Thanasis Vagias (Greek: Θανάσης Βάγιας; Albanian: Thanas Vaja; 1765–1834) was a Greek counselor and confidant of Ali Pasha, the Muslim Albanian ruler of Ottoman Epirus.
[2][3] His name had become notorious because, under Ali's service, he led an attack against the village of Kardhiq, near Gjirokaster, modern southern Albania.
[5] When the Greek War of Independence ended, Vagias moved to the newly founded Greek state and was given a government post and later acquired a pension, by the head of state of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias.
In this work, Vagias is presented as a traitor, who after his death returns to his home place as a vampire.
[8] Additionally, one of the main characters of the Greek traditional shadow theatre, Karagiozis, is named Thanasis Vagias, who is a servant of Ali Pasha and is portrayed as a cowardly warrior.