History Main / DreamStealer

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* [[spoiler:Nocturne, the ghost of sleep and dreams]] from WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom can draw power from dreams.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, this is a power of Vaermina, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of [[YourWorstNightmare Nightmares]]. It is also theorized that she uses the dreams of mortals as some sort of source of power. Her most (in)famous artifact is the Skull of Corruption, a MagicStaff which steals the dreams of sleeping mortals to become more powerful.

* Morrigan Aensland from ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' is said to be of a particular kind of succubus that, [[HornyDevils in addition to the usual features]], can also feed on the dreams of mortals.

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The opposite of a DreamWeaver, this is a character that steals/destroys/[[DreamEater eats]] the dreams of others, usually because they gain something from doing so. Perhaps they themselves are normally unable to dream and want to experience it, perhaps dreams are the food source of their species, or perhaps they're just doing it for fun.

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* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamcatcher Dreamcatchers]] are objects originally used by the Ojibwa First Nation peoples, but now much more widespread. They're said to be able to filter out their users' bad dreams, and ensure that the users only have good ones.
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The opposite of a DreamWeaver, this is a character that steals/destroys/eats the dreams of others, usually because they gain something from doing so. Perhaps they themselves are normally unable to dream and want to experience it, perhaps dreams are the food source of their species, or perhaps they're just doing it for fun.

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' has Tapirmon, who is based off the dream-eating Baku and is said to have the same abilities.

* ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney'' is ALL about this (the title is a hint). The most obvious example would be the Starkian BigBad [[spoiler:Alvin Peats]] who literally leeches off people's dreams. We also have an EldritchAbomination called Undreaming, which is implied to be this UpToEleven.

The effects of having one's dreams stolen vary greatly. Victims of dream theft may [[TheSleepless become unable to sleep properly]], [[CreativeSterility lose their creativity]] or even go completely insane. In some cases, there may not be any side effects at all, particularly if the dream is merely being shared or copied rather than completely removed.

Can lead to CannotDream. Compare AnatomyOfTheSoul and ImaginationDestroyer. Contrast DreamWeaver.

Dream Stealers are usually villains, although [[BadPowersGoodPeople heroic and neutral examples do occur]]. If they are harmful, this is a job for a heroic DreamWalker to stop them.

* Doremy Sweet, the stage 3 boss from the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' game ''Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom'', is a baku with the ability to eat, create, and replace dreams. Fighting her in the dream world is a rather scary prospect.

* [[http://magiccards.info/lw/en/145.html The faeries of Lorwyn]] in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''.
** Now a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430752 card]]
* An option in ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming''. While most changelings prefer to obtain [[{{Mana}} glamour]] by inspiring creativity, some are willing to "ravage" a human and simply take the glamour that they want.
* In ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', the [[TheFairFolk True Fae]] can infect and parasitize the dreams of humans, plundering them for [[{{Mana}} Glamour]], using them to read Fate, or seeding them with poisoned nightmares that the Fae can harvest. Changelings can also harvest Glamour from mortal dreams, but it's not detrimental to the dreamer when they do.

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* Muma (Dream Demons) in ''Manga/YumekuiMerry'' can do this, though they usually just place themselves in the dreams their host have

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* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''

* Nightmare in ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'' is an ancient fear demon that [[TimeAbyss existed since the First Blight and possibly before it]]. Nightmare feeds on the fears of mortals, including literal nightmares. It is the reason people do not remember bad dreams in full detail after waking up. [[DarkIsNotEvil While this may have been a blessing once]], Nightmare is now actively working with [[BigBad The Elder One]] to create more fear to feed on [[spoiler:by sending the False Calling to the Grey Wardens]]. It also consumes [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memories of fearful events]] [[spoiler:such as the Inquisitor's memories of the Conclave.]]

* Doremy Sweet, the stage 3 boss from the ''VideoGame/TouhouProject'' game ''Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom'', is a baku with the ability to eat, create, and replace dreams. Fighting her in the dream world is a rather scary prospect.

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* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_%28spirit%29 baku]] of Myth/JapaneseMythology is a creature which devours bad dreams, and is the base for many references in {{anime}} and {{manga}} series. According to some legends it can be called upon to do this but doing it too many times runs the risk of it devouring your regular dreams along with them, leaving you without ambition or aspiration forever.

** The Pokémon species Drowzee and Hypno are particularly famous for this in the games' [[GameplayAndStorySegregation canon]], where they have been known to kidnap children to feed off their dreams.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_%28spirit%29 baku]] of Myth/JapaneseMythology is a creature which devours bad dreams, and is the base for many references in {{anime}} and {{manga}} series.

* And a villainous example appears in Nem's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmOeqLHwn5g Dream-Eating Monochrome Baku]]," where the titular character (played and sung by [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Kagamine Len]] eats the nightmares of a young girl but later returns to take away all her aspirations as payment. This is a rather unusual depiction of the baku, which is generally portrayed as a benevolent spirit. The sequel song "[[http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm25994904 Sleeping Beauty]]" reveals that[[spoiler: he ''is'' a benevolent spirit... to all of one person, who was his lover and died of an unspecified cause. He steals the dreams of other people and takes away their aspirations in order to give her the energy to stay alive and eventually resurrect, but for the majority of the song she's in a vegetative state.]]

* And a villainous example appears in [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Kagamine Len's]] "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmOeqLHwn5g Dream-Eating Monochrome Baku]]," where the titular character eats the nightmares of a young girl but later returns to take away all her aspirations as payment. This is a rather unusual depiction of the baku, which is generally portrayed as a benevolent spirit. The sequel song "[[http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm25994904 Sleeping Beauty]]" reveals that[[spoiler: he ''is'' a benevolent spirit... to all of one person, who was his lover and died of an unspecified cause. He steals the dreams of other people and takes away their aspirations in order to give her the energy to stay alive and eventually resurrect, but for the majority of the song she's in a vegetative state.]]

* Nightmare from ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure[=/=]Nightmare in Dreamland'', by corrupting the Fountain of Dreams.

Can lead to CannotDream. Compare AnatomyOfTheSoul. Contrast DreamWeaver.

* A recurring thing in ''Manga/PokemonSpecial''. Black's mind is preoccupied with his dream of winning the Pokemon league, so his Munna, named Musha after what it will evolve into, lands on his head and eats his dreams during a battle or when he needs to focus. (see the video game section as well).