The Brides of Dracula are the three mates that were chosen and turned by Count Dracula to be his loyal brides and henchwomen. They were seen in the film Van Helsing, portrayed by Josie Maran, Silvia Colloca and Elena Anaya.
He is very fond of them as he implores them gently not to fear him when they cower in fear of his rage and they spring at him and hiss like snakes/sprays/cats and caress him which he enjoys.
Marishka, 3rd bride[]
Van Helsing (2004)[]
Marishka's past life remains a mystery to all except her fellow brides, and her master Count Dracula, though it is implied she was a performer of some sort, possibly a dancer (which is reflected in her attire, and her flirtatious, care-free attitude). At some point in history, she was sired by the great vampire lord Count Dracula, turning her into a blood-thirsty vampire, and made to be one of his "brides". She is the youngest of Dracula's three current brides, and as such is forced to carry out menial tasks such as slaying any opposition that threatens their master's grand plans, though she doesn't seem to mind. At the beginning of the film Marishka, along with Aleera, and Verona are seen soaring over the mountains to regroup with Dracula after a heated battle with Frankenstein's monster. They rush to rescue the creature from a nearby windmill that has been set ablaze, but they are too late. The monster is lost as the windmill collapses, and is engulfed by the flames. Together the brides arrive weeping over the loss of Frankenstein's Monster, the very key element needed to bringing life to their undead children.
Marishka was the first bride to be killed off by Gabriel Van Helsing. She was first encountered upon the monster hunter's arrival in Transylvania, and per Verona's orders was to kill him. Marishka took great pleasure in toying with Gabriel, teasing him seductively until Verona's impatiently ordered her to cease with her flirtations and finish him off. Marishka proceeded to attack Gabriel, knocking him around like some rag doll. Gabriel, however, took up his Repeater Crossbow and rushed to a nearby basin of Holy Water. Marishka, finally realizing what he was attempting, swooped down to kill him, but she was too late. Gabriel dipped the tip of the crossbow into a basin and fired several arrows tipped with holy water into her. She tumbled through the sky and crashed into a church steeple. Pinned, and with no hope of escape the with the holy water causing her skin to dissolve rapidly, and finally, she screams as her body is reduced to ash, and bone. She acts more younger and listens to the older brides as they have been around longer than she has been.
Van Helsing: The Video Game[]
In the 2004 video game, Marishka was in a nearby church with her and her sisters surrounding Anna Valerious, until they were stopped by Van Helsing. She is, in fact, the first bride to die, however instead of being shot with the crossbow, she was staked to the cross inside the church by Van Helsing.
Verona, 1st bride[]
Van Helsing (2004)[]
Like her fellow brides, Verona's past is a complete mystery to all but herself, and her master Count Dracula. Given her elegant yet commanding demeanor, it is suggested she is of noble blood, possibly royalty. At some point, Dracula sired Verona, making her his first vampire bride, and it was likely her wish to be so given her admiration towards the count. It is also implied she is the first, and eldest of Dracula's brides in that she is seen ordering the other two about with condescending tones, and threatening facial expressions. Despite the way she treats Marishka and Aleera, she states that she loves them. Verona is entirely loyal to her master, eager to please him by any means necessary, though she isn't above disagreeing with him, much to his immense displeasure. She wishes nothing more than to have her children given the key to life which is accomplished through Frankenstein's creation.
Like her other sisters, Verona was seen at the beginning of the film mourning the apparent death of the Frankenstein monster, who was needed to bring their children to life. They attacked Anna Valerious and the villagers with the intent of capturing her for their master. She and Aleera manage to corner Anna in a nearby tavern and attempt to feed on her. However, they were stopped when they felt the death of their sister bride Marishka, causing the two to revert to their vampire forms, and flee back to Castle Dracula. Once there, they tried to convince their master not to go through with another experiment that could result in the death of his children, but Dracula scared them into submission and comforted them afterward. The experiment, using Velkan Valerious as the conductor, was a success, and their children were brought to life. She and Aleera then led the newborn vampires into the village to feed on the hapless villagers. Their plan was going accordingly, but then the baby vampires began to bloat and burst into puddles of goo. Using Velkan as a catalyst during the experiment proved to be too insufficient, and made the babies deficient. Watching as their children died caused the pair to wail in agony, and flee back to Castle Frankenstein.
When Velkan found the Frankenstein monster, he informed Dracula and his brides. He sent Verona, and Aleera to capture him. Verona was killed after realizing Van Helsing's carriage was a decoy carrying a stake bomb, which exploded, sending stakes into her body, killing her.
Van Helsing: The Video Game[]
The game version of Verona is similar in terms of death, in fact, she is killed off the same way as she was in the movie, but fought Van Helsing when he was on the roof of the carriage.
Aleera, 2nd bride[]
Van Helsing (2004)[]
The Count told Aleera of his desire to have her join his harem, offering her eternal life and riches. Aleera tried to reject the offer but didn't realize the hold Dracula now had over her. She started visiting Dracula, charmed by him and welcomed by Verona. Dracula flew away with Aleera and turned her into his bride. She has said in the video game that she is over 500 years old. She’s not a big fan of Verona as she doesn’t like to be told what to do unless it’s by Dracula.
Like her sisters, Aleera was seen at the beginning of the film, mourning over the death of the monster. She took part in the attack on the village but confronted Anna before Verona. She and Verona almost drank her blood but fled after Marishka's death. She, like Verona, tried to convince their husband not to go through with trying to bring their children to life, but they were frightened by his outburst, then comforted thereafter, as they don’t want another bride or try to bring their children to life and not work again.
After Verona died, Aleera captured Anna and brought her back to Dracula, then was sent to find Van Helsing in order to discuss a trade. She left the masquerade ball with Dracula after they had the monster, heading back to Castle Dracula. She later confronted Carl and Anna in the tower where the werewolf cure was held. This led to a fight between her and Anna. Anna would have been killed by Aleera had it not been for the monster's intervention. Aleera managed to catch up with Anna atop of the castle, where she was run through with a silver stake. Noticeably, among all the brides, Aleera was the one who respected their husband the most, openly addressing Dracula as "Master" and "Lord" when talking to or about him continuously throughout the film. She was jealous of anyone competing for his affection.
Van Helsing: The Video Game[]
In the game of the same name, Aleera is the last bride to die but instead of Anna killing her, it is Van Helsing. She fought him on the bridge of Castle Dracula before being killed. Aleena so far is the only bride to say how old she is being over 500 years.
Powers & Abilities[]
- Immortality: Like all Vampires, Aleera, Verona, and Marishka are immortal so long as they feed on human blood.
- Superhuman Strength: The Brides have shown to demonstrate remarkable physical strength, despite their physical stature. They have been shown to be strong enough to lift cattle and throw them into a nearby house, as well as hit a human and send them flying several feet into the air.
- Superhuman Durability: Like their master and husband, the brides can withstand a lot of physical abuse. However, their durability can't protect them against weapons holy in nature.
- Superhuman Healing: Like all Vampires, the brides have the ability to regenerate lost and damaged tissue.
- Demonic Vampire Bat Form: Like Dracula himself, the brides can turn into their demonic forms, gaining a boost to their physical powers as well as the ability to fly, the only difference between the forms of Dracula and the brides is that the brides' forms are more human(ish).