Fred "Freddy" Krueger is a fictional character created by Wes Craven, and is the main antagonist and a killer from the slasher film series A Nightmare on Elm Street. When he was burned to death in 1971 by the citizens of Springwood, he was offered the spot as "Dream Killer" from the demons who live in the depths of hell. He uses this new career of his to his advantage to murder the children of his killers in their dreams.