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This is about the Freddy Krueger of the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series, predominantly played by Robert Englund. If you are looking for one or more other versions of Freddy Krueger, please check Freddy Krueger (disambiguation).

Frederick Charles Krueger, referred to as Freddy Krueger and Fred Krueger, is a serial killer and the main antagonist of the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. A family man on the surface, Krueger was actually the serial killer known as the "Springwood Slasher".

It is hinted in some of the films that some of his victims and their parents may have been from other parts of Springwood besides Elm Street. It is also hinted in some of the films that people other than parents of the victims and people not living on Elm Street participated in the burning of Freddy Krueger. Throughout the film series, many things are only vaguely hinted at.

When he was caught and subsequently released on a technicality, the parents of his victims, and possibly other people, as stated above, tracked him to the Boiler Room of the Power Plant he once worked at and burned him alive. Three Dream Demons offered Krueger the chance to continue after his physical death, with the ability enter his victims' dreams and kill them in the Dream World, which would thus cause their death in the physical world and absorb their souls afterward.

As revenge upon the people who burned him to death, he targeted those people's children, who were obviously older than most or all of his pre-death victims.

He also targeted Marge Thompson. He went almost as far out of his way to do this as targeting the teenagers.

He later killed Donald Thompson, though he didn't go out of his way to do this.

He is predominantly portrayed in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series by Robert Englund. He was portrayed by two other actors in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. He was briefly portrayed by Kane Hodder in Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday.

Biography

Pre-death

Birth

Amanda Krueger, a nun who worked at the Hathaway House, an asylum for the criminally insane, was accidentally locked in a room where one hundred maniacs were housed. They attacked and raped her repeatedly until she was found barely alive and ultimately pregnant. In September 1942, she gave birth to a boy named Frederick Charles Krueger,[1] who was placed with an abusive alcoholic named Mr. Underwood.[2]

Elementary School

Freddy Child

Freddy as a child, as seen in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (film)

While in elementary school Freddy killed the class hamster and was bullied for being the son of a hundred maniacs.

Teenage

During his teenage years he would cut himself with a shaving razor for pleasure. He used the same razor to kill Mr. Underwood when he was beating him as revenge for all the times he abused him.[2]

The Springwood Slasher

"The Springwood Slasher. That's what they called me."
—Freddy Krueger (Freddy vs. Jason (film))
FreddysDead

Freddy receives his powers from the Dream Demons.

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As an adult, Freddy worked at the local power plant and had raised a daughter with his loving wife. However, behind that peaceful facade, lay in his own twisted heart a seething and horrific desire for vengeance and retribution for what hell Springwood had inflicted on to him. Targeting the children of his former classmates now turned the populace of Springwood, Freddy's MO was to take his victims to his workplace's boiler room. He created a glove with fish knives on the fingers, and as he kidnapped children, he mangled and tortured them with it. With their remains thrown and spread throughout town,[3] his acts earned him the reputation as the serial killer named the Springwood Slasher.[4] He killed around twenty children before he was arrested. However, because the arrest warrant was signed in the wrong place and the judge drunk at the time of the proceeding, Krueger was released. The townsfolk were furious and took the law into their own hands. They cornered him in his lair and doused him in gasoline and set him on fire. While the building was burning, Freddy was approached by Dream Demons. Krueger took the offer from Dream Demons to continue his killing spree. He was allowed to roam the Dream World, where any damage he inflicted would cause death in the physical world.[3]

Post-death

Attacking Nancy

"Come to Freddy."
—Freddy Krueger
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Freddy attacking Nancy in her bedroom

In A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy invaded the nightmares of Tina Gray, Nancy Thompson, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz. Tina became his first post-death victim when he slashed her across the chest with his clawed glove, which did the same amount of damage to her in the physical world and throwing and dragging her around the room, killing her. Rod Lane was accused of killing Tina and was arrested. Freddy hung him with the sheets on his bed in his cell, making it appear as though he hung himself. Freddy kept stalking Nancy, who devised a plan with her boyfriend Glen Lantz to capture him. That night, however, Glen fell asleep and Freddy pulled him into the bed and shot him upward in a fountain of blood. Nancy managed to pull him into the real world and set him on fire, but he killed Nancy's mother, Marge Thompson, by burning her to death. Nancy confronted Freddy a final time and turned her back on him, draining him of all his powers and destroying him. In the end, he appears to trap Nancy in a dream world where she is trapped in a red and green striped car with Tina, Glen, and Rod, driving away.

Possessing Jesse

"Go ahead, Jesse. Try it on for size. Kill for me!"
—Freddy Krueger
Mark-Patton-13

Freddy and Jesse meeting face to face.

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Freddy was unable to operate in his usual way, so he appeared in the nightmares of Jesse Walsh, who moved into Nancy's house five years after she defeated Freddy. He manipulated him and made him pick up his clawed glove, and would often possess him to kill his victims, which would briefly transform his body into Freddy's (interestingly enough, whenever Freddy appeared, he was not wearing his clawed glove; instead, knives were protruding from his fingers). In this method, Freddy attempted, but failed, to kill Jesse's sister, killed Schneider, Jesse's coach who was always punishing him, and his friend Ron Grady. He then proceeded to kill seven guests at Lisa Webber's party before Lisa got through to Jesse, who was able to fight Freddy from the inside, weakening him and using his power to set Freddy on fire; burning him and releasing Jesse unharmed. However, Freddy apparently returned to attack people in their nightmares, attacking Jesse and Lisa on the bus. Whether or not this was a dream sequence is unknown.

Stalking Kristen

"Die!"
—Freddy Krueger
Freddy NOES 3

Ghostly Sight Kristen faces Freddy in her second Nightmare

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Freddy has killed all the children of the people who burned him to death (particularly those whose parents were responsible for his death) in their nightmares, making it appear as though they were committing suicide, except Kristen Parker (who possesses the power to pull people into her dreams), Roland Kincaid, Taryn White, Joey Crusel, Phillip Anderson, Jennifer Caulfield, and Will Stanton, all of whom were committed to Westin Hills Asylum. Freddy killed Phillip and Jennifer, making their deaths appear as suicides. Hypnocil was prescribed to them at the request of Nancy (who now works at Westin Hills) and Neil Gordon. Unfortunately, during group hypnosis, Joey was captured by Freddy and hung above a fiery pit, in the physical world putting him in a coma. Nancy and the Dream Warriors (Kristen, Kincaid, Taryn, and Will, all of whom have powers in their dreams) fought Freddy, but he was able to kill Taryn and Will. It is revealed that Freddy takes the souls of his victims in order to gain more power. When Nancy's father, Donald Thompson, and Neil attempt to bury Freddy's bones, he took control of them and impaled Donald on a spike. He then tricked Nancy and stabbed her to death but she was able to use his glove against him in once last attempt to subdue him before she died. Meanwhile, Neil was able to bury Freddy's bones and throw holy water and a crucifix on them, causing him to disappear.

Encounter with Alice Johnson

"Welcome to wonderland, Alice!"
—Freddy Krueger
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Freddy invading Alice's dream to tell her to bring him more kids to kill.

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Freddy managed to resurrect himself during a dream by Kincaid, involving Kincaid's dog, Jason, digging him up. He stabbed Kincaid dead and drowned Joey. When Kristen's mother gave her sleeping pills, Freddy threw her into the furnace, but as Freddy took her soul, she transferred her power to Alice Johnson. Freddy used Alice to get to more victims (who are not from Elm Street), by having her (unintentionally) pull them into the dream world and then him killing them. In this way, Freddy killed Sheila (making it appear as an asthma attack) and Alice's brother Rick. He later killed Debbie before Alice and her boyfriend Dan Jordan fought him, and Alice used a shard of the stained glass window to reflect Freddy's evil back at him, causing the souls of his victims to tear him apart, destroying him and releasing them from him.

Revival and reuniting with Alice

"It's a boy!"
—Freddy Krueger
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Freddy trying to manipulate Jacob into helping him.

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Freddy was reborn through the spirit of Amanda Krueger, and began using Alice's dream power, to pull more victims into his dream world, and tried to control her unborn son, Jacob's soul, to enable him to live in Jacob's dream world forever. He killed Dan, Greta Gibson, and fed Jacob with their souls, in order to turn him into pure evil. Realizing this, Alice tried to find Amanda to bring Freddy back to hell. Later, he kills one of Alice's best friends, Mark Gray before Alice could defeat him. After Mark's death, Alice calls her another friend Yvonne, who survived from another of Freddy's attack, to release Amanda's soul, and she enabled Jacob to use his power on Freddy to revert him back into an infant, where Amanda absorbed him. He was last seen attempting to claw his way out.

Leaving Springwood and death

"Kids."
—Freddy Krueger
Freddi-myortv-Posledniy-koshmar-Freddy-s-Dead-The-Final-Nightmare-1991-2

Freddy is stabbed with his claws and killed by his daughter, Maggie using a pipe bomb.

In Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Freddy killed all the children and teens of Springwood except John Doe, whom he made forget about his past and sent him into the outside world so he could use him to get to his daughter, who is now called Maggie Burroughs, whom he intended to use to spread his influence outside Springwood. He also kept the adults of Springwood in mass psychosis. When three troubled teens named Carlos, Spencer, and Tracy traveled with John and Maggie to Springwood, and entered the house on Elm Street, Freddy killed Carlos and Spencer. John believed himself to be Freddy's son, but Freddy killed him by making him fall onto spikes. By this time, Freddy was so powerful that no one except Maggie, Tracy, and Doc remembered Carlos, Spencer, or John, as they were erased from everyone's memories. Once Maggie figured out that she was Freddy's daughter, and Doc figured out that Freddy could be pulled out of the dream world (and subsequently killed), Maggie entered the dream world and pulled Freddy out. There, she inflicted several injuries on him before stabbing him with his own clawed glove and sticking him with a pipe bomb, which blew Freddy to bits and released the dream demons that gave him his power. However, while Freddy was dead and in Hell, he is unable to leave as everyone else do not know of his existence and therefore cannot fear him. This allows Springwood four years of peace.

Battle with Jason Voorhees

"Make them remember me, Jason. Make them REMEMBER WHAT FEAR TASTES LIKE!!"
—Freddy Krueger to Jason Voorhees under the guise of Pamela VoorheesAfter his death, Freddy was stuck in Hell, unable to return to either the Dream World or the physical world, because no non-adults remembered him and therefore were not afraid of him. Those who made contact with him were locked in Westin Hills (to avoid "infecting" the others) and given Hypnocil to prevent them from dreaming.
Freddy-vs

Freddy facing off against Jason Voorhees for the first time in the dream world.

However, in Freddy vs. Jason, Freddy discovered Jason Voorhees, another immortal serial killer, who had also been killed and sent to Hell (At the conclusion to Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Freddy pulled Jason's mask into Hell after his death). By disguising himself as Jason's mother, Mrs. Voorhees, he was able to bring Jason back to life to spread fear, so people would think he was back. Eventually, Freddy was able to return when enough fear was spread across Springwood, but the one thing Freddy hadn't counted on was that Jason wouldn't stop killing, stealing one of Freddy's victims from him. However, he did manage to kill Mark Davis.

"Die, you little bitch!"
—Freddy Krueger

When Lori Campbell (whose mother he had killed earlier), Will Rollins, Kia Waterson, Charlie Linderman, Bill Freeburg, and Deputy Scott Stubbs went to Westin Hills to get Hypnocil, Freddy possessed Freeburg (who was high) to inject Jason with tranquilizer (though Jason killed Freeburg in the process). Freddy attacked Jason inside his dream, but was unable to kill him. However, he nearly succeeded in drowning him, until Jason woke up. Lori and the others were currently taking Jason to Crystal Lake to give him a home field advantage for a fight with Freddy. Eventually, Lori pulled Freddy out of the dream world and he fought Jason. Initially, the fight worked more in Freddy's favor, as his agility was enough to overpower the much slower and stronger Jason. Jason, however, soon gained the advantage until Freddy cut off his fingers, took his machete, and inflicted several injuries on him before Lori set them both on fire, causing an explosion that sent them flying into Crystal Lake. Before the explosion, Jason pulled off Freddy's arm.

Freddy survived, and tried to kill Lori and Will, but was stabbed by Jason using his own severed arm, and Lori decapitated him with Jason's machete. Afterwards Jason walks out of Crystal Lake holding Freddy's head. It looks as if Jason has won the battle but Freddy's head winks at the camera followed by his laughter as the screen goes black. So it appears Freddy has survived and will continue to kill another day.

Freddy Kills Lori (Alternate Ending #1)

Freddy was disguised as Will, who was having sex with Lori, but Freddy reveals his glove, and kills her.

Battle in Hell (Alternate Ending #2)

Freddy and Jason were going to continue their battle in Hell, but they get stopped by Pinhead from the, "Hellraiser" films, and says, "What seems to be the problem gentlemen?"

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash

In Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, Freddy is trapped inside Jason Voorhees' head and wants to get out. He manages to learn of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis and once again uses the image of Pamela Voorhees to trick Jason.

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Freddy vs Jason vs Ash comic cover.

He uses Jason to bring him the cursed book, but had no idea that Ash Williams was going to be here in Crystal Lake which was renamed Forest Green. Ash learned from a group of kids at the new mega sized S-Mart about Jason himself. Ash thinks of him as some Deadite monster, so he goes to the Voorhees house himself to learn the truth. There, Ash finds the book and he along with a group of kids barely escape with their lives because Jason was hot on their trail.

The gang makes it back to the S-Mart, but Jason follows them and begins killing all of the store's shoppers. Ash and Jason tangle, but Ash is made a chump by Jason and he escapes with the book. The Necronomicon is brought to Jason's shrine to his mother where her severed head along with Freddy's severed head is as well. Freddy recites the chant "Klaatu Barada Nikto" to make himself all powerful again. He fully intends to get back to business in killing kids, but intends to deal with Ash first. Ash and the kids he is with fell asleep and Ash has a dream about being back at the same cabin where he lost his hand. However he had his hand back, but it soon morphs to look very similar to Freddy's bladed glove. Ash quickly retreats to a tool shed to get the chainsaw to lop it off at the wrist, but soon Freddy makes an entrance. Freddy manifests himself from the pools of blood that spat from Ash and he attempts to kill him.

Ash manages to escape by waking himself up, but he soon learns that whatever happens in the dream world also happens in the real world. One of the kids he was protecting learned that the hard way when Freddy killed him which made Ash incredibly sad and disgusted. They came up with a plan though to finally kill Jason and Freddy which is they went back to the Voorhees house. Using the book, Freddy gave himself the power to exist in both worlds, but also made Jason much smarter. Jason and Freddy's alliance ended with them again trying to kill each other, but Ash and another survivor finally managed to defeat them both. Freddy was sent to the Deadite dimension and Jason was trapped underneath a frozen Crystal Lake. However, Jason's eyes open one more time to prove that he can't be defeated...

Characterization

Powers and abilities

Nightmare 5 (4)

Freddy turns into "Super Freddy" after one of his victims turns into a superhero he created

Freddy can enter the dreams of anyone on Elm Street in Springwood (provided that there is enough fear of him), and whatever injuries he inflicts on them in the dream world will cross over into the real world. This is how he kills his victims. He usually uses his clawed glove, but often manipulates the dream world around him, usually in accordance to a person's personality or fears. (For example, he turns Debbie, who hates bugs, into a cockroach and crushes her; injects Taryn, who has a history of abusing drugs, with heroin; smashes Jennifer's face against the TV, when Jennifer wanted to be an actress and appear on TV). He cannot be killed while he is in the dream world. In the dream world he has displayed various capabilities which include the ability to regenerate lost body parts, shapeshifting and telekinetic powers. Even when he is pulled out of the dream world and into the real world, he has enhanced physical capabilities, is quite adept with his metal claws and can withstand an incredible amount of damage that no living human can take.

Weaknesses

Freddy cannot spread his influence beyond Springwood, unless he uses his daughter to get there. If he is killed, he cannot return if no one remembers him or is afraid of him. He can also be pulled out of the dream world, in which case, he is mortal, cannot use most of his powers (although he retains some of them like climbing up the ceiling or shapeshifting into his unburnt self, as evidenced in Freddy's Dead), and can die (though, as shown in Freddy's Dead and Freddy vs. Jason) he can withstand slightly more than regular humans do, as he suffers multiple injuries by Maggie and Jason and survives, when anyone else might have been killed by such injuries, but apparently can be killed by injuries serious enough as explosions or decapitation. Despite the fact that he sometimes uses it to kill his victims, Freddy appears to be afraid of fire (as it was by fire that caused his mortal death). Should an incident occur between Freddy and his dream demon masters, the demons have the capability of taking away Freddy's powers, rendering him in a weakened state. As stated and shown in The Dream Master, as he is a literal nightmare, he is also adversely weak against mirrors and reflections, as they come to recall his pain and torment that he has long inflicted on others.

Appearance

Freddy is easily recognizable by his red and green striped sweater, his clawed glove, and his brown hat,

1

TBA

2

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Pre-death adult

He looked like Robert Englund.

Post-death

He is easily recognizable by the burns to his face and body. For some reason, his eyes appear not to be burned.


Films

A Nightmare on Elm Street

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

Main article: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (film)

In the first sequel, Freddy's Revenge, makeup artist Kevin Yagher gave Freddy bone structure in his face and a pointed nose, intending it to resemble that of a male witch.[5]

Quotes

A Nightmare On Elm Street

The_Best_Quotes_of_Freddy_Krueger

The Best Quotes of Freddy Krueger

  • "This... is God."
  • "Hey, Nancy! No running in the hallway."
  • "Come to Freddy."
  • "Nancy, help me, please. Save me from Freddy!"
  • "I'm your boyfriend now, Nancy."
  • "Gonna get you."
  • "I'm gonna cut you in two!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

  • "You've got the body. I've got the brain."
  • "Go ahead, Jesse. Try it on for size. Kill for me!"
  • "You are all my children now."
  • "Help yourself, fucker!"
  • "There is no Jesse! I'm Jesse now!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

  • "This is it, Jennifer. Your big break in TV! Welcome to prime time, bitch!"
  • "What's wrong, Joey? Feeling tongue-tied?"
  • "I said, 'where's the fucking bourbon?!'"
  • "Let's get high. What a rush."
  • "Sorry, kid. I don't believe in fairytales!"
  • "Yes. The souls of the children give me strength. Always room for more."
  • "Sorry to keep you waiting. Perhaps if there was more of me to spread around."

A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

  • "You shouldn't have buried me. I'm not dead."
  • "Tell 'em Freddy sent ya!"
  • "How's this for a wet dream?"
  • "How sweet... Fresh meat!"
  • "Wanna suck face?"
  • "If food don't kill you, the service will."
  • "No pain, no gain."
  • "You can check in, but you can't check out."
  • "Well, it ain't Dr. Seuss!"
  • "Welcome to Wonderland, Alice!"
  • "I've been guarding my gate for a long time, bitch."
  • "I am eternal."
  • "You flunk."
  • "Sayonara, Rick-san!"
  • "Elm Street's last brat...Farewell!"
  • "I wanna draw some blood!"

A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

  • "Hey, Danny! Better not dream and drive!"
  • "Bon appétit, bitch!"
  • "Told ya, comic books was bad for ya!"
  • "It's a boy!"
  • "Kids, always a disappointment!"
  • "This boy feels the need for speed!"
  • "Fuel injection! Fast lane!"
  • "Is she delicious, or am I crazy?"
  • "Faster than a bastard maniac! More powerful than a loco-madman! It's Super-Freddy!"
  • "You are what you eat!"
  • "If I were you, lady, I'd kill the ungrateful piggy."
  • "Second helping!"
  • "We'll see, bitch. We'll just see."

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

  • "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little soul too!"
  • "No screaming while the bus is in motion!"
  • "Carlos. Lend me your ear."
  • "Yeah! What are you on? Look's like a frying pan and some eggs to me! Hey, Spence. Let's trip out."
  • "Great graphics."
  • "Right. Left. Right, left, right, left, pow!"
  • "Father knows best."
  • "Time to start all over again."
  • "Now I'm playin' with power!"
  • "Pow! Bam! Splat!"
  • "Every town has an Elm Street!"
  • "Hey! You forgot the Power Glove!"
  • "What do you know? I beat my highscore."
  • "Let me see now. First, they tried burning me! Then they tried burying me! But this. This is my favourite. They even tried holy water. But I just keep on tickin'. 'Cause they promised me that."
  • "The Dream people. The ones who gave me this job."
  • "In dreams, I am forever! Too bad you're not!"
  • "Nice hearin' from ya, Carlos!"
  • "Kids."
  • "You wanna know the secret of pain? If you just stop feeling it, you can start using it."
  • "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but nothing will ever kill me."
  • "Now, be a good little doggy, and go fetch!"
  • "I forgot how much it hurts to be human."
  • "Kung-Fu this, bitch!"
  • "What's with kids today, huh? No respect."

Freddy vs. Jason

  • "Being dead wasn't a problem, but being forgotten? Now that's a bitch!"
  • "Welcome to my nightmare!"
  • "Oh, don't worry about my little errand boy. The only thing to fear, is fear himself!"
  • "You're like a big, stupid dog who can't stop eating, even though your master says you've had enough!"
  • "NOOOO! She's mine! Mine! Mine!"
  • "It's time to put this bad dog to sleep...For good!"
  • "NOT MY ARM!"
  • "Oh...Tilt!"
  • "Ahhh...so, you are afraid of something after all, huh?"
  • "There's a face only a mother could love!"
  • "How sweet, you ugly little shit!"
  • "It's not my fault if this bitch was dead on her feet."
  • "What's wrong, Lori? Miss your wake up call?"
  • "How sweet... Dark meat."
  • "Welcome to my world, bitch."
  • "I've always had a thing for the whores that live in this house."
  • "I've been away from my children for far too long..."
  • Make them remember me, Jason! Make them remember what fear tastes like!
  • "Man the torpedoes."
  • "I should warn you, princess. The first time tends to get a little...messy."
  • "Oh-no. OH-NOOOOOO!"
  • "Die, you little bitch!"
  • Your eyes say "No, no." But my mouth says "Yes, yes."
  • "Not strong enough yet, though I will be soon enough, until then, I'll let Jason have some fun."
  • "Oh that's right, everyone forgot, that's why they weren't afraid anymore, that's why I needed Jason to kill for me to get them to remember, but now he just won't stop! That Hockey pock!"
  • "Hey, asshole! Up here!"

Trivia

  • Freddy is the only antagonist to be shown in so many and in every single sequel in its franchise. (A Nightmare on Elm Street to Freddy vs. Jason)
  • Robert Englund is the only actor to play Freddy in every Nightmare related movie and the television show, (excluding the 2010 reboot).
  • David Warner was slated to play Freddy. Make-Up tests were done, but Warner had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts and Robert Englund was cast as a replacement.
  • Along with being a serial killer Wes Craven also wanted Freddy to be a child molester, but this being straight out stated was soon dropped. However, it was still strongly implied in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. It was, however, straight out stated in Freddy's Nightmares: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series and the 2010 reboot. Also, in the 2010 reboot, there are no references to him having killed anyone before being burned to death. This doesn't necessarily mean he didn't.
  • His father is one of the unknowns residents in sanitarium.
  • It's highly possible that he is based on SUNDS (or Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome), a disease that, coincidentally, also involves a nightmare that would kill the victim... Another coincidence is that both use fear (Freddy uses it for power and SUNDS uses it to kill). The only difference between the two is that Freddy actually murders the victims while SUNDS simply "scares them to death"...
  • In 2003, Freddy Krueger was named the 40th greatest film villain on American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains.
  • Wizard magazine rated Freddy the 14th greatest villain,[3] the British television channel Sky2 listed him 8th,[4] and the American Film Institute ranked him 40th on its "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains" list.[5] In 2010, Freddy won an award for Best Villain (formerly Most Vile Villain) at the Scream Awards.
  • Wes Craven says his inspiration for the basis of Freddy Krueger's power stemmed from several stories in the Los Angeles Times about a series of mysterious deaths: All the victims had reported recurring nightmares and died in their sleep.[15] Additionally, Craven's original script characterized Freddy as a child molester, which Craven said was the "worst thing" he could think of. The decision was made to not straight out state this, though it is still implied, instead making him a child murderer in order to avoid being accused of exploiting the spate of highly publicized child molestation cases in California around the time A Nightmare on Elm Street went into production.[16] Craven's inspirations for the character included a bully from his school during his youth, a disfigured homeless man who had frightened him when he was 11, and the 1970s pop song "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright. In an interview, he said, "When I looked down there was a man very much like Freddy walking along the sidewalk. He must have sensed that someone was looking at him and stopped and looked right into my face. He scared the living daylights out of me, so I jumped back into the shadows. I waited and waited to hear him walk away. Finally I thought he must have gone, so I stepped back to the window. The guy was not only still looking at me but he thrust his head forward as if to say, 'Yes, I'm still looking at you.' The man walked towards the apartment building's entrance. I ran through the apartment to our front door as he was walking into our building on the lower floor. I heard him starting up the stairs. My brother, who is ten years older than me, got a baseball bat and went out to the corridor but he was gone."[17]

  • Freddy's back story is revealed gradually throughout the series. In A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the protagonists learn that Freddy's mother, Amanda Krueger, was a nun who worked in Westin Hills mental hospital caring for the inmates. Freddy was conceived when she was accidentally locked inside over the Christmas holiday and gang-raped by a group of the inmates, thus making him "the bastard son of 100 maniacs". Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare depicts Freddy's traumatic childhood; he displayed sociopathic behavior at a young age and was often teased by classmates. He was adopted as a child by an abusive alcoholic named Mr. Underwood, who teaches him how to torture animals and inflict pain on himself. Freddy eventually murders him, with no apparent consequences, and becomes a serial killer. The film also reveals that when Freddy reached adulthood, he married a woman named Loretta, with whom he fathered a daughter named Katherine. After the birth of his daughter, he tried to lead a normal life, but his murderous nature eventually overcame him, and he murdered 20 children on Elm Street between 1963 and 1966. He later murdered his wife after she discovered the evidence of his child killings, which Katherine witnessed. Freddy was arrested for the murder of his wife and the Elm Street children. In 1968, he was put on trial, but released on a technicality, leading to his death at the hands of the parents of his victims. In his dying moments, the Dream Demons came to him to offer him immortality in exchange for being their agent, which Freddy accepted. His daughter, Katherine, was later moved out of Springwood, adopted, and renamed Maggie Burroughs.
  • In Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Freddy is characterized as a symbol of something powerful and ancient, and is given more stature and muscles.[18] Unlike the six movies before it, New Nightmare shows Freddy as closer to what Wes Craven originally intended, toning down his comedic side while strengthening the more menacing aspects of his character.
  • The original script had Freddy's blades being fishing knives.

  • Throughout the series, Freddy's potential victims often experience dreams of young children, implied to be some of his pre-death victims, jumping rope and chanting a rhyme to the tune of "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" with the lyrics changed to "One, Two, Freddy's coming for you", often as an omen to Freddy's presence or a precursor to his attacks.

  • Freddy has killed 45 victims onscreen.

  • Freddy was ranked #1 in FX's Horror magazine's Top 20 Horror Villains list in 2010.
  • Numerous Halloween costumes have been made based on Freddy.
  • He is often referred to as Fred Krueger, rather than Freddy Krueger.

List of confirmed human victims of Freddy Krueger

Before the films

  1. Mr. Underwood: Stabbed in the eye with a straight razor.
  2. 20 Springwood Slasher child victims: Some killed by being burned, some killed by being stabbed, and some killed by having their eyes gouged out.
    1. Brook Yeaton
    2. Mike Becker
    3. Bobby Glass
    4. Little Girl (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors film)
    5. Little Girl (Freddy vs. Jason film)
  3. Loretta Krueger: Strangled.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 film)

  1. Tina Gray: Slashed with clawed glove in the dream world, killing her in the physical world.
  2. Rod Lane: Hung with a blanket in the dream world, which appears to be a suicide in the physical world.
  3. Glen Lantz: Pulled into his bed and shot upward in a fountain of blood while asleep.
  4. Marge Thompson: Strangled and burned.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

  1. Coach Schneider: Slashed in the back 2 times with clawed glove.
  2. Ron Grady: Stabbed with clawed glove.
  3. Party Guest 1: Slashed in the face with clawed glove.
  4. Party Guest 2: Fell into the boiling hot pool and burned.
  5. Party Guest 3: Fell into the boiling hot pool and burned.
  6. Party Guest 4: Burned.
  7. Party Guest 5: Stabbed with clawed glove.
  8. Do-Gooder: Thrown onto a grill and burned.
  9. Kerry Hellman: Stabbed through the chest with clawed glove from inside.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

  1. Phillip Anderson: Controlled like a puppet using his veins as strings, strings cut, then fell off the top of Westin Hills in the dream world, which appears to be a suicide in the physical world.
  2. Jennifer Caulfield: Head smashed against a TV in the dream world, which appears to be another suicide in the physical world.
  3. Taryn White: Injected in the dream world, killing her in the physical world.
  4. Will Stanton: Stabbed with clawed glove in the dream world, killing him in the physical world.
  5. Sgt. Donald Thompson: Impaled on a tail fin of a car.
  6. Nancy Thompson: Stabbed with clawed glove in the dream world, killing her in the physical world.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

  1. Roland Kincaid: Stabbed with clawed glove in the dream world, killing him in the real world.
  2. Joey Crusel: Pulled into his waterbed and stabbed with clawed glove, drowning him.
  3. Kristen Parker: Thrown into a furnace in the dream world, setting her on fire in the real world.
  4. Sheila Kopecky: Kissed in the dream world, sucking the life out of her, which appears to be an asthma attack in the real world.
  5. Rick Johnson: Stabbed with clawed glove in the dream world, killing him in the real world.
  6. Debbie Stevens: Turned into a cockroach and crushed in a roach motel in the dream world, killing her in the real world.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

  1. Dan Jordan: Fused with a motorcycle in the dream world, which caused him to crash in the real world.
  2. Greta Gibson: Food stuffed into mouth and thrown into a fridge in the dream world, making her suffocate in the real world.
  3. Mark Gray: Sucked into a comic book, then turned to paper and sliced to bits with clawed glove in the dream world, killing him in the real world.

Between The Dream Child and The Final Nightmare

  1. Bobby Davis: Apparent suicide in a blood-filled bathtub. (referenced in Freddy vs. Jason)
  2. Mrs. Campbell: Stabbed with clawed glove. (referenced in Freddy vs. Jason)

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

  1. Carlos Rodriguez: Head exploded caused by a chalkboard being scratched with clawed glove in the dream world, killing him in the real world.
  2. Spencer Lewis: Sucked into a video game in the dream world, then knocked into a hole. In the real world, a hole physically appeared which he fell into.
  3. John Doe: Lines of the parachute cut, causing him to fall onto the spikes which were placed below him.

Freddy vs. Jason

  1. Mark Davis: Set on fire, then face slashed with clawed glove.

Animal victims

Before the films

  1. Hamster: Killed with hammer.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

  1. Bird 1: Killed by Freddy and the other bird.
  2. Bird 2: Set on fire, clearly having a nightmare and appearing to burst into flames.

Dream victims

A Nightmare on Elm Street

  1. Marge Thompson: Pulled through a window.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

  1. Zsa Zsa Gabor: Slashed in the face with clawed glove.
  2. Elaine Parker: Decapitated with clawed glove (alive in the real world)

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

  1. Unnamed old woman: Sent up and out of the plane.
  2. Unnamed commercial host: Bashed on the head with a frying pan.

Freddy vs. Jason

  1. Unnamed camp counselor: Killed.

Debatable murders

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

  1. Jesse Walsh
  2. Lisa Webber

References

External links

Other Wikis

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