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Will Stanton was a character in the film, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. He was a patient at the Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital who had lost his ability to walk (presumably because of Freddy Krueger) and was one of the Dream Warriors. His dream power was becoming the "Wizard Master," which gave him magical power.
Will was the fourth to fall victim to Freddy Krueger during his third post-death killing spree.
Biography[]
Personality[]
Despite losing his ability to walk, which was presumably because of Freddy, Will was idealistic, kind and affable. He also appeared to be more outgoing and talkative than most of his fellow patients apart from Phillip Anderson. He had a passion for role playing games and imagined himself as the "Wizard Master" in his dreams.
History[]
Background[]
His parents, along with many others in Springwood, Ohio, cornered released child murderer Freddy Krueger and burned him to death in his boiler room. Because of this, Freddy targeted Will for revenge and began tormenting him in his nightmares. Will was left disabled in an accident, possibly a result of being traumatized by Freddy Krueger. Roland Kincaid said that Will "took a jump," so the implication is that he tried to commit suicide. Whether this was his own doing or if it was Freddy trying to kill him and make it look like an accident is not clear. Will was then committed to Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital along with several other kids from Elm Street who had been having similar nightmares.
Dream Warriors[]
Nancy Thompson came to Westin Hills to attempt to help the remaining Elm Street Children. She met Will in group therapy, where Will referred to his disability as an "accident." It was implied by Taryn White and Roland Kincaid, however, that Will caused spinal injury to himself while attempting suicide.
I am Wizard Master! Will uses his dream powers
One night, while playing a role playing game with Joey Crusel and Taryn White, they are interrupted by Max who told them to go to sleep. Will and Joey argued over first watch while the other slept with Joey getting the assignment. Later, Will was awakened by Joey, who witnessed fellow patient Philip Anderson at the balcony, appearing as if he might jump. They and the other children helplessly watch Phillip leap to his death. The next day, Will revealed to everyone he saw Phillip's horrified face before he fell. However, this event was considered as a suicide by the doctors.
Due to the severity of the situation, Neil Gordon agreed to allow Nancy to talk to the children about Freddy Krueger. Although they doubted her at first, when she described Freddy to them, they realized that she knew she was telling the truth. Neil Gordon then induced a hypnosis session in order to help the patients discover their dream powers. In his dreams, Will was able to walk and he also became the Wizard Master; the dungeon master position in his role playing game, imbued with magical powers.
Due to Joey being trapped in the Dream World by Freddy, Neil and Nancy were fired from Westin Hills. When Kristen Parker protested this, she was sedated and put in the quiet room. Will and the other children contacted Nancy to warn her. Nancy returned to Westin Hills and induced a second hypnosis session in order to fight Freddy one last time.
Death[]
Will clawed in chest
Freddy separated all of the Dream Warriors almost immediately upon them entering the Dream World. Will found himself standing at the end of a tunnel, with Freddy on the opposite end. Freddy had a torturous looking wheelchair and he sent it after Will, mocking Will's ability to walk saying "When you wake up in reality, back you go!" Will donned his Wizard Master robes and used a spell to destroy the demonic wheelchair.
Freddy appeared shocked at Will's power. Will then cast the demon banishment spell from his Wizard Master game: "In the name of Lowrek, Prince of Elves, demon, begone!" The spell appeared to hurt Freddy and Will confidently charged at him. Freddy, however, had merely feigned being hurt by the spell. He grabbed a shocked Will, lifted him in the air and told Will: "Sorry, kid, I don't believe in fairy tales." Freddy then stabbed Will in the heart with his glove, killing him.
After Death[]
It is revealed that Freddy absorbs the souls of his victims, and he opens his sweater and 4 faces are on it, Will, Taryn, Jennifer Caulfield, and Phillip. At the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Alice Johnson successfully vanquishes Freddy and releases the souls of his victims into the gate of good dreams, among them is Will.
Other Appearances[]
In the innovation comic series detailing the events between the 5th & 6th films, Will appears donning his Wizard Master outfit, he and the other Dream Warriors assist Neil Gordon in a special neutral dream helping temporarily defeat Freddy. Will details that Freddy has assistance from an unknown source (the Dream Demons) and that he may never be able to die permanently.
In the last few pages of the Wildstorm comic series of Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, Will is among the resurrected victims of Freddy that were released by Alice Johnson after her death. Will is able to magically smite many of the skeletal warriors with his magical prowess. He is soon thrown back into the dream world along with the other Dream Warriors.
Will is a playable character in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1989 DOS/C64 Video Game) alongside the other Dream Warriors Nancy, Kincaid, Kristen and Taryn. He uses magic in the game.
See also[]
Will Stanton at the Horror Film wiki.
Sources[]
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