Freddy Krueger, On The Prowl

Freddy Krueger still lives on Elm Street. And wider. The man dressed in a striped, classic red-green sweater, a green hat on his head and his scorched face; he still does what he knows best - he haunts and frightens people.

Wes Craven’s teenage killer has been declared the ultimate horror villain in a recent poll published in SFX Magazine.

"Freddy Krueger was a massive pop culture phenomenon in the '80s, but the results of this poll prove that his appeal still endures two decades on", says Ian Berriman, editor of the magazine.

Freddy Krueger is a fictional character in Craven’s movie, “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, an undead serial killer who kills teenagers in their dreams. Apart from the burned face that makes him gruesome, his trademark is a glove with sharp steak knives attached to it.

Robert Englund portrayed Freddy in the original movie and all seven sequels that followed. Another one is currently being worked on at Wes Craven’s workshop; starring Jackie Earle Haley as the striped sweater killer.

The original movie saw the light of day back in 1984 in which Freddy haunted Johnny Depp. The reason why Depp got the role had nothing to do with his acting skills; on the contrary, the producer’s daughter thought he was “dreamy”.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” is a movie that leaves you breathless. The coldness of Michael Myers couldn’t take Freddy’s crown in this poll. The Halloween monstrous killer is stuck on the third place, followed by Dracula.

"He's one the few monsters of the modern era who can be ranked alongside greats like Dracula as a true horror icon for all time", added Berriman.

Hellraiser’s Pinhead is tightly holding his second place, Candyman is fifth. The appalling appearance of the brain eater, Hannibal Lecter holds position number 6, Jason Vorhees from Friday The 13th follows. The last three positions belong to Jigsaw, Sadako (Ring) and the frightening Stephen King’s clown -Pennywise (It).