After Harker strikes him with a shovel, he is left with a scar on his forehead which he bears throughout the course of the novel. Dracula also possesses great wealth, and has Romani people in his homeland who are loyal to him as servants and protectors.

Romanian prince Vlad III of Wallachia, popularly known as Vlad Dracula, is famous for his aversion to sunlight  a trait that gave rise to vampire legends. Like many myths, vampirism is partly based on fact; specifically, a rare blood disorder called porphyria.