History Main / TheWitchHunter

A whole religion made of these guys is a ChurchMilitant, but they don't actually have to be [[BadassPreacher ordained]], or even a part of church structure. When they are, they are usually part of ChurchPolice. While some of them were specifically trained to perform their duties, they tend to be freelancers, working alone or within a small team (institutionalized witch-hunting is a slightly different matter in trope terms). 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 an OccultDetective, and, of course, the Witch Hunter is quite a case of the HunterOfMonsters, especially if he also goes after supernatural monsters. If a witch hunter is also adept at using magic, and lives in a more modern or contemporary setting, he may be a BlueCollarWarlock.

* Heinrich Kramer, a Dominican monk and Inquisitor and the author of the ''Literature/MalleusMaleficarum'' (i.e. ''Hammer of the Witches'', 1486), a treatise on witches and a tutorial on how to conduct witch trials. Kramer was also responsible for the so-called ''Hexenbulle'', a papal bull which Kramer used to prompt several witch trials. He claimed to have led 200 witches to execution. Then again, there is little reason to believe his empty boasts; Kramer and reality were not always on speaking terms and he was regarded by many people who knew him as a paranoid loon even in his own lifetime. Additionally, he also was a rampart misogynist who possibly viewed every female as being TheVamp. That said, his work, like ''The Discovery of Witches'', caused great harm after it was taken up during the witch-hunting craze of the 1500s-1600s (the Pope had sanctioned witch trials after his book was released, but this wasn't acted upon then).

* The game Witch Hunter: The Invisible World (now in its second edition) is a horror game set in an alternative earth that can best be called a SolomonKane story with less sexism, racism, and cultural superiority. Witch Hunters are individuals from any place that have learned secrets once woven into the Seal of Solomon. They use this to fight against supernatural terrors that serve the Adversary, a cosmic evil being (or group) whose identity is unknown (most Witch Hunters equate him the Adversary the BigBad of their religion, hence the name the Adversary). Since the core rulebook focuses on Europe and the Americas in the 17th century, most Witch Hunters will be a walking embodiment of this trope. The remainder are this trope only seen through the culture they come from. For example, imagine this trope, only the hunter happens to be from the Ottoman Empire. With a little work, your Witch Hunters are this trope in [[RecycledInSpace any pre-Industrial time and culture]].

* [[UrExample A notorious example from real history]] is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins Matthew Hopkins]], the original "Witchfinder General". During the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar, Hopkins traveled 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 Hopkins claimed to have a mandate from the English Parliament, this was probably a lie (the title "Witchfinder General" was his own invention) -- however, Parliament obviously tolerated his actions. As if that wasn't enough, Hopkins'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 {{witch hunt}}s. The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s still used Hopkins's methods.
* Heinrich Kramer, a Dominican monk and Inquisitor and the author of the ''Literature/MalleusMaleficarum'' (i.e. ''Hammer of the Witches'', 1486), a treatise on witches and a tutorial on how to conduct witch trials. Kramer was also responsible for the so called ''Hexenbulle'', a papal bull, which he used to prompt several witch trials. He claimed to have led 200 witches to execution. Then again, there is little reason to believe his empty boasts. Kramer and reality were not always on speaking terms and he was regarded by many people who knew him as a paranoid loon even in his own lifetime. Additionally, he also was a rampart misogynist who possibly viewed every female as being TheVamp. That said, his work, like ''The Discovery of Witches'', caused great harm after it was taken up during the witch-hunting craze of the 1500s-1600s (the Pope had sanctioned witch trials after his book was released, but this wasn't acted upon then).

* [[UrExample A notorious example from real history]] is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins Matthew Hopkins]], the original "Witchfinder General". During the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar, Hopkins traveled 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, Hopkins'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 {{witch hunt}}s. The Salem witch trials of the 1690s still used Hopkins's methods.
* Heinrich Kramer, a Dominican monk and Inquisitor and the author of the ''Literature/MalleusMaleficarum'' (i.e. ''Hammer of the Witches'', 1486), a treatise on witches and a tutorial on how to conduct witch trials. Kramer was also responsible for the so called Hexenbulle, a papal bull, which he used to prompt several witch trials. He claimed to have led 200 witches to execution. Then again, there is little reason to believe his empty boasts. Kramer and reality weren't always on speaking terms and he was regarded by many people who knew him as a paranoid loon even in his own lifetime. Additionally, he also was a rampart misogynist who possibly viewed every female as being TheVamp. That said, his work, like ''The Discovery of Witches'', caused great harm after it was taken up during the witch-hunting craze of the 1500s-1600s (the Pope had sanctioned witch trials after his book was released, but this wasn't acted on then).

* [[UrExample A notorious example from real history]] is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins Matthew Hopkins]], the original "Witchfinder General". During the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar, Hopkins traveled 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 {{witch hunt}}s. The Salem witch trials of the 1690s still used Hopkins's methods.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurentius_Christophori_Hornaeus Laurentius Hornaeus]], AKA "The evil reverend from Torsåker", an extremely zealous witch hunter in 17. Century Sweden. Assisted by two "wiseboys", who claimed to be able to identify witches from otherwise invisible marks, and using methods such as dunking children in freezing water to make them testify against their relatives, Hornaeus managed to get 71 people (a tenth of his congregation) convicted for witchcraft and executed,[[note]] For comparison, the total number of people ever executed for witchcraft in Sweden is about 400.[[/note]] and he would most likely have continued if higher and saner authorities had not intervened. Hornaeus grandson Jöns Hornaeus, who wrote an account of his grandfather's life, claimed that people were still afraid to go near the house where "The evil reverend" had lived sixty years later.

While we are at it, Van Helsing, the TropeNamer for the latter trope hunted vampires instead of witches, but even the standard ones are rarely above an occasional hunt after [[VampireHunter a vicious vampire]] or [[DemonSlaying demon]]. That said, witches generally have different connotations than most other classic monsters, due to the [[RealitySubtext uncomfortable reality]] of historical {{witch hunt}}s, which killed a lot of [[WidowWitch innocent people]]. Vampires and werewolves don't have that same historical baggage, and although you may the occasional FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire or heroic werewolf who is able to ResistTheBeast, they're still a lot more likely to be cast as AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters. Therefore, the VampireHunter is typically a relatively uncomplicated hero in a way that the Witch Hunter is not.

The Witch Hunter is the grim, broody, [[BadassLongcoat badass-longcoated]], and [[NiceHat nice-hatted]] guy who is always prepared to lead a WitchHunt, 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]]. He can be seen handing out the TorchesAndPitchforks, and "BurnTheWitch" is his favourite solution. Due to these traits, a witch hunter is usually a perpetrator of VanHelsingHateCrimes either out of racism, or mere cruelty and profit; thus, when the Witch Hunter appears, he is usually a villain or (in settings where witches are actually evil), a very dark AntiHero.

While we are at it, the TropeNamer for the latter trope, hunted vampires instead of witches, but even the standard ones are rarely above an occasional hunt after [[VampireHunter a vicious vampire]] or [[DemonSlaying demon]]. That said, witches generally have different connotations than most other classic monsters, due to the [[RealitySubtext uncomfortable reality]] of historical {{witch hunt}}s, which killed a lot of [[WidowWitch innocent people]]. Vampires and werewolves don't have that same historical baggage, and although you may the occasional FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire or heroic werewolf who is able to ResistTheBeast, they're still a lot more likely to be cast as AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters. Therefore, the VampireHunter is typically a relatively uncomplicated hero in a way that the Witch Hunter is not.

Let's say you live in a fantasy setting, but no, you aren't having it easy. [[DarkFantasy This ain't no happy-singing-rainbows-and-fairies kind of fantasy you've got here]], and there's a problem. Perhaps [[EvilSorcerer the resident wizard]] isn't too much into [[TheMentor helping upstart heroes]], or something has to be done with that "[[ReligionOfEvil persecuted religious community]]" at the corner before you [[VirginSacrifice run out of virgins]]. Maybe the local count thinks the mole on that kindly old lady's chin is ''really'' gross.

Let's say you live in a fantasy setting, but no, you aren't having it easy. [[DarkFantasy This ain't no happy-singing-rainbows-and-fairies kind of fantasy you've got here]], and there's a problem. Perhaps [[EvilSorcerer the resident wizard]] isn't too much into [[TheMentor helping upstart heroes]], or something has to be done with that "[[ReligionOfEvil persecuted religious community]]" at the corner before you [[VirginSacrifice run out of virgins]].

* The Witchsmeller Pursuviant from ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'', who finds the title character guilty of witchcraft via an over-the-top KangarooCourt.

A witch hunter may receive [[SupernaturalAid supernatural help]], whether from angelic or divine patrons or from being some sort of HalfHumanHybrid -- this often takes the form of ReligionIsMagic or HolyBurnsEvil. However, most of them are plain, baseline humans, which in stories where magic is real and their foes really are magic users, makes them BadassNormal. Having said that, for a witch hunter to operate, magic isn't really needed -- its appearance just makes the difference between being [[IDidWhatIHadToDo a harsh]], but possibly (depending on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism the story's cynicism]]) needed protector from supernatural threats, and a fanatic with few redeeming features (if any at all).

The Witch Hunter is the grim, broody, [[BadassLongcoat badass-longcoated]], and [[NiceHat nice-hatted]] guy who is always prepared to lead a WitchHunt, 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]]. He can be seen handing out the TorchesAndPitchforks, and "BurnTheWitch" is his favourite solution. Due to these traits, a witch hunter is usually a perpetrator of VanHelsingHateCrimes either out of racism, or mere cruelty and profit, and is most likely to be a villain or a dark AntiHero in works where he appears.

While we are at it, the TropeNamer for the latter trope, hunted vampires instead of witches, but even the standard ones are rarely above an occasional hunt after [[VampireHunter a vicious vampire]] or [[DemonSlaying demon]]. That said, witches generally have different connotations than most other classic monsters, due to the [[RealitySubtext uncomfortable reality]] of historical {{witch hunt}}s, which killed a lot of [[WidowWitch innocent people]]. Vampires and werewolves don't have that same historical baggage, and although you may the occasional FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire or heroic werewolf who is able to ResistTheBeast, they're still a lot more likely to be cast as AlwaysChaoticEvil monsters. Therefore, the VampireHunter is typically a relatively uncomplicated hero in a way that the WitchHunter is not.

The Witch Hunter is the grim, broody, [[BadassLongcoat badass-longcoated]], and [[NiceHat nice-hatted]] guy who is always prepared to lead a WitchHunt, 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]]. He can be seen handing out the TorchesAndPitchforks, and "BurnTheWitch" is his favourite solution. Due to these traits, a witch hunter is usually a perpetrator of VanHelsingHateCrimes either out of racism, or mere cruelty and profit, and is most likely to be a villain in works where he appears.

Subtly differs from MageKiller: a Mage Killer is empowered to be resistant to magic and/or especially [[TacticalRockPaperScissors powerful against magic-users]], while a Witch Hunter is ideologically opposed to their very existence ([[WindmillCrusader whether they really exist or not]]). The two can overlap -- maybe a Mage Killer chose that path because of a grudge against mages, or maybe a Witch Hunter stocks up on DepletedPhlebotinumShells and AntiMagic wards as a professional necessity. They may even exist independently of each other, depending on the setting's treatment of UnequalRites.

The Witch Hunter is the grim, broody, [[BadassLongcoat badass-longcoated]], and [[NiceHat nice-hatted]] guy who is always prepared to lead a WitchHunt, 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]]. He can be seen handing out the TorchesAndPitchforks, and "BurnTheWitch" is his favourite solution. Due to these traits, a witch hunter is usually the one to commit VanHelsingHateCrimes either out of racism, or mere cruelty and profit.

* ''Fanfic/ThePurge'': [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12140398/1/The-Purge Harry Potter]] goes through his [[spoiler: mother's]] family tree and finds out he is a descendant of the famous witch hunter MatthewHopkins. He decides to take up his ancestor's work. [[spoiler: It turns out Lily had the same tendencies.]]

* Creator/VincentPrice plays one in Creator/TigonBritishFilmProductions' ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral'', which is based on the exploits of Matthew Hopkins, who is mentioned in the Real Life section of this page. There is not a fantasy movie, and Hopkins is portrayed as neither a grim hero nor a KnightTemplar fanatic; he's a cynical opportunist and a ''deeply'' evil man, exploiting the [[WitchHunt superstitions]] of those around him for personal gain.

* [[UrExample A notorious example from real history:]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins Matthew Hopkins]], the original "Witchfinder General". During the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar, Hopkins traveled 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 {{witch hunt}}s. The Salem witch trials of the 1690s still used Hopkins's methods.

The Witch Hunter is the grim, broody, [[BadassLongcoat badass-longcoated]], and [[NiceHat nice-hatted]] guy who is always prepared to lead a WitchHunt, 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]]. He can be seen handing out the TorchesAndPitchforks, and "BurnTheWitch" is a solution he is eager for indeed. Due to these traits, a witch hunter is usually the one to commit VanHelsingHateCrimes either out of racism, or mere cruelty and profit.

While we are at it, the TropeNamer for the latter trope, hunted vampires instead of witches, but even the standard ones are rarely above an occasional hunt after [[VampireHunter a vicious vampire]] or [[DemonSlaying demon]].

* Creator/VincentPrice plays one in Creator/TigonBritishFilmProductions' ''Film/WitchfinderGeneral'', which is based on the exploits of Matthew Hopkins, who is mentioned in the Real Life section of this page.

* Following in the steps of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' and Robert E. Howard, Paizo Publishing's ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' now [[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/inquisitor features an Inquisitor class]]. The iconic Inquisitor could only look more like this trope with a burning heretic at her feet, though in personality and outlook she is a far cry from the stereotyped angry witch hunter and more of a kind-hearted scholar who happens to engage in the grim business of monster-hunting. The Inquistor class even has an archetype (class variant) ''called'' Witch Hunter, who drops some of the Inquisitor's abilities to counter beasts and discerning lies and alignments for abilities aimed at arcane spellcasters.

Let's say you live in a fantasy setting, but no, you are not having it easy. [[DarkFantasy This ain't no happy-singing-rainbows-and-fairies kind of fantasy you've got here]], and there is a problem. Perhaps [[EvilSorcerer the resident wizard]] isn't too much into [[TheMentor helping upstart heroes]], or something has to be done with that "[[ReligionOfEvil persecuted religious community]]" at the corner before you [[VirginSacrifice run out of virgins]].

Let's say you live in a fantasy setting, but no, you are not having it easy. [[DarkFantasy This is no happy-singing-rainbows-and-fairies kind of fantasy you have got here]], and there is a problem. Perhaps [[EvilSorcerer the resident wizard]] isn't too much into [[TheMentor helping upstart heroes]], or something has to be done with that "[[ReligionOfEvil persecuted religious community]]" at the corner before you [[VirginSacrifice run out of virgins]].

* The page quote comes from Saxon's song, "Witchfinder General".

* The [[MagicalGirl Puella Magi]] of ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' exist to fight {{Eldritch Abomination}}s which are called "witches". Of course, there is a dark twist. [[spoiler: Which is that because of the way [[TheCorruption magic works]] in the Puella Magi universe, every Puella Magi is doomed to [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie become a Witch]].]]

[[caption-width-right:320:"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." -Exodus 22:18]]

[[folder: Anime And Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: FanFic ]]
* FanFic/ThePrayerWarriors are an ''extremely'' aggressive and fundamentalist version. They hunt ''[[RougeAnglesOfSatin Stan]][[HollywoodSatanism ists]], who, due to the [[DesignatedHero intolerance, general stupidity, and serious villainous tendencies]] of the heroes, come off as [[DesignatedVillain better than the protagonists]].

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': [[spoiler:Mordo ends up taking this position at the end of the movie as the events convince him that there are too many sorcerers out there breaking the natural laws. As a sorcerer himself, this overlaps with HunterOfHisOwnKind.]]

[[folder: Literature ]]
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''

* Evil wizards had essentially regressed much of the world from the 19th century to TheDungAges in Tamara Siler Jones's ''Dubric Byerly'' trilogy - a DarkFantasy mixed with forensic mystery. These "mages" were beaten back by a crusade from a country that escaped this fate and after this victory, Dubric Byerly - a [[EvilStoleMyFaith lapsed]] warrior-priest who's become an inspector, is tasked by the king with hunting those that still remain.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Subverted in ''{{Series/Kaamelott}}'': The local Witch Hunter (Repurgateur, the term used in the French translation of ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'') is a complete and utter dumbass and the epitome of ActivistFundamentalistAntics who tries to set fire to anyone he disagrees with (pagans, magic users, heretics, women, KingArthur...). In the pilot, he suffers a minor brain freeze when Arthur points out that his sword is magical (and thus heretical) before trying to have Arthur burned, and ends up tied at his own stake. His final appearance has him declare he's become a paladin, demand Arthur's sword, and prove himself incapable of defeating the village idiot in a swordfight.

* ''Series/GoodOmens2019'': Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer was a witchfinder, while Shadwell tries to be one as well, recruiting Pulsifer's descendant Newton. Adultery found at least one witch but [[TakingYouWithMe died when he burned her (and the fifty pounds of gunpowder under her skirts) at the stake]], Shadwell never realizes how close he was to a witch and witch-related people, while Newton stumbled upon a witch mostly on accident.

[[folder: Manhwa ]]
* ''Manhwa/WitchHunter''. People with special powers unite in a battle against genuine witches.

[[folder: Music ]]
* The page quote comes from Saxon's song, "Witchfinder General".

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': There is some deviation from the norm, in that some Witch Hunters are merely petty tyrants who only signed up for the opportunity to bully people around, and do very little in the way of actually killing witches. They often worship Solkan, the god of order and revenge, which further separates them from organised structures.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition]] have three branches devoted to hunting daemons (Ordo Malleus), heretics (Ordo Hereticus), and aliens (Ordo Xenos), each of which has a militant arm: the Grey Knights (an entire chapter of psychic SpaceMarines), the Sisters of Battle (an AmazonBrigade that [[KillItWithFire loves burning witches and heretics]]), and the Deathwatch (a corps of expert Space Marines from various chapters). The Inquisition in general is closest to the traditional "witch hunter", down to the longcoat and hat.
** Despite the clear descent of Inquisitors from Solomon Kane, both Warhammers likely popularized the image of the Witch Hunter enough that some fans [[OlderThanTheyThink think it was Games Workshop's creation.]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]
* ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest's'' Uriel Hunter is a religious zealot dedicated to 'cleansing' the island, believing it to be infested by demons and Satanic minions. His weapon of choice, naturally, is fire.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* On one "Rita and Runt" segment of ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' set in colonial Salem, Massachusetts, a witch hunter is after Rita, claiming she's a witch's familiar.
* Tim the Witch-Smeller from ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' has the distinct honor of being one of the [[BewareTheSillyOnes silliest]], [[NotSoHarmlessVillain scariest]], and most dangerous villains the show has ever produced.

[[folder: Real Life ]]
* [[UrExample A notorious example from real history:]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins Matthew Hopkins]], the original "Witchfinder General". During the UsefulNotes/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 {{witch hunt}}s. The Salem witch trials of the 1690s still used Hopkins's methods.
* Heinrich Kramer, a Dominican monk and Inquisitor and the author of the ''Literature/MalleusMaleficarum'' (i.e. ''Hammer of the Witches'', 1486), a treatise on witches and a tutorial on how to conduct witch trials. Kramer was also responsible for the so called Hexenbulle, a papal bull, which he used to prompt several witch trials. He claimed to have led 200 witches to execution. Then again, there is little reason to believe his empty boasts. Kramer and reality weren't always on speaking terms and he was regarded by many people who knew him as a paranoid loon even in his own lifetime. Additionally, he also was a rampart misogynist who possibly viewed every female as being TheVamp. That said, his work, like ''The Discovery of Witches'', caused great harm after it was taken up during the witch-hunting craze of the 1500s-1600s (the Pope had sanctioned witch trials after his book was released, but this wasn't acted on then).
* Witch Smellers were found in some African tribes, and the hunts they kicked off could be devastating in their effects, but they didn't always have it their way. According to legend some Zulu witch hunters tried this on UsefulNotes/ShakaZulu. He outsmarted them and it ended [[KillEmAll badly for them]].
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurentius_Christophori_Hornaeus Laurentius Hornaeus]], AKA "The evil reverend from Torsåker", an extremely zealous witch hunter in 17. Century Sweden. Assisted by two "wiseboys", who claimed to be able to identify witches from otherwise invisible marks, and using methods such as dunking children in freezing water to make them testify against their relatives, Hornaeus managed to get 71 people (a tenth of his congregation) convicted for witchcraft and executed,[[note]] For comparison, the total number of people ever executed for witchcraft in Sweden is about 400.[[/note]] and he would most likely have continued if higher and saner authorities had not intervened. Hornaeus grandson Jöns Hornaeus, who wrote an account of his grandfather's life, claimed that people were still afraid to go near the house where "The evil reverend" had lived sixty years later.
[[/folder]]

* Despite the name, the protagonist of ''[[Creator/RalphHayesJr Witch Hunter]]'' is actually an {{Aversion}} of this trope. While he has the power to see people's sins, and therefore the power to identify the very evil, he is insistent that this doesn't give him the authority to dispense some kind of vigilante justice. The one time he directly attacks a group of evildoers, it's because they've just kidnapped a girl and are about to rape her. His more usual M.O. is to simply tip off the police, since he can generally spot when someone has just commited a crime, and the nature of his powers tells him a lot about what crime was committed (different sins have different appearances).

[[folder: Web Original]]
* ''[[Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest Survival Of The Fittest]]'s'' Uriel Hunter is a religious zealot dedicated to 'cleansing' the island, believing it to be infested by demons and Satanic minions. His weapon of choice, naturally, is fire.