Vampire Hypnosis & Other Powers Explained

Apart from classic bloodsuckers, “What We Do in the Shadows” famously features a very peculiar take on the energy vampire subcategory. Technically called psychic vampires, these creatures are outwardly perfectly normal — almost too normal. Nevertheless, they have a whole host of powers that even normal vampires would be wise to dread. 

An energy vampire feeds on its prey’s emotional energy, though the type of energy they prefer can differ greatly. Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) enjoys inducing irritation and boredom, while the other known vampire of this type, Evie Russell (Vanessa Bayer), feeds on pity. Energy vampires can emanate a blue glow and levitate when they’re adequately powered up, and their physical powers and endurance are far above and beyond most other creatures. If Colin Robinson is any indication, they also have a very peculiar version of immortality: they die every 100 years and emerge from their gross former shell as a rapidly-developing baby to start the cycle anew. If an energy vampire feeds on enough psychic energy, they can even reach a superpowered state that vitalizes them greatly and enables them to siphon life force off nearby living things. 

While a fully-powered energy vampire is truly terrifying and even a regular one is a soul-shriveling monster, the true horror of these creatures is that we still know very little about them. The show has been happy to add new powers to Colin Robinson’s repertoire every season so far, and the viewers are still none the wiser on the energy vampires’ true origins, let alone how many of them there are. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever know the full story, either — after all, some things are better (and creepier) when they’re shrouded in secrecy.