Hunters

> “There’s a f\*\*\*ing dungeon with cuffs, and a devil’s trap in here? Okay, this place just gained my utmost respect. [...] You hunters really know how to party."
>
> -Jenefer Monique to Diana Winchester

## Species Information

### Related Species

* Human
* Witch
* Werewolf
* Shifter Werewolf
* Hybrid
* Immortal Hybrids
* Werewolf-Witch Hybrid (affiliation)

### Distinction

Hunting monsters, and other supernatural creatures.

**Hunters** are people, usually humans, who hunt down the supernatural and save people from monsters, demons, ghosts and other creatures and supernatural events.

They usually are just typical humans who, unlike others, are aware of the existence of supernatural beings and, even more, they fight against them to protect normal people from harm. One of the most recurring reasons to go into the hunter lifestyle is a tragedy in their lives that involved the supernatural (Diana Winchester's surrogate father, Mason being killed by a kitsune, and her father Alexander teaching her about the supernatural world, and Diana later taking up the life of a hunter). However, there are other reasons to decide being a supernatural hunter, such as being raised as one. It is also shown that supernatural hunters typically pass their knowledge onto their children, as they could be killed by supernatural creatures that look for revenge or could appear. When they do so, a family of supernatural hunters is formed, like the Campbells, Harvelles or the Winchesters.

Many of the supernatural hunters do not reside in a permanent residence (or at least, they cannot do so), as they move throughout the country looking for cases and protecting the people, they live on the move, and as such have few belongings beyond essential equipment and supplies which allows them to move easily and quickly. Dean Winchester also states that hunters "never hit the same town over again" because they "have a habit of leaving messes behind" after working on cases, this even being one of John Winchester's rules as Dean quotes him: "you never use the same crapper twice".

However, it was revealed by Henry Winchester that the Men-of-Letters, prior to their extinction, used to share their information with only the most elite hunters, and took on an advisory role, or as Dean referred it, "Being Yoda to our Jedi". This changed when Diana Winchester opened the Men of Letters bunker in 2013, and was later joined by Dean and Sam, and the three of them became the first hunters to base their operation out of the bunker, as in the past, hunters were not allowed into the bunker. Diana also allowed certain supernatural creatures, such as werewolves, and witches into the bunker, as well as her hybrid allies, to look after the bunker when she was not there.

## Skills and Abilities

Most hunters have a good physical condition suitable for hunting, and possess an extensive knowledge of the supernatural and mythology as well. There is a basis about how a supernatural hunter must be, as most of them can be recognized by common traits (it is speculated that supernatural hunters use similar ways to do their hunting: whenever they are together). Hunters are skilled fighters, proficient with firearms, shotguns and melee weapons they might acquire and are also expert marksmen. When weapons are scarce and they are in a dangerous situation, they use hand-to-hand combat or whatever is available as a weapon. They also appear to be proficient trackers and possess prudent tactical skills and an instinctive ability to "read" behavioral characteristics and manipulate people. In addition, they need to be virtuosos of escape, evasion and silent movement, when the situation requires subtlety and stealth, such as surprise attacks.

And it has been shown they can read and recall Latin incantations, which can be used to summon, exorcise, and vanquish demons. Aside from Latin, some hunters are also able to read and/or recite other languages, in the case of Diana, who became fluent in Latin after her witch power activated, and she began to learn more languages, such as Aramaic. Also, it's been seen that most of them have journals, or books, such as Alexander Winchester, with information, details and methods to kill the different creature they must face, as John Winchester wrote a journal that he passed onto his sons. Veteran hunters possess massive and in-depth knowledge on supernatural lore, and often keep the hunter community updated on any new or recent developments.

It is shown they possess many abilities that are frowned upon by law, including, but not limited to: lock picking, breaking into security systems, computer hacking, disguised conning, car jacking and gaining an 'advantageous purchase'. They are versed with how police, fire departments and various government agencies (FBI, CDC) typically operate and conduct investigations, and know how to both impersonate and evade them effectively. Most of these methods are used to gather information about the cases they're working on, though methods can differ between supernatural hunters. Hunters also keep their weapons close to themselves, as they can be attacked at any moment or to easily transport them to any location they need to go.

## Weaponry

Hunters possess a large amount of weaponry, as they need to be practical enough so they can easily adapt to the different situations they may face and the creatures they may encounter. Depending on the enemy, they use weapons and other items that weaken and kill them. All supernatural hunters have a common list of equipment that is useful in most of the cases they are in, such as:

* **Firearms** - One of the most useful weapons supernatural hunters have. By modifying their bullets, they can use them against many creatures (e.g. Silver bullets can be used against skinwalkers and werewolves, while shotgun cartridges can be loaded with salt.) They also can be used without any modification if only greater fire-power is needed, as when facing and destroying zombies). Includes rifles, shotguns and revolvers. Hunters may require snipers when dealing with monsters too dangerous to confront in short-range combat.
	+ **The Colt**
* **Speciality Bullets**
	+ **Iron Bullets**
	+ **Silver Bullets**
	+ **Rock Salt Shells/Rounds/Cartridges**
	+ **Dead Man's Blood Bullets**
	+ **Witch-Killing Bullets**
	+ **Devil's Trap Bullets** - Developed by the Men of Letters.
	+ **Angel-Killing Bullets** - Used by Apocalypse World hunters against angels and demons.
	+ **Holy Oil Bullets** - Used and presumably created by hunters working under Sam and Dean after escaping the Apocalypse World, effects unknown.
* **Knives** - As close range weapons, they can be useful when there is no possibility to use a gun, or use them to decapitate vampires for example. They can also use other cutting weapons, like axes, machetes and even swords.
* **Salt** - Supernatural Hunters have considerable amounts of salt, as it can be used for protection against demons, ghosts, hellhounds, etc., as most of them cannot pass a line made of salt. However, you can use it as a form of gun with shotgun shells.
* **Silver Items** - This works very well against werewolves, skinwalkers and many other monsters, so it is practical to have weapons (like knives, for example) and bullets made of silver.
* **Iron Items** - Used to harms ghosts, demons, and other supernatural entities.
* **Stakes** - Used to kill mostly deities and zombies.
	+ **Palo Santo** - Used to harm and immobilize demons.
* **Holy Water** - It can be used against demons, as it is very harming and painful for them.
* **Other Items** - Other useful equipment includes tasers, lighters, oils, lanterns, binoculars, syringes, mirrors, swords, flashlights., that can be used anytime (e.g. oil and lighters can be used to burn corpses and bones, while syringes can be used to inject vampires with dead man's blood).
* **Explosives** - C-4, dynamite, grenades, landmines, molotov cocktails etc, and for big cases, C-4 even being called "a hunter's best friend".
* **Supernatural Weaponry** - This includes any conventional weapon that is often empowered with some supernatural effect. Also they are sometimes even one of a kind, such as the demon-killing knife, The Colt and Divine Weapons.
	+ **Angel Blades** - More experienced hunters like the Winchesters, Winchesters' associates, Asa Fox, etc.. carry angel blades with them, that can be used against a variety of supernatural creatures like angels, demons, hellhounds, werewolves, etc. Their use was very common by hunters in the Apocalypse World.

**Men of Letters Weaponry** - TBA.

* **Magic** - This includes summoning spells for ghosts, demons and several other supernatural entities. However those like Sam and Dean despite on occasion, uses magic they don't consider themselves witches or any other kind of legitimate magic user.
	+ **Seals and Sigils** - These comprise a vital part of their defensive arsenal. It could range greatly in size, from Devil's Traps or Solomon Keys in the ceiling, to smaller ones like tattoos. They could be used on entire houses, or on cars, and even on boxes to contain cursed objects.
	+ **Hex Bags and Charms** - Works similarly to seals and sigils. These are items imbued with defensive or concealing magic.

Highly resourceful, they frequently need improvised weapons and explosive devices; as they demonstrate knowledge in chemistry by constructing Molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices, or in electronics and reverse engineering, just like creating an electromagnetic field detector from an old Walkman.

## Known Hunters

There are many hunters that belong to many different families, which include:

## Trivia

* When a hunter dies, the body is laid down on a row of logs with a white sheet over the body and then salted and burned. This is to prevent the hunter's soul from becoming a ghost.
* Although hunters track down different supernatural entities, some of them, specialize on certain beings.
	+ Diana Winchester specializes in inside hunts, using connections with supernatural beings, in order to take their enemies down from the inside.
* Although hunters are usually humans, there are also supernatural beings who hunt other supernatural beings, like:
	+ Diana Winchester after her transition to a witch.
* Between 2010 and 2011, demons under Crowley's control acted similar to hunters, albeit specializing on capturing and torturing monsters to locate Purgatory.
* Although most hunters shown were based in the United States of America, it is implied that there are hunters all over the world. This is suggested by the fact that certain supernatural creatures can only be found in certain parts of the world.
	+ Hunters in Scotland are called locally as *breakers*. In Japan, hunters are called *hanta*.
* American hunters typically eat burgers and drink beer and live in cheap motels. There are a few exceptions. While some hunters are constantly on the move, others prefer to remain stationary and work a secondary job.