Top 50 Vampires 2012

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3 Spike (Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel)

Previous position: 1 (-2)

Played by: James Marsters

Spike brought rock star cool to the fang-filled world of Buffy. Whereas Angel was sullen and dour, Spike was a vampire painted in primary colours. Sexy, cheeky and impossibly cheekboned, he was like a cross between Sid Vicious, Jim Morrison and Charles Manson, and played to perfection by the ever-great James Marsters.

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2 Eric Northman (True Blood)

Previous position: 41 (+39)

Played by: Alexander Skarsgard

Eric the Viking. Once a phrase that immediately meant “flop comedy from the Monty Python guy”. Now it means, “Top Nordic vampire hottie.” Bill was supposed to be the alpha vampire on True Blood, but – although far from unpopular – he was eclipsed by his blond nightclub owner boss in the popularity stakes (if “stakes” isn’t too sensitive a word to use). As in so many other cases (Spike and Damon, for instance) he benefitted from the fact that he didn’t have to be the nice guy. Far from it – he’s an utter git, chaining Lafayette to a slave wheel, and tricking Sookie into drinking his blood. Not to mention all the killing. But it’s more than that. Eric is just so inherently cool. So cool it doesn’t matter if he does a bit of killing while getting his hair dyed; or if he cries when his maker dies; or if he wears a shell suit. He remains untouchable cool. Hell, he’s survived centuries with the name Eric. That’s how cool he is.

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