the good monster

Thanks for the link. The general theme of a "good monster" has some antecedents going back to at least Frankenstein (1818), but the theme has really become common in the age of the pedophile panic.

The earliest "self-denying vampire" series I am familiar with is the Canadian TV series "Forever Knight" (1989); but the idea really became popular in the later 1990s and early 2000s, with the characters of Angel and Spike in the TV series "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" (1997) - but not the 1992 movie; "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" (2001) which became "True Blood" on television; and the "Twilight" series (2005).

"Blade" (1998, but based on a comic book character established in 1973) is also notable, but is only half-vampire. The character of the magog Rev Bem in the "Andromeda" series (2000) plays a similar role of the ethical, self-denying monster.

"The Vampire Diaries" (books 1991, TV 2009) have been mentioned here as well, but appear to have only gained popularity lately. Even so, the 1991 date is well within the pedophile panic period.

Can anyone think of other prominent examples of the self-denying monster? Frankenstein does not really count because his nature was good and the conflict arose from the humans who feared him (which actually fits our situation even better).