View source for Freddy Krueger

{{Short description|Horror film character}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Expand Russian|topic=cult|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Freddy Krueger
| series = [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|A Nightmare on Elm Street]]
| image = Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund).jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger
| first = ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984)
| creator = [[Wes Craven]]
| portrayer = {{Plainlist|
* [[Robert Englund]]
* [[Michael Bailey Smith]] 
* Chase Schrimer
* [[Tobe Sexton]] 
* [[Jackie Earle Haley]] 
}}
| full_name = Frederick Charles{{cn|date=October 2025}} Krueger
| alias = The Springwood Slasher<br>The Dream Demon
| species = 
| lbl22 = Classification
| data22 = [[Mass murder]]er<ref name="psy ab">{{cite news|first1=Stuart |last1=Fischoff |first2=Alexandra|last2=Dimopoulos |first3=FranÇois|last3=Nguyen |first4=Leslie|last4=Hurry |first5=Rachel|last5=Gordon |url=http://www.iscpubs.com/clinlab/0303/article02.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928121324/http://www.iscpubs.com/clinlab/0303/article02.php|title=The psychological appeal of your favorite movie monsters (abstract)|website=ISCPubs|date=2003|archive-date=September 28, 2007|access-date=August 23, 2009}}</ref>
| lbl23 = Primary location
| data23 = Springwood, Ohio
| lbl24 = [[Signature weapon]]
| data24 = Bladed glove
| lbl25 = Status
| data25 = Alive
}}
'''Freddy Krueger''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|r|uː|ɡ|ər}}) is a fictional character and the [[antagonist]] of the [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|''A Nightmare on Elm Street'']] horror film franchise. Created by [[Wes Craven]], he made his debut in Craven's ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit of a [[Child murder|child killer]] who had been burned to death by his victims' parents after evading prison.<ref name="N2 film">{{cite video|people=[[Wes Craven]] (director)|title=[[A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984 film)|A Nightmare on Elm Street]]|medium=DVD|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=[[New Line Cinema]]|date=1984}}</ref> Krueger goes on to murder his victims in their dreams, causing their deaths in the real world as well. In the dream world, he is a powerful force and seemingly invulnerable. However, whenever Freddy is pulled back into the real world, he has normal human vulnerabilities and can be destroyed.<ref>{{cite book |last =Rovin |first =Jeff |title =The Encyclopedia of Supervillains |publisher =Facts on File |date =1987 |location =New York |isbn = 0-8160-1356-X |pages=133–134}}</ref> He is commonly identified by his burned, disfigured face, dirty red-and-green-striped sweater and brown [[Fedora (hat)|fedora]], and [[trademark look|trademark]] metal-clawed, brown leather, right hand glove. This glove was the product of Krueger's own imagination, having welded the blades himself before using it to murder many of his victims, both in the real and dream worlds. Over the course of the film series, Freddy has battled several reoccurring survivors including [[Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare on Elm Street)|Nancy Thompson]] and [[Alice Johnson (A Nightmare on Elm Street)|Alice Johnson]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Wes Craven: The Art of Horror|last=Muir|first=John|publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|date=2004|isbn=0786419237}}</ref> The character was consistently portrayed by [[Robert Englund]] in the original film series as well as in the television spin-off ''[[Freddy's Nightmares]]''. The reboot portrays him as an undead groundskeeper accused of molesting the students.

The character quickly became a pop culture icon<ref>{{cite web|last=Gilmore |first=Mikal |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/welcome-to-his-nightmare-how-freddy-krueger-became-a-pop-icon-64754/ |title=How 'Nightmare on Elm Street"s Freddy Krueger Became a Pop Icon |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=1988-10-06 |accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref> going on to appear in toy lines,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3317200/toys-closer-look-necas-ultimate-freddy/cos | title="Cosby" Star Geoffrey Owens Joins 'Hide and Seek' | date=December 7, 2018 }}</ref> [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (comics)#Innovation Publishing|comic books]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/books-comics/a-nightmare-on-elm-street/250046/nightmare-on-elm-street-comics-a-nightmarish-history-lesson|title=Nightmare on Elm Street Comics: A Nightmarish History Lesson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210072255/https://www.denofgeek.com/us/books-comics/a-nightmare-on-elm-street/250046/nightmare-on-elm-street-comics-a-nightmarish-history-lesson|archive-date=December 10, 2016|url-status=dead|last=Jasper|first=Gavin|date=October 31, 2015|website=[[Den of Geek!]]|publisher=Dennis Publishing|location=New York City|access-date=May 16, 2019}}</ref> books,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/site/beyond-the-films/books/black-flame-series/ |title=Black Flame Series &#124; Nightmare on Elm Street Companion — Ultimate Online Resource to Horror Series A Nightmare on Elm Street |publisher=Nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com |date= |accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref> sneakers,<ref>{{cite web|author=Anna Tingley |url=https://variety.com/shop/vans-horror-collection-1235078843/ |title=Vans Horror Collection Features Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees |publisher=Variety |date=2021-10-01 |accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref> costumes,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/your-dog-can-be-freddy-krueger-for-halloween/article_c52db072-4f80-5729-8f62-c4ab801fe4ba.html | title=Your dog can be Freddy Krueger for Halloween | date=October 15, 2018 }}</ref> and video games<ref>{{cite web | url=https://entertainment.ie/gaming/a-look-at-horror-movie-icons-in-video-games-497205/ | title=A look at horror movie icons in video games | date=October 21, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/freddy-krueger-joins-mortal-kombat/1100-6324731/|title=Freddy Krueger joins Mortal Kombat|website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> since his debut. In 2003, Krueger appeared alongside fellow horror icon [[Jason Voorhees]] in ''[[Freddy vs. Jason]]''. In 2010, a [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film)|reboot of the original]] ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' film, starring [[Jackie Earle Haley]], was released.

[[Wizard (magazine)|''Wizard'']] magazine rated Freddy the 14th-greatest villain of all time;<ref>''Wizard'' #177</ref> the British television channel [[Sky2]] listed him 8th,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatthehellis.com/Freddy_Krueger|title=What the hell is/Freddy Krueger|website=Whatthehellis.com|access-date=August 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718035148/http://www.whatthehellis.com/Freddy_Krueger|archive-date=July 18, 2011}}</ref> and the [[American Film Institute]] ranked him 40th on its "[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/afi100heroesvilla.html|title=100 Greatest Heroes and Villains - AFI|website=[[Filmsite.org]]|publisher=[[AMC Networks]]|access-date=August 29, 2011}}</ref> In 2010, Freddy was nominated for the award for Best Villain (formerly Most Vile Villain) at the [[2010 Scream Awards#Best Villain|Scream Awards]].

==Appearances==
===Film===
In ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', Freddy is introduced as a serial child killer, Fred Krueger, from the fictitious town of Springwood, [[Ohio]], who kills his victims with a bladed leather glove he crafted in a boiler room where he used to take his 20 victims. He is captured, but is set free on a [[technicality]] when it is discovered that the search warrant was not signed in the right place. He is hunted down by a mob made up of the town's vengeful parents and cornered in the boiler room. The mob douses the building with gasoline and sets it on fire by throwing [[Molotov cocktail]]s, burning him alive. While his body dies, his spirit lives on within the dreams of a group of teenagers and pre-adolescents living on Elm Street, whom he preys on by entering their dreams and killing them, fueled by the town's memories and fear of him and empowered by a trio of 'dream demons' to be their willing instrument of evil. He is apparently destroyed at the end of the film by protagonist Nancy Thompson ([[Heather Langenkamp]]), but the last scene reveals that he has survived. He goes on to antagonize the teenage protagonists of the film's sequels, including [[Jesse Walsh]] ([[Mark Patton]]), [[Kristen Parker]] ([[Patricia Arquette]]), Alice Johnson ([[Lisa Wilcox]]), and [[List of A Nightmare on Elm Street characters#Lori Campbell|Lori Campbell]] ([[Monica Keena]]).

In ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors]]'', more of Freddy's backstory is revealed by the mysterious nun who repeatedly appears to Dr. Neil Gordon ([[Craig Wasson]]). Freddy's mother, Amanda Krueger ([[Nan Martin]]), was a [[nun]] and a [[nurse]] at the asylum featured in the film. At the time she worked there, a largely abandoned, run-down wing of the asylum was used to lock up entire hordes of the most insane criminals all at once. When Amanda was young, she was accidentally locked into the room with the criminals over a holiday weekend. They managed to keep her hidden for days, raping her repeatedly. When she was finally discovered, she was barely alive and pregnant, with the result that Krueger was regarded as "the bastard son of a hundred maniacs" due to it being impossible to determine which of the rapists was his biological father. In ''[[Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare]]'', it is revealed that Freddy was adopted by an [[alcoholic]] named Mr. Underwood ([[Alice Cooper]]), who abused Freddy throughout his childhood until finally Mr. Underwood was murdered by the teenaged Freddy ([[Tobe Sexton]]), becoming his first kill. Freddy [[zoosadism|tortured animals]] and engaged in [[self-harm|self-mutilation]], and became a serial killer by murdering the children of people who had bullied him when he was a child. Prior to his murder, he was married to a woman named Loretta (Lindsey Fields), whom he also murdered after she discovers his secret. He also had a daughter, Katherine/Maggie ([[Lisa Zane]]), who seeks to end her father's horrific legacy once and for all, killing him at the end of the movie.

After a hiatus following the release of ''The Final Nightmare'', Krueger was brought back in ''[[Wes Craven's New Nightmare]]'' by [[Wes Craven]], who had not worked on the film series since the third film, ''Dream Warriors''. ''New Nightmare'' coincides with the approaching anniversary of the release of the first film. Robert Englund, who portrayed Krueger throughout the film series and its television spin-off, also took the role as a fictional version of himself in ''New Nightmare''; it is implied that Englund was stalked by his character, who is an ancient demonic entity that took on the form of Wes Craven's creation and has come to life from the film franchise's fictitious world. Having been in various manifestations throughout the ages as the entity can be captured through storytelling, it is hinted that it was once in the form of the old witch from [[Brothers Grimm]]'s fairy tale ''[[Hansel and Gretel]]'' when it was held prisoner in this allegory based on actions. Englund describes to his former co-star and friend [[Heather Langenkamp]] that this embodiment of Freddy is darker and more evil than as portrayed by him in the films; he struggles to keep his sanity intact from Krueger's torments and goes into hiding with his family. Krueger aims to stop another film of the franchise from being made, eliminating the films' crew members, including Langenkamp's husband, Chase Porter ([[David Newsom]]), after stealing a prototype bladed glove from him, and causes nightmares and makes threatening phone calls to producer [[Robert Shaye]]. The entity also haunts Wes Craven's dreams, to the point that he sees future events related to Krueger's actions and then writes them down as a movie script. Krueger sees Langenkamp as his primary foe because her character Nancy Thompson was the first to defeat him. Krueger's attempts to cross over to reality cause a series of earthquakes throughout [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]], including the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]]. Langenkamp, with help from her son Dylan ([[Miko Hughes]]), succeeds in defeating the entity and apparently destroys him; however, Krueger's creator reveals that it is again imprisoned in the fictitious world, indicated by the character's later appearances in films and other medias.

In 2003, Freddy battled fellow horror icon Jason Voorhees ([[Ken Kirzinger]]) from the [[Friday the 13th (franchise)|''Friday the 13th'' film series]] in the theatrical release ''Freddy vs. Jason'', a film which officially resurrected both characters from their respective deaths and subsequently sent them to Hell. As the film begins, Krueger is frustrated at his current inability to kill as knowledge of him has been hidden in Springwood, prompting him to manipulate Jason into killing in his place in the hope that the resulting fear will remind others of him so that he can resume his own murder spree. However, Freddy's plan proves too effective when Jason starts killing people before Freddy can do it, culminating in a group of teens learning the truth and drawing Freddy and Jason to Camp Crystal Lake in the hope that they can draw Freddy into the real world so that Jason will kill him and remain "home." The ending of the film is left ambiguous as to whether or not Freddy is actually dead; despite being decapitated, when Jason emerges from the lake carrying his head he looks and winks at the audience. A sequel featuring [[Ash Williams]] ([[Bruce Campbell]]) from the ''[[Evil Dead]]'' franchise was planned, but never materialized onscreen. It was later turned into Dynamite Entertainment's comic book series ''[[Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash]]''.

In the [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film)|2010 remake of the original film]], Freddy's backstory is that he was a groundskeeper at Springwood Badham Preschool who tortured and [[child sexual abuse|sexually abused]] the teenage protagonists of the film when they were children. When their parents found out, they trapped him in a boiler room at an industrial park and set it on fire with a Molotov cocktail made out of a gasoline canister, killing him. As a spirit, he takes his revenge on the teenagers by haunting their dreams; he is particularly obsessed with Nancy Holbrook ([[Rooney Mara]]), who had been his "favorite" when she was a child. Krueger's power comes from his prey's memories and emotions upon remembering the abuse they suffered at his hands. His bladed glove is made out of discarded pieces of his gardening tools. Nancy destroys him at the end of the film by pulling his spirit into the physical world and cutting his throat; the final scene reveals that Freddy's spirit has survived, however.

===Television===
Englund continued to portray Krueger in the 1988 television anthology series, ''Freddy's Nightmares''. The show was hosted by Freddy, who did not take direct part in most of the episodes, but he did show up occasionally to influence the plot of particular episodes. Further, a consistent theme in each episode was characters having disturbing dreams. The series ran for [[List of Freddy's Nightmares episodes|44 episodes]] over two seasons, ending on March 10, 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvaddicts.tv/movie/drama/Freddys_Nightmares.html|title=Freddy's Nightmares DVD|publisher=TV Addicts|access-date=February 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020043453/http://www.tvaddicts.tv/movie/drama/Freddys_Nightmares.html|archive-date=October 20, 2007}}</ref> Although a bulk of the episodes did not feature Freddy taking a major role in the plot, the pilot episode, "No More, Mr. Nice Guy", depicts the events of his trial, and his subsequent death at the hands of the parents of Elm Street after his [[acquittal]]. In "No More, Mr. Nice Guy", though Freddy's case seems open and shut, a mistrial is declared based on the arresting officer, Lt. Tim Blocker (Ian Patrick Williams), not reading Krueger his [[Miranda rights]], which is different from the original ''Nightmare'', which stated he was released because someone forgot to sign the search warrant in the right place. The episode also reveals that Krueger used an [[ice cream van]] to lure children close enough so that he could kidnap and kill them. After the town's parents burn Freddy to death he returns to haunt Blocker in his dreams. Freddy gets his revenge when Blocker is put under [[anesthesia]] at the dentist's office, and Freddy shows up and kills him.<ref name="Pilot">{{cite web|url=http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/freddy-pilot/|title="No More Mr. Nice Guy" summary|publisher=I-Mockery.com|access-date=February 3, 2008}}</ref> The episode "Sister's Keeper" was a "sequel" to this episode, even though it was the seventh episode of the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/freddys-nightmares/show/1394/episode.html|title=''Freddy's Nightmares'' episode guide|website=[[TV.com]]|access-date=February 3, 2008|archive-date=March 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303162037/http://www.tv.com/freddys-nightmares/show/1394/episode.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The episode follows Krueger as he terrorizes Blocker's identical twin daughters and frames one sister for the other's murder.<ref name="Pilot"/> Season two's "It's My Party And You'll Die If I Want You To" featured Freddy attacking a high school [[prom]] date who stood him up 20 years earlier. He gets his revenge with his desire being fulfilled in the process.<ref>{{cite episode|title=It's My Party and You'll Die if I Want You To|series=[[Freddy's Nightmares]]|airdate=1989-12-23|season=2|number=12}}</ref>

==Creation and development==
Wes Craven said 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.<ref>{{cite book|last = Rockoff|first = Adam|title = Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978 to 1986|publisher = [[McFarland & Company]]|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|date = April 2002|isbn = 0-7864-1227-5}}</ref> Additionally, Craven's original script characterized Freddy as a [[child molestation|child molester]], which Craven said was the "worst thing" he could think of. The decision was made to instead make him a child murderer in order to avoid being accused of exploiting the spate of [[Day-care sex-abuse hysteria|highly publicized child molestation cases]] in [[California]] around the time ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' went into production.<ref>{{cite book|last = Robb|first = Brian|title = Screams and Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven|publisher = [[Overlook Press|Overlook TP]]|location=New York City|date = 2000|isbn = 1-58567-090-1}}</ref> 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 12, and the 1970s [[pop music|pop]] song "[[Dream Weaver]]" by [[Gary Wright]]. In an interview, Craven said of the disfigured stranger:

<blockquote>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.<ref>Wes Craven. ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' DVD audio commentary.</ref></blockquote>

===Portrayals and design===
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2019}}
[[File:KruegerSweatshirt.jpg|thumb|upright|Freddy Krueger sweatshirt from ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master]]'', the fourth film in the series]]

According to Robert Englund, Freddy's look was based on [[Klaus Kinski]]'s portrayal of [[Count Orlok|Count Dracula]] in ''[[Nosferatu the Vampyre]]'' (1979) and some of the works of [[Lon Chaney]], while he based Freddy's poise and gait on the "Cagney stance" originated by actor [[James Cagney]]. Freddy's characteristic of keeping his gloved arm lower than the other was incidental due to the knives being heavy to wear for Englund and forcing him to carry himself as such while playing the role.<ref>{{cite interview | title=How we made A Nightmare on Elm Street | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/23/how-we-made-a-nightmare-on-elm-street-robert-englund-heather-langenkamp | interviewer=Thomas Hobbs | date=September 23, 2019 | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] | subject=[[Robert Englund]] and [[Heather Langenkamp]]}}</ref>

Freddy's physical appearance has stayed largely consistent throughout the film series, although small changes were made in subsequent films. He wears a striped red-and-green sweater (solid red sleeves in the original film), a dark brown [[fedora]], his [[#Bladed glove|bladed glove]], loose black trousers (brown in the original film), and worn [[work boots]], in keeping with his blue collar background. The choice to have Freddy wear a fedora was reportedly Craven's idea.<ref name="Polowy 2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/robert-englund-fought-freddys-fedora-nightmare-elm-street-150021939.html|title=MVPs of Horror: How Robert Englund fought for Freddy's fedora in 'Nightmare on Elm Street'|last=Polowy|first=Kevin|date=October 15, 2018|publisher=[[Yahoo! Entertainment]]|access-date=October 13, 2023}}</ref> In a 2018 interview, Englund stated:

<blockquote>The fedora was Wes's idea. But he'd been talked into maybe trying some other hats. And they had this box of hats, and we're sitting on the floor—kind of uncomfortably, both of these grown men on this futon—and [they're] telling me to put on all of these different hats. I'm sitting there in makeup going, "Guys, please, the fedora is right." And they kept putting on like, [[paperboy hat]]s, and baseball hats, and God, one looked like a pimp hat. It was like, "What are you thinking, you guys?" I think I said something to Wes like, "Look, the fedora was your idea." And I stood and showed my shadow on the wall with the [fedora] hat, and how strong that silhouette was. And then I took the hat off and showed the baldness, revealing the baldness, and how he could save that for the right time in the movie. And I kind of got my way.<ref name="Polowy 2018" /></blockquote>

Freddy's skin is scarred and burned as a result of being burned alive by the parents of Springwood, and he has no hair at all on his head as it presumably all burned off. In the original film, only Freddy's face was burned, while the scars have spread to the rest of his body from the second film onwards. His blood is occasionally a dark, oily color, or greenish in hue when he is in the Dreamworld. In the original film, Freddy remains in the shadows and under lower light much longer than he does in the later pictures. In the second film, there are some scenes where Freddy is shown without his bladed glove, and instead with the blades protruding from the tips of his fingers. As the films began to emphasize the comedic, wise-cracking aspect of the character, he began to don various costumes and take on other forms, such as dressing as a [[waiter]] or wearing a [[superhero]]-inspired version of his sweater with a cape (''The Dream Child''), appearing as a [[video game]] sprite (''Freddy's Dead''), a giant [[snake]]-like creature (''Dream Warriors''), and a [[Caterpillar (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)|hookah-smoking caterpillar]] (''Freddy vs. Jason'').

In ''New Nightmare'', Freddy's appearance is updated considerably, giving him a green fedora that matches his sweater stripes, skin-tight [[leather]] pants, knee-high black boots, a [[turtleneck]] version of his [[trademark look|trademark]] sweater, a blue-black [[trench coat]], and a fifth claw on his glove, which also has a far more organic appearance, resembling the exposed muscle tissue of an actual hand. Freddy also has fewer burns on his face, though these are more severe, with his muscle tissue exposed in numerous places. Compared to his other incarnations, these Freddy's injuries are more like those of an actual burn victim. For the 2010 remake, Freddy is returned to his iconic attire, but the burns on his face are intensified with further bleaching of the skin and exposed facial tissue on the left cheek, more reminiscent of actual third-degree [[burn]]s than in the original series.

====Bladed glove====
[[File:FreddyKruegerClaw.jpg|thumb|upright|Freddy Krueger's glove, used in one of the ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' sequels]]

[[Wes Craven]] stated that part of the inspiration for Freddy's infamous bladed glove was from his [[cat]], as he watched it claw the side of his couch one night.<ref name=Claw>[http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/nightmareinterviewstheglove.html Nightmare Companion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131222736/http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/nightmareinterviewstheglove.html |date=2009-01-31 }} Freddy's claw</ref>

In an interview he said, "Part of it was an objective goal to make the character memorable, since it seems that every character that has been successful has had some kind of unique weapon, whether it be a [[Leatherface|chain saw]] or a [[Jason Voorhees|machete]], etc. I was also looking for a primal fear which is embedded in the subconscious of people of all cultures. One of those is the fear of teeth being broken, which I used in my first film. Another is the claw of an animal, like a [[saber-toothed tiger]] reaching with its tremendous hooks. I transposed this into a human hand. The original script had the blades being fishing knives."<ref>[http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/nightmareinterviewswes.html Nightmare on Elm Street companion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006054224/http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/nightmareinterviewswes.html |date=2009-10-06 }} Wes Craven interview</ref>

When Jim Doyle, the creator of Freddy's claw, asked Craven what he wanted, Craven responded, "It's kind of like really long fingernails, I want the glove to look like something that someone could make who has the skills of a boilermaker."<ref name="Claw"/> Doyle explained, "Then we hunted around for knives. We picked out this bizarre-looking steak knife, we thought that this looked really cool, we thought it would look even cooler if we turned it over and used it upside down. We had to remove the back edge and put another edge on it, because we were actually using the knife upside down." Later Doyle had three duplicates of the glove made, two of which were used as stunt gloves in long shots.<ref name=Claw/>

For ''New Nightmare'', Lou Carlucci, the effects coordinator, remodeled Freddy's glove for a more "organic look". He says, "I did the original glove on the first ''Nightmare'' and we deliberately made that rough and primitive looking, like something that would be constructed in somebody's home workshop. Since this is supposed to be a new look for Freddy, Craven and everybody involved decided that the glove should be different. This hand has more muscle and bone texture to it, the blades are shinier and in one case, are retractable. Everything about this glove has a much cleaner look to it, it's more a natural part of his hand than a glove." The new glove has five claws.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}

In the [[A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film)|2010 remake]], the glove is redesigned as a metal [[Gauntlet (glove)|gauntlet]] with four finger bars, but it is patterned after its original design. Owing to this iteration of the character's origin as a groundskeeper, from the outset it was a gardener's glove modified as an instrument of torture, and in film its blades was based on a [[garden fork]].

Freddy's glove appeared in the 1987 horror-comedy ''[[Evil Dead II]]'' above the door on the inside of a toolshed. This was [[Sam Raimi]]'s response to Wes Craven showing footage of ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' in ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'', which was a response to Raimi putting a poster of Craven's 1977 film ''[[The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]'' in ''The Evil Dead''. This, in turn, was a response to a ripped-up [[Jaws (film)|''Jaws'']] poster in ''The Hills Have Eyes''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Laukhuf|first=Adam|date=2007-03-05|title=Q&A with Sam Raimi|url=https://www.esquire.com/features/qa/ESQ0804-AUG_QARAIMI|access-date=2020-11-19|website=Esquire|language=en-US}}</ref> The glove also appears in the 1998 horror-comedy ''[[Bride of Chucky]]'' in an evidence locker room that also contains the remains of the film's villain [[Chucky (character)|Chucky]], the [[chainsaw]] of [[Leatherface]] from ''[[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise)|The Texas Chainsaw Massacre]]'', and the masks of [[Michael Myers (Halloween)|Michael Myers]] from ''[[Halloween (franchise)|Halloween]]'' and [[Jason Voorhees]] from ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]''.

At the end of the film ''[[Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday]]'', the mask of the title character, Jason Voorhees, played by [[Kane Hodder]], is dragged under the earth by Freddy's gloved hand. Freddy's gloved hand, in the ending, was played by Hodder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://horrorconventions.co.uk/kane-hodder/|title=Kane Hodder|publisher=HorrorConventions.co.uk|access-date=May 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508163040/http://horrorconventions.co.uk/kane-hodder/|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
At [[Six Flags St. Louis]]' Fright Fest event (then known as Fright Nights), Krueger was the main character for the event's first year in 1988. He reappeared in his own haunted house, Freddy's Nightmare: The Haunted House on Elm Street, for the following two years. Freddy Krueger appeared alongside Jason Voorhees and Leatherface as minor icons during [[Universal's Halloween Horror Nights|Halloween Horror Nights]] 17 and [[Freddy vs. Jason|again with Jason]] during Halloween Horror Nights 25 at [[Universal Orlando Resort]] and [[Universal Studios Hollywood]]. In 2016, Freddy Krueger returned to Halloween Horror Nights, along with Jason, in Hollywood.

Freddy Krueger made various appearances in ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' voiced by [[Seth Green]]. In the episode "That Hurts Me", Freddy appears as a housemate of "Horror Movie [[Big Brother (franchise)|Big Brother]]", alongside other famous slasher movie killers such as [[Michael Myers (Halloween)|Michael Myers]], [[Jason Voorhees]], [[Leatherface]], [[Pinhead (Hellraiser)|Pinhead]] and [[Ghostface (identity)|Ghostface]].<ref name=RobotChicken19>{{cite episode|title=[[That Hurts Me]]|series=Robot Chicken|credits=[[Seth Green]], [[Matthew Senreich]]|network=[[Adult Swim]]|airdate=July 10, 2005|season=1|number=19}}</ref> In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode ''[[Treehouse of Horror VI]]'' segment "A Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace", [[Groundskeeper Willie]] played the Freddy Krueger role.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page6.shtml |title=Treehouse of Horror VI |access-date=2008-06-24 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

In 1992, Freddy Krueger made an unlicensed appearance in a [[Belarus]]ian children's film titled "''{{ill|Keshka i Fredi|ru|Кешка и Фреди}}''", or "''Keshka i Fredi''", directed by Boris Berzner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0996439/ |title=Keshka i Fredi |author=<!--Not Stated-->  |date=<!--Not Stated--> |website=IMDb |access-date=February 17, 2024}}</ref> The film focused on the Belarusian youth, Keshka, who is described as being a "...[[Tom Sawyer]] successor", and a "...a pioneer at heart...",<ref>{{Cite book|title=Детский сеанс. Долгая счастливая история белорусского игрового кино для детей |trans-title=Children's Session: The Long Happy History of Belarusian Feature Films for Children |last=Kostyukovich |first=Maria |publisher=Litres |year=2022 |isbn=9785043783738 |page=327}}</ref> who decides to skip out on his school's English lessons to attend a showing of ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master]]'' at a [[cultural center]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ведьма из трейлера. Современная американская мистика (Witch from the trailer. Contemporary American Mysticism. |last=Hunter |first=Erwin |publisher=Litres |year=2023 |isbn=9785045227186 |pages= 206–207}}</ref>

Freddy's first video game appearance was in the 1989 [[Commodore 64]] game ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', published by Monarch and developed by [[Westwood Associates]],<ref>{{Citation |title=A nightmare on Elm Street |date=1989 |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102715668 |access-date=2023-04-15 |place=San Francisco, Calif. |publisher=Monarch Software}}</ref> which was followed by the 1990 [[NES]] game ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street (video game)|A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'',<ref>{{Citation |title=Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 11 (June 1990) | date=November 18, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sLqqht7788&t=91 |access-date=2023-04-15 |language=en}}</ref> published by [[LJN Toys]] and developed by [[Rare (company)|Rare]]. Freddy Krueger appeared as a downloadable playable character for [[Mortal Kombat (2011 video game)|''Mortal Kombat'' (2011)]], with Robert Englund reprising his role.<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Boon |first=Ed |user=noobde |number=854782385195450369 |date=April 19, 2017 |title=Yes indeed! We've been fortunate enough to work with @RobertBEnglund on MK9 (Freddy Krueger) and Injustice2 (Scarecrow) |url=https://mobile.twitter.com/noobde/status/854782385195450369 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510005254/https://mobile.twitter.com/noobde/status/854782385195450369 |archive-date=May 10, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=May 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://screencrush.com/robert-englund-too-old-for-freddy-krueger/|title=ROBERT ENGLUND SAYS HE'S TOO OLD TO PLAY FREDDY KRUEGER AGAIN|website=ScreenCrush|date=October 23, 2017|access-date=November 29, 2017}}</ref> He has become the second non-''Mortal Kombat'' character to appear in the game. In an interview with [[PlayStation.Blog]], ''Mortal Kombat'' co-creator [[Ed Boon]] cited the character's violent nature and iconic status as reasoning for the inclusion in the game, "Over the years, we've certainly had a number of conversations about guest characters. At one point, we had a conversation about having a group—imagine Freddy, [[Jason Voorhees|Jason]], [[Michael Myers (Halloween)|Michael Myers]], [[Leatherface]] from ''[[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]''. We never got a grip on how we would do it, whether they'd be DLC characters or what. We also wanted to introduce a character who was unexpected. This DLC thing opens the doors to realising these ideas."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/22/ed-boon-talks-freddy-krueger-in-mortal-kombat-secret-origins-of-dlc-characters/|title=Krueger in Mortal Kombat, Secret Origins of DLC Characters|publisher=[[PlayStation Blog]]|date=July 22, 2011|access-date=May 10, 2017}}</ref> Krueger went on to become playable in [[Mortal Kombat Mobile|the mobile edition of the game's sequel]], ''[[Mortal Kombat X]]'', alongside [[Jason Voorhees|Jason]] from ''[[Friday the 13th (franchise)|Friday the 13th]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Gelmini|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/203016/grab-clawed-gloves-freddy-krueger-joins-mortal-kombat-x/|title=Grab Your Clawed Gloves! Freddy Krueger Joins Mortal Kombat X|website=[[Dread Central]]|date=December 10, 2016|access-date=May 10, 2017}}</ref>

In October 2017, the Jackie Earle Haley incarnation of Krueger was released as a downloadable [[playable character]] in the seventh chapter of the [[Multiplayer video game|asymmetric]] [[survival horror]] game ''[[Dead by Daylight]]'', alongside [[List of A Nightmare on Elm Street characters#Quentin Smith|Quentin Smith]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deadbydaylight.com/chapter7/|title=Chapter 7 - A Nightmare on Elm Street|publisher=Dead by Daylight|access-date=October 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027130050/http://www.deadbydaylight.com/chapter7/|archive-date=October 27, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The character returned to television in an episode of ''[[The Goldbergs (2013 TV series)|The Goldbergs]]'' titled "Mister Knifey-Hands" with Englund reprising his role in a cameo.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Dan|last=Snierson|url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/09/23/goldbergs-freddy-krueger-robert-englund/|title=Robert Englund to revive Freddy Krueger on 'The Goldbergs'|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|location=New York City|date=September 23, 2018|access-date=September 23, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Freddy Krueger appears as an OASIS avatar in ''[[Ready Player One (film)|Ready Player One]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/a-breakdown-of-all-the-clues-80s-references-and-surpr-1797175166|title=A Breakdown of All the Clues, '80s References, and Surprises in the Ready Player One Trailer|first=Beth|last=Elderkin|date=July 24, 2017|work=[[io9]]|publisher=[[Univision Communications|Univision Interactive Media, Inc.]]|access-date=July 25, 2017}}</ref> He is among the avatars seen on the PVP location Planet Doom where he is shot by Aech.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

The frog species ''[[Lepidobatrachus laevis]]'' had been given multiple nicknames, one of which is the "Freddy Krueger frog" for its aggressive nature.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/amphibians/BudgettsFrog.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140209212647/http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/amphibians/BudgettsFrog.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 9, 2014|title=Budgett's Frog|date=August 4, 2023 }}</ref>

In 2023, ''[[Firkantus freddykruegeri]]'', a prehistoric [[ichneumonid]] [[parasitoid wasp]], was named after Freddy. The name emphasizes the similar features of the insect and the fictional character—long claws and [[arolium]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Viertler |first1=A. |last2=Urfer |first2=K. |last3=Schulz |first3=G. |last4=Klopfstein |first4=S. |last5=Spasojevic |first5=T. |date=December 2023 |title=Impact of increasing morphological information by micro-CT scanning on the phylogenetic placement of Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in amber |journal=[[Swiss Journal of Palaeontology]] |volume=142 |issue=1 |at=Article 30 |doi=10.1186/s13358-023-00294-2 |pmid=37927422 |bibcode=2023SwJP..142...30V |doi-access=free |pmc=10624732 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Freddy Krueger}}

{{A Nightmare on Elm Street}}
{{Mortal Kombat Characters}}
{{Authority control}}

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