Vampires. They are one of the most popular creatures in mythology, coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes. With the unfortunate popularity of a certain book series, however, they've become a shadow of their former selves, reduced to prettyboy fodder for fangirls to oogle over.

That's not to say that real vampires don't still exist, however. In video games, they stay true to their heritage, being the immortal badasses that they are known as. So, in the spirit of Halloween, and to remind everyone that such vampires still exist, allow me to bring you the top five badass creatures of the night in video games.

5. Agent Bloodrayne

When this red-headed bombshell came on the scene in 2002, the world took notice. A dhampir that gets off of killing Nazis and opposing vampires, she skyrocketed in popularity, even being the first video game character to appear in Playboy Magazine. After the movie version directed by Hollywood hack Uwe Boll flopped, however, Rayne vanished from the scene. She returned earlier this year in grand fashion, starring in the stylish 2D downloadable game Bloodrayne: Betrayal. Just goes to show that you can’t keep a sexy vampire down, no matter how many horrible movies with her image pop up.

4. Slayer

The Guilty Gear series is known for its characters, and Slayer stands out as being one of the more powerful members of the cast. A man that exudes classy behavior, this vampire not only enjoys reading and writing haikus, but also gets his kicks punching faces in for sport. Despite his accepted role as a spectator and advice-giver in the storyline, Slayer still stands out to fans for his aristocratic demeanor and brutal fighting style. It doesn’t hurt that his name is a direct reference to the metal band of the same name, either.

3. Dio Brando

A sadistic, arrogant vampire, Dio enjoys plotting and deceiving, as well as putting down anyone that gets in his path. While American audiences don’t have a whole lot of exposure to the JoJo’s anime and games, Dio gained immense popularity as the result of one of the most popular internet memes of all time, spawning from his incredibly damaging time stop combo in the fighting game. This, combined with his personality and altogether devastating fighting style, creates one of the more memorable characters in anime and video game history, even to those who aren't familiar with his respective appearances.

2. Kain

Let’s be frank here; the storyline of the Legacy of Kain games is a giant clusterf*ck of paradoxes and time shifts, with forced block pushing puzzles in between. That being said, however, the games still had their share of likable characters. Kain, the game’s primary protagonist, stands out amongst these, with his design, personality, and his effect on the game’s events as a whole. A brutal man that’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, Kain, along with Raziel (who would be on this list if not for the fact that he's technically a wraith), helped to make a series of mediocre titles bearable with his mere presence.

1.Dracula

Of course this one’s a no-brainer. The big man himself has served as primary antagonist in more video game titles than any other, with his most memorable appearances being in the Castlevania games. Even without taking those into consideration, Dracula is an iconic figure that has grown beyond the scope of Bram Stoker’s original design into a creature of legend. With every appearance he makes, he becomes a more frightening individual, taking on numerous forms and having powers that few can compare to. It really goes without saying that he has no equal in terms of impact on pop culture, including the realm of video games.