[[quoteright:350:http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/easter-fun.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Sure, she's not scared now, ''but how is she going to react when she sees that photo?'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[-See more images on [[ImageLinks/NightmareFuel Image Links Wiki]].-] ]]

->"Remember to believe in magic...''Or I'll kill you...''"
-->--'''[[MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]''', episode 1003: ''MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders''

->"[[NoImmortalInertia Rapidly aging and melting away]],
-> Buzzsaws for hands and the monsters of clay
-> [[NightmareFuel/VanityPlate When videotape logos emerged from the void]]
-> [[NightmareFuel/VanityPlate And the unearthly synthesizers they employed]]"
-->--LemonDemon, "Nightmare Fuel"

NightmareFuel, as we mean it here, means those things that scared the pants off you as a kid, '''though they weren't meant to.''' It's something that was meant to amuse, entertain, or be only ''slightly'' scary to the audience; but in execution, they're so trauma-inducing that they may cause ''adults'' to void themselves in terror. For young children, media can be a minefield of this kind of stuff, as unexpected or over-the-top scary moments can crop up ''out of nowhere'' in everything from grade-school plays to beer ads.

Note: Things that ''are'' supposed to scare the pants off you fall under HighOctaneNightmareFuel.

The Usual Suspects of NightmareFuel include:
* Puppet, animatronic, claymation, or CG characters who were meant to be cute, but who instead look like they crawled from the [[NightmareValley darkest depths]] of the UncannyValley.
* [[DerangedAnimation Surreal animation]] which makes ''NakedLunch'' look like a ''CareBears'' movie.
* [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence Over-the-top slapstick violence]]; such as a character getting run over by a steamroller and turning into a flat photograph. It may seem funny to you, but imagine looking at such an event through the eyes of a literal-minded 6-year old.
* [[TransformationTrauma Horrifying transformations]]. Knowing that the character will probably be changed back into his/her original form at the end of the show does nothing to allay the trauma of watching their [[PainfulTransformation painful]], scary metamorphosis.
* [[NightmareDreams Dream sequences]] that make the freak-out scenes in ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' seem like an episode of ''Mister Rogers Neighborhood''.
* Many, many {{Primal Fear}}s like being eaten or worse, [[FantasticVoyage being alive after having been eaten]], being physically or emotionally hurt, the sudden appearances of [[GrotesqueGallery frightening creatures]] and sounds.
* Sudden [[ArtShift change in medium]] between live-action, traditional animation, CGI, or {{Claymation}} especially if it comes without warning and changes back just as quickly.
* Seeing someone we like get [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beaten to within an inch of his life]].
* [[{{ptitlesacn2d4m3iyd}} Let's Meet The Meat]], aka, disturbingly displayed talking food.
* Anything involving damage to [[EyeScream eyes]] or creatures with [[ExtraEyes too many]] or [[EyelessFace not enough eyes]].
* Beating hearts, especially where [[BeatStillMyHeart they shouldn't be]]. On a related note, [[WombLevel being inside a living creature]], especially a particularly [[BodyHorror disturbing or mutated one]].
* Clowns, and [[MonsterClown not just evil]] [[VillainousHarlequin ones]].
* An well placed ScareChord.
* TheSwarm

In short If a work

* was intended for children
* not intended to be scary to children
* that turned out to be scary to children anyway

Then It's NightmareFuel.

This trope is named after the phrase "Good Old-Fashioned Nightmare Fuel", used by Mike and the 'bots at least three times in ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' to describe trauma-inducing sights and objects in films that appeared by design to be originally intended for children. (For the record, the films in question were the incredibly creepy ''Film/SantaClaus,'' Roger Corman's ''The Undead,'' and a scene in the otherwise silly film ''The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?''. And [[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6332306951017446334&q=MST3K+Nightmare+Fuel&ei=zXyESPbxHY_ArgKq7d3IDA this]] was from the former.)

It should be noted that Nightmare Fuel doesn't always make sense. Thus, there will be no judgment taken towards any examples - just, for the love of Benji, let us know ''why'' the work of fiction in question was so scary. (Editors will cut anything that merely says "Oh, 'Show X' was horrifying!") Also, you may want to consider whether your example is truly scary, or merely [[{{Squick}} too gross.]] Not all Nightmare Fuel will be scary to all kids; after all, everyone is different and horror is just as subjective as comedy. Indeed, to some kids, these scenes can be the [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome coolest part of the movie!]] Some people have fond memories of watching the [[VillainSong Be Prepared]] from the LionKing and cackling with childlike glee. Indeed, many a fan or fictional character might find they seek out what others consider NightmareFuel. If so, you might be a NightmareFetishist.

Furthermore, some kids may get Nightmare Fuel from things that aren't even on this list; and what one kid takes in stride may scare the pants off of another kid.

Complicating matters further is that gaining courage with regards to pop culture is not always an upwardly linear process; a kid may be too young to understand a subtle kind of horror the first time he watches a movie and then be terrified watching the same movie years later! This is a type of FridgeHorror.

There is an excellent discussion about this phenomenon and its possible psychological origins in [[http://www.avclub.com/content/node/79299 this blog post]] at ''TheOnion A V Club''. And check out the website [[http://www.kindertrauma.com/ Kinder Trauma]] - if you dare. Plus, enjoy (or run away screaming from) the [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/nostalgia-critic/34-nostalgia-critic/188-top-11-scariest-nostalgic-moments "Top 11 Scariest Nostalgic Moments"]] by the Nostalgia Critic, a complilation of scary-as-hell T.V. and movie clips. *shudder*

There is, curiously enough, often some crossover with {{Tearjerker}}s and FetishFuel (we'll [[{{Squick}} try not to think too hard about that]]). Contrast with NightmareRetardant and {{Narm}}. If the offending material can make you sick however, you've got NauseaFuel.

'''Note that examples from shows that are not intended to be viewed by children cannot be examples by definition.'''

Well, go make sure you've got a fresh bulb in your trusty night light. It's time for the...
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!!Related Tropes:
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel
* HorrorTropes
* HumansAreCthulhu
* LastNoteNightmare
* NightmareFetishist
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant
* NightmareRetardant
* NothingIsScarier
* ParanoiaFuel
* [[{{Ptitlewf26ismrv5co}} Scare 'Em Straight]]
* UncannyValley
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!!Examples:
* NightmareFuel/{{Advertising}}
* NightmareFuel/{{Anime}}
** NightmareFuel/HayaoMiyazaki
* NightmareFuel/ComicBooks
* NightmareFuel/{{Disney}}
**NightmareFuel/KingdomHearts
**NightmareFuel/DisneyThemeParks
* NightmareFuel/{{Film}}
** NightmareFuel/TimBurton
* NightmareFuel/FolkloreAndUrbanMyths
* NightmareFuel/{{Literature}}
** NightmareFuel/RoaldDahl
** NightmareFuel/{{Coraline}} (According to the author, this one tends to scare adults, but seem perfectly okay to kids.)
**NightmareFuel/HarryPotter
**NightmareFuel/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents
* NightmareFuel/LiveActionTV
** NightmareFuel/DoctorWho
** NightmareFuel/PowerRangers
** NightmareFuel/SesameStreet
* NightmareFuel/{{Music}}
* NightmareFuel/MusicVideos
* NightmareFuel/NewMedia
* NightmareFuel/RealLife
* NightmareFuel/{{Theater}}
* NightmareFuel/ThemeParks
**NightmareFuel/UniversalStudios
* NightmareFuel/{{Toys}}
* NightmareFuel/TVTropes
* NightmareFuel/VideoGames
**NightmareFuel/TheLegendOfZelda
**[[NightmareFuel/{{Ptitlei015gc004kw4}} Pokemon]]
**NightmareFuel/SuperMarioBros
* NightmareFuel/{{Web}} Original, Animation and Series
* NightmareFuel/WebComics
* NightmareFuel/WesternAnimationFilm
* NightmareFuel/WesternAnimationTV
** NightmareFuel/AvatarTheLastAirbender
** NightmareFuel/CareBears
** NightmareFuel/CourageTheCowardlyDog
** NightmareFuel/{{DCAU}}
** NightmareFuel/HeyArnold
** NightmareFuel/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack
** NightmareFuel/RenAndStimpy
** NightmareFuel/{{Rugrats}}
** NightmareFuel/TheSimpsons
** NightmareFuel/SpongebobSquarePants
** NightmareFuel/TinyToonAdventures
* NightmareFuel/{{Vanity Plate}}s
* NightmareFuel/{{Other}}
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