Invictus Maneo/Freddy Krueger

**“**Come to Freddy.**”**
— Invictus Maneo selection quip
**Freddy Krueger** is the living spirit of a serial killer who invades the dreams of his victims to murder them there, primarily through usage of a gloved hand outfitted with dirty razors, which in turn murders them in reality. Originally a serial killer of children, he would get burned to death by his victims' parents, rendering him into a vengeful and angry spirit. He is commonly depicted as a sadistic, heartless monster who can only be made vulnerable if he's pulled into reality, where one can hope for his eventual defeat.

Freddy Krueger originates from the 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street, and his home stage is Elm Street.

## Fighter Info

### Basics

Freddy Krueger is a middleweight character who can easily dominate the battlefield if allowed, given his great offensive utility and formidable agility. Having menacing range and even a handful of mild projectiles, it can be very difficult to overcome Freddy for players who don't know him all that well.

Freddy Krueger's claws can rack up a lot of damage quickly thanks to his great frame data and their range, as such many of his attacks connect together pretty well. Both variations of Freddy's down tilt have him erupt blades from the ground, which can be in front of him (light) or a distance away (heavy), giving him some method of control. He can also throw his gloves in his dash attack and down air. Freddy is notorious for his down throw, where he dunks himself and his foe in a volcanic geyser and deals a lot of damage to them, albeit the throw itself has no KO potential. In his up air, Freddy Krueger unleashes some souls from his hand that can juggle heavier targets, which is also true for his up tilts though the heavy variation is better used to KO his targets. Lastly, Freddy Krueger's forward throw makes for a good combo set-up.

He certainly isn't perfect, however. Freddy Krueger's grab is pitifully short-ranged and none of his throws have KO potential, he takes more damage than most characters unless Child's Ploy is in play, and his heavy tilts are his only truly reliable kill moves.

### Specials

* **Special A: Krueger Rush**
Freddy Krueger will hold his knife-fitted glove back before thrusting forward. It's predictable and easy to punish, but if he lands it, he'll puncture their chest before swiping across their face as he moves past them. This move deals an absurd amount of damage, like a Warlock Punch.
* **Special B: Devil's Thorn**
Freddy Krueger will hold his gloved hand against the ground before having it shoot out in front of him, launching foes high up vertically if he hits them from below. The longer the player holds down the command, the further his hand will travel. Very predictable and easy to guard against.
* **Special C: Hell Shift**
Freddy Krueger will disappear in a blazing inferno before popping up somewhere else, dealing damage to foes as he leaves and re-enters the battlefield. Though the move can have Freddy Krueger pass through the ground, it cannot grab to ledges, so the player should keep Freddy close to the stage.
* **Special D: Child's Ploy**
Freddy Krueger summons a half-corpse of a child. For as long as it's up, Freddy Krueger will have more defense than most characters as opposed to less, as he gains power from their fear. He can have up to two out at a time, and can only summon one if it's been 10 seconds since one spawned.
* **Showstopper: Krueger Nightmare**
Freddy Krueger will summon a large furnace akin to the one that was used to kill him, throwing his foe inside it if he catches them with his blade glove. He will appear inside the furnace with them, sinking them down to Hell to deal colossal damage to them before the foe returns to battle.