Bully Hunter

A character who seems particularly adept and eager to take down bully-type characters with extreme prejudice, or at least show he has this streak in him. The Bully Hunter may do it by accident or while passing through the area, or he may actively seek out those who make others' lives miserable as a pastime and inject some hell into their lives in retaliation. The high-school version of the Vigilante Man, these kids prefer to take matters into their own hands rather than wait for a teacher to sort the problem out. They may believe that teachers are useless when it comes to dispensing justice, or that while the teachers are competent, the school system isn't. Such characters must be wary of running afoul of He Who Fights Monsters. At times, the line between bully, bully hunter, and victim are thin indeed. Often saves the world occasionally on top of his playground-peacekeeping activities. Sometimes from the bully. These are also the characters most likely to make the life of a Sadist Teacher hell. Other members of the faculty will either see him in action, misunderstand the situation and punish him alone, or if that person does know what is going on, will pull him aside to advise him on a more constructive means to deal with school bullying. Can be a result of Bullying a Dragon or Mugging the Monster when the bully's victims themselves are the ones who fight back. Can overlap with Big Brother Instinct if it's a specific person the bully hunter is protecting. Sometimes results when a Bully Magnet tries to fight back. There is an adult example if the person is standing up to bullies in the workforce. If you punch out the guy at work who is tormenting his underlings, that comes under the grown-up version of this trope. If you're out fighting muggers, however, you're looking at a Vigilante Man. And if you take this to the extreme, you can end up as a Serial-Killer Killer. The appeal of this trope is obvious; everyone who has been bullied at some point in their lives will instantly sympathize with the urge to give a fictional tormentor a comeuppance. As such, this can be a good way to introduce a heroic character as a guy or gal you can trust. Bully Hunters can become a Knight Templar in very extreme circumstances. Note: Keep in mind this trope applies only when the abuse was perpetrated by kids or teenagers. If the offender is an adult, then the crime is no longer school bullying and our Bully Hunter has been upgraded to a Vigilante Man. In the case of spousal abusers, then we have a Wife-Basher Basher. See also The Dulcinea Effect.