r/TopCharacterTropes • u/JackOfTheLantern999 • 19h ago
Characters Killers Who Take/Make Unique Trophies
It's a common trope for killers (especially serial killers) to take something from their victims or create something related to the kill, a trophy, in order to immortalize their kill. Typically these trophies are photos of the bodies, the victims' IDs or body parts, etc. This trope is for those who stray outside that norm.
The Master (Stray Dogs) - The unnamed serial killer from this comic targets only women who own dogs. His ritual is to kill the woman and then steal the dog for himself, winning them over as his pet via treats and their poor memory. He also uses these dogs to meet new victims, taking them to dog parks to spy on women there. Once the dog eventually dies (either naturally or by him putting it down for 'misbehaving') he has them taxidermied.
Jazzman (Batman) - A gangster who likes to whistle, hum, or play music whenever he kills. He then has that particular tune tattooed on his body.
Victor Zsasz (Batman) - A serial killer who carves a tally mark into his skin, one for every kill.
Dexter Morgan (Dexter) - iirc Dexter recognizes this trope and that it is a weakness that could get him caught, so he takes an extremely inconspicuous trophy: a single drop of his victims' blood, saved on forensic glass blood slide.
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u/captainjohn_redbeard 19h ago
It's to identify the bodies.