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Familiars are mostly humans who willingly and knowingly serve specific vampires or witches.

Characteristics[]

Vampire familiars[]

Unlike most humans, familiars are aware of the existence of vampires and choose to act as servants for their vampire master(s), in the hope that they will eventually be turned into a vampire themselves as a reward.[1][2]

Many familiars will carry out tasks that can be difficult for vampires to do, such as covering up sunlight in their homes, helping them travel to distant places by shipping them, finding other humans for vampires to eat and hiding the evidence of victims.[1][2]

Due to the sociopathic nature of many vampires, it is common for familiars to be exploited, with their masters often overworking them, abandoning them, setting them dangerous tasks and/or deliberately putting off turning them into a vampire.[1][3] Seeing elderly familiars who have served for years is very common.[4] Although familiars are subservient, some vampire masters will hypnotise them occasionally to avoid conflict.[1] Because of this cruel treatment, there was talk of unionisation among the familiars of Manhattan, who communicate with each other via newsletters.[5] Familiars will often network in social gatherings, although many will use it as an opportunity for complaining, and “sad hook-ups”.[4]

It is considered very bad etiquette for vampires to kill or turn the familiars of other vampires.[1][5]

Some vampires may adopt animals instead and consider them familiars, such as Sam the cat.[5]

Witch familiars[]

Like vampires, witches may adopt familiars to help them in exchange for eventually becoming witches themselves, but their familiars usually take the form of animals rather than humans.[6]

Known familiars[]

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Clement, Jemaine & Waititi, Taika (writers and directors) (19 January 2014). What We Do in the Shadows.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Clement, Jemaine (writer) & Waititi, Taika (director) (March 27, 2019). "Pilot". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 1. FX.
  3. Clement, Jemaine (writer) & Waititi, Taika (director) (May 8, 2019). "The Trial". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 7. FX.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Johnson, Sam & Marcil, Chris (writers) & Gorskaya, Yana (director) (May 27, 2020). "Collaboration". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 18. FX.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Scharpling, Tom (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (April 17, 2019). "Manhattan Night Club". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 3. FX.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Meny, William (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (June 3, 2020). "Witches". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 19. FX.
  7. Sawyer, Marika (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (April 15, 2020). "Resurrection". What We Do in the Shadows. Episode 11. FX.
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