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- While the MCU's reboot of Blade continues to suffer delays during production, fans waiting to see Mahershala Ali fight the undead can satiate their bloodlust by checking out these other legendary vampire hunters. From high school cheerleaders to American presidents, the following characters prove that anyone can slay.
Before color graced our television screens, vampires posed a threat in the cinematic world. From classics like Nosferatu and Dracula to Marvel Comics, everyone wanted a piece of the bloodthirsty undead. Alongside zombies, vampires are the most famous supernatural creature. Their self-awareness and immortality allow their backstories to be explored in various creative ways, and the best vampire movies do so.
Feeding on innocent people isn't in the best interests of humankind, however, so with vampires come vampire hunters. Some of the most popular fictional characters ply their trade by slaying the undead, often due to a personal vendetta against a certain vampire. While some are hardened killers and others are more lighthearted, these hunters slay.
Updated on May 15, 2023, by Ty Weinert:
While the MCU's reboot of Blade continues to suffer delays during production, fans waiting to see Mahershala Ali fight the undead can satiate their bloodlust by checking out these other legendary vampire hunters. From high school cheerleaders to American presidents, the following characters prove that anyone can slay.
14 Abraham Lincoln - 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' (2012)
It is a surprisingly little-known fact that the 16th President of the United States was also a seasoned vampire killer. Thankfully Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter shines a light on this overlooked era of the leader's history. Learning that vampires are attempting to overthrow his country, Abraham Lincoln (played by Rings of Power's Benjamin Walker) and his friends rally to end their nefarious plot.
Abandoning historical accuracy in favor of bombastic action, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a decent popcorn flick carried by its outrageous premise. It's held back by its choice to take its silly subject seriously, but the stylish visuals and engaging action sequences make it worth watching.
13 Gabriel Van Helsing — 'Van Helsing' (2004)
Swapping adamantium claws for an assortment of monster hunting gear, Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing is based on the titular vampire hunter made famous in Dracula. Along with fighting that legendary vampire, Jackman also faces off with Frankenstein's monster and a werewolf as he attempts to bring peace to a Transylvanian village.
A tribute to the classic Universal Monsters, similar to the recent Werewolf by Night, Van Helsing was directed by The Mummy's Stephen Sommers. Though it received negative reviews at release, it is an enjoyable fantasy-action movie, and it is a shame Jackson's monster slayer never made any further appearances.
12 Jack Crow - 'Vampires' (1998)
Directed by legendary filmmaker John Carpenter, Vampires stars James Woods as Jack Crow. Having lost both his parents to vampires at a young age, Crow has grown into a hardened slayer who hunts the creatures on behalf of the Catholic Church. When his team is massacred in a raid gone wrong, Crow goes on the warpath.
Wholly committed to eradicating vampires from the face of the Earth, Crow can come across as quite gruff and aggressive in his pursuit. This is understandable when considering his traumatic childhood, and his ability to kill the undead and lead a team of fellow hunters makes him a formidable vampire slayer.
11 Bud Jablonski — 'Day Shift' (2022)
The star of Netflix's recent action-horror release, Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx), is a vampire hunter living in California. Using his day job as a pool cleaner as a cover, Bud keeps the undead at bay while trying to stay connected to his young daughter. When his ex-wife threatens to move their child away due to a lack of money, the freelance Bud is forced to rejoin the vampire-hunting organization that threw him out.
Day Shift doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it is still an entertaining mix of action and comedy. Foxx is always a likable lead, and the supporting cast around him, including Dave Franco, Meagan Good, and Snoop Dogg, helps to flesh out the world.
10 Vanessa Helsing - 'Van Helsing' (2016 - 2021)
Waking up from a coma, Vanessa Helsing (Kelly Overton) a descendant of the legendary vampire hunter, discovers that vampires have ravaged the planet. With Earth reduced to a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the immune Vanessa must lead a small group of survivors to safety as she fights back against the undead.
Van Helsing's premise sounds remarkably like The Walking Dead, and the show follows a similar formula. While supporting characters come and go as they are regularly killed off, Vanessa remains the one constant as Overton makes for a likable lead who kicks vampire butt all throughout the apocalypse.
9 Lucian — 'Underworld' (2003)
While Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is the star of the Underworld franchise, the death dealer is more proficient at slaying Lycans than her own vampire kind. However, Lycan leader Lucian (Michael Sheen) is more than happy to kill his fair share of vampires as he leads the werewolves in a bitter blood feud against their immortal rivals.
Beginning as an antagonist, Lucian becomes a more sympathetic villain in the movie as Selene learns more of his backstory and why he hates her kind. He gains leading man status in the third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, which reveals he hunts vampires to avenge the murder of his beloved at the hands of their leader.
8 Peter Vincent — 'Fright Night' (1985)
When teenager Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) suspects his charming new neighbor is a vampire, he enlists the services of Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall). A television host made famous for playing a fictional vampire hunter, Vincent regales his audience with his experience killing the undead but is, in fact, a coward who doesn't believe in their existence.
Eventually convinced by the frantic boy, Vincent works with Charley to fight the vampire and rescue the teen's girlfriend. A cult classic, Fright Night is one of the best horror comedies to emerge from the 1980s. It was remade in 2011 with David Tennant portraying Vincent, who is now a Las Vegas magician.
7 Robert Neville — 'I Am Legend' (2007)
After a virus wipes out humanity, scientist Robert Neville (Will Smith) is the last man on Earth, surviving alongside his loyal dog Sam. Those who survived the virus were turned into nocturnal, vampire-like mutants, and Neville tries to find a cure while fighting off their repeated attacks each night.
With a sole character, I Am Legend works due to the natural charisma of Smith. Carrying the film on his shoulders, Smith is great as he scavenges by day and battles vampires by night. Trapped in a nightmare he can't escape, Neville is a resourceful survivor, setting traps for the mutants as he finds ways to stay alive despite his hopeless situation.
6 Trevor Belmont - 'Castlevania' (2017 - 2021)
Based on the popular video game series, Castlevania follows Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), the last of his clan. With Dracula and his army of vampires descending on Eastern Europe, Trevor must rally together a small band of misfits to save the world from eternal darkness.
Despite his disgraced family name, Trevor is willing to fight to the death to protect humanity. His plight makes up the heart of Castlevania, which has further heightened the prestige of the legendary game it is based on. This series is one of the best video game adaptations, and is a must-watch for anyone with an interest in the blood-sucking undead.
5 Abraham Van Helsing - 'Dracula' (1958)
The most famous vampire tale of all time, Dracula sees the legendary bloodsucker seeking a new bride to join him in immortality. When word of his misdeeds reaches Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), he rushes into action to stop the villain from claiming any more lives.
Possibly the original vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing represents good as he clashes with Dracula's evil. Cushing is terrific in the role as he faces off against Christoper Lee's legendary Dracula, and as Van Helsing he helped set the template that all cinematic vampire hunters would go on to follow.
4 Sam and Dean Winchester — "Supernatural" (2005 - 2020)
Across its 15-year run, Supernatural's Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester tussled with basically every horror creature imaginable. No matter the monster and the odds, the two brothers always came out on top or at least found a way to resurrect themselves if they didn't (no matter how many times they died in Supernatural).
Despite being hunted to near extinction in Supernatural's world, the bloodsuckers appear in almost every season of the popular show. Sometimes friend, sometimes foe, the Winchesters prove proficient vampire slayers as they add the fang-bearing undead to their growing list of hunted creatures.
3 Edgar and Alan Frog — 'The Lost Boys' (1987)
A classic from the '80s, The Lost Boys remains one of the most famous vampire movies ever. When brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) move to California with their mom, they cross paths with a pack of teenage vampires. As Michael is drawn into their world, young Sam attempts to save his soul.
Sam befriends Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan Frog (Jamison Newlander), a pair of horror nerds who claim to be vampire hunters. As the Frog brothers help Sam and Michael, they face the monsters they have spent their childhood reading about. Despite their inexperience, the Frogs' knowledge proves invaluable as the vampires target the family.
2 Buffy Summers — 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997 - 2003)
While Buffy began life in the 1992 movie of the same name, played by Kristy Swanson, it was her revival in the popular television series that made her a cultural icon. Now played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy Summers is a bright, bubbly high school cheerleader who has been chosen by fate to become a vampire slayer.
Running for seven seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer operates almost like an older-pitched version of Scooby-Doo, as Buffy and her friends investigate and combat a new supernatural threat each week. Beginning as a simple teenager, Buffy grows into a fearless fighter of the undead as she goes on to save the world on more than one occasion.
1 Blade — 'Blade' (1998)
Definitely the coolest vampire hunter out there, Blade popularized the leather jacket and black sunglasses look a whole year before The Matrix. Cursed to live as a half-breed, part-human, and part-vampire, Blade (Wesley Snipes) devotes his life to killing the undead alongside his mentor and father figure, Whistler (Kris Kristofferson).
A Marvel character, Blade predated the MCU by a decade and helped pave the way for superhero adaptations on the big screen. A reboot is planned to reintroduce the character into the current Marvel landscape, with Snipes passing the torch to two-time Academy-award winner Mahershala Ali.