10. Barnabas Collins - Dark Shadows
Barnabas Collins was the long-dead (or so they thought) head of the Collinsworth family, who was actually a vampire imprisoned in chains in the secret room of the family mausoleum. Looking at the recent remake of Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp, it would be easy to assume that he was the main character of the show. But actually, he was only ever intended to show up for a brief 13-week run, and then promptly be staked. In fact, although he's the character that most people remember, the show was originally envisioned to revolve around Victoria Winters, a mysterious orphan girl searching for answers about her past. But the show had a rocky start, and didn't really take off until Barnabas was introduced a year into the run of the show. There was an immediate spike in ratings once he showed up, and all thoughts of getting rid of the character were forgotten. Although originally just a minor character, his role quickly increased and he stayed with the show until it ended in 1971. The rest is history -- Dark Shadows has a tremendously devoted cult following, and the character of Barnabas Collins is cemented in the public imagination as one of the most popular vampires in popular culture.