On the topic of Vlad's personality
Since we've recently been having some Vlad-related talk (with Riot hinting that there may be something coming for him in the near future), I wanted to expand on something that I haven't seen anyone cover yet: Vladimir's personality. I'm sure local blood magic afficionados have a strong opinion on what kind of character Vladimir is supposed to be, and I'm legitimately curious just what sort of opinion that is.
Now, Vladimir's lore is outdated and his characterization is splattered all over the place, but there's enough interesting tidbits that I've managed to construct three personality types which utilize Vlad's main character themes. These personality types are as follows: killer, eccentric, scientist.
#RUTHLESS KILLER (Alucard & Sephiroth's love child) Main color: something dark Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Vladimir is a cold, collected pretty boy who's too cool to care about anything. He kills out of necessity, and his motivations remain unclear. This Vlad is personality-wise close to someone like Kayn or Swain; he's allied with the Black Rose and pretends to be an aristocrat simply because it's the easiest way to sustain his existence.
On the other hand, this Vlad is less insane than the other ones, and there's more opportunity for him to be portrayed as an anti-villain. He's emotionally distant and a killer, sure, but he takes no pleasure in murder and occasionally shows mercy to his victims. When it comes to LeBlanc and Elise, he's probably not going to be friendly in their interactions, and will be more eager to get rid of them. He wields blood magic as a deadly weapon, but exerts a clear level of control over it.
#FLAMBOYANT ECCENTRIC (Caligula & Piazzolla's unholy progeny) Main color: RED Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Vladimir is depraved, embracing his monstrous side and acting like a proper sociopath. He enjoys the decadence of the aristocracy, and pays special attention to his appearance. Much more likely to keep the "killed two friends when he was a teen" and "I need to kill" parts of his backstory than the other two. Vlad tries to be superficially charming (puns?), but shows his real self quickly if the right buttons are pushed. He's closer personality-wise to someone like Evelynn or Jhin, and enjoys being a member of the Rose.
This Vlad may also be a bit too eccentric, akin to your standard sadomasochistic, suspiciously gay anime villain. He's most likely to express regret at the deaths of his goth girlfriends, and moan questionably whenever he uses Transfusion. He wields blood magic like a mad painter, spilling his hot, roiling fluid over the battlefield.
#CREEPY SCIENTIST (Hello, doctor...) Main color: white, pure and professional Alignment: Neutral Evil
If Vlad1 is edgy and cool, and Vlad2 is murderous and unstable, Vlad3 is the affable, mad scientist, who's only real interest is in perfecting his craft. This Vlad is calm and collected, sharing his knowledge among the aristocracy, but isn't Vlad1 levels of detached. He's amiable like Vlad2, but doesn't crack when his facade slips. He's closest personality-wise to, surprisingly, someone like Viktor or Heimerdinger. Being a magical prodigy first and foremost, he serves the Rose so that he could partake in their experimentation with the vast quantities of arcane knowledge that they've accumulated over the centuries.
While Vlad is friendly to LeBlanc and Elise, he won't shed a tear if either of them is struck down. There's no demented laughter here, either; he remains at peace, regardless of his surroundings. He wields blood magic as a precise tool, like a surgeon would wield his scalpel.
While opinions differ, I believe any of these three personality types could be used. Is there anything specific you'd want to see?
