What We Do in the Shadows: Nandor and Guillermo

Overview of Nandor and Guillermo in the Show

What We Do in the Shadows centers on a vampire household in Staten Island, blending mockumentary humor with centuries of immortal drama. Nandor, a 700plusyear-old Eastern European vampire, and Guillermo, his mortal familiar, form one of the show’s most consequential pairings. Their dynamic anchors multiple seasons, balancing lethargic scheming, existential dread, and awkward devotion. This evergreen profile explains their roles, powers, relationships, and canonical status for long term usefulness.

Nandor: Background and Vampiric Traits

Origin and Age

Originally from the region that is now Latvia, Nandor was turned in the early 1700s. He was a military commander before becoming undead, and he retains a martial mindset despite prolonged inertia. His accent, formal diction, and nostalgic references to “the old country” emphasize his centuries long displacement.

Powers and Limitations

Like other vampires in the series, Nandor possesses superhuman strength, speed, and nearinvulnerability to conventional harm. He can transform into a bat, though the show treats this ability as unreliable and occasionally dangerous. Sunlight is fatal; he relies on staying indoors during the day or using elaborate shade setups, which frequently fail at the worst moments.

Goals and Motivations

Nandor’s primary objectives are survival, comfort, and the preservation of his lineage. He oscillates between grandiose plans and apathy, often falling asleep mid scheme. His relationship with Guillermo is central: he oscillates between seeing him as disposable labor, a pet, and an irreplaceable confidant. Despite his cruelty, he shows moments of protective loyalty that complicate his villainous reputation.

Guillermo: Role and Mortality

Job Description and Skills

Guillermo serves as the vampires’ familiar, managing errands, security, and logistics that require daytime activity. He is a competent fighter, strategist, and hacker, often outperforming the undead members of the household. His skills make him indispensable, even as he is treated inconsistently as staff, friend, and potential meal.

Evolution and Vulnerabilities

Initially presented as a background servant, Guillermo gains greater narrative weight as the series progresses. He transitions from a mortal human to a half turned familiar, and later into a more complex role within the vampire hierarchy. His mortality remains a core tension; the show repeatedly highlights how his usefulness and leverage stem from the vampires’ dependence on a being they can die.

Relationship Dynamics and Key Episodes

Nandor and Guillermo share a layered bond that mixes exploitation with genuine attachment. Nandor alternates between belittling Guillermo and praising his competence, often within the same scene. Guillermo endures this treatment while leveraging his indispensability to secure autonomy and resources. Their interactions provide much of the show’s emotional undercurrent, especially when power shifts or existential threats arise.

Notable Milestones

Canonical Status and Franchise Presence

Both characters originate from the 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows before appearing in the ongoing series. The series expands their backstories while largely preserving their core personalities. Nandor’s immortality and familiar hierarchy are consistent with the film’s rules, and Guillermo’s trajectory is treated as canonical within the show’s continuity. No major retcons have invalidated their established roles.

Practical Takeaways and Thematic Role

• Companionship within imbalance: Nandor and Guillermo highlight how dependency can foster both cruelty and genuine care.
• Power through competence: Guillermo’s value shows how indispensable humans can be within supernatural systems.
• Immortality’s stagnation vs growth: Nandor’s repetition contrasts Guillermo’s evolution, questioning what it means to move forward as an undead or mortal person.