Who Is the First Vampire? Uncovering Origins in Gaming Lore
Few questions stir the imagination quite like “Who is the first vampire?” Across centuries of myth, literature, and cinema, answers have varied — from ancient Mesopotamian demons to Bram Stoker’s aristocratic Count. But in the realm of interactive storytelling, video games have redefined the vampire mythos, offering players not just lore, but agency in shaping — or challenging — the origins of the undead. If you’ve ever wielded a silver stake or walked the moonlit streets as a blood-drinker yourself, you’ve likely wondered: Who was the very first?
In gaming, the answer isn’t carved in stone — it’s coded in choice, narrative, and world-building. From Castlevania to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, developers have crafted intricate backstories that often diverge from traditional myth. The “first vampire” in games is rarely a static figure — it’s a narrative device, a boss battle, a tragic hero, or even the player themselves.
Myth Meets Mechanics: How Games Reimagine Origins
Traditional folklore often points to figures like Lilith or Ambrogio as proto-vampires, but games aren’t bound by dusty tomes. Instead, they leverage interactivity to explore why the first vampire matters — not just who they were.
Take The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Here, vampirism is a disease bestowed by the Daedric Prince Molag Bal, turning mortals into nightstalkers through ritual and corruption. The “first” isn’t named — instead, players inherit the curse, becoming part of a lineage that stretches back to divine betrayal. The origin isn’t a person — it’s a power, a curse, a choice.
Contrast that with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, where Kain himself is positioned as the progenitor of Nosgoth’s vampire race. His transformation — unwilling, then embraced — reshapes history. The game doesn’t just ask “Who is the first?” — it asks, “What happens when the first vampire refuses to die?” Kain’s saga spans millennia, with time loops and paradoxes that make his “firstness” both literal and philosophical.
Case Study: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and the Biblical Claim
Few games dive deeper into vampire genealogy than Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Drawing from White Wolf’s tabletop RPG, it presents a world where Caine — yes, that Caine, the biblical murderer of Abel — is the original vampire, cursed by God with an eternal thirst.
This isn’t just lore-dressing. The game’s narrative hinges on the weight of that origin. Players belong to clans descended from Caine’s disciples — the Antediluvians — and every political intrigue, every betrayal, echoes back to that primal sin. The Malkavians whisper madness inherited from their sire. The Ventrue carry the arrogance of nobility tracing back to the First Murderer.
Bloodlines doesn’t treat “first vampire” as trivia — it’s the foundation of every moral dilemma. Do you honor the curse? Rebel against it? Or seek to become something beyond Caine?
When the Player Becomes the Origin
Modern games increasingly blur the line between myth and agency. In V Rising (2022), you awaken as a weakened vampire lord after centuries of slumber — but lore scrolls and environmental storytelling hint that you might be among the earliest, if not the first. The game cleverly avoids confirming it, letting players feel primordial as they rebuild their castle and drain the land of life.
Similarly, Redfall (2023) introduces vampire gods — The Black Sun — who arrived with the first colonists. While not explicitly “the first,” their ancient, otherworldly nature suggests they predate human understanding of vampirism. The game’s co-op structure lets players hunt these near-mythical beings, turning the “first vampire” into a boss fight rather than a history lesson.
This shift — from passive myth to active confrontation — is key to gaming’s unique power. You don’t just learn who the first vampire is — you fight them, become them, or rewrite their story.
Why Origins Matter in Game Design
Game developers don’t obsess over “firsts” for academic reasons. Origin stories serve gameplay. They justify mechanics — why you can turn into a bat, why sunlight burns, why certain weapons hurt more. They create stakes — literally and narratively. And they offer emotional weight. Knowing you’re descended from Caine, or infected by Molag Bal, or awakening after Ragnarök… that changes how you play.
Consider Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Gabriel Belmont’s transformation into Dracula isn’t just a twist — it recontextualizes the entire franchise. Suddenly, Dracula isn’t just a villain — he’s the tragic origin point, a man broken by loss who becomes the very evil he once fought. The “first vampire” here is also the last hero — a duality only games can explore through evolving player perspective.
The Fluidity of “First” in Interactive Worlds
What makes gaming’s answer to “Who is the first vampire?” so compelling is its flexibility. In novels or films, the origin is fixed. In games, it can shift based on player choice, DLC expansions, or even community mods.
The Sims 4: Vampires pack lets you create your own progenitor — designing powers, weaknesses, and even the aesthetic of your bloodline. No ancient curse needed — you are the genesis