| “ | That's what you get for monkeying around with Murder Monkeys! | ” |
– Bierce taunting the player after getting killed by a Murder Monkey | ||
The Murder Monkeys are recurring enemies in Dark Deception and a playable monster in Monsters & Mortals.
Once the spirits of murderers that abandoned their humanity, the Murder Monkeys are vicious killing machines that serve the demon lord Malak, being the most prevalent of his lackeys. They are a staple character of the franchise, serving as the premier villains of Dark Deception and its pre-alpha demo.
Description[]
The Murder Monkeys resemble oversized clockwork toy monkeys, specifically the cymbal-banging monkeys produced by the Japanese company Daishin C.K. They sport large, exaggerated heads with bulging eyes and a bloody maw with jagged, crooked teeth. Their left eyes appear to be drooping. Large bloody knives emerge from their sleeves where their hands should be, serving as their primary weapons. Conforming with their realm, the monkeys sport red bellhop uniforms. Protruding from their backsides are large wind-up keys, accentuating their artificial nature.
Personality[]
| “ | The monkeys... I can sense their desires. Their souls whisper to me. The ones in the kitchen frighten me the most. The mutterings are random and no longer human, but they are the most violent of wishes. I've learned that the mortal souls of murderers are imprisoned inside each one. In life, they abandoned their humanity. They gave in to their urge to kill. They chose to become monsters. Now they continue on in this place as monstrous Murder Monkeys. | ” |
– E's first note, describing the nature of the Murder Monkeys | ||
Reflecting their past nature as inhumane murderers, the Murder Monkeys are driven purely by hunger and bloodlust. They relentlessly and excitedly pursue anyone they find, never stopping or losing sight. Upon catching them, they will use their knives and jaws to devour their victims.
Much like their fellow monsters in the Dark Dimension, the Monkeys are unwaveringly loyal to Malak, aiding the demon lord in his conquest to protect the ring pieces and keep his might eternal. They are his most common footsoldiers, guarding both the entrances to Sewers and Carnival, and aiding him in the Soul Collection mode of Monsters & Mortals. The Chef Monkeys are likely their immediate superiors, given how the other monkeys make way to allow their leaders to hunt down Doug themselves.
Despite guarding the entrances to other realms on Malak's orders, the relationship between the Murder Monkeys and the other enemies is not well-defined. Based off of some drawings and remarks in Elementary Evil, Agatha likely considers them as playmates, while a few of them were seen inside the carnival cages of Crazy Carnevil, making it possible that they either trust the Clown Gremlins as peers, or despise them as unjust handlers, with the latter being more likely given how two of the Murder Monkeys appear to have been destroyed by the Goliath Clowns during their attempt to kill Doug.
Abilities[]
Speed Boost[]
Since they plod around slowly by default, the Murder Monkeys will start boosting themselves whenever they enter a certain vicinity of the player. This ability is best shown during their escape sequence, with one monkey using it to burst through a door and sprint after Doug faster than usual. Fortunately, despite their speed, the Murder Monkeys are not as agile as other enemies in Dark Deception, as they will stop for a variable amount of time, "glitching" before turning around. Their difficulty in turning can be exploited if the player is caught between two monkeys and decides to teleport past one of them, which will cause the facing monkeys to be momentarily stuck as they cannot turn immediately.
Telepathy[]
The Murder Monkeys can always find their victim's location once they're inside the hotel, suggesting that they use telepathy to an extent. Even so, their sense is likely limited, as it is possible for monkeys to lose the player if they get far enough, and they can also be thwarted with the use of Vanish. The monkeys stop running when they lose track of the player, with this being the only time they are seen walking, as revealed when viewed via Telepathy.[1]
Dark Deception[]
Chapter 1: No Way Back[]
The Murder Monkeys are the primary enemies of the game’s first level, Monkey Business.
Doug first spots a Murder Monkey in the elevator, facing away from him. As he approaches, the Monkey jumps and screeches as the elevator doors close. It will not spot or attack Doug.
After Doug breaks the boards leading into the hotel corridors, three Monkeys will spawn in the southwest, southeast, and northeast corners of the map. They will constantly pursue Doug, never halting or losing sight of him. Their presence is marked by loud, thumping footsteps and shrill breathing noises, giving Doug ample time to evade them.
The Monkeys always follow the quickest path to Doug and accelerate slightly when near him. While they cannot outrun him while he is sprinting, they can easily intercept or surround him when dispersed, especially around the corners of the map. An effective strategy would be to keep them grouped and to maintain a steady distance, particularly when exploring the inner corridors.
Upon collecting all of the soul shards, the Murder Monkeys will disappear, and the Chef Monkeys will pursue Doug in their place. After collecting the ring piece, a Monkey will burst through a door near the altar and charge at Doug, only for the doors to close in front of it. As he escapes to the portal, a horde of Monkeys emerges from the elevators, chasing him one last time through the lobby.
While Murder Monkeys do not appear in the next level, Elementary Evil, drawings on the walls and remarks from Agatha suggest the they may have been in her place before, or at least met her.
Chapter 3: Retribution[]
Individual Monkeys guard the entrances to Stranger Sewers and Crazy Carnevil. Doug must use the powers granted by Bierce to deter them, with telepathy being necessary to drive off a monkey behind a wall blocking Stranger Sewers so that wall could be moved upward, and Primal Fear being needed to stun the monkey blocking the path to Crazy Carnevil. Two monkeys appear encaged in a circus wagon in the latter level, with these two apparently being destroyed during the battle with the Goliath Clowns.
Chapter 4: Mortal Ramifications[]
When Malak invades the ballroom after Mascot Mayhem, he spawns several clones from the previous nightmares. His clones then turn one by one into the enemies encountered up to that point, with the clones by the first and tenth portals (which lead to Monkey Business and The Prison) turning into Murder Monkeys.
Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals[]
 "Are you not aware that she offers only lies?" This article contains information on a subject that isn't considered canon in Dark Deception franchise.
|
The Murder Monkey appears as a Balanced class monster in Monsters & Mortals, meaning that it has average speed, 240 hit points, and normal attack cooldown, inflicting 30 damage by slashing and 60 damage by stabbing
When using its ultimate ability, "Slicer Dicer", the Murder Monkey slashes its arms around frantically while moving faster than most players by default, being immune to all forms of slow down, be it from items or ultimate abilities. Each hit will do 50 damage, lasting for 10 seconds. If used entirely, it can do a maximum of 1,600 damage. The speed boost can be used to chase after enemies, collect shards faster, or even run away.
| Team | Monsters |
| Class | Balanced |
| Weapon | Great Knife Hands |
| Health | 240 |
| Speed | Average |
| Light Attack Damage | 30 |
| Heavy Attack Damage | 60 |
| Ultimate Ability |  Slicer Dicer
|
| UA Description | Murder Monkey slices and dices everything in front of him while gaining a speed and damage boost. |
| UA Duration |  10 seconds
|
| UA Damage | 50 (for each slash) 1600 (maximum potential damage) |
Skins[]
| Image | Name | Rarity | Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Nightmare Mode |  Common
|
Nightmare Mode Collection
The Murder Monkey enters its Nightmare Mode like in the original game. |
 |
Postman | Common
|
Halloween Collection The Murder Monkey swaps its red bellhop outfit for the blue one of a postman. |
 |
Soldier Monkey |  Rare |
The Murder Monkey swaps its red bellhop outfit for an army combat uniform and peaked cap sporting a digital camouflage design. |
 |
Kung Fu | Rare |
Halloween Collection The Murder Monkey’s dons a yellow hat and suit with a black stripe, potentially referencing Beatrix Kiddo from the Kill Bill movie duology. |
Themes[]
- This is for the monster character. For the themes of their deadly abode, see The Hotel.
Symbolism[]
Going by the theory suggesting that each nightmare portal is tied to one of Dante Alighieri's Nine Layers of Hell, with the monsters inside them being manifestations of sin, the Murder Monkeys might symbolize Violence. They embody the souls of violent murderers and psychopaths who sacrificed their humanity to satiate their animalistic urges to kill and slaughter, their crazed blood lust and savagery making them on par with mankind's less-civilized cousins. Being mindless mechanical primates with a taste for blood, the Murder Monkeys essentially lack the rage of Agatha, nor the dutiful demeanor of Mama Bear, or even the sadistic, mischievous nature of the Joy Joy Gang. They are built for violence and nothing else, as, regardless of what unjust reasons motivated them to kill in life, all murders are murders, hence, all of them are identical except the Chef Monkeys (having likely killed others for cannibalistic purposes, which can be considered the most vile reason for murder and the reason for their more distinct forms). The Murder Monkeys themselves seem to represent how Doug gave into his primal desire of violence repeatedly through the abuse of his wife, daughter and many mistresses, and attempted to murder his own family (intentionally or otherwise).
The Murder Monkeys are dressed as bellhops, the customary hotel staff who offer aid and assistance to guests. As Doug may not be the most compassionate individual, he seems to regard bellhops and other customer service personnel merely as subservient creatures rather than human beings. This could offer an in-universe explanation for why the Murder Monkeys persist in assisting Malak in guarding the passages to other nightmares. Hotels also serve as convenient locations for private encounters. While there is no proof of such an encounter, it is possible that a bellhop discovered Doug committing an immoral act (like abusing a woman or simply being unfaithful with his wife) in his hotel room, and, unable to secure an oath of silence with his money or influence, Doug resorted to killing the bellhop to keep his reputation from being ruined.
If the player look around the hotel, they can see paintings showing three Murder Monkeys posed like the Three Wise Monkeys, a well-known pictorial maxim from Japanese culture that presents a basic proverbial principle. The left monkey is covering its mouth with its knife hands, representing Iwazaru, who speaks no evil. The middle one has its knife hands over its eyes, referencing Mizaru, who sees no evil. The right monkey shields its ears with its knife hands, referencing Kikazaru, who hears no evil. This shows how, even when murderers are aware of right and wrong, their actions prove that they choose to disregard the knowledge of good and evil as stupid and useless. In essence, the Murder Monkeys are mocking morals and the concept of morality itself, considering those things as signs of weakness that separate the lowly victims from the dominant murderers. However, the Murder Monkeys can also be interpreted as ironically following this principle. The proverb of the Three Wise Monkeys has often be used to refer to those who deal with sin by turning a blind eye.[2] By pretending that wrongdoings (whether committed by themselves or by others) never happened, some murderers can "wash their hands" and hide away the proof of what was done (or at least excuse themselves of their involvement in it). Ignorance and denial of evil acts is not a neutral choice since it does nothing for the sake of the victims, essentially obstructing justice and serving as a useful tool for criminals.
Inspirations and Parallels[]
The concept of the Murder Monkeys was inspired by the promo cover for a 1988 psychological horror movie titled "Monkey Shines", for, when Vince Livings was young, he originally thought the movie was about a possessed toy monkey similar to the Murder Monkeys. They are also likely inspired by the cymbal-banging monkeys produced by the Japanese company Daishin C.K.
Phobias[]
As with most monsters in Dark Deception, Murder Monkeys also likely represent various phobias.
| Phobia | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Aichmophobia Fear of Sharp Objects |
Like all monsters in Dark Deception, Murder Monkeys are creatures full of murderous intent, perhaps even more so than others given how they were murderers in their previous lives. As is the case for Chef Monkeys, Dread Duckies, the Doom Ducky, Mama Bear, and Trigger Teddies, Murder Monkeys take the form of a child's plaything (in its case, a mechanical one) twisted from its original, innocent form (as indicated by their sharp, bloody teeth and knives, which take up their whole hand, for these creatures are not meant to know or do anything except kill). The robotic nature of the monkeys reflects how some murderers, like the soldiers of several armies throughout history, simply slaughter innocents for no other reason except the orders of their superiors, following hatred or murderous desires that may or may not even be theirs, but only of their commanders. No matter how swift, how systematic, and how impersonal they claim to be when it comes to carrying out a massacre, no matter how little they actually know of the reasons for the orders they are given, those who choose to be slaves like mindless, pre-programmed robots are murderers all the same. Those who march down a warpath aimlessly like mindless wind-up toys, only guided by the programming instilled by their hateful superiors treating them like playthings, have proven themselves to lack humanity, therefore making them as savage as animals, as uncivilized as monkeys, as evil and subservient as the loyal servants of Malak. |
| Automatonophobia Fear of Humanoids and/or Robots | |
| Hemophobia Fear of Blood | |
| Ludilophobia Fear of Toys | |
| Pithecophobia Fear of Apes, Monkeys, and Primates | |
| Thanatophobia Fear of Death | |
| Zoophobia Fear of Animals |
Trivia[]
- In their original designs, the monkeys didn't have an oversized head like they do in the current version, looked less detailed, and had fewer bloody teeth. They also had an animation when turning the corner, as if sliding.
- Originally, as shown on the old 2014 Kickstarter page for Dark Deception, the developers of Glowstick Games (Glowstick Entertainment's old name) had stated that the backers for Dark Deception's Kickstarter campaign could get a Murder Monkey plush as a reward.
- In the alpha version, the Murder Monkeys can spin their heads 360 degrees.
- A door may open while the player is running around, revealing a monkey peeking behind it. However, these monkeys do not harm the player and close the door shortly after.
- The Murder Monkeys have an idle animation. While rarely seen, this animation can be seen when:
- Guarding the entrance portal for "Crazy Carnevil".
- Being trapped in a cage alongside a lifeless Dread Ducky in "Crazy Carnevil". It's important to note that the monkeys don't seem to pose harm or react aggressively to the player in both instances.
- Performing a glitch near the end of the level where lots of monkeys chase the player.
- Like the other monsters, Murder Monkeys can't reach the player when inside a secret room; they will wait around outside the room.
- As the first enemies overall, the Murder Monkeys are the first enemies in Dark Deception that always knows the player's whereabouts. They are followed by Malak, Gold Watchers, the Clown Cars, and Mama Bear.
- "Monkey Business" has a scrapped moment where the Murder Monkey breaks through the door near the ring altar and runs towards the player, which could have likely been the early idea for the escape sequence of the level.[3]
- They are tied with Bierce, Clown Gremlin, and Gold Watcher for the most alternative skins (four variations, not counting default) in Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals.
Voicelines[]
The Murder Monkeys do not have a voice actor. The screech sound that they make is a sound byte from the movie Gremlins.
| Voiceline | Used | Audio File |
|---|---|---|
| *Screech* | The first monkey encountered jumps and screeches as Doug nears it in the elevator. The same screech also plays during their jumpscares. | |
| *Slash* | When chasing Doug. | |
| *Scream* | After Doug collects all the soul shards. | |
| *Knife slashes* | Can be heard as the monkeys are near Doug. |
|
| *Winding* | While active. |
Gallery[]
In-game[]
Dark Deception[]
(New Graphics)
Super Dark Deception[]
2015 Alpha[]
Related Items[]
(Monsters & Mortals)
.png "Murder Monkey Cutout (From Crazy Carnevil).png (232 KB)")
Jumpscares[]
Models[]
.png "Murder Monkey (First Version).png (5.16 MB)")
.png "Murder Monkey (Alpha).png (8.27 MB)")
Artwork[]
Miscellaneous[]
_Album_Cover.jpg "Dark Deception Chapters 1-3 (Original Soundtrack) Album Cover.jpg (114 KB)")
Album Cover
Concept Arts
Merchandise[]
References[]
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