A Definitive Ranking Of The 12 Best Vampire Defenses

Have you laid awake at night thinking about what you'd do in the event of a vampire attack? Fret no more with this definitive ranking of vampire defenses. Check out From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series to see vampire death in action, Tuesdays at 9pm on El Rey Network.

12. Throwing rice.

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There is a belief that vampires have a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder — if you throw rice or seeds at them, they'll have a dire need to count every grain, and you'll have time to get away.

11. Burying a corpse facedown.

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According to an old Polish wives' tale, to prevent a corpse (turned vampire) from crawling out of the ground and killing everyone, turn the corpse facedown in the grave so, confused, they'll dig down thinking they are going up.

10. Garlic.

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Vampires are allergic to garlic, so this will work to repel them; unfortunately, it's probably not strong enough to kill one unless you've recently eaten A LOT of it and it's in your blood.

9. Spreading "vampire disease" to a vampire.

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"Vampire disease," apparently referred to as Sangue Debolezza, can be purposefully passed through infected blood to a vampire that will lead them to sickness and eventual starvation.

8. Burning them "alive."

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So, while fire will ultimately work to kill a vampire, it will take a long time and a lot of flame.

7. Holy water.

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Like garlic, holy water mostly works to deter a vampire by burning their skin. It could kill one, but you'd need a lot.

6. Removing their heads... somehow.

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It is said that vampires are really strong and, therefore, it's not easy decapitating them. So, if you need to kill a vampire and want to kill one this way, try blowing them up.

5. Replacing the dirt in their coffins.

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It's important for vampires to sleep in their native soil, which they line their coffins with. Replacing this soil with other, non-homeland dirt will lead to their eventual demise.

4. Removing their heart.

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The heart of a vampire is supposedly where the demon lives that has turned them from human to vamp. CAREFULLY remove the heart and burn it to ash to kill them.

3. Stabbing them with a wooden stake.

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There are many conflicting theories about the effectiveness of wooden stakes on vampires — some say it's because the wood used to be a living thing, others say piercing a vampire causes them to bloat and then explode, and some say it only works if the wood is from an ash tree.

2. Shooting them with a silver bullet.

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Some think that silver on the skin of a vampire can burn them, but to kill a vampire using silver you must shoot it through their heart. Apparently lodging it anywhere in their body can slowly kill them via infection though too.

1. Sunlight.

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Hands down, the best way to kill a vampire is with sunlight. Exposing a vampire to the sun puts you in no risk and kills them almost immediately.