Undead/Witch Hunter archtypes like Hellsing, Solomon Kane

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 6:04 am

Been looking at the history of different popular archtypes today.

Like the gun and sabre witch hunter, that seems to come from Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Kane

But was that drawing from older sources? Sword and pistol is a thing, there's highwaymen but any specific 'hero who fights evil' story with a gun + melee weapon like that?

I've been thinking about this today because it just clicked that Devil May Cry's Dante is a recolored Wesley Snipes Blade. Capcom was already making Marvel games and DMC started off as a sequel to Resident Evil, right at the time Blade I showed in theaters.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 6:42 am

The Kane stories are strongly influenced by Haggard's African-set stuff (especially She) although it's been a while and I don't recall any particular weapon loadouts. While there are quite a few sword-and-pistol sorts in literature who predate Kane, the only one who springs to mind as a hero-who-fights-evil is Burroughs' John Carter (although the evils he fights are more conventionally villainous than metaphysical).

Harshax · Post by **Harshax** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:33 am

The Evil Dead movies are a more modern example of Sword & Pistol, so are most zombie apocalypse comic and TV series.

hogarth · Post by **hogarth** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 3:05 pm

The Three Musketeers presumably had firearms, although I don't specifically remember them using them.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:52 am

Are you only looking for earlier works, or examples period?

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Fri Jan 15, 2021 11:28 am

Earlier works, but forming links is also good.

Like Evil Dead seems to have lead to Chainsaw Warrior so now we got scifi pistol chainswording

erik · Post by **erik** » Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:02 am

erik · Post by **erik** » Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:18 am

Leaving Luke as a separate post because I really like that badass picture.

Pirates are a good example of people using swords and pistols.

Apparently some knights/cavalry in the 1600's dumped the lance for firearms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakkapeliitta were cavalry who entered battle with two pistols to fire as they closed, then a sword after reaching melee.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:23 am

The newer examples that jump out at me are Bloodborne's hunters and the Highwayman from Darkest Dungeon.

Also, when I was in junior high I had a science teacher who was a Coast Guard reservist, who was regarded as a kook because he insisted the boarding loadout should be a cutlass and shotgun instead of a Beretta.

OgreBattle · Post by **OgreBattle** » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:48 am

JigokuBosatsu wrote:The newer examples that jump out at me are Bloodborne's hunters and the Highwayman from Darkest Dungeon.

Also, when I was in junior high I had a science teacher who was a Coast Guard reservist, who was regarded as a kook because he insisted the boarding loadout should be a cutlass and shotgun instead of a Beretta.

Really love the Bloodborne hunter look. They both draw from Brotherhood of the Wolf, which draws from 1800's fashion and I'd say replaced the Jeffrey Catherine Jones' Solomon Kane puritan look.

I figure Brotherhood of the Wolf draws from highwaymen... though I think that French movie draws from cowboy movies too with the waxy look of their coats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highwayma ... %20century.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Mon Jan 18, 2021 4:36 am

Oilcloth raincoats were a thing in the 18th century, but I think you're right on the influence.

Speaking of which, I would also mention that the protagonist of The Marquis (which is the biggest influence on Bloodborne that nobody ever mentions) uses a pistol/sword combo.