History YMMV / EscapeTheNight

** Season 3: [[MonsterClown The Killer Clown Leader]] is the demented leader of a posse of [[SerialKiller serial killing]] clowns who terrorized the town of Everlock for years. The worst out of the Carnival Master's guardians, the Leader organizes a mass slaughter of many citizens, starting with Mortimer's mother, Mayor Janet, and kidnaps Joey and his group of friends. Showing utter glee in having the Carnival Master burn down the town at sunrise, the Leader attempts to disembowel the entire group to death, and during the final challenge, shows complete glee of brutally [[spoiler:gutting Jc]] in her last moments.

** The last scene of the Season 3 finale featuring an original soundtrack/song in it called ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkEr0hzsVbo No One Escapes]]'' by Catherine Keithley, and many fans agree that it was extremely fitting.
** The Season 4 theme, ''Warning Rune'', remains the cause of a BrokenBase, though reviews appear to be mostly positive.

** Season 1: [[spoiler:[[TheMole Arthur the butler]] is a sociopathic ConMan who had made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with the Evil]] in the house after [[TilMurderDoUsPart murdering his wife]] and kidnapping his brother and keeping him in the mansion. He [[ManipulativeBastard manipulated]] unstable people into committing crimes and also managed to trapped souls into the house in a state of imprisonment]]. [[spoiler:Arthur]] hid in plain sight as he had the [=YouTubers=] pick themselves off through various means, such as electrocution and poisoning. In the end, [[spoiler:Arthur]] attempts to murder [[spoiler:Joey, Eva, and Oli]] after being exposed.

** Season 4: [[TimeMaster The Collector]] is the [[CollectorOfTheStrange hostess of the Museum of The Dead]]. [[spoiler:Once a human queen, the Collector became mad with power and wished to break the circle of life and rule as a time goddess.]] Kidnapping dozens of people across time, the Collector places them in display, with [[AndIMustScream several of them]] slowly losing their minds through their enslavement, and she manages to [[spoiler:transform an innocent Society Against Evil member into becoming a Gorgon to transform other people into stone against her will. Trapping all the deceased [=YouTubers=] in her exhibit, most of which their souls placed in a jar to which she taunts, the Collector raises the previous enemies of the [=YouTubers=] and attempts to kill Joey, Betman, and Colleen in order to condemn them to Hell]].

** Season 4: [[TimeMaster The Collector]] is the [[CollectorOfTheStrange hostess of the Museum of The Dead]]. Once a human queen, the Collector became mad with power and wished to break the circle of life and rule as a time goddess. Kidnapping dozens of people across time, the Collector places them in display, with [[AndIMustScream several of them]] slowly losing their minds through their enslavement, and she manages to [[spoiler:transform an innocent Society Against Evil member into becoming a Gorgon to transform other people into stone against her will. Trapping all the deceased [=YouTubers=] in her exhibit, most of which their souls placed in a jar to which she taunts, the Collector raises the previous enemies of the [=YouTubers=] and attempts to kill Joey, Betman, and Colleen in order to condemn them to Hell]].

*** The Killer Clowns' leader, [[FanNickname nicknamed 'Kerrie' by the fandom]]. Her face alone is a FountainOfMemes.
*** As a matter of fact, more fanfiction appears to have been written about the [=YouTubers=] of Season 3 than other seasons on [=AO3=].
** Season 4: Merlin was pretty awesome.
** As for guests, Justine is surprisingly popular despite her [[spoiler:early demises]]. Liza was also EXTREMELY popular, [[spoiler:but she only made it to the half-way point of the season]]. Other fan favourites include [[FinalGirl Eva]], [[TheSmartGirl Safiya]], [[TheHeart Tana]], [[LovableAlphaBitch Gabbie]], and [[DoomedContrarian Colleen]].
*** [=MatPat=] also happens to be one of the most popular among the cast, starring in even more fanfics on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn than the AntiHero protagonist, Joey, at one point. [[LauncherOfAThousandShips He also happens to have shipping material with practically everyone on Season 3.]]
*** Jc is an interesting case since he was hated by fans before the season premiered since people thought his initials stood for James Charles instead of Justin Caylen and it was quite obvious he'd be dying first. While he did die first, many people were surprised at how useful and entertaining he was and changed opinions.
** Out of overall characters, surprisingly, the Cursed God has become a major character in fandom-based folklore and stories, even though we barely know anything about him from canon.

** Oddly enough, even if pretty much all of the cast members have lives outside of the series and are in relationships, or even have children.

* ''WebVideo/EscapeTheNight'':
** Season 1: [[spoiler:[[TheMole Arthur the butler]] is a sociopathic ConMan who had made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with the Evil]] in the house after [[TilMurderDoUsPart murdering his wife]] and kidnapping his brother and keeping him in the mansion. He [[ManipulativeBastard manipulated]] unstable people into committing crimes and also managed to trapped souls into the house in a state of imprisonment. Arthur hid in plain sight as he had the [=YouTubers=] pick themselves off through various means, such as electrocution and poisoning. In the end, Arthur attempts to murder Joey, Eva, and Oli after being exposed.]]
** Season 2: [[spoiler:[[ImAHumanitarian The Gingerbread Woman]] is a seemingly kind lady before revealing herself to be a depraved cannibal. Having turned [[WouldHurtAChild children]] into her famous meat pies for years, the Gingerbread Woman trapped two children into her oven, planning on cooking them alive. Angered over thinking her surrogate son, Sampson, betrayed her, she cuts off his hand and threatens Joey's group, forcing two of them to play a game, with the loser having to become part of her meat pies, or under the threat of both dying anyway.]]
** Season 3: [[spoiler:[[MonsterClown The Killer Clown Leader]] is the demented leader of a posse of [[SerialKiller serial killing]] clowns who terrorized the town of Evermore for years. The worst out of the Carnival Master's guardians, the Leader organizes a mass slaughter of many citizens, starting with Mortimer's mother, Mayor Janet, and kidnaps Joey and his group of friends. Showing utter glee in having the Carnival Master burn down the town at sunrise, the Leader attempts to disembowel the entire group to death, and during the final challenge, shows complete glee of brutally gutting JC in her last moments.]]
** Season 4: [[spoiler:[[TimeMaster The Collector]] is the [[CollectorOfTheStrange hostess of the Museum of The Dead]]. Once a human queen, the Collector became mad with power and wished to break the circle of life and rule as a time goddess. Kidnapping dozens of people across time, The Collector places them in display, with [[AndIMustScream several of them]] slowly losing their minds through their enslavement, and she manages to transform an innocent Society Against Evil member into becoming a Gorgon to transform other people into stone against her will. Trapping all the deceased [=YouTubers=] in her exhibit, most of which their souls placed in a jar to which she taunts, the Collector raises the previous enemies of the [=YouTubers=] and attempts to kill Joey, Betman, and Colleen in order to condemn them to Hell.]]

* CompleteMonster: In Season 1, [[spoiler:[[TheMole Arthur the butler]] is a sociopathic ConMan who had made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with the Evil]] in the house after [[TilMurderDoUsPart murdering his wife]] and kidnapping his brother and keeping him in the mansion. He [[ManipulativeBastard manipulated]] unstable people into committing crimes and also managed to trapped souls into the house in a state of imprisonment. Arthur hid in plain sight as he had the [=YouTubers=] pick themselves off through various means, such as electrocution and poisoning. In the end, Arthur attempts to murder Joey, Eva, and Oli after being exposed.]]

** The Pirates of Season 4 Episode 8. [[spoiler:Colleen and Ro]] received rings that protected them from the challenge. Were they indeed, as the pirates claimed, worthy of being pirates, or EveryoneHasStandards (and they WouldntHitAGirl, to a limited extent)?

*** The face of the Killer Clown Leader, on Discord. It began on 7 June 2019 with a single picture and escalated within a month. It was declared a meme 11 days later, and a cult a month afterward. (I mean....I dunno if I'd say cult, but....okay maybe it's kind of a cult)
*** It's been confirmed that the actress who played the Killer Clown Leader "Killer Kerrie," Alejandra Cejudo, was made aware of both the meme and the fanon name and the response was positive.

*** She was also given a fanon name; Killer Kerrie. It's been confirmed that the actress who played the Killer Clown Leader, Alejandra Cejudo, was made aware of both the meme and the fanon name and the response was positive.

*** The face of the Killer Clown Leader, on Discord. It began on 7 June 2019 with a single picture and escalated within a month. It was declared a meme 11 days later, and a cult a month afterward.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: Colin is a SociopathicSoldier who is [[TheScrooge obsessed with his treasure]], but aside from being a selfish {{jerkass}}, he isn't exactly evil. His selfishness and douchebag behaviour are enough to make him one of the fandom's most hated characters. Meanwhile, the Sorceress, the main villain of the second season, is beloved for her [[EvilIsHammy entertaining performance]] and [[EvilIsSexy nice outfit]].

* EvilIsSexy: The Sorceress has her fair share of fans in part due to her deep V-cut.

* OT3: Several pairings have been formed in fanon, but the most popular (and one of the few canon ones) is Team Boy Scouts, consisting of MatPat, Rosanna and Safiya

%%* LoveToHate: Colin and the Staff from Season 1, [=DeStorm=] and the sorceress from season two.

** Season 3: [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies Darling Blueberry and Blanche]]. Sally Slaughter is also quite popular with the fandom. Benjamin and Cindy are also loved by the fandom, likely because of their sympathetic backstories and status as an OfficialCouple, revealed in Episode 12.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: Since there were three Seasons worth to choose from, there were always going to be fans disappointed by the guest list for the Fourth All-Stars Season. However, the full trailer reveals that past contestants who aren't playing again may still appear (with Liza especially showing up several times in the trailer), and even some Survivors.

** In Season 2 Episode 1, Andrea Russett tells [[spoiler:Liza and Alex]], "Avoid uh- dark... dark doorways. I'm seeing bad…" In Episode 5, [[spoiler:Liza [[SlitThroat dies]] behind a door, though in a brightly-lit room]], and in Episode 9, Alex dies in the Dark Dimension.]] The kicker of all this? Andrea's role is the Mystic.

** A lot of people started to pity Teala for not being able to stand up for herself and feeling that the amount of hate she got from her 'friends' was too much and undeserved. Then there's also the fact that she isn't even mentioned after Rosanna comes back, since no one cares about her fate.

** Season 4 Episode 4: Is the Emperor from Episode 4 a selfish {{Jerkass}}, or does he indeed display some degree of somewhat-Confucian appreciation for foreigners?[[note]]Context: The Emperor considered [[spoiler:Ro]] to be the least boring entertainer, who spoke to him in "bad" Chinese. And that is somewhat justified! Many (albeit modern) Chinese people hold non-native speakers who can speak the language in high regard as they know that Chinese is a difficult language to learn, and knowing the language means admiration, or at least appreciation, for the culture. On another note, in Confucian belief, emulating the master is a sign for respect. Guess the Emperor may not be as shallow as we may think - he may actually respect her willingness to embrace another culture.[[/note]]

** Joey. He's the show's protagonist, thus giving him PlotArmour (perhaps....), but isn't an NPC, and the fact that he's an active participant but the show does not clearly state whether he is in the danger that the other contestants are in is frustrating for some viewers. He's further divisive in Season 3 where [[spoiler:he is trying to come back to life by saving the town of Everlock, which requires his friends to die, essentially throwing them under the bus to save himself.]]

** Season 1: [[InsufferableGenius Matt]] [[TheSmartGuy Haag]] and [[SpicyLatina Lele]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGOld Pons]]. Whether or not you support them is very much up for debate to most fans -- many a FlameWar have begun in the [=YouTube=] comments because of the feud between their respective supporters. [[TakeAThirdOption Some just say "I love all my babies, both included" and end with that.]]

* CompleteMonster: In season 1, [[spoiler:[[TheMole Arthur the butler]] is a sociopathic ConMan who had made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with The Evil]] in the house after [[TilMurderDoUsPart murdering his wife]] and kidnapping his brother and keeping him in the mansion. He [[ManipulativeBastard manipulated]] unstable people into committing crimes and also managed to trapped souls into the house in a state of imprisonment. Arthur hid in plain sight as he had the [=YouTubers=] pick themselves off through various means, such as electrocution and poisoning. In the end, Arthur attempts to murder Joey, Eva, and Oli after being exposed.]]
* CrossesTheLineTwice: [[spoiler:[=MatPat=]]] deciding to EAT POPCORN while watching the death challenge in Season 3 Episode 9. It's as petty as it is hilarious. ''And then he gets up to get more in the middle of the challenge.''

* EvilIsSexy: The Sorceress and her deep v-cut.

* HarsherInHindsight: The intros to every season actually give clues to what happens to the cast members. However, it is only after the whole season has aired that it can all be put together. There were some viewers able to guess the deaths of a few characters from the Season 2 intro prior to the end.

** In Season 2 Episode 1, Andrea Russett tells [[spoiler:Liza and Alex]], "Avoid uh - dark...dark doorways. I'm seeing bad…" In Episode 5, [[spoiler:Liza [[SlitThroat dies]] behind a door, though in a brightly-lit room]], and in Episode 9, Alex dies in the Dark Dimension.]] The kicker of all this? Andrea's role is the Mystic.

* JerkassWoobie: Joey. He was a JerkWithAHeartOfGold with ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, but who can blame him? The poor guy's friends die over and over again (and even killed some himself), and when he tried to make things right, it turned into ''another'' round of the death games that he was trying to atone for. And that's not counting the whole [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment captured-by-vampires incident back at the start of Season 2]]. Who knows what happened back then. Did I also mention [[spoiler:the Evil that latched onto him after he took the deed in Season 1]]?
* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: Colin is a SociopathicSoldier who is [[TheScrooge obsessed with his treasure]], but aside from being a selfish {{Jerkass}}, he isn't exactly evil. His selfishness and douchebag behaviour are enough to make him the fandoms most hated character, meanwhile, The Sorceress, the main villain of the second season, is beloved for her [[EvilIsHammy entertaining performance]] and [[EvilIsSexy nice outfit]].

* MemeticBadass: Calliope and Alison. Alex used to be one, since he won almost every challenge he went into, but has since become a MemeticLoser for doing the exact opposite in season 4.

*** Ro running from [[spoiler:Benjamin]] in the dark.

* TheWoobie: Technically, everyone qualifies (watching people - friends - die, dying ''themselves'', getting betrayed/conspired against, getting captured and held against their will, even ''killing their own friends directly''…), doubly so for the All Stars… but the highlights are:

** Goodness gracious, ''poor Mortimer''. Out of all the Helpers throughout the seasons [[spoiler:(all of them have died with only one surviving so far, and it's not him)]], he arguably had the worst of it happen to him. First he [[spoiler:watches his mother, Mayor Janet, get murdered in front of his eyes along with many of Everlock's citizens because of killer clowns]], then he [[spoiler:gets mind-controlled by the Carnival Master during that same night, eventually causing him to betray the remaining survivors after retrieving all the artifacts]]. Season 3, Episode 9 had him [[spoiler:held captive for the bulk of the episode by Lucy, the Carnival Master's daughter, resulting in being both sexually assaulted and tortured during the time]], only for him to [[spoiler:die at the end of the episode after the Carnival Master snaps his neck]]. Then he [[spoiler:shows up in the Museum]] in Season 4, [[spoiler:locked up in the Collector's fire pit cage for "bad behaviour" until the guests show up and he joins them as a Helper again]]... only for [[spoiler:the Gorgon to turn him to stone in Episode 6]].