The Top 10 Best Movie Monster Hunters
5. The Head Hunter- The Head Hunter
One of the more impressive indie horror films I’ve seen recently was The Head Hunter. It takes place in medieval times and follows a man whose daughter was killed by a monster. Devastated, he straps on some armor and sets out to kill every last monster he can find. His reputation grows to the point that he becomes the go-to monster hunter in the kingdom. Whenever a beast thinks it can snack on some peasants or snatch up some livestock, the King sends for The Head Hunter. Judging by the collection of heads that he’s mounted on his wall, The Head Hunter is damn good at his job and has years of experience when it comes to slaying evil creatures. It just goes to show that monsters should be careful who they mess with.
4. Blade- The Blade Trilogy
When it comes to killing vampires, few are as good as Blade. One of the first Marvel characters to get a good movie, Blade hit theaters two years before X-Men and four years before Spider-Man. Not only that, he was rated R way before Deadpool and Logan. Known as the daywalker, Blade is the result of his mother being attacked by a vampire while she was still pregnant. In an unexpected twist, he was born with all the strengths of a vampire and none of their weaknesses. Of course, no one messes with Blade’s mama, and he devoted his life to hunting down and eliminating every bloodsucker on the planet. He’s one of the few movie monster hunters that vampires are actually scared of and I can’t blame them considering how good he is with a sword.
3. Selene- The Underworld Franchise
Unlike Blade, Selene is a full-blown vampire. However, she’s also part of an elite team of werewolf hunters known as Death Dealers. Their creation is the result of an endless war between werewolves and vampires. At first, she’s a team vampire all the way. However, once she wises up to the BS that the vampire nobles have been feeding her and the other werewolf hunters, she becomes a little less discriminatory in whose on the other end of her barrel. As though being a vampire wasn’t enough, Selene has undergone some serious upgrades since her first big-screen appearance. She first became a Vampire/Corvinus-Strain Hybrid (the virus that causes werewolves). As if that wasn’t enough, she later underwent a ritual called “the passing to the sacred world” that ends up making her one of the most OP characters on this list.
2. John Constantine- Constantine
Another comic character earns a spot on this list of movie monster hunters. While Keanu Reeve’s Constantine wasn’t received well at first, it’ gained a cult-like following of fans. It also happens to be one of my favorite urban-fantasy movies of all time as well. John Constantine is a master of the dark arts and a bit of a bastard. Still, he’s the best there is when it comes to dealing with things that go bump in the night. So much so, that he’s gotten the attention of both Heaven and Hell despite being a mere mortal. The secret to his success is that John never shows fear and doesn’t hesitate to fight dirty. His reputation precedes him to the point that every demon in the underworld wants the glory of killing him. None have managed though, which is why he’s a solid choice for this list of movie monster hunters.
1. Hellboy- The Hellboy Films
When it comes to monsters, sometimes you need to fight fire with fire. That’s why the number one movie monster hunter is the demon known as Hellboy. At first, Hellboy was supposed to be a harbinger of the end of the world and was summoned thanks to Nazi occultists. However, he was rescued by Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm and raised to be a force of good and a protector of humanity. Since then, he’s joined the B.P.R.D. (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense) as one of the best agents. Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges and has an issue with authority, but when the world is on the verge of ending, he’s the one they send to take care of the problem. Of course, I love the Ron Pearlman version as much as anyone, but I’m also happy to include the David Harbour version on this list as well.
Honorable Mention: The Monster Squad- The Monster Squad
Not many kids can say they killed vampires, a wolfman, a mummy, and the creature from the black lagoon. These kids know their stuff when it comes to hunting monsters, but as a team, they don’t qualify for the list above. Still, they manage to take out every major movie monster in the book back in the 80s and there’s no telling just how lethal they might be as adults (Now, that’s a sequel I’d be interested in seeing). I’ve been impressed with their survival skills ever since I was a kid, which is why I’m giving them an honorable mention!
Shout-Out: Master Gregory- Seventh Son
As with Kaulder on the list above, I’ve going to separate the monster hunter from the movie. Was Seventh Son good? Alas, no (so much potential though!). However, I absolutely loved every scene that Jeff Bridges’ Master Gregory appeared in. Gregory is the last standing member of a knightly order known as the Falcons who once fought the forces of darkness across the land. They battled against every kind of monster and witch imaginable until they were slowly picked off one-by-one. Now, Master Gregory is the last of them and there’s a reason for that. Even though he’s far from his prime, this jaded, hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, senior citizen can still throw down with even the worst that the armies of darkness send his way. In my mind, that definitely deserves a shout-out no matter how disappointing Seventh Son might have been.
Those are my top 10 favorite movie monster hunters of all time. There are plenty more out there in movie land, and I’d love for you to post a few of your favorites below for me to check out. As always, I’ll be updating this list and new and improved movie monster hunters make their big screen debut. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see how the rankings might change!