Pyromaniac: Difference between revisions

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In [[Real Life]], [[wikipedia:Pyromania|Pyromania]] is a mental disorder that compels a person to set fires, and causes the sufferer to feel enjoyment and stress release (and in some cases even sexual release) from firestarting and watching fires. In addition to being a very rare disorder it also has the standard mental disorder caveat of not two cases being identical and usually coming bundled with other issues and a difficult childhood.

While real-life pyromaniacs [[Captain Obvious|tend to be somewhat mentally unstable]], fictional characters with this disorder [[Hollywood Psych|tend to exhibit it]] to the level of [[Evil Is Burning Hot|evil murderous]] [[Ax Crazy]] who really only get their kicks from death and murder with fire. Pyromaniac characters enjoy lighting fires, watching fires, [[Playing with Fire|playing with fires]], [[Kill It with Fire|killing with fires]], and generally [[This Index Is On Fire|make and use fire whenever they're able to]]; whether they [[Playing with Fire|have inherent fire powers]], or merely use [[Fire-Breathing Weapon|flamethrowers]] or other incendiary weapons, you really don't want to get in their sights.

Note that using or favoring [[Kill It with Fire]] does not automatically make a character a [[Pyromaniac]]: Having a mental disorder that makes the character feel enjoyment in the act of starting fires is what makes one a [[Pyromaniac]].

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== Anime and Manga ==

* Claude "Torch" Weaver in ''[[Black Lagoon]]'' was a pyromaniac wielding a flamethrower. Unusually he was also a [[Family Values Villain]] and was unusually nice and collected [[Dissonant Serenity|even while he was indiscriminately setting things on fire]]. {{spoiler|He was eventually defeated when Revy managed to shoot his fuel tank. [[Stuff Blowing Up|KABOOOOOM!]]}}

* Kimbley in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' is a variant. He seems to delight in blowing buildings (and people) up.

* Dilandau of ''[[Vision of Escaflowne]]''. The lovably sadistic [[Psycho for Hire]] pilot of the flamethrower packing red Guymelef with the fun [[Catch Phrase]] of "Burn! Burn! Burn! [[Evil Laugh|HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]]!"

* [[Night of the Living Mooks|The Mariage]] in ''[[Audio Adaptation|StrikerS Sound Stage X]]'' of the ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'', whose first step in doing anything always involves setting the location on fire.

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* Nice Holystone in ''[[Baccano]]!''. There is a ''[[Eye Scream|reason]]'' she wears that eyepatch. And has those scars...

** Not only does she have the eyepatch, but she {{spoiler|hides small explosives in the empty socket!}}

** Randy and Pecho, apparent Mooks and career arsonists, inadvertently kick off the plot of one arc with their enthusiastic blazes. They use fire to [[Kill It with Fire|end the arc]], as well.

* During most of her formative years, Farnese from ''[[Berserk]]'' was one. She even ''[[A Date with Rosie Palms|masturbated]] to [[Burn the Witch|people being burned at the stake]]''. Eventually, she manages to get over it.

* Natsu from ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' routinely lights objects of his interest on fire, including food (though of course he ''does'' eat fire). However, he's a pillar of sanity compared to his [[Evil Counterpart]] Zancrow of Grimoire Heart.

* Urumi from ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'' likes to blow things up. She considers a [[Molotov Cocktail]] to be a "practical joke", and get's a "look" that's a mix of glee and malice when she blows up a building. Being a super genius, she never leaves any evidence.

* Sooto Henmi in [[Suehiro Maruo]]'s ''[[The Laughing Vampire]]''. [[Enfant Terrible|An A-student in elementary school]], he likes to set fire to the neighborhood and watch the reactions of the crowd. Like all self-respecting criminal, he keeps a diary and news clippings of the crimes he has committed.

* From ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' you have Quartum, {{spoiler|the Averruncus of Fire}}.

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== Literature ==

* {{spoiler|Ben Ladradun}} in [[Tamora Pierce|Tammy Pierce's]] ''[[Circle of Magic|Cold Fire]].''

* Trashcan Man in ''[[The Stand]]'', who got his name due to lighting trashcans on fire at his school.

** Surprisingly Charlie the pyrokinetic in ''[[Firestarter]]'' avoids the trope. Possibly due to her father willfully traumatizing her at a very young age precisely to avoid it.

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* [[Ripliad|Tom Ripley]] is an unusually calm example of this. Because his parents died of drowning, he has something of a phobia of water and a corresponding comfort with fire. Thus, he feels really good in one book when he torches some mobsters' car with the occupants still inside.

* Mugabo the Magician in ''[[The Pilo Family Circus]].'' A sorcerer with a talent for fire magic, his pyromania doesn't emerge until his [[Freak-Out]] at the end of the book, where it manifests as a voice urging him to turn the showground black and orange.

* ''[[Parable of the Sower]]'': Taking place in a dystopian future with social chaos, a new drug is on the street causing consumers to become pyromaniacs.

* Daisy Parker from Helen Cresswell's ''[[Bagthorpe Saga]]'' may well be the youngest ever pyromaniac. She started at the age of four and has since solidified her reputation as an all-round [[Person of Mass Destruction|Holy Terror]].

* In ''[[Adrian Mole]]: The Cappucino Years'', {{spoiler|Adrian's house}} is burned down by {{spoiler|his sons' pyromaniac tutor, Eleanor.}}

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Burn the world upon a funeral pyre! }}

* In "Lament for a Toy Factory", [[Doctor Steel]] sings about burning down the toy factory that fired him with "gasoline-filled Super Soakers."

* The narrator of "Psalms 40:2" by [[The Mountain Goats]] is a pyromaniac seeking a meaningful connection with God through setting fires.

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* A large number of mages and planeswalkers in ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', including Jaya Ballard and Chandra Nalaar.

* ''[[Champions]]'' has a few villains like this, including Blowtorch and Firebug.

* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' had the Pyrokineticist [[Prestige Class]]. One of the qualifications? You had to have set a significantly-sized building on fire ''just to watch it burn''.

* Pyromania (called "Firebug") is a mental disorder in ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay]]'', which forces the character to roll willpower whenever given a chance to start a fire (which is surprisingly often) and gives Fellowship penalties from depression whenever the character isn't setting fire to stuff. Most characters who acquire it tend to live short, interesting lives before being put down by law enforcement or their fellow party members after setting fire to something they really shouldn't. And if the party [[Playing with Fire|Red Wizard]] ever gets it, run. Run like your pants are on fire, which they will be shortly if you do not.

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* The French Mercenary in the first ''[[Syphon Filter]]'' uses a flamethrower. You use it to your advantage - he's slow to turn, and his flamethrower isn't very fireproof.

* [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|The Pyro]] ''[[Team Fortress 2]]''. Apart from the fact that most of [[Ambiguous Gender|his/her/its]] weaponry causes people to be set on fire, the game makes it very clear that the Pyro takes delight in starting said fires: About [[The Unintelligible|the only intelligible thing]] the Pyro can utter is a maniacal laughter made when using the flamethrower.

* Phoebe from ''[[Psychonauts]]'' has some... ''issues'' with starting fires. She occasionally has psychic "outbursts..."

** And once you can, Raz will start having urges too. "Oops, sorry bird."

** "I AM THE MILKMAN. MY [[Molotov Cocktail|MILK]] IS DELICIOUS."

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* ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]]'': Durandal's description for the TOZT-7 Backpack Napalm Unit is as follows:

{{quote|''I don't believe it is necessary for me to state the personality disorders evident in an individual who enjoys, or more accurately revels, in spraying their enemies with flaming napalm aerosol.''}}

* Flame Tank pilots in ''[[Command ~~and~~ Conquer]] 3'' are understandably enthusiastic about their role. If reselected while in the middle of salvo, their responses include "Yes... YES!" and "It's beautiful..."

* Flame Tank pilots in ''[[Command & Conquer]] 3'' are understandably enthusiastic about their role. If reselected while in the middle of salvo, their responses include "Yes... YES!" and "It's beautiful..."

** Let's not forget the: "PURGE THEM WITH FIRE, PURIFY THEM!!" and "UNLEASH THE GLORY OF THE FLAME" when they are told to attack an enemy.

*** Not to mention the Black Hand infantry in aforementioned game.

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** On [http://walfas.org Walfas], Reimu is often depicted as one, setting on fire people who annoy her. In [http://www.walfas.org/?p=81 one particular flash], she sets {{spoiler|'''the entire world'''}} on fire.

*** [[Fallout|She just wants to start a flame in your heart.]]

** Mononobe no Futo, apparently. She used to be afraid of Buddhist statues, and responded by setting them all on fire.

* Spawn a Pyro in ''[[Scribblenauts]]'' and he burns down anything possible.

* In ''[[Crash Bandicoot]]'', Dingodile's primary weapon is a flamethrower.

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== Web Originals ==

* Simon from the [[Yogscast]] will burn something when ever possible and has even built bridges made of TNT in the ''[[Minecraft]]'' videos.

* In ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'', the Freelancers at one point encounter a flamethrower-wielding [[Elite Mook]] who gives two of their best a serious run for their money in combat. He's only stopped by a Gravity Hammer to the face. Fans have taken to calling him "Sharkface", after his helmet's paintjob.

* Tisiphone of the [[Whateley Universe]]. All she seems to think about are setting fires, and getting even with Phase by setting him on fire.