These days we find ourselves surrounded by killer clowns (we see you, Pennywise!), classic horror movie reboots, and vampires, ghosts, goblins, and ghouls! But there’s no need to run for cover or hide under the bed (in fact, it’s probably best we don’t, to avoid the monster under there), because in a world of horrors and frights we’ve also got heroes and monster hunters to help keep the bad at bay. Some of the greatest stories ever told pit unlikely but incredible heroes against supernatural entities. Douse yourself in holy water and sit in a circle of salt as we take a look at TV’s top monster hunters.
Photo: CW
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Monster Hunters Slideshow
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10. Mystery Inc.
You can’t talk about monster hunting without mentioning the classics! Scooby, Shaggy, and pals have been going after bad guys for decades and they always come out on top. Sure, sometimes their quarry turns out to be the old amusement park director Mr. Kelly, but they’ve also seen their share of ghosts and ghouls. So whether it’s solving a mystery or battling a witch, these meddling kids know how to get the job done!
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9. Alaric Saltzman
Despite the show focusing more on the vampires that live in Mystic Falls, The Vampire Diaries' Ric still made quite the impact when he rolled into town with his vampire-hunting arsenal. He was originally on a mission to kill the vampire who he thought murdered his wife, but throughout his travels, he’s saved several humans and ended the lives of several other bad bloodsuckers.
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8. Daryl Dixon
When the world’s ending, you don’t have a choice but to become a fighter. Still, Dixon transitions into the hero role with ease, and makes it look cool, too. Despite his enemies mainly just being walkers (when it’s not other survivors), he is still incredibly impressive fighting through the undead hordes with just his bow and arrows. We would definitely want to be on Dixon’s team when the zombie apocalypse happens!
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7. Constantine
Initially popularized by Keanu Reeves on the big screen, Constantine has found a new (and longer-lasting) home on television battling demons, monsters, and even the devil himself. Granted, having powers helps, but that doesn’t make him any less brave. Besides, his powers endanger his immortal soul. Still, between jamming with his band and smoking his lungs into oblivion, Constantine is on the front lines, delivering us from evil.
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6. Clary Fray and Jace Herondale
Star-crossed Shadowhunters Clary Fray and Jace Herondale are humans born with angelic blood to protect the world from demons and other rogue monsters. In between finding out more about their shared history, fighting vampires, demons, or werewolves, or brooding in head-to-toe black leather, these angst-riddled teens make sure to keep the monster world hidden and the real world safe.
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5. Van Helsing
The Van Helsing story is one for the ages! As Dracula’s first and only worthwhile nemesis, we have seen several incarnations of Abraham Van Helsing through the years. On television, though, this character gets a gender-bending twist as the Scyfy cult favorite follows the adventures of his ancestor Vanessa Van Helsing, who not only fights vampires but whose blood can also turn them into humans! As humanity’s last hope against the vampire siege, she bravely leads the resistance against the army of the night.
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4. Geralt of Riva
We’re all familiar with Witcher – one of the most popular video games out there – and now we’re about to find out more about the titular character Geralt of Riva as Henry Cavill brings this monster hunter to life on our small screens. He definitely deserves a spot on this list as Geralt uses his witcher training and abilities to battle monsters, dark magic, and more to keep the world safe from evil. Besides, we’ll all feel safer knowing Superman’s on the front lines – even if he is wearing a different outfit.
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3. Nick Burkhardt
Detective Nick Burkhardt from the TV series Grimm is monster-hunting royalty, being a descendant of the line of guardians known as Grimms who go back before the crusades. With his Grimm abilities, Nick can perceive the supernatural hiding in plain sight, while his detective background and training allow him to go after threats without revealing them to an unsuspecting public. With his friends and partners, Nick keeps the world safe from supernatural creatures or "wesen" (German for creature) who seek to overrun the world.
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2. Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is the teenage cheerleader turned vampire slayer. Under the tutelage of her watcher, Buffy learned to wield the impressive powers of the Slayer against all that would seek to do us harm. In fact, in her impressive swan song, she stopped the Hellmouth from opening and unleashing hell on Earth.
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1. Sam and Dean Winchester
At the top of our list are the names most feared by monsters and heaven and hell alike: the Winchesters from Supernatural. For 15 years, these brothers have battled everything under the sun – vampires, demons, wraiths, zombies, angels, killer clowns, and more. They stopped the end of the world more than once. They’ve died several times, but they never let that stop them. What’s more, they never expect anything in return. They simply pop on their signature flannel, hop into Baby – their Chevy Impala – and ride out to make the world a safer place.
