Donald Thompson

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This article is about Donald Thompson from the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. If you are looking for one or more other versions of Donald Thompson, please check the Donald Thompson (disambiguation).

Donald Thompson
Biographical information
Born	Unknown, 1943 (Springwood)
Status	Death (1987)
Gender	Male
Species	Human
Cause of death	Stabbed by Freddy's claws
Killed by	Freddy Krueger
Lifestyle information
Occupation	Sergeant (unknown-1981) Security office (1981-1987)
Family information
Family Members	Nancy Thompson (daughter) † Marge Thompson (ex-wife) †
Appearance
Played by	John Saxon
First appearance	A Nightmare on Elm Street
Final appearance	A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

“	It's really you. I've killed you once before, you son of a bitch.	”
	— Donald to Freddy in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Donald "Don" Thompson is a character that appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

He was the father of Nancy Thompson, the ex-husband of Marge Thompson, and according to a deleted scene from A Nightmare on Elm Street, the father of another child who was murdered by Freddy Krueger before he (Freddy Krueger) was burned to death. He was one of the parents that burned Freddy Krueger to death.

Donald is considered to be the first Nightmare hero. He is the fifth victim of Freddy's third post-death killing spree.

Story

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Donald Thompson probably married Marge in the late 1950s. In 1966, Marge gave birth to their daughter, Nancy, they treated her with royalty. However, in 1968 he and Marge saw how child-murderer, Freddy Krueger, was announced not guilty and participated with other parents in killing him without a trial.

In the early 1970s he and Marge got divorced, and Nancy Thompson stayed with her mother.

At that time Tina Grey, his daughter's friend, was murdered, he arrested Tina's boyfriend Rod Lane as he was the primary suspect. Soon, however, Lane apparently committed suicide in his jail cell. However, his daughter kept on telling him that it was Freddy Krueger who was responsible and that he lived in the dreams of the teenagers.

After the death of Nancy's boyfriend Glen Lantz, Donald Thompson arrived to his house just in front of his daughter's and former wife's house. His daughter phoned him and told him to help her to catch Freddy.

When Donald Thompson saw smoke coming out Nancy's house, he rushed inside. As the police and Donald went upstairs, they saw a burning Freddy trying to strangle Marge Thompson. Donald tried to save her but it was too late and she burned to death. Soon afterwards his daughter ended up in a psychiatric clinic.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Donald is impaled.

Marge's death has impacted on Donald greatly. He became decadent and alcoholic, didn't talk much to his daughter and could hardly do his police duty. By the time his daughter came back to Springwood from the university, he had lost his job at the police department and currently worked as a security guard.

One night, while drinking in a pub, Nancy and Dr. Neil Gordon comes to ask him where Krueger was buried. At first Donald didn't said anything and Nancy rushed to the clinic. However, Dr. Neil Gordon persuades him to take him to the burial site.

Freddy in a form of Donald Thompson

Once the two arrived in a junkyard, Donald leaves Dr. Gordon and attempts to flee, but Neil reveals to Donald he is keeping the car key. The couple then dig up the remains of Freddy. Suddenly Freddy comes to the real world as his skeleton, gets up and attacks Dr. Neil Gordon. Donald Thompson tries to attack Krueger, but is stabbed in the stomach by his bladed claw and raised to the midair. Freddy then throws Donald onto one of the junked cars, a shard impales him right through his heart, killing him. Freddy would later disguise as a form of Donald to kill Nancy in her dream. Right after killing him, Freddy absorbs his soul.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

In The Dream Master, Donald's gravestone is briefly seen beside his daughter's, Kincaid's, Joey's, and Kristen's in a cemetery shortly after the death of Kristen Parker. His soul along with the other souls of Freddy's victims were released when Alice Johnson defeated him.

Personality

Donald cared greatly for his wife and daughter, and remained close to them after their divorce. He shows great love and passion for his daughter, and promises her that he will catch Freddy Krueger after Glen's death in words of comfort, even though he doesn't believe that Freddy survived his physical death.

He falls into depression after his ex-wife's death, and appears to be cold and decadent, but eventually picks up his love for his family and willing to help Dr. Gordon to bury Freddy for good, and attempts to fight against him, which costs his life.

Physical appearance

Donald is introduced to the story as a handsome man with dark chocolate hair, a stocky body, and average height.

Relationships

Marge Thompson

Little is known about the relationship with Marge, however, it is assumed that both married in the late 50s or first half of the 60s, had Nancy in 1966 and divorced in 1970, with Marge retaining custody of their daughter. It is likely that Marge fell into a terrible depression due to the murder of Freddy Krueger, unable to deal with what happened or the secret. According to some of Nancy's journal entries, the arguments between the two were too frequent and therefore they separated.

Despite all this, Donald relapses into the same vice as his ex-wife once Marge is killed by Freddy, he takes refuge in alcohol and loses his job as a sergeant and becomes a security personnel. Donald has probably never stopped loving her.

Nancy Thompson

Despite the separation with his wife and mother of his daughter, Donald never abandoned Nancy, so he was always concerned about his daughter's well-being. For such reasons, he seeks to remedy her situation with her once Nancy and Dr. Neil turn to him for her help, apparently they distanced themselves from her but in the end he decides to continue fighting for her and for Marge's honor.

Other Appearances

After killing Donald and his apparent defeat in dream world, what appears to be the spirit of Donald arrives in the air and says goodbye to Nancy. Nancy hugs what she believes to be her father, only to be stabbed twice in the stomach as "Donald" reveals himself to be Freddy in disguise.

In the Nightmares on Elm Street comic miniseries by Innovation Publishing, set between the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Donald appears; the series reveals that ever since his death, Donald has been trapped in Freddy's realm, constantly tortured by him and unable to ascend to the afterlife. When Freddy enacts a complex scheme to break through to the real world, he forces Donald into working for him, promising to allow him to die completely in exchange for killing Nancy.

Encountering Nancy when she enters Freddy's world, Donald, on the verge of tears and begging for forgiveness for all he's done and what he is going to do, shoots her in the head. Donald's attempt at killing Nancy fails, due to her having become a being similar to Freddy; despite his attack on her, Nancy forgives Donald and finally ends his suffering by using her power to free him of Freddy's hold and allow him to ascend, after he leads her to Freddy's central lair.

Trivia

• Donald is considered to be the first Nightmare hero, although he never confronted Freddy in the Dream World.
• Donald is the first character to survive in his first film, but die in his second film.
• Because Marge's death has impacted Donald greatly and had him became decadent and alcoholic and could hardly do his police duty, it is possible that he was still in love with Marge.

Quotes

• (To Nancy): "Fred Kreuger is dead. You've always had such a hard time understanding that."
• (To Nancy): "There's an unsolved murder and I hate unsolved murders, especially ones that my daughter is mixed up in. What are *you* doing here?"
• (To Neil): "I don't think we've ever met, friend. This doesn't concern you."
• (To Nancy): "It was good seeing you again, princess. Next time, don't stay away so long."
• (To Nancy): "I've crossed over, princess."
• (To Nancy): "I couldn't go without telling you how sorry I am for all the things I've done. I love you so much. I'll always love you."