Damien Leone's modern slasher threequel demonic clown Art became an international phenomenon. Art's disturbing personal mix of sadism and silent comedy is made even more terrifying by his apparent immortality, as he's "died" multiple times, only to return even deadlier.

However, another major franchise may contain clues not only about the true nature of Art and his acolyte Vicky, but also about how to kill the clown permanently. Many iconic slashers have been effectively immortal, but none have had a nemesis like the unique Sienna Shaw, as Art does. Terrifier 3 put the two on a collision course for a third, and potentially final, showdown. If the hints from the Terrifier franchise about the setting of their clash are to be believed, it strengthens the argument that Damien Leone may have even been inspired by another franchise when creating Art.

Art And Vicky Sound An Awful Lot Like Dungeons And Dragons Demons

Art And Vicky's Tendencies Align With The Demon Race Of The Dungeons And Dragons RPG

Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game that has inspired countless other iterations and references throughout movies and television since its creation in 1971. The open-ended game involves players taking control of a character from traditional fantasy lore and making decisions to progress through an adventure across a fictional setting. The incredibly expansive set of rules, characters, and settings includes many kinds of monsters and other nefarious creatures, and some of the most evil are the race of fiends known as the demons.

The personality traits and behavior of both Art the Clown and his demon-possessed follower Vicky align with those of Dungeons and Dragons demons to an incredible degree. Demons are beings of unimpeachable evil who exist to spread chaos and pain. The DnD game supplement manual known as the Demonomicon by Mike Mearls notes that demons actually find killing itself to be boring, and instead wish to cause as much pain as possible in the process. Art famously draws out his kills to extend the suffering, and has even literally rubbed salt and bleach in open wounds to cause more pain.

Demons also seek mortal souls to corrupt to create more demons, another aspect that aligns with Art and Vicky. Art ultimately creates the mentally unstable Victoria Heyes by eating her face in the first Terrifier, ultimately opening her up to be possessed by The Little Pale Girl demon. The possessed Vicky then seeks to invade the body and mind of the captured Sienna Shaw during the climactic showdown of Terrifier 3, although she's unable to thanks to Sienna's own benevolent power. Art's chaotic and sadistic nature makes him seem like a DnD demon, meaning similar rules might govern his existence.

Vicky's Blood Is A Major Clue About Terrifier's Dungeons And Dragons Connections

The Resulting Mess From Vicky's Death Further Indicates Her Similarities

During the final showdown of Terrifier 3, Sienna is able to once again triumph over the demonic entities that torment her, impaling Art and decapitating Vicky with her father's blessed sword. While Art manages to escape yet again, Vicky doesn't survive her beheading, and what appears to be black blood pours from her open neck. The blood begins to bubble and steam slightly, and before long a portal is opened in the floor where her blood had pooled. That portal appears to lead directly to Hell itself, and both Sienna's cousin Gabbie and her magic sword fall into the pit.

Vicky's glowing yellow eyes are the key physical indicator that she has been possessed by The Little Pale Girl, along with the voice-changing trick she uses to trick Sienna's uncle (which The Little Pale Girl used in Terrifier 2).

That black blood is eerily reminiscent of a substance in Dungeons and Dragons lore known as "demon ichor". Per the DnD adventure Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus, demon ichor is a combination of blood and other viscera from a dead demon. The substance is found in abundance in the first level of the Dungeons and Dragons Nine Hells, Avernus, and can be used to enhance weapons in addition to being a key component of some rituals. If Vicky's blood was actually a parallel to demon ichor, that could explain why it was able to open the portal to Hell.

Terrifier's 9th Circle Connects To The Dungeons And Dragons Universe

A Key Iteration Of The RPG's Underworld Is Known As "The Nine Hells"

The aforementioned Nine Hells of Baator, often shortened to the Nine Hells, is the home to a race of fiends known as the devils. Devils are not to be confused with the race of demons, their arch-nemeses in the long-standing Blood War from DnD lore. Devils can be killed in other realms, but they will respawn in the Nine Hells in that case. The Nine Hells are clearly inspired by Inferno, the first section of Italian poet Dante Alighieri's epic 14th-century poem that outlines the nine different levels of Hell, and what kind of sinners are punished on each layer.

In the short film The 9th Circle, Art's first appearance, Art serves as a literal servant of Satan, and baits a young woman into the clutches of a Satanic cult that summons him to torment her.

Art the Clown has his own connections to the Nine Circles of Hell; Art's first appearance actually came in Damien Leone's short film titled The 9th Circle. In the short, Art serves as a literal servant of Satan, and baits a young woman into the clutches of a Satanic cult that summons him to torment her. With that connection the Ninth Circle of Hell already in place, it stands to reason that there could be a connection to DnD's Nine Hells given the other commonalities between the fiends of the RPG fantasy world and Art the Clown.

Dungeons And Dragons Lore May Reveal How To Kill Art Once And For All

Specific Conditions Are Required To Truly Kill A Dungeons And Dragons Demon

Art the Clown shares characteristics of both demons and devils from Dungeons and Dragons lore, which further s the notion that the RPG franchise may have served as a mild inspiration for Art's creator, Damien Leone, as opposed to a literal translation. Art's connection to the 9th Circle of Hell and the book tease at the end of Terrifier 3 all but screams that he and Sienna are headed to Hell in Terrifier 4. If Sienna manages to kill him there, then he may be gone for good, which would align with what happens with devils in Dungeons and Dragons.

Sienna will certainly need to recover her magic sword, but given that she's decapitated and impaled him with it on Earth to essentially no effect, something will need to change to get rid of the demon clown once and for all. The setting in which he's killed could be the difference-maker, and if that comes to , then it would be another point in favor of the connections between Dungeons and Dragons and the Terrifier franchise. Terrifier 3 laid more of the groundwork ing that theory, and even more evidence seems likely for Terrifier 4.

Source: Forgotten Realms