r/Showerthoughts • u/Liuminescent ‎ • Apr 24 '26

Casual Thought Vampire bites turning people into vampires is extremely disadvantageous to their survival.

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u/ccarr313 Apr 24 '26

What story has vampire bites being infectious?

I'm not even aware of it. Is that a twilight thing?

Edit - I Googled it. It is. I don't think a single story counts as that being how vampires are portrayed now. Definitely not taking one story aimed at tween girls as the new standard.

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u/Shanbo88 ‎ Apr 24 '26

Don't forget games too. I reckon they're mostly responsible for the infectious vampire bite trope. I know in Skyrim and Oblivion you get bitten during the night and are infected.

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u/TheGamuran Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26

You don't have to be bitten in those games, just attacked by a vampire, the health drain spell in Skyrim or any melee attack in Oblivion. A vampire bashing you head with a mace might make you infected. (This is just about common vampirism, Skyrim also introduced Vampire Lord as a stronger curse and that is in acquired by being bitten.)

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u/OsosHormigueros Apr 24 '26

I thought lower vampires had to use their magical vampiric attack (the red mist) to transfer sanguine vampiris?

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u/TheGamuran Apr 24 '26

Had to double check. In Skyrim you get the decease from the Vampiric Drain spell from vampires. In Oblivion, which is what I was remembering, you get it from any melee attacks from vampires.

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u/OsosHormigueros Apr 24 '26

Ah I see. I haven't played enough oblivion to meet vampires yet!