Denis is a mortal boy who resides with the vampires at the Théâtre des Vampires. Little is known of his history, but he is revealed to be an intimate companion of Armand.
When Louis and Claudia visit Armand at the Théâtre des Vampires, Armand offers Denis to Louis hospitably, and Denis readily surrenders himself to the possibility that Louis might kill him. Through Denis, Louis experiences for the first time a mortal’s willing desire to be bitten by a vampire. And through Louis drinking Denis’s blood, Armand witnesses Louis’s sympathy for mortal victims, increasing Armand’s longing for companionship with Louis, which spurs their debate on the nature of good and evil. Claudia views Denis as nothing more than Armand’s slave, but Louis views him as the image of love, not mortal love, but vampiric love, which, for Louis, culminates in the kill. As Armand’s attraction to Louis intensifies, and as he contrives to part Louis from Claudia, he confesses to Louis that he has killed Denis. The news shocks Louis, but Armand gently assures him that Denis had to die because “it was best.”
Denis appears in Interview with the Vampire (1976). For more perspectives on his character, read the Alphabettery entries Armand, Claudia, Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Théâtre des Vampires.