Nightmare Fuel cleanup and maintenance

Now with a sandbox!

It appears that many Nightmare Fuel pages have problems, including:

1. Listing non-scary things that made the viewer feel slightly uncomfortable at worst.

2. Having spoiler tags on them (which is against the page's guidelines).

3. Listing Fridge Horror and fan theories.

And much more!

On a few occasions, people from outside the site's community have pointed out our overly lax usage of Nightmare Fuel to make fun of us, meaning that it can legitimately harm our reputation to let this go unchecked.

The TRS thread meant for redefining Nightmare Fuel started to become a place for cleaning up Nightmare Fuel pages in general, so we may as well move these discussions to Long Term Projects where they belong.

Here are the guidelines to determine whether something is Nightmare Fuel or not.

Nightmare Fuel rules

This is a page whose name is intended to be taken more literally than most. It's not enough for material to be scary; to truly qualify, it has to be frightening enough to legitimately unnerve/disturb the viewer, with actually being nightmare-inducing as the ultimate endpoint.
- Good signs that something IS Nightmare Fuel include if:
  - It left you feeling shaken even after the credits had rolled, you turned the last page, or are otherwise done with the work.
  - You have a hard time falling asleep if you think about it at night, or have a literal nightmare about it.
  - You dread that episode, scene, level, chapter, or song during re-watches, and consider skipping it.
- With that said, don't add something just because it happens to be your personal phobia. For example, spiders can be scary and many people have arachnophobia, but just because a spider happens to be in the work, it does not make a Nightmare Fuel entry. It needs to reasonably be scary to someone without the phobia.
- Don't confuse tension with fear. If the hero is in trouble, but you know he'll make it out okay at the end, it's probably not Nightmare Fuel unless the threat is especially disturbing.
Explain WHY the entry scared you. Try to convey your sense of fear to your readers. Avoid putting up Zero-Context Examples.
- Remember that Weblinks Are Not Examples, and neither are quotes on their own. You should explain the horror in your own words, rather than rely on others to do so.
Don't add things that might have scared someone. If it didn't scare you, and you don't personally know anyone else who was scared, you shouldn't be adding it to Nightmare Fuel.
Nightmare Fuel should stick to you even after you're done with the work.
- If something is initially presented as scary but turns out to be harmless, it's most likely not Nightmare Fuel since The Reveal makes the scariness vanish.
- Jump Scares are a good source of Nightmare Fuel, but not all of them automatically qualify: being startled is not the same as being scared.
Hypotheticals are not Nightmare Fuel:
- Remember that Trailers Always Lie: a scene that is presented as scary in the trailer could very well turn out to be inoffensive in the finished work. Only add examples from unreleased works if they were especially terrifying in the previews.
- Fan theories do not belong on the Nightmare Fuel page under any circumstance. No matter how much evidence they have to support them, don't add them until they've been officially confirmed. In the meanwhile, take them to Wild Mass Guessing.
- Fridge Horror goes on the Fridge page, not Nightmare Fuel. Don't add it unless it's Ascended Fridge Horror.
Keep in mind the work's intended audience when considering whether or not something is Nightmare Fuel.
- If something is normal or expected in the genre, it does not automatically qualify. Violence in a Fighting Series or gore in a horror movie must be especially disturbing or gruesome by the work's standards to be Nightmare Fuel.
- Remember that Kids Shouldn't Watch Horror Films. If a work is rated PG-13 or higher but would only be scary to young children, it's not Nightmare Fuel.
- The standards on what qualifies as Nightmare Fuel are especially stringent on works aimed at children and pre-teens: kids have hyperactive imaginations, so even something benign can give them nightmares.
Spoiler tags do not belong on Nightmare Fuel pages. Much of what scares us comes from inherently spoilery stuff such as death and the unknown, so finding spoilers on these pages should be expected.
Nightmare Fuel is an Audience Reaction, so it needs to be scary for the audience. Describing how the characters react to something scary isn't needed. Just because something scares them, that doesn't mean it scares us as well.
Nightmare Fuel is a No Real Life Examples, Please! page. Meta-examples involving the actors, production, or behind-the-scenes incidents are not allowed.

Guidelines when proposing cleanup of a page:

Some rules are pretty objective. If you see a Zero-Context Example, Fridge Horror, Real Life example, speculation, In-Universe reaction that isn't scary to the viewers, examples that explicitly describe themselves as not being very scary (including "mildly creepy", "somewhat unnerving", and other synonymous phrases), or examples that are just scene summaries without going into detail about why it's so scary, you can (and should) remove them immediately without coming here to ask.
You should also strip all spoiler tags from the page. Itty Bitty Wiki Tools has a tool for that, but it can cause problems, so if you use it be sure to preview the page and thoroughly look it over.
Once you've fixed the objective issues with the page, bring it here so we can look at the more subjective problems, such as examples that may not be scary enough to qualify. If a consensus is reached that a certain entry does not qualify, it can be removed.

Edited by Zuxtron on Aug 1st 2020 at 9:40:30 AM

Klavice Since: Jan, 2011

#1501: Aug 1st 2019 at 3:11:02 AM

I must ask... Why was the Victory without a partner music removed from Paper Mario? That song gave me the willies every time I heard it. And it's a legitimately terrifying song especially for the game. There's also the Palace of Shadow Interior music "Down into the Shadows" which is really scary. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of a lot of things but I think these two examples deserve to be restored.

I could try rewriting the examples and hopefully steer clear of natter as that was likely why they were removed in the first place.

Edited by Klavice on Aug 1st 2019 at 7:18:10 AM

Grotadmorv Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die from Getting wasted at your funeral (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*

Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die

#1502: Aug 1st 2019 at 1:08:33 PM

But were you scared or did you just feel tense? Tension and horror are not the same. The level is very hard, and it always takes me a few tries, but I never lost sleep over it.

I personally think the song sounds kinda goofy

and not very scary. The Palace of Shadow

music is kind of unsettling, and I think it could scare some young kids, so keep.

The things in my dreams wish they could chase me!

Psyga315 Since: Jan, 2001

#1503: Aug 1st 2019 at 4:42:03 PM

Kinda wanna add this moment to RWBY's nightmare fuel page.

The disturbing part about the cast confronting Ozpin is that no one even batted an eye at the fact that Qrow, a middle aged adult, just decked a kid in the face. Even worse, Yang yells at said kid and she and the others piled on tons of stress on Oscar.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010

#1504: Aug 1st 2019 at 5:48:45 PM

Fridge Horror or disturbing implications, so no.

Edited by AlleyOop on Aug 1st 2019 at 8:51:19 AM

Grotadmorv Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die from Getting wasted at your funeral (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*

Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die

#1505: Aug 2nd 2019 at 11:35:27 AM

Garfield And Friends reeks of ZCEs. If we commented them out, we'd have no page. Cut List?

The things in my dreams wish they could chase me!

WarJay77 Discarded and Feeling Blue (Troper Knight)

Discarded and Feeling Blue

#1506: Aug 2nd 2019 at 11:36:27 AM

Cut List.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

Brainulator9 Short-Term Projects herald from US Since: Aug, 2018 Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...

Short-Term Projects herald

#1507: Aug 2nd 2019 at 12:14:45 PM

Cut the page. The show strikes me as too comedic to be truly scary, though the potential for valid examples to exist is there.

Perhaps we could copy-paste the contents to this thread in case someone wants to add context to these examples?

Contains 20% less fat than the leading value brand!

Grotadmorv Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die from Getting wasted at your funeral (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*

Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die

#1508: Aug 2nd 2019 at 1:20:55 PM

As a kid, I was terrified by "One Good Fern Deserves Another." I also avoided watching "Sludge Monster," "Mystic Manor," and "Magic Mutt" because they scared me so much. So the show definitely has some scary moments, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the page. I'm gonna Cut List it.

The things in my dreams wish they could chase me!

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!

#1509: Aug 2nd 2019 at 1:30:35 PM

Well, here's the page if anyone wants it:

Garfield:

Binky the Clown's old design from "Rip Van Kitty".
"One Good Fern Deserves Another." Garfield is almost eaten alive by a fern with a Nightmare Face.
"The Sludge Monster," especially Jon's song.
"Nighty Nightmare," which culminates in giant Garfield being abducted by aliens who want to eat him.
"Unreal Estate," especially the random skeleton scare and the horror music.
Venemous appearance during "Magic, Monsters and Manicotti"
The episode with the evil revived sabertooth cat who superglued cement fangs into Garfield's mouth to frame him for the havoc he caused. Yikes.
"Mystic Manor" is full of scary moments.
In "Magic Mutt," Jon does the "pulling a rabbit out of a hat trick." He ends up pulling out a rabbit skeleton.

U.S. Acres:

Wanted: Wade could be this for kids younger than the show's demographic, what not with the fantasy sequence and its close-ups of Wade and Orson's faces, the dark backgrounds of the musical number and the somewhat creepy voices of the cellmates.
"Dr. Jeckyl And Mr. Wade", particularly with the way Orson's brothers randomly sneak around the farm.
"Barn of Fear" and its sequel, "Barn of Fear II."

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢

WarJay77 Discarded and Feeling Blue (Troper Knight)

Discarded and Feeling Blue

#1510: Aug 2nd 2019 at 1:51:35 PM

Now, I've never seen Pacific Rim, but I've stumbled upon it's Nightmare Fuel page incidentally, and I think it needs serious scrubbing. Note that this page used to have a ton of spoilers, but I just removed the markup, so that's one issue solved.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

Grotadmorv Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die from Getting wasted at your funeral (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*

Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die

#1511: Aug 2nd 2019 at 3:30:07 PM

Since Garfield and Friends was cut, let's review the other Garfield pages.

Garfield (I am not doing the "other things" section due to my personal dislike of the meme):

Those eyes...THOSE EYES...brrrrrr. Nobody can sleep on Christmas Eve. NOBODY. ZCE, spoilers.
The horrifying Halloween-themed strip◊ in 1989 depicted Garfield waking up in an abandoned house to learn he's in an alternate reality where he no longer exists. Unable to cope with being alone, he screams out "I don't want to be alone!", and the next thing he knows he's back in his own time again. Some fans speculated that this meant Garfield was really in an abandoned house and slowly starving to death, and imagining future strips in a never-ending state of denial. Jim Davis himself has said that this is false; he had wanted to write a Halloween strip that was actually scary, and decided on what he felt was what people feared the most: true loneliness. Keep.
"An imagination is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice... or terrify, all depending upon how we conduct ourselves today..."
- One of the scariest things in this series was the exterior of the house; that panel is a masterpiece of utterly-terrifying desolation. Compared to other haunted houses in all types of media, this would be the one that the Ghostbusters would avoid completely. Keep with expansion.
- The nightmare was so chilling Garfield was actually happy to wake up! Merge.
The Halloween arc from 1982, which finds Jon and Garfield seeking shelter in a creepy, abandoned house. Nothing particularly scary happens, and Jon and Garfield make it out fine in the end. Remove.
Some of the other Halloween strips are also creepy. ZCE, and all of these are funny and not scary.
The title panel for this Sunday strip◊. Sinkholes and ZCE galore! And would you really lose sleep over that?
- Although the strip can be scary for some, too, considering It's about Garfield getting a visit from the ghosts of every animal he's eaten, and they're seeking revenge. Debatable.
- The title panel is lampshaded in a later strip, when Garfield makes a similar Scary Flashlight Face to Odie, who is understandably terrified. Link?
This 1989◊ strip shows Garfield suffering a nightmare that he turned into a skeleton due to being on a diet. Jon's nonchalant reaction to seeing Garfield like this does not do it any justice. I don't think anyone will have bad dreams over this.
This 1993 strip has Garfield having a nightmare about being gobbled up by an extremely Uncanny Valley-looking couch. Keep?
Garfield's face after Jon tries to get Garfield moving in this 1998 strip. As Jon says, "Don't ever do that again!" This is a startling Jump Scare, and startling isn't scary.
There have been at least two strips in the early 80s where Garfield ends up being eaten alive by a dog. Links? I know one of them, and it's played for laughs and nothing graphic or scary is shown.
This strip. The way Odie looks like on the last panel...It also doesn't help that this is arguably one of Garfield's crueler Kick the Dog moments, since he was just in such a bad mood... I read this comic as a kid and I was never scared of it.
Not on the strip, but in the Garfield.com game "Scary Scavenger Hunt." One of the levels involves going into a dark attic and interacting with a talking Binky doll who gives you a hint on a puzzle. After you complete the puzzle and try to talk to the doll again, his eyes turn red as he shouts directly at the screen "STOP BOTHERING ME!" Oh, and it'll cost you some hit points, so don't do this. Keep.
- In Scary Scavenger Hunt 2, there's a picture in the hallway next to the spider musical room it's a picture of Garfield sleeping in his bed the game tells there's a hidden clue in the picture after you stare at it for a long time it suddenly shows a dark red demon pig face with glowing orange eyes, snout pig nose, and crooked teeth with a LOUD SCREAM! That's right, Garfield just Jump Scared you! It returns back to the Garfield picture saying Gotcha! The Binky Doll was scary enough in the first one but this screamer is worse! But on the bright side, it doesn't cost you hit points. But still avoid it at cost! Keep.
A Halloween themed Garfield pop-up book had all sorts of the usual 'pull tab to make something happen' scenes. The creepiness of the goings-on eventually has Garfield and Odie looking for help, trying to get Jon's attention from behind his morning paper. Pull the flap for the paper down and it reveals that Jon has been reduced to a slack-jawed skeleton with an Uncanny Valley-level of detail put into his skull and finger bones, for an extra-strong dose of Surprise Creepy. Keep, although a link would help.
The book Odie Unleashed!: Garfield Lets the Dog Out contains Davis' favorite comic strips featuring Odie, and one sketch where Garfield put Odie to sleeps, with the caption "No, you didn't see this. Keep reading." Keep?
There's nothing visually frightening in this strip,◊ but the dialogue is quite dark for a newspaper cartoon.
Jon: "You look a little depressed, Garfield."
Garfield: "Bingo."
Jon: "Just remember, when you're flat on your back, the only way to look is up."
Garfield: "Thank you, Jon. I am no longer depressed. Now I'm suicidal." Remove.
There was a Sunday strip wherein Garfield started eating massive amounts of food, and gained a great deal of weight, eventually ending up big enough to grab Jon and flip him into the air, and then swallow him whole on the way down. It goes From Bad to Worse from there. Garfield becomes so humongous that he can eat whole cattle and freight trains full of food in one gulp. (He even commands the hapless humans and cattle like a dictator: "Hurry! I'm hungry!") The very last panel is a now Jupiter-sized Garfield floating through the vastness of the universe and thinking, "Dessert!" The kicker, though, is when Garfield wakes up and tells us that he actually enjoyed his fetishistic food dream! Read it here. Remove.
In another Sunday strip, Garfield was observing several Beware of Vicious Dog signs with his typical snarky commentary. Then he got to the final one: a cat's tail (which looked nearly identical to Garfield's) crudely nailed to a stake. Black Comedy.
Garfield: (protectively clutching his own tail) I believe we have a winner.

The Live-Action Movies

The scene in the first movie where Garfield sneaks into the train controller room in order to get the train Odie is on back to the station. He controls various train track switches and accidentally rewires the tracks so every single train will crash into another one. He doesn't even realize this until the collision warnings and alarm get louder and the trains are heading right towards each other. Garfield panics and he frantically pulls several random levers to prevent the impending collision, before he manages to press the red "cancel" button at the last second. Everyone makes it out fine, so this is more tense than scary, I'm assuming.
Odie being shocked repeatedly with the shock collar. Imagine if your dog was going through that treatment. ZCE.

Garfield Specials:

Garfield's Halloween Adventure quickly turns from a comedy to a creepy ghost story set in a creepy abandoned mansion told by a creepy old man, which turns out to be true. Keep.
- The Scare Chord when those pirate ghosts come through the cabinet will make you jump, especially right after Garfield says, "Maybe they didn't see us..." Is this scary or startling?
- The terrifying shot of the ghosts chasing Garfield and Odie down the pier, essentially forcing them to jump into the water to get away—only Garfield can't swim. Sounds scary.
- Even the part at the end of "Scaredy Cat" qualifies, what with the gradual build-up, the singer's tone of voice (and Last Verse Slowdown), and The Reveal, at which Garfield and Odie both scream like little girls. During this time, each and every time, the music speeds up. ZCE.
  Unseen female backup singers: The one thing he's not is a scaredy cat!
Garfield in the Rough, with the killer panther. Doesn't stop Garfield from attacking it when it threatens his family, though. ZCE.
The 7th life^note 5th life in the original book of Garfield: His 9 Lives is about a "guinea pig" cat in a secret lab. If you don't get scared during the escape... you will during the Painful Transformation. People are saying this scared them, so keep.

The Garfield Show:

"Time Master" has Garfield finding a watch that wad thrown away, discovering that it can pause time. Near the end of the episode, Garfield presses the pause button a little too many, resulting in time being paused for eternity. He breaks the watch, resulting in the events of the episode playing in reverse. He wakes up at the beginning, realizing it was all a nightmare, only to realize that it wasn't a nightmare. What does that ending mean? And this doesn't sound scary.
"Fish to Fry", where Garfield eats one of Liz's fish, only for it to take him into the sea, where a trial is held due to Garfield's frequent fish eating. His punishment? Being eaten alive by a whale. While it's one of the shows many dream sequences, this alone is enough for Garfield to swear off eating fish, until next week. It's only a dream.
Garfield's nightmare in "High Scale", where he is placed in an institute to lose weight, complete with a nasty woman. When he weighs himself, the scale becomes this freaky spider-like thing with a deep, raspy voice. It's only a dream.

Garfield His 9 Lives:

"Lab Animal" in both. "Primal Self" in the book. To clarify on the former, it features a Painful Transformation sequence wherein the cat transforms into a dog (with an unnerving Uncanny Valley effect at the end of the book version when said dog stares at the reader, revealing its cat's eyes). In the latter, "Tigger" is corrupted by these savage feline monstrosities. The story ends with the implication that "Tigger" is going to violently murder his elderly owner, the last shot showing "Tigger" leaping at her from behind. Keep.
- The latter's Nightmare Fuel content is lampshaded by Garfield introducing "Primal Self" while hidden away in his bed with only his eyes visible and mentioning that the story is about forces that should not be contended with. Keep.

The things in my dreams wish they could chase me!

WarJay77 Discarded and Feeling Blue (Troper Knight)

Discarded and Feeling Blue

#1512: Aug 2nd 2019 at 3:32:05 PM

All of your assessments sound good to me.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

TalesofUnder Not Sherlock Holmes from 1900s England Since: May, 2017 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!

Not Sherlock Holmes

#1513: Aug 3rd 2019 at 4:30:22 PM

There are a number of ZCEs on The Misadventures Of Skooks. Honestly, I’m not even sure it qualifies, as I found most of these moments to be funny.

“Now! Let us engage in the art of deduction!”

Zuxtron Berserk Button: misusing Nightmare Fuel from Node 03 (On A Trope Odyssey)

Berserk Button: misusing Nightmare Fuel

#1514: Aug 3rd 2019 at 4:34:25 PM

I agree, I find it hard to believe that someone could actually be frightened that much by a You Tube Poop.

Grotadmorv Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die from Getting wasted at your funeral (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*

Now we're so young, but we're probably gonna die

#1515: Aug 3rd 2019 at 7:04:01 PM

Never seen it, but nothing seems scary. Just ZCEs. Off to the Cut List!

How can I help you, King Dedede?

I need a troper to clobber those there ZCEs!

That's what we do best at TV Tropes!

You better get it with a Cut List guarantee!

Kirby (in progress):

Kirby

"Dammit, Kirby! You didn't save the world at all! The evil '?' is still around!"

This image is just a joke some Let's Player made. I don't think it's a good caption, but maybe that's my person distaste for the guy. (I made a comment and he went into a giant rant about Super Smash Bros. Melee players, giving a generic stereotype, then deleted it.)

The final bosses of the Kirby series tend to be really creepy: it's appropriate that a series that started in Dream Land would have nightmarish villains. ZCE.
- This is lampshaded in Brawl in the Family, where Dedede prepares a slideshow for Kirby's 20th anniversary that showcases all of these types of bosses. Kirby does not take it well. Okay, you like this comic.
Scarfy is a cutesy flying creature that resembles a floating cat head, until players turn their backs to it, try to eat it, or get too close to it, at which point it shows a demented mouth and a single eye and tries to eat them. If not killed soon, it explodes. It gets worse in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Kirby's Return to Dream Land. In the former, they serve as an alternate skin for Mumbies and their transformed state comes close to Uncanny Valley here. In the latter, pink Scarfies are introduced and act similar to Phantos when collecting keys, sometimes forming groups, and they do this all the time in Extra Mode. Keep.
Speaking of Mumbies, let's talk about those, shall we? Floating, mummified heads with a single, glowing eye that chase Kirby should he ever turn his back, essentially acting as the Kirby franchise's equivalent to Boos. And then the anime had to give it More Teeth than the Osmond Family... These aren't scary, and the anime picture should go on the anime's page.
Club Nintendo (the German version) had a special Kirby comic, wherein Kirby (and likely Dedede/"Nick") is a detective; it starts off with a human woman named Annett giving him a case. At one point he, Dedede, and Bluefish investigate an old castle; they sit down at a table expecting to be served dinner, but instead the lights go out. When they come back on, they've been joined by Annett's corpse. Keep.
One chapter of the Kirby Super Star manga had Kirby's helpers theorizing how his species reproduces, with frightening results:
- One theorizes binary fission (as seen in bacteria), which triggers an Imagine Spot of Kirby growing an extra body that tears itself off to become another Kirby. Doesn't sound scary.
- One suggests that Kirby reproduces like a seed pod, with an image of Kirby's body splitting open and releasing several tiny Kirbys. Doesn't sound scary.
- One believes it's the old-fashioned way, with a female. The helpers' idea of a "female Kirby" has six gigantic breasts. Uh...
Kirby is a Sugar Bowl of happiness, but the occasional Sugar Apocalypse's being "occasional" doesn't diminish the fact that Dedede is a king who never does a whole lot, there's a race of eyeballs trying to take whatever happiness there is in the galaxy, Kirby's eating everything that walks and maybe even doesn't, there's a race of mice who steal things, and there's no police force to stop them. This is what we call overthinking.
6 final bosses that aren't Dark Matter have a second form where Kirby fights their soul, including Drawcia, Marx, Magolor, Queen Sectonia, Star Dream, and Void Termina. These bosses often share attack patterns, many of which cover the entire screen in projectiles. Okay.
A sketch by Dream Science Laboratory depicts a theoretical skeleton for Kirby, which is as unsettling as it sounds. It isn't at all canon (as the art book isn't licensed by Nintendo or HAL and a vertebrate skeletal structure also conflicts with Kirby's ability to contort his body), but it does raise questions about Kirby's biology. That's not scary, and it's unofficial.
Note that nearly all of the games with ESRB ratings in North America are rated E (for Everyone); not even E10+ after the rating was introduced (although Star Allies does use it), just E (or KA (Kids to Adults) before it was rebranded as E). Meaning a kid could get this game or a parent could buy it for them, and be totally caught off-guard when all the creepy elements start kicking in. Hypothetical situation.
Kirby's Dream Land features Mt. DeDeDe as the final level, where shortened versions of the levels are found as part of a Boss Rush before you go against King Dedede. At the end of each shortened level, there's a clone of Kirby doing its own thing (typically pacing back and forth in some manner) and a Gordo blocking access to the door to refight their respective boss. In order to move onward, the player must walk into the clone, causing it to pop and destroy all the enemies in the room, including the Gordo. While it's possible to spare the clone and use your invulnerability period after getting hit to get past the Gordo, you're still risking yourself getting hurt and possibly an instant death. How is that scary?
Some of the early commercials were rather... weird. The original Japanese commercial for Kirby's Dream Land can count as this. It starts out fairly innocent with a kid singing what would become the intro theme to Kirby's Adventure and drawing a somewhat Off-Model Kirby on a wall and upon finishing, he says roughly that "he'll suck up anything!" Cue Kirby coming to life and popping out of the wall, proceeding to suck the kid up and spit him out into the depths of space where he shortly crash-lands onto a star. The camera zooms in onto the kid with them being stuck halfway through said star, flailing around and trying to escape as he yells out Kirby's name. While it's likely meant for comedy, it still can come out as something pretty horrifying to see Kirby basically kill a child who drew him, and this is one of the first commercials for the series, if not the very first! This tweet on No Context Kirby highlights the specific moment, although you can watch the entire commercial here. The kid looks happy, and they're trying to make it sound scary even though it isn't.
The American Kirby's Dream Land commercial is also this. It starts out tame with a comparison between "Dashing Super Guy" and Kirby, who shortly then inhales him. When he's spat out, he looks like something that wouldn't be out of place in Madballs. The end of the commercial also shows Kirby with teeth (something which he lacks in his later appearances) chomping the screen as the narrator says that he "packs a mean bite." ZCE, not scary.
Kirby's Dream Land 2 features Dark Matter, the black eye that possesses things. He possesses Dedede as the fake final boss. If players don't get the good ending, Dark Matter is only shown as a silhouette and listed as "!?", while Kine looks to the sky knowing something isn't right. Keep.
- When fighting Dark Matter, he first appears as a swordsman, shooting energy swords and an orb. After defeating him, he turns into his eye form and attacks with black lightning from his pupil. If not killed quickly, Kirby will begin taking continuous damage, meaning he's burning from atmospheric re-entry. That's not the implication.
- Dark Matter's swordsman/samurai form is notable in its reappearances in that it usually has some sort of new effect. The "Kirby Quest" subgame in Kirby Mass Attack has it pulsating with blue lightning while its clone in Kirby Planet Robobot not only has darkness literally emanating from it but can change the color of its sword depending on the attack. Sometimes it turns black, sometimes it turns rainbow... Okay, so?
- Planet Robobot also adds another eerie aspect to Dark Matter. Star Dream, a clockwork star built/re-purposed by the HWC, was pushed to its limits trying to analyze a sample of Dark Matter Blade. The game also notes that, in spite of managing a clone, it could only partially analyze its data. That's right: a computer comparable to Nova, which can reach through space and time as implied with Susie and confirmed with Galacta Knight, yet it can't figure out exactly what these aliens are. Okay, so?
- Not to mention that even if the clone was still flawed, only able to become its swordsman form and only lightly tap into its true power in its Turns Red phase, the pause description for the battle also notes that it hasn't reached its true form yet. So even if Star Dream could only partially analyze Dark Matter's data, it would manage to progressively develop itself more until it completes its own data. If Meta Knight hadn't defeated it as quickly as he did, the Dark Matter would rise again. Natter natter natter.
The possessed King Dedede can be somewhat bizarre, if not downright unsettling - as he seems to be battling normally while sleepwalking. Not to mention his Turns Red phases, where his attacks are much faster, and even more explosive; to the point where he spews out a sphere of...something, which explodes into gigantic stars. Keep.
There's an enemy debuting in this game called Propeller (Bomb). In both Dream Land 2 and 3, it's not a threat without animal friends, it becomes a Phanto-level menace when approached with one. Likewise, in 64, if you have a copy ability, it'll try to attack you and in Planet Robobot and Star Allies, they'll just try to always attack you. It's not scary. Just a bomb.
The false/bad ending of Kirby's Dream Land 3 concludes with an upward camera pan to a far bigger, more ominous silhouette hovering in the sky only listed as "?", which then opens its single red eye to glare directly at you, the player as well as Kirby and Gooey below, waking up realizing Kirby had temporarily stopped him. It turns out that this time, Kirby doesn't only fight Dark Matter, but also fights 0 (Zero), who is a large white sphere who attacks by summoning mini-Dark Matters, and cutting slashes across its surface and shooting blood. After depleting his health bar the first time, his eye rips itself out of the body in a fountain of blood and begins chasing Kirby. Keep.
- The original 0 may in fact be even worse than 0² (see below). Seriously, the thing shoots its own blood at Kirby. Thankfully, Kirby's Dream Land 3 has so many Nintendo Hard memory games and Guide Dang It! moments that most children won't even see 0 until they're older. ZCE.
- Zero's own theme can also be considered this. While it is easily considered fantastic, the manic, fast pace of it can make the battle feel quite nerve-wracking, and combined with the surreality of it all, with Zero's appearance, blood-based attacks and his eye bursting out from his body, it almost all seems schizophrenic. Are you kidding? This is my jam!
- Another creepy aspect of Zero is just how little we know about it: Except for its status as Dark Matter's leader, and the core of the Dark Matter clouds it commands, nothing about it is explained and it just seems to come out of nowhere. The closest thing to hints as to its true nature that we get is that it can be harmed by the Heart Rod/Love Love Stick and that it bears name and appearance similarities to the absolute true form of Void Termina. This seems Fridge Horror-y.
Halfway through Whispy's boss battle in Kirby's Dream Land 3, his face turns demonic and he unroots himself from the ground, starting to take chase after you! Keep.
Possessed Dedede manages to be even worse in this game; he can now open his stomach, forming a mouth with part of his clothes becoming teeth. It's not just a mouth, however: at times, it is also an eye that shoots out blobs of darkness. This reappears in 64. Keep.
Adeleine's facial expression the moment she is shown to be possessed by the Dark Matter in the cutscene "Art Attack". Keep.
- Before that, the Waddle Dee present in this game transforms into a Waddle Doo when possessed. That means Dark Matter somehow had to merge Waddle Dee's eyes into one huge eye. And he doesn't even get the Beam ability. FH.
- Unlike the previous two Kirby games, where Dark Matter's possessions were implied/off-screen, each of Kirby's friends are explicitly shown getting possessed in cutscenes. Of particular note is King Dedede who can be seen struggling before going limp as the cloud takes control. Okay, so?
Kirby 64 features 0² (Zero Two), who is the reincarnation of 0, and mimics the bleeding out of his eye, and the floating white eye design, only he is an angel now. Not to mention that, after destroying his halo, his green cactus-like "tail" with thorns around it that "bleeds" poisonous gas will extend from below him, giving you an opening to shoot it. Also, although he now shoots explosive lasers at you instead of blood, his concept art still shows his eye bleeding. The platforms in his stage are made out of hexagonal, cell-like structures. And the place where you fight him is a dark red vortex reminiscent of Giygas with inexplicable swirling bar codes in the background. Also, the official strategy guide refuses to mention the final battle (even going so far as to call 0² "a friendly inhabitant of Shiver Star" in the Enemy Info Cards section), leaving players who just got all 100 Crystal Shards desperately shooting at 02's eye and wondering why the hell its health meter isn't going down, until finally being blown to pieces... Keep.
- And, for those thinking they can cover their losses and end the game, they are unable to quit the game during the battle with 0² without turning off the console. The Pause Screen reads off one single line: Keep.
  Pause Screen: "Tough it out!"
- Speaking of 0², try beating the boss rush without getting damaged at all. If you manage to succeed that feat, you get treated to a perfect screen, in which Kirby becomes a bizarre amalgamation of all of the bosses, which is strangely disturbing. In addition, Kirby seems oddly content about being this weird combination of them all... Not scary, just bizarre.
Shiver Star. At first, the levels make it look like a cheery winter-themed planet, but then comes a factory stage featuring evil machines with demented smiles, enemies from ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' in containment capsules, and one segment where Burnis, a giant phoenix miniboss, is fought in a lava pit. Keep?
Ripple Star's second stage had a very scary theme, to the point it's not even found on the official soundtrack! Here it is, for those curious. Keep.
- In the game's sound test, Kirby appears, wearing headphones, and will dance and make faces based on the song. For example, if you play the boss battle music, he gets an intense look on his face. If you play this track, he gets a terrified look on his face, and it's really quite disturbing, especially combined with the music. It's the only track where he makes that face. Keep.
- There is one other track he makes that terrified expression; the music for the bad ending. And who can blame him, really? Repair Don't Respond.
The "death" sequence as Kirby. The scenery fades to black and Kirby stumbles around, then falls down... and during this, a loud, slow version of the regular Kirby death music appears out of nowhere. Losing the Boss Rush is worse: there's something terrible about a red-tinted screen showing Kirby and his allies looking depressed. Keep?
It's hopeless...
The bad ending, which is made incredibly creepy by the last couple of notes that play near the end as the Fairy Queen turns to look at Ribbon with a demented, evil expression — or alternatively at the player, as if to mock them for not getting the 100% completion. Keep.
The final Ripple Star level before the boss has good music, but that final room with the N-Zs in it has that ominous dark cloud where the ceiling should be. Kind of eerie, thinking Kirby's right beneath Miracle Matter himself at the moment. Nah, remove.
- Speaking of Ripple Star, remember the beginning of stage 2? Remember how the sky looked like it was nighttime, despite occasionally seeing blue? It's not nighttime. It's Dark Matter blocking out the sky almost entirely. FH.
- Miracle Matter himself is a Sinister Geometry (a 20-sided die, to be exact) with red eyes on each side. He shapeshifts into different forms to launch one of the 7 powers' attacks, and as you beat it little-by-little, he'll lose his eyes one by one. The background of his battle arena is also very eerie and confusing. Keep?
A Gator attacks Kirby by taking several bites out of Kirby's face, taking away a third of Kirby's health, and when the Gator finishes his attack, Kirby doesn't get knocked to the side like with most attacks, he lies there for a second, eyes closed, not even moving. Remove, you're looking too far into this.
The minigame "Revenge of Meta Knight", in which Meta Knight attempts to take over Dream Land. After defeating Meta Knight, you have a time limit to get off the ship while Meta Knight is chasing you, flying into a huge rage as he angrily hurls big electric sparks and sword beams at you. He enters this segment by shouting "YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE!" ("I won't let you escape!" in the remake) as he spreads his wings and bears down on you with everything he's got left. Keep.
The subgame "Milky Way Wishes" features the final boss: Marx, who is at first a cute guy bouncing on a ball. Once Kirby awakes Nova to wish for the Sun and Moon to stop fighting, Marx knocks Kirby out of the way and wishes to rule Popstar, causing him to transform into a demonic jester bat. Keep.
- Speaking of Marx, the cutscene that shows it is also fairly disturbing. First off, in the original Super Star, it has no music, instead opting for nothing but the void of space and the noise of a siren that presumably Nova is making.^note Second, the fact that Marx appears right out of nowhere to shove Kirby out of the way so he can make his wish to Nova may be a bit of a Jump Scare to some people, and third, the fact that he just literally leaves Kirby to die alone in the freezing atmosphere of space. Sure, the stars Kirby has collected form the Starship for him to use to defeat Nova and fight Marx one on one, but if that didn't happen, Kirby would have presumably froze in space to a cold and bitter death and Dream Land would have been taken over by Marx! See the cutscene for yourself here. Keep, but remove FH.
- Marx then gets his taste of what he had done to Kirby in the ending cutscene where he crashes into Nova who promptly explodes. Just like what he did with Kirby, he was stuck floating in space but unlike with Kirby who got the starship, he's left there without any indication that he made it to Popstar ^note(Kirby Master cutscenes and appearance as Dream Friend in Star Allies notwithstanding). While in Ultra, he does in fact use some of Nova's parts to become his soul form as the final boss of the True Arena, it's officially regarded not to be canon. Remove.
  - The way how both Kirby and Marx are just left out in space is eerily similar to the Japanese Kirby's Dream Land commercial listed above as Kirby, Marx and the kid get stuck in space, but while Kirby manages to escape the darkness of space, both Marx and the kid get no indication that they were freed from their fate. Stop.
- And if you corrupt the battle against Marx... (You can find the battle halfway through the video.) Unintentional.
- One of the first form's attacks has Marx split in half and open a strange black hole like gate in-between the halves. While Kirby can run away from it if he's far enough, what happens if he is drawn in? He's briefly sent to a world made out of pain, where he takes a third of his health in damage before Marx spits him back out. Ouch. Weak keep.
In the original SNES version of the game, the opening cutscene to Gourmet Race probably made many kids wet themselves when Dedede tauntingly looms over Kirby from Kirby's point of view after he's exhausted from flying up the mountain. The way he appears much bigger than normal and partially in-shadow with a creepy smirk on his face — combined with a scary musical sting as he appears — gives the impression he's about to eat you or worse. Keep?
- For those wondering, here's the scene in question. It's not as bad in Ultra, where Dedede is not only much more proportionate and well-lit, he dramatically tosses the cake and apple up, catches them in his mouth in time to the aforementioned sting and wipes his face, before giving Kirby a silly-looking Death Glare to more accurately get his point across. ^note Keep, remove note.
Speaking of Gourmet Race, if you happen to lose the minigame, you're treated to a black screen where King Dedede is pinching Kirby's cheek — or bonking Kirby's head repeatedly with his hammer in Ultra. It doesn't seem bad, except for two things. First off, Kirby's face in the original looks a little creepy, and then there's the music, which is just downright depressing. Keep?
- This is also played if you lose in any of the Arenas, with Kirby — or whichever Helper you've chosen in Helper to Hero — shown knocked unconscious, making it all the more eerie. This never scared me as a kid.
Just like the American Kirby commercials for Dream Land 1 and 2, the original Super Star has its own disturbing commercial. It starts out with somebody being rushed into the emergency room inside a hospital as a doctor labels their condition as "Too Much Kirby" promptly before zooming out on the poor person being inflated and colored pink, not unlike Violet Beauregarde's fate in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After some gameplay footage, he's rolled into an observation room where multiple other victims are also there, and just to make things worse, the stinger has a nurse popping one of the victims with a pin saying "NEXT!" before laughing maniacally as the kid in the background deflates like a balloon while screaming. Keep?
Even just deleting your save in Super Star can be quite unsettling. To start, the file menu has no music, and starting a tradition throughout Kirby games, the game asks you thrice if you really want to delete your save. The first time, the text is pink and says "File delete?", the second it says in hot pink "Delete OK?", and the third it settles on being pure red and says "Are you sure?". And when you do delete it, a second of silence passes by... then the Kirby at the bottom of the save suddenly disappears, the death music playing in the background. In a way, the game treats deleting a save as a way to die in the game. Seriously? This isn't scary.
Super Star Ultra has Masked Dedede at the end of "Revenge of the King", where Dedede goes crazy and sets out for revenge against Kirby for his previous defeats; culminating in attacking him while wearing a metal mask and wielding a upgraded hammer that has various weapons built into it. How can you tell he's snapped? Well, even before the fight, he's sending Mini-Boss after Mini-Boss after Mini-Boss after Mini-Boss in an absolute panic. When he runs out of minibosses, he sends a poor defenseless Waddle Dee after you out of sheer desperation^noteAlthough the Waddle Dee offered to try to stop Kirby, as King Dedede said that they didn't need to do it., after which he suddenly becomes eerily calm. When he begins the fight proper, his equipment is faulty and keeps giving him electric shocks... and he shrugs them off like they're nothing. Also, rocket launchers, a flamethrower, and even the arena itself is electrified — he really means to finish Kirby this time. It's distressing to see a normally Affably Evil villain use such drastic measures. Keep?
- On the other hand, part of the scary factor is taken away because of the Awesome battle theme. It does give the battle a note of furious frenzy however, which is perfectly in tune with what happens in "Revenge of the King". Okay, thank you.
Oh, and Dedede's not the only terrifying part of Revenge of the King; all the enemies are given different sprites. Scarfy is replaced with Anglep, who is a grinning Granny Smith apple when happy, but a laughing red apple corpse-face with empty eye sockets when angry. Would this give you nightmares?
Kabula's surprise appearance in Revenge of the King. Kirby flies to Mt. DeDeDe as exploding cannonballs start flying nearby Kirby and the warp star taking him there. Sure enough, one of them lands on the warp star, destroying it as Kirby falls down to the ground from the sky. Had it not been for the three stars that Kirby collected from the prior bosses to form the Starship, Kirby would have been a goner! FH.
Galacta Knight, without a doubt. He is a badass, like Meta Knight, but Nova's description of him said he "was sealed away for fear his power was too great"; he's a godlike being, who, upon defeat, flies around as if having a seizure before blowing up and having his wings ripped off. Seems like FH.
From "The True Arena", there's the rest area for the Final Four. As if the dead trees and the menacing coliseum in the background — set against an overcast sky with lightning and thick fog — and the window displaying the next boss rendered in a sinister black and crimson against a snarling stone gargoyle face weren't freaky enough, the music could probably be described, actually fittingly, as the "Ruins of Alph radio signal cranked Up To Eleven". It must be heard to be believed. Keep.
Music has been added to a few cutscenes that lacked it in the game, such as when Kirby summoned Nova, only for Marx to promptly steal his wish. The music for this cutscene ^note, dubbed "Marx's Ambition" by the official CD, has three parts (four if you count Nova being summoned as that would technically be the first part of it). The first part emphasizes on his malevolent plan and how he managed to trick Kirby into getting his wish, complete with a Scare Chord as he becomes his boss self and just before it moves onto the second part, which in question is a lot more depressing as Kirby floats helplessly in space until the Starship is formed, starting the third part as it becomes a lot more epic, telling you to "stop Marx's mad plan" (as the game quotes in the pause menu) before he goes too far. Keep.
Did you think Marx from Kirby Super Star was bad? It turns out that he isn't as nightmareish as Ultras final boss: Marx Soul, who is an updated version of Marx, looks more demented and insane than regular Marx, and attacks in a similar attack pattern as Drawcia from Kirby: Canvas Curse (reusing her Paint Barrage and Big Bang attacks). He splits in half to use these attacks, and when you defeat him, he lets out a horrible, ear-bleeding scream as he splits in half, and each half explodes. Does it help that the place you fight him appears to be some sort of void while you stand on multi-colored hexagons? Keep.'
- Speaking of Marx Soul, the introductory video that plays before the fight, showing his creation after Kirby first defeated him is rather... unsettling. It begins with creepy music and a flashback to Marx being exploded with Nova in sepia. Then, we see Marx's limp, discoloured corpse floating in the debris before he absorbs some of Nova's pieces in order to transform into Marx Soul and fly off to seek Kirby. See it here at 0:05-0:43. Keep.
- In the remake's sound test, check out the 347th sound effect... Or if you don't have the game, watch this video. Weak keep.
AREEEEEEEIIIAAAAH...!!!!

Edited by Grotadmorv on Aug 4th 2019 at 4:30:58 AM

The things in my dreams wish they could chase me!

TalesofUnder Not Sherlock Holmes from 1900s England Since: May, 2017 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!

Not Sherlock Holmes

#1516: Aug 3rd 2019 at 8:47:12 PM

I’ve placed Skooks on the cutting list.

“Now! Let us engage in the art of deduction!”

WarJay77 Discarded and Feeling Blue (Troper Knight)

Discarded and Feeling Blue

#1517: Aug 3rd 2019 at 8:48:22 PM

Lil' reminder about that NightmareFuel.Pacific Rim page. I'm not sure what to do with it, since I haven't seen the film, so I'm not the best person to go in and slash away.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

Klavice Since: Jan, 2011

#1518: Aug 3rd 2019 at 9:35:51 PM

I want to set something straight with this thread. Nightmare Fuel is a subjective trope, an audience reaction. Just because you find something incredibly silly or not scary, doesn't mean it wouldn't be for the target audience. Like the Skulltulas from Zelda used to terrify me as a kid.

We can't axe an entire page because you don't think it's scary. Spongebob for example. While some examples are played for laughs, it IS still possible to be afraid of something that's meant to be funny. Case in point Treehouse of Horror and Itchy and Scratchy. They do fucked up crap but it's never not played for laughs so The Simpsons has remained a PG show only being bumped up to PG 13 for really twisted things such as Sideshow Bob performing a face switch with a released convict. Or cannibalism shown on scree. like in Treehouse of Horror 28.

Edited by Klavice on Aug 3rd 2019 at 9:37:15 AM

WarJay77 Discarded and Feeling Blue (Troper Knight)

Discarded and Feeling Blue

#1519: Aug 3rd 2019 at 9:40:51 PM

That isn't what's happening here at all. What we're doing is setting a standard. Say a page contains examples of on-screen murder, spooky ghosts, and...a somewhat-creepy looking spider. The spider example would get axed, as the target audience for the work would likely not find that spider scary if the bar is set so high. On the other hand, that same spider can be scary in a work like Spongebob, as it's something that could scare children.

I've actually said on this thread multiple times that I'm opposed to cutting things just because we don't find them scary. I am however okay with cutting things that aren't scary by the standards of the work and the other examples (or are otherwise problematic, such as being Fridge Horror/speculation, ZCEs, outright admissions that the example isn't scary, etc.)

I agree in principle: don't chop things just because we don't find them scary. However, the pages are about, well, scary things. Things that would scare the work's audience- things that did scare the work's audience. If there's even a shred of evidence that any members of the audience may have found something scary, we typically keep it.

Similarly, I agree that funny things can be scary, but the funny factor shouldn't outweigh the horror. For example, if a work is a black comedy, you'd expect some scary moments sprinkled in that stand out from the rest of the dark jokes, but not everything in the work would be scary as people are far more likely to laugh than to get nightmares- again, taking target audiences into account.

It's really all about the standards set by the works themselves, as what would be scary in one work wouldn't be scary in another.

Edited by WarJay77 on Aug 3rd 2019 at 12:44:25 PM

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

Playing_with_boy Since: Jun, 2018 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

#1520: Aug 4th 2019 at 11:29:05 AM

Found this bad example on YMMV.Auto Tune The News:

Nightmare Fuel: "Bed Intruder" might come across as hilarious, but it's still about a teenage girl nearly raped by a stranger in her own bedroom.
- Not to mention that Antoine Dodson is a rape victim himself.
- The fact that Antoine Dodson himself approves of the song and profits from the song helped to buy him a new house helps lessen this somewhat.

Firstly, emphasis. Secondly, some of the lyrics in the song are: "You [referring to the Bed Intruder] are so dumb. You are really dumb for real," and "I was attacked by some idiot in the projects." And the last line was said/sung by the "teenage girl being nearly raped by a stranger in her bedroom". I rest my case.

TalesofUnder Not Sherlock Holmes from 1900s England Since: May, 2017 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!

Not Sherlock Holmes

#1521: Aug 4th 2019 at 11:32:15 AM

Just because he’s dumb doesn’t make what he’s doing any less terrifying.

“Now! Let us engage in the art of deduction!”

WarJay77 Discarded and Feeling Blue (Troper Knight)

Discarded and Feeling Blue

#1522: Aug 4th 2019 at 11:38:26 AM

The example as written is a bit weird, as I can see it both as being scary and not scary, but the scary part comes from the real world, not the song itself. There's nothing inherently scary about a song about rape (although it's a topic that can certainly make a song scary, don't get me wrong, I just think that these songs can also be pure Black Comedy or, alternatively, Tear Jerker songs).

So, I'm leaning toward cut, solely because the scariness seems to come from real-life and not the song itself.

Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness

AHauntedMind from Manchester Since: Jan, 2019

#1523: Aug 4th 2019 at 11:45:19 AM

Nightmare Fuel/Music has a few that I don't really think qualify:

Japan - "Ghosts." The song is intentionally supposed to be creepy and eerie...but it does it too well. - The song is clearly meant to be sad, not scary. Only way it could be scary if you are adverse to electro music (e.g., think it sounds cold and clinical)

(Depeche Mode) From their debut album, Speak and Spell, there was the song Shout (B - side to New Life), which was a dissonant, echo - y piece that was upbeat without all the echo's, but still sounds very unnerving. - There's nothing scary about any of the songs on DM's first album at all. I promise.

Divine: "I'm So Beautiful" may be one of Divine's lighter songs. But in the album version, the electronic sounds sound slightly more darker than the 7-inch version and you can hear a deep, monstrous, voice shouting "Scream!" and some grunting starting at 5:10. - Not a single piece of Divine's discography is frightening. His stuff is typical Hi-NRG/Synth-Pop, absolutely none of it will scare you, much less give you nightmares. Also, I really should make a page here for Divine sooner or later.