All 14 major deaths in Salem's Lot, explained

Warning: Major spoilers for Salem's Lot in 2024.



Salem's Lot It sees the titular town haunted by the presence of a thirsty vampire named Barlow (Alexander Ward), resulting in many deaths, with many of the victims returning as vampires. Stephen King's second novel published in 1975, Salem's Lotcame to introduce readers to King's style of vampires. Salem's Lot it was a success with critics and readers and is now one of King's most popular and beloved works, so much so that it has received various adaptations. After two miniseries adaptations in 1979 and 2004, Salem's Lot It received its first feature film adaptation in 2024.


Directed by Gary Dauberman, Salem's Lot follows writer Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) as he returns to his hometown of Salem's Lot in search of inspiration for his next book. Mears' arrival coincides with the young man's disappearance, but the mysterious and tragic events that follow lead Mears and the other townspeople to uncover the truth: Lot is hunted by Barlow, a thirsty vampirehe also turns many of his victims into vampires. As a result, there are many deaths Salem's Lotbut not all of them get a second life as vampires.


11 The Glick Family

Ralph, Danny, and Marjorie Glick


One of Barlow's first victims (if not his first) is Ralph Glick (Cade Woodward). A young man is walking home with his brother Danny (Nicholas Crovetti) when Richard Straker (Pilou Asbæk) approaches them in his car. Straker targets Ralph and he kidnaps Ralph as the boys wander through the woods hoping to get rid of Straker. Straker takes Ralph to the Marsten house to propose to Barlowand the vampire feeds on the young man and kills him.

Before long, Danny is drawn to a strange presence outside his nightclub. Danny falls ill and is taken to the hospital where he is told he is anemic, but in reality he has been bitten by Barlow and is turning into a vampire. Danny dies in the hospital after drinking blood from his transfusion, but rises again as a vampire. the night after his burial.


Danny targets his mother, Marjorie, who later turns into a vampirehowever, he is killed with a cross by Ben and Susan (Mackenzie Leigh) right after attacking Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodward). The fate of Danny and Ralph's father remains unknown, but it is revealed that he too becomes a vampire at some point. Danny is later killed by Mark (Jordan Preston Carter) at Straker and Barlow's antique store.

10 Mike Ryerson

Mike was Danny's First Victim


Mike Ryerson (Spencer Treat Clark) is in the wrong place at the worst time Salem's Lot. Mike is a custodian at Salem's Lot Cemeterybut falls asleep while waiting for Danny Glick's funeral to finish. Mike wakes up in the night and quickly begins to fill the grave, but he hears Danny begging for help and banging on the coffin. Danny is sleeping peacefully when Mike opens it, so he closes it again. But seconds later, Danny rises from the grave and attacks Mike, his first victim.

Mike is later found by Matt Burke (Bill Camp) at a local bar and, thinking he is ill, Matt invites him to stay at his place so he can take him to the doctor the next morning. While at Matt's house, Mike fully transforms into a vampire and tries to attack Matt, who defends himself with a cross and kicks Mike out of his house. Mike is killed by Ben outside the church.

9 Matt Burke

Matt is finally killed by Barlow


Matt Burke is a teacher in Salem's Lot and one of the few residents to welcome Ben Mears back. Matt is the first to realize that the town is haunted by vampires and Mike fell victim to one. Thanks to her, Ben, Susan, and the others learn what's going on, and she's determined to find Barlow and kill him. Matt teams up with Mark and they sneak into the Marsten house to kill Barlow, but unfortunately Barlow and Straker are faster and smarter.

Matty surprises Barlow himself and kills him while being taken by Mark Straker.

Straker locks them in the basement, and as Mark climbs up to help, Matt is surprised by Barlow himself, and Mark kills him as he is taken away by Straker. Matt soon returns as a vampire, but is killed by Ben After Marsten attacked him in the basement of his home.


8 Richard Straker

Barlow's Human Acquaintance Has Not Ended

Richard Straker is Barlow's human acquaintanceand thus does many things for him, such as finding people on whom he can feed. His association with Barlow raises questions about whether he is human, vampire or half-vampire, but he is actually fully human – he is merely Barlow's loyal servant. It is Straker who arranges for Barlow's coffin to be taken to the Marsten home, kidnaps Ralph and tries to set Mark up to be Barlow's next victim – and the latter leads to his death.


Mark, an amateur magician and a big fan of Houdini, manages to break free after Straker ties him up and hangs him upside down in the Marsten house. Mark waits for Straker to come back into the room and hits him in the face with a piece of metalbut he is convinced that Barlow's servant is dead and shoots him again. In the book, Mark only wounds Straker, but Barlow can't resist his freshly shed blood and drains him.

7 Susan Norton

Susan's Mother Was Dying

Unlike the other characters, Susan never questions Matt Burke's claims that vampires have taken over Lot. Susan is immediately attracted to Ben and they bond quite quickly, making her death very difficult for both Ben and the audience. Susan accompanies Ben, Matt, Mark, Dr. Cody, and Father Callahan (John Benjamin Hickey) on their mission to find and kill Barlow, but no one could have imagined that his mother Anna (Debra Kristofferson) was closing in on him. vampire.


At one point, Anne meets Straker and Barlow tricks her into serving her and setting a trap for Susan in their home. Suddenly, a vampire appears and attacks Susan. Despite Ben's best efforts, he is unable to save Susan from being turned into a vampire, and by the time they arrive at the church to meet with Dr. Cody, she is already turned into a vampire. Later, while riding in the car, Ben cannot bring himself to kill Susan when he finds her in the trunk of his car, but finally does when she attacks him at night.

6 Mark's parents

Mark Saw His Parents Killed by Barlow


After Marsten breaks out of his house and kills Matt Burke in the basement, the group decides to split up and then meet at the church, the only place they'll be safe. Father Callahan accompanies Mark to his home to talk to his parents about what happened, as Mark realizes Barlow and the vampires will target his parents next. However, Mark's parents don't believe him and Father Callahanand thus they cannot be persuaded to go to church before dark.

Barlow then appears behind Mark's mother and kills her in front of Mark.

Barlow knocks on Petrie's house and Mark's father opens uponly to be attacked and killed. Barlow then appears behind Mark's mother and kills her in front of Mark. When confronted by Father Callahan Barlow, Marks runs into the tree house, followed by Danny and the other vampire children trying to let him inside. Mark is the only survivor in his family.


5 Father Callahan

Father Callahan's faith was not strong enough

Father Callahan is the pastor of Salem's Lot, but he struggles with his faith. At the beginning of the movie, when getting into the car, Susan points to Callahan's car and tells Ben that she is drunk there. However, Father Callahan does his best to help Ben and the rest get rid of the vampires, but ends up being killed by Barlow. As mentioned above, Barlow tells Mark to run as he encounters a vampire while holding a cross after killing Mark's parents.

However, Barlow knows that Father Callahan's faith is not as strong as it should bethus not enough to repel or even kill it. Barlow taunts him with this and the cross loses its power, leaving Callahan completely defenseless. Barlow kills Father Callahan, however he doesn't seem to come back as a vampire in the rest Salem's Lotso his fate is unknown.


4 Parkins Gillespie

Parkins could not leave for a long time

William Sadler as Parkins Gillespie in Salem's Lot 2024

A minor character whose death is shown Salem's Lot Parkins is Gillespie (William Sadler). Parkins is a constable in Lot and is first seen when Callahan is at the police station after a drunken driver, and later in the film he goes to Matt's house when he calls the authorities to check on Mike's body. The most remarkable view of Parkins Salem's Lothowever, Dr. Cody approaches her for help, but she refuses to listen to anything about vampires.

The vampires throw Parkins' body out the window and into the church.


Dr. Parkins He tells Cody that he's leaving Lot before it's too late and he has to do the same, but he goes back to the church to meet up with Ben and the rest. That night at the church, after Ben escapes from the vampires and kills Mike, the vampires throw Parkins' body through the window into the church. It is unclear whether Parkins will return as a vampire or die.

3 Dr. Cody

Dr. Cody Not Killed by a Vampire

Ben, Mark and Dr. When it looks like Cody will be the sole survivor of the Lot, they encounter an unexpected obstacle as they enter the car. Dr. It takes Cody a while to accept that Salem's Lot is haunted by vampires and that Danny Glick didn't die of anemia. Cody is finally convinced after seeing Marjorie Glick's body come back to life, and even though Ben and Susan kill Marjorie, she manages to bite Cody.


Thanks to the rabies vaccine in his bag, Cody staves off the effects of the bite and survives, but meets his fate in the third act. Salem's Lot. As he approaches the trunk where Susan is sleeping, he is fatally shot by Annawho is tasked with protecting all vampires. This is Dr. It's an unfair ending for Cody, especially since he was so close to the end.

2 Anne Norton

Susan's Mother could not be saved by her New Master

Ann Norton (Debra Christofferson) Shooting a Rifle in Salem's Lot (2024)
Image via Max


As explained by Susan, Anne does not want her daughter to leave Lot and will do whatever it takes to keep her in town, including hooking her up with people Susan has no interest in. Of course, Anna doesn't like Susan and Ben's romance and He sees a great opportunity in serving Barlowalthough the details of their agreement are unknown. Ann takes her new “job” very seriously and starts shooting at Ben, Mark and Cody as they get into the car, killing Cody.

Anna continues to try to kill Ben as Mark gets into the car and starts it, crashing to the bottom of the screen so that the sun covers the entrance to the car and the vampires burn. As Anna gets closer to Ben, she has no way out. Mark suddenly appears and rushes at him, killing him instantly.

1 Kurt Barlow

Main Vampire Killed on Salem's Lot


The greatest death Salem's Lot certainly Barlow's. Straker first arrives in Lot to open Straker & Barlow, an antique shop, and take up residence in the Marsten house, Barlow is said to be on a long business trip – in fact, Barlow is in the basement of the Marsten house and sends. Let Straker find the victims for him. After some of the Lot's altered inhabitants mention “Master Barlow,” it becomes clear to Ben and the rest that he is a formidable foe to defeat.


As Ben and Mark get into the car, they come face to face with Barlowand just when it looks like Barlow is going to kill Mark, Ben shows up with a pole and impales Barlow. Salem's Lot It shows the light in Barlow's eyes goneas with the other vampires killed throughout the film, it leaves no doubt that the main vampire is finally dead.

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