Freddy Krueger

Movie villain Freddy Krueger is the wise-cracking central character in the movie franchise started by filmmaker Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Krueger's costume is a cruddy fedora, a red-and-charcoal striped sweater and, most importantly, a leather glove with razor claws attached to the fingers. He has the supernatural ability to visit the dreams of others -- usually teenagers -- and commit violent acts that simultaneously occur in the real world. The success of the original film led to several sequels and a variety of merchandise, from action figures to Nike shoes. Krueger, played by actor Robert Englund, appears in 8 films all told: A Nightmare on Elm Street; Freddy's Revenge (1985); Dream Warriors (1987); The Dream Master (1988); The Dream Child (1989); Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991); New Nightmare (1994); and Freddy vs. Jason (2003, with the villain from the Friday the 13th series of horror films).

Extra credit: Young Johnny Depp has a small role in the original movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street.