History Main / DemonSlaying

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': After the [[TheDragonSlayer Dragon Slayers]] and the [[KillTheGod God Slayers]], we learn of a new type, Demon Slayers ([[DubNameChange Devil Slayers]] in Japanese), which functions mostly the same way, except against demons. The only drawback is that those who use this magic too much will end up [[TheCorruption losing their minds and humanity]], becoming no different from the demons they hunt. Ironically enough, the first known user of this type of magic happens to be a member of a guild composed almost entirely of demons. [[spoiler:Though it turns out he didn't exactly join them of his own free will, what with being a reanimated corpse brought back by one of them ForScience, and he always intended to try and destroy them from within alongside himself due to his hatred for them killing his friends and loved ones. When he learns that one of his loved ones (i.e. his son and major character [[AnIcePerson Gray Fullbuster]]) he goes the SuicideByCop route and passes on the magic to him. Grey in turn becomes obsessed with destroying demons for ruining his life and killing so many of his loved ones, which becomes a bit of a problem when it turns out that the biggest, baddest demon of them all is his best friend and rival [[TomatoInTheMirror Natsu Dragneel]].]]

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/DiabloIII https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d3demonhunter.png]]]]

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': After the [[TheDragonSlayer Dragon Slayers]] and the [[KillTheGod God Slayers]], we learn of a new type, Demon Slayers ([[DubNameChange Devil Slayers]] in Japanese), which functions mostly the same way, except against demons. The only drawback is that those who use this magic too much will end up [[TheCorruption losing their minds and humanity]], becoming no different from the demons they hunt. Ironically enough, the first known user of this type of magic happens to be a member of a guild composed almost entirely of demons. [[spoiler:And then he passes it on to his son, Gray.]]

* ''Manga/FairyTail'': After the [[TheDragonSlayer Dragon Slayers]] and the God Slayers, we learn of a new type, Demon Slayers ([[DubNameChange Devil Slayers]] in Japanese), which functions mostly the same way, except against demons. The only drawback is that those who use this magic too much will end up [[TheCorruption losing their minds and humanity]], becoming no different from the demons they hunt. Ironically enough, the first known user of this type of magic happens to be a member of a guild composed almost entirely of demons. [[spoiler:And then he passes it on to his son, Gray.]]

* The protagonist of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' games, affectionately nicknamed Doomguy. As a SpaceMarine, killing demons wasn't exactly in this guy's original job description, but when the monsters from hell go on the loose, it's up to him to blast them right back where they came from with a heaping helping of serious firepower. This is taken UpToEleven in ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', where it ''has'' become his job description: the Doom Slayer is the SoleSurvivor of a civilization destroyed by the demons and absorbed into Hell, and madder than all hell about it, to the point of going on an endless RoaringRampageOfRevenge through [[HellSeeker Hell itself]]. Because of this, [[TheDreaded the demons almost all fear him above anything else]]. "Doom Slayer" is the name ''they'' [[RedBaron gave him]] in awe and terror of the slaughter he caused among them.

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* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'':

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* The Literature/FightingFantasy book ''Dead of Night'' was this trope IN SPADES. The main character was a Demon-Slayer, a WarriorMonk specifically trained to hunt down and destroy the demons of the setting. During the course of the book, he averts a demonic invasion of Gallantria engineered by the Demon Prince Myurr. Virtually every opponent in the book is either a demon or someone working for them. The overall tone of the book was very dark.

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** In ''TableTopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', there are several classes that can be tooled specifically for this, such as Rangers, Inquisitors, and Paladins. Of course, any character class can have DemonSlaying as a job as far as roleplay is concerned, but these three classes are highly conducive to the job as far as class mechanics are concerned.

* The [[PlayerCharacter Guardians]] of ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' are a ScienceFantasy version of this as they are all [[ThePaladin Light-based warriors]] that fight alien races that threaten humanity, some of whom are allied with [[BiggerBad The Darkness]] which is for all intents and purposes the Devil of the setting. Of all their enemies the closest to conventional Demons are the Taken, shadowy versions of all the other enemy races "taken" and corrupted into their current forms by leaders of the Darkness-obsessed [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Hive]], who tick a few of the boxes of being demons themselves.

* The [[PlayerCharacter Guardians]] of ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' are a ScienceFantasy version of this as they are all [[ThePaladin Light-based warriors]] that fight alien races that threaten humanity, some of whom are allied with [[BiggerBad The Darkness]] which is for all intents and purposes the Devil of the setting. Of all their enemies the closest to conventional Demons are the Taken, shadowy versions of all the other enemy races "taken" and corrupted into their current forms by leaders of the Darkness-obsessed [[SwarmOfAlienLocust Hive]], who tick a few of the boxes of being demons themselves.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/DiabloIII https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_demon_hunter.png]]]]

* A [[HunterOfMonsters Hunter]] who hunts down and kills demons for {{revenge}} or [[BloodKnight other]] [[YouKilledMyFather personal]] [[ItsPersonal reasons]].

* Most non-Persona Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei games have the main characters act as this, [[{{Mon}} while allying with a handful of 6-12]]. Though [[SummonMagic only]] [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy one]] [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsKingAbaddon group]] actually does so for a living.

* Since they are the God's own champions, the heroes of ''VideoGame/{{Parklands}}'' are supposed to destroy hell's spawn whenever they encounter it. The easiest way to do it is to find a Satanic village, defeat its inhabitants and find their unholy altar. Ironically, summoning the demon may be even harder than actually defeating it, especially when you party has low non-combat skills.

* The protagonist of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' games, affectionately nicknamed Doomguy. As a SpaceMarine, killing demons isn't exactly in this guy's job description, but when the monsters from hell go on the loose, it's up to him to blast them right back where they came from with a heaping helping of serious firepower. This is taken UpToEleven in the ''VideoGame/Doom2016'', where it's become his job description: the Doom Slayer is the SoleSurvivor of a civilization destroyed by the demons and absorbed into Hell, and madder than all hell about it, to the point of going on an endless RoaringRampageOfRevenge through [[HellSeeker Hell itself]]. Because of this, [[TheDreaded the demons almost all fear him above anything else]]. "Doom Slayer" is the name ''they'' [[RedBaron gave him]] in awe and terror of the slaughter he caused among them.

* The protagonist of the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' games, affectionately nicknamed Doomguy. As a SpaceMarine, killing demons isn't exactly in this guy's job description, but when the monsters from hell go on the loose, it's up to him to blast them right back where they came from with a heaping helping of serious firepower.
* In the [[VideoGame/Doom2016 the reboot]], it ''is'' his job description: the Doom Slayer is the SoleSurvivor of a civilization destroyed by the demons and absorbed into Hell, and madder than all hell about it, to the point of going on an endless RoaringRampageOfRevenge through [[HellSeeker Hell itself]]. Because of this, [[TheDreaded the demons almost all fear him above anything else]]. "Doom Slayer" is the name ''they'' [[RedBaron gave him]] in awe and terror of the slaughter he caused among them.

* ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'': Ryu Hayabusa battles a variety of threats to the world, among them a race of evil creatures called Fiends which for all intents and purposes are demons. Among his allies is a Fiend hunter named Rachel who is part Fiend herself.

* ''ComicBook/{{Artemis}}: Requiem'' sees the titular character team up with an organization of demon hunters known as the Hellenders.

* Dante of ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'' is also a DemonSlayer, though this Dante is more of a crusader/paladin with holy power and a scythe taken from Death himself. He's in this to rescue his beloved from Hell.

** Sango, and her entire village, specialize in demon slaying. They fit into the demonic protector and mercenary type, using entirely physical methods, such as weapons (generally made ''from'' demons) and poison.

* Both the [[TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness Old]] and [[TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness New]] versions of Worlds of Darkness have Hunters (detailed in ''[[TabletopGame/HunterTheReckoning The Reckoning]]'' and ''[[TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil The Vigil]]'' respectively), humans with supernatural abilities to fight the [=PCs=] from the other games.

* Not surprisingly, ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' features this. The demons in question are sort of a cross between vampires and zombies--violent, bloodthirsty humans with super-strength and super-healing (but also extreme vulnerability to sunlight) who wander around killing indiscriminately, sometimes converting victims with their corrupted blood. A secretive clan of hunters use their [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower technically-not-superhuman]] sword skills to keep the demon population under control. An unidentified demon massacres the main character's family and converts his sister, but she retains some of her humanity, so he sets out to become a demon-slayer both for revenge and to find a way to cure her.

'''Hellboy:''' Oh, well. Let me go in and say hi.

-->-- ''Film/{{Hellboy}}''

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* ''Manga/FairyTail'': After the [[TheDragonSlayer Dragon Slayers]] and the God Slayers, we learn of a new type, Devil Slayers. They function pretty much the same. Ironically enough, the first and only known user of this type of Magic, [[KillItWithIce Ice Devil Slayer]] Magic to be precise, so far happens to be a member of a guild composed almost entirely of demons. [[spoiler:And then he passes it on to his son, ''Gray''. [[TookALevelInBadass It lives up]] [[CurbStompBattle to the hype]]]].