History Main / DemonSlaying

* 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 a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against all demonkind. 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 just how good he was at killing 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. This is even more pronounced in [[VideoGame/Doom2016 the remake]], which has him as 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 a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against all demonkind. Because of this, [[TheDreaded the demons almost all fear him above anything else]].

* ''Manga/DGrayMan'''s baddies are called akuma, which normally gets translated into "demons". So yep, ''Manga/DGrayMan'' is pretty much this.

* Hoss Delgado of ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' is an equally opportunity monster fighter.

[[folder:Videogames]]

* While templars in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' function mostly as [[MageKiller Mage Killers]], they also have bonuses to damage while fighting demons, likely because [[BloodMagic blood mages]] will often have demons in their service.
* Likewise in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', part of the job description for a Templar is to take out demons. Their primary job is policing mages to ''prevent'' the demons from crossing into the mortal world in the first place and possibly turning the mage [[DemonicPossession into an abomination]], but when things go wrong they're on hand to clean up. The player characters in both games doesn't have this as one of their primary jobs, but they'll probably take out a good hundred or so demons and demon-possessed mages in the course of a single game.
* Grey Wardens in the entire ''Franchise/DragonAge'' franchise are a variation. In their day-to-day work, they mostly kill darkspawn, who are [[OurOrcsAreDifferent closer to orcs than anything else]]. However, during a Blight, the darkspawn invade the surface en masse, led by an entity known as an Archdemon - and the Wardens are the only people capable of permanently killing such a beast. (Confusingly, Archdemons are not counted as demons or dragons mechanically, but that name is still right there.)

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', this is one of the duties of the Ordinators, the elite ChurchPolice of the [[CorruptChurch Tribunal Temple]]. They keep Morrowind safe from all manners of abominations, including [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]] and [[ScaryAmoralReligion Daedra worshipers]]. (Given their KnightTemplar tendencies, their definition of "abomination" is quite broad...)

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', the [[CreatureHunterOrganization Vigil of Stendarr]] formed in response to the events of the previous game. They travel Tamriel to deal with various supernatural threats including Daedra, as well as vampires, lycanthropes, undead, and others. In the ''Dawnguard'' DLC, [[spoiler:the Vigil's Skyrim headquarters is sacked by the Volkihar vampire clan, who serves as the primary antagonists in the DLC if you choose to join the titular Dawnguard]].

* 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 even more pronounced in [[VideoGame/Doom2016 the remake]], which has him as 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 a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against all demonkind.

* Not surprisingly, ''[[Manga/KimetsuNoYaiba Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba]]'' 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.

** Torg during "That Which Redeems", helped by his discovering that his old memento sword can be PoweredByAForsakenChild to gain the cutting power of a [[StarWars lightsaber]] and enough magic power to kill a god. He tries organizing a larger LaResistance of demon fighters, but since the only people he has to work with come from the [[ActualPacifist Dimension of Lame]]...

* The girls from ''Series/{{Charmed}}'' do a lot of demonslaying during the course of the series.

* Dante of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''. He mostly fits into the mercenary type. As a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-demon]], he also happens to be a HunterOfHisOwnKind. Nero as well in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 fourth game]].

* Dante of ''Franchise/DevilMayCry''. He mostly fits into the mercenary type. As a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-demon]], he also happens to be a HunterOfHisOwnKind. Nero as well in the fourth game.

* The ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series is the earliest known example in gaming. Each entry has you protecting the people of Transylvania, by battling your way through Count Dracula's legions, to face-off against the Count, himself. Earlier games in the series chronicled the exploits of [[BadassFamily the Belmont Family]], though later games featured all new protagonists and, occasionally, the Count's son, Alucard, siding against his father.

** Sango, and her entire village, for that matter. They fit into the demonic protector and mercenary type.

* ''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.
** And then [[spoiler: he passes it on to his son, ''Gray''. [[TookALevelInBadass It lives up]] [[CurbStompBattle to the hype]]]].

* A Demon or [[HalfHumanHybrid Half-Demon]] [[HunterOfHisOwnKind Hunter Of Their Own Kind]].

* A ChurchMilitant, WarriorMonk, [[ThePaladin Paladin]], or the like on a MissionFromGod who uses a cross or holy water (among other ways to SmiteEvil) to exorcise their enemy.

* The titular characters in ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' are an entire organization that exists purely to hunt down and destroy demons preying on humanity, provided the side that's being preyed on requests their aid and pays an adequate fee afterwards. [[AFateWorseThanDeath If they don't...]]

* In the manga ''Manga/{{Isuca}}'', it has been the Shimazu's family job to capture and seal away monsters. They have been doing it since the Kamakura period.

* SolomonKane in the Creator/RobertEHoward book series. If he counts, then so do King Kull of Atlantis and Conan of Cimmeria. None of them slay demons as their day job, but have been forced to the task by the circumstances more than once in their careers.

** 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.

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', the PlayerCharacter essentially becomes famous for this. Throughout the main quest (with many, ''many'' more optional), you'll close several [[{{Hellgate}} Gates of Oblivion]] by stepping through, killing your way through [[LegionsOfHell lots of Daedra]], and seizing the Sigil Stones used to power the gates.

* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance''

* Some ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' seasons (toned down for the most part in their Franchise/PowerRangers counterparts) do feature enemies that are of supernatural origin and mainly of the demonic order, with the more recent ones being ''[[Series/ResshaSentaiTokkyuger Tokkyuger]]'' and ''[[Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger Ninninger]]'', with our heroes being of course the slayers.

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

* Dante of ''Franchise/DevilMayCry'', who [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} is the god of this trope]], even before we listed it. He mostly fits into the mercenary type. As a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-demon]], he also happens to be a HunterOfHisOwnKind. Nero as well in the fourth game.

* Adell's title in ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'' game is Demon Hunter. Before Disgaea, this was the mission of the Church of the Maiden of Light in ''LaPucelle.''

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', your job as the Player Character is to close the [[{{Hellgate}} Gates of Oblivion]] by stepping through, killing your way through lots of Daedra, and grabbing the Sigil Stones used to power the gates.
** This is the job of the Vigil of Stendarr in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', formed after the events of the previous game.

* 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.

** And then [[spoiler: he passes it on to his son, ''Gray''. [[TookALevelInBadass It lives up]] [[CurbStompBattle to the hype]].]]

** It's only made worse that [[spoiler: the central organization of the Claymores are the ones creating the demons as ''an experimental weapon''.]]
** The Claymores are actually part of a centuries long project to create the ultimate [[spoiler:[[TheDragonSlayer dragon slayers]].]]
* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': The job of the [[OccultDetective Spirit Detective]]

* Devil-Slayer from Creator/MarvelComics is a former Marine and mafia hitman who was trained as an assassin by a cult that turned out to be seeking to unleash HellOnEarth. After turning his back on the cult, he became a demon hunter and seeks to destroy the cult.

* In the film ''Film/{{Constantine}}'', based ''ever-so-lightly'' on the ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' comics, the titular character hunts down demonic "halfbreeds" who violate the Balance and sends them back to Hell. In the comic, he's more of a street magician who basically fights anyone who pisses him off or helps people who come to him (if he doesn't laugh them away). See TrenchcoatBrigade.

* Some ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' seasons (toned down for the most part in their Series/PowerRangers counterparts) do feature enemies that are of supernatural origin and mainly of the demonic order, with the more recent ones being ''[[Series/ResshaSentaiTokkyuger Tokkyuger]]'' and ''[[Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger Ninninger]]'', with our heroes being of course the slayers.

* The ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series is earliest known example in gaming. Each entry has you protecting the people of Transylvania, by battling your way through Count Dracula's legions, to face-off against the Count, himself. Earlier games in the series chronicled the exploits of [[BadassFamily the Belmont Family]], though later games featured all new protagonists and, occasionally, the Count's son, Alucard, siding against his father.
* Dante of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', who [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} is the god of this trope]], even before we listed it. He mostly fits into the mercenary type. As a [[HalfHumanHybrid half-demon]], he also happens to be a HunterOfHisOwnKind.
** Nero as well in the fourth game.

** Played straight in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta 2}}'' when Gomorrah, one of the demons that Bayonetta uses to finish off angels, turns on her and she has to put him down. She then has to penetrate into the heart of Inferno in order to [[OrpheanRescue save Jeanne]], who saved her from the aforementioned demon and got DraggedOffToHell, before her soul is consumed forever.

* Many of the Heroes in the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series have slain countless demons (BigBad, {{Mook}}s, and everything in between) in the numerous installments. In fact, most ''Dragon Quest'' games are more about fighting ''Demons'' than Dragons.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath''. The Gohma heavily resemble Demons and might as well be them for setting and story purposes, and the job of the protagonist and the other Demigods is to fight them. [[spoiler:They're not actually Demons or anything like it at all]].
* This is the job of the Vigil of Stendarr in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', formed after the events of the previous game.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', your job as the Player Character is to close the [[{{Hellgate}} Gates of Oblivion]] by stepping through, killing your way through lots of Daedra, and grabbing the Sigil Stones used to power the gates.
* Since they are the God's own champions, the heroes of VideoGame/{{Darklands}} 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.

* Main characters from {{Shadowgirls}}, especially [[spoiler: Shadowchild - they don't call her Slayer of the Elder Gods without a reason]]. However, only if we count beings from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos and its [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] as demons.

* Freija and Rachel have a bone to pick with any demons they come across in ''Webcomic/TheSenkari''

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Much of the show's mythology revolves around demons, and it is the job of the Winchester family to kill them. The'll kill plenty of other monsters too however.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Much of the show's mythology revolves around demons, and it is the job of the Winchester family to kill them.

* A descendant/member of [[BadassFamily The]] [[TheClan Clan]] dedicated to fighting them.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' where the title character kills angels instead of demons. Is it ironic that her game, ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', and the first ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' were all made by the same guy, Hideki Kamiya? He deserves his own page for the amount of tropes that he and Clover Studios (and Platinum Games) use, this one included.