Vampires are a staple of Stephen King's books, not just in Salem's Lot but also in his broader universe, and the 2024 movie looks to expand on the lore. Salem's Lot tells the story of writer Ben Mears, who returns to his childhood hometown of Jerusalem's Lot to finish his novel, hoping that the old abandoned Marsten House that gave him nightmares as a child will help inspire him. However, he soon finds that the town he once knew is slowly being infiltrated by a creeping evil that is transforming the townspeople.

The first trailer for Stephen King's original Salem's Lot book and the previous miniseries hint at what to expect from the Salem's Lot vampires.

Salem's Lot will be released on Max on October 3.

Salem's Lot's Main Vampire, Kurt Barlow, Explained

He Is A Special Vampire In Stephen King Lore

Like a few major villains in Stephen King's universe, the vampire Kurt Barlow serves as an antagonist in multiple works by the author. He is, of course, the main antagonist of Salem's Lot and an antagonist in the prequel story "Jerusalem's Lot," albeit unseen. He also shows up in the sequel short story "One for the Road," which was published in the 1978 collection Night Shift. And, as with so many King characters, he winds up as a posthumous villain in one of the Dark Tower books, The Wolves of the Calla.

In Stephen King's world, Kurt Barlow is one of the most powerful vampires to exist, second in power only to the Grandfathers, the oldest and most powerful vampires in that fictional universe. In his purest vampiric form, Barlow resembles the vampires of old, a Nosferatu-like figure with papery white skin, long, needle teeth, glowing red eyes, and spidery fingers. As he feeds on blood, however, he grows younger and more human-looking, and the more blood he consumes, the more handsome and young he appears. In the original Salem's Lot book, Kurt Barlow resembles a human, though he does have the glowing eyes.

However, later in the Dark Tower books, Barlow is described quite differently. Type One vampires (more on that below) like Barlow originally were described as being quite disfigured, with a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth that stuck out at every angle. Barlow is also described as having never spoken, but only hissed and growled. However, as a Master Vampire, it's entirely possible that he had no need for speech, being able to communicate telepathically. In any case, as the lore evolved, Barlow and other Type One vampires also evolved. His exact origins, name, and age are unknown, however. It's only known that he's ancient – pre-A.D. calendar ancient.

Where Vampires Came From In Salem's Lot: Origins Explained

Their Origin Has A Tangled Backstory

This is a little trickier to summarize, as, like other parts of Stephen King lore, the vampires of Salem's Lot are a subject that has been retconned. In Salem's Lot, Kurt Barlow arrives to the town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, in a box that is shipped overseas, much like Dracula, by his human familiar, Richard Straker, played by Pilou Asbæk in the Salem's Lot movie. The two took up residence in the abandoned Marsten House, though it was only Straker the townsfolk were aware of, with his cover being that he'd come to Jerusalem's Lot to open up an antiques store.

The first two victims are the young brothers, Ralphie and Danny Glick. Straker kidnaps Ralphie, who is turned and then comes back to feed on his brother, Danny, who also turns into a vampire. The two boys then start visiting the residents of the town and slowly turning them into vampires. This is how the residents themselves start becoming vampires, which is briefly depicted in the Salem's Lot trailer, though they're shot more like shuffling zombies than the fast-moving vampires we're used to.

In King's universe, there are three kinds of vampires: Type One, which is the group to which Kurt Barlow belongs; Type Two, which is largely what the turned people in Salem's Lot become; and Type Three, which are not depicted in the book.

This, however, also has an explanation based in Stephen King's mythos: they're Type Two vampires. In King's universe, there are three kinds of vampires: Type One, which is the group to which Kurt Barlow belongs; Type Two, which is largely what the turned people in Salem's Lot become; and Type Three, which are not depicted in the book. There are also the aforementioned Grandfathers, who are the most powerful of the Type One vampires.

It's explained in the Dark Tower books that vampires are descended from worm-like demons, emerging from the Prim, the primordial chaos that created the universes. It is, according to the books, the "darkness behind everything." Their descent from worm-like entities ties into "Jerusalem's Lot," which revolves around a book titled De Vermis Mysteriis, which summons a Lovecraftian worm deity that is worshipped by cultists in the original settlement of Jerusalem's Lot. The ending of that story, which serves as a prequel to Salem's Lot, hints that the evil in Jerusalem's Lot is still alive and active, setting the stage for the events of the novel.

Epix released Chapelwaite, an excellent miniseries adaptation based on "Jerusalem's Lot" starring Adrien Brody, in 2021. It's worth a watch for Stephen King fans.

How The Appearance Of The Vampires In Salem's Lot Differs From Past Depictions

The Glowing Eyes Are The Same

In truth, it's virtually impossible to say how the vampires in the 2024 version of Salem's Lot differ from the 1979 and 2004 miniseries, as the trailer makes the very smart decision not to depict them fully, at least, not at their most monstrous. Even more wisely, it doesn't show Kurt Barlow at all, preferring to save his reveal, hopefully, for the movie itself. The vampires that are shown are depicted as largely human-looking, albeit with the long canines of the stereotypical vampire.

The vampire's glowing eyes, along with the obligatory teeth, is the one visual aspect of vampires that has remained unchanged in all Salem's Lot adaptations.

One thing that the new movie has kept from the original 1979 miniseries that is quite cool are the glowing eyes. This is depicted throughout the trailer in the form of the young boy vampire, Danny Glick, including the infamous scene where he hovers outside Mark Petrie's window and tries to convince Mark to let him in. The glowing eyes are also briefly glimpsed again in the closing scene of the trailer where Ben finds himself out on the street at night surrounded by vampires emerging from the shadows.

What Powers Vampires Have In Salem's Lot

It Depends On The Type Of Vampire That They Are

The powers that vampires possess depends on the type of vampire they are. Most of the townspeople, as Type Two vampires, will be incredibly powerful and fast, but also more bestial and feral in intellect, possessing an extreme hunger that burns through them. Thanks to this hunger and their lack of intelligence, most Type Two vampires don't live long, especially as they burn in the sun. They can, however, create other Type Two vampires if they drain humans completely, or even Type Three vampires with a bite.

One might argue that Barlow is very close to being one of the Grandfathers himself, as certain limitations that apply to other Type One vampires don't seem to apply to him.

As a Type One vampire, and an incredibly ancient one at that, Kurt Barlow has considerably more powers. One might argue that Barlow is very close to being one of the Grandfathers himself, as certain limitations that apply to other Type One vampires don't seem to apply to him. Like traditional vampire depictions, Barlow has incredible speed and strength, the ability to fly and hypnotize his victims, and has an immortal lifespan. They can create Type Two vampires by draining a human of blood, and their own blood also has properties: if a human drinks it, they will be able to see vampires but will forever be marked as unclean, becoming damned themselves.

That said, Kurt Barlow does have some limitations: there is the inevitable sensitivity to sunlight, which can kill him through direct exposure. Religious objects are harmful to Type One vampires, which can be actively hurt by those objects, especially if they're wielded by someone with greath faith in a higher power; a stake to the heart in combination with exposure to a religious object can kill him if the wielder is strong enough. Type One vampires also can not enter a home unless invited in; however, Kurt Barlow shows in the book that he is powerful enough to sidestep this barrier, as he enters Mark Petrie's house uninvited.

What Do The Vampires Want In Salem's Lot

Their Motivations Also Depend On Their Type

As Type Two vampires, most of the turned townspeople in Salem's Lot simply want to feed. They are consumed by their thirst and and want only to slake it with blood. They have a vestigial intelligence and animal cunning, but their wants are straightforward and simple: feed and go to ground before daybreak. Their first victims are usually their family , as they usually return to the places they vaguely once turned.

What Richard Straker wants is also simple: he wants whatever his master wants. What his master wants in the movie, however, is a little less clear. It's not certain what Kurt Barlow's ultimate designs are, or why he feels compelled to move from Europe to a small town in Maine. The Salem's Lot book, however, explains that Kurt Barlow desires to create a colony of vampires in the town. On a grander scale beyond the events of Salem's Lot, as a servant of the Crimson King, Kurt Barlow's goal is to sow chaos, malevolence, and discord wherever he goes, and there are few ways to achieve that as effectively as creating a new vampire colony.