Line #76 NightmareFuel/TheBindingOfIsaac


1	!Per wiki policy, Administrivia/SpoilersOff applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.
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3	[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/husk_2290.PNG]]
4	[[caption-width-right:333:This is The Husk, one of the many, ''many'' nightmares you'll see in this game. Believe it or not, he's one of the ''[[BreatherBoss less]]'' dangerous ones.]]
5	->We don't have high octane nightmare fuel on this one.
6	->Simply saying "ALL OF IT" will suffice.
7	-->-A troper on the discussion page.
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9	What did you expect from a game whose ''entire premise'' is about a little boy whose own mother wants to kill him for the glory of God? For this alone, as well as a boatload of other stuff, ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' is a contender for Creator/EdmundMcMillen's single most horrifying creation to date.
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11	However, a lot of the game's horror can also count as TearJerker. Isaac is abused and destitute, always unloved, always hated, in a house with an overly religious — and also homicidally, sociopathically insane — mother who hears voices. Oh, and the gateway to the Underworld is underneath his house filled with undead or otherwise demonic abominations of all kinds, that also adds a little bit to it.
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13	Fan mods ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaacAntibirth'' and ''VideoGame/FiendFolio'' have their own pages [[NightmareFuel/TheBindingOfIsaacAntibirth here]] and [[NightmareFuel/FiendFolio here]], respectively.
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15	[[foldercontrol]]
16
17	[[folder:Original and ''Wrath of the Lamb'']]
18	* The designs for bosses in Wrath of the Lamb are horrifying, such as The Husk (serving as the page image). The new bosses seem to be the old ones… [[BackFromTheDead after you killed them]]. Most of them look absolutely horrible, but [[UrineTrouble Peep's]] design (now known as The Bloat) looks the worst by far. He seems to have collapsed on the inside and [[EyeScream is bleeding from his eyesockets.]] [[http://i.imgur.com/JPGfDSm.jpg Here's the poster]].
19	* The freakin' trailer. If the enemies looked creepy in 2D, imagine how horrifying they are in 3D! Or, don't imagine anything and just see it for yourself... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9au_e0im0aM If you dare]].
20	* [[IronicNurseryTune The tune that plays on the credits]] after defeating It Lives! for the first time. [[WhamEpisode It comes as a great surprise]] because [[BGMOverride it replaces the BGM that usually plays on that sequence]]... And it's creepy as hell! Made worse by the fact that it's called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msycy74HjwA Jesus Loves Me]]".
21	* The floor added in the Halloween Update, '''SHEOL'''. Given that it's the game's equivalent to {{Hell}}, it makes sense for a lot of nightmares to be derived from it:
22	** Firstly, the entire concept regarding "Sheol". It's an alternate interpretation of Hell, which isn't a [[FireAndBrimstoneHell standard one]], but instead is best described as "[[TheNothingAfterDeath a place of darkness to which all dead go, regardless of the moral choices made in life]], and where they are ''removed from the light of God"''.
23	** The theme for the area, entitled [[https://dbsoundworks.bandcamp.com/track/a-mourner-unto-sheol "A Mourner Unto Sheol"]]. While ''Rebirth''[='=]s version of the song has a somewhat bombastic theme with demonic chanting that can be taken as [[NightmareRetardant "demonic beat-boxing"]], A Mourner Unto Sheol just feels... [[NothingIsScarier empty.]] Besides [[BlackSpeech demonic chanting]] and eerie wind chimes, its not so as much music as it is chilling and bleak ambiance. It's rather fitting, considering [[BleakLevel what the level is like]] and [[TheNothingAfterDeath what Sheol is supposed to represent]].
24	** You can check out a trailer for it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jruTNX0U3tM here]], and yes, it is [[DealWithTheDevil exactly]] [[DemonHead as]] [[EyeScream horrific]] as you'd expect it to be.
25	** The boss you encounter at the end is none other that {{Satan}} himself, who simply ''smiles'' before fighting you. It's unnerving. What's worse is his nonsensical battle cries, which for the most part are distorted demonic speech that can't quite be understood... but other times, can be clearly discerned as Isaac's name. [[FridgeHorror Why does the Devil know Isaac by name?]] [[labelnote:In actuality...]]...they're Mom's lines, albeit reversed. [[Film/InTheMouthOfMadness Which has certain implications]]...[[/labelnote]]
26	* Besides adding Sheol, the Halloween Update added a secret boss: What appears to be the Headless Horseman, represented as a jawless rotted head charging about the screen while its body acts like the second phase of Pestilence.
27	* During the fight with her, Mom will constantly cry out Isaac's name in an inhuman voice. '''Iiiiiiisaaaac...'''
28	* ??? / Blue Baby is implied to be Isaac after having locked himself in a treasure chest during [[HeroicBSOD a psychotic episode]].
29	* The "shopkeeper", a dried-out, eyeless corpse hanging by his neck from a rope, which would imply he committed suicide.
30	%%** That sure still doesn't stop him from taking the pennies off you whenever you buy something. [[AFateWorseThanDeath Maybe he is unable to die altogether...]]
31	* [[BodyHorror Imagine your head being slowly transformed into a tumorous mass filled with flies]], [[FateWorseThanDeath all while]] [[AndIMustScream still conscious]]. You'll want to put those poor Mulligans and Hives out of their misery as quickly as possible. And as of ''[=WotL=]'' bringing the Mulligan item to the table, '''you too''' can become one.
32	** Also from ''Wrath of the Lamb'' — the ones that have bombs painfully wedged into their skull and forced to charge at the player. Just imagine it for a second — imagine you got possessed and used as a completely unwilling ActionBomb.
33	** Speaking of the Mulligans, let’s talk about the stages of [[BodyHorror decay]] that they go through. Overtime, the Mulligan’s skin will gain a discoloration as it transforms into the Mulligoon, which has one eye open and another closed. Then, it becomes the Hive, having an ''even more'' discolored appearance, and [[EyeScream both of its eyes are gone]]. From there, it becomes the Swarmer.
34	** The Swarmer is a rotten head filled with and surrounded by flies, and it [[https://bindingofisaacrebirth.gamepedia.com/Swarmer looks horrifying]]. Just look at those empty eye sockets!
35	* Not even the game's soundtrack is immune to NightmareFuel, even if it does often cross into SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic. But probably the biggest offender so far would have to be [[https://dbsoundworks.bandcamp.com/track/apostate Apostate]]. If anything, this track just goes to show you [[NothingIsScarier how really alone you are.]] It also doesn't help that this is the theme to [[BodyHorror Mom's]] [[WombLevel womb.]]
36	* Many of the items Isaac can collect are extremely useful, but many carry a high cost in BodyHorror or [[DealWithTheDevil life energy/soul.]] Some of the worst are actually the most useful:
37	** The Book Of Belial: Grants Isaac increased power when used at the cost of giving him an angry EyelessFace and upside down cross mark on his forehead. [[TearsOfBlood Oh, and his tears are turned into blood.]]
38	** Toothpicks: Isaac uses them to [[EyeScream prop open his eyes by sticking them under his eyelids]]. [[TearsOfBlood This also causes his tears to become bloody]].
39	** The Parasite: An aggressive parasite gives Isaac a split shot effect by [[BodyHorror burrowing deep into the back of his skull]]. It also dyes his tears a [[NauseaFuel sickly orangish brown]].
40	** Spirit of the Night: Gives Isaac the power of flight and ghost tears by transforming him from a little boy into a [[NightmareFace demonic specter with pale white eyes and needle-like teeth]]. [[DealWithTheDevil It doesn't help that this is also a devil room item]].
41	*** Its angel room counterpart, the Dead Dove, is no better: it also gives Isaac flight and ghost tears, but turns him into a white ghost with the same twisted face as the Ouija Board below. Again, this is supposed to be an [[LightIsNotGood Angel Room Item]].
42	** Stem Cells: Increases Isaac's health by [[BodyHorror growing a (probably dead) fetus on the side of his face]].
43	** Cancer: A trinket that makes Isaac cry harder (shoot tears faster)... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin because it gives him cancer!]]
44	*** This one probably diminishes over time thanks to the description (''[[BlackComedy Yay]], [[CrossesTheLineTwice cancer]]!'') and how Isaac can simply drop it... though it's still rather chilling.
45	** Ouija Board: Gives Isaac ghost tears, but makes his [[NightmareFace face deathly white with a twisted expression]] like it stole his soul or something...
46	** The Pinking Shears: This is a giant pair of scissors which, upon use, makes a horrific slashing noise and ''slices off your head'', which you then control, flying it around and crying as normal as your body runs around attacking everything in its path.
47	** And you can potentially make all of these worse if you consider the fact that often these effects stack with each other. So, watch as Isaac gradually mutates beyond recognition throughout the entire run, becoming a demon with toothpicks under his eyes and a dead fetus on his face!
48	* Most of the [[GameBreakingBug bugs]] of the game just fiddle with mook and boss behavior, or lock you out of certain things. Some other bugs, however, are genuinely terrifying. One of the most persistent bugs happens after clearing a level, when, after the game apparently freezing, replaces the bad dream intermission scene with a version completely in black and white, a la ''ComicBook/SinCity''. Guaranteed to make you defecate bricks the first time you see it. Even more disturbingly still, no one really knows if it is a bug, an intentional feature, or [[ThrowItIn both]].
49	** Glitched Isaac. Before it was fixed, it could pop up after blowing up a blue rock. It's a copy of Isaac, riding a pony, inside of a Book of Shadows's shield. It floated around the room, and its body contorted and spun at lighting speeds while [[ExorcistHead its head stared constantly at the camera]]. And besides that, it did [[NothingIsScarier absolutely nothing]].
50	* There's a boss in The Womb/Utero called Teratoma. A teratoma is a tumor ''with teeth, eyes, arms, legs, and maybe even internal organs.'' Oh, and they're generally there from birth.
51	** Also? The Teratoma in ''Isaac'' is '''filled with spiders.''' Think about that.
52	** To make it worse, Teratoma is actually the [[BackfromtheDead posthumous version]] of Fistula. Repeat: a boss that is basically BodyHorror personified — fistulas in real life are basically when body parts, usually organs, ''connect to each other in an abnormal and permanent way'' — ends up returning as an undead monster. [[MindScrew Somehow.]] And Fistula spat out Chargers instead of spiders, too.
53	*** Teratoma might be horrifying, but it's not even ''close'' to being the worst bit of BodyHorror that lends its name to something in the game. If you come across an unfamiliar term related to enemies or items, [[SchmuckBait it's probably something you]] ''[[YouDoNOTWantToKnow do not]]'' [[BrainBleach want to look up]] — ''especially'' if it's an item that does something horrible to Isaac when picked up.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:''Rebirth'']]
57	* The teaser trailer: now everything is not only 3D, but creepy, rubbery puppets. Check it out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p22Sj-Zllwk here]]. Their use of a [[MediumBlending photorealistic cat's head]] for Guppy's severed head is jarring and somehow adds a surreal edge to the horror.
58	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aBb0M8HRCQ&channel=nicalisinc The even worse release date trailer]] for Rebirth, which features live-action shots of naked people dancing stiffly in burlap sack masks while creepy music plays.
59	* A lot of the new music, if it isn't [[AwesomeMusic/TheBindingOfIsaac awesome]], is absolutely terrifying.
60	** The new song for Sheol is [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/duress-sheol Duress]], a cacophonic mess of BlackSpeech and [[ScareChord Scare Chords]].
61	*** You thought Duress was bad enough? Well, try listening to it on [[https://youtu.be/nH25UniPSjg?t=58m31s SLOW MOTION]].
62	*** And then there's the slow-motion versions of Ascension (2:03:10) and Everlasting Hymn (1:16:45). The OminousLatinChanting goes right past "Ominous" into straight-up ''hellish''.
63	** [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/devoid Devoid]], the theme of the Dark Room, is pure dread embodied.
64	** [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/viscera-womb Viscera]], the theme of the Womb, is as creepy as it is [[NauseaFuel nauseating.]]
65	** The theme of the Catacombs, [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/capiticus-calvaria-catacombs Capiticus Calvaria]], is an oppressive ScareChord laden track with violent, pounding drums. The combat layer is even worse, adding in an absolutely ''evil'' sounding electric guitar.
66	** [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/abyss-the-depths Abyss]]. Gone is the climactic sounding music of The Depths, and in its place is eerie whispering, singing and crying/laughter accompanied by a creepy windchime melody. The combat layer adds a blaring, aggressive synth noise, making it even more nerve-wracking.
67	** You thought [[IronicNurseryTune Jesus Loves Me]] from the original version was bad? Here's [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/hush-jesus-loves-uke Hush (Jesus Loves Uke)]].
68	* The resident boss of the Dark Room and the dark counterpart to ???, [[https://youtu.be/vpT1-1yNOPM The Lamb]]. He look likes a demonic skeletal lamb with sharp teeth. Once you deplete enough HP, ''his head detaches from his body and chases you.''
69	* From The Depths onward, occasionally you may hear Mom laughing from somewhere within the area. You'll then be assaulted by a pair of disembodied hands, presumably belonging to her, [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Wallmaster]] style.
70	* ''Rebirth'' introduced a new enemy called Swingers to the Womb. They're ''crying faces orbiting around a lump of meat that slowly edges towards you.''
71	* A lot of the endings qualify, if they're not [[DownerEnding sad]] or [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments silly]]:
72	** [[https://youtu.be/7fDu_pjm8ZE?t=40 Ending 2]] shows Isaac finding the Rubber Cement item, before turning to the camera, with his [[EyeScream eyes a horrifying milky white and his eyelids stretched out]], as a ScareChord plays (the same one that plays when a Devil deal opens).
73	** [[https://youtu.be/7fDu_pjm8ZE?t=64 Ending 3]] features Isaac [[DrivenToSuicide hanging himself]].
74	** [[https://youtu.be/7fDu_pjm8ZE?t=87 Ending 4]] has Isaac find the Wire Coat Hanger item, which ends up getting lodged into his head.
75	** [[https://youtu.be/7fDu_pjm8ZE?t=103 Ending 5]] gives Isaac a JumpScare uppercut courtesy of Mom for his efforts, before getting dragged into the chest. You can even hear her EvilLaugh.
76	** [[https://youtu.be/o6C7OZ0B1JE?t=176 Ending 7]] has Experimental Treatment as the item Isaac finds in the chest, which leaves him [[BodyHorror horribly disfigured]].[[labelnote:Note]]He kind of resembles Contusion of the Gemini duo.[[/labelnote]]
77	** [[https://youtu.be/o6C7OZ0B1JE?t=229 Ending 10]], where Isaac opens the chest and finds ''his own corpse''[[labelnote:spoiler]]???/Blue Baby[[/labelnote]], who then sits up and smiles at him. The [[ScareChord "music"]] absolutely doesn't help.
78	** The sixteenth and final ending. [[https://youtu.be/7fDu_pjm8ZE?t=342 Isaac transforming into a demon]] sounds awesome, right? ''[[TransformationHorror It's not.]]''
79	* The beginning of the fights with Satan and Mega Satan are silent except for the devil room ambience. For the former, you wait a couple of seconds before a [[JumpScare sudden]] fight with The Fallen. For the latter, you walk to a star in the center of the room. At that point, it starts spinning into a pentagram, Satan's battle theme starts playing, and Mega Satan materializes out of nowhere.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:''Afterbirth'']]
83	* The 8 Inch Nails item replaces Isaac's tears with nails, but Isaac now [[EyeScream has nails in his eyes]]. Makes you wonder why he isn't dead ''and'' how can he tell where he's going.
84	* If you thought The Womb was gross and creepy, wait until you see the new alternate version added: the ''Scarred'' Womb. It looks like someone took a chainsaw to the inside. The stage theme, while significantly less fleshy-sounding, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32tefmsK0tM is still oppressively dark.]]
85	* Speaking of The Womb, a whole new floor is accessible: ??? (referred to as "Dead Womb" by the official soundtrack), which has a lot going for it in terms of creepiness:
86	** Right off the bat, [[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/nativitate the music of the area]], entitled "Nativitate", is probably one of the creepiest in the game. It sounds just so... deranged. You can hear crying and roars at one point. And it [[BackgroundMusicOverride doesn't stop when you enter the shop or item rooms]]. The death has completely penetrated the entire area.
87	** The appearance of the area itself does no favors: It's all blue and dead-looking. Not only that, there's also faces on the walls. ''Screaming'' faces.
88	** The boss of the area, Hush. Its first form looks like a [[BodyHorror decomposing]] Blue Baby/???. Defeating this form reveals the ''real'' Hush, a [[EldritchAbomination gigantic mass of blue flesh.]] It has bullet patterns unlike any other boss, able to [[RealityWarper wrap bullets]] [[WrapAround around the edges of the screen.]] And when you deplete its [[DamageSpongeBoss massive health pool]] and finally kill the damned thing, its [[http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/392171335661053452/462613A1FB9A174FCC6CCEC31D006E9699C72BB5/ face scorches into the ground.]]
89	** Arguably the most terrifying part is that unlike most bosses in the game, there is ''no explanation'' for Hush, at least in-game. Most of the other final bosses are either clear demonic/satanic archetypes, like Satan, The Lamb, and Mega Satan, or variations of Isaac himself (Isaac, ???, It Lives). Hush is just… [[NothingIsScarier there]].
90	%%*** Actually, there is one theory about what Hush is, which makes it even more terrifying: with its blue coloration and pained expression that looks like it's gasping, Hush might represent Isaac's ''death from suffocating inside the chest.''
91	** The out-of-game explanation? [[WordOfGod Edmund McMillen]] [[https://twitter.com/edmundmcmillen/status/922696151651860480 stated it on his Twitter]], and it isn't too pretty: "Hush is what Isaac sees his fate/death as (that being Blue Baby/???), and fighting it as it grows closer."
92	** While [[DummiedOut unused in the game proper]], the [[http://i.imgur.com/5YWLAlJ.png "Skinless Hush"]] sprites found in the game's files have a healthy dose of BodyHorror.
93	* Ending 17. Isaac's mother enters his room and finds his skeletal remains in the chest. Then there's Isaac's shadow turning into a demonic creature with red eyes and a SlasherSmile...
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:''Afterbirth+'']]
97	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCMQT9s2qBA The trailer for Afterbirth+.]] It shows Isaac in his decrepit room drawing a picture of Guppy. All is well… until he starts bleeding from his nose. As that happens, all hell breaks loose, quite literally: the walls crack and insects appear, dead souls come from below his bed and demons start taunting him. Desperate, [[HopeSpot he flees to his chest to hide inside… but the monsters open the chest and enter it to attack poor Isaac.]] [[NothingIsScarier All of it in first person.]]
98	* By defeating Hush in ''Afterbirth+'', you gain access to the final level, The Void. While initially it might be an interesting effect seeing all of the rooms keep spontaneously changing their appearances from floor to floor and occasionally even glitching to a different appearance mid-room, think about what it means from Isaac's perspective. This is his psyche breaking down into nothing as he dies. Where there was some coherence to his delusional journey before, it's all falling away, the rules of the world loosening as his sense of logic decays. It's hammered home especially hard if you happen to die anywhere in this area, as his last will reads "I was killed by this thing in some ''dying memory...''". Another part that makes this troubling is that, once the level is unlocked, you can gain access to it at total random when defeating any boss after Mom. While this can be seen as a nice (if ''[[SchmuckBait completely suicidal]]'') bonus, this gets even more horrifying connotations when you think on it. Isaac has prematurely snapped and has began his rapid downward spiral. Incidentally, said entrance can open with absolutely no warning, which can throw you straight into the jaws of this level without meaning to if you're not careful. Finally, consider what the entrance to that level is — instead of the Trapdoors, holes, or beams of light from other floors… It's a portal. [[OhCrap The same kinds of portals that have been spewing out enemies earlier in the game.]] The whole time you've been playing and coming into contact with those portals, that's been Isaac teetering on the edges of his breakdown, fighting back and destroying this encroaching force of madness… which he will eventually succumb to.
99	** The boss of this floor and the TrueFinalBoss of ''Afterbirth+'', '''Delirium'''. It's almost certainly the hardest boss in the game, acting as a FinalExamBoss by mimicking all the other bosses' forms and attacks. But it's made all the more unsettling because it constantly jitters around as though it were [[{{Undercrank}} undercranked]], and will teleport and switch forms without warning. Add on an incredibly creepy theme, and the fact that it's a manifestation of Isaac's own deteriorating mental state, and you have the makings of a truly disturbing boss.
100	*** The OST version of Delirium's theme is worse, especially if you wear headphones. You get to ''hear'' the manic, hallucinatory whispers that Isaac is likely to be hearing as his mind begins to deteriorate further.
101	* [[DownerEnding Ending 20]] is both this and a massive TearJerker. Isaac's breath speeding up and slowing down and slowly turning blue as he suffocates in the chest is already bad enough, it has a huge dose of fear in that Isaac believes himself to be a demon and committed suicide after his family broke up. A ''young boy committing suicide'', no less. Perhaps the most haunting aspect is when the camera pans through a wall of photographs and drawings, which starts normal, until Isaac begins to draw himself as a demon with his parents arguing in the background.
102	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpW0eWMkdJw trailer]] for "The Forgotten" update. It shows Isaac's mother burying his skeleton after finding him dead in the chest. While this isn't too creepy on its own (it's more {{Tearjerker}} territory), the background music, "Hush (Jesus Loves Uke)", makes it at least a little creepy… And then in TheStinger, [[NotQuiteDead Isaac's/The Forgotten's skeletal hand bursts from his grave]], [[JumpScare without any warning.]]
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:''Repentance'']]
106	!!''Antibirth'' content and its alternate floors
107	* In the original ''Antibirth'', Knife Piece 2 is obtained by merely pressing buttons. ''Repentance'' made it far more terrifying. After breaking down a blocked door with a minecart, you enter a series of dimly lit, empty rooms, all while [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyGi1qfHT3Y ominous music plays in the background]]. Eventually, you reach a room with the knife piece on an item pedestal, the room locking you in, forcing you to pick it up. The moment you do, creepy noises start to play as Mother's Shadow, a shadowy head with red eyes and sharp teeth, appears and lets out a distorted version of Mom's laugh. You're then forced into a chase sequence with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB_pUfVGkuQ tense music]], running back through all the rooms that you've passed that now have various obstacles blocking your path, trying to avoid the demonic head charging at you. You lose all of your items (except Knife Piece 1) while inside this area, forcing you to do everything with base stats and little extra protection. It's slightly easier if you play as Azazel or the Lost, who always have flight, but it's still nervewracking as all get out (especially as [[OneHitPointWonder latter]]). And while this is the only area that it happens in, it definitely gives you the feeling that this form of Mom will strike again later in the run when you least expect it.
108	** Of particular note is how Mom sounds here. Her regular voice sounds somewhat distorted and bass-filled, but still understandable. In this area? It's slowed down and sounds way more demonic, as if the very act of trying to escape with a fully-assembled knife awakened something ''monstrous'' in Mom. Something that makes her try to kill her son immediately after it's put together, instead of waiting for him in the floor before the Womb.
109	* Remember "Spinning Intensifies" and the Corpse theme from ''Antibirth''? We now have "[[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/dread-the-calm-twisted Dread]]" and "[[https://ridiculon.bandcamp.com/track/carrion-corpse Carrion]]".
110	* The Mausoleum was spooky and unnerving in ''Antibirth'', but not genuinely scary. Its alternate version in ''Repentance''? '''Gehenna''', which is a blood-drenched satanic paradise by comparison, filled with goat-headed cultists, brimstone skulls, rolling spike balls, and countless more. It makes Sheol look a safe and welcoming amusement park/carnival ala ''Ride/{{Disneyland}}'' in comparison!
111	** The music for this floor, dubbed "Morning Star", features a low, droning choir chanting '''ISAAC'S OWN NAME!''' The idea that whatever calls this place home knows who you are and may have even been expecting you is just... Yikes.
112	** In the Hebrew scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is Sheol. It simply means "the place of the dead" or "the place of departed souls/spirits". The Greek word Gehenna is used in the New Testament for '''HELL''' and is derived from the Hebrew word hinnom. Other scriptures in the New Testament indicated that Sheol/Hades is a temporary place where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection.
113	** Historically, Gehenna refers to a literal garbage dump where fires were kept burning constantly to prevent the spread of disease. The final fate of the damned is to be cast into Gehenna, where "their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched."
114	* If you thought the Scarred Womb and Blue Womb were gross and disgusting, just wait until you get to the final chapter of the alternate path, the '''''Corpse'''''. The whole place looks rotting and decayed, in some rooms Isaac is literally knee deep in blood, and the enemies of the place are [[BodyHorror repulsive]] even by the standards of the rest of the game. Even the Scarred Womb is put to shame. And that's without mentioning the clear implication that Isaac is inside his mother's dead body, considering how you gain access to the Corpse in the first place.
115	* The Witness — [[AdaptationNameChange now renamed Mother]] — has a bigger sprite than the original ''Antibirth'', and might freak you out. What's worse is that Mother is now fought in a 2x1 hallway instead of the 2x2 big room she had in ''Antibirth'', so you have less room to maneuver. And she even has new tactics to make it harder to fight her. To top it off, you still hear her voicelines of calling for Isaac, but instead of sounding angry and demented... it feels more like she's wailing in despair and anguish. All because you turned the knife on her and killed her outright in the previous chapter. It's scary ''and'' heart-breaking, even though there's no other way for the fight to go.
116	** In the versus screen, Mother's boss portrait has it looming over Isaac, instead of the "facing Isaac from the side" view of every single other boss.
117	* The items from ''Antibirth'' naturally do not skimp on the BodyHorror, but the absolute crowner is probably [[https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/antibirth_gamepedia_en/a/a7/The_Intruder_App.png?version=5ebb9b9773f6bcd428c6bf2bf94b1e8e The Intruder]]. It's a little spider familiar that ''wedges itself into Isaac's face'', '''with its legs poking out of his eye sockets'''. It also has a chance of making Isaac's head explode upon taking damage, spawning friendly spiders and freeing it to jump at enemies, which is actually ''less'' horrifying to look at.
118	** An honorable mention for the most nightmarish item is "[[https://antibirth.fandom.com/wiki/2Spooky 2Spooky]]". Silly name aside, the item causes Isaac to turn blood-red, and [[NightmareFace gives him a screaming face with hellish pupils]], resembling [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Giygas]]. Hell, its effect is to [[HorrifyingTheHorror make any enemies]] in a short range gain a [[StatusInflictionAttack fear effect]], making it nightmare fuel InUniverse.
119	*** [[https://www.reddit.com/r/bindingofisaac/comments/miie7s/the_way_dark_judas_and_2spooky_makes_you_look_is/ And if Dark/Tainted Judas gets his hands on it...]]
120	** [[https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/antibirth_gamepedia_en/6/68/It_Hurts_App.png?version=902f90db8320277aa84dca985b9f606f It Hurts]], while not as horribly disfiguring as some of the other item options, tends to give players sympathy pains whenever it's picked up. All the item does initially is stitch Isaac's mouth shut, which is pretty tame by this game's standards. Here's the fun part: when Isaac takes damage, he cries even harder than usual and gets a Tears Up, because crying out in pain from taking damage ''tears open the stitches''.
121	** [[https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/antibirth_gamepedia_en/2/23/Mucormycosis_App.png?version=360a2a38392d8872e92d97f8568809a4 Mucormycosis]] (a decently useful item in its own right) really brings the NauseaFuel with its visual effect, which gives Isaac a rampant, sickly purple fungal infection growing all over his eyes and under his eyelids. Oh, and as with a lot of other items, it's based on a real-life medical condition that really ''can'' get that bad, to the point that people have had their ''entire faces amputated because of it.''
122	** [[SwordofDamocles Damocles]] is an interesting case as it doesn't involve any body horror; instead, it turns into ParanoiaFuel. All item pedestals are doubled, spawning an extra item for every item spawned. But after you get hit, at any time '''without warning''', the sword may fall, instantly killing Isaac regardless of his health.
123	** [[https://antibirth.fandom.com/wiki/Akeldama Akeldama]]. Its visual effect features Isaac with his torso split open and his guts hanging out. The item causes a trail of reddish brown tears to follow Isaac, as if he were dragging his intestines around. Yikes.
124	* The Whipper is an enemy that wears a robe and wields a whip resembling the Cat O' Nine Tails, and it, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin whips at you with it]], and crossing the same horizontal or vertical axis from a distance will have it dash at you before attacking. While its attack pattern is manageable, what makes it verge into NightmareFuel territory is this [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily creepy wide mouth]] that looks unnerving in appearance, and it's even more so when it opens its mouth while attacking. It isn't ''too'' dangerous, just as long as you keep your distance in the process of attacking it from the sides. By the way, it deflects bombs.
125	** The Snapper is a variant of the Whipper that has a huge orange eye in the center. Unlike the Whipper, instead of a normal whip, it possesses a [[CombatTentacles long, fleshy tendril]] that trades off attack width for longer range, and just like the Whipper, it dashes at you upon entering the same horizontal and vertical axis as you. Oh, and if you thought you were safe while hovering over rocks, the Snapper can attack through walls with its tendril.
126	*** The Scourge is implied to be a [[GiantMook boss version]] of the Snapper, given that it has an eye that looks very identical to that of the Snapper's eye and that it also wields CombatTentacles.
127	** If the standard Whipper was not creepy enough, the Flagellant is way more terrifying, both in appearance ''and'' behavior. It looks [[BodyHorror horribly mutilated]], as its lower jaw is torn off. If its appearance wasn't scary enough for you, then what it does will do the trick. It is [[AxCrazy far more aggressive and deadly]] than its standard counterpart and will constantly [[TheBerserker lash his whip while chasing after you]] [[LightningBruiser at high speeds]] and savagely maul your player character.
128	** The Whippers and Snappers found in Gehenna wear bondage suits instead of robes.
129	* The Corpse is an already gruesome, scary place to be in, managing to make enemies like [[UglyCute Gapers]] look just downright awful. But if you're arachnophobic, you're ''not'' going to like [[https://bindingofisaacrebirth.fandom.com/wiki/Gaper#Twitchy the Twitchy]]. It's what would happen if you combine a Gaper with a Trite, then gave it traits of a tarantula. Compared to the cartoony enemies that you've faced in the game before, the Twitchy stands out very well for looking creepily realistic.
130	** The worst part? It used to [[https://antibirth.fandom.com/wiki/Gaper#Twitchy look cartoony, if still rather gruesome]], in ''Antibirth''...
131
132	!! Endgame bosses and Tainted Characters
133	* [[TearJerker Crossing over with being depressing as all get out.]] The fallout between the parents as shown in Ascent has some pretty messed up things said by the parents which include [[AbusiveParents Mom saying that Isaac is disturbed like his father.]]
134	* The final bosses at the new final floor, Home, have some pretty extreme nightmare fuel:
135	** The closest this game will ever come to a fight with God Almighty himself, '''DOGMA'''.
136	*** Every enemy encountered in the game so far had been a gross, disgusting monster or a child's interpretation of something from the Bible. Every demon or angel thus so far looked like how a child would likely see them, or just have some slightly funny or cartoonish quirk about them. Dogma... [[KnightOfCerebus is neither]]. Instead of being another faceless angel like Uriel and Gabriel, it resembles how something like an Ophanim would actually look in the Bible, has music that is barely even music and more insane preachers screaming of sin, and the implications of the impact it has on the story means what it represents has done more to cause the story than almost any other boss in the game.
137	*** Though relatively short and easy compared to other boss fights, Dogma brings a whole new brand of horror just by its setup. As you wander through Home, seemingly unmolested by anything, it gives you the impression that Isaac has finally caught a break. But it's only when you decide to sleep in Mom's Bed that the calm disappears — one of the stage transitions plays, with Isaac sitting next to Mom as they watch TV. Then a scary static noise builds up as the television image, showing Isaac's face, gets more distorted, complete with the monster eyes in the background also being filled with static. And then the transition ends to reveal your character again in Mom's room, but the place has turned from day to night. The calm music is replaced with eerie ambience as you return to the living room, showing that the TV is on… and when you approach it, ''[[FetusTerrible a baby-like creature]] made of white noise jumps out'' while what sounds like a demented preacher starts raving about sin. The creature lets out a horrible static-filled cry before transitioning to its unique VersusCharacterSplash, revealing its name: '''Dogma.'''
138	*** And here's more nightmare from Dogma. If you leave its first phase alive long enough, then it will start making unholy screeches as it attacks. Almost as if it's [[AxCrazy getting more unhinged and angry that you dare stand against it.]]
139	*** There's also Dogma's boss music, a vocal theme titled ''Living in the Light.'' Recognize those words? They're from Literature/TheBible. That's not the scary part, though; it's the way that the words are used being very much a case of TruthInTelevision, as many [[MeaningfulName dogmatic]] fundamentalist preachers will use the words of Scripture in very manipulative and abusive ways, leaving many other professing Christians (not to mention people of other practicing religions) disgusted and repulsed.
140	** '''[[BeastOfTheApocalypse THE BEAST]]''', FULL STOP. She is the actual, true, genuine TrueFinalBoss of the game, and does not disappoint. After Isaac defeats Dogma and gains angel wings from the static cross falling on him, his home falls apart to reveal a massive lava-filled cavern, implied to be Hell itself. The preacher ranting from earlier starts up again as he turns to see a massive monstrosity rise from the depths. But don't go thinking you fight her immediately — no, you have to fight her heralds, the Four Horsemen first. And all of them have supersized Ultra forms with brand new strategies and attacks. And if/when you finally take them out, the Beast takes centre stage by roaring in the background, then going under and reappearing from the lava in the foreground. After this, she starts chasing you through spike-filled passages, trying to swallow you/incinerate you, and even launching [[WaveMotionGun a truly massive Brimstone beam]] that requires you to get to the top of the screen to avoid. If Dogma was the epitome of ReligiousHorror, then the BeastOfTheApocalypse ratchets it up even further, especially if you're familiar with Literature/TheBookOfRevelation and the Beast of the Sea.
141	* The Tainted characters appear to be the originals from the [[BadFuture worst possible timeline.]] [[BreakTheCutie They're broken, injured, depressed, or otherwise mutilated beyond recognition.]] For the Biblical characters, it's whatever horrible fate happened to them in the Bible, while the original characters suffer some further punishment.
142	** For instance, take Jacob, the Deserter. At first, you're essentially alone, as Esau isn't there. [[HopeSpot It seems almost easier at first]], since one doesn't have to worry about having two bodies to use to dodge bullets. Then Esau's [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge vengeful ghost]] arrives, and everything goes to hell. The game goes from a roguelike to attempting to survive a [[ImplacableMan near unstoppable killer]] who can easily kill you in two hits. [[SchmuckBait You can kill it]], but not only does that reduce you to a ghost for the rest of the floor ([[OneHitPointWonder rendering you like The Lost]]), Esau's ghost [[TheThingThatWouldNotLeave comes back in the next floor anyway]], ready to hunt you down once more.[[note]]Unless you kill it with the Eraser, which stops it from spawning for the rest of the run.[[/note]] By the way, come the v1.7.5 update, Dark Esau is now ''invincible to your projectiles and bombs''. And Tainted Jacob's new Birthright effect gives you '''''two Dark Esaus'''''. [[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail RUN AWAY!]]
143	** Lilith, the Harlot's main means of attack? Shooting a demonic fetus out of her torn womb, which tears apart any enemy it hits. Yeah, she's basically weaponized WombHorror. It can be considered a LogicalExtreme of her normal version's Cambion Conception. She also has lost her blindfold, letting you take a good look at her EyelessFace.
144	** Lazarus, the Enigma is explicitly stated to be [[CameBackWrong "between life and death"]], and it shows in his main mechanic. Instead of having to die on purpose to revive, now every room clear forces him to change from his regular living self into a bloody, white-eyed zombie-like version — then back to his living self, then back to the zombie, and back and forth with every room cleared. Said other version has one hell of a NightmareFace, best seen in level transitions.
145	** Samson, the Savage, starts out with almost all his hair removed. When he enters an UnstoppableRage, he suddenly [[PowerMakesYourHairGrow gets his hair back]]… and starts ravaging any enemy in his path with a massive jawbone, while looking like a crazed maniac. A far cry from his more heroic strongman inspiration.
146	** Isaac, the Broken, has a more subtle form of nightmare fuel. While normal Isaac looks sad because he's constantly crying but unblemished, the Broken looks really beat up, sporting a black eye and bleeding from his face. It's implied that the Broken was abused not just mentally, but physically as well, making for some prime RealismInducedHorror.
147	** Judas, the Deceiver, stands out from the rest by seemingly having the luckiest outcome of the bunch and has least bleak outcome in his predicament. He's become a LivingShadow and is stated to be a "shadow eater", and can only use black/soul hearts for health. His main gimmick? Dark Arts, where he performs a FlashStep to shred enemies/projectiles and gain a damage boost for every one he touches before Dark Arts ends. The Deceiver clearly could be considered a perfect mirror of [[TheWoobie Isaac]], being a being that has no issues being a CardCarryingVillain, having embraced the dark magics he toyed with in the past and turning into a SuperPersistentPredator that [[MookHorrorShow could easily scare]] [[TheDreaded even some of the]] [[HorrifyingTheHorror most dangerous monsters in the game.]]
148	** Magdalene, the Dauntless, has apparently turned into a LoveFreak — in a very destructive way. Her playstyle involves rushing up to enemies to give what amounts to a KillerBearHug, and while she can gain more health, it eventually bleeds away to almost nothing, meaning she ''needs'' to keep doing this to stay healthy. Whereas normal Magdalene was a friendly healer archetype, the Dauntless [[ThenLetMeBeEvil just doesn't care anymore]] and will happily tear enemies apart in her desperate desire for love, having regressed to a {{Yangire}}.
149	*** Tainted Magdalene has a healthy dose of FridgeHorror too; her fighting style is [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything identical to Lust's]]. The implications of this are not pleasing.
150	** Cain, the Hoarder, got hit with EyeScream at some point, with his eyepatch covering the hole. The gory wound on the side of his face is still visible, though. There's also the fact that the Cain in this game looks like a shifty thief, and the Hoarder now has to use the Bag of Crafting to make items for himself. Was his eye removed because he was caught and punished for stealing something?
151	** Bethany, the Zealot, apparently went past the point of no return in an effort to understand BloodMagic. Now she's only able to use soul/black hearts for health, with red hearts to charge her Lemegeton, and she's sporting some sort of purple gem in her forehead. It's implied that said gem is animating her body after it's died, making her an UndeadChild. It goes out when she dies, giving credence to this idea.
152	** Apollyon, the Empty, has become the epitome of EmptyShell. His face has been damaged, revealing a swirling red void within his head. And his gimmick of absorbing items for stat boosts has instead changed to turning absorbed items into permanent red flies. In essence, he's constantly surrounded by the remnants of decay, and he derives no direct strength from what he consumes.
153	** Keeper, the Miser, has gained a significant power boost… but [[ZombieInfectee he seems to be on his way to becoming a Greed or a Greed-related enemy]]. Whatever happened that gave him the DeadlyUpgrade, it's put him [[YourDaysAreNumbered on borrowed time]], and every run with the Miser can be interpreted as him going on a violent LastStand through the depths before he [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie fully devolves into a greed monster]] for [[WhatMeasureIsAMook Isaac to eventually find and kill]].
154	** The Forgotten, the Fettered, combines this trope with {{Tearjerker}} with the pair's playstyle. While the Fettered (the Soul) is able to move on his own without being chained to the Forgotten, he's still BarredFromTheAfterlife for some reason. Now he's forced to literally carry his skeleton everywhere, committing GrievousHarmWithABody as his only method of attack. Bad enough that he can't move on in the prime timeline, but in the BadFuture, he still has to lug his burden everywhere? It's terrifying ''and'' heartbreaking.
155	** ???, the Soiled, [[LiteralMetaphor literally ate shit and died]]. Now consider that ??? is basically Isaac's corpse after he suffocated in the Chest. The Soiled somehow [[{{Squick}} ate so much feces that he likely collapsed and died from it.]] And yet somehow he still walks, even [[DungFu using the same feces he ate so much of to fight with.]]
156	** Eden, the Capricious, takes a page from Delirium in that their loadout constantly changes every time they take damage. With the way their face glitches out on impact, their icon in the character select and their achievement unlock image also looking distorted, and how they don't appear during level transitions or boss screens, this indicates that somewhere along the line, the Capricious became a ParadoxPerson whose existence is now inherently unstable. The fact that a lot of their unlocks include glitch-themed items makes it clear that the Capricious' existence is an ever-changing, ever-tormented one. Imagine how it feels to constantly rearrange your body any time you get an injury, and that's the Capricious' life. Whereas Eden "just is", the Capricious just ''isn't''.
157	** Azazel, the Benighted, may have been BroughtDownToBadass, [[BrokenAngel but he still lost his other horn and his wings were ripped off of his body.]] And judging by the Azazel's Rage item (builds up rage for four room clears, entering an enemy-filled room fires a 3-second long Brimstone beam), the Benighted must have been far stronger than regular Azazel before being cut down. How did he become stronger? Who took his power from him? And why? Was it {{Satan}} who did it?
158	*** One possible interpretation: Based on how the normal Azazel is what Isaac sees himself as (a horrible demon), the Benighted seems to be a more gruesome interpretation of the abuse that the Broken went through. Does Isaac believe he deserves even worse punishment??
159	** Eve, the Curdled, had... something happen to her to give her the power to use BloodyMurder. She uses her own health to spawn blood clot minions to her side, then call them back to heal with her Sumptorium. On top of that, she LooksLikeCesare taken up to eleven, with the tears on her face looking black and her hair looking much more disheveled and unkempt. And when she's down to her last half heart with no minions out, she wields the Sumptorium as a makeshift Mom's Knife, all while looking like a more bloody/feral version of regular Eve's Whore of Babylon form (which the game files refer to as "Bloody Babylon"). Whatever became of the Curdled, it's dialed up her SelfHarm tendencies significantly, to the point that it makes her incredibly fragile lest she has something to protect her like Holy Mantle or Pretty Flies.
160	** The Lost, the Baleful, is less blatantly brutalized compared to the rest, but his fate is still kind of scary. He's spent so much time in the attic that he's lost his Holy Mantle and Eternal D6, forcing him to rely on Holy Cards to protect against damage. While he's able to avoid useless health-ups and hit-activated items in his runs, making it easier to capitalize on his GlassCannon potential, there's still the fact that he's lost something so intrinsic to himself that he's become significantly more fragile, needing to use cards to compensate. Just how long was he cooped up in there for...?
161	* After defeating The Beast, you find out that Isaac himself made the entire story up by himself. The fact that a child (and a 5 year old at that!) is able to think of all of the [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]] that you fight in the game is more than nightmare fuel.
162	** [[FridgeHorror Who's to say he'll stop there?]] He also imagined creatures such as Delirium, Dogma, and Hush. He could make a full-blown eldritch pantheon ala the Franchise/CthulhuMythos as if he's a 5-year-old reincarnation of Creator/HPLovecraft (or hell, possibly even be inspired by him)!
163	[[/folder]]

Context NightmareFuel / TheBindingOfIsaac