Professor Van Helsing is an eclectic who utilises a combination of science, superstition, and religion to conquer Dracula. Unlike Doctor Seward, Van Helsing does not predominantly rely on one field to explain all, but on the knowledge of multiple fields. His character is portrayed as a well- matched adversary to the Count, possessing knowledge that far exceeds his English counterparts who are depicted as being too consumed with scientific reasoning. He exists within a paradox of two worlds – the old and the new. By uniting them both, he has acquired a unique mastery over the inexplicable. Van Helsing thus highlights the fallibility of a society that relies too heavily on science, and his triumph at the end of the novel suggests that superstition and religion should not be overlooked as lesser forms of knowledge.
