Freddy Krueger, played by the iconic Robert Englund, is a character best known for his quirky one-liners. It’s no secret that Freddy is a top dog in the horror genre, right up there with other well-known characters such as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Leatherface. One of the kings of 80s horror, the main antagonist of the Nightmare on Elm Street series can be found practically everywhere. But with such an iconic character, one might ask why his character became one of the most vile villains of the 80s.
The Beginning of Nightmares
The mother of Freddy Krueger, Amanda Krueger
Amanda Krueger’s first assignment as a nun was to care for the inmates of Westin Hills hospital. Days before Christmas, she was locked in the hospital by the guards who were all in a hurry to get home to their families. Unfortunately, this led to the sexual assault of Amanda Krueger by several of the inmates, and nine months later, her son was born.
Her son was given up for adoption, and an alcoholic abuser named Mr. Underwood would take the child, whose name would be Freddy.
The Early Days
Freddy Krueger as a child
While Freddy lived with Mr. Underwood, he suffered from an immense amount of abuse from his adoptive “father.” School was no escape either, as he was also bullied by his classmates and frequently outcasted. Due to this all, Freddy began showing the signs of a troubled child, killing small animals and even harming himself. This would all eventually lead to Mr. Underwood being Freddy’s first murder after he finally snapped.
Blending In
Freddy and his wife, Loretta
As an adult, Freddy would marry a woman named Loretta. The two would have a daughter together named Kathryn. While all seemed normal, Freddy had already begun his child slashing sprees throughout Springwood. Loretta would eventually find out about this, stumbling across his weapons of torture and confronting him. However, this confrontation only led to her death, as Freddy would kill her.
Kathyrn, sadly, would see the entire murder take place, and although she promised her father she wouldn’t tell anyone, he would be soon after be arrested.
Vigilante Justice
A pre-burn Freddy Krueger
Although apprehended, Freddy would be released from prison on a technicality. His mother, Amanda, who had been following the case, would die of suicide shortly after his release. The parents of Springwood were not too happy about this outcome, tracking the killer down and finding him in the infamous boiler room where he had taken his victims. The parents would pour gasoline everywhere and set the place on fire with Freddy in it, leaving him to die in the flames.
Born From the Fire
The slasher in his iconic look, burns and all
The fire, of course, didn’t kill the Springwood Slasher for good. Freddy would be reborn from the fire, becoming the demon of dreams. He would stalk the dreams of the children whose parents killed him, taking their lives as revenge. Freddy, hellbent on power and vengeance, would make sure to make everybody pay for his death.
Conclusion
An iconic shot from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Freddy Krueger’s origin story is a chaotic tale of a disturbed boy turned coldblooded killer. It’s no surprise that he became the thing of nightmares, nor is it any shock that he became such a popular horror villain considering he is the “bastard son of 100 maniacs.”
