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For as long as humans have been afraid of the dark we have imagined what evil monstrosities dwell within it. We hold a deep and primal attraction to monsters but we also take comfort in heroes that vanquish the evil that scratches on our doors. Audiences love to follow the adventures of characters who take up arms against the undead and devote their lives to facing what goes bump in the night. Let’s take a look at the best monster hunters of pop culture.
Credit: Warner Bros. Television
You could say these fellas ended up in the family business as their quest to rid the world of monsters was passed down to them from their father and his father before him. They cruise around in a classic muscle car with a trunk full of demon killing weapons and blast classic rock music. What’s not to like here? They bring an air of cool badassery to the monster killing game and audiences thrilled to their adventures for 15 seasons of television.
Credit: New Line Cinema
Half vampire/half human, Blade devotes his life to ridding the planet of bloodsuckers. Dubbed the “Daywalker” by his undead enemies he famously has all of vampires’ powers and none of their weaknesses. His expertise with a sword and martial arts comes in handy as well. Sporting a cool and detached attitude and an arsenal of high tech weapons and gadgets, Blade makes quick work of his not so immortal opponents. He’s currently a member of The Avengers in the pages of Marvel Comics and soon to see a return to the silver screen thanks to Academy Award winning actor Mahershla Ali.
Credit: Lionsgate Television
Most of the characters on this list have superpowers or extensive knowledge and training, but Ash is here to represent the common person. Just a normal dude who stumbled on the Book Of The Dead and had to kill his demon possessed friends, then battle some more demons, travel back in time to combat a skeleton army, before returning home to find a world infested with monsters that only he can stop. The man lives a stressful life, luckily he’s armed with a shotgun and his trusty chainsaw hand to battle the armies of deadites that seem to always find their way to him.
Credit: 20th Century Television
Some monster hunters get pulled into the game, some are born to it. The latter is the case for Buffy Summers, just your normal high school cheerleader who learns she is the Slayer of her generation, a superpowered individual sworn to stand against the forces of evil. It’s hard enough being a teenager, now let’s add some monster fighting into her life. Luckily, unlike a lot of the loners on this list Buffy has a trusty group of friends and a dutiful mentor to help her in her battles. Over 7 seasons and countless comic book stories fans have proved they can’t get enough of her quippy, action-packed adventures.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Monster hunters as we know them begin with this guy. From his introduction in the pages of Bram Stoker’s novel to Hugh Jackman’s machine gun crossbow wielding take on the character, Van Helsing has been reinvented time and again for each new generation. The constant with the character being his undying need to prevent the spread of evil in the world. Armed with an extensive knowledge of the occult and either a small or gigantic (depends on who’s writing it) armory of weapons, Van Helsing is the mortal man (or woman in some more modern interpretations) who takes a stand against the powerful forces of darkness and refuses to be frightened or corrupted. His steadfast morality and singularly focused drive make this professor the number one monster hunter of all time.
For more spooky lists, check out the Top 5 Witch Movies, kid friendly!