In Interview with the Vampire season two, we hear Lestat (Sam Reid) mention that he has “the blood of Akasha” in him. This is something he brings up once again in The Vampire Lestat. Akasha is the first vampire, over 6,000 years old, known as the Queen of the Damned. But in episode five of The Vampire Lestat, “New York,” we see how the Brat Prince drank the blood of the eldest vampire, and what that means for his abilities compared to those of other vampires in Anne Rice’s world.
In Most Cases, Age and Maker Stats Determine a Vampire’s Power in The Vampire Lestat
In Anne Rice’s vampire lore, the age of a vampire determines how powerful they are. If they are ancient, they are incredibly strong and almost impossible to destroy by traditional methods. Especially if they are over 1,000 years old. But if they are younger fledglings, then their immortality comes with a bit of an asterisk. But Lestat, despite being a relatively young vampire at less than 300 years old, is one of the most powerful on Earth. In fact, he’s the most powerful. And that’s because Lestat carries the blood of the vampire Akasha, the Queen of the Damned, in his veins. And that makes all the difference. But he didn’t start out that powerful.
In addition to age, the power of one’s maker and the number of fledglings that one’s maker has can influence a vampire’s power. The older the maker, the more powerful the fledgling vampire. Additionally, making more fledglings dilutes the power of the maker’s blood, so the fewer fledglings made before you, the stronger you are.
Lestat Was a Decently Powered Vampire at His Turning
Lestat de Lioncourt was transformed into a vampire around the time of the French Revolution by the 300-year-old Magnus. At three centuries of age, the alchemist vampire Magnus was very powerful. And because he’d never made a vampire fledgling before Lestat, the strength contained in his blood was not diluted. So young Lestat was slightly stronger than other younger vampires his age, but he wasn’t one of the most powerful. In all, he received the standard vampire gifts, like the Mind Gift, telepathy, and the Fire Gift, which allows him to set fire with his mind.
Drinking the Blood of Akasha Turns Lestat Into One of the Most Powerful Vampires in the World
In the late 18th century, the vampire Marius brings Lestat to his island sanctuary. This is where he guards Those Who Must Be Kept, the first two vampires, Akasha and Enkil. Although the Egyptian Queen Akasha has not moved in centuries by this point, something about the young and rebellious Lestat captivates her. When Lestat plays the violin for her, Akasha awakens and shares her blood with him. Having so much of the Queen’s ancient blood makes Lestat among the most powerful vampires on Earth. This, despite his relative youth. Having the blood of Akasha in him also grants him the Cloud Gift, allowing him to fly.
Akasha’s Blood Allows Lestat to Survive Attempts on His Life That Would Spell Death for Other Vampires His Age
Because of Akasha’s blood, Lestat can survive attempts on his life that would signal the “True Death” for most other vampires. When Louis and Claudia tried to kill Lestat in the first season of Interview with the Vampire, he survived because of the blood of Akasha. When they dump his seemingly lifeless body in the Louisiana swamp, he’s able to return because of Akasha’s blood. He also survives immolation, again, thanks to the blood of Akasha.
In The Vampire Lestat, Daniel claims that he saved Lestat’s life from The Fang Gang in Detroit, but Dr. Fareed cautions him not to be so sure. Fareed tells Daniel that he only “Perhaps” saved Lestat’s life, saying, “You assume death at decapitation. A study done in Budapest had two class B vampires surviving separation for nearly two hours. A vampire of Lestat’s breeding could last four to five times that.” So Lestat has about 10 hours of time without his head in The Vampire Lestat thanks to the blood of Akasha. Got it, Dr. F.
Lestat Is Most Likely Going to Drink More of Akasha’s Blood, Letting Him Walk in the Sun/Day Walk
In the novel The Queen of the Damned, Lestat drinks even more of Akasha’s blood in the modern day, tripling his powers.
In the fourth Vampire Chronicles novel, The Tale of the Body Thief, Lestat exposes himself to the sun in the Gobi Desert. Because of the fresh infusion of Akasha’s blood, instead of turning to ash, Lestat merely gets a solid tan. By the 20th century, Lestat is absolutely the most powerful vampire on the planet. Even more than immortals much older than he is, like Marius, Pandora, Armand, and the ancient twins, Maharet and Mekare. This more than annoys some of the ancients, who see Lestat as an undeserving “Brat Prince.”
Lestat Will Become THE MOST Powerful Vampire in the World in the Future of The Vampire Lestat
But regardless of what any other vampires think of him, Lestat eventually becomes the most powerful immortal in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles. And as of Anne Rice’s final Lestat novel, 2018’s Blood Communion, Lestat is still the strongest of the species. And it’s all thanks to Lestat having the blood of Akasha in him.
We’re excited to see an all-powerful Lestat on the series eventually. We bet he’ll be unbearable.