#image_title
While the fantasy genre leans into many things such as action and adventure, it has a number of darker elements that serve as a sharp contrast to its lighter counterparts. These elements help make the genre fascinating since they enable creators to craft stories that they otherwise couldn’t with the light. One of these sinister elements is that of the fantasy undead.
The genre is rich in the undead from the Inferi in Harry Potter to the Redeads and Gibdos in The Legend of Zelda. These monsters all have similar characteristics that distinguish them from all the others across the genre. For instance, they all have a sickly appearance that highlights how their life has been drained out of them.
Despite their skeletal-like appearance, the fantasy undead harbors an array of powers that instills fear in even the most courageous warrior. Powers such as leeching the life off the living make them among the most dangerous foes to face in battle. They ever desire to add to their ranks and will go out of their way to siphon the lives off all mortals who dare venture into their territory.
As servants of the darkness, the undead call specific locales in the world home. They are especially fond of areas that receive little to no light, which isn’t surprising considering they abhor light. Places like cemeteries or caves are excellent sites for them to lurk where they can survive for a long time without ever seeing a human.
This is article number thirteen in the fantasy creatures series. For more, go to our blog page where you have many wonderful articles for you to peruse through at your leisure!
The horror elements of the genre wouldn’t be complete without the undead. In fact, they make it memorable. Who could ever forget spelunking through both the Bottom of the Well and Shadow Temple dungeons in The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time where they had to battle scores of Redeads, Gibdos, and the mini-boss Dead Hand, the source of nightmare fuel for many children back in the late 1990s?
Should you endeavor to make your own fantasy undead, there are several things you need to know. Firstly, they must have a sickly appearance or at least look unhealthy. Consider the Redeads in Zelda. These walking corpses are so thin you might think they suffered from malnourishment. However, that skeletal appearance only reinforces the notion that they are monsters not to be trifled with.
If there is one element that truly makes the undead shine, it would be their face. Some have hollowed out or sunken eyes wholly devoid of life whereas others have only eye-sockets and yet oddly are able to see without having eyes. Their noses have either vanished or have just two little holes denoting where they once stood. Their mouths have dry lips with or without blisters or just are slits denoting them, making them even scarier.
Another aspect of the undead is that they have a twisted appearance. It could be a deformed face, which is a common characteristic among them, or missing appendages such as hands or ears. This adds to their gravitas and distinguishes them from the world of the living in that they don’t rely on them since they are neither dead nor alive.
Some fantasy undead creatures have dry blood on their bodies, which makes them even more horrifying than anything else could. It could be from feasting from their last kill or these spots existed before they became undead. Due to the passage of time, these blood spots have become so engrained on their skin that they cannot ever be washed off.
The undead is among the most deadliest monsters to face in battle. It boasts a horrific array of powers, all of which are designed to give it an advantage when facing a foe. Thought it may move slow like a snail, its powers surpass those of many other monsters, both living and dead.
One power all fantasy undead have is the ability to leech the life out of the living. How it does it vary from world to world but most of the time, it relies on its mouth to literally drain the life off its hapless victims. Gorging on their lives nourishes it and makes it stronger than before, increasing the threat they pose to the world of the living.
Another deadly power they wield is to immobilize their foes in place by simply staring at them. When their eyes lock with that of their enemy, they make them unable to move, allowing them to move closer where they can then attempt to kill them. How long they remain in place is influenced by their power; the more powerful they are, the longer they are stuck in position, giving the undead more time to take their target out.
The fantasy undead is notably fond of using their bodies to strangle their opponent. Take the Redeads and Gibdos from Zelda. When they get in position, they instantly wrap themselves around Link and try to throttle him to death. Only those with great courage can throw them off and seize the offensive against the walking corpses.
There are some undead that can summon even more of their brethren. These sorcerers rely on necromancy to resurrect the dead, swelling their ranks. They mainly use them to guard the places they consider their dwelling such as cemeteries or tombs against intruders and those who mean them harm.
Where might one find the undead, if one is compelled to look, if out of macabre curiosity? There are certain locales in an imaginary world where they can be found though it is not 100% guaranteed. Where they appear depends on the world and where their creator placed them.
One area that they call home across many imaginary worlds is the tombs. As the resting places of people who lived and died throughout the ages, they are the perfect place for the undead to roam. They come to life through a myriad of means and most of the time, they do so in order to protect the catacombs from looters and other intruders.
The fantasy undead also has a strong association with cemeteries — no surprise there — making these sites excellent places to harbor them. However, they do not appear during the daytime, choosing only to come out of the ground when the sun has set and night has descended upon the landscape. They groan and wail as they walk around the graves until the first light of the new day begins to creep in and then they instantly disappear underground.
As beings who despise the light, the walking corpses prefer areas far removed from them. Caves, temples, and dungeons are just several locales where they reside. Their purpose is the same as that of the tombs: to guard against outsiders, notably those who seek treasure.
When darkness reigns supreme, the fantasy undead are more emboldened than ever, appearing in far more places than they did previously due to ceaseless gray skies that blot out the light. They can move in cities and drive out the living, show up in fields and terrorize all travelers, and even take control of forests and drain all their vim and vigor.
Many stories and worlds feature the undead in some capacity. As a servant of darkness, their mission is to hinder the protagonist’s efforts in saving the world by instilling fear in the populace and making it difficult for them to muster up enough courage to face them head-on. When push comes to shove, they will enter the battle against the hero and deploy all their powers in an effort to prevent him from succeeding against the forces of evil.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. (Note: this is an account-exclusive feature).
If you don’t have one, you can register here. It only takes a few moments of your time!
Liked this article and want to subscribe? All you have to do is fill out the form below and that’s it!
Thanks for reading this and until the next time,
Sunfire
Subscribing means you receive:
You can always unsubscribe anytime.
CONTENTS Introduction The fantasy genre takes many cues from the real world, allowing creators to…
CONTENTS The Premise All kinds of beings dwell in imaginary worlds, many based off on…
CONTENTS Overview When constructing an imaginary world for the first time, there are a lot…
CONTENTS Introduction The fantasy genre is replete with many beasts, all of which captivate the…
CONTENTS The Premise The fantasy genre is known for taking real world ideas and exploring…
CONTENTS Overview There are as many monstrous creatures as there are fantasy worlds. Nearly all…
This website uses cookies.