Archetype:Horror Villain

"A Slasher. It’s a type of undead I guess... sort’ve like a vampire or a zombie. They’re so full of anger that they won’t die. They hate love, youth, sex... things they miss from life. All I know for sure is that they’re mean and hard to kill. "

― Cassie Hack (Hack/Slash) explaining slashers

"They will say that I have shed innocent blood. What's blood for if not for shedding? With my hook for a hand, I'll split you from your groin to your gullet. I came for you."

― The Candyman/Daniel Robitaille (Candyman)

"No heavenly punishment has fallen upon me. Even after killing hundreds of thousands of people, I am forgiven, I have not seen gods or Buddhas in these past thousand years."

― Muzan Kibutsuji (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

The character is a horror villain. Variation of Fictional Trope. Counterpart to both Horror Hero and Horror Survivor.

Also Called[]

Horror Villain/Villainess Mimicry/Physiology
Slasher Villain/Villainess Mimicry/Physiology
Terror Villain/Villainess/Villainous Mimicry/Physiology

Properties[]

The user is or can use the abilities associated with a type of villain or antagonist in fiction, most commonly the horror genre that possesses an innate connection to elements of horror, dread, fear and terror. They possess horror-themed powers, traits and attributes and generally have a connection to horrific phenomena, entities and happenings in their character and setting.

Whether they be human, creature or even a force of nature, Horror Villains are the embodiments of fear and terror and thus can take any form imaginable. Villains in horror fiction are typically representations of some kind of widespread fear or anxiety brought to life to strike dread and revulsion in the hearts of audiences, such as zombies, the walking embodiments of one of mankind’s most primal fears, death.

By far the most common fear that the Horror Villain embodies is the fear of the unknown and unexplainable. It’s due to this that the quintessential type of Horror Villain is the classic monster archetype, a supernatural creature stemming from folklore, mythology and superstition brought to horrible life, this includes the likes of vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, aliens and all other creatures that go bump in the night.

One of the other most common forms a Horror Villain takes is the Slasher, a killer who spends the majority of the story stalking their victims (usually teenagers) and picking them off one by one, killing them in the most brutal and grotesque ways imaginable. Slashers are highly proficient in the art of killing and their bloodlust can rival any monster.

As a horror villain, the user may also be bound to the laws of horror fiction and may acquire both strengths and weaknesses from these laws. Users may also possess a wide range of abilities depending on the class of horror villain they are (see Variations for more info on horror villain classes).

Associated Powers[]

Note: Variations of weaponry proficiency listed are examples of the most commonly seen weapons slasher-type horror villains use, typically slashers are known to use a wide range of weaponry and are proficient killers with any weapon.

Class Variations[]

Mortal Class - Horror Villains of the mortal level are simply human but with a near-supernatural skill in killing and striking fear into the hearts of many. Their proficiency and intuition in instruments of torture, traps, locations and even human anatomy perfects their skills in killing. Horror Villains of the mortal level include Ghostface and Jigsaw.
Above-Mortal Class - Horror Villains that are human for the most part, but they possess a level of strength and durability that would be considered impossible for an average or normal human being. This includes villains such as Michael Myers and Leatherface.
Revenant Class - Horror Villains that are undead and possess all the powers, strengths and weaknesses that are often associated with the undead, these horror monsters are known to be the hardest to defeat due to their apparent immortality. Jason Voorhees and Victor Crowley belong in this category.
Supernatural Class - Horror Villains who are purely supernatural in nature and/or possess extraordinary supernatural powers, such as magic; which they use to kill, and their levels of strength and durability outclass all previous variations. Freddy Krueger and Candyman are such villains.
Demonic Class - Horror Villains of demonic origin or who have transcended their humanity into demonhood. Due to their demonic nature, these are known to be some of the most powerful and ruthless of horror monsters. This includes the likes of Pinhead (Hellraiser) and Valak (The Nun).
Inhuman Class - Slashers that became a non-human entity or were never human to begin with being especially effective agents of terror and relentless killers due to their literal lack of humanity. Inhuman slashers include The Predator and Sam (Trick r Treat).

Associations[]

Archetype:Serial Killer
Bogeyman Physiology
List of Classic Monsters
Demonic Clown Physiology; evil clowns are common horror film imagery
Fictional Trope Physiology
Genre Embodiment
Horror Embodiment
Monster Physiology
Monstrous Animal Physiology; monstrous animals are commonly used as the main threat in horror fiction.
Revenant Physiology
Tiny Terror Physiology; many horror villains are small yet no less effective monsters

Flaws/Weaknesses[]

User may be bound to the tropes of the horror villain and general horror tropes, such as eventually being victim to the last known survivor.
True Hero and even Horror Hero are direct counters to the horror villain.
Horror Survivor and Supernatural Hunter are a worthy match against all forms of slashers and monsters.
User could be susceptible to Punishment and Karma Inducement due to their monstrous actions.