What Is a Daywalker (and Is the Term Offensive)?

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Explore the origins and meanings of “daywalker”

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: October 2, 2025 Fact Checked

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Daywalkers in Vampire Lore

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Daywalkers in South Park

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Daywalking in Night Owl Culture

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Daywalker as a Metaphor

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Is "daywalker" offensive?

The term “daywalker” originates from Marvel’s Blade character. Blade is a half-human, half-vampire hybrid (known as a dhampir), and unlike other vampires, he’s able to walk in the sun. But over time, the meaning of “daywalker” has broadened. We’re breaking down all the different ways it’s used, including vampire lore, that South Park episode, and night owl culture.

What is a daywalker?

Daywalkers typically refer to vampires who can go in the sun without being harmed. In some vampire stories, like Blade, these are half-human, half-vampire hybrids called dhampirs. In the “Ginger Kids” episode of South Park, daywalkers are redheads who don’t sunburn easily.

Section 1 of 5:

What is a Daywalker in Vampire Lore?

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“Daywalker” usually refers to a vampire that can withstand sunlight. Marvel’s 1998 Blade movie portrayed Blade as a vampire hybrid who was able to walk in the sun—a Daywalker. The comics followed suit, and Blade became a Daywalker in the Blade: Vampire Hunter series, which began running in 1999.^{[1]
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Research source} Other day-walking vampires followed suit, including:
- True Blood: Faerie-vampire hybrids or vampires who drink faerie blood have the ability to walk in the sun without being harmed. This ability is known as daywalking.^{[2]
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- Disney’s Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 4: Dawn of the Vampires: In the fourth installment of the Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise, Daywalkers are vampires with the ability to walk during the day. They are initially the enemies of the Nightwalking Vampires.^{[3]
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- Vampire Princess Miyu: In this animated series from Japan, Miyu is a human-vampire hybrid who is not harmed by sunlight.^{[4]
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- Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase: In this manga, some vampires have the ability to walk in daylight.^{[5]
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Section 2 of 5:

Daywalkers in Pop Culture: South Park & Trevor Noah

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In South Park, “Daywalkers” are redheads who don’t easily sunburn. It comes from the episode “Ginger Kids.” Daywalkers may not be as pale as other redheads, and may or may not have freckles. This is contrasted with “traditional” redheads (sometimes called “gingers”) who have pale skin and freckles and who are prone to sunburns.^{[6]
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- In the episode, “ginger kids” are portrayed as evil and soulless, while “Daywalkers” are said to have a soul.
- Similarly, in Trevor Noah’s standup comedy special “Daywalker,” he explains that as a mixed-race child in South Africa, he was mistaken for being an albino. He was called “Daywalker” because he was able to walk in the sun without being burned, unlike a person with true albinism.^{[7]
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Section 3 of 5:

Daywalking in Night Owl Culture

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“Daywalking” sometimes means people who are up during the day. It’s commonly used by night owls or shift workers who spend most of their time awake at night. It’s usually used in an irreverent or mildly derogatory way, but it’s not really considered an offensive insult.
- Someone might also refer to themselves in this way if they tend to be a night owl but still have to make daytime appearances at work.

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Daywalker as a Metaphor

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Just like most Daywalkers are half human and half vampire, some people refer to themselves as Daywalkers to show that they feel like they’re not quite one thing or another. For instance, some neurodiverse people might refer to themselves as “Daywalkers” because they feel like they don’t feel like they quite fit a diagnosis, but aren’t quite the same as neurotypical people, either.

Section 5 of 5:

Is the term “daywalker” offensive?

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The term “daywalker” usually isn’t offensive, but it can be sometimes. It’s most commonly used to describe a type of vampire. When it’s used to mean people who are awake during the day, it can sometimes be mildly derogatory, but it’s not usually taken as an offense.
- That said, some people with red hair might find the term offensive. The term can be especially hurtful when it’s used to insinuate that redheads who don’t sunburn easily are superior or that “daywalkers” have souls while paler-skinned, freckled redheads do not.