Chucky/Charles Lee Ray (Child's Play)
Chucky (or as a human;Charles Lee Ray, alternatively also dubbed The Lakeshore Strangler) first appeared on screens in 1988, in the first of what became a series of films; Child's Play. Five movies have followed the original and a sixth if planned, this is evidence that Chucky is a successful horror villain, rarely does a character continue for so many years.
"Chucky" is born when Charles takes a fatal shot from a pursuing detective, however, before his life ends, Charles manages to transfer his soul into a "Good Guy" doll, meaning he lives on. The good guy dolls have a preset number of phrases, one of which causes them to say their name, the doll which Charles becomes is called Chucky. From this point, Charles (further known as simply Chucky), only longs to be human once again, a selfish desire that he will stop at nothing to get, the only catch is that he can only possess the first person he told that he was not really a living doll and since Good Guy dolls are a popular toy, it should be easy to possess a child, or at least it seemed.
The reason that Chucky makes such a fearful character throughout his series of films is mostly due to his indestructible quality, we see him defeated time and time again, yet he finds a way to live on, through a single limb or being repaired to his original state. It is very difficult to fully stop Chucky's killing spree and this is a part of his character.
Dolls, puppets and odd looking children's toys are common fears, and so this also contributes alot to the fear factor of Chucky. Add the fact that not only is the doll itself slightly creepy looking, but that it is possessed by a murderous criminal and it begins to sum up into a classic horror character. Chucky also gets progressively more gruesome between films, originally he looks like any other Good Guy doll, but over time he gains scars and stitches with a steady loss of hair.
The reason that Chucky makes such a fearful character throughout his series of films is mostly due to his indestructible quality, we see him defeated time and time again, yet he finds a way to live on, through a single limb or being repaired to his original state. It is very difficult to fully stop Chucky's killing spree and this is a part of his character.
Dolls, puppets and odd looking children's toys are common fears, and so this also contributes alot to the fear factor of Chucky. Add the fact that not only is the doll itself slightly creepy looking, but that it is possessed by a murderous criminal and it begins to sum up into a classic horror character. Chucky also gets progressively more gruesome between films, originally he looks like any other Good Guy doll, but over time he gains scars and stitches with a steady loss of hair.
Chucky is not only successful as a horror character because of his fear factor, his personality also plays a huge part. He as a character is very likeable, he makes dark jokes and comments frequently, almost making the films seem like comedies. As the series progresses, the films also appear to become lighter too, leaving more room for comedy. This change is seen heavily between Child's Play 3 and Seed of Chucky.
The result of his popularity has been 6 (currently released) films and remakes of the originals already in progress. Alongside the films came a mass of merchandise when he was at his peak, yet it is still easy to find a Chucky doll or related items online and any horror collector would be lost without one.
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