they are both "alive".

As shown by Christian it is possibly to break the bond of a sire and their "childe" by feeding off the "childe" (its unknown if the same happens if you feed on the sire). The sire is able to feel the breaking of the bond. (Dog Eat Dog)

According to Dylan, it is possible for a pair of vampires to recreate their bond it is broken, but he never explains how (Identity Crisis). Presumeably, both vampires would again feed on one another, but this is only conjecture.

Abilities

Super Speed

However, they possess extra abilities like superspeed. Its a recurring theme that they appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. Such an example is when Christian Harper left Claire Radcliff's presence in the grocery parking lot after he gave her his business card. (Breach). Also when Dylan Radcliff left Chief Monohan in an instant after trying to physically intimidate him (Repercussions). In the Pilot Claire's husband Dylan grabbed her by the throat and quicker than any human could pinned his wife against a cabinet angered that she fed on a human. Claire would do the same against Christian at her home warning him never to see her again after he left. (Jurisdiction)

Flight/levitation

Vampires can defy gravity as Claire does. It is very possible that a vampire stronger then Claire like Vanessa or Dylan, can levitate or fly for long or short distances.

Heightened Senses, Healing Factor and Agility

Vampires also have heightened senses, such as when Dylan smelt the drugs on Emily's biological parents. They are also able to see perfectly in full darkness and sense the presence of someone following/stalking them, even when asleep. They also have fast healing when wounded, when Claire suffered sunburn the wound dissapeared quickly suggesting they heal quickly. Agility is also something Vampires posses, due to their super-human nature.

Mesmerism/Glamor

The Gates Vampires can put their victims into a trance or possibly glamor when feeding on them. Christian presumably used this kind of power when he and Claire fed on a woman outside the Red Door, as the woman did not resist being fed on.

Physical Strength

It is a sure assumption that they have physical strength significantly over and above mortals (it is a certainty the Werewolves do considering how easy Lukas tossed around Charlie in What Lies Beneath and Brett destroying the Men's lavatory sink in the Pilot) but it hasn't really been demonstrated, even when Dylan attacked Chief Monohan to intimidate him in Repercussions so the strength level cannot be estimated accurately although it is also a sure assumption that Claire easily could had overpowered her first on screen victim Woodbury even though he was a very large and strong mortal man if he resisted in a meaningful way. (Pilot).

Further regarding strength, it is unknown at this time if great physical strength depends on age, that is the older the vampire is the stronger he or she is. That is can a 100 year old vampire can easily over power a newly transfigured vampire even if the old vampire is a small thin 5 foot 90 pound woman and the new vampire a 6'3" 220 pound former male football player? In the episode Jurisdiction Claire pinned Christian Harper against some cabinets to tell him in no uncertain terms never to come back to the Gates, but Christian a much bigger man looked more amused than threatened - Christian is the older vampire compared to Claire.

Also unknown is if a man and woman were turned simultaneously would they be of equal strength despite the size and sex difference or will it follow normal relative strength expectations as with humans regarding gender and size with the male vampire usually being stronger than the female even if the female is his equal in size and weight.

Weaknesses

In the Pilot, it is shown that Vampires are vulnerable to sunlight, however they manage to survive in the day by applying a cream across the whole body (at least Claire Radcliff does so). If they miss a spot, the sunlight will burn the area missed causing great pain. Other known Vampires have been seen in bright sunny days so it is assumed that they have access to this lotion.

Some other usual weakness are missing in this telling of the vampire tale like they have reflections in mirrors as Dylan explained to Monohan. He also said that holy water was Vatican propaganda and that Vampires don't sleep in coffins. (Repercussions)

Vampires seems to be repulsed by garlic and if ingested will cause great pain an paralisie. If touched will probably, cause burn. Garlic smell is insuportablle for a vampire.

We have never seen a vampire attempt to enter a house with a living mortal residing there uninvited so it is unknown if the bar against entry into a mortals home is present. In Repercussions when Dylan Radcliff visited Monohan at his home Monohan denied entry at Dylan's request to enter. However, an over hearing Sarah Monohan did say come in to him and he did, so we still don't know if he wouldn't had been able to enter if that permission wasn't given. However, Barbara enters the Radcliff's home in order to garner her assistance in saving Sarah from Devon, and mentions she does "not need permission to enter a home, unlike some people."

Also bullets cannot kill a vampire and probably will just slow them.

Cures

It's currently unknown if there is any sort of cure to being a vampire.

Human self defense

It is very likely that a normal human being cannot combat a vampire in hand to hand combat. In the Gates version Dylan easily manhandled Monohan a normal sized adult male and police officer trained in hand to hand combat.

Species

It's currently unknown if there is any other types of vampires out there in The Gates but usually only one kind is featured in any telling.

What happens to a vampire's body after death

In The Gates version, vampires can be killed with a wooden stake to the heart, decapitation or exposure to sunlight.After being staked, the vampire body will start smoking, and visible veins will appear. When a vampire meets the sunlight, its body will get horribly sunburned ,and after will burn till carbonizating starts, and the vampire die in pain.

Known Vampires

The following Vampires are vamps that main characters or secondary characters (appeared in more than one episode).

Claire Radcliff
Dylan Radcliff
Christian Harper
Vanessa Buckley
Ben McAllister
Kat Russo
For all known Vampires, please see Category:Vampires.
There is further indication that around half of the fund raising committee are Vampires, the other half being Werewolves. (Jurisdiction)