History Main / TheWitchHunter

** In the latter, the GreyKnights are an entire chapter of psychic SpaceMarines devoted to hunting witchcraft and daemons. And they're only a part of the Witch Hunter forces, which includes the [[AmazonBrigade Sisters]] [[JoanOfArchetype of]] [[KillItWithFire Battle]] and [[BurnTheWitch the Inquisition]]. The Inquisition, meanwhile, is closest to this trope's idea of a witch hunter's method of operation.

* Following in the steps of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' and Robert E Howard, Paizo Publishing's ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' now features an Inquisitor class. The iconic Inquisitor, shown [[http://img.booru.org/Grognard//images/4/44406b44c2936e806aa4f54d0d8a5d6748a3e34e.jpg here]], could not fit this trope better without a burning heretic at her feet.

* Both the Spook and the Quisitor in ''TheLastApprentice''. The major difference is that the Spook a) has some magical knowledge himself and b) cares whether the women accused of witchcraft are actually guilty.

* The [[MagicalGirl puella magi]] of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' exist to fight {{Eldritch Abomination}}s which are called "witches." Of course there is a dark twist. [[spoiler: Which is [[YouAreTheDemons They become the Witches]].]]

* Both the Iscariot and Hellsing organizations in ''{{Hellsing}}''.

* The Witchhunter in ''{{Series/Merlin}}''. However, he [[spoiler: actually was fabricating all of his evidence.]]

* ''{{Warhammer}}'' and ''Warhammer40K'':

* Many Hunters of ''[[WorldOfDarkness Hunter: the Vigil]]'' would fit the description quite well, too, but perhaps the closest types are the Malleus Maleficarum and the Knights of the Order of St. George. The Malleus are basically the Inquisition with machine guns, bearing both holy rituals and a "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" policy. The Knights are a division of the Anglican Church that pursue sorcerers almost exclusively and use "divine magic" (really rituals learned from [[spoiler:worshipping an EldritchAbomination]]) to sabotage magic.
* Following in the steps of ''{{Warhammer}}'' and Robert E Howard, Paizo Publishing's ''{{Pathfinder}}'' RPG now features an Inquisitor class. The iconic Inquisitor, shown [[http://img.booru.org/Grognard//images/4/44406b44c2936e806aa4f54d0d8a5d6748a3e34e.jpg here]], could not fit this trope better without a burning heretic at her feet.

* On one "Rita and Runt" segment of ''{{Animaniacs}}'' set in Colonial Salem, Massachussets, a witch hunter is after Rita, claiming she's a witch's familiar.

WhoYouGonnaCall?

* Played with in ''GoodOmens''. While played straight in Agnes Nutter's case, Shadwell, a modern professional witch hunter, doesn't get much work these days.

* A notorious example from real life history: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins Matthew Hopkins]], the original "Witchfinder General". During the EnglishCivilWar, Hopkins travelled through eastern England at the head of a team of self-styled witch-hunters; within two years -- from 1645 to 1647 -- he and his accomplice John Stearne caused the death of about 300 women (who were executed by hanging). Though he claimed to have a mandate from the Parliament, this was probably a lie (the title "Witchfinder General" was his own invention) -- however, the Parliament obviously tolerated his actions. As if that wasn't enough, Hopkin's book ''The Discovery of Witches'', which he published shortly before his death in 1647, helped to spread the witch-craze to the New England colonies, where it immediately sparked a wave of [[WitchHunt witch-hunts]]. The methods outlined by Hopkins were still used in the Salem witch trials of the 1690s.

* On one "Rita and Runt" segment of ''{{Animaniacs}}'' set in Colonial Salem, Massachussets, a witch hunter is after Rita, claiming she's a witch's familiar.

* The [[MagicalGirl puella magi]] of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' exist to fight {{Eldritch Abomination}}s which are called "witches." Of course there is a dark twist. [[Spoiler: [[YouAreTheDemon They become the Witches]].]]

* The [[MagicalGirl puella magi]] of ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' exist to fight {{Eldritch Abomination}}s which are called "witches." Speculation abounds that there is some kind of dark twist (beyond the isolation and risk to their lives that the puella magi already experience) to this which has yet to be revealed.

* Following in the steps of ''{{Warhammer}}'' and Robert E Howard, Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder RPG now features an Inquisitor class. The iconic Inquisitor, shown [[http://img.booru.org/Grognard//images/4/44406b44c2936e806aa4f54d0d8a5d6748a3e34e.jpg here]], could not fit this trope better without a burning heretic at her feet.

* The Witchhunter in ''{{Merlin}}''. However, he [[spoiler: actually was fabricating all of his evidence.]]

* Many Hunters of ''[[WorldOfDarkness Hunter: the Vigil]]'' would fit the description quite well, too, but perhaps the closest types are the Malleus Malificarum and the Knights of the Order of St. George. The Malleus are basically the Inquisition with machine guns, Bearing both holy rituals and a "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" policy. The Knights are a division of the Anglican Church that use pursue sorcerers almost exclusively and use "divine magic" (really rituals learned from worshiping an EldritchAbomination) to sabotage magic.

* SolomonKane is a quite unambiguously good case.

* Many Hunters of ''[[WorldOfDarkness Hunter: the Vigil]]'' would fit the description quite well, too.

* Several associations in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' do this but given the rules of the setting, they are [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath Arguing The Witches To Death]] with logic-fueled swords and thanks to them {{FairPlayWhodunnit}}s exist. [[MindScrew Umineko is pretty weird]].

* Several associations in ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'' do this but given the rules of the setting, they are [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath Arguing The Witches To Death]] with logic-fueled swords and thanks to them [[FairPlayWhodunnit]]s exist. [[MindScrew Umineko is pretty weird]].

Compare DemonSlayer. Don't confuse with ''WitchHunter''. Or ''ElCazadorDeLaBruja''.

* The Witchsmeller Pusuviant (sp?) from ''TheBlackAdder''.

* Many Hunters of ''[[WorldOfDarkness Hunter: the Vigil]]'' would fit the description quite well, too.

Compare DemonSlayer. Don't confuse with ''WitchHunter''.

The grim, broody, [[BadassLongcoat badass-longcoated]] and [[NiceHat nice-hatted]] guy who's always prepared to lead a WitchHunt and BurnTheWitch. But beware, for this guy, as much as he is [[WellIntentionedExtremist well intentioned]] and [[SoulsavingCrusader soul-saving]], often [[KnightTemplar leaves that pesky sort-them-out trade to the Lord]]. And he tends to be [[PrinciplesZealot a bit creepy]] about [[LawfulStupid his principles]]. Due to these traits, a witch hunter is usually the one to commit VanHelsingHateCrimes, too.

While we're at it, that trope's TropeNamer hunted vampires, not witches, but even the standard ones rarely are above an occasional hunt after a vicious vampire or [[DemonSlayer a demon]].

A whole religion made of these guys is ChurchMilitant, and if they're a subdivision of one, they're TheInquisition, but they actually don't have to be [[BadassPreacher ordained]] -- laymen are welcome too. Some are freelancers, while others were specifically trained to perform their duties. Since they often face the need to investigate the nature of the threat before [[BurnTheWitch dealing with it]], many are more than a bit of OccultDetective.