11 Fictional Characters That Caused Real-World Harm
Fictional works allow us to explore all kinds of worlds from the safety of our couches. We’re really hoping the words “fictional” and “safety” stuck out in that sentence, because in some unsettling cases, crossing the line between reality and fiction led to horrific consequences.
We've all heard about the dark side of fandoms. The personal security industry is booming because of it. Those obsessed superfans latched on to a celebrity and felt like they just needed to be a part of their lives. A superfan latching onto a fictional character is an obsession like no other. We’d like to hope they’ve chosen a heroic character and are now out there helping the cause, but for whatever reason, these people were captivated by the bad guys.
Even if the fictional story is particularly gruesome, the creator isn’t some dastardly villain hoping their fans will take their work and run with it. So everybody calm down and just keep chompin’ chips on the couch! Don’t be like these 11 do-badders who were inspired by fictional characters to cause real-world harm.
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Dexter was the protagonist… Not the “good guy.”
“Slender Man made me do it.”
John Lennon
Yeah, in your dreams, Daniel.
Saw Copycat
Police brutality on a whole new level.
![GRACKED NATHANIEL WHITE: THE ROBOCOP KILLER. ] The serial killer told the police. I seen him cut somebody's throat, then take the knife and slit down the chest to the stomach and left the body in a certain position. With the first person I killed I did exactly what I saw in the movie.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/9/1/899491.jpg)
Chucky inspired an unspeakable act.
This Ghostface Killah had no affiliation with the Wu-Tang Clan.
A somehow even more tragic version of Romeo & Juliet.
This must’ve hurt Keanu Reeves deeply.
“Are you talking to me through the movie screen?”
