This is the stuff so horrifying that it can give people the creeps for years. This scares the pants off of just about anyone to the author/creator's delight. This makes you shrink in the back of your chair, look over your shoulder, and remind yourself that what's going on is (usually) only fictional.
This was also known as High Octane Nightmare Fuel.Category:Nightmare Fuel
"What do you fear?"
—Fear Factory, "Fear Campaign"
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For many Horror films, achieving this effect is the whole point (and many in-universe examples arise because Kids Shouldn't Watch Horror Films). For some reason, many of us like to be scared on purpose. There may be a euphoria generated by surviving something that seems scary, or maybe we know that fiction can't hurt us and the idea of choosing to be scared without the danger is fun. Some think it's cathartic or therapeutic in some way to explore our fears from a position of relative safety. In any case, this is normal for the genre. Others are fascinated by the very things that most people avoid. Occasionally, it overlaps with Squick. Similarly, some Public Service Announcements choose to employ terrifying imagery in order to keep people away from doing dangerous things. These can be sources of Fridge Horror as well, as those from different cultures or eras past can demonstrate some intensely creepy Family Unfriendly Aesops. Experiences may vary from person to person. Some people, for example, may find the invasion of monstrosities which are treated as benign to be a far more terrifying prospect than things which we need to explicitly fear. Think the difference between the monster who lives under your bed when you're grown up versus the monster who lives under your bed and fist-bumps your parents when you were a young child. This is an Audience Reaction, so leave it on YMMV and Nightmare Fuel tabs and don't get too worked up about what specifically goes into it - what's Nightmare Retardant for one person may well be Nightmare Fuel for another.
* Surreal sequences, usually animated.
- A Complete Monster.
- Extreme violence and deaths.
- The disgusting images associated with Nausea Fuel.
- Unsettling body structures, human or not.
- Nightmare Sequence, disturbing dream sequences and hallucinations straight out of a nightmare.
- Horrifically mutated, distorted, injured, or... unreal faces.
- Paranoia Fuel—when things that should be harmless, or on your side, turn nasty.
- Primal Fears: possibly the most universally frightening of the mix; stuff that generally everyone gets the creeps from. Includes but is not limited to:
- The dark.
- The unknown.
- Swarms of fear-inducing animals such as rats, snakes, spiders or insects.
- Being Buried Alive...or Eaten Alive.
- Being raped - especially by something that isn't human.
- People being set on fire, or fire endangering the lives of people while they struggle to escape.
- Being drowned, particularly if it's done very slowly...
- Being trapped without escape with a violent and/or unpredictable human/animal/thing that wants to harm you.
- Adult Fears. Those things children seldom worry about: economic failure, romantic failure, watching helplessly as your children die, or possibly even The End of the World as We Know It.
- Transformation Sequences with plenty of Body Horror, including Chest Bursters.
- Rotting corpses, possibly reanimated.
- Diseases. They have no intelligence to bear anyone ill will, but once an infection/outbreak occurs, the attack will never stop until they are completely annihilated... or their victims are.
- Mutilation of specific body parts, such as the eyes, face, fingers, teeth, genitalia, or even worse than those injuries.
- Fates so horrific one can only wish for death. Being turned into stone, being trapped in another dimension, being encased in a tomb for eternity, being forcefully made into a machine without consent, or worse...
- A sexual or romantic obsession with someone that goes too far.
- The incredible depravity and monstrosity of human beings at their absolute worst.
- Psychotic behavior presented in a disturbingly childish, calm, or serene manner, alluding to the potential inhumane nature of the individual.
- Former heroes committing completely reprehensible acts both willingly or worse unwillingly.
- Surreal monsters and Eldritch Abominations that have horrific appearances.
- Soundtrack Dissonance, when used correctly, can make a scene extremely horrifying.
- Being pregnant with an Eldritch Abomination or other evil entity, or your child becoming one of these things.
- Losing all reason or willpower to continue living.
- A totalitarian authority of any kind so harsh that one wishes to die or escape from it.
- A Crapsack World so vast and immutable that revolution, change, or even escape is a laughable impossibility.
- Death and destruction.
- Being inside a living creature.
- Consumption of people as food. Wanna take that many steps even further?
- Having your mind toyed with, be it wiping your memory out, Mind Control, brainwashing, re-enacting past horrific events, invasion of your thoughts, or whatever else comes to mind.
- Being hunted AND chased endlessly.
- Think you're safe behind the Fourth Wall because it is Fiction? THINK AGAIN!
Tropes used to invoke this feeling are Horror Tropes. Tropes about fear are Fear Tropes. If it is meant to scare but fails to deliver, and becomes hilarious instead, it devolves into Nightmare Retardant. Characters that are this In-Universe are The Dreaded. Personal examples are Troper Tales and do not belong here.
No real life examples, please; there may be real life things that induce fear, but there's just too many to document as the degree of fear varies from person to person. And, as phobias show, everything is Nightmare Fuel to somebody.
Pages in category "Nightmare Fuel"
The following 200 pages are in this category, out of 1,520 total.
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- Final Fantasy/Nightmare Fuel
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within/Nightmare Fuel
- Final Stand of Death/Nightmare Fuel
- Finding Nemo/Nightmare Fuel
- Fire Emblem Jugdral/Nightmare Fuel
- Firefly (TV series)/Nightmare Fuel
- Firestarter/Nightmare Fuel
- Fist of the North Star/Nightmare Fuel
- Five Nights at Freddy's (video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Flannery O'Connor/Nightmare Fuel
- Flower (video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Folklore (video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- For the Man Who Has Everything/Nightmare Fuel
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends/Nightmare Fuel
- The Fourth Kind/Nightmare Fuel
- Fractale/Nightmare Fuel
- Franken Fran/Nightmare Fuel
- Freaks/Nightmare Fuel
- Freaky Stories/Nightmare Fuel
- Freddy vs. Jason/Nightmare Fuel
- Freedom Force (2002 video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Fringe/Nightmare Fuel
- Fruits Basket/Nightmare Fuel
- FSTDT/Nightmare Fuel
- Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Nightmare Fuel
- Funny Games/Nightmare Fuel
- Futret/Nightmare Fuel
- Futurama/Nightmare Fuel
- Future Diary/Nightmare Fuel
- The Future Is Wild/Nightmare Fuel
G
- G.I. Joe PSAs/Nightmare Fuel
- G.I. Joe/Nightmare Fuel
- G.I. Joe: The Movie/Nightmare Fuel
- Gabriel Knight/Nightmare Fuel
- Game Boy Camera/Nightmare Fuel
- Game of Thrones/Nightmare Fuel
- Gamera/Nightmare Fuel
- The Games We Play (RWBY fanfic)/Nightmare Fuel
- Gankutsuou/Nightmare Fuel
- Gantz/Nightmare Fuel
- The Garden of Sinners/Nightmare Fuel
- Garfield (Comic Strip)/Nightmare Fuel
- Garfield Specials/Nightmare Fuel
- Garfield: The Movie/Nightmare Fuel
- Gargoyle's Quest/Nightmare Fuel
- Gargoyles/Nightmare Fuel
- Garry's Mod/Nightmare Fuel
- Gauntlet (1985 video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Gears of War/Nightmare Fuel
- Generator Rex/Nightmare Fuel
- Genesis (band)/Nightmare Fuel
- Genocyber/Nightmare Fuel
- Genzo/Nightmare Fuel
- Getter Robo/Nightmare Fuel
- Gex/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghost Hunt/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghost Rider (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghostbusters/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghostbusters: The Video Game/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghostopolis/Nightmare Fuel
- Ghostwriter (TV series)/Nightmare Fuel
- The Girl from Whirlpool/Nightmare Fuel
- Girl with a Pearl Earring (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Goblins/Nightmare Fuel
- God of War (series)/Nightmare Fuel
- Godzilla/Nightmare Fuel
- Golden Axe (series)/Nightmare Fuel
- Goodfellas/Nightmare Fuel
- Goosebumps/Nightmare Fuel
- Gorillaz/Nightmare Fuel
- Grand Theft Auto IV/Nightmare Fuel
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/Nightmare Fuel
- Grandia II/Nightmare Fuel
- Grave Encounters/Nightmare Fuel
- Grave of the Fireflies/Nightmare Fuel
- Great Mazinger/Nightmare Fuel
- The Great Mouse Detective/Nightmare Fuel
- Gremlins/Nightmare Fuel
- Grey's Anatomy/Nightmare Fuel
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy/Nightmare Fuel
- Grizzly Man/Nightmare Fuel
- The Grudge/Nightmare Fuel
- The Guardian Legend/Nightmare Fuel
- Guild Wars 2/Nightmare Fuel
- Guilty Gear/Nightmare Fuel
- Gulliver's Travels (2010 film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Gundam/Nightmare Fuel
- Gungrave/Nightmare Fuel
- Gunslinger Girl/Nightmare Fuel
H
- H.P. Lovecraft/Nightmare Fuel
- Half-Life (series)/Nightmare Fuel
- Halloween (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Halloween Horror Nights/Nightmare Fuel
- Halloween Is Grinch Night/Nightmare Fuel
- Halo (series)/Nightmare Fuel
- Halo 3/Nightmare Fuel
- Halo: Combat Evolved/Nightmare Fuel
- Hamster & Gretel/Nightmare Fuel
- Happy Tree Friends/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Harry Potter/Nightmare Fuel
- Haruhi Suzumiya/Nightmare Fuel
- Harvester (video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Hatoful Boyfriend/Nightmare Fuel
- Haunted (Palahniuk novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- The Haunted Mansion/Nightmare Fuel
- Haunting Ground/Nightmare Fuel
- Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks/Nightmare Fuel
- Hayao Miyazaki/Nightmare Fuel
- Haydee (Video Game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Heathers/Nightmare Fuel
- Heavy Metal (animation)/Nightmare Fuel
- Heavy Rain/Nightmare Fuel
- Hell Girl/Nightmare Fuel
- Hell Teacher Nube/Nightmare Fuel
- Hellblazer/Nightmare Fuel
- Hellraiser/Nightmare Fuel
- Hellsing/Nightmare Fuel
- Helluva Boss/Nightmare Fuel
- Hench/Nightmare Fuel
- Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure/Nightmare Fuel
- Hercules (1997 film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Heroes of Might and Magic/Nightmare Fuel
- Heroic Age/Nightmare Fuel
- Hexwood/Nightmare Fuel
- Hey Arnold!/Nightmare Fuel
- Hey You, Pikachu!/Nightmare Fuel
- Hideto Matsumoto/Nightmare Fuel
- Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni/Nightmare Fuel
- High Plains Drifter/Nightmare Fuel
- Highschool DxD/Nightmare Fuel
- Highschool of the Dead/Nightmare Fuel
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni/Nightmare Fuel
- Hocus Pocus (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Holes/Nightmare Fuel
- Hollow Man/Nightmare Fuel
- Home Movie/Nightmare Fuel
- Homefront (video game)/Nightmare Fuel
- Homestar Runner/Nightmare Fuel
- Homestuck/Nightmare Fuel
- Homeworld/Nightmare Fuel
- Hook/Nightmare Fuel
- Hotel Dusk: Room 215/Nightmare Fuel
- House (TV series)/Nightmare Fuel
- House of Leaves/Nightmare Fuel
- House of Mystery/Nightmare Fuel
- The House of the Dead (series)/Nightmare Fuel
- Howard the Duck (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- The Howling/Nightmare Fuel
- The Human Centipede/Nightmare Fuel
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)/Nightmare Fuel
- The Hunger Games (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- Hunter X Hunter/Nightmare Fuel
I
- I Am Weasel/Nightmare Fuel
- I Know What You Did Last Summer/Nightmare Fuel
- Ib/Nightmare Fuel
- ICarly/Nightmare Fuel
- Ico/Nightmare Fuel
- Iczer/Nightmare Fuel
- Illbleed/Nightmare Fuel
- Illusion of Gaia/Nightmare Fuel
- In The Dark/Nightmare Fuel
- In the Hunt/Nightmare Fuel
- The Incredibles/Nightmare Fuel
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis/Nightmare Fuel
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull/Nightmare Fuel
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade/Nightmare Fuel
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom/Nightmare Fuel
- Indiana Jones/Nightmare Fuel
- Inferno (Comic Book)/Nightmare Fuel
- Infinite Space/Nightmare Fuel
- Ink City/Nightmare Fuel
- Insane Clown Posse/Nightmare Fuel
- Inspector Spacetime/Nightmare Fuel
- Inuyasha/Nightmare Fuel
- Invader Zim/Nightmare Fuel
- The Invisible Man (novel)/Nightmare Fuel
- The Invisibles/Nightmare Fuel
- The Iron Giant/Nightmare Fuel
- Iron Maiden/Nightmare Fuel
- Iron Man (film)/Nightmare Fuel
- Iron Man: Armored Adventures/Nightmare Fuel
- It's a Wonderful Life/Nightmare Fuel
- IT/Nightmare Fuel
Media in category "Nightmare Fuel"
The following 12 files are in this category, out of 21 total.
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