Q&A for How to Kill a Vampire in a Fictional Work

It is because of the historical, mythological background of vampires. In some instances, they are believed to be followers or even descendants of the devil. It is the same thing with holy water. "Unholy beings" and holy items don't mix well, to summarize.

It depends. Are you writing a play with a vampire in it, acting as a vampire on stage or role playing? If so, then yes, the article details what to do. On the other hand, if you think that vampires are real, we can't help you.

There's an ancient Egyptian goddess with a cat face who drank blood. Her name is Sekhmet, goddess of war and possibly the very first vampire.

You'll have to improvise. Start by going to your nearest hardware store and collecting any supplies and tools you think you'd need to protect yourself. Then, find somewhere safe to hide.

Potentially thousands of years if they aren't killed by any of the suggested methods. But it isn't really living now, is it?

No, they can revive and live long after these types of injuries. They're immortal creatures. However, they can be destroyed by the methods mentioned above.

Vampires are undead humans. Technically they already are human.

Not completely, unless they were blown to pieces in the process. However, doing so would be overkill.

Well, then you need to decide whether to still kill them or become a vampire yourself to be with them forever.

No, only a stake to the heart can kill a vampire. Garlic only weakens them, making them easier to kill.

Since they are fictional characters, you should look in a novel.

Yes, it is possible, but not really one of the best methods.

Then you would be dead, unless they decide to make you a vampire too. You would probably stop being afraid of vampires if you became one.

It's your novel, play or role play characterization. As such, you are free to determine what happens if none of the suggestions offered here work and what else you might come up with to thwart your fictional vampire.

Then where you had just one problem, now you have two. There are many outcomes to this confrontation. If it becomes a three-way fight, you might really be outclassed; if they fight each other, they'd have to both kill the other for you to be free of it - if one wins and comes after you, you still have the same problem that you started with. The worst would be if they decided to team up against you first. It sounds to me like you could use some help from someone fighting on your side.

Vampires are evil creatures and the crucifix is the symbol of Jesus/God. God is stronger than any evil presence, therefore a crucifix can vanquish a vampire.

Put some poison in the blood before giving it to the vampire?

It depends on what lore you're going by, but I've seen this done before. In the series "Infernal Devices," a man ingests something similar to vervain and tricks a vampire into biting him. He didn't die, but it burned him like crazy.

No, fire alone wouldn't kill a vampire, but it might incapacitate it temporarily. You'd also need to use another method in this article to finish it off though, like a wooden stake.

This could be due to the usage of natural vs. artificial light. Natural light (the sun) gives off UV rays, while artificial light does not (or the rays are extremely weak).

Yes.

Probably; HIV, the source of AIDS, stands for human immunodeficiency virus; since vampires aren't human, and since their immortality generally renders them immune to illnesses, the virus would likely have no effect.

Any Van Helsing- or Winchester-style hunters would probably develop a weapon that combines the weaknesses of both; perhaps a crossbow that shoots silver-tipped wooden stakes? Hollow bullets filled with a solution of garlic and wolfsbane might also be effective.

A vampire can kill another vampire using any of the less holy means. So a vampire couldn't use a cross against another vampire, or holy water because it would harm the vampire using it. The vampire could also somehow trick the other into running water. However, the easiest way would be for the vampire to stake and behead his enemy. The vampires could also just go with the rip and tear method, brutal but effective.

In some fictional works, a vampire can heal itself by drinking blood. I do not think other remedies work.

Although it's not common or traditional, it can be used in a fictional setting.

A Jiangshi is an undead, vampiric or zombielike creature. In Chinese folklore, it is referred to as a ''hopping corpse,'' as the corpse's legs are tied together after death.