Vlad III

Vlad Țepeș (the Impaler), was a 15th-century Romanian prince. He is a complex historical figure, considered a national hero in Romania for having defended Christianity and his territory from the advance of the Ottoman Empire. However, his ruthlessness in punishing enemies and traitors earned him a reputation for extreme cruelty, inspiring the literary character of Bram Stoker's Count Dracula centuries later.