These are some of the traits vampires have that fascinate me most. That sort of stuff leaves much to the creative mind, while the physical powers of vampires are just eye and ear candy. But what the main point is, in my opinion, is that victims are overcome by desire to become like the vampire, who exudes sex and power and domination, but later they realize just what suffering they've just traded their souls for. Vampires can only be active at night and if they are not within impure earth or their coffins by sunrise, they will die. They are near invincible by night, yet they need a guardian by day.
Vampires require blood in order to live.
There's no independence in that. They require other peoples' lives in order to carry on their own. They can only feed off others and can't exist by themselves. They depend on other people. When it comes right down to it, as one like Van Helsing would realize, vampires are more slaves than masters, once you get past the aura which surrounds them.