11 of the Best Romantic Vampire Series to Make You Believe in Love at First Bite

For as long as we can remember, vampire romances have been a trend in the supernatural genre. And Hollywood has certainly played up to it in recent decades, bringing numerous romantic vampire series to the small screen.

It’s a world where love is not just in the air, but also lurking in the shadows. And,iIn this realm, passion mingles with danger, and an eternal bond can be formed at the very first bite.

If you’re a fan of paranormal romance and have a soft spot for creatures of the night, you’re in for a treat. From classic sitcoms to action-packed dramas, these vampire TV series never fail to play up the romance if needed.

Note: These are in no specific order. We love them all!

11 of the Best Romantic Vampire Series

The Originals

One of three related TV series on this list, The Originals is a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries. The show follows the Mikaelsons, who claim to be the first vampires ever to exist. Klaus Mikaelson, in particular, is a vampire/werewolf hybrid who also happens to impregnate a werewolf. This forces his two siblings, Elijah and Rebekah, to return to New Orleans.

However, there’s tension brewing among vampires, werewolves, and witches in New Orleans. The Mikaelsons are causing quite a stir with their situation, and it’s up to them to prevent any trouble from happening. All the while protecting Klaus’ unborn child.

The Originals stars Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin, Claire Holt, Charles Michael Davis, Danielle Campbell, and Leah Pipes.

Moonlight

Although short-lived, getting canceled after one season, Moonlight is easily one of the best romantic vampire series. Moonlight follows a vampire named Mick St. John, a private investigator-turned-vampire by his own ex-wife Coraline 50 years prior. In the present day, Mick struggles with his attraction to a mortal woman named Beth Turner. All the while managing his friendship with his mentor, fellow vampire Josef Kostan, and the other vampires in Los Angeles.

Moonlight stars Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles, Jason Dohring, and Shannyn Sossamon.

True Blood

Based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, True Blood is a spicier vampire romance series. The show follows psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who lives in the fictional rural town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. True Blood takes place two years after the creation of a synthetic blood product that allowed vampires to “come out of the coffin.” This synthetic blood product allowed vampires to live amongst the humans without preying on them.

Meanwhile, Sookie falls in love with a 174-year-old vampire Compton. It’s here that she must navigate the ups and downs of intimacy and relationships, especially with a vampire.

True Blood stars Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten, Rutina Wesley, Chris Bauer, Nelsan Ellis, Jim Parrack, and Alexander Skarsgard.

Dark Shadows

Perhaps one of the earliest vampire-centric series to grace the small screen, Dark Shadows aired from 1966 to 1971. The gothic soap opera followed the trials, tribulations, and in this case, the lives and loves of the Collins family. Things get even more interesting when one of the family’s ancestors, Barnabas Collins is a vampire who escapes his coffin after 200 years. When Barnabas returns to the family home, unsurprisingly some family members aren’t too happy to see him.

Dark Shadows stars Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett, Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, Denise Nickerson, Mitchell Ryan, Alexandra Moltke, Grayson Hall, Kate Jackson, Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Selby, Clarice Blackburn, Lara Parker, Thayer David, and John Karlen.

The Vampire Diaries

Based on the book series by L.J. Smith and developed for TV by showrunners Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, The Vampire Diaries follows an orphaned teenager named Elena Gilbert, who moves to the town of Mystic Falls. Throughout the series, Elena gets tangled up in a love triangle between two vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore.

Damon not only has a grudge against Stefan, but he is also incredibly fascinated with Elena. This is because she looks exactly like his former vampire flame. Damon and Stefan are supposedly cursed to always be at odds with each other but eventually work through their differences the longer they remain in Mystic Falls.

The Vampire Diaries stars Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Steven R. McQueen, Sara Canning, Kat Graham, Candice King, Zach Roenig, Kayla Ewell, Michael Trevino, Matt Davis, Joseph Morgan, and Michael Malarkey.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

There wouldn’t be a (kind of) romantic vampire series without mentioning Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Romance is intertwined with the stories of killing the undead bloodsuckers among other supernatural creatures. We can’t really forget Buffy’s romance with Angel, can we?

The show follows its titular character, a high school student named Buffy Summers. Buffy is tasked with fighting vampires and demons among others. All in a day’s work for someone who lives over a Hellmouth. Under the mentorship of Rupert Giles and with the assistance of her friends Xander and Willow, Buffy becomes the vampire slayer she’s meant to be.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters, Nicholas Brendon, Charisma Carpenter, Anthony Stewart Head, David Boreanaz, Seth Green, Michelle Trachtenberg, Marc Blucas, Emma Caulfield, and Amber Benson.

First Kill

The teenage supernatural vampire romance series was created by Victoria Schwab based on her short story of the same name. The Netflix series follows teenage vampire Juliette Fairmont. After recently turning 16, Juliette must make her first kill in order to enter vampire adulthood and take her place among her powerful family of vampires.

Things get complicated when Juliette falls in love with the new girl in town, Calliope “Cal” Burns. Cal turns out to be a monster hunter belonging to the Guardian Guild. Much like Juliette, Cal also needs to slay her first monster in order to take her place.

First Kill stars Sarah Catherine Cook, Imani Lewis, Elizabeth Mitchell, Aubin Wise, Gracie Dzienny, Dominic Goodman, Phillip Mullings Jr., and Jason R. Moore.

Legacies

Following the footsteps of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals is Legacies. The show now follows Hope Mikaelson as she learns how to control her newfound powers at the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. Throughout the course of her and all the other students’ learning, there’s also some teen love along the way.

Legacies stars Danielle Rose Russell, Aria Shahghasemi, Kaylee Bryant, Jenny Boyd, Quincy Fouse, Matt Davis, Peyton Alex Smith, Chris Lee, Ben Levin, Leo Howard, and Omono Okojie.

Angel

From the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes a spinoff focused on Angel himself. But compared to Buffy, Angel took a darker and more adult turn with its plots and themes. The titular character is a vampire who still has the soul of a human. Angel’s regaining of a soul comes as a punishment after what seems like a lifetime of murder and torturing innocent people.

Ridden by guilt and after breaking up with Buffy, Angel takes up a job as a private detective in Los Angeles. With the help of some associates, Angel works to “help the helpless” by solving cases involving the supernatural.

Angel stars David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, Glenn Quinn, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, Vincent Kartheiser, Andy Hallett, James Marsters, and Mercedes McNab.

Interview With the Vampire

Based on Anne Rice’s 1971 novel and Neil Jordan’s 1994 movie adaptation of the same name. Interview with the Vampire follows the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounting his past life including his relationship with the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt. Lestat is both his lover and his maker. Their relationship gets complicated when Lestat brings in his newest fledgling Claudia.

The show does well in embracing the romantic elements of Louis and Lestat’s relationship compared to the movie version.

Interview with the Vampire stars Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Bailey Bass, and Assad Zaman.

Penny Dreadful

Set in Victorian London, Penny Dreadful sees the literary monsters come to life. From Frankenstein’s monster to Dracula, the show follows explorer Sir Malcolm, who lost his daughter to these creatures. With the help of a clairvoyant Vanessa Ives, she recruits American Ethan Chandler to help find Sir Malcolm’s daughter. All the while fighting off some monsters.

Penny Dreadful stars Timothy Dalton, Reeve Carney, Eva Green, Rory Kinnear, Billie Piper, Danny Sapani, Harry Treadaway, Josh Hartnett, Helen McCrory, Simon Russell Beale, Patti LuPone, and Wes Studi.

As we close the coffin lid on this list, we hope that you’ve found a new series to sink your teeth into! Whether you’re a fan of forbidden love, blood-chilling suspense, or centuries-old secrets, there’s a romantic vampire series on this list just for you.

Did we miss your favorite series? Let us know in the comment section below.