The organizational strength of depicted vampire hunters can vary wildly. Most hunter characters are in small groups working alone and in secret. Sometimes the hunting is a family tradition handed down to future generations of a bloodline. While predominantly depicted as human, examples of other types of vampire hunters also exist. Dhampiric figures, having a mix of human and vampire blood, are a popular form (such as Alucard from the Castlevania series; D of Vampire Hunter D and Blade of the Blade series of comic books, movies, and television episodes). The image of the vampire hunter is often a mysterious and dramatic avenging hero, an eccentric extremist, or sometimes a bit of both. A hunter may be a heroic figure, a lonesome avenger, or sometimes, although not usually, a bounty hunter-style character, hunting Vampires for profit. Vampire hunters have also popularly been depicted as hunting various creatures such as werewolves, demons, and other forms of undead as well. Most hunters are Christian, but there have been Jewish hunters and Moslem hunters. They are usually convinced that the vampire is a servant of the Devil and feel it is their duty to destroy vampires.
As they are people who believe they are real vampires, other considers their life as a holy crusade. In modern lore, HLVs define them as people who hunts, stalks, threatens, or does harm to someone because he or she is a vampire, or because the hunter believes them to be so; or which gathers information to report those who are vampires. Conspiracy theories are popular among those hunters who believe there is a plot afoot by Vampires and by the Goth movement through out the world especially in America, Germany and some other countries.
Famous Hunters
The most widely known example of a vampire hunter is Abraham Van Helsing of the novel Dracula and in other works of fiction adapting or modifying that work. As far as movies are concerned, Cushing's Van Helsing is the prototype for all successful vampire slayers that followed him. He was quick to adapt, excellent at thinking on his feet in difficult situations, and relatively athletic. - Abraham Van Helsing from Dracula and its various spin-off's and reproductions.
- Father Sandor (Andrew Kier) and Seth Gecko (George Clooney) in the From Dusk till Dawn movie
- Quincy Morris, Jonathan Harker, Dr. John Seward, and Arthur Holmwood assist Van Helsing in Dracula.
- Dr. Hesselius from J. Sheridan Le Fanus vampire story Carmilla.
- Buffy Summers, Slayers and other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film and TV series.
- Father Callahan from Stephen Kings novel 'Salem's Lot and the Dark Tower series.
- Solomon Kane, a character appearing in many works by Robert E. Howard.
- The Belmont Clan and Adrian Farenheits Tepes a.k.a Alucard from the Castlevania series of video games. Almost all the main characters of Castlevania could be called vampire hunters.
- Blade, a vampire hunter featured by Marvel Comics and a trilogy of films of the same name. Blade is a Dhampir, a half-vampire.
- D, of the Japanese animation Vampire Hunter D, also a Dhampir.
- Donovan Baine, of the Darkstalkers series of video games, also a Dhampir
- Rayne from the video game series BloodRayne is a vampire hunter and also a dhampir
- Jack Crow, and his Team Crow from the book Vampires by John Steakly, later adapted by John Carpenter for his movie Vampires.
- Alucard (Dracula backwards) is a vampire from the Hellsing Organization, who, along with his servant, Seras Victoria, and (retired) old friend, Walter C. Dornes, hunt other vampires.
- Derek Bliss, from the movie Vampires: Los Muertos, also presented by John Carpenter as a pseudo sequel to the first movie.
- Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell) from the Dracula: Prince of Darkness movie
- Anita Blake from the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter, the Laurell K. Hamilton novel series.
- Gabriel Van Helsing from the movie Van Helsing. Van Helsing is a member of a large organization called the Knights of the Holy Order who protect mankind from an evil they 'have no idea even exists'.
- Alexander Anderson works for the Vatican's secret Iscariot Organization (AKA Section XIII), who act like the Hellsing Organization, but are more fundamental, and serve to fight for Chrisitanity, as opposed to Hellsing protecting the Commonwealth. Iscariot is more radical and fundamental exterminating any humans who ally themselves with the undead. Other members include their leader, Bishop (later Archibishop) Enrico Maxwell and other assassins, Heinkel Wolfe and Yumie Takagi.
- Edgar Frog, Alan Frog, and Sam Emerson from The Lost Boys movie.
- Geralt from Polish Hexer series. He hunts vampires and all other kinds of supernatural creatures.
- Robert Neville (Charleton Heston) from The Omega Man movie.
- Harry Keogh and others with E-Branch in Brian Lumley's Necroscope series
- Sam and Dean Winchester from the television series Supernatural
- Victoria Gardella from the Gardella Vampire Chronicles series of historical novels beginning with The Rest Falls Away.
- Sound-Man, the Green Knight, and numerous other superheroes in the SUPERFLUOUS comic book series by Bon Comics
- Abraham Whistler, Abigale Whistler and Hannibal King from the third film of the Blade Series, Blade: Trinity. Hannibal takes the form of an ex-vampire who was subsequently cured of his affliction and took up hunting out of a desire for revenge.
- Steve "Leopard" Leonard, from the Cirque Du Freak books. (By Darren Shan
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Hunters Weapons
As well as being knowledgable about vampire lore, vampire hunters as depicted in fiction are often armed with an eclectic mix of items and weapons which are designed to take maximum advantage of the monster's traditional weaknesses. These have included firearms with silver ammunition, appropriate religious symbols, crossbows that fire all wood bolts and waterguns filled with blessed holy water. Hunters are usually good computer hackers or detectives and can successfully trick certain agencies or organizations into giving out an address or phone number. - A sword (silver blade inlay preferable)
- A crossbow (long or short doesn't matter as long as the bolts are wood or have a silver point)
- Several wooden stakes
- A hammer (to pound the stake through the chest)
- A cross (may or may not work but is worth a try)
- A container of gasoline or other flamable liquids
- Several matches
- A backpack to carry the smaller items
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