Serial Killer: Difference between revisions

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[[File:~~Dexter_Morgan_5399~~.jpg|link=Dexter|frame|[[Slices, Dices, and Makes Julienne Fries|He slices! He dices]]!]]

[[File:Dexter Morgan 5399.jpg|link=Dexter|frame|[[Slices, Dices, and Makes Julienne Fries|He slices! He dices]]!]]

{{quote|"''We all go a little mad sometimes.''"|'''Norman Bates''', ''[[Psycho]]''}}

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[[Real Life]] serial killers are usually divided into 4 categories, and fictional killers tend to fall into one or more of these categories as well, if not by design, then by their nature.

* '''Visionary''' -- The killer suffers a break from reality, delusions, and/or hallucinations, that compel them to murder. They might believe [[God]] or [[Satan]], or simply voices, are telling them to kill, or that killing will prevent some kind of disaster. Tends to result from some kind of trauma and/or a mental illness like schizophrenia. The [[Insanity Defense]] will usually only apply to this type (though even this only counts if their mental illness impaired their sense of right and wrong), and as such if a killer is going for that defense, they will usually claim to be ~~such -- this~~ very rarely works in [[Real Life]], and in fact is very rarely ''attempted'', probably because in practice there is only so much difference between being locked up in a jail cell for life for multiple murders, and being locked in an insane asylum for life for the same.

* '''Visionary''' -- The killer suffers a break from reality, delusions, and/or hallucinations, that compel them to murder. They might believe [[God]] or [[Satan]], or simply voices, are telling them to kill, or that killing will prevent some kind of disaster. Tends to result from some kind of trauma and/or a mental illness like schizophrenia. The [[Insanity Defense]] will usually only apply to this type (though even this only counts if their mental illness impaired their sense of right and wrong), and as such if a killer is going for that defense, they will usually claim to be such—this very rarely works in [[Real Life]], and in fact is very rarely ''attempted'', probably because in practice there is only so much difference between being locked up in a jail cell for life for multiple murders, and being locked in an insane asylum for life for the same.

* '''Mission Based''' -- The killer believes that their actions are [[Utopia Justifies the Means|for the greater good]], or in the service of some higher purpose, because they are performing some kind of social, political, philosophical, or religious service, generally targeting people they blame for society's ills, or view as sinful, distasteful, or dangerous. Though they may be deluded, they are not psychotic like the Visionary killer, having a rough grasp on reality. Vigilante killers are a sub-type of this.

* '''Hedonistic''' -- Someone who kills for '''lust, thrill''', or '''comfort/profit'''. The first two kill principally [[For the Evulz|because they enjoy it]]; lust-based killers get sexual satisfaction out of murder, while thrill-based ones simply find it exciting. Comfort/profit killers are the type who kill to maintain or fund a life of luxury, or otherwise for money; [[Professional Killer|hitmen and assassins]] fall into this category, but it usually refers to cases of fraud, embezzlement, or robbery that involves killing somebody. Women serial killers are usually comfort killers, though not all comfort killers are women.

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* '''[[Black Widow]]''' killers cash in on the insurance of murdered relatives (or friends with wills). Typically serial spouses who murder their new husbands/wives and then move on, though they have been known to murder other relations, including children. Almost always women.

* '''[[The Bluebeard]]''' killer is a male counterpart to the Black Widow killer, except that this specifically refers to men who kill their wives, not other relatives. Also, the motive is usually power, not financial gain, though that often plays a part.

* '''[[Professional Killer~~|Professional Killers~~]]''' are now increasingly regarded as a sub-type of killer, falling under Comfort/Profit Hedonistic killers.

* '''[[Professional Killer]]s''' are now increasingly regarded as a sub-type of killer, falling under Comfort/Profit Hedonistic killers.

* '''Cost Cutters''' are those who kill to save money, such as a person who murders employees to avoid paying them.

* '''Lethal Caretakers''' are nurses, carers, or other such who kill patients and carees for profit, e.g. to cash in on social security checks in their name. Usually women.

* '''Angels of Death''' are similar, but kill patients for feelings of power and control, or sometimes [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|serial mercy-killing (or believe their crimes to be such)]], and are thus harder to trace. Again, usually women, though Harold ~~Shipman -- British~~ doctor and the most prolific serial killer in the world, falls into this type.

* '''Angels of Death''' are similar, but kill patients for feelings of power and control, or sometimes [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|serial mercy-killing (or believe their crimes to be such)]], and are thus harder to trace. Again, usually women, though Harold Shipman—British doctor and the most prolific serial killer in the world, falls into this type.

* '''Munchausen By Proxy''' is a personality disorder where the perpetrator harms another for ~~attention -- for~~ example, murdering a relative for sympathy at the loss, or killing someone and then trying to "save" them to act the hero. Usually not killers, but serial abusers of relations or strangers, but have been known to turn lethal.

* '''Munchausen By Proxy''' is a personality disorder where the perpetrator harms another for attention—for example, murdering a relative for sympathy at the loss, or killing someone and then trying to "save" them to act the hero. Usually not killers, but serial abusers of relations or strangers, but have been known to turn lethal.

* '''Sexual Predators''' are killers who lure victims to their death with promises of sex or intimacy, or simply chatting the victim up. May drug their victims to make it easier. Usually Lust killers, but other motives are suspected in certain cases.

* '''Sexual Sadists''' are lust killers who torture their victims before killing them; the torture is usually more important than the actual murder. The torture may be psychological and can last for a matter of seconds or minutes, or it can last for hours or days, depending on the offender.

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* The killer sends a note to the police, or a newspaper, or both, with a [[Criminal Mind Games|taunting message]] that ends in a challenge along the lines of "You can't catch me." A [[Finger in the Mail|gruesome souvenir]] may also be included.

** A variation is to have the killer send a message saying "Please catch me before I kill more."

* Serial killers are often, but not always, portrayed as [[The Chessmaster]], brilliantly layering one [[Evil Plan]] onto another. Often, this takes the form of a series of [[Batman Gambit~~|Batman Gambits~~]] that lead the police on a series of wild goose chases as the killer gloats.

* Serial killers are often, but not always, portrayed as [[The Chessmaster]], brilliantly layering one [[Evil Plan]] onto another. Often, this takes the form of a series of [[Batman Gambit]]s that lead the police on a series of wild goose chases as the killer gloats.

* They have a [[Room Full of Crazy|wall full of newspaper clippings covering their actions]]. Sometimes they keep a photographic record of their kills, or even a souvenir of the victim's.

* If it's part of a [[Story Arc]], one cop is probably going to fall victim (which is part of the requisite [[Tonight Someone Dies]] hype).

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* There might be some sort of [[Poetic Serial Killer|poetic/ironic theme]] to the victims and methods.

[[Serial Killer]] plots tend to be men killing women, although ''[[The Bill]]'' subverted this. This is [[Truth in Television|somewhat realistic]], however, because in the real world, the vast majority of serial killers are ~~men -- or~~, more exactly, men tend to murder in ways that make it easier for them to get caught. Female serial killers will typically be [[Angel of Death|Angels of Death]] and may work in health care or similar vocations. In fiction, they'll often have a [[Torture Cellar]] or do their killings in a [[Sinister Subway]].

'''Serial Killer''' plots tend to be men killing women, although ''[[The Bill]]'' subverted this. This is [[Truth in Television|somewhat realistic]], however, because in the real world, the vast majority of serial killers are men—or, more exactly, men tend to murder in ways that make it easier for them to get caught. Female serial killers will typically be [[Angel of Death|Angels of Death]] and may work in health care or similar vocations. In fiction, they'll often have a [[Torture Cellar]] or do their killings in a [[Sinister Subway]].

Over the last few years, daytime soaps have had an unusually high number of serial killers. ''[[One Life to Live]]'' has had at least two in as many years. It's the chic way for producers to pare down their casts.

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In fact, this is more common than actual serial killers, though characters often confuse the two, as time contraints mean the killings in a story usually take place over the space of a few days, whereas real serial killers by definition usually have weeks, months, or years between their kills.

Note that the Real Life section below is only a very small sampling of well-known serial murderers. Also, many potential Serial Killers get caught quickly because they use an MO, and also because a lot of them are so sick and demented that they ''want'' to get ~~caught -- yes~~, they see it as some kind of game.

Note that the Real Life section below is only a very small sampling of well-known serial murderers. Also, many potential Serial Killers get caught quickly because they use an MO, and also because a lot of them are so sick and demented that they ''want'' to get caught—yes, they see it as some kind of game.

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* Gaara from ''[[Naruto]]'' constantly murders anyone who gets in his way, all because he believes that this is his sole purpose.

** Although since he and everyone he is known to have killed are combat personnel, he fits this trope considerably less than most.

** Orochimaru is, or rather was, a straighter example; he fled the Leaf village after being exposed as a serial killer who had abducted and killed close to a hundred ninja, civilians, and ''babies'' to perform gruesome human experiments, though a number of these were technically unintentional in that he was usually trying to find safe ways of performing said experiments on ''himself'' and therefore wasn't really wanting them to die (not that he gave a crap if they ~~did -- plus~~, he seemed to be ''really'' enjoying himself.)

** Orochimaru is, or rather was, a straighter example; he fled the Leaf village after being exposed as a serial killer who had abducted and killed close to a hundred ninja, civilians, and ''babies'' to perform gruesome human experiments, though a number of these were technically unintentional in that he was usually trying to find safe ways of performing said experiments on ''himself'' and therefore wasn't really wanting them to die (not that he gave a crap if they did—plus, he seemed to be ''really'' enjoying himself.)

* Light Yagami, the protagonist of ''[[Death Note]]'', uses the titular [[Artifact of Doom]] to anonymously [[Serial Killer Killer|kill criminals]], under the guise of [[Utopia Justifies the Means]]. Near even lampshades this.

** Misa Amane, the Second Kira, and Teru Mikami, the Hand of Kira, both do the same while in Light's service.

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* ''[[Underdog (manga)|Underdog]]'': Naoto's first opponent, Masaya Hiuchi, is an 18 year-old who was just recently released from a mental institution after brutally murdering several of his female classmates in middle school. His first actions in the [[Deadly Game|tournament]] show that he's already up to his old tricks.

* {{spoiler|Cho Hakkai (AKA Cho Gonou)}}, one of the main characters in ''[[Saiyuki]]'', is a mass revenge serial killer who goes [[Ax Crazy]] [[Yandere (disambiguation)]] after his {{spoiler|[[Twincest]] older sister/lover is sacrificed by his village as an offering to the local demon king,}} leaving half of the village and most of the demons clan dead in the aftermath.

* Kabuto from ''[[Parasyte]]''. We don't know much about him, since by the time he first appeared he was already in jail, but a few flashbacks show that he used to be a big fan of mutilation, cannibalism, and necrophilia. He is brought to help the police catch parasites because he has the ability to see who is infected. It's implied to be because he sees other humans the same way parasites ~~do -- but~~ at least the parasites ''need'' to eat humans to survive. He pretends that, deep down, everybody is like him, and he's just the only one who doesn't try to suppress his true nature.

* Kabuto from ''[[Parasyte]]''. We don't know much about him, since by the time he first appeared he was already in jail, but a few flashbacks show that he used to be a big fan of mutilation, cannibalism, and necrophilia. He is brought to help the police catch parasites because he has the ability to see who is infected. It's implied to be because he sees other humans the same way parasites do—but at least the parasites ''need'' to eat humans to survive. He pretends that, deep down, everybody is like him, and he's just the only one who doesn't try to suppress his true nature.

== Comic Books ==

* [[Batman]], of course, has dealt with many of them, and several members of his rogue's gallery fall into the category from time to time. [[Rogues Gallery|The most recurring ones]] are [[The Joker]] (obviously) and Victor Zsasz. But by far the most notable serial killers in Batman history (by virtue of their actions being the main plot of an entire mini-series) are [[The Long Halloween|Holiday]] and [[Dark Victory|The Hangman]].

* ''[[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac]]'' is a serial killer [[Villain Protagonist|protagonist]]. Psychologically, he see-saws between being a visionary and a thrill/control killer: On one hand, Johnny is very obviously psychotic, talks with his own furniture, suffers memory loss, and believes there's a thing<ref>fun fact:It's not a moose!</ref> living inside one of his walls (it's never consistent which wall), which he needs to paint with fresh blood regularly to keep the thing inside from escaping. On the other hand, [[Heel Realization|Johnny is aware he's a psychotic serial killer]] and cherry-picks his targets from perceived [[Asshole Victim~~|Asshole Victims~~]] (or anybody unfortunate enough to stand close enough to one) and also exhibits a personal enjoyment in murdering people. {{spoiler|Oh yeah, and that thing in the wall? It's real (well, that, or Johnny's psychosis is contagious. And sentient. And able to kill people). It's implied that Johnny was 'chosen' to become the thing's prison guard, with the duty having driven him insane and made him kill people. Then again, his personality doesn't really change all that much from being released from his duty.}}

* ''[[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac]]'' is a serial killer [[Villain Protagonist|protagonist]]. Psychologically, he see-saws between being a visionary and a thrill/control killer: On one hand, Johnny is very obviously psychotic, talks with his own furniture, suffers memory loss, and believes there's a thing<ref>fun fact:It's not a moose!</ref> living inside one of his walls (it's never consistent which wall), which he needs to paint with fresh blood regularly to keep the thing inside from escaping. On the other hand, [[Heel Realization|Johnny is aware he's a psychotic serial killer]] and cherry-picks his targets from perceived [[Asshole Victim]]s (or anybody unfortunate enough to stand close enough to one) and also exhibits a personal enjoyment in murdering people. {{spoiler|Oh yeah, and that thing in the wall? It's real (well, that, or Johnny's psychosis is contagious. And sentient. And able to kill people). It's implied that Johnny was 'chosen' to become the thing's prison guard, with the duty having driven him insane and made him kill people. Then again, his personality doesn't really change all that much from being released from his duty.}}

* ''[[The Sandman]]'' has an issue where a bunch of serial killers have a convention, in the style of a comic book or sci-fi convention. They, of course, advertise it as a convention for the [[Incredibly Lame Pun|cereal]] industry. {{spoiler|The escaped nightmare who draws the plot's attention there is, of course, the Corinthian -- who became one of these for his own amusement in Morpheus' absence. For over half a century.}}

** Has a crossover connection to ''[[Hellblazer]]'', where John Constantine was having a run-in with the Cereal Convention's absent guest speaker at the time. ("Anyone seen the Family Man?")

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* One story from [[Alan Moore]]'s famous run on ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' was told from the perspective of a serial killer who called himself the Bogeyman. His career comes to an abrupt and anticlimactic end when he runs across the eponymous plant-man.

** He gets a [[Continuity Nod]] in the Sandman story mentioned above.

* Onomatopoeia, a mask-wearing [[Serial Killer]] introduced in a [[Green Arrow]] story and later seen in ''Batman: Cacophany'', targets [[Badass Normal]] vigilantes. He isn't against killing other people such as prostitutes either. The creepiest element of his character is one shared by more than a few [[Real Life]] serial killers: he leads a double life as a loving and seemingly normal family man with a wife and two kids. He handwaves the injuries he gets as sports accidents and has a secret trophy room in his house with the masks of the vigilantes he killed.

* Onomatopoeia, a mask-wearing Serial Killer introduced in a [[Green Arrow]] story and later seen in ''Batman: Cacophany'', targets [[Badass Normal]] vigilantes. He isn't against killing other people such as prostitutes either. The creepiest element of his character is one shared by more than a few [[Real Life]] serial killers: he leads a double life as a loving and seemingly normal family man with a wife and two kids. He handwaves the injuries he gets as sports accidents and has a secret trophy room in his house with the masks of the vigilantes he killed.

* At least one writer for ''[[The Punisher]]'' has described the character as a serial killer who kills criminals.

* ''[[Arkham Asylum: Living Hell]]'', in addition to regular ''Batman'' villains, introduces Jane Doe, who kills people to take their identity and life, and Doodlebug, who drains people of their blood for [[Mad Artist|his paintings]] {{spoiler|but also to free several demons trapped beneath Arkham Asylum.}}

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** The most disturbing thing about him is not only his intelligence and sadism, but that {{spoiler|everything goes according to his plan and he is victorious in the end.}}

* Mitch Leary from ''In the Line of Fire''. John goddamn Malkovich.

* In ''Hunting Humans'', the main character is a serial ~~killer -- being~~ stalked by another serial killer.

* In ''Hunting Humans'', the main character is a serial killer—being stalked by another serial killer.

* Richard from ''[[Dead Man's Shoes]]'', though [[Anti-Hero|his motive makes him more sympathetic than most]].

* Rare female example: Erica Bain from ''[[The Brave One]]''. Doubles as a [[Vigilante Man|Vigilante Woman]].

* Jigsaw of the ''[[Saw]]'' movies arguably fits here, though he is fairly ~~sporting -- he~~ gives his victims a (very slim) chance to escape, and apparently ''wants'' them to escape, on the hope that their life will be improved by the experience.

* Jigsaw of the ''[[Saw]]'' movies arguably fits here, though he is fairly sporting—he gives his victims a (very slim) chance to escape, and apparently ''wants'' them to escape, on the hope that their life will be improved by the experience.

** As for his apprentice {{spoiler|Amanda, well... Not so much}}.

* ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (film)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'', who murdered his customers and sent them down the chute, where his partner Mrs. Lovett baked them into pies. His initial motive is revenge for what happened to him and his wife at the hands of the corrupt Judge Turpin, and his first killing is a man who recognized him from his days as Benjamin Barker and tried to blackmail him, but after "Epiphany", he starts committing the murders that would make him infamous.

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* A few of the main characters in ''[[Predators]]''.

* The murderer in [[Untraceable]] abducted and killed people in gruesome ways while broadcasting over the internet that he would spare the victim only if it didn't meet the number of viewers that he attracted, as it turns out the people he was killing were people connected to his father's suicide.

* Monsieur Verdoux, the [[Villain Protagonist]] of the eponymous [[Charlie Chaplin]] film, is a [[The Bluebeard|Bluebeard]]-style killer, inspired by the actual serial killer [[wikipedia:Henri ~~D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9~~ Landru|Henri Landru]].

* Monsieur Verdoux, the [[Villain Protagonist]] of the eponymous [[Charlie Chaplin]] film, is a [[The Bluebeard|Bluebeard]]-style killer, inspired by the actual serial killer [[wikipedia:Henri Désiré Landru|Henri Landru]].

* ''[[Changeling (film)|Changeling]]'' features Gordon Northcott, who kidnapped and murdered more than 20 young boys on a small farm in California.

* ''[[Monster (film)|Monster]]'', the one with [[Charlize Theron]] (but not Charlize Theron's eyebrows) as Aileen Wuornos.

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* Serial killers are the main subject of ''[[I Am Not a Serial Killer]]''.

* In ''The Hellfire Club'' by Peter Straub, Dick Dart is most definitely this, despite how much he ''hates'' being called this by the media.

* In ''Stationery Voyagers'', [http://dozerfleetwiki2.wiki-site.com/index.php/Cybomec_%28Consto%29 Clandish Consto] toys around with the idea of making a career out of being a [[Serial Killer]]. Then, he decides to become a full-blown terrorist instead (with plans to become [[A God Am I|a god]]).

* In ''Stationery Voyagers'', [http://dozerfleetwiki2.wiki-site.com/index.php/Cybomec_%28Consto%29 Clandish Consto] toys around with the idea of making a career out of being a Serial Killer. Then, he decides to become a full-blown terrorist instead (with plans to become [[A God Am I|a god]]).

* Gretchen "the Beauty Killer" Lowell, first introduced in ''Heartsick'', has tortured and killed over 200 people, whether alone or by manipulating her lovers into killing for her.

* ''[[Kafka on the Shore]]'', by Haruki Murakami, has a strange example: a character known as Johnny Walker (very strongly implied if not proven to be {{spoiler|the dad of the main character, Kafka}}.) Why is it strange? {{spoiler|Instead of people, he kills cats, and eats their hearts}}.

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** Also notable as the rules presented allow you to make pretty much every character seen on this page:

*** Avenger/Legend: Paul Kersey from ''[[Death Wish]]'' starts killing criminal punks, but eventually becomes so fed up with "the filth on the streets" that he becomes ''[[Candyman]]'', haunting the urban projects.

*** Brute/Mask: Mickey from ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'' gets off on killing so much that he trades all that makes him ~~human -- language~~, literacy, the ability to be around ~~others -- to~~ become [[Friday the 13th (film)|Jason Voorhees]], unkillable but lurking in the woods for the pain human contact causes.

*** Brute/Mask: Mickey from ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'' gets off on killing so much that he trades all that makes him human—language, literacy, the ability to be around others—to become [[Friday the 13th (film)|Jason Voorhees]], unkillable but lurking in the woods for the pain human contact causes.

*** Charmer/Psycho: Reverend Powell from ''[[The Night of the Hunter]]'' gets by on the thin veneer of humanity for so long that it eventually turns inside out and he becomes the freak you can't help but stare at, not unlike [[The Joker]].

*** Freak/Mutant: The families from ''[[The Hills Have Eyes]]'' take to the caves and degrade until they become [[The Descent (film)|the Crawlers]].

*** Genius/Maniac: [[The Silence of the Lambs|Hannibal Lecter]] [[Hannibal Lecture|tells people how much they suck so many times]], he comes to believe he's the model example for mankind and goes on a [[Se7en|John Doe-esque]] killing spree with a message.

** Over in the [[Old World of Darkness]] are the Euthanatos of ''[[Mage: The Ascension]]'', an entire group of the mission-based style. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] to some extent as there really ''are'' a number of [[Complete Monster~~|Complete Monsters~~]] out there, and they're warned against judging too quickly.

** Over in the [[Old World of Darkness]] are the Euthanatos of ''[[Mage: The Ascension]]'', an entire group of the mission-based style. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] to some extent as there really ''are'' a number of [[Complete Monster]]s out there, and they're warned against judging too quickly.

*** Although they have to be careful and not turn into the hedonistic type, otherwise they might become one of their colleagues' next targets.

* Subverted in the [[Ravenloft]] adventure ''Hour of the Knife''. What seems like a hunt for Jack-the-Ripper [[Expy]] "Bloody Jack" is complicated by the revelation that {{spoiler|A) "Jack" is a doppelganger, and B) the killings aren't insane at all, but a murderous ritual to empower an artifact-caliber cursed knife}}.

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* A couple of ''[[Beavis and Butthead]]'' episodes dealt with serial killers, in "Most Wanted" the duo hunt for a serial killer with a tattoo on his forehead of the word "KILLER" whom we later find out is named Tom, so they can collect the prize money. They end up encountering him in their backyard and he attempts to kill them but due to their stupidity they think he is also looking for the killer. He becomes friends with them because Beavis is just as crazy as he is and as a reward he gives them tattoos of butts on their butts, we see him in a later episode calling a dating service to invite women over to his jail cell so he can kill them.

** Another episode "A Great Day" they encounter another serial killer whom resembles real life killer Jeffrey Dahmer after following a trail of blood to his house he gives them 20 bucks to forget what they saw, later on he can be seen loading a dead body into the trunk of his car and the duo present him with the body of a canary presumably belonging to the victim that had been stabbed to death he again tells them to forget what they saw and gives them another 20 bucks.

* In his first appearance on ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]'', [[Complete Monster|Katz]] ran a [[Hell Hotel]] where he fed his guests to spiders for no discernible reason other than to just do ~~it -- yet~~ another horrifying trope this show played straight.

* In his first appearance on ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]'', [[Complete Monster|Katz]] ran a [[Hell Hotel]] where he fed his guests to spiders for no discernible reason other than to just do it—yet another horrifying trope this show played straight.

** In his second appearence, he turned his victims into machines to have them battle to the death for his amusement. He also tried to blow up a submarine with all aboard and, despite having a motive this time, still relished in killing a huge number of people. His only appearence where what he's doing isn't a front for commiting murders is his candy shop. Then again, he seemed to [[Fridge Horror|be well versed in]] [[Human Resources|turning people into candy]]...

** Benton Tarantella and Eroll Von Volkheim. Amatuer film directors who managed to slay 12 people before their deaths. Then they came back from the dead to ''keep doing it!''

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* One of the most prolific in history, [[wikipedia:Andrei Chikatilo|Andrei Chikatilo]], who killed over fifty women and children. The reason he got away with it for so long was because the Soviet Union, where he lived and killed, was totally in denial and believed serial killers to be a consequence of the "decadent west". He may actually be the partial basis for Roark Jr, aka That Yellow Bastard, in ''[[Sin City]]'', particularly the part about "can't get it up without hearing his victims scream".

** Although it is debatable just how many victims were really his, and how many were simply unsolved murders that the Soviet authorities pinned on him once they had someone to blame for them. He certainly was a prolific killer, but just how prolific may never actually be known.

* [[wikipedia:Manson Family|Charles Manson]] himself may not have been a serial killer, but his followers absolutely were. A serial killer is defined as someone who kills more than three people with a "cooling off" period in between the killings. Music teacher Gary Hinman was murdered by the family on July 25, 1969. On August 9, 1969, they murdered five people, six if you count Sharon Tate's unborn baby; the next night, they killed grocers Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. On the 26th, they killed Donald "Shorty" Shea, a Hollywood stuntman. That's nine people (ten if you count Tate's child) in just a few weeks. In addition, other people are suspected of having been victims of the family, including Ronald Hughes, one member's defense attorney (believed to have been killed for balking at letting his client sacrifice herself to clear Manson). Although he was a chief conspirator in all of the killings, Manson did not personally draw a single drop of ~~blood -- except~~ for cutting Hinman's ear off, according to ~~testimony -- but~~ the various members of his "family" could certainly count as serial killers, especially Charles "Tex" Watson (Tate, LaBianca and Shea murders), Susan Atkins (Hinman and Tate), and Patricia Krenwinkel (Tate and LaBianca).

* [[wikipedia:Manson Family|Charles Manson]] himself may not have been a serial killer, but his followers absolutely were. A serial killer is defined as someone who kills more than three people with a "cooling off" period in between the killings. Music teacher Gary Hinman was murdered by the family on July 25, 1969. On August 9, 1969, they murdered five people, six if you count Sharon Tate's unborn baby; the next night, they killed grocers Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. On the 26th, they killed Donald "Shorty" Shea, a Hollywood stuntman. That's nine people (ten if you count Tate's child) in just a few weeks. In addition, other people are suspected of having been victims of the family, including Ronald Hughes, one member's defense attorney (believed to have been killed for balking at letting his client sacrifice herself to clear Manson). Although he was a chief conspirator in all of the killings, Manson did not personally draw a single drop of blood—except for cutting Hinman's ear off, according to testimony—but the various members of his "family" could certainly count as serial killers, especially Charles "Tex" Watson (Tate, LaBianca and Shea murders), Susan Atkins (Hinman and Tate), and Patricia Krenwinkel (Tate and LaBianca).

* [[wikipedia:David Berkowitz|David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz]].

* [[wikipedia:Zodiac Killer|The Zodiac]], who was never caught during his lifetime. Authorities seem to have narrowed their area of suspicion down to about a dozen different men, almost all of whom are now dead.

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* [[wikipedia:Elizabeth Báthory|Countess Elizabeth Báthory]] is one of history's most prolific serial killers, tortured and killed over 500 women, although she was only convicted for 80. Legend has it she did this so that she could [[Blood Bath|bathe in the blood of young virgins and maintain her vitality]], but it is believed Báthory did it for the [[For the Evulz|fun of it]], which is far more chilling.

** However, modern Hungarian historians have attempted to give her a [[Historical Hero Upgrade]] claiming that maybe she wasn't a serial killer at all, but a victim of a show trial by the Habsburgs to get her land and fortune. However the reports of the murders, which her husband joined in with, are far closer to contemporary though and it seems fairly likely that she killed at least some. The notaries in the case took testimony from more than 300 witnesses, several of whom lost relatives. Two of the accused named around 36 victims (although they may well have been tortured so the reliability of that is up for debate).

* [[wikipedia:Pedro Alonso ~~L%C3%B3pez~~|Pedro López]] raped and killed at least a hundred, but maybe ''three hundred'', young girls across South America. The higher figure would make him one of the most prolific known serial killer in history. What could be scarier than that? He's been a free man since 1998 and is wanted for murder again.

* [[wikipedia:Pedro Alonso López|Pedro López]] raped and killed at least a hundred, but maybe ''three hundred'', young girls across South America. The higher figure would make him one of the most prolific known serial killer in history. What could be scarier than that? He's been a free man since 1998 and is wanted for murder again.

* [[wikipedia:Gilles de Rais|Gilles de Rais]] was a French nobleman, war hero, compatriot of Joan Of Arc and murdered at least 80 children between 1432 and 1440, the majority of whom were also raped or sexually abused. Much like Bathory, a few people have tried claiming that he was framed by the church to acquire his lans but that's extremely unlikely since firstly, the church didn't have a hope of acquiring his lands (which ended up going to the Duke of Brittany); secondly, his confederates gave very detailed testimony and thirdly, around forty bodies were discovered. Margaret Murray has also tried claiming that he was a Dianic pagan who was subject to religious persecution but the evidence for this is virtually nil.

* Australia had [[wikipedia:Eric Cooke|Eric Cooke]], an unusual serial killer who changed his M.O. Two innocent men were also charged with crimes Cooke committed, but have since been exonerated.

* "BTK" (Bind, Torture, Kill): [[wikipedia:Dennis Rader|Dennis Rader]], who murdered 10 people in the Sedgwick county area of Wichita, Kansas from 1977-1989 while sending taunting letters and poems to the police, and was caught approximately a decade and a half after his last victim, because after such a long time he got bored and [[What an Idiot!|started sending letters to the police again, announcing that he was plotting his next murder.]] Lots of televison shows have since had a take on him, though most commonly the reason for their killer's lengthy absence is that he was seriously injured in some way and had to temporarily stop.<ref> The reason ''Dennis Rader'' stopped was simply that he got a job with the local Compliance Department, meaning he could stalk, bully and harass people with a veneer of legality, which he did with gleeful abandon, especially women, on at least one occassion taking one womans dog and having it put down and lying about it being a dangerous animal. In other words it was only because now he could live out his sadistic fantasies at greatly reduced risk, which makes him a much bigger bastard than any of his adaptations. And unlike them, when caught, he not only confessed to the killings, he ''bragged'' about them.</ref>

* "BTK" (Bind, Torture, Kill): [[wikipedia:Dennis Rader|Dennis Rader]], who murdered 10 people in the Sedgwick county area of Wichita, Kansas from 1977-1989 while sending taunting letters and poems to the police, and was caught approximately a decade and a half after his last victim, because after such a long time he got bored and [[What an Idiot!|started sending letters to the police again, announcing that he was plotting his next murder.]] Lots of televison shows have since had a take on him, though most commonly the reason for their killer's lengthy absence is that he was seriously injured in some way and had to temporarily stop.<ref>The reason ''Dennis Rader'' stopped was simply that he got a job with the local Compliance Department, meaning he could stalk, bully and harass people with a veneer of legality, which he did with gleeful abandon, especially women, on at least one occassion taking one womans dog and having it put down and lying about it being a dangerous animal. In other words it was only because now he could live out his sadistic fantasies at greatly reduced risk, which makes him a much bigger bastard than any of his adaptations. And unlike them, when caught, he not only confessed to the killings, he ''bragged'' about them.</ref>

* [[wikipedia:Henry Lee Lucas|Henry Lee Lucas]] is an interesting case. While he confessed to the murder of nearly 600 people (including people who turned out to ''still be alive''), he often would recant his confessions, only to confess to ''other'' murders. He often became the "go-to" guy by police departments who wanted to clear their unsolved murder files. Since he was already sentenced to death, he relished in the attention that the confessions brought him. When he died in prison in 2001, forensics were only able to confirm 3 of his confessions, which technically did make him a serial killer. His supposed exploits inspired the brilliant ''[[Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer]]''.

* [[wikipedia:Gary Ridgway|Gary Ridgway]], better known as the Green River Killer, is one of the most prolific serial killers of the 20th century. He was convicted for the murder of 48 women over the course of three decades. However it is believed that he killed up to 90 women.

* [[wikipedia:Richard Ramirez|Richard Ramirez]] is notorious for his completely random modus operandi as well as choice of victim. He literally managed to terrorize the whole LA area in the 80's.

* [[wikipedia:Cleveland Torso Murderer|The Cleveland Torso Murderer]] is an especially gruesome example of an unsolved serial killing case. As the name suggests, the victims of this killer were dismembered and some of them were disembowled. Only a handful of the victims could be identified, making it an even more disturbing case. He/She also might be the culprit behind the infamous [[Black Dahlia]] murder.

* [[wikipedia:Peter ~~K%C3%BCrten~~|Peter Kürten]], also known as the Vampire of Düsseldorf. Known for being one of the first investigations to use a criminal profile.

* [[wikipedia:Peter Kürten|Peter Kürten]], also known as the Vampire of Düsseldorf. Known for being one of the first investigations to use a criminal profile.

* The Servant Girl Annihilator, in turn of the century killer from Austin, Texas. Noted for stalking black and white women with an axe, his crimes predate Jack the Ripper by only a few years, leading the newspapers of the time to claim the two were the same man. Two men were tried for the crime, but no one was ever convicted. The killings were supposedly the indirect inspiration for the famous moon towers that dot the Austin cityscape.

* [[wikipedia:Edmund Kemper|Edmund Kemper]], who started with his grandparents (at 15) and worked his way from there. When asked by the judge what he thought a suitable punishment for his crimes would be, Kemper answered, "Death by torture."