History NightmareFuel / EtrianOdyssey

* A meta example exists in fanart - as said above the games in general do ''not'' shy away from detailing the gory fates of failed adventurers, and there are a number of fanartists who do ''not'' back down from that. If you go trawling for fanart, don't be surprised to find art depicting {{Total Party Kill}}s and the adorable characters mauled in various ways. And it's not even {{Gorn}} or anything, because ''it's just matching the descriptions you can read quoted below''.

* Look closely at the Eerie Chokers in the third stratum. They don't have claws like the Ropers [[UndergroundMonkey that they resemble]], they have ''[[UncannyValley human hands]]''.

** [[{{Superboss}} The Star Devourer]] cements itself as '''THE''' most terrifying entity in the whole series. Despite its relatively short introduction, you immediately find out what this thing is capable of: If you haven't guessed by the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name]], this monstrosity has been known to [[PlanetEater take out countless planets in the past]]. And that's including Arken's homeworld! And because this thing is the game's superboss, not only is it obscenely strong capable of [[TotalPartyKill wiping out your entire party]] (As early as [[UpToEleven Turn 1]], keep in mind) its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxS7vGoB8-U boss theme]] is one of the most terrifying pieces in the series.

* In the Azure Woodlands, there are a number of [=FOEs=] waiting in the water on some floors. While in the original they are invisible, Untold shows them as being there. And unlike others, they won't attack. [[NothingIsScarier They simply wait. Staring at you. Waiting for you to get into a battle nearby them...]]

*** To make matters worse, some floors feature the strongest [=FOEs=] in the game, the Macabre/Depth Dancer, which spawns infinitely and has a chance to summon instant death enemies. And they love to ambush you from behind when you least expect it.
* Primevil from the first game, as mentioned before, has a very [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraftian appearance]].
** It's bad enough to be Yggdrasil's Core, but one of its attacks is called Necrosis. If you know about the actual medical condition, or looked it up, it becomes ''much'' worse.

** Oh, and by the way, those giant dragons that fly around randomly killing you? ''They're holding back something worse''.

** [[BonusBoss The Warped Savior]]. Created by the Yggdrasil Project in case they lost control of Yggdrasil, it was ''supposed'' to be their final failsafe. Instead, the gigantic EldritchAbomination was the one they lost control of - a lone scientist managed to seal it in the Hall of Darkness. The Hall's entire third basement is a quest to gather the necessary ingredients to complete a compound capable of weakening the thing! [[SchmuckBait You can go straight in and confront it, of course - the Insatiable Pupa battle won't change, and the door's open]]... But juuust let it crack open its shell, and you'll understand why it's vital to wander the horrors of the Hall to complete the chemical...
** [[SarcasmMode Even better]], there's a small event in the Hall of Darkness which lets you reunite a family of dolls! But immediately afterwards, a hammer which is explicitly said to be used in torture falls behind you from nowhere. Should you turn back around to check on the dolls, [[NothingisScarier they're mysteriously ripped apart with no explanation.]] The fact the creepy music [[NothingIsScarier just flat out stops]] whenever you find something at dead ends just to reinforce the terror. Perhaps the second text box of the intro to this place is true after all...

* This game's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysgQbr1OUnY awesome arrangement]] of "The End of Raging Waves" starts with a very intimidating choir chant. It's used as the music for those massive 3x3 [=FOEs=] that you see starting in the second stratum in place of the usual FOE theme, basically meaning that unless you're at endgame levels, you really need to run away ''right now.''

* Speaking of the 6th Stratum, once you and Arken reach the final floor, things get intense. She quickly finds out that her '''ENTIRE FLEET AND HOMEWORLD''' [[KillEmAll was eradicated by a god-like being]] known as the [[BonusBoss Star Devourer]].

** [[BonusBoss The Star Devourer]] cements itself as '''THE''' most terrifying entity in the whole series. Despite its relatively short introduction, you immediately find out what this thing is capable of: If you haven't guessed by the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name]], this monstrosity has been known to [[PlanetEater take out countless planets in the past]]. And that's including Arken's homeworld! And because this thing is the game's superboss, not only is it obscenely strong capable of [[TotalPartyKill wiping out your entire party]] (As early as [[UpToEleven Turn 1]], keep in mind) its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxS7vGoB8-U boss theme]] is one of the most terrifying pieces in the series.

* The Cerulean Woodlands require you to run nearby a bear FOE to trigger it, then have it chase you around the Stratum so that it destroys blockage in your game. If you're easily unsettled by the thought of being chased by a powerful enemy, you'll be less than elated to know that the mechanic returns when you visit the Dense Brushlands as well as a later part of the Cerulean Woodlands later in the game.

* The remake of the game begins to play with visual expectations of the player. An FOE can be anywhere and ''everywhere''. That treasure chest? It's a Mimic in disguise, waiting to devour you whole if you drop your guard. That empty patch of flowers? A Petaloid is hiding in it. Stepped a little too close to a seemingly empty corner? You've not only alerted an invisible FOE, but also about ''three others that were also hiding in the same room''.

** [[SarcasmMode Even Better]], there's a small event in the Hall of Darkness which lets you reunite a family of dolls! But immediately afterwards, a hammer which is explicitly said to be used in torture falls behind you from nowhere. Should you turn back around to check on the dolls, [[NothingisScarier they're mysteriously ripped apart with no explanation.]] The fact the creepy music [[NothingIsScarier just flat out stops]] whenever you find something at dead ends just to reinforce the terror. Perhaps the second text box of the intro to this place is true after all...

** What makes the Star Devourer worse is that it's not some diabolical megalomaniac entity; [[CosmicHorrorStory It's a natural being that existed since the universe's inception]]. Oh, and its [[PlanetEater world-eating tendencies?]] That's just how it naturally sustains itself. [[FridgeHorror Imagine what would've happened if your Guild hadn't stepped in and destroyed the entity...]]

** And that's not even taking into account the [[HellIsThatNoise BING]] of an FOE noticing you and deciding to hunt you down. What makes it worse is that, in some of the games, the [=FOE's=] marker on the mini-map turns crimson when it starts the chase. In other cases, that "BING!" is your only warning of an [=FOE's=] presence.

** And that's not even taking into account the [[HellIsThatNoise BING]] of an FOE noticing you and deciding to hunt you down. What makes it worse is that in some of the games the [=FOE's=] marker on the mini-map turns crimson when it starts the chase. In other cases, that "BING!" is your only warning of an [=FOE's=] presence.

* In the roguelike spinoff Etrian Mystery Dungeon, the F.O.E.s are not only powerful enemies visible on the map, ''they can travel between floors'' just like your party. Running away to the stairs? No escape, boyo, they'll follow you right up! There are other attributes they possess that make them even more terrifying:

* In the roguelike spinoff Etrian Mystery Dungeon, the f.O.E.s are not only powerful enemies visible on the map, ''they can travel between floors'' just like your party. Running away to the stairs? No escape, boyo, they'll follow you right up! There are other attributes they possess that make them even more terrifying:

* In the roguelike spinoff Etrian Mystery Dungeon, the D.O.E.s are not only powerful enemies visible on the map, ''they can travel between floors'' just like your party. Running away to the stairs? No escape, boyo, they'll follow you right up! There are other attributes they possess that make them even more terrifying:

** What makes the Star Devourer worse is that it's not some diabolical megalomaniac entity; [[CosmicHorrorStory It's a natural being that existed since the universe's inception. Oh, and its [[PlanetEater world-eating tendencies?]] That's just how it naturally sustains itself. [[FridgeHorror Imagine what would've happened if your Guild hadn't stepped in and destroyed the entity...]]

** [[BonusBoss The Warped Savior. Created by the Yggdrasil Project in case they lost control of Yggdrasil, it was ''supposed'' to be their final failsafe. Instead, the gigantic EldritchAbomination was the one they lost control of - a lone scientist managed to seal it in the Hall of Darkness. The Hall's entire third basement is a quest to gather the necessary ingredients to complete a compound capable of weakening the thing! [[SchmuckBait You can go straight in and confront it, of course - the Insatiable Pupa battle won't change, and the door's open]]... But juuust let it crack open its shell, and you'll understand why it's vital to wander the horrors of the Hall to complete the chemical...]]
** [[SarcasmMode Even Better]], there's a small event in the Hall of Darkness which lets you reunite a family of dolls! But immediately afterwards, a hammer which is explicitly said to be used in torture falls behind you from nowhere. Should you turn back around to check on the dolls, [[NothingisScarier they're mysteriously ripped apart with no explanation...]] Perhaps the second text box of the intro to this place is true after all...
-->"Worse yet, you cannot shake off the feeling of being watched."

* The fact the creepy music [[NothingIsScarier just flat out stops]] whenever you find something at dead ends just to reinforce the terror.

* Speaking of the 6th Stratum, once you and Arken reach the final floor, things get intense. She quickly finds out that her '''ENTIRE FLEET AND HOMEWORLD''' [[KillEmAll was eradicated by a god-like being known as the [[BonusBoss Star Devourer]]]].

** [[BonusBoss The Star Devourer]] cements itself as '''THE''' most terrifying entity in the whole series. Despite its relatively short introduction, you immediately find out what this thing is capable of: If you haven't guessed by the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name, this monstrosity has been known to [[PlanetEater take out countless planets in the past]]. And that's including Arken's homeworld! And because this thing is the game's superboss, not only is it obscenely strong capable of [[TotalPartyKill wiping out your entire party]] (As early as [[UpToEleven Turn 1]], keep in mind) its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxS7vGoB8-U boss theme]] is one of the most terrifying pieces in the series.]]
** What makes the Star Devourer worse is that it's not some diabolical megalomaniac entity; [[CosmicHorrorStory It's a natural being that existed since the universe's inception. Oh, and its [[PlanetEater world-eating tendencies?]] That's just how it naturally sustains itself. [[FridgeHorror Imagine what would've happened if your Guild hadn't stepped in and destroyed the entity...]]]]

* Partway through the game, you notice that Princess Persephone has started to fall ill, forcing Muller to take her post in the Expedition headquarters. Eventually she straight up disappears. When you reach the 11th Labyrinth, you and Enrica discover why: Blot has kidnapped her and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed her]] with his Hexer skills (and if you've never played the first two games, since Hexers aren't playable in this game: [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration Yes, mind control is part of their skillset]]), and if you look closely at her portrait, [[MindControlEyes her eyes are blank to reflect this]]. It's then and there that you see that [[ProperlyParanoid everyone was right to suspect Blot feeding info both to Maginians and Seafarers]].

* Partway through the game, you notice that Princess Persephone has started to fall ill, forcing Muller to take her post in the Expedition headquarters. Eventually she straight up disappears. When you reach the 11th Labyrinth, you and Enrica discover why: Blot has kidnapped her and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed her]] with his Hexer skills (and if you've never played the first two games, since Hexers aren't playable in this game: [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration Yes, mind control is part of their skillset]]), and if you look closely at her portrait, [[MindControlEyes her eyes are blank to reflect this]]. It's then and there that you see that [[ProperlyParanoid everyone was right to suspect Blot]], given that he's been feeding information both to Maginia and the Seafarers throughout the game.

* Partway through the game, you notice that Princess Persephone has started to fall ill, forcing Muller to take her post in the Expedition headquarters. Eventually she straight up disappears. When you reach the 11th Labyrinth, you and Enrica discover why: Blot has kidnapped her and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed her]] with his Hexer skills (and if you've never played the first two games, since Hexers aren't playable in this game: [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration Yes, mind control is part of their skillset]]), and if you look closely at her portrait, [[MindControlEyes her eyes are blank to reflect this]]. It's then and there that everyone was right to suspect Blot, given that he's been feeding information both to Maginia and the Seafarers.

* Partway through the game, you notice that Princess Persephone has started to fall ill, forcing Muller to take her post in the Expedition headquarters. Eventually she straight up disappears. When you reach the 11th Labyrinth, you and Enrica discover why: Blot has kidnapped her and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed her]] with his Hexer skills (and if you've never played the first two games, since Hexers aren't playable in this game: [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration Yes, mind control is part of their skillset]]), and if you look closely at her portrait, [[MindControlEyes her eyes are blank to reflect this]].

* Partway through the game, you notice that Princess Persephone has started to fall ill, forcing Muller to take her post in the Expedition headquarters. Eventually she straight up disappears. When you reach the 11th Labyrinth, you and Enrica discover why: Blot has kidnapped her and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed her]] with his Hexer skills, and if you look closely at her portrait, [[MindControlEyes her eyes are blank to reflect this]].

* The fifth stratum is [[spoiler:''the ruins of Tokyo'', which [[WhamEpisode hits you like a ton of bricks]]. Seeing a modern-day city reduced to abandoned ruins is quite tragic.]]

* [[spoiler: Primevil]] from the first game, as mentioned before, has a very [[EldritchAbomination Lovecraftian appearance]].
** It's bad enough to be [[spoiler:Yggdrasil's Core]], but one of its attacks is called Necrosis. If you know about the actual medical condition, or looked it up, it becomes ''much'' worse.

* The remake of the game begins to play with visual expectations of the player. An FOE can be anywhere and ''everywhere''. That [[spoiler:treasure chest]]? It's a [[spoiler:Mimic in disguise]], waiting to devour you whole if you drop your guard. That empty patch of flowers? A Petaloid is hiding in it. Stepped a little too close to a seemingly empty corner? You've not only alerted an invisible FOE, but also about ''three others that were also hiding in the same room''.
** The worst offender comes in Ginnungagap B3. Usually, an FOE makes itself known in some way or form, whether having visual cues or the party pointing it out on the map when encountering it for the first time. But here, you get nothing. Just the sound of the "[[ScareChord FOE has noticed you]]" [[NothingIsScarier noise and an empty corridor.]] And then, [[spoiler:as you take your eyes off of that wall just ahead]], you realize it's not empty far too late...

* In the Undersea Grotto of ''The Drowned City'', [[spoiler:there's a cutscene where you're tricked into being cornered by three [=FOEs=]]], with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4rpvS6LBSA the third game's version of Black and Red playing in the background]].
** Worse yet, there's an event with the [[spoiler:Murotsumi Guild]] in the very same Stratum, [[spoiler:with Agata trying to head to that location while Hypatia tries to warn him against it due to a premonition. Whether you tell him where to go or encourage him not to head there, one of them will be violently killed by those [=FOEs=].]]
* The [[BonusDungeon 6th Stratum]] of this game might just be the most [[NauseaFuel nauseous]] of the series : [[spoiler:It's a ''Tentacle Forest'' with [[EyesDoNotBelongThere eyes EVERYWHERE]]!]] If future games ever want to play the "Nausea Card" further, they're gonna have to do something either so gross it risks raising up the rating up to M or incredibly [[EldritchLocation eldritch]] to top this freaky place.

* Basically everything about the sixth maze, the aptly named Hall of Darkness. It's dark, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epoINGeaKUs the music is just creepy ambiance]], blood is ''everywhere'' to the point where the footsteps sound like they're stepping in it, [[spoiler:and it contains a scattered ApocalypticLog and messages warning not to free [[BonusBoss a certain something...]] ]] This area wouldn't look out-of-place in a SurvivalHorror game, especially since [[spoiler:this is both an AbandonedLaboratory ''and'' a SpookySilentLibrary rolled into one]].
-->"The dark, shadowy halls instill dread in you. This place has nothing of [[spoiler:the Echoing Library's sanctity]]."
** We don't even know what caused this and other similar buildings to crop up. One theory by some fans is [[spoiler:the area went through a nuclear disaster, and they both served as shelters and laboratories in attempts to solve the problem]], but the canonical event that occurred before is never entirely explained in-game. With TheReveal in ''The Millennium Girl'', it's possible [[spoiler:the Empire was one of the victims of the Yggdrasil Core, and the laboratories a shelter for the victims]]. The aforementioned fan theory may also be plausible [[spoiler:with the "nuclear disaster" being the aftermath of the Gungnir unit that leveled Gotham]].
** [[spoiler: [[BonusBoss The Warped Savior]]. Created by the Yggdrasil Project in case they lost control of Yggdrasil, it was ''supposed'' to be their final failsafe. Instead, the gigantic EldritchAbomination was the one they lost control of - a lone scientist managed to seal it in the Hall of Darkness. The Hall's entire third basement is a quest to gather the necessary ingredients to complete a compound capable of weakening the thing! [[SchmuckBait You can go straight in and confront it, of course - the Insatiable Pupa battle won't change, and the door's open]]... But juuust let it crack open its shell, and you'll understand why it's vital to wander the horrors of the Hall to complete the chemical...]]
** [[SarcasmMode Even Better]], there's a small event in the Hall of Darkness which lets you reunite a family of dolls! [[spoiler: But immediately afterwards, a hammer which is explicitly said to be used in torture falls behind you from nowhere. Should you turn back around to check on the dolls, [[NothingisScarier they're mysteriously ripped apart with no explanation...]]]] Perhaps the second text box of the intro to this place is true after all...
-->"Worse yet, [[spoiler:you cannot shake off the feeling of being watched]]."

* During your quest to open the entrance gate of [[spoiler:the Forgotten Capital]], you have to go through the previously-unexplored portions of the earlier Mazes. At first, aside from the high difficulty of the enemies present and the need to solve some tricky puzzles (which apply the main gimmicks of each Maze), the trip seems to be a non-issue. You might even feel nostalgic as you explore familiar settings and grounds. But during your return to Misty Ravine, you can walk to the very northeast of the last basement's map area and each a dead-end. The game notes that you've found a Vessel there, and you're given the option to talk to them. Regardless of whether you're pleasantly surprised to find a NPC during the long trip through uncharted territory, or cautious about the intentions of the character, it doesn't seem like anything you haven't dealt with by that late point in the game, so you simply proceed to try to talk to them and see what happens. But then the game's music becomes more tense as you discover that [[spoiler:the Vessel is dead, and you're ambushed by a group of monsters that were ''using the corpse as bait'' to lure careless explorers into a savage death. Who knows what this poor Vessel would have had to offer to your Guild had them been alive. It leads to FridgeHorror when you wonder how they even got there, since the uncharted portion of the Misty Ravine, like that of the other Mazes, can only be accessed from an external passage, and can only be connected to the mainland of the Maze by opening the lectern of the Stone Table from behind]].

* The first time one encounters a Mounting Horror -- the first FOE in the sixth stratum -- it's distant enough that one can barely see its silhouette, and it looks hideous enough to dissuade the player from approaching. [[spoiler:Then they take a step, and it demonstrates its unique gimmick: it ''duplicates itself'', and that one can pursue.]]
* Speaking of the 6th Stratum, once you and Arken reach the final floor, things get intense. [[spoiler: She quickly finds out that her '''ENTIRE FLEET AND HOMEWORLD''' [[KillEmAll was eradicated]] by a god-like being known as the [[BonusBoss Star Devourer]]]].

** [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss The Star Devourer]]]] cements itself as '''THE''' most terrifying entity in the whole series. Despite its relatively short introduction, you immediately find out what this thing is capable of: [[spoiler: If you haven't guessed by the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast name]], this monstrosity has been known to [[PlanetEater take out countless planets in the past]]. And that's including Arken's homeworld! And because this thing is the game's superboss, not only is it obscenely strong capable of [[TotalPartyKill wiping out your entire party]] (As early as [[UpToEleven Turn 1]], keep in mind) its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxS7vGoB8-U boss theme]] is one of the most terrifying pieces in the series.]]
** What makes the [[spoiler:Star Devourer]] worse is that it's not some diabolical megalomaniac entity; [[spoiler: [[CosmicHorrorStory It's a natural being that existed since the universe's inception.]] Oh, and its [[PlanetEater world-eating tendencies?]] That's just how it naturally sustains itself. [[FridgeHorror Imagine what would've happened if your Guild hadn't stepped in and destroyed the entity...]]]]

* Partway through the game, you notice that Princess Persephone has started to fall ill, forcing Muller to take her post in the Expedition headquarters. Eventually she straight up disappears. When you reach the 11th Labyrinth, you and Enrica discover why: Blot has kidnapped her and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed her]] with his Hexer skills.

* In the Western Shrine, you can find boulders that block the hallways and need to be pushed around. The first time you find one, nothing bad happens...because you can only push it twice before it's backed into a dead-end. The second time you see one of these boulders, however, you push it a third time, the FOE warning beep plays, and the rock turns out to be a [[BigCreepyCrawlies large pillbug FOE]] in disguise, who's now cranky from having its slumber disrupted!

* In the Western Shrine, you can find boulders that block the hallways and need to be pushed around. The first time you find one, nothing bad happens...because you can only push it twice before it's backed into a dead-end. The second time, however, you push it a third time, the FOE warning beep plays, and the rock turns out to be a [[BigCreepyCrawlies large pillbug FOE]] in disguise, who's now cranky from having its slumber disrupted!

* The backstory and description given for how the Scarlet Evil Eye works. A man searching for a way to save his terminally ill daughter eventually finds a way to replicate a vampiric curse and develops at least two contact lenses to inflict it. One was with his daughter until she took it out to kill herself after his own death, the other buried in the Southern Shrine with memos detailing the research and the process. [[EyeScream The lenses devour the person cell by cell]], replacing each one with vampiric copies, until the entire body has been replaced. Your guild at least has warning as to what is involved so they can weigh the risks, but anyone who somehow finds the other lens won't be so lucky.

* If you see the phrase "''(enemy)'' [[CombinationAttack stands ready]]!", you know that if either it or its partner aren't taken care of quickly, they're going to ''level'' your damn party.