Vampires are one of the most dangerous creatures in The Witcher 3. Considering how many enemies appeared in the now-iconic game, that speaks volumes about their abilities. Vampires are a real challenge even for seasoned fighters like the witchers are. That's why they always think very hard before they accept a contract to kill a vampire.
Luckily for the players, Geralt is more than willing to take on a vampire once in a while. In dealing with them, he also learned to recognize various types of vampires. Each of them is different, some are more intelligent than others, but all of them can be deadly.
7 Ekimmara
Ekimmara is a lower vampire. They move fast and the best course of action is to finish them off as soon as possible. Their large claws can do a lot of harm so it's wise to dodge their attacks as much as possible. The most notable ekimmara in The Witcher 3 is the one in the quest The Mystery of the Byways Murders. Geralt finds dead soldiers and learns an old and powerful ekimmara called Sarasti lives underneath the village in ancient elven ruins. Geralt has to find it and kill it. Another one appears in the Novigrad sewers when Geralt is escorting Triss during the quest Now or Never.
6 Katakan
Katakans are more common than other types of vampires in the game. They have some traits that make them similar to oversized bats. But unlike a lot of other vampires, they can mask themselves as humans. However, they can't stand the Sun. They have a soft spot for shiny objects and can turn themselves invisible.
Geralt fights two notable katakans in Novigrad. One, called Gael, is a strange katakan who loves stealing and wearing jewelry and he likes drinking from drunk people. This happens during the quest The Oxenfurt Drunk. Another significant katakan masks as a coroner Hubert Rejk and he becomes a serial killer. In the quest Carnal Sins, if Geralt learns who the real killer is, he will confront and fight Rejk in the end. Alternatively, Rejk escapes punishment.
5 Fleder
Fleders might be lower vampires but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. They're extremely deadly because they can often surprise their victims by attacking them from above, jumping on them. They lack the intelligence of higher vampires and their rage and violent impulses drive them instead. The Igni sign is a good way how to fight them and once again, the Black Blood potion is a necessity. Geralt encounters several fleders in Toussaint, most notably when Dettlaff sicks his vampires on Beauclair.
A special type of the fleder is the so-called protofleder. Geralt only meets this type of a vampire if he chooses to go see the Unseen Elder and not find Syanna. The protofleder looks a lot like the normal fleder but his body has a reddish color and glow. The vampire has strong renegerative powers, and is fast, and strong.
4 Garkain
Garkains are other lower vampires who attack Beauclair during The Night of the Long Fangs. Unlike other vampires, garkains don't bite people. Instead, they tear them to pieces and then lick the blood. They're fast but it's still possible to kill them. Geralt should use the Vampire oil and the Samum and Moon Dust bombs to kill any garkain he comes across.
A unique example is the alpha garkain Geralt meets in the Blood Simple quest. Orianna asks Geralt to find out who killed the children at her orphanage. Geralt learns that an alpha garkain did it and he fights it and kills the vampire.
3 Alp
Alps aren't as powerful as other vampire species but they're intelligent and capable of causing problems nonetheless. They appear in the DLC Blood and Wine, just like most vampires in the game. Alps look like women, which makes them similar to bruxae.
They're extremely fast and emit a shriek that can knock Geralt down. Their chosen strategy is to attack and drink blood so knocking back a vial of Black Blood is a good choice. Geralt can also use the Aard or Yrden signs against an alp to throw her out of her balance.
2 Bruxa
Bruxae are powerful vampires whose natural form is that of a large bat. However, they often take on a human form and resemble beautiful women with dark hair. Just like alps, they can walk in sunlight, even though they prefer to wear a hood over their head. Bruxae let out a shriek that sends Geralt flying back if he's not careful enough. What makes bruxae even more dangerous is that they can briefly turn invisible and attack seemingly out of nowhere. Bruxae are intelligent and capable of human speech.
The most notable bruxa in The Witcher 3 is the Bruxa of Corvo Bianco. Geralt finds her looking for Dettlaff's severed hand. She wants to kill him and they fight. Since she can make herself invisible, Geralt should use the Moon Dust bomb against her. It also helps to drink Black Blood and avoid her sonic shrieks.
1 Higher Vampire
Higher vampires are the most powerful vampires in The Witcher 3. They're virtually immortal, highly intelligent, and emotional. They can pass for ordinary humans since even the Witcher medallion doesn't detect them. What also makes them unique is that they don't need to drink human blood to survive - it's like alcohol to them. Individual higher vampires can have special powers, unique only to them. For example, Dettlaff can control lower vampires.
Since Geralt can't kill higher vampires, the best option is to injure them enough and let another higher vampire finish them off. This is what happens if Geralt and Regis end up fighting Dettlaff at Tesham Mutna. There are only a few things Geralt can use to make the fight easier - Igni and Black Blood help, as well as protecting himself with Quen. The most notable higher vampires in Blood and Wine are Regis and Dettlaff. Some fans speculate that Orianna might also be a higher vampire even though the promo materials for the game originally portrayed her as a bruxa.