Since 1984, Robert Englund has been the man of everyone’s nightmares. Freddy Krueger is one of the most infamous faces in horror, accompanied by his trusty knife glove. Krueger was brought to life by director Wes Craven, who reportedly saved New Line Cinema with the success of A nightmare on Elm Street. According to slash movie, New Line had been struggling for a while and Nightmare went on to earn $57 million at the box office. New Line Cinema would later be known as ‘The House That Freddy Built’.
There is no doubt that the first A nightmare on Elm Street is the scariest of the franchise. As the sequels progressed, Freddy became less and less threatening. The once feared child killer would soon be a wisecracking sleep demon trying to make you laugh for a gruesome murder. That’s not to say the franchise doesn’t host some of the best slasher kills in horror, though. Here are Freddy’s top six murders in the A nightmare on Elm Street franchisee.
6/6 Greta Gibson – A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
Greta Gibson, played by Erika Anderson, may not be a household name in the Nightmare franchise like Nancy Thompson, and yet her death is one of the most memorable of the sequels. The fifth part of the franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, tries to show Freddy using a pregnant teen’s unborn baby as a conduit to penetrate her boyfriend’s dreams, and unfortunately for Greta, she becomes Freddy’s second victim. In Greta’s dream, she is sitting at a large dining table, where Freddy is the overly attentive server. Krueger reveals that the food on the platter is actually Greta in doll form. He forced her to feed the doll’s human organs until her face swelled with food, eventually suffocating her. A nightmare on Elm Street 5 may not be the most notable in the franchise, but it certainly ranks fairly as far as Greta’s death is concerned.
5/6 Taryn White – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
For many, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is one of the best in the franchise. The third episode saw the return of the last girl Nancy Thompson (reprised by Heather Langenkamp), who works to help the new generation of “dream warriors” fighting Freddy. Taryn White, played by Jennifer Rubin, is a patient at Westin Hills Asylum and one of the teenagers who faces Krueger. Taryn finds herself at the shelter after attempting suicide due to her drug addiction. Unfortunately for her, Freddy uses the battle she has won against her. In her dream, Taryn transforms herself into a street fighter with switchblades. Freddy’s gauntlet changes from knives to needles, and after an unfair fight, Taryn meets her doom, easily making it one of the most brutal deaths in the franchise.
4/6 Jennifer Caulfield – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Jennifer Caulfield, played by Penelope Sudrow, was at Westin Hills Asylum Dream warriors. Her dream was to become a Hollywood actress, and while she was in Westin Hills, she would sneak into the recreation room to watch TV. One night like so many others, Jennifer falls asleep, but this time Freddy is greeted by Freddy when he appears on a TV show. As she approaches the TV set, two robotic arms emerge from the sides and grab her. Shortly after, Freddy’s head pops out of the top of the set and then Jennifer’s head smashes through the screen. Dream Warriors sets a different tone for the franchise, as it is the first film to really show Freddy’s comedic side. According to screen raging, the iconic “Welcome to primetime” line Krueger delivers just before he killed Jennifer was completely improvised by Robert Englund.
3/6 Tina Gray – A Nightmare on Elm Street
Wes Craven set the tone with 1984’s A nightmare on Elm Street, making horror not only one of its most notable villains, but also a beloved last girl whose legacy has stood the test of time. Craven’s first film is by far the most gruesome and gruesome in the franchise, seeing Krueger more as a menacing killer than a predator that likes to play with its food. Tina Gray, played by Amanda Wyss, is Freddy’s first victim in both the film and the franchise as a whole. Due to a nightmare she had the night before, Tina asks her friends and boyfriend to stay at home with her while her mother is not at home. However, no one can save her from Freddy. As Tina floats off the bed, her friend Rod (played by Jsu Garcia) watches in horror until she finally falls to the floor. Still, Freddy isn’t done with her yet. Later, he uses an image of her in a body bag to lure Nancy (played by Heather Langenkamp) to his boiler room.
2/6 Phillip Anderson – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors has a hefty pile of some of the best Krueger kills, and Phillip Anderson’s is one that can easily make you squirm. Phillip, played by Bradley Gregg, literally becomes Freddy’s puppet when his arms and legs are cut open so Freddy can use his tendons as strings. As Phillip walks toward his doom, Freddy can be seen pulling the string from above. When he’s done, Freddy cuts the tendon-bound strings and drops Phillip out of a window, to his death, making it look like he jumped. Puppeteer Freddy gets extra creative with this kill.
1/6 Glen Lantz – A Nightmare on Elm Street
Glen Lantz, played by Johnny Depp, goes home after seeing his girlfriend Nancy, but falls asleep on his bed with the TV on his lap. Freddy’s arm comes out from under the mattress to pull Glen under, resulting in an absolute carnage. About 500 gallons of fake blood and an upside-down chamber were involved in delivering one of the most memorable scenes in the franchise. Still, it turns out that the Glen’s death would take longer, but Craven had to cut the scene due to its horrific nature. Glen had to emerge from the blood-covered mattress again before falling limp on the bed, which made it all the more terrifying.