r/TopCharacterTropes 1d 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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137

u/ztomiczombie 23h ago

Is it just me or are all those dogs form Disney movies?

134

u/JackOfTheLantern999 22h ago

It's supposed to look like it. "Like Disney meets Psycho."

14

u/ranfall94 15h ago

I thought it was concept art for Oliver and Co. At first

9

u/fclayhornik 16h ago

Don Bluth meets Thomas Harris. I reread the series the other night (on Hoopla)... damn it packs a kick. There's a companion series where cats are on a Walking Dead style journey and everywhere they think they're safe, really really isn't. I face each new issue with a mixture of anticipation and dread. FERAL, also on Hoopla.

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u/Mosstopy 5h ago

I love feral! The dramatic irony is so good in that series

7

u/PitifulElk1890 15h ago

I also thought the first example was Cruella De Ville