 "Doesn't look like Bierce has your back... huh buddy?" This page contains information and spoilers about upcoming features from Dark Deception!
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The Red Stalkers (colloquially called the "Mannequins") are some of the many enemies in Dark Deception. They will make their first appearance in Chapter 5, and are the main enemies in "Holiday Horror". They share the level with their boss, the Puppet King.
Appearance[]
As shown in the end screen, the Red Stalkers appear as slender humanoid mannequins with long pointed limbs and no hands or feet. Their calves are curved. They also have a pointed head, resembling a cone-headed Mannequin. Their limbs seem to be detachable. They do not wear any clothes.
The Mannequins were all initially designed as only female, but after an update, this is no longer the case. There is an additional type of red Mannequin that is shaped like a male figure, lacking a head entirely, and possessing an extra set of pointed limbs. It was also confirmed there were types of Mannequins that are red and white, though the White Mannequins are only used as decorations.
Relationships[]
Personality[]
Although It is unknown what their personality is or if they even have one, they are most likely mindless & hostile. They may also be sneaky since their movement could be quiet.
Behavior[]
Although there is currently no hint as to how these enemies will function, a Twitter post from the developers state that the Mannequins will have a move-set and behavior that they described as "crazy," foreshadowing the difficulty of their stage. As shown on the Chapter 4 end screen, the Red Stalkers will roam around while walking in a rather wobbly manner.
Because the Red Stalkers are blind and have no ears, it is theorized that they detect movement through vibrations. This would mean that Doug would have to be extremely stealthy, using Teleport to get around the map, Telekinesis to gather as many soul shards as possible while in one spot, and Primal Fear to stun the Red Stalkers as a last resort.
The anchor points of the mannequins' limbs are the joints. And with them lacking proper feet and arms, and them having endless stamina due to them being non-biological, it allows for monumental feats of speed. However, due to them lacking any feet or hands, that speed comes at a great cost of being unable to decelerate, thus once they become fast, they will be unable to stop; and they will continue chasing, forever. The female mannequin shown appears to be made for speed, while the more bulky 6-limbed male one seems to be made for proper deceleration as they have enough limbs to slowly stop. It's been theorized that, due to the male one having what seems to be a magnet on top of its head, it will be used for the centipede form. With the female mannequins being unable to stop, it means they can easily be disrupted, as even mild disturbances resulting in a change of speed will cause them to crash as they don't have the limbs to adapt to sudden shifts in G-force.
In the twenty second Q&A, the Red Stalkers were described to have a swarm like ability, similarly to the Clown Gremlins. Their cone heads have also been mentioned to be "lethal".
In the twenty fourth Q&A, the White Mannequins were revealed to be a decoration; hinting that these types of mannequins may not be lethal compared to the Red Stalkers.
Trivia[]
- The Mannequins' portal picture was found in the game files.
- It was scrapped and later replaced with the icon of the boss enemy - the Puppet King.
- Despite having a full name, fans still generally prefer to call them the Mannequins, because that was what they were called for several years before their real name was revealed.
- Before it was debunked, it was commonly suspected that the mannequins would behave inversely to the Gold Watchers by only moving when the player looks at them rather than away from them.
- Vince Livings confirmed that their level is a mall in the 4th Q&A livestream.
- He further expanded on this in the 7th Q&A and said that the Mannequins will live inside of an "American mall". This being further emphasized with the mall being revealed to be somewhat Christmas-like.
- They most likely represent Automatonophobia, the fear of human-like figures like the mannequins, similar to the Gold Watchers.
- Going with the fact their level is confirmed to take place in a mall, they could represent Agoraphobia, the fear of open public spaces which include shopping malls, or Officinaphobia, the fear of shopping.
- Alternatively, the Mannequins may also represent Aichmophobia, the intense fear of sharp objects, given their pointed limbs and head.
- As confirmed by Vince Livings in the 5th Q&A video, the Mannequins will be the fastest enemies in the game when chasing Doug, and they will be fast from the get go for a reason, though not by running or teleporting.
- Vince Livings said in a Q&A Livestream that he went for the cone head mannequins instead of the "traditional" Mannequins because he wanted their Mannequins to look different and stand out compared to mannequins from other horror games.
- In a Q&A video, Vince Livings confirmed that the Mannequins won't have voice actors, making them the first humanoid/non-animalistic monster to not have a voice actor.
- The Mannequins, along with Agatha, Dread Duckies and The Matron are all enemies to show up on the end screens of chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4.
- The Mannequins, Murder Monkeys and Dread Duckies are the only enemies without hands, while The Matron and the Mannequins are the only enemies without feet, as the mannequins travel on pointy legs, and the Matron moves around on a hoverboard.
- Coincidentally, both the Matron and the Mannequins don't have eyes, have red in their color schemes and are considered to be the fastest enemies.
- The Mannequins are the only characters in the game to not have clothes or accessories.
- The Mannequins' appearance, including their spiky limbs, may have been partially inspired by the Slayers from The Suffering video game.
- The Mannequins may also be inspired by the similar-looking enemies with the same name from other survival horror games such as Condemned: Criminal Origins and Silent Hill 2. They could also be inspired by the Autons from the Doctor Who franchise.
- Vince confirmed in the 15th Q&A, that the Mannequins are designed to be female, although he said that they can be thought of as having any gender. This makes them gender neutral.
- However, another piece of media revealed a male mannequin with an extra set of limbs and no pointy head.
- Like the other OSTs, the Mannequins have their own unique theme within their soundtrack, with theirs giving a "retro 80's" or Christmas vibe.
- The Mannequins portal icon was the only one that contained no details, before it got updated.
- They, along with Agatha, are the only characters to not be stationary in their end screens.
- In the 18th Q&A Vince confirmed the Mannequins are blind, and can kill Doug with all of their limbs, not just their head.
- In the 20th Q&A Vince confirmed that there are different classes of Mannequins. One of the classes is confirmed to be "Red Ones", later updated to the official name "Red Stalkers". In the 21st Q&A, Vince confirmed there will also be White Mannequins.
- In the 25th Q&A, Vince stated while the White Mannequins are not necessarily "enemies", they still serve a purpose to gameplay.
- According to the 20th Q&A, each type of mannequins is in their own "state". This foreshadows the idea that they may function/react differently from one another when hunting/chasing Doug.
- There will be a lot of Mannequins in the Mall, more than Trigger Teddies in Bearly Buried.
- The Mannequins are challenging, but they are not the deadliest monsters, as their advantage is their numbers, rather than their strength.
- The Mannequins speed is uncomfortably close to that of max level speed boost, as they can outrun the player when using level 1 speed boost.
- There is a reason why the Red Stalkers were given that name, as the way they detect the player has been described as very unique.
- In the 21st Q&A, Vince revealed that the Mannequins and Mama Bear are about as deadly as each other.
- In the 21st Q&A, Vince said that the Mannequins function as a hivemind, that they are 'mindless', and that they are being used as puppets and controlled by the Puppet King. This brings up the question if they are sentient at all.
- In the 24th Q&A, Vince revealed that the enemies and the level are both inspired by "Stranger Things".
- According to the 28th Q&A, Vince confirmed there are five types of Red Stalkers, with the male and female variants being two different variants.
- Some mannequins connect with the environment regarding appearance, though the mannequins can join together to form a much larger monster.
- In the 33rd Q&A, Vince revealed that the behavior of the Mannequins has changed since earlier Q&As.
- He confirmed that they are no longer the fastest enemies in the game.
Gallery[]
In-game[]
Related Items[]
Models[]
Miscellaneous[]
