Dracula emerges as a persistent antagonist throughout various incarnations of the *GeGeGe no Kitarō* franchise, embodying a vampire lord aligned with Western Yōkai forces. His shifting origins and multifaceted roles across adaptations create ambiguity, with distinct versions alternately treated as standalone figures or interconnected iterations of the same entity. In the original manga and early anime, Dracula operates as Backbeard’s lieutenant during the Great Yōkai War, spearheading Western monsters in their assault on Japan. This portrayal casts him as an allegory for Western imperialism, visually modeled after Béla Lugosi’s iconic 1931 film depiction. He forges alliances with Witch, Wolfman, and Frankenstein, forming a coalition that mirrors historical tensions like the Pacific and Vietnam Wars through symbolic storytelling. Expanded lore in the 2007 anime identifies him as Count Dracula I, a veteran Western Yōkai who infiltrates Jigoku disguised as the deity Sō-Daiō to siphon power from the Pool of Blood. This iteration demonstrates extraordinary resilience, enduring assaults from Kitarō’s supernatural arsenal until Enma-Daiō intervenes. His abilities encompass levitation, bat transformation, mastery of a concealed cane-sword, and command over a colossal bat augmented by underworld energy. Divergent adaptations introduce variants like Professor Dracula, a yōkai medical expert targeting blood banks, and Boss Dracula, a gang leader coveting Medama-Oyaji’s eye. The fifth anime series presents Dracula II as a predecessor to Dracula III, alluding to ancestral involvement in the Great Yōkai War 12 years prior. Video game portrayals reimagine him as a debt-ridden entrepreneur partnering with antagonists like Giga, merging supernatural traits with comedic undertones. Consistently cunning and resourceful, Dracula employs strategic deception, manipulating allies and adversaries—such as deceiving Jigoku’s executives for years or feigning allegiance to Satan while pursuing personal agendas. Though repeatedly defeated—disintegrating in sunlight, exiled into space, or sealed in Kitarō’s gourd—he capitalizes on immortality and regeneration to resurge. Beyond antagonism, Dracula’s narrative role interrogates cultural conflict, positioning him as a Western invader contrasting Japanese yōkai. This dynamic underscores the series’ exploration of postwar identity and folklore’s evolving relevance, framing him as a foil to Kitarō’s mediation between humans and supernatural realms.