User blog:Lady Lostris/The Games Have Just Begun

Greetings and welcome.

You don't need to be a horror aficionado to know that the right response to that statement from Jigsaw, especially on Halloween, is "NOPE" and then you run. To be honest, that would be my response to every talking puppet or creepy weirdo wearing a mask, but channeling my best Brackett, I'll stay put for now, cause hey, "It's Halloween. Everyone's entitled to one good scare, right?" Right?

Chris, who joined me on our Fandom Horror/Villain-themed celebration this year, would firmly say "Oh blimey" to that -- he's British, leave him alone -- cause why have one person who doesn't celebrate Halloween or watches horror movies when you can have two? After one of us also suffered several nightmares due to the research for our various projects, we decided to change our tactic and rather than looking at scary images ourselves, we turned to our large horror fan communities and their carefully curated wikis to help us figure out what makes a true villain tick.

Villains Unraveled

 * "I'm every nightmare you've ever had! I am your worst dream come true! I'M EVERYTHING YOU EVER WERE AFRAID OF!"
 * ―Pennywise, It (TV Mini Series)

Per the words of the editors of the Villains Wiki when talking about horror villains: "The world of horror is a scary place and these guys are probably the reason why. They are designed to frighten, disturb and generally make us afraid." With that in mind, Chris set out to find some answers from our horror wiki editors as to why anyone would want to deal with characters like that.

What makes a good villain?

 * "Well, in my opinion, a good villain is one that acts as a foil to the protagonist(s), while still having their own personality. They should also probably have some meaningful connection to said protagonists. Like, for example, in FNaF, william afton is the main villain, and his friends and family are considered the "protagonists" of the series. They have some sort of relation, but they are their own characters. It makes things feel more coherent and connected."
 * ―BMega007 from the Five Nights and Freddy's Wiki


 * "I prefer villains that don't come back a second or third time and have their days numbered, like Chucky. His origins are one thing, but his defeat and eternal torment are yet to come. Other villains are the ones that aren't actually villains in the traditional sense, like the Cenobites from Hellraiser; they're seen as explorers in the further regions of experience, not exactly good or bad, and it's usually the people that summon them that are bad, but in the end, they're not after anyone except the people that intentionally summon them."
 * ―Aggression25 from the Halloween Wiki


 * "One thing that helps is the fact that the villain doesn't start as the villain. For the most part, villains start out being like most normal people (or even as heroes themselves). But some experience flips their worldview upside-down or outlook on life and they're never the same. All the greatest villains in fiction have that moment. Darth Vader, Jason Voorhees, even the Joker all have had these moments or ""one bad day""."
 * ―Eldritch Jedi Knight from the Friday the 13th Wiki


 * "Ghostface. No other context. Just. Ghostface."
 * ―Avalon2009, from the Scream Wiki (I think we know who Avalon's favorite villain is!)


 * "I think what makes a good villain is that they're opposing and intimidating. They should make you feel helpless. Their motives, appearance, behavior, and everything else about them, should be scary. Their expressions can range from very expressive to near emotionless, with all ranges very capable to be disturbing. Their motives can be mysterious and unknown, one of my personal favorites. Their appearance is also a pretty important factor, and my favorite is when they look hollow and uncanny, almost as if they look dead or soulless. The means of which they do their actions could be an important factor as well, they could do their work in secrecy, keeping you in the unknown, or show the world what they have done."
 * ―MrPotatoDude01 from the Five Nights and Freddy's Wiki


 * "Push your Horror Villain to the edge. (Not literally) A truly terrifying horror story requires a memorable villain who is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. A villain who is completely unhinged, with no regard for human life, is far more dangerous and unpredictable than one who operates within the confines of the law."
 * ―Jacob Crimson from the Villains Wiki (part of an excellent larger summary!)

What is the appeal to editing wikis about "bad guys"?

 * "Editing wikis about villains can be appealing for a few reasons. Firstly, it allows fans of various media to engage with their favorite characters on a deeper level. It's a way to express creativity, share insights, and contribute to a community's collective knowledge. Additionally, exploring the motivations and backgrounds of villains can offer a unique perspective on storytelling, psychology, and the human condition."
 * ―MarvelEd23 from the Villains Wiki


 * "I find the concept of villains fascinating. It's interesting to get into the heads of characters who are immoral and understand how people and writers interpret evil. There are so many types of villains with different backgrounds, different motivations, and different levels of character. I think it's refreshing to write articles about them and grow the long database of villains."
 * ―Bannedfrom7 from the Villains Wiki


 * "it's about the whole story & atmosphere, not just the villain. Pennywise, for example."
 * ―186 contributor from the Halloween Wiki


 * "I think the appeal to editing wikis with bad guys is because every villain is their own “type of villain”. Darth Vader is a Fallen Knight, Emperor Belos is a Manipulative Tyrant, Dr. Eggman is a Hegemonic Scientist, etc. It’s this stuff that makes villains interesting in a special way."
 * ―Lolman2026 from the Villains Wiki

Villains: The Dark Trading Cards*

 * "Now Sid, don't you blame the movies. Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!"
 * ―Billy Loomis in Scream (1996)

Now, the wiki users aren't the only ones who had something to say about villains. Two incredibly creative Fandom staffers -- curiously enough both hailing from the Entertainment vertical (coincidence? I think not) -- went about it in their own unique way: Mandy and Mike are back with a Villains Deck! This third deck of Fandom Trading Cards* consists of 8 villains from iconic franchises and their statistics: year of debut, number of films/episodes/games they have appeared in, how many times they died and resurrected, and how many victims they killed. As has become standard, these legends from nightmares have been attributed two special abilities that reflect their skillset from their universe. Are you cunning enough to use their dark skills for destruction or will you make a redemption character out of them yet?

*Disclaimer: The game continues to be without official rules. Like the Final Girls and Star Wars Deck, this game remains completely unplayable and is for aesthetic purposes only ... or is it?

The Rise of the Villains
Many villains lurk in the shadows, though only 8 stepped into the light. Is your favorite or perhaps most feared villain among them?

The Return of the Final Girls
Since every villains has a nemesis, we'd be remiss to not remind you all of our beautiful Final Girls Deck as well. Why? We have our reasons! But first a surprise appearance from one of the most requested Final Girls:

Villains to the Death

 * "Hello, . Come and play with us. Come and play with us, . Forever... and ever... and ever."
 * ―Alexie & Alexa Grady in The Shining (1980)

We said these cards are officially without rules, but ... when have villains ever cared about rules? Ready to take their revenge on the Final Girls, these villains step onto the stage of a new tournament to avenge their own demise! So how is this brawl going to work? We have set up an interactive single elimination bracket tournament that includes our 8 villain cards, but with only 5 Final Girls from their respective franchise (there have been so many Ghostfaces that they warrant 2 Final Girls in the mix, though 3 is perhaps a bit much, sorry Tara), we have 3 queens from unrelated franchises rising up to take on a strange villain regardless. Based on their respective Trading Card abilities, you decide who wins.

The rules are simple: Villains and Final Girls have been paired together to face off in four rounds of voting, each lasting 2 days, starting and ending at 7PM EST (check your own timezone here). Everyone will get ONE vote per match-up per round, with the winner of each match-up progressing to the next round to face the next Villain or Final Girl.


 * "Oh yes, there will be blood."
 * ―John Kramer in Saw II


 * Round 1, featuring all 16 villains and Final Girls, will start TODAY Tuesday, October 31st and run for 2 days until Thursday, November 2nd until 7PM EST.
 * The Quarter-finals, featuring the 8 combatants that won their first round match-ups, will start on Thursday, November 2nd, 7PM EST and run for 2 days until Saturday, November 4th, 7PM EST.
 * The Semi-finals is where it really starts to heat up. Down to 4 characters, with voting from Saturday, November 4th, 7PM EST to Monday, November 6th, 7PM EST.
 * Then the one we all want to see, the Final match-up to determine who is the last person standing. Will it be a Final Girl or a Villain? 2 days of voting and ONE – yes, only ONE - vote for you to cast! The voting lasts from Monday, November 6th, 7PM EST to Wednesday, November 8th, 7PM EST.

To help you prepare for battle, we have devised the Halloween 2023: Horror villains and Final Girls quiz! to test your knowledge about our fearsome fighters. Run through these 16 questions, one for each character in the game, and let us know in the comments how you did! Take the quiz!

With your horror knowledge refreshed, you too are ready. When the dust settles in the end, only one person or creature will be left standing. Will the forces of good prevail once more or does 2023 mark the rise of the darkness? YOU decide! So VOTE NOW!


 * "I'm into survival."
 * ―Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)



In support of their villain on this Halloween, the Saw Wiki, Freddy Fazbear Wiki, Halloween Movies Wiki, Texas Chainsaw Massacre Wiki, and the Child's Play "Chucky" Wiki have donned a new design to highlight their allegiance!

Feel free to use the comments section to let us know your favorites!! Happy Halloween, people!