A Vampire's transformation is not nearly as startling as their Lycan counterparts. When they transform, their eyes turn a startling shade of electric blue or bright gold, while their eye teeth lengthen to become pointed fangs. At all times, the lateral incisors on all vampires are elongated and come to a sharp point. The Underworld vampires display most of the prominent vampire traits seen in myth and in popular culture: super strength, reflexes, coordination, speed, resilience and stamina, regeneration process and heightened senses. Selene and several other Death Dealers have been seen leaping from very high places; at least 10 stories in some places, and landing without injury or harm. Selene has been shown moving with enough speed to evade gunfire in Evolution, and to outrun an enraged Raze in the first film. All vampires, on the other hand, share a common weakness to sunlight, possibly due to a fatal allergic reaction to Ultraviolet radiation. The Lycans, at the beginning of Underworld, take advantage of this weakness by filling their bullets with a photogenic solution (or, as Kahn says during his first appearance, "daylight harnessed as a weapon"). These were originally developed as a sort of high-tech tracer round by the human military, which the Lycans then stole and converted to their own purposes.

Selene was also seen using her super strength to pin Michael against a wall several feet off of the ground, as well as performing spectacular leaps on numerous occasions, striking her enemies with tremendous force. She was shown to be powerful enough to survive a shotgun blast in the chest at point blank range, and easily throw Hungarian police officers around like dolls. It is possible that Selene was stronger and more powerful because she was bitten by the Vampire Elder Viktor.

It can be assumed that the other vampires possessed various degrees of these abilities, due to their age and experience. Their heightened senses manifest in acutely increased depth perception, sense of smell, hearing, and nightvision (which may outwardly manifest as electric blue eyes or gold eyes). Erika, a low-level vampire, is shown to have the ability to cling to the ceiling and jump at superhuman speed.

In the Underworld films, Lycans display a number of greatly enhanced physical attributes. As with their rivals, the vampires, Lycans are immortal, able to live for hundreds of years (William survived over 800 years of captivity with no food or water in hibernation). They possess enhanced strength, speed and regeneration abilities.