Is Freddy Krueger Immortal? [Nightmare on Elm Street Trivia]

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Lifestyle Scary Movies and Series

Does Freddy Krueger Live Forever?

Freddy Krueger is an intimidating, nightmare-intruding horror movie killer! Being one of the only “reality manipulating” slashers, he holds a lot more power than the traditional horror movie slasher.  In almost every Nightmare on Elm Street movie, they try to kill Freddy Krueger for good…but Freddy always seems to come back!  Freddy’s repeated return to the big screen leaves Elm Street fans everywhere wondering…

Is Freddy Krueger Actually Immortal? Is there any way to kill Freddy Krueger for good? What are the most effective strategies to survive a Nightmare on Elm Street movie?

Ways Freddy Krueger Has Died (or Been “Killed”)

Freddy Krueger is an intrusive, finger-knived slasher who just keeps coming back.  Still, here are some of the ways his victims have tried to take him out…

Death From Being Forgotten

When an entire town disbelieves in Freddy Krueger or otherwise “forgets” him, he is unable to kill.  Freddy Krueger gets his power from the fear his victims feel and think after hearing horror stories about the finger-bladed slasher.

Drag Him Out of the Dreamworld

The Nightmare on Elm Street killer thrives in the dream world, where his power truly vibrates.  With that said, many victims have discovered that Freddy Krueger can be pulled out of the dreamworld and into reality, where he is much weaker. And while he is still a very agile fighter in the real world and quite dangerous…at least the victims stand a better chance!

Killed by Fire

Although Freddy’s “real life” demise came from being burned alive while trapped in the boiler room…he was also burned alive, after being dragged into the real world at the end of the first movie.

Hypnocil

Hypnocil is one of Freddy’s indirect weaknesses. The fictional “Elm Street” prescription eliminates dreams, effectively eliminating Freddy Krueger’s back door entrance to slaughtering endless Elm Street victims.

Holy Blessings

Freddy Krueger is pure evil, and thus hates all things “church.”  When anointed correctly with holy water or otherwise blessed, Freddy Krueger cannot sustain power.  The catch? His bones have to be blessed and they are buried in a super creepy automobile graveyard.  Bring a cross.

Steal His Power

In one movie, a heroine successfully ‘steals’ the power from some of her fallen friends.  Before Freddy knows what hit him, she beats his butt, sending him away for a long time.  The down side, is that only some people seem to have the power to absorb skills and abilities from their dead friends.

Distraction

Krueger is a softie for attention. In fact, he absolutely loves the limelight! So any opportunity for attention usually takes priority for the glove-wielding slasher.  Victims have used his vanity and attention-loving weakness as a way to escape him or otherwise take him out.  One time, he was even beheaded after being distracted.

Trapped Souls

Freddy’s power gets greater as he absorbs the souls of his victims, trapping them in his evil forever. However, sometimes it is possible to find ‘cracks’ in Freddy’s spirit, freeing the trapped souls enough for them to fight back.  When the souls fight back, they fight back hard, typically dragging Freddy back to hell.

Freddy Always Comes Back

Painting of the Nightmare on Elm street house

The Nightmare on Elm Street slasher is one tough killer. No matter how they try to take Freddy out, he always comes back.  Freddy is even seen winking, taunting the audience in 2003 as Jason carries his head out of the water. Part of the problem people do not realize when trying to kill him, is that he is pure evil himself. Bottom line: Freddy Krueger is immortal, despite being able to die in the real world.

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Is Nightmare on Elm Street Dream Warriors Based on Dungeons and Dragons?

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Scary Movies and Series

Dungeons and Dragons and Nightmare on Elm Street [Horror Movie Trivia]

The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise relies heavily on the underlying beliefs that supernatural powers are possible.  Without belief in the supernatural, Freddy is literally powerless.  Besides, what isn’t supernatural about an immoral slasher who kills from within your nightmares?  With Freddy’s increasing popularity, writers were probably under a lot of stress to produce a creative story line.  Dungeons and Dragons, commonly known as “D&D”, was a tabletop game that gave people a way to roleplay a fictional character, such as a ninja, a wizard or a knight. D&D was a big deal in the eighties, so it only makes sense it would work its way into a movie or two. 

Do They Use D&D to Defeat Freddy Krueger in the Dream Warriors Sequel?

Dungeons and Dragons is about the use of character abilities, talents that are unique to a certain class, to defeat enemies and advance throughout the dungeon.  There is almost always a supreme monster or ‘boss’ at the end of a dungeon or series of dungeons.  Drawing a parallel to the Nightmare on Elm Street  movies, the boss would be Freddy Krueger. The script of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) gives each of the main protagonists an “ability” which is unique to their character.  The abilities may only be available in their dreams, but that’s exactly where they are needed, for that’s where they’re haunted!  Here are some of the characters and their respective abilities.

  • Kristen may be an ordinary, troubled girl in real life, but she has a powerful ability when she is sleeping. Kristen is able to pull other people into her dream. This ultimately (at the cost of a few lives), helps the entire team defeat Freddy (working together as a “party” is normally an important facet of victory in D&D).  Her class would likely be “paladin,” being able to use some good magic but also possessing some agility.
  • Kincaid may love chilling with his dog in the real world, but when he falls asleep…he is super strong. Very similar to the warrior class in D&D.
  • Taryn is a lot like a Ninja. She is decked out in 80s style grunge leather, looks pretty cool and can do some high flying karate.  She also has blades, making her a dangerous adversary in the dream world.
  • Will is probably the coolest of them all. He is a wheelchair-bound paraplegic who is actually into D&D in the real world…but becomes a magic-wielding wizard in the dream world.

The characters all have their unique abilities which can be used to help defeat Freddy.  Just like a party in D&D, the characters have to work together to successfully take him on, and kick his butt back to hell!

Final Notes: D&D in Nightmare on Elm Street

Whether it was Wes Craven or suspected D&D enthusiast Frank Darabont who suggested and eventually implemented Dungeons and Dragons into the script itself…the movie is a masterpiece as it stands.  A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) may or may not be based upon Dungeons and Dragons, but it is most certainly resonating with a strong D&D vibe.  Watching it today, is like sitting in on an old D&D adventure from back in the day!

Fun Fact: Did you know that Ira Heiden (who played wheel-chair bound Will) was a real life Dungeon Master? His real life skills of providing players a Dungeon Master in Dungeons and Dragons, made him an excellent fit for his role as a DM in one scene, as well as his role as a wizard in the nightmare world.

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