From Billy the Puppet of the Saw franchise to Annabelle in the Conjuring series, killer dolls are big Hollywood horror hits. However, it’s undeniable that Child’s Play’s Chucky takes the cake on the list. So how did Chucky turn into a doll?
Lock your doors and turn on your lights as we revisit Chucky’s origin story!
How Did Charles Lee Ray Turn Into Chucky?
In the canon Child’s Play franchise, detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon) was in hot pursuit of a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif), aka The Lakeshore Strangler. Wounded and tired, the serial killer ducked into a toy store for refuge.
Unwilling to die, he performed a voodoo ritual to transfer his consciousness to a Good Guy Doll. Although a normal doll, Chucky became a killer doll as Charles Lee Ray’s consciousness and murderous intent reside in it. [1]
How Chucky Got His Powers
When fleeing to the toy store, Charles Lee Ray took the nearest object at his disposal and used the Heart of Damballa to transfer his soul. Thus, Charles Lee Ray, aka the Lakeshore Strangler, manifested into the doll.
The serial killer learned voodoo from John Aelsop Bishop. Chucky begins his killing spree by making Andy Barclay his patsy when he was sold to Karen Barclay from a back alley. Afterward, his animosity spread to the rest of the movies.
Read: How Tall Is Chucky Doll?
Chucky’s Evil Powers
Strong Command Of Voodoo Magic
He learned how to transfer souls from his voodoo instructor John Bishop. Charles Lee Ray’s doll-form bled when Mike Norris shot him, so the killer doll asked Bishop’s help. When the latter refused, he died at the hands of Charles Lee Ray.
Human-Level Strength And Speed
Although not as intimidating as Freddy Krueger or as strong as Michael Myers, as part of the curse in Child’s Play, Charles Lee Ray managed to retain his human strength and speed. On the other hand, the new Chucky is developed durable and strong by Kaslan Corporation.
Shop The Child's Play Collection NowUnable To Permanently Die
Chucky reveals that the serial killer Brad Dourif is essentially immortal through the countless times he’s been resurrected in the movies. In Child’s Play 4: Bride of Chucky, Charles Lee Ray also manages to transform Tiffany Valentine into a doll using a voodoo curse.
Imitates A Normal Good Guy Doll
The chops of serial killers are measured by how well they can blend into their environment, which is evidenced by Chucky’s character. Being a doll makes him an unsusceptible culprit that can blend into a family seamlessly, which is especially deadly during Halloween when everyone’s trick or treating.
Artificial Intelligence
Contrary to the original portrayal by Brad Dourif, the 2019 Child’s Play reboot makes Buddi an AI-enabled killer. He is no longer the soul of Charles trapped into a doll but a robot capable of integrating into the Kaslan Corp. system.
Can Transfer To Other Bodies
Child’s Play 2 shows that Charles can transfer his soul to another body on command. Although united artists, critiques, and audiences had mixed reactions to the second installment, we get an extra peek at the extent of Charles’ soul-transferring skills.
Why Chucky Turned Evil
There’s not much backstory to describe Charles’ serial killer motivations throughout the Child’s Play franchise. However, in the Curse of Chucky, we get to see the precedents to the events during the first movie that gave birth to the killer doll.
Charles Lee Ray has always been murderous, as shown in his obsession with Sarah Pierce (when he killed the latter’s husband). Although Sarah manages to escape his grasp, he returns in The Curse of Chucky to murder her.
How Chucky Turned Tiffany Into A Doll
In Child’s Play 4, Valentine insults Charles by throwing him into a playpen and chucking in an inanimate female doll companion. In retaliation, he kills her by throwing a plugged-in TV into the tub where she is suspended. The electrocution kills her, but Charles manages to transfer her soul into a female doll using a voodoo ritual.
Read: Chucky Doll Replicas
FAQs
Is Chucky Doll based on a true story?
No, it isn’t. Although Chucky shares some similar looks and lore as the infamously haunted Robert the Doll, the former is purely a work of fiction. Don Mancini describes the dark origins of Chuck to be the perils of the advertising industry. [2]
How much does a Chucky Doll usually cost?
A Chucky doll usually costs $100 - $700, depending on the size you plan to purchase. In Child’s Play, Karen’s friend briefly mentioned that Good Guy Dolls cost around $100 each, but she managed to get them for $50 from a back alley.
Nowadays, you may get high-quality Chucky dolls online for as low as $170 (murderous intent not included).
So, How Did Chucky End Up As A Doll?
Chucky came to be because of two ways, depending on what storyline we look at: voodoo magic and some AI gone wrong.
Although the Child’s Play franchise has mixed reviews from united artists and audiences, they’re still a good watch as they tap into the dangers of the advertising industry, the power of technology, and other related topics. So if you haven’t seen them, we recommend you give them a go!
If you’re into Chucky-related merch, feel free to visit the entire catalog from Toynk for great deals!
Shop The Child's Play Collection NowReferences:
- https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/who-is-chucky-serial-killer-doll
- https://www.slashfilm.com/674464/was-childs-play-inspired-by-this-creepy-true-story/
