List of A Nightmare on Elm Street characters

The A Nightmare on Elm Street series, created by Wes Craven, focuses on several characters who survive attacks by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), the spirit of a child murderer who gains the ability to stalk and kill people in their dreams (killing them in reality) after his death at the hands of a vengeful mob.

The series consists of nine films: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), in which Freddy is seemingly killed. A demonic interpretation followed in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994), in which Freddy Krueger attempts to break free from the films into the real world. Nearly a decade later, Freddy was involved in a crossover with Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th franchise in Freddy vs. Jason (2003). The series was rebooted in 2010 with A Nightmare On Elm Street, a loose remake of the original film with Englund replaced by Jackie Earle Haley and the character changed from child killer to a child molester. The franchise also consists of a television series, a video game, merchandise and literature about Freddy Krueger and his exploits, including crossovers with Jason Voorhees and Ash Williams of the Evil Dead franchise.

In the series Freddy Krueger has the ability to enter people's dreams and control them, taunting and murdering them with his glove (with four blades attached to the fingers, allowing him to slash and stab his victims). Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) survives his attacks in the original film, and appeared in Dream Warriors. She was replaced by Alice Johnson (Lisa Wilcox) as the protagonist of the fourth and fifth installments, who has special abilities in her dreams which allow her to fight Freddy's machinations. Killed off by his daughter Maggie Burroughs (Lisa Zane) in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, he returns in subsequent media. In the 2010 franchise reboot starring Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy, the character is changed from a child murderer to a child molester (Craven's intention in the original films). His bladed glove is a gardening tool instead of a handmade item, as in the original film series.

Although some films in the series were critical and financial flops, it is considered one of the most successful media franchises in the US.^[1] The series contained the first film appearances of Johnny Depp (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and Patricia Arquette (Dream Warriors), both of whom went on to successful, award-winning careers.