History Main / TheHunter

[[redirect:HunterOfMonsters]]

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->'''Survivor:''' We're going to die here, aren't we?\\
'''Demon Hunter:''' No. Because as long as I'm here, ''they'' are the prey...and I am the hunter!
-->-- ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'', [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WByqPqwBrzs Demon Hunter trailer]]

There is a group of beings that The Hunter hunts. Maybe it's because of a [[CynicismCatalyst traumatic event in their past]], maybe it's been [[LegacyCharacter passed down through the family]]. Often, it's because those they hunt remind them too much of themselves, or the possibility of what they [[HeWhoFightsMonsters could become]].

The prey of The Hunter tend to be criminals or supernatural monsters. Whether The Hunter is a good guy depends on the alignment of said prey, although almost all Hunters have to wrestle with [[WellIntentionedExtremist fanaticism]]. If they fail to control that fanaticism, they'll eventually discover what happens to HeWhoFightsMonsters.

The most common kind nowadays are {{Vampire Hunter}}s, though {{Demon Slayer}}s and VigilanteMen who target criminals are also common. TheWitchHunter is the least sympathetic variety. TheDragonslayer, however, is almost never a subtrope of The Hunter. Some other non-supernatural varieties are the SerialKillerKiller and the NaziHunter.

The Hunter's motivation is usually one of the following:
* The creatures are a danger to humans (or innocent humans); the desire to protect others is what drives The Hunt.
* The creatures are tortured souls who [[ICannotSelfTerminate Cannot Self Terminate]]. The only thing you can do is to put them ''all'' out of their misery.
* A supernatural authority says that some being shouldn't exist--or the individual believes that it says so, based on personal revelation or scripture--so he becomes a ChurchMilitant on a MissionFromGod.
* The Hunter has suffered a terrible loss of some sort at the hands of the creatures, and now seeks {{revenge}}. This style of Hunter usually has a specific individual among the creatures who he [[ArchEnemy regards as his personal enemy]] (usually the creature responsible for the wrong in question), and is [[RevengeBeforeReason particularly vulnerable]] to HeWhoFightsMonsters.
* Just good old-fashioned prejudice or FantasticRacism. Maybe there is just one type of monster with a bad rep that is the target, maybe The Hunter [[WhatMeasureIsANonhuman hates everything that is]] NotEvenHuman. Even if the character is justified in hunting certain creatures, lumping all of one kind together may blind him to the fact that some of them are FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires, leading to the commission of VanHelsingHateCrimes.
* The Hunter is part of a special government agency dedicated to keeping the country or the world safe from these beings.
* The Hunter is a BloodKnight who sees these beings as perhaps the ultimate challenge and test of his or her skills.
* They are themselves supernatural beings or HalfHumanHybrid killers who [[HunterOfHisOwnKind hunt their own kind or the kind of their more monstrous progenitor]].
* Just plain old profit. The character is a mercenary who hunts the target because it pays well.
* Pleasure. It was once acceptable for the GreatWhiteHunter to kill tigers, but today they are too endangered for that. So why not start hunting a creature that is just as dangerous as HuntingTheMostDangerousGame, [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman but is much more ethical to kill]]?

Occasionally parallels BountyHunter, although for the Hunter, [[ItsPersonal this is always]] ''[[ItsPersonal very]]'' [[ItsPersonal personal]]. (They don't always mind taking money for the endeavor, though. After all, equipment is expensive.)

A Hunter with [[WalkingTheEarth no fixed home]] is probably also a KnightErrant. Depending on the Hunter, may end up committing VanHelsingHateCrimes. Not to be confused with a [[VideoGame/Left4Dead zombie using the same name.]] See also MarySueHunter for the [[MarySue Sue-killing]] type.

For actual ''animal'' hunters, see EgomaniacHunter, who hunts for [[InHarmsWay the hell of it]], EvilPoacher (who hunts endangered animals), and GreatWhiteHunter (the Victorian ideal of hunter-as-GentlemanAdventurer). Any of these tropes may overlap with this one, however.

See also OccultDetective, whose occupation is to investigate supernatural mysteries. May be a BlueCollarWarlock if he uses magic. For groups or organizations that specialize in killing monsters, see CreatureHunterOrganization.

----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* ''LightNovel/VampireHunterD'' hunts vampires, mutants and demons in a post-apocalyptic future. He is the son of none other than {{Dracula}} himself.
* ''Manga/VampirePrincessMiyu'' fights the Shinma (God Demons) as her job and her fate. She is more antiheroic than many Hunters due to her use of humans to trap the Shinma, and sometimes hunting humans as well.
* The SOLOMON organization, a.k.a. STN-J from ''Anime/WitchHunterRobin'', is an organization dedicated to hunting down witches, people born with superhuman abilities that many associate with magic, in order to keep these abilities from being used to hurt others. Robin is a witch who uses her powers in the service of the organization while trying not to [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity fall into insanity]] like the witches they fight frequently do. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that things a lot more sinister are happening behind the scenes, and even witches who have never used their powers for evil have reason to fear the group.
* ''Manga/VenusVersusVirus'' focuses on a group of two girls who fight The Virus, an evil spirit that steals people's souls.
* This pretty much describes the position of Spirit Detective in ''Manga/YuYuHakusho''. After returning to life, Yusuke is hired to solve various supernatural cases, and all of them end with deadly fights against the perpetrators. The trope is abandoned during the Dark Tournament saga as he and his team are busy fighting other teams to death. Resumed once again in the Chapter Black Saga when a major conflict will test the characters' physical and intellectual skills in order to stop the fissure that threatens to bring demons from the Makai. It's also revealed in this latter arc that [[spoiler:Shinobu Sensui]] was a Spirit Detective in the past, and in fact he had been killing demons in self-defense since he was a very small child; Koenma just gave him some structure, and then moral relativism and [[GoMadFromTheRevelation confrontation with human evil]] broke his brain and he decided to KillAllHumans. Finally in the Three Kings saga, the concept of demon hunters and detectives is scrapped entirely for the rest of the main series (and not seen again until ''[[TheMovie Poltergeist Report]]'').
* Subversion: ''Manga/ThoseWhoHuntElves'' (in a T-74 main battle tank, to strip them naked).
* Subversion: Seishirou from ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' hunts a certain set of vampires [[spoiler:because he wants to become one]].
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'': half-demons hunting full-demons.
* Kamui in the ''Franchise/DotHack'' series; Haseo, the star in the later ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU G.U.]]'' series, is also a hunter of Player Killers.
* Many of the "monsters" in ''MugenDensetsuTakamagaharaDreamSaga'' are hunting ''humans'', in revenge for their near-extinction.
* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' begins as a series about vampire hunters (with the subversion being that two of the main characters are vampires themselves), but the manga plot eventually becomes a war story whose entire opposition just happens to be made up of the undead. [[spoiler:And/or robots.]]
* The Flame Hazes of ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' hunt down the [[DemonicInvaders Guze no Tomogara]] in order to protect the balance of the world.
* Quent Yaiden from ''Anime/WolfsRain'' hunts wolves to the point of obsession. However, we feel sorry for him because of Blue, his constant companion and EmpathyPet, and the fact that [[spoiler:his wife and child were killed by wolves]]. Later on, it is revealed that [[spoiler:his family was actually killed by Darcia's soldiers, and the wolves had only been driven to his home because they were caught in the middle.]] It's an understandably tragic misunderstanding, especially considering that [[spoiler:it has long become his only reason for living. When Blue gains the ability to use a human disguise, he does not believe her when she tries to straighten things out. Nor does he (or any of the pack) enjoy Toboe's constant attempts to make peace between parties.]] And if you take it the right way, [[spoiler:this leads to Toboe's death near the end of the series.]]
* Scar from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has dedicated his life to killing every state alchemist and singlehandedly defeating the nation of Amestris, to avenge their genocide of Ishval. Towards the end of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], the Elric brothers take it upon themselves to hunt down and destroy all the homunculi.
* The cast of ''Manga/{{Gantz}}'' are alien hunters. They don't know why, hell, they don't even know what they're hunting half the time.
* After the Eclipse from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', Guts becomes the Black Swordsman, dedicating himself to hunting down the demonic Apostles of the Godhand and putting them to the sword. He also seeks revenge upon Griffith for the betrayal that led to having the Brand of Sacrifice put on his neck and [[spoiler:the utter destruction of his last group of TrueCompanions, not to mention his lover being driven insane]].
* Kurapika from ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' is dedicated to hunting down the Phantom Troupe/Genei Ryodan (also known as The Spider, each member being a leg), the villainous TrueCompanions who are responsible for making Kurapika LastOfHisKind. His vendetta kills about two of the twelve[[note]]not counting the fake 13th member Hisoka, who eventually leaves the group, and his replacement Kalluto[[/note]] of them dead and puts their leader out of play for a considerable period. We visit them beating up a splinter group of the {{Big Bad}}s of the arc-after-next just because Togashi wanted to play with them and their powers more. He has a tendency to bond with his villains.
* Kuroe Kurose from ''Manga/BloodAlone'' was one of these before the series began, and it's something he tries not to bring up, especially considering his living with a vampire.
* The Exorcists in ''Manga/DGrayMan'', or anyone in the Black Order, including scientists and Finders, all joined the Order at one point or another mainly for personal reasons, usually because [[CynicismCatalyst their relatives died from Akuma attacks]], or they embody Innocence and want to put it to use. Occasionally some members of the Black Order have other goals, but the first two are most common.
* In theory, this is the central responsibility of shinigami from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', freeing the tortured souls that have become Hollows so they can reenter the cycle of reincarnation and stop killing and eating people, but what with their having been at war basically since actual shinigami characters started to be introduced, we haven't really seen them do much of it.
* Shinigami of ''[[Manga/DescendantsOfDarkness Yami No Matsuei]]'' are the government-bureaucracy version of this; they manage to combine cop-show tropes with The Hunter tropes, and also all those frilly shoujou tropes. (And in [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs the manga]], ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs tropes. Matsushita's mind is strange.)
* In ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'', one of the original duties of the Wolkenritter was hunting mages or other magical creatures and stealing their mana from their Linker Cores. This process was not deadly and the victims eventually recover after some period of time, but gathering mana meant collecting pages for the [[ArtifactOfDoom Book of Darkness]]. If all [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] pages are complete, the ultimate destruction begins. Fortunately, [[NiceGirl Hayate Yagami]], the last master of this book, breaks the cycle and has overwritten the the system of the book and the four Wolkenritter don't have to collect pages anymore.
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'' has the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG), a paramilitary law enforcement organization charged with enforcing the laws concerning Ghouls, primarily through hunting down and killing them. They handle all cases suspected to involve Ghouls, investigating them and sending out Ghoul Investigators to actually handle killing the targets. Many employees are simple office workers and pencil pushers, but the highly-skilled Ghoul Investigators are trained to battle Ghouls using Quinque -- specialized weapons created from Ghoul corpses. Many of these Investigators were children orphaned by Ghoul attacks, taken in by the organization and "encouraged" to [[CycleOfRevenge pursue]] a higher calling. The Ghouls refer to them as "Doves", referencing the organization's symbol, and most greatly fear them.
* Nagi Kirima from ''Anime/BoogiepopPhantom,'' although in practice she fails more often than she succeeds.
* In ''Youkai Shoujo - Monsuga'', GCUP is a high-tech KnightTemplar organization that hunts {{Youkai}}, which they call Abscesses. They initially try to recruit the protagonist due to his unique abilities, but immediately come into conflict with them by attacking the benevolent youkai that he has befriended.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Comic book/movie example: Comicbook/{{Blade}} (who also shows up in ''ComicBook/SpiderMan''), a half-vampire hunting down full vampires and other supernatural creatures. His reasons are a serious combination of a few of the above mentioned ones.
** In ''ComicBook/TheTombOfDracula'', where Blade was first introduced, there's also Quincy Harker and ''his'' band of vampire hunters working occasionally alongside Blade.
* Comicbook/ThePunisher [[{{Determinator}} relentlessly hunts]] after all criminals. He's an equal opportunity VigilanteMan and OneManArmy.
* Ulysses Bloodstone was the premier monster hunter in the MarvelUniverse. Following his death, the mantle passed to his daughter Elsa.
* Robert Hellsgaard, who features in ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'''s Franken-Castle storyline, is out to kill every single monster on earth after his family was killed by werewolves.
* Graveyard Shift from ''ComicBook/ScareTactics'' is a church sanctioned organisation of vampire hunters.
* The ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' John Constantine, who hunts down normal or supernatural badguys either to protect his beloved London, or just for his personal gain. Gods are no exception.
* Mordecai Chalk from ''ComicBook/AstroCity''. A cyborg monster hunter whose missing body parts were destroyed by occult creatures, Chalk makes quite an impression for a character who was only 'on screen' for a handful of panels.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Blade, naturally, and Agent/Director Peter Wisdom, who used to do this and, according to Harry Dresden, "made InspectorJavert look like Mother Teresa".
* The Hunter in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached''. Downplayed in that his name is actually Jim Hunter, implying that Jeft chose to use him as a character because of his name. If he hunts anything specific (besides forest animals), we don't find out.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4764349/1/Mongoose Mongoose]]'' and its two sequels Harry was obsessed with killing vampires after one turned Ginny and he was forced to stake her.
* ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'' has Nataline "Nat" Homoto, who comes from a long line of demon hunters. She meets the [[WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures Chan clan]] after tracking stories of their battles over the course of the Demon Portal arc, and [[SixthRanger aids them]] in their fights with Bai Tza and showdown with Shendu. Afterwards, [[ButNowIMustGo they part ways]], but she promises to return if they ever need her help again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* When there's something strange in your neighborhood, Who you gonna call? Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}. Except that they don't fight ghosts because of a traumatic event, mission from a higher power, or because they are afraid of becoming ghosts themselves. They fight ghosts because, well, ''they need money''. Also, ForScience.
* Robert Morgan, the protagonist from ''Film/TheLastManOnEarth'', spends his days hunting and staking the mindless, photophobic monsters known in-universe as vampires. [[spoiler:Unwittingly, he's also been depopulating Los Angeles of people that could be reasoned with despite being infected by TheVirus, since they, too, are nocturnal.]]
* ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'' are VigilanteMan Hunters who hunt down and kill the scum of the earth, combining this with a MissionFromGod.
* A ''lot'' of Dracula adaptations turn Abraham Van Helsing from an [[TheSmartGuy aged professor of Medicine]] into this sort of character. The Film/HammerHorror Dracula films are known for this, and ''Film/VanHelsing'' follows in the tradition.
* ''Film/{{Blade}}'', as in the comics, is a half-vampire who hunts full vampires.
* Hans is the titular character in ''Film/TheTrollHunter''.
* General W.R. Monger from ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'', who heads a secret government program to capture monsters and lock them away so that the public doesn't have to worry about them and get on to more important things, like paying taxes. He is more sympathetic than most versions, as he doesn't seek to destroy them, and eventually grants them their freedom in exchange for battling the AlienInvasion.
* At the end of ''Film/LesbianVampireKillers'', Jimmy, Fletch and Lotte vow to become [[TitleDrop lesbian vampire killers]].
* Katniss Everdeen after President Snow in ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart2''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Gerald Tarrant of the ''Literature/ColdfireTrilogy'' is named "The Hunter". Granted, his prey of choice seems to run high on young, attractive, and terrified women but, hey, if you're going to scare the bejeezus out of someone and stalk them through a creepy forest, they might as well be nice to look at.
* ''Literature/ColtRegan'' is this to the various demons and other supernatural nasties that make a ruckus in his vicinity.
* Will Graham, the protagonist of ''Literature/RedDragon'', is an expert at tracking serial killers, able to perfectly empathize with them. He even captured Hannibal Lecter. The problem is that his empathy gets too strong, and he begins thinking like them even when he doesn't intend to. By the time of ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' he's a drunken, deformed wreck.
* What does Takeshi Kovacs of ''Woken Furies'' do after his ex-girlfriend is burnt at the stake by a fundamentalist religion? Why, he tracks down the priests involved, and kills them. Then he kills everyone in the village who was eighteen or older at the time, and could have reasonably been expected to speak up. Then the starts killing ''every member'' of the Knights of the New Revelation on the ''planet''. Because once you start killing people, it's hard to stop.
** He says this himself when the person whom he confessed it to asks "Where does it end?" The answer: "It doesn't."
* The titular witchers of ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' are traveling monster-slayers for hire, gifted with unnatural powers.
* The eponymous hero of [[http://www.vachss.com/ Andrew Vachss]]' ''[[http://www.vachss.com/av_novels/index_theburkeseries.html Burke]]'' novels is a Hunter by nature; having been raised by the state and horribly abused as a child, he has a pathological hatred of child molesters, but he doesn't hunt them full-time--only when he's getting paid or he's been crossed somehow.
* Steel in "Eva Fairdeath" by Creator/TanithLee.
* ''Literature/{{Samhain Island}}'': The St. Charles’s are known for monster hunting, targeting various monsters around the town for their own research and/or personal gain. Zaccaria is the leader, and René is the muscle. Miss Vargas is there too, but isn't all that helpful
* ''Literature/AbrahamLincolnVampireHunter''.
* ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea'': The Hunter Ned Land accuses Nemo of being TheButcher after observing [[KickTheDog him massacring the cachalots]]. Captain Nemo claims to be hunting dangerous plagues.
-->''"Well, sir," replied the Canadian, whose enthusiasm had somewhat calmed; "it is a terrible spectacle, certainly. But I am not a butcher. I am a hunter, [[TheButcher and I call this a butchery]]."''
-->''"It is a massacre of mischievous creatures," replied the Captain; "and the Nautilus is not a butcher's knife."''
* In Creator/TomClancy's ''[[Literature/JackRyan Without Remorse]]'', John Kelly is a retired Navy SEAL who goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the drug dealers who murdered his girlfriend, a recovering prostitute who used to work for them. His persona while doing this fits the trope to a tee: he stalks each target, learns their habits, snatches them up and interrogates them to learn about the next target, then executes them.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Harry Dresden evolves into this, and the Knights of the Cross are these.
* ''Literature/TheMemoryWars'': Nathan Shepherd and Elena De Santis have been these throughout multiple past incarnations.
* Kate of ''Literature/AdventuresOfADemonHuntingSoccerMom'' and the rest of the Catholic organization she belongs to. She's mainly driven by the need to protect her family.
* The antagonist of Creator/WarrenEllis' ''Literature/GunMachine'' is only referred to as this. His "prey" are human beings, although he doesn't seem to recognize them as such.
* ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'': The Shadowhunters protect humanity from supernatural creatures. Subverted somewhat in that the Shadowhunters are themselves supernatural in nature.
* The beasthunters of the ''Literature/JenniferScales'' series are an entire species of this.
* ''Literature/MonsterHunterInternational''. The title says it all.
* ''Literature/{{Pact}}'' has witch hunters, which despite the name often work with local magic users as enforcers and assassins of various supernatural creatures and rivals. Practitioners in the setting of ''Pact'' are unable to lie or to enter dwellings without permission, meaning that a properly trained and equipped ordinary human can be a nasty shock. Andy and Eva, the witch hunters most seen in the story, are a BrainsAndBrawn team that works as enforcers for the council of practitioners that control the small Canadian town of Jacob's Bell.
* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': Katniss, after President Snow in ''Mockingjay''.
* While he specializes in [[VampireHunter vampires,]] Leon hunted all kinds of things before the titular {{Literature/Vampirocracy}} came about.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Brimstone}}''.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''.
** ''Series/{{Angel}}''.
** Holtz embodies this trope.
* ''Series/{{Highlander}}: The Series'' features an organization called the Hunters, an evil offshoot of {{the Watcher}}s dedicated to hunting down and killing Immortals.
* Dean and Sam Winchester from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' and a large part of their supporting cast. The series places a heavy emphasis on how much the life sucks, to the point of {{deconstruction}}: hunters typically make money by hustling pool and poker and credit card fraud, often end up with criminal records, generally end up emotionally traumatized to some degree due to the things they've seen and experienced, and when they die, which they probably will sooner rather than later, there's a good chance no one will know how to dispose of their body properly (if it's even recoverable) but other hunters.
* Pretty much the deal with the Argent family in ''Series/TeenWolf''. They are part of a larger community of such people as well.
* Eric van Helsing in ''Series/YoungDracula''.
* The protagonist of ''Series/{{Werewolf}}''.
* Sylar on ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' hunts down and kills superhumans to [[PowerCopying take their abilities]].
** And now Volume 4: Fugitives will have a character actually named The Hunter, a U.S. Government Black Ops leader whose job it is to hunt down Superhumans for Uncle Sam to send to Super Guantanamo.
*** That's the official plan, but Danko is also perfectly happy to use lethal force in liberal amounts too.
* Series/{{Dexter}} for [[SerialKillerKiller killers not otherwise brought to justice]].
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': Leroy Jethro Gibbs is like that. EVERY time he is tracking a criminal ItsPersonal. When one of his own team is endangered of course [[ItsPersonal Its Really Personal]]
* Van Mcnulty from the ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' episode "[[MeaningfulName Extinction]]". He hunts and kills anyone with superpowers, not caring if they are good or evil. Immediately after discovering Clark's secret ''and'' heroic career, Van attacks him with kryptonite bullets. After Clark defeats him and sends him to jail, he is [[KarmicDeath murdered by two superpowered foes Clark had defeated and jailed earlier in the series]].
** Technically they weren't jailed, they were thrown in the loony bin.
* The Auzora (Blue Sky) Association from ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'' is this to the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent fangires]] and to a lesser extent the other monster races. How extreme it is taken varies between members though. Some are content to allow fangires to live as long as [[VegetarianVampire don't feed on humans]] whereas others will kill all fangires on site. Almost all of them warm up the [[HalfHumanHybrid half-fangire]] protagonist though.
* The Literature/{{Grimm}} are people with the strange ability to see [[OurMonstersAreDifferent Wesen]] for what they are. Additionally, they also have enhanced strength, reaction, and senses that allow them to fight the Wesen on an almost-equal footing. Most Grimm tend to actively hunt Wesen, usually by following up on strange stories or newspaper articles. They also keep journals with pictures of the Wesen's true appearance as well as the best ways to kill them (typically, beheading does the trick, which is why they were called "Decapitare" in ancient times). Nick is a rare Grimm who doesn't actively hunt Wesen. He also doesn't reflexively kill every Wesen he sees, only doing so when he has no choice, and actually has a number of friends who are Wesen (a vegetarian [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Blutbad]] named Monroe, a Fuchsbau named Rosalee, and a perpetually-nervous Eisbiber named Bud), as well as a FriendlyEnemy relationship with his DaChief, who's a half-[[WitchSpecies Zauberbiest]]. In Season 5, [[spoiler:Nick is living with Adalind, a [[WitchSpecies Hexenbiest]] with suppressed abilities, and their Grimm/Hexenbiest son]].
* In ''Series/{{iZombie}}'', Major Lilywhite (Liv's ex-fiancé) eventually finds out about the existence of zombies. He eventually buys a shitload of guns and goes [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Van Helsing]] on a butcher shop, where a number of them work (killing homeless people and supplying the local zombie population with their brains), killing all but one zombie there. After being turned into a zombie and then cured, he gains the ability to sense when a zombie is nearby. [[spoiler:[[CorruptCorporateExecutive Vaughn Du Clark]] then forces him to become a zombie hunter, threatening Liv if he doesn't comply, compiling a list of prominent city figures who have a high likelihood of being zombies. Major has become pretty good at breaking into people's cars and homes, kidnapping zombies (by injecting them with a sedative developed by Du Clark's people), driving them to a bridge, stuffing them in a bag, shooting them in the head, and dumping the bag into the water. He feels remorse, especially since many of the zombies are loving fathers and husbands and appear to be decent people (they didn't choose to be zombies), and has even spared one or two. His day job as a personal trainer helps him get close to many of the suspected zombies]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Manhwa]]
* [[Manhwa/WitchHunter Witch Hunters]] hunt witches. Well, more like are the last bastion of humanity against an overpowered magical force, but the routine is still to hunt single witches.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* The Ranger character class in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' is stereotypically The Hunter. Their "favored enemy" class ability gives them bonuses to finding and killing a specific category of creature. It is possible to [[SubvertedTrope subvert this trope]] by choosing favored enemies for reasons other than those of The Hunter.
** In the original AD&D, all rangers had goblinoids and giants as their enemy, owing to the [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings roots]] of the class, but with the advent of Second Edition, one could choose which kind of enemy their ranger was dedicated to taking down. One could even have a human ranger who had certain kinds of evil humans as a favored enemy, such as pirates, brigands or slavers, or in the case of Drizzt, a drow ranger who rebelled against his own evil kind. The original 3E removed restrictions on alignment, but you could not choose your own race as a favored enemy unless you were evil, which was thrown out for 3.5.
** ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' has Rudolph Van Richten (an AlternateCompanyEquivalent of [[{{Dracula}} Abraham Van Helsing]] in concept), a herbalist turned monster hunter after his son was sold to (and turned) by a vampire, who later killed his wife in revenge. Not only does Van Richten personally go after these deadly evil creatures, but had several books published detailing the results of his research to give others the needed edge to kill the things. And on other monsters he met and had to fight in process, such as werewolves and liches.
*** Depending on how the campaign is run, the PlayerCharacters could also fill this role.
* ''TabletopGame/HunterTheReckoning'', an TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness RPG by Creator/WhiteWolf where all the player characters are monster hunters who've been granted mystical powers and are driven by a new urge to protect mankind from the supernatural beings that live among us. They also have a tendency to be driven insane, and a lot of them (especially those of the Avenger creed) aren't fussy about whether the supernatural beings they hunt deserve to be slaughtered or not.
** While ''Reckoning'' is the main [=oWoD=] Hunter game, there are other hunter groups, many of whom come to the hunt for their own reasons and have their own avenues of power: the Inquisition, the Arcanum, the Benandanti, the Shih, Strike Force Zero, government agencies, criminal organizations, religious groups...In a world as supernatural-heavy as the [=oWoD=], there are a ''lot'' of hunters.
** In the historical ''Dark Ages'' setting, the Shadow Inquisition, predecessor to the modern Inquisition, is the primary hunter group, tasked to hunt the supernatural on behalf of the Catholic Church. Each of its constituent groups has their own set of supernatural knacks... and drawbacks.
* The TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness has ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil'', which draws more on the [=oWoD's=] secondary hunter groups. In [=HtV=], player characters are generally bog-standard humans who become Hunters after some sort of incident breaks TheMasquerade for them (although some have [[DefectorFromDecadence some supernatural heritage]], others can call on some form of magic, and yet others have supertech developed to fight various types of monster).
** Some fan-made supplements also offer their own factions of Hunters:
*** ''TabletopGame/LeviathanTheTempest'' has the Ahabs (people who were made insane by a [[EldritchAbomination Leviathan]] and become obsessed with slaying the creatures responsible for their insanity) and the Marduck Society ({{Science Hero}}es who use super-science to fight Leviathans).
*** ''TabletopGame/DragonTheEmbers'' has the Exterminators (a collective term used to design all mortals who seek Dragon Hearts to destroy them out of hatred for the whole species) and the Knights of the Bloody Chalice (a group of psychotic humans who [[LifeDrinker keep themselves young by bathing in the blood of supernatural creatures]], with a preference for Dragons).
*** ''TabletopGame/SirenTheDrowning'' gives us the Flensers, a secret society of Siren hunters who lure and kill Sirens so they can get immortality from eating their flesh.
* The Witch Hunters of TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} go after their prey (witches, vampires, heresy, the forces of Chaos...) with little more than [[SwordAndGun their weapons]], their unshaking faith in Sigmar, and of course [[NiceHat their hats]]. Some are accompanied by a rabble of zealous henchmen, others work alone.
* The Inquisition of TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} is this ([[UpToEleven on a much larger scale]]. Here the Inquisitor can essentially requisition entire planets, regiments of Guardsmen and even SpaceMarines if he so chooses (Though he is usually polite about it), and often the dangers they hunt require that kind of firepower to destroy. The Inquisition is divided into many groups or "Ordos" specializing in various prey, but only three have any real clout: rooting out traitors and heretics (Ordo Hereticus), dealing with Chaos Daemons and incursions (Ordo Malleus), or learning about/shooting aliens (Ordo Xenos).
* The children of ''TabletopGame/LittleFears'' are often driven to this on account of the fact that once they realize the monsters are out there, the monsters become aware of them, making it a matter of kill or be killed.
* The game ''Monster of the Week'' is all about monster hunters of pretty much every stripe that go forth and hunt down the supernatural.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Hunter]] of ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', who doubles as DreamWalker, travels across the land of [[DreamLand Yharnam]] to hunt beasts and to halt the [[EldritchAbomination source]] of the [[NightmareSequence nightmare]]. Besides, almost every NPC encountered outdoors and out of the safe zones is one such character, even referred to as such. The three different covenants of the game each follow a certain aspect of the archetype - The [[spoiler: Vilebloods]] hunt for pleasure, the [[spoiler: Executioners]] hunt for the ChurchMilitant, and the [[spoiler: Hunters of Hunters]] hunt to protect humanity. [[spoiler: And thanks to the Paleblood transfusion that becoming a hunter requires, you're more or less a HunterOfHisOwnKind as well.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** Samus Aran hunts the SpacePirates who devastated her homeworld and left her the sole survivor of the whole planet. In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', files recovered from a Space Pirate ship indicates that they refer to her, literally, as "The Hunter". Since the Space Pirates are bug-like aliens, however, she can easily slaughter them by the thousands without worrying about the usual psychological problems.
** There's also her recurring troubles with the series' eponymous creatures. In ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', the entire point of the game is to commit xenocide, wiping the Metroids off the planet one by one.
** In the ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', the Space Pirates [[ApocalypticLog react]] to the appearance of [[EvilTwin Dark Samus]] by referring to a "Dark Hunter." Hilarious to read at first, as they express their horror at being hounded by ''two'' Hunters... but by ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', Dark Samus has become their ''leader'', resulting in some nightmarish logs detailing the Pirates' blind fanaticism and devotion to her.
* The Belmont family in the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games, as well as the Belnades and Morris families. The Belmonts are described as a clan of vampire hunters, but in the end it's only really Dracula (and his countless minions) that they wind up hunting.
* The titular player characters from ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'', who are card-carrying members of the [[CreatureHunterOrganization Hunter's Guild]], have the primary task of ensuring the safety and survival of civilization in the face of titanic, city-destroying wild animals and dragons by keeping their numbers manageable through hunting. It's subverted, however, in that the Guild itself, alongside several independent organizations, carry out monster preservation activities to ensure ecological stability. Of course, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation one won't be able to tell that]] given the [[ItemFarming grindy]] nature of the game.
* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'''s Ashrah is a demon who hunts others of her kind. She wields a holy sword that cleanses her of her demonic essence bit by bit with every demon warrior she kills with it, and she hopes to become completely purified and holy this way.
* As the name implies, Witch Hunters from ''VideoGame/WarhammerOnline'' hunt rogue witches.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'':
** The future Tohno(/Nanaya) Shiki becomes this, hunting down the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors (some of the most powerful beings on the planet) for the sake of the vastly-weakened Arcueid. He is ''good'' at it.
** Arcueid herself. She's been chasing one single vampire for 800 years, killing any of the others who get in her way. Even before going after him, she hunted the Demon Lords, fallen True Ancestors.
** The [[ChurchMilitant Holy Church]] has the Assembly of the Eighth Sacrament, a whole ''army'' of hunters dedicated to exterminating vampires and other threats to mankind. Among them we have the Burial Agency, seven (plus one) people or creatures chosen not for their faith but for the power and the will to exterminate the most dangerous creatures in the world that the Church finds inconvenient. Including the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, with the exception of the one who is among their numbers.
** Enhance, one of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors, is hunting down his own kin to slay all vampires. If he shows up at a vampire coven, he'll leave no survivors.
** Barthomeloi Lorelei, one of the leaders of the Magical Association, harbors a fanatical hate for vampires and the power to kill even the Dead Apostle Ancestors.
* The Maverick Hunters of the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series. Ironically, one of the organization's greatest hunters becomes a primary target of a similar organization, the Neo Arcadian military, in the SequelSeries ''VideoGame/MegaManZero''.
* The ''VideoGame/HellgateLondon'' features a faction called Hunters though they aren't the only ones out for demon blood.
* Videogame/{{Half-Life 2}}'s Father Grigori is clearly of the "putting a damned creature out of its misery" type. "A shepard must tend to his flock!", where his flock is the town of Ravenholm, who have all apparently become zombies.
* VideoGame/GabrielKnight is descended from the Ritters of Bavaria, a family line whose men were ''Schattenjägers'', a German word loosely translating to "shadow hunters".
* Juliet from ''VideoGame/LollipopChainsaw''; the game itself is ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' on [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs on acid instead of meth]], but she ''is'' a professional zombie hunter when she isn't a cheerleader.
* Some characters in GirlsLove VisualNovel ''VisualNovel/AkaiIto'' and its sort-of sequel ''VisualNovel/AoiShiro'' fits hunter archetype.
** [[LittleMissBadass Tsudura]] and Uzuki from ''Akai Ito'' are part of an ancient clan of demon hunters (the "[[DemonSlayer Onikiri]]"). [[spoiler: Tsudura is even ''the'' [[IJustWantToHaveFriends (unwilling)]] leader of it.]] From ''Aoi Shiro'', [[PluckyGirl Migiwa]] is also member of similar clan, except based in the southern islands. [[JerkAss Kohaku]] was turned into [[WhoWantsToLiveForever immortal oni]] long time ago by [[ViewerGenderConfusion her]] sorcerer foster-father, and now [[IHateYouVampireDad seek epic vendetta against him and his creations]]. Kaya is BackFromTheDead and is on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge to avenge her little sister [[spoiler: that is, you]].
** The most dramatic example of The Hunter in this series is [[spoiler: the main character of ''VisualNovel/AkaiIto'', Kei herself, in one of the [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Sakuya]] routes. She was killed by the BigBad Nushi, and was given EmergencyTransformation by [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Sakuya]]. She returned to (un?)life and, with Sakuya, is now going to kick the asses of Nushi's cultists for all eternity.]]
** And hunters in this series are prone to all kind of moral problems that a hunter can expect to face in her career. [[VanHelsingHateCrimes Universally, they believe that all non-humans must be terminated]]. [[spoiler: It's strongly implied that Tsudura have [[ShootTheDog shot several dogs]]. Uzuki was DrivenToSuicide [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone after she accidentally killed Kei]], believing that she's NotSoDifferent from her quarries. Migiwa [[IDidWhatIHadToDo destroyed the astral body of Yasumi]], rendering her comatose for the rest of her life. Both Kohaku and Kaya will not stop at anything to exact their {{Revenge}}, and in Kaya's case she can tragically kill ''you''.]]
* AngryBlackMan and recruitable ranger Valygar Corthala in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' is a wizard hunter thanks to a long family history of magical obsession leading to evil and death, although his favoured enemy is "golems" (presumably because a lot of evil mages use them). The only real question that has to be asked is why he's a ranger given that there's a fighter subclass known as the Wizard Slayer and specifically geared up to kill mages.
* The Demon Hunter class from ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' is a ranged class that is dedicated to DemonSlaying. They're typically recruited from among the survivors of villages ravaged by TheLegionsOfHell, and they're primarily motivated by vengeance against demons in general. The PlayerCharacter among them lost a sister to demon-induced madness after the two of them survived the destruction of their village.
* Eponymous characters of ''VideoGame/DragonValor'' hunt dragons, who represent the evil in the world.
* The Dragonborn from ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', who is considered to be the ''ultimate'' Dragon Slayer and "''[[TheDreaded The One They Fear]]''". According to lore, the Dragonborn are sent by Akatosh, for the sole purpose of acting as a [[AlwaysABiggerFish natural predator]] to Dragons.
** The Blades, one of the factions the Dragonborn can ally with, are an even bigger example of this. Before becoming the personal bodyguard of the Emperor[[note]]In essence, they are still serving the Dragonborn, given that a true Emperor is always a Dragonborn, since they rule by the divine right of Akatosh, the Dragon-god of Time[[/note]], the Blades started out as renowned dragonslayers who served the Dragonborn. Unfortunately, the remnant of the Blades that survived the Thalmor's purge seem more bent on revenge against all dragonkind than anything else, to the point that [[spoiler:after a certain point of the main storyline, they refuse to have anything more to do with you until you kill Paarthurnax, the leader of the Greybeards and the dragon who has likely become your greatest ally against Alduin, the true BigBad]].
** The Vigilants of Stendarr are also an order of these, except dedicated to taking out werewolves, vampires, the undead, and daedra/daedra worshippers. Unfortunately, they're [[TooDumbToLive not very good at their job]]. Depending on the side the player chooses, the [[DownloadableContent Dawnguard]] may fare better, though.
* Commander Shepard of ''Franchise/MassEffect'' is revered across the Galaxy as the ''only'' person who has managed to kill ''several'' [[BigBad Reapers]], most of the time doing so entirely ''on foot'', either through clever tactics or while practically [[StaringDownCthulhu staring them down]]. Even the Reapers know his/her name and are frankly terrified of him/her.
--> '''Dying Reaper''': [[AC: Shepard?!]]
--> '''Shepard''': You know who I am?
--> '''Dying Reaper''': [[AC: Harbinger speaks of [[WorthyOpponent you!]]]]
** Even [[spoiler:Leviathan, one of the beings who created the AI that eventually created the Reapers]] says that Shepard is the ''only'' being that the [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]] have ever [[TheDreaded feared]], in their billion plus years of existence.
* Rayne of the ''VideoGame/BloodRayne'' series. She's dedicated her life to hunting down [[IHateYouVampireDad her vampire father]], Kagan, and his other offspring. She has since also become an assassin and agent for the Brimstone society, who dispatch her against supernatural threats. During WorldWarII she carried out assassinations of Nazi officers and scientists involved in paranormal warfare and research on behalf of the Allies on Brimstone's orders.
* Isaac Clarke becomes this over the course of the ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' series.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has a playable class called a Hunter[[note]]Creator/ChuckNorris plays a hunter, but he does not hunt, because hunting implies the possibility of failure[[/note]], but this trope is more closely represented by the NPC demon hunters. Lorewise, Illidan Stormrage is/was regarded as ''the'' demon hunter.
* Dante from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' is a [[HalfHumanHybrid half]] [[HunterOfHisOwnKind demon]] who works as a mercenary that hunts demons to avenge the death of his mother at their hands. He also has shades of a BloodKnight as he clearly enjoys himself at it.
* Monsters sometimes appear in the village in ''VideoGame/HometownStory'' and some of the villagers are hunters whose job explicitly include protecting the village from said monsters.
* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Hunters]] of ''Videogame/{{Evolve}}''. They each have their own motives, including [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge]], a WorthyOpponent, [[OnlyInItForTheMoney money]], ForScience, being a DeathSeeker, being a BloodKnight, or simple self-preservation.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* The Hunters in ''Webcomic/{{Weregeek}}'' believe TabletopRPG players are a menace to society, to be stamped out with deadly force.
* Both the Vatican and the Norse "[=Æ=]sir" churches field specialist troops to hunt down and exterminate immortals in ''Webcomic/CryHavoc''.
* Abner Van Slyk, professional vampire hunter of ''Webcomic/HannaIsNotABoysName''. Bad news for [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Conrad]].
* In ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'', the elven rangers are this, hunting down half-elves because the elves believe they all inevitably go [[AxCrazy murderously insane]]. [[spoiler: It's suggested, though, that some rangers will let them go if the half-elf in question isn't a danger]].
* {{Parodied}} with Tiffany Winters of ''Webcomic/EerieCuties'' and ''Webcomic/MagickChicks''. Being an {{expy}} of [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy Summers]], she's dedicated to slaying vampire main character Layla [=DeLaCroix=], who in turn is completely unaware of this fact. Her attempts to stake Layla usually end abruptly, due to being [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/limited-edition easily]] [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/one-headed_cerberus distracted]] and because of how well they get along, as they [[NotSoDifferent share a lot in common.]] Hence, why it was almost inevitable that they eventually became best friends. [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/i_am_your_best_friend Sorta.]]
* Jordan in ''Webcomic/HeadTrip'' is a [[http://headtrip.keenspot.com/d/20090302.html Furry Slayer]] -in-training. Or at least wants to be.
* ''L.A.W.L.S.'' comic has [[PerkyGoth Autumn]], [[http://lawlscomic.com/a-bit-too-whedon/ The Slayer]]--more specifically, [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom Furry]] Slayer.
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' has:
** [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20060315 Vespiary Squad]], an elite team specialized in hunting [[PuppeteerParasite Slaver Wasps]] and containing (or killing [[ZombieInfectee revenants]] if anyone is already infected. From what we saw, they're very good against wasp warriors--established to be formidable even as battle constructs go--but mediocre against experienced human opponents. They have the characteristic Hunter [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120611 attitude]] and even habitually strap [[BattleTrophy skulls of Hive Warriors]] over their helmets.
** Othar qualifies as well. He's on a quest to eliminate Sparks from the world, including (eventually) himself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''{{WebAnimation/RWBY}}'', the continent named Vytal trains teenagers into becoming Hunters of the [[TheHeartless Grimm]]. They aren't directly called Hunters, however: it's "Huntsmen" if male and "Huntress" if female.
* Nightbane, of the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', hunts supernatural monsters: vampires, goblins, what-have-you. She's currently trying to kill Carmilla. Only one problem: [[spoiler: Carmilla is one of the heroes in this universe]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* First Gillecomgain and Duncan, then the Canmore family, from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' are dedicated to hunting down and exterminating the titular creatures.
* Valerie Gray from ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' who's under the delusion that all ghosts are evil--her job originally started with her getting revenge on one who [[FallenPrincess ruined her perfect life]].
** There's also Skulker, who generally hunts rare [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts]]. During his first appearance, he made a comment roughly along wanting "to hang [Danny's] pelt at the end of [his] bed".
** Also Danny's parents, who are professional ghost hunters, and also happen to unknowingly supply him with all of his ghost hunting equipment.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' there's Jefferson Twilight, blacula hunter, dedicated himself to the elimination of black vampires after his mother was raped by a group of them when he was 10. He breaks off their fangs to add to his necklace before he kills them. He even has a "blood eye" that allows him to detect the presence of blaculas despite not being magic in any other significant way. Keep in mind, the eye only works on blaculas- vampires of other races are not his quarry, and so he can't magically detect them.
* Jet from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. He gains an intense hatred for people of the Fire Nation after his village is destroyed and his parents are killed in a raid by the Rough Rhinos, spending most of his onscreen appearances attempting to kill or expose firebenders.
** Crosses into HeWhoFightsMonsters when he attempts to massacre an entire Fire Nation village, men, women, children, elderly, bender or not.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MaryShelleysFrankenhole'', it's a drunken redneck named Joe. He's mostly a VampireHunter but has FantasticRacism for most creatures.
* Dr. Nicholas Van Helden from ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' episode "Transylvanian Homesick Blues" is a villainous example. The vampire Count Vostak (who actually seems harmless) explains that Stoker's novel is a fictionalized account of his longstanding feud between his and Van Helden's family; exactly how justified the feud was, he doesn't say, but Van Helden is clearly doing it because [[FantasticRacism he hates vampires]], and is more than willing to commit immoral acts (including potentially murdering humans) to continue it.
* Gutner Van Halen from ''WesternAnimation/FrankensteinsCat''. Van Halen, the "Monster Man", is a monster hunter who, as he puts it, "dedicated his life and limbs to their destruction", which is saying something, as he has sustained a few scars in his career; he lost his left arm whilst capturing a Two-Headed Transylvanian Zombie and lost his nose to a Giant Blood-Sucking Leech of the Black Lagoon. How he lost his left eye and his right leg are not known.
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' has the Huntsclan, a whole and fairly large organization of people dedicated to exterminate magical creatures. The strongest ones are easily recognized for their helmet, AKA the skull of the first dragon they slayed.
[[/folder]]

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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5c66d971e0f25da3b0a4c3dd96df2019.png]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[http://admirawijaya.deviantart.com/art/The-Wolf-hunter-II-507037111 Image]] by [[http://admirawijaya.deviantart.com/ AdmiraWijaya]]]]-]

[[quoteright:239:[[Film/HammerHorror http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cushing.JPG]]]]
[[caption-width-right:239:Creator/PeterCushing, professional Creator/ChristopherLee-catcher]]

->'''Survivor:''' We're going to die here, aren't we?
->'''Demon Hunter:''' No. Because as long as I'm here, ''they'' are the prey...and I am the hunter!

-->--'''''VideoGame/DiabloIII''''', [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WByqPqwBrzs Demon Hunter trailer]]

* The Literature/{{Grimm}} are people with the strange ability to see [[OurMonstersAreDifferent Wesen]] for what they are. Additionally, they also have enhanced strength, reaction, and senses that allow them to fight the Wesen on an almost-equal footing. Most Grimm tend to actively hunt Wesen, usually by following up on strange stories or newspaper articles. They also keep journals with pictures of the Wesen's true appearance as well as the best ways to kill them (typically, beheading does the trick, which is why they were called "Decapitare" in ancient times). Nick is a rare Grimm who doesn't actively hunt Wesen. He also doesn't reflexively kill every Wesen he sees, only doing so when he has no choice, and actually has a number of friends who are Wesen (a vegetarian [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Blutbad]] named Monroe, a Fuchsbau named Rosalee, and a perpetually-nervous [[BusyBeaver Eisbiber]] named Bud), as well as a FriendlyEnemy relationship with his DaChief, who's a half-[[WitchSpecies Zauberbiest]]. In Season 5, [[spoiler:Nick is living with Adalind, a [[WitchSpecies Hexenbiest]] with suppressed abilities, and their Grimm/Hexenbiest son]].

* Sylar on ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' hunts down and kills superhumans to [[MegaManning take their abilities]].

* Comic book/movie example: Comicbook/{{Blade}} (who also shows up in ''{{Spiderman}}''), a half-vampire hunting down full vampires and other supernatural creatures. His reasons are a serious combination of a few of the above mentioned ones.

Occasionally parallels BountyHunter, although for the Hunter, this is always ''very'' personal. (They don't always mind taking money for the endeavor, though. After all, equipment is expensive.)