Lestat de Lioncourt (French: [lɛstat də ljɔ̃kuʁ]) is a fictional character from Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles novel series.

[2] Lestat is the lead character in most novels in the main series, including The Queen of the Damned (1988), The Tale of the Body Thief (1992), Memnoch the Devil (1995), and Blood Canticle (2003).

[5] According to the characters themselves, who discuss the issue in Blackwood Farm, Blood Canticle and Memnoch the Devil, the name is pronounced "les-dot" "with a rather French flair."

Because of his boldness, enthusiasm, and defiance, Lestat's seniors refer to him affectionately as "The Brat Prince", a title of which he is very fond.

In The Vampire Lestat, he notes that despite his French accent, he speaks English "like a cross between a boatman and Sam Spade" and is fond of slang.

For instance, after he first becomes a vampire, he sends large gifts to his family and friends, purchases the theatre where he once worked, and settles the debts of his old manager, Renaud.

Later, after his brothers and family are killed in the French Revolution, he steps forward to care for his ailing father, the only survivor, despite their hateful relationship.

As a vampire, Lestat's abilities include telepathy, mind reading, superhuman physical attributes, and rapid healing.

After receiving blood from several ancient vampires, including Magnus, Marius de Romanus, and Akasha, Lestat's strength increases dramatically and allows him to fly, perform feats of telekinesis and pyrokinesis, and survive exposure to the sun.

After Lestat ate the brain of Mekare, he was infused with the spirit of Amel and became the Host of the Sacred Core, effectively making himself the most powerful vampire on the planet.

While they are technically aristocrats, the de Lioncourt family's fortune has been squandered, and they live in relative poverty in their medieval castle.

Although his bravery wins him the respect and admiration of the villagers, who present him with a lush red velvet cloak and boots made from the pelts of the wolves, he goes into a deep depression.

Prodded by Gabrielle, he eventually leaves Auvergne with friend and lover Nicolas and heads for Paris, intending to become an actor.

For this very reason Lestat makes a dying Gabrielle his first vampire companion when she comes to Paris in search of her son, wishing to see him before she succumbs to consumption.

Nicolas founds the Théàtre des Vampires, while Lestat and Gabrielle leave Paris to explore the world.

Unhappy with life as a vampire, Nicolas immolates himself in a bonfire, leaving Lestat scarred with his insanity and death.

While Lestat spoils Claudia and tries to teach her how to behave like a vampire, she largely ignores him and reserves her love for Louis.

In 1860, after 65 years of living together, Claudia rebels and tries to kill Lestat by giving him two dead boys poisoned with absinthe and laudanum, then cutting his throat and stabbing him in the chest.

This version of events, however, is also refuted by Lestat, who made no mention of contact with Louis in that era, though he had been visited by Armand and freely admits that his memory of this period is fragmented.

He openly disregards and refuses to show fear to Armand, the leader of the Paris coven, even when confronted with the possibility of execution.

Lestat seeks him out as a mentor in the late 18th century, leaving him messages across Europe and Asia until Marius decides to reveal himself.

Lestat is entirely responsible for the epic triumph and tragedy told in The Queen of the Damned, after he presents himself to the world through his autobiography and formation of a rock band, singing vampire secrets.

After the mysterious and mystical events of Memnoch the Devil, Lestat falls into a vampiric sleep from which the Mayfair witch Merrick eventually manages to wake him, forging a bond between them.

Rowan eventually asks Lestat to turn her into a vampire but, despite their feelings toward one another, he painfully chose not to, because she is a guiding figure in the Mayfair family and he cannot take her away from it or from her faithful and loving husband Michael.

[11] Lestat became the name and focus of a gothic rock band in Cleveland, Ohio, signed by Jevan Records who split up in 1999.