History Main / GenuineHumanHide

* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': Characters/DoctorDoom, in what is arguably his [[MoralEventHorizon most heinous act]], murdered his former lover Valeria and made a suit of leather armor out of her skin as part of a magic spell to boost his sorcery.

* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryAsylum'' serial killer "Bloody Face" skins his victims and uses their skin to make lampshades and the mask he wears when hunting new victims.
* Not quite human, but played the same way. On ''Series/{{Angel}}'''s "Life of the Party," the green-skinned demon Lorne bumps into a partygoer wearing a familiar-looking blazer.
-->"It's Pylean."\\

"Not made ''in'', made ''from''. ''[beat]'' Anyone you know?"
** Later in the same episode, another demon disguises himself as a "human [[Series/MrBean bean]]," and seems to be wearing a face as a mask.
* In ''Series/{{Batwoman}}'', Jonathan Cartwright/Mouse is a GenderFlip of Jane Doe in the comics, and likewise wears human skin masks that enable him to flawlessly impersonate anyone (he also has a talent for vocal mimicry). It's noted that you can't ''just'' flay someone's skin and wear it as a mask convincingly, there's a special technique to creating them.
* In the fourth series of ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'', the Warchild prophecy is written on human skin. So that the nature of the skin is obvious, one of the pieces has a nipple on it.
* In ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'', Rebecca mentions wanting to turn Valencia's skin into a dress for herself in the song "Feeling Kinda Naughty," among many other creepy desires.
* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': "Yarzheit" references the concentration camp officer's wife mentioned in the RealLife section. Some of the evidence discovered was made from the skin of Holocaust victims.

** The Slitheen, first appearing in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon "Aliens of London"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E5WorldWarThree "World War Three,"]] masquerade as humans by killing overweight humans and wearing their skins. They later appeared on the {{spinoff}} ''Series/TheSarahJaneAdventures''.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E1DeepBreath "Deep Breath"]]: [[spoiler:The BigBad uses a hot air balloon made of human skin.]]

* The ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' episode "The Silence of the Slams" has a luchador mask-maker who very rarely creates a MaskOfPower out of the flayed face of a Wesen. Since the magic ritual brings out the victim's GameFace, no-one who wasn't in on TheMasquerade could guess it was human(oid) skin.
* ''Series/HorribleHistories''' William Wallace song:
-->''Celebrated Stirling Bridge, another Scottish win''\\
''By decorating my sword with the English general's skin!''
** An "Historical Educators" sketch has Burke and Hare employed as business teachers. When they are fired, they present the headmaster with a leather bound journal as a farewell gift. He is delighted with it until he notices the cover has freckles

* A minor villain in a Literature/ScotHarvath'' novel by Brad Thor novel wears boots made of American soldiers he killed. The badass operative going after him is ''not'' amused.

* ''Fanfic/{{Cupcakes}}'': Pinkie Pie wears the cutie marks of all the ponies she tortured and killed.

** ''ComicBook/StarWarsInvasion'': After the slave revolt takes over the slave ship ''Tsam P'ah'', Arbeloa makes himself a hat out of the scalp and upper face of the slave ship's Yuuzhan Vong master, which he wears for the rest of the comic's run.

* ''ComicBook/StarWarsDoctorAphra'': When infiltrating the Rebel flight school, Tolvan [[spoiler:kills and skins Glahst Omera and wears her hide as a cloak in order to take advantage of her fur's mimetic properties]].

* An Evil Teleshopping hostess in WesternAnimation/Striperella sold counterfeit fashion items made out of her husband’s skin.

** Gorthor the Beastlord wears a cloak made of shaman hides. This is both a declaration of strength and a symbol of the favor of the gods -- killing a shaman is supposedly horrid luck, but given that Gorthor has killed countless shamans and still lives...
*** Beastmen leaders usually go around wearing human skin as a matter of course, but they maintain that one rule, and most of 'em wouldn't so much as touch a shaman in anger. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even the other Beastmen thought]] [[TheDreaded Gorthor was shit-scary]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'': CreepyTwins Adrea and Andreas von Strucker (a.k.a. Fenris) have energy-projecting powers that [[WonderTwinPowers only work when they are in physical contact]]. Baron Zemo murders Andrea to stop her from revealing the secret of the Thunderbolts. Zemo then has the Purple Man brainwash Andreas into taking the "Swordsman" alias. Purple Man has him flay the skin from Andrea's corpse to incorporate the resulting leather into his sword's hilt, allowing him to channel their shared powers through his sword.

** And just when you thought [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] couldn't get any more disturbing than he already is, as of ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', he's joined this club... except it's ''his own flayed face'' that he's strapped in place. Eugh... Thankfully, it does eventually get reattached.

[[caption-width-right:275:[[NonIndicativeName Despite the name, that's not leather on his face...]][[note]][[{{Squick}} At least, not the type of "leather" that we know, anyway]][[/note]]]]

->"He's making himself a 'woman suit', Mr. Crawford - out of real women! And he can sew, this guy, he's really skilled. A dressmaker, or a tailor... that's why they're all so big - because he needs a ''lot'' of skin. He keeps them alive to starve them a while, to loosen their skin..."

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** There's an obscure villain called Jane Doe who kills, skins her victims, and then wears their skin while assuming their identity. It needs to be specified that this isn't a Leatherface-style getup, the skin is completely preserved and looks perfectly like the original person, down to hair, facial hair and voice.
** At one point in ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman,'' a member of the Black Glove wears the skinned face of his victim, philanthropist John Mayhew, as a mask. [[spoiler: It's actually Mayhew himself, wearing the face of a man who resembled him.]]
** And just when you thought ComicBook/TheJoker couldn't get any more disturbing than he already is, as of 2012 he's joined this club... [[spoiler:except it's ''his own flayed face'' that he's strapped in place.]] Eugh... Although, it does eventually get reattached.
** In ''ComicBook/ArkhamAsylumLivingHell'', security guard Aaron Cash lost a hand (and with it a lot of confidence) after Killer Croc ripped off and [[spoiler:apparently]] ate it. At the climax of the story, he faces Killer Croc [[spoiler:after the latter has been mutated by demonic power]]. Aaron overcomes his fears and overpowers Croc, tearing off a piece of Croc's hide in the process. In the end, Aaron has his confidence back, and a spiffy new wallet made of genuine alligator leather...

* ''ComicBook/BlueDevil'' in the New 52 wears a devil suit which he originally believed was just a high tech suit. Then Black Lightning pointed out that the wires are actually veins. The suit is really the skin of the demon Nebiros, and Nebiros wants it back.

* ''ComicBook/DoctorDoom'', in what is arguably his [[MoralEventHorizon most heinous act]], murdered his former lover Valeria and made a suit of leather armor out of her skin as part of a magic spell to boost his sorcery.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' features a one-issue story called "Collectors" about a SerialKiller convention. One of the killers who attends (he's been dubbed "Flay by Night" by the press) is a nationally famous doctor who has treated presidents and congressmen. The fact that he likes to wear "handmade leather ties" was once commented upon during one of his many talk-show appearances. He makes the ties himself out of the skin of his victims, and he's got over a hundred of them.

* Creator/ECComics' ''[=Shock SuspenStories=]'' had this as the ending of "The Rug!" and "What Fur?!", both Anvilicious anti-fur stories.
* ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'': Twins Adrea and Andreas von Strucker (a.k.a. Fenris) had energy projecting powers that only worked when they were in physical contact. Baron Zemo murdered Andrea to stop her revealing the secret of the Thunderbolts. Zemo then had the Purple Man brainwash Andreas into taking the "Swordsman" alias. Purple Man has him flay the skin from Andrea's corpse to incorporate the resulting leather into his sword's hilt, allowing him to channel their shared powers through his sword.

* ''Manga/RedRiver1995'': Zuwa from the Kaska/[[SpellMyNameWithAnS Kashga]] clan kills humans and sews his clothes out of the collected skin. Features include black for nubian and brown for egyptian.

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' DarkFic "Raumjager" uses the real-life example of Ilse Koch. Doc is trapped in the "Nazis won" timeline, and sees an "antique lampshade" with a tatooed American flag and the words "Semper Fidelis" on it.

** An "Historical Educators" sketh has Burke and Hare employed as business teachers. When they are fired, they present the headmaster with a leather bound journal as a farewell gift. He is delighted with it until he notices the cover has freckles

** There was a serial killer who lured tenants to his apartment so he could use their skin to produce new pieces of garment for him to wear. His job at Resyk came in handy to dispose of the corpses.

* Carrick in ''ComicBook/NoHero'' was shown on a variant cover in a chair made with human skin with faces.
* In ''ComicBook/RobynHood: The Curse'', the BigBad uses a form of BloodMagic that allows his underlings to bypass biometric security measures by wearing the skin of the person the system is tuned to. They have to wear the entire skin or the magic won't work.
* Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' featured a one-issue story called "Collectors" that was about a SerialKiller convention. One of the killers who attends (he's been dubbed "Flay by Night" by the press) is a nationally famous doctor who has treated presidents and congressmen. The fact that he likes to wear "handmade leather ties" was once commented upon during one of his many talk-show appearances. He makes the ties himself, out of the skin of his victims. And he's got over a hundred of them.

* In ''Film/MenInBlack'', the alien villain spends most of the movie wearing the skin of Edgar, a farmer he killed and skinned. Note that the alien in question is about five times Edgar's size--he's actively squeezing himself into a tinier shape just to make it fit.

* The third part of the Reaver M.O. in ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' (the first two being raping people to death and eating their flesh, and if you're lucky it's in that order) is sewing their victims' skins to their clothing.

* The TrueCrime graphic novel ''ComicBook/DidYouHearWhatEddieGeinDone'' naturally touches on this, most overtly in the chapter "Archeology in Hell", which details what the sheriff's department found when they searched Ed's house. See below under RealLife for more on Ed Gein.

* Played for laughs in ''Hunting Problem'', a 1950's sci-fi by Robert Sheckley. A StarfishAlien is [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunting three humans]] so he can bring back a GenuineHumanHide. He finally succeeds in capturing them, pulls out a knife and...we cut to the three humans racing away in their spaceship, wondering why some alien would [[ExposedExtraterrestrials steal their clothes]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ErkyPerky has the insect equivalent. Local tyrant [[LargeAndInCharge Mad Magaret]] has bugs who displease made into handbags: with their faces still intact.

* A minor villain in a Brad Thor novel wears boots made of American soldiers he killed. The badass operative going after him is ''not'' amused.

* In Gregory Maguire's ''Literature/SonOfAWitch'', dragons have a penchant for peeling the skin off their victims' faces and bringing them back as trophies. As if this weren't bad enough, the Emperor has the faces stretched over frames, and plans to put them on display to intimidate a rebellious faction.
* Played for laughs in ''Hunting Problem'', a 1950's sci-fi by Robert Sheckley. A StarfishAlien is [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunting three humans]] so he can bring back a GenuineHumanHide. He finally succeeds in capturing them, pulls out a knife and...we cut to the three humans racing away in their spaceship, wondering why some alien would [[ExposedExtraterrestrials steal their clothes]].
* ''Literature/TheInnsmouthLegacy''.
** Aphra Marsh stops the bookstore owner she works for from buying a TomeOfEldritchLore bound in human skin as it's actually a fake, with this trope being used deliberately to give it a creepy air.
** In ''Deep Roots'', the Outer Ones can pose as human using LatexPerfection, except theirs works a lot better because it's made of human skin grown in their laboratories.
* ''Literature/TheScholomance'': El is deeply unimpressed that the titular EldritchLocation throws her an evil SpellBook when she only wants a UtilityMagic reference, and all the more so when she sees that it's bound in pigskin made to look like it was flayed off a human.

* A rare semi-positive portrayal in ''Webcomic/{{Digger}}'' - the Skin Lizards. They wear the skins of sapient beings, believing themselves to be the cast-off skins of men who have died. They mean well by it, offering to skin the main character and her companion to spare them of having to see a dead god. In their own bizarre way, they're trying to be helpful. [[spoiler:This ritual is eventually Ed's send-off.]]

* ''WebVideo/EverymanHYBRID'': HABIT is a malevolent spirit who [[DemonicPossession possesses humans]] in order to do horrific things ForTheEvulz. [[note]]Like send a letter written in '''''[[MoralEventHorizon Comic Sans]]''''', the '''''monster!'''''[[/note]] He has a very long HistoricalRapSheet, and has claimed several of the Real Life examples below as his own work.
* In ''Ark'' zombies can drop their skins as an item, which are usually vendor trash. The titular character has them tailored into a zombie-skin suit so he can enter an undead city without having to fight everything. He's blase about the whole thing while the others are squicked.

* The ''WebAnimation/FatherTucker'' short "Next to Godliness" ends with Father Tucker making basketballs from the remains of a boy named Charlie.

* A running gag for [[MadScientist Krieger]] on ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}''.
-->'''Archer''': What is it with you serial killers and skin.
-->'''Krieger''': I'm not a... [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial "serial"]] killer.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' had Roger going {{Yandere}} on Hayley and planned to cut off her skin and graft it onto his own so they can "become one". [[spoiler:He ended up doing it to Jeff instead.]] The villain of a later episode turns out to be a DistaffCounterpart of Buffalo Bill, abducting men and imprisoning them in a pit before skinning them for the purpose of creating a "man suit."
--> '''Music/IceT''': Sick old lady was gonna turn you into a skin suit. Was working on a whole skin suit wardrobe. Skin blouse, skin slacks, and a pair of skin sunglasses she couldn't even see out of. [[AwesomeButImpractical Fly as hell, though.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In the finale, when [[BigBad Bill]] revives [[BigGood Ford]], the latter ends up sitting on a couch that according to the former, is made of actual human skin, much to Ford's horror and disgust.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* The Akuma from ''Manga/DGrayMan''. They kill the human who summoned them and wear their skins.

* Some of the "Health Department" goons from ''Manga/{{Biomega}}'' wear aprons and masks made from the humans and zombies they've killed as trophies.
* Orochimaru of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' infiltrated the Chuunin exams twice by killing a person, cutting off their face, and wearing it as a disguise. This wasn't too difficult for him because his entire skin is a fake he wears over his current host body. Presumably this made for a more convincing disguise than the common [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Transformation Jutsu]]...somehow. The Transformation Jutsu can be easily dispelled, Orochimaru's version not so much.
* "[[Creator/JunjiIto Flesh-Colored Horror]]" doesn't need a killer to fuel a nightmare. Some years ago, a man tried to create the perfect skin lotion, but ended up creating a cocktail that separates the skin from the muscles underneath. ''He'' died of fright, but ''his wife'', Kawabe, became obsessed with the "inner beauty" and applied the lotion. Her skin she fashioned into a suit with a zipper on the back, because she still needed it to prevent her muscles and organs from drying out. The suit itself also needed to be kept hydrated, but that was a small price to pay. Then she got the idea to spread her sense of beauty and first tricked her sister, Maya, into undergoing the treatment. Thereafter, she wanted to help her son, Chikara, but Maya secretly repeatedly switched out the acid with water to protect her nephew. When Kawabe finds out, Chikara makes a stand and pours acid over his mother's skin suit, destroying it. Kawabe, in turn, demands Maya's skin and rips her face off, dooming them both.

** There's an obscure villain called Jane Doe who kills, skins her victims, and then wears their skin while assuming their identity. It needs to be specified that this isnt a Leatherface-style getup, the skin is completely preserved and looks perfectly like the original person, down to hair, facial hair and voice.

* Carrick in ''ComicBook/NoHero'' was shown on a variant cover in a chair made with human skin with faces.
* Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' featured a one-issue story called "Collectors" that was about a SerialKiller convention. One of the killers who attends (he's been dubbed "Flay by Night" by the press) is a nationally famous doctor who has treated presidents and congressmen. The fact that he likes to wear "handmade leather ties" was once commented upon during one of his many talk-show appearances. He makes the ties himself, out of the skin of his victims. And he's got over a hundred of them.
* ComicBook/DoctorDoom, in what is arguably his [[MoralEventHorizon most heinous act]], murdered his former lover Valeria and made a suit of leather armor out of her skin as part of a magic spell to boost his sorcery.
* Creator/ECComics' ''[=Shock SuspenStories=]'' had this as the ending of "The Rug!" and "What Fur?!", both Anvilicious anti-fur stories.
* ComicBook/BlueDevil in the New 52 wears a devil suit which he originally believed was just a high tech suit. Then Black Lightning pointed out that the wires are actually veins. The suit is really the skin of the demon Nebiros, and Nebiros wants it back.

* In ''ComicBook/RobynHood: The Curse'', the BigBad uses a form of blood magic that allows his underlings to bypass biometric security measures by wearing the skin of the person the system is tuned to. They have to wear the entire skin or the magic won't work.

* ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'': Twins Adrea and Andreas von Strucker (a.k.a. Fenris) had energy projecting powers that only worked when they were in physical contact. Baron Zemo murdered Andrea to stop her revealing the secret of the Thunderbolts. Zemo then had the Purple Man brainwash Andreas into taking the "Swordsman" alias. Purple Man has him flay the skin from Andrea's corpse to incorporate the resulting leather into his sword's hilt, allowing him to channel their shared powers through his sword.
* The TrueCrime graphic novel ''ComicBook/DidYouHearWhatEddieGeinDone'' naturally touches on this, most overtly in the chapter "Archeology in Hell", which details what the sheriff's department found when they searched Ed's house. See below under RealLife for more on Ed Gein.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* ''[[http://dymphna.net/ucsl/archive/theslayer-thecityofscreams.txt Zeppo No More 2: City of Screams]]'': The vampiric Xander drains and turns [[spoiler:Kate]]. Before she returns as a vampire, he cuts off her face and wears it as a mask. Then while still wearing her face, he [[ILoveTheDead rapes her corpse]], [[spoiler:which is when she comes back]].
** Also, at one point he looks into a mirror while wearing it. Due to his lack of reflection, he sees it floating in midair.

* ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' has Pavi, who cuts off women's faces, keeps them fresh, and wears them over his own, attached with straps and staples.
* Leatherface from ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre'' makes his namesake mask from human skin. And since dead skin goes bad over time, he's in constant need of new material.
* The [[GenreMashup Horror-Giallo-kung fu movie]] ''Film/HumanLanterns'' (yes, such a thing exists) revolves around a disgraced ex-martial artist who became a serial killer that delights in abducting young women, killing them, and using their skin to make lanterns which he considers his "masterpieces". Hey, the title actually makes sense now...
* In ''Film/MenInBlack'', the alien villain spends most of the movie wearing the skin of Edgar, a farmer he killed and skinned. Note that the alien in question is about five times Edgar's size--he's actively squeezing himself into a tinier shape just to make it fit.

* In ''Film/ConAir'', serial killer Garland Greene claims he once killed a little girl and then drove through the state wearing her face as a hat.
* In the film adaptation of Creator/CliveBarker's ''Book of Blood'', a man with ghostly writing all over his body is captured by a mercenary, who's been paid to collect his skin as an occult curiosity.
* One of the Creeper's throwing stars from ''Film/JeepersCreepers2'' has a piece of human skin embedded on one side. To ensure that potential victims recognize its source, it's got a belly button in it; to make sure viewers know who it came from [[spoiler: (Darry from the previous movie)]], it's also got a bit of tattoo.
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'', one of the minor Orc commanders wears a human head as an adornment atop his helmet. This is best seen in the scene where Aragorn arrives at the quayside in a ship conveying the Army of the Dead.
* In ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', Coma the Doof Warrior wears a weird leather mask... [[spoiler:made from his own mother's head skin]]. [[FlipFlopOfGod Sources disagree]] whether he made it himself or received it from Immortan Joe.
* The killer in the Austrian slasher film ''Dead in 3 Days'' is initially believed to be a man avenging his son's death, but then at the climax it's revealed that [[spoiler:it's actually the boy's mother wearing a mask fashioned out of the preserved face of her husband, who committed suicide in despair over their son's death. This is her way of having him share in her vengeance]].
* ''Film/BadTaste'' features [[spoiler:an inversion: at the end, Derek uses [[ChainsawGood a chainsaw]] to kill [[BigBad Lord Crumb]]. Afterwards, he puts on the alien leader's skin and prepares to kill more aliens once the ship reaches Crumb's homeworld.]]

* Ed Gein in ''Film/TheButchers''. When JB and The Collector are examining the Ed Gein exhibit in the museum, they discuss Gein's habit of making objects out of human skin. Later, after Gein and the other killers are brought to life, Gein fights Dahmer for possession of Brian: Gein stating that he wants skin Brian to make a shirt.

* In a comedic case, ''Film/BoratSubsequentMoviefilm'' has Borat asking for his old producer, Azamat Bagatov, and the Prime Minister says it's impossible, "because you're sitting on him" - namely a chair covered in Azamat's skin.
* In ''Film/ArtOfTheDead'', MadArtist Dorian Wilde paints the seven cursed paintings on canvases made from human skin. He and Louis are seen flensing the skin from the back of a [[DisposableSexWorker dead prostitute]] supplied by UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper to make the canvas for the Lust painting.

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' DarkFic "Raumjager" uses the real-life example of Ilse Koch. Doc is trapped in the "Nazis won" timeline, and sees an "antique lampshade" with a tatooed American flag and the words "Semper Fidelis" on it.

* ''Fanfic/ArrowRebirth:'' The [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalistic]] [[PsychoForHire assassin]] SerialKiller known as The Huntsman makes clothes out of his victims' skin.
* ''[[http://dymphna.net/ucsl/archive/theslayer-thecityofscreams.txt Zeppo No More 2: City of Screams]]'': The vampiric Xander drains and turns [[spoiler:Kate]]. Before she returns as a vampire, he cuts off her face and wears it as a mask. Then while still wearing her face, he [[ILoveTheDead rapes her corpse]], [[spoiler:which is when she comes back]].
** Also, at one point he looks into a mirror while wearing it. Due to his lack of reflection, he sees it floating in midair.

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

* ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'' has Buffalo Bill (so named because he likes to "skin his humps") trying to make a "woman suit" out of the skin of his victims in a strange attempt at transformation. Hannibal Lecter also wore a policeman's faceskin in one scene.

** One character can craft an evil-only leather armor from human skin and the blood of a silver dragon (the only non-evil species of dragon encountered in the game).

* Priests of the [[Myth/AztecMythology fertility deity Xipe Totec]] would completely flay sacrificial victims and dress in their skins. On the plus side, before they were killed, the victims got several days of feasting and sex before the sacrifice.

* In the ''Literature/{{Nightrunner}}'' novel ''Shards of Time'', the ancient ''[[OurLichesAreDifferent dyrmagnos]]'' Rhazat appears as a beautiful woman by wearing the [[TheNecromancer necromantically]] transferred skin of her enemy, the [[HighPriest Hierophant]] Nhandi the Wise.

* PETA's founder, Ingrid Newkirk, has written in her will that after her death, she wants her skin and body parts to be made into various products as a continued protest against killing animals for meat, fur, leather, etc.