History Main / VampireRefugee

* This becomes an optional quest in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' if the hero becomes a vampire. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', it is offered by a vampire hunter who give you a choice instead of killing you (you can also drink the potion a witch coven asks you to transport). In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', it is given by reading a book about a cured vampire and doing a favor for Molag Bal, the "patron" daedra of vampires. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', it involves collecting a long list of ingredients to make a potion. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', it involves trapping a human soul in a Black Soul Gem and giving it to a sorcerer, who sacrifices the soul to Oblivion as payment for your vampirism to be lifted. Alternatively, you can ask [[spoiler:Aela the Huntress]] to voluntarily turn you into a werewolf, which will cure you of being a vampire in the process. It's also possible to invert the trope, if you are a werewolf, you can ask [[spoiler:Harkon or Serana]] to voluntarily turn you into a vampire instead of [[spoiler: using the Glenmoril Witch's head and killing your wolf spirit in the end of the Companion questline.]]

* This becomes an optional quest in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' if the hero becomes a vampire. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', it is offered by a vampire hunter who give you a choice instead of killing you (you can also drink the potion a witch coven asks you to transport). In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', it is given by reading a book about a cured vampire and doing a favor for Molag Bal, the "patron" daedra of vampires. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', it involves collecting a long list of ingredients to make a potion. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', it involves trapping a human soul in a Black Soul Gem and giving it to a sorcerer, who sacrifices the soul to Oblivion as payment for your vampirism to be lifted (alternatively, you can ask a character to voluntarily turn you into a werewolf, which will cure you of being a vampire in the process).

The oldest vampire movie/character plot in the book: the protagonist is infected with TheVirus and undergoes the ViralTransformation into a vampire or some other monstrous entity like a [[WolfMan werewolf]] or zombie. They have only a short time until the {{curse}} of the FaceMonsterTurn asserts itself and the overwhelming thirst to [[ImAHumanitarian eat, drink and transform their fellow man]] is all they know.

** Moreover, his specific background makes this [[BlackComedy grimly hilarious]]: until the mists took him, as a Gold Elf back on [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Faerun]], he was very close to the cure for undeath for all of those centuries. He didn't even know about its existence mainly because the elves treat [[TooMuchForManToHandle High Magic]] as the greatest secret of Multiverse even when they ''know'' it's an OpenSecret to the present company, and he was just a young adventurer hanging out with humans at the time.

** She was beginning to bud into an ActionGirl when she voluntarily used her power against a FaceHeelTurn Mohinder, but that CharacterDevelopment came to an end.

Compare PhlebotinumRebel, MonstersAnonymous, and AndThenJohnWasAZombie. Contrast TranshumanTreachery. See also StagesOfMonsterGrief. SubTrope to ProHumanTranshuman.

* Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker in ''{{Literature/Dracula}}''. For the former, it wasn't known what was weakening her till Van Helsing was called in. She would've probably been cured were it not for a few [[ContrivedCoincidence too]] [[DiabolusExMachina many]] bad circumstances. Mina is a bit more fortunate, since Dracula has to flee before he can fully transform her. She feels his presence within her spying on the hunters. And, when confronted by the brides near the end of the story, senses the vamprisim welling up in her.

[[{{Pun}} These nights]], this trope has extended to just about any [[TheVirus infectious]] [[OurMonstersAreDifferent monster]], a few other BodyHorror [[EmergencyTransformation transformations]], and even outright {{curse}}s. It may also be recognized as a common on-the-job hazard for [[TheHunter those who oppose such creatures]]. Expect the hero to gain an advantage from [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce lacking the traditional weaknesses of their breed]] and discovering they can tap into HeroicWillpower to get a powerup to beat their sire. This last bit can get a bit silly, as the hero-now-monster is usually [[HorrorHunger starving]] by this point from fasting on blood.

* This becomes an optional quest in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' if the hero becomes a vampire. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'', it is offered by a vampire hunter who give you a choice instead of killing you (you can also drink the potion a witch coven asks you to transport). In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', it is given by reading a book about a cured vampire and doing a favor for Molag Bal, the "patron" daedra of vampires. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', it involves collecting a long list of ingredients to make a potion. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', it involves trapping a human soul in a Black Soul Gem and giving it to a sorcerer, who sacrifices the soul to Oblivion as payment for your vampirism to be lifted.

* ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'' has Harker, who in this version [[spoiler:is actually turned into a vampire. Helsing grimly has to stake him.]]

* The plot of ''VideoGame/{{Bloodnet}}'' revolves around this.
* As does the plot of ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'', at least for a good-aligned character.

* Darren of ''Literature/CirqueDuFreak''.
* Igor Dolinsky in ''Literature/NightWatcher''. Arguably, all the other "true vampires" qualify as well, as they are the ones who no longer need blood, though they aren't human anymore either (but then, neither is Igor, strictly speaking).

[[{{Pun}} These nights]], this trope has extended to just about any [[TheVirus infectious]] [[OurMonstersAreDifferent monster]], a few other BodyHorror [[EmergencyTransformation transformations]], and even outright {{curse}}s. Expect the hero to gain an advantage from [[OneHeroHoldTheWeaksauce lacking the traditional weaknesses of their breed]] and discovering they can tap into HeroicWillpower to get a powerup to beat their sire. This last bit can get a bit silly, as the hero-now-monster is usually [[HorrorHunger starving]] by this point from fasting on blood.

* Granny Weatherwax in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'' is a truely epic subversion. After getting bitten by a bunch of Vampires with the express purpose of turning her into a vampire as well - making her a slave to the vampires having "sired" her - she goes through the usual trappings: Making a stressful journey in order to find the vampires responsible, organizing weapons (or rather: friends with weapons), and nearly dying several times while fighting the effect of the turnings. In the end, it turns out [[spoiler:not only was she fighting off the turning the whole time, she was also "borrowing" (a form of passive possession) her own blood in order to make the vampires who drank from her crave tea and sweet bisquits, or, in her own words: "I ain't been vampired. You've been Weatherwaxed!"]]

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' novel ''Vampire of the Mists'', Jander Sunstar was desperate to find a cure for his vampirism once he finally managed to become free to seek that cure. He was [[HeroicBSOD heartbroken]] to learn that there was no cure other than true death (and possibly not even then).\\
\\
Moreover, his specific background makes this [[BlackComedy grimly hilarious]]: until the mists took him, as a Gold Elf back on [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Faerun]], he was very close to the cure for undeath for all of those centuries. He didn't even know about its existence mainly because the elves treat [[TooMuchForManToHandle High Magic]] as the greatest secret of Multiverse even when they ''know'' it's an OpenSecret to the present company, and he was just a young adventurer hanging out with humans at the time.

* Nick from ''The Forsaken''. It is heavily implied in the movie that ''all'' [[WhoYouGonnaCall vampire hunters]] have always mostly consisted of people who have been bitten. The rules of vampirism state that [[NoOntologicalInertia all potential vampires are freed from their curse if the "head vampire" who originated that strain is killed]] (an idea mocked in the ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' video game).

* The eighties show ''Werewolf'' was built around this premise.

* Nick from ''Film/TheForsaken''. It is heavily implied in the movie that ''all'' [[WhoYouGonnaCall vampire hunters]] have always mostly consisted of people who have been bitten. The rules of vampirism state that [[NoOntologicalInertia all potential vampires are freed from their curse if the "head vampire" who originated that strain is killed]] (an idea mocked in the ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' video game).

* In ''Film/GingerSnapsBackTheBeginning'', Ginger is given a prophecy that she will need to kill the infected child that bit her to avoid becoming a werewolf herself. In a subversion [[spoiler:the prophecy meant that she should kill the child "before" he bit her]].

* Rayne from the first ''Film/ResidentEvil'' film gets bitten early on. She spends the rest of the time kicking ass to get everyone out and able to administer the cure to her. [[spoiler: Too bad they're too late]].

* The ''Literature/GoodGhouls'' series -- the main character gets turned into a vampire and finds out the only way to get turned back is to kill her own maker. Several problems: firstly, it has to be ''her'' who kills her maker; secondly, any vampire higher up the chain, including her maker, is immune to any frontal attack from a lower-ranking vampire, so she has to be sneaky; and thirdly, she doesn't even know who turned her. In the end [[spoiler: she finds out who did it, but someone else kills him for something unrelated, so she's stuck as a vampire]].

* Kostya in the ''Literature/{{Nightwatch}}'' series is [[spoiler: the only vampire to achieve "High Vampire" status without killing someone for blood]]. He became a biologist to prevent his vampirism from turning him into a monster. By the third book, he even [[spoiler: tries to turn every human being on the planet into Others]] just so he could be normal. [[spoiler: He fails]]
* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' novel ''Literature/VampireOfTheMists'', Jander Sunstar was desperate to find a cure for his vampirism once he finally managed to become free to seek that cure; he was [[HeroicBSOD heartbroken]] to learn that there was no cure other than true death (and possibly not even then).\\

Moreover, his specific background makes this [[BlackComedy grimly hilarious]]: until mists took him, as a Gold Elf back on [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Faerun]] he was very close to the cure for undeath all those centuries. He didn't know it even exists mainly because the elves treat [[TooMuchForManToHandle High Magic]] as the greatest secret of Multiverse even when they ''know'' it's an OpenSecret to the present company, and he was just a young adventurer hanging out with humans.

* In the first episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' it's pointed out to our hero that he must do this out of necessity. Even if you're a fighter against evil, you can't afford to isolate yourself from the people you're trying to protect as you'll eventually stop caring and revert to the monster. Angel thus gathers his RagtagBunchOfMisfits so he'll have some FireForgedFriends keeping him grounded.

* This becomes an optional quest in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': if the hero becomes a vampire. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' it is offered by a vampire hunter who give you a choice instead of killing you (you can also drink the potion a witch conven ask you to transport). In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', it is given by reading a book about a cured vampire and doing a favor for Molag Bal, the "patron" daedra of vampires. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' it involves collecting a long list of ingredients to make a potion. In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' it involves trapping a human soul in a Black Soul Gem and giving it to a sorcerer, who sacrifices the soul to Oblivion as payment for your vampirism to be lifted.

The oldest vampire movie/character plot in the book: the protagonist is infected with TheVirus and undergoes the ViralTransformation into a vampire or some other monstrous entity like a [[WolfMan werewolf]] or zombie. They have only a short time until the {{curse}}s of the FaceMonsterTurn asserts itself and the overwhelming thirst to [[ImAHumanitarian eat, drink and transform their fellow man]] is all they know.

* Hannibal King in the MarvelUniverse.

[[folder: Film]]

* The Star/Laddie subplot of ''TheLostBoys''. "YOU TRIED TO MAKE ME A KILLER!"

* ''[[Film/{{Cursed 2005}} Cursed]]'' is the [[WolfMan werewolf]] version of this trope.

* In ''GingerSnapsBackTheBeginning'', Ginger is given a prophecy that she will need to kill the infected child that bit her to avoid becoming a werewolf herself. In a subversion [[spoiler:the prophecy meant that she should kill the child "before" he bit her]].
* ''ReturnOfTheLivingDeadIII'' featured the heroine finding new and interesting ways to cause physical pain to keep from succumbing to her desire to eat folk.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBatmanVsDracula'', our hero finds a cure for vampirism, but it won't work on Dracula himself -- just those he's turned.

* Darren of ''CirqueDuFreak''.

* Granny Weatherwax in CarpeJugulum is a truely epic subversion. After getting bitten by a bunch of Vampires with the express purpose of turning her into a vampire as well - making her a slave to the vampires having "sired" her - she goes through the usual trappings: Making a stressful journey in order to find the vampires responsible, organizing weapons (or rather: friends with weapons), and nearly dying several times while fighting the effect of the turnings. In the end, it turns out [[spoiler:not only was she fighting off the turning the whole time, she was also "borrowing" (a form of passive possession) her own blood in order to make the vampires who drank from her crave tea and sweet bisquits, or, in her own words: "I ain't been vampired. You've been Weatherwaxed!"]]

* One of the paths in ''{{Tsukihime}}'' involves Shiki being increasingly possessed by an ancient vampire sorcerer, gaining the usual powers and bloodlust as his will rapidly erodes, and having to defend himself against his former companions. At first he holds out for a solution from the Church, but when that doesn't pan out he [[spoiler: [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer resorts to his solution to everything else]]--turning his [[MagicalEye Mystic Eyes of Death Perception]] on and stabbing ''himself'' in an attempt to 'kill' the vampire's soul]].
** Also from the ''Tsukihime'' universe, Sion Eltnam Atlasia is entirely based on this. She even goes as far as to create an alchemical substitute for blood to deal with her cravings as a temporary measure. (It works, but only because of the extenuating circumstances.)

* As does the plot of ''NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'', at least for a good-aligned character.
* ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' features a "thin-blood" down by the beach who's desperately trying to find a way out of his new condition. You can either a) let him down easy and tell him that he can at least try to go on (un)living, or b) bilk him for all he's worth by selling him a "stake of pure rosewood" he can use to kill the "head vampire" or some vampirism-curing "unicorn blood." Or both.

* ''Rise: Blood Hunter'': Though Sadie is very determined to get revenge for her unwilling (and unplanned) vampirisation on the bloodsuckers of L.A., she slips when it comes to feeding on a poor schlub offering her a lift.

* The first ''{{Blade}}'' movie had the vampire antidote for the GirlOfTheWeek. Interestingly, it seems this cure sticks around, and at least two more characters get cured of vampirism in the sequels.
** However, it can't cure the eponymous character of vampirism without taking away his nifty powers (he just uses a serum to suppress his vampiric bloodlust), nor can it cure anybody who was born a vampire. It can only cure vampirism if one contracts it via a bite.

* Nick from ''TheForsaken''. It is heavily implied in the movie that ''all'' [[WhoYouGonnaCall vampire hunters]] have always mostly consisted of people who have been bitten. The rules of vampirism state that [[NoOntologicalInertia all potential vampires are freed from their curse if the "head vampire" who originated that strain is killed]] (an idea mocked in the ''VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' video game).

* In ''TheBatmanVsDracula'', our hero finds a cure for vampirism, but it won't work on Dracula himself -- just those he's turned.

* ''Film/TheFly'' (the remake) has doctor Brundle try to reverse the onset of the creature he's becoming. [[FateWorseThanDeath He fails]].
** The sequel with his son does get to stay human though. Albeit by dumping the fly genes into the CorruptCorporateExecutive, making him [[FateWorseThanDeath a mutant slug]], [[LaserGuidedKarma kept alive for study in a dark pit]].

* The comic ''[[ThirtyDaysOfNight 30 Days Of Night]]'' had the [[spoiler: sheriff injecting himself with vampire blood to become a "Good Vampire" (barely controls it and he kills himself shortly after)]] to beat the bad guys.

* Lucy Westerna and Mina Harker in ''{{Literature/Dracula}}''. For the former, it wasn't know what was weakening her till Helsing was called in. She would've probably been cured were it not for a few [[ContrivedCoincidence too]] [[DiabolusExMachina many]] bad circumstances. Mina is a bit more fortunate, since Dracula has to flee before he can fully transform her. She feels his presence within her to spy on the hunters. And, when confronted by the brides near the end of the story, senses the vamprisim welling up in her.

** The sequel with his son does get to stay human though. Albeit by dumping the fly genes into the CorruptCorporateExecutive, making him [[FateWorseThanDeath a mutant slug]], kept alive for study in a dark pit.

* One episode of ''OdysseyFive'' had Taggart becoming a Synthetic, a [[{{Nanomachines}} nanomachine]]/[[ArtificialLimbs cyborg]]/[[ArtificialHuman android]]. He and his friends try to reverse it, but in the end he manages to hack the DeusEstMachina that made him into reverting the process.

* One of the paths in ''{{Tsukihime}}'' involves Shiki being increasingly possessed by an ancient vampire sorcerer, gaining the usual powers and bloodlust as his will rapidly erodes, and having to defend himself against his former companions. At first he holds out for a solution from the Church, but when that doesn't pan out he [[spoiler: [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer resorts to his solution to everything else]]--turning his [[EvilEye Mystic Eyes of Death Perception]] on and stabbing ''himself'' in an attempt to 'kill' the vampire's soul]].

Compare PhlebotinumRebel, MonstersAnonymous AndThenJohnWasAZombie. Contrast TranshumanTreachery. See also StagesOfMonsterGrief. SubTrope to ProHumanTranshuman.