Donald Thompson was a character that appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street and A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Warriors. He was the father of Nancy Thompson, and the ex-husband of Marge Thompson. 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 killing spree.
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 he will catch Freddy Krueger after Glen's death in words of comfort even he doesn't believe in Freddy's existence.
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.
History[]
Background[]
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 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.
A Nightmare on Elm Street[]
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 prison 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.
Dream Warriors[]
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 university, he had lost his job at the police department and currently works 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.
Last stand and Death []
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 the skeleton gets up and attacks Dr. Neil Gordon. Donald Thompson tries to attack the skeleton of 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.
Other Appearances[]
After killing Donald and his apparent defeat in dream world, a spirit of Donald arrives in the air and says goodbye to Nancy. Nancy hugs 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 ascend to the afterlife. When Freddy inacts 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 has never confronted Freddy in dream world.
- Donald is the first character to survive in his first film, but dies in his second film.