History Main / NightmareFuelStationattendant

* The TitleCharacter and protagonist of ''VideoGame/FranBow''. To be expected, since this is a video game both about and told from the perspective of a CreepyChild. Her response to the game's less dangerous horrors is predominantly curiosity and childlike wonder. This can be jarring, when she responds this way to carrion worms, headless anthropomorphic deer, and dead babies in a well (one of whom, she remarks, was very smart to bring its placenta; the placenta is a jetpack of blood and nutrients).

* ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'': Anyone from Halloweentown. Although who can really blame them for decorating XMAS with spiders, bats, coffins, jack o lanterns, and {{Shrunken Head}}s? To them, [[ItMakesSenseInContext it's all very merry]].

* WebAnimation/{{Hololive}}'s [[ForgetfulJones Nanashi Mumei]] of Hololive EN Generation 2 is this by accident. She could draw several cute pictures before going into a picture that other audience members describe as "a SleepParalysisDemon come to life." [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdi3mURJjkU Her first and most iconic "cursed" picture]] (that has since become one of her membership emotes) started out as a portrait of [[MemeticPsychopath Suisei Hoshimachi]] before turning into a [[NightmareFace nightmarish creature]] with [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily rows of fangs]] and [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]].

* ''Granblue Fantasy'' has a somewhat subdued example in Joel. He is normally as nice and sweet of a guy as can be imagined, constantly looking out for his friends... but he also comments that the Crimson Horizon "looks like blood right before it's dried", and that one can "stare giant marine skeletons in the eye sockets" in a museum.

* From ''[[VideoGame/WarioWare Game & Wario]]'', we have 5-Volt, the mother of 9-Volt who checks to make sure her son isn't up all night playing video games in "Gamer". GlowingEyesOfDoom? Check. Accompanied by [[HellIsThatNoise a creepy ambient tone]]? Check. Can creep into your room through your TV like the dead girl from ''Film/TheRing''? Check. ''Can and will [[ThereWasADoor break your window and climb into your room]]?'' Check, check, check!

A character, often a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, whose innocent attempt to make something (typically a drawing) come across as NightmareFuel to the other characters. Unlike with normal Nightmare Fuel, other characters in the show will notice how horrifying the drawing/poem/song/story is, but the innocent NFSA sees nothing wrong with their tale of baby-eating zombies or the drawing of a "miniature poodle" that looks more like the ungodly offspring of a {{hellhound}} and a Film/{{CHUD}}

* ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' gives us quite a few examples, considering it's entire tone is of a subvertion of Lovecraftian horror, but the stand-out character is easily a central villain in the first game, Albert Simon. Simon is an AffablyEvil [[EvilSorcerer Sorcerer]] set on kick-starting Judgment Day. Because he sees his end goal as basicly being able to undo all the damage he does along the way and then some, he remains polite, friendly and jovial the whole time. He steps over bodies, donates tomes-of-eldrich lore to mad-men, and practices necromantic rites with a pleasant pasted on smile and kind tone as is usually reserved for the average tea-party.

* In the same vein, Creator/WaltDisney became synonomous with "syrupy-sweet family fare," {{Bowdleri|se}}zed {{Fairy Tale}}s, and {{Disneyfication}} as an insult towards treating serious subject matter in a lighthearted, overly-simplistic way, but the Franchsie/DisneyAnimatedCanon has a NightmareFuel [[NightmareFuel/{{Disney}} section as long as a football field]], showing that Walt wasn't afraid of scaring audiences every once in a while.

* Parodied in ''LightNovel/BludgeoningAngelDokurochan'' with Dokuro's casual drawing of a beautiful and calm lake, which in her view is filled with dead bodies and blood, greatly disturbing her drawing mate Sakura.

* Kaoru Yamazaki of ''Anime/WelcomeToTheNHK''. As he has no experience of women beyond anime, he fails to see the problem with drawing a {{Moe}} character who is a sickly, injured, [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot ghost robot schoolgirl maid]] -- indeed, he thinks the character would be an appropriate, attractive heroine for an HGame. The most disturbing this is that he is the most well-balanced character in the series and apparently gets happily married at the end. And indeed, while his issues may be disturbing, he doesn't let them become an obstacle to his life, unlike every other character.

* Creator/LFrankBaum wrote the ''[[Literature/LandOfOz Oz]]'' books as a less scary alternative to what he perceived as the too-creepy fairy tales of the day. Well, then, if that was your purpose, then you failed miserably, Mr. Baum. because the series is known for its SurpriseCreepy, with a fair amount of FamilyUnfriendlyViolence and NightmareFuel for a little kid's series. Many readers have also noticed some oddities about how Oz is presented (often due to ValuesDissonance), such as how [[BanOnMagic no one but the two regents are allowed to use magic]] or how the former Wizard of Oz is [[DesignatedHero treated as a "good man" despite all his previous misdeeds]]. It's essentially a dictatorship, [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans but it's a ''benevolent'' one, so few citizens are unsatisfied]]. ''Still, these UnfortunateImplications are enough to make writers brainstorm''. So the '[[Literature/LandOfOz Oz]] books is reinterpreted as more [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical political than intended]]. As a result, Oz and its characters routinely get referenced in dark, political manners and many adaptations politicize the setting. Glinda the Good Witch and the Wizard of Oz are especially prone to getting reinterpreted as more [[AdaptationalVillainy amoral than intended]]. The Emerald City will also be turned into a StepfordSuburbia that looks pretty and shiny but hides darker secrets underneath. To resume, ''Creator/LFrankBaum unintendedly created a whole literary genre, that is a Sub-trope to FracturedFairytale called DystopianOz''.

* The art works of Creator/HieronymusBosch, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zdzislaw_Beksinski Zdzisław Beksiński]], and Creator/FranciscoDeGoya (his ''Art/BlackPaintings'', in particular), as well as Japanese voice actress [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Kobayashi Yuu Kobayashi]] (for example, [[https://twitter.com/holy_kobayashi/status/339053820808138752 this drawing]] is meant to be of three pigeons, but it's utterly incomprehensible), make them champions of NightmareFuel imagery.

* The art works of Creator/HieronymusBosch, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zdzislaw_Beksinski Zdzisław Beksiński]], and Creator/FranciscoDeGoya (his ''Art/BlackPaintings'', in particular), as well as Japanese voice actress [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y%C5%AB_Kobayashi Yuu Kobayashi]] (for example, [[https://twitter.com/holy_kobayashi/status/339053820808138752 this drawing]] is meant to be of three pigeons, but it's utterly incomprehensible), make them champions of NightmareFuel imagery.

* The art works of Creator/HieronymusBosch, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zdzislaw_Beksinski Zdzisław Beksiński]] and Creator/FranciscoDeGoya (his ''Art/BlackPaintings'', in particular) make them champions of NightmareFuel imagery.

* The Medic from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', as the MadScientist and DeadlyDoctor, is perhaps '''the''' most [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lSzUMBJnc&t=1m03s terrifying]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ju-mqUvE60&t=2m07s motherfucker]] on the entire team, [[ProfessionalKiller and that's]] [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores saying]] [[SociopathicHero a LOT]]. Even the Heavy, the [[BoisterousBruiser towering Soviet brawler]] who smashes his way through the enemy ranks with a roaring laugh, is commonly put off by the Medic's sinister tendencies. The Medic's take on all this? As far as he's concerned, he's just practicing medicine.
** Also, his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ju-mqUvE60&t=3m03s screams]] are definitely the most horrifying in the entire game.
** And then [[spoiler: [[BewareTheSillyOnes Meet the Pyro]]]] came along. Are you afraid of the Medic? [[spoiler: Well, the Medic is afraid of him. Hell, ''everyone'' is. Even the Heavy admits, "That ''thing''...it scares me."]]

Frequently combined with RoomFullOfCrazy, CreepyChild, or DissonantSerenity tropes when the writers need to give their characters that extra little bit of creepy.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The art works of Creator/HieronymusBosch, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zdzislaw_Beksinski Zdzisław Beksiński]] and Creator/FranciscoDeGoya make them champions of NightmareFuel imagery.

* Lack of knowledge of proportion, perspective, shading, etc. produces monstrous looking drawings of real objects, or images which tumble head-first down the UncannyValley.

Compare NightmareFetishist, NightmareFuelColoringBook. The very existence of (unintentional examples of) the UncannyValley proves this trope is TruthInTelevision. JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith CreepyGasStationAttendant (not that those can't be this).

* {{Satan}} himself (or rather, his nephew, who is supposed to be a ''non''-fallen angel) gets this role in a segment of the animated film ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfMarkTwain'', based on his story "The Mysterious Stranger" ([[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cqi5F5MqqTQ YouTube link]]). As if the [[UncannyValley unnerving animation]] wasn't enough, he builds an adorable little claymation village for the children to play with - and then kills all the residents brutally while [[HumansAreBastards talking about how silly and petty humanity is]]. Popular rumor to the contrary, this scene ''is'' on the DVD release of the movie, in all its glory, although it has been known to be cut out of TV airings.\\\

* Nina, from ''Film/BlackSwan''. Her dancing as the Black Swan, rather than being sensual, is [[UncannyValley instead]] [[RedEyesTakeWarning terrifying]].

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', Mr Teatime himself qualifies as this; even the ''Assassins'' are horrified by him because even they have standards, and he is just too [[UncannyValley uncanny]] and unspeakable to be condoned. Lord Downey, head Assassin, privately decides that he will meet with a little "accident". Add this impression to his childlike behavior and outlook on life, and he genuinely horrifies people.

* The late edarem, a Website/YouTube user, seen in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wdmSL2-Ock this video]] (probably his most popular video) lip syncing Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman, was an old man in his 70's who went to jail in the 80's for a sex offender conviction, but was released and seemed to have turned his life around. His videos include his daily life, tips with household chores (including cutting a bagel, brushing a dog, etc), tips with daily life, general oddities, and song lip syncing, among others. He didn't seem like a mean old man, but rather, a very gentle, entertaining and helpful person. However, this didn't not stop him from coming off ''[[UncannyValley EXTREMELY CREEPY]]''. Tragically, he died back in prison again, after it turned out that simply putting up these videos on Website/YouTube was considered a violation of his parole.

* Creator/JunjiIto has made his career out of this, with his brand of horror being the stuff that even nightmares would be afraid of, as well as making Creator/HPLovecraft look like Creator/WaltDisney. It's even telling when his LighterAndSofter works have a few unnerving moments that might make someone feel uneasy. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And]] let's not forget [[NiceGuy his laid-back personality in real-life]] that's [[UncannyValley quite unnerving]] to the point of almost looking like DissonantSerenity.

%%* The eponymous Fran Madaraki from ''Manga/FrankenFran'' is ''the'' definition of a Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant. She manages to terrify ''everyone''. Customers, clients, bystanders, collegues, even her own twisted creations; there is not a single individual who will not be retching or screaming around her at some point. And she's ''still'' [[CuteMonsterGirl endlessly adorable]].

* In ''Fanfic/TheRoboutianHeresy'', Corax and his Raven Guard. Not only they create various monstrocities, they also knew that [[HumansAreCthulhu humans are inseparable from the Chaos]] and work to further the agenda of Ruinous Powers, worshipping them as parts of the Chaos Undivided.

* Maple in ''LightNovel/BofuriIDontWantToGetHurtSoIllMaxOutMyDefense'' has an increasingly [[LovecraftianSuperpower Lovecraftian-themed spell list]] as she gains experience in the game. Naturally, she's oblivious to the fact that the creative ways she uses them to combat enemies [[TheDreaded that she can't kill outright]] are terrifying to others.

* Fado from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''. (Uh, [[http://zeldawiki.org/images/8/8f/Fadooot.png this kid]]. Her name's AllThereInTheManual. Apparently, no connection to the [[NamesTheSame two later Fados]].) When you meet her in the Lost Woods after the TimeSkip, she's taken a turn for the creepy. "That guy isn't here anymore. Anybody who comes into the forest will be lost. Everybody will become a Stalfos. Everybody, Stalfos. So, he's not here anymore. Only his saw is left. Hee hee." ... "Heh heh heh. Are you going to be...too? Heh heh!"

Frequently combined with RoomFullOfCrazy, CreepyChild or DissonantSerenity tropes when the writers need to give their characters that extra little bit of creepy.

* Seiichirou Kitano, the protagonist of ''Manga/AngelDensetsu'', is a nice take on this trope: to the readers he's [[HilarityEnsues funny]], but to the other characters in the manga, he's a Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant just by ''being around''. (Yes, he's [[FaceOfAThug that scary]])

* [[ImplacableMan Kiriyama]] of ''Manga/BattleRoyale'' may not be a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} but, since he [[spoiler: lost all his emotions]], he sees nothing wrong with killing his classmates. The way he manages [[LackOfEmpathy to be merciless]] is constantly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by a good deal of his classmates.

-->'''Strong Sad:''' And the robot's human brain remembered his children and his stolen life, and he was moved to tears. But the tears shorted out his circuits, and fried his brain, and the robot toppled over, and he crushed his children, and the Goblin, too. [[ShootTheShaggyDog And none of them]] [[KillEmAll lived]].

* The primary subject in ''VideoGame/DiscoverMyBody''. He's consistently very upbeat about the deformations his body has accumulated, perfectly happy to detail every bit of the experience from his end -- as much as he can manage, anyway.

*** In the first "summer break" episode, where Osaka randomly imagined [[TenLittleMurderVictims everyone getting killed off, like in a murder mystery]]. "And then it turns out... ''I'm'' the killer!" The message is delivered ''after that''. When Osaka says she's the killer, no one takes her seriously, then she ''slowly'' turns her head towards the camera and gives a PsychoticSmirk. Brrr...

A character, often a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, whose innocent attempt to make something (typically a drawing) come across as NightmareFuel to the other characters. Unlike with normal Nightmare Fuel, other characters in the show will notice how horrifying the drawing/poem/song/story is, but the innocent NFSA sees nothing wrong with their tale of baby-eating zombies or the drawing of a "miniature poodle" that looks more like the ungodly offspring of a hellhound and a Film/{{CHUD}}

* Sakura, an extremely IllGirl from ''Anime/{{Betterman}}'' who has very sensitive extrasensory perception and precognition. A tragic figure overall, having ultimately low prospects for survival, the fact that her whispery voice narrates every OnTheNext preview, in which she always foretells a grisly future (like how worms will eat your flesh. ''While you're still alive''), takes her into this territory.

%%* Him from ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls''.

* ''Manga/SPYxFAMILY'': [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead Reading Yor's mind often scares the life out of Anya]], as her thoughts frequently default to dead bodies and harming and killing people, which she takes entirely for granted, only clamping down on it when she drifts into MurderIsTheBestSolution. Her NightmareFace also terrifies Anya no end.

** In Todd's SpinOff comic ''{{Comicbook/Squee}}'', Todd's WeirdnessMagnet is turned UpToEleven and he manages to inexplicably evoke the friendship of TheAntichrist. Yep. The literal ''son of Satan''. Again, his new friend (Pepito) seems to have no idea how utterly terrified little Todd is of him.