Ooo, spooky
Well, I'm back yet again. Today I have another candidate to propose. Let's see how this one goes...
What's the work?[]
"Beast's origin story" was a short story made by Tumblr user, Zelda C. W. (or zeldacw/Port of Zelda), based on the Cartoon Network series Over the Garden Wall. Here is the original story: [1]
Who's he?[]
The Beast is main protagonist of the story. Unlike in the canon, in which he's some monster from the Unknown, the story depicts him as a little boy who likes playing tricks on others. So the story goes like this:
He was once a little boy who lives with his mother in the woods. He never helped out with chores, instead playing tricks on others. He got away every time for he was clever and deceitiful. At first, his tricks wasn't really harmful. Then days went by, he became bored of his harmless tricks, so he found himself a different way for fun... even if it's deadly.
As he knows well of the woods, he would offer guidance to random travelers. His "trick" is to get them lost, while he would hide and see them panicking. As the boy grows up, he is still the same person when he was young. When his mother was bedridden due to illness, instead of working hard and care for her, the boy would steal from others and take care of himself solely. Throughout the years, the boy continue to play tricks on others, none of them can survive, be it men, women, children, even elderly.
All of that changes on one day. A maiden who rode on a deer, requested the boy's guidance. The boy, up to his usual tricks, leads the maiden to the woods and be lost again. This time, the boy targets the deer's antlers. When the maiden found the deer again, its head was gone, and there was blood on the floor. As the boy went home with the antlers, he was surprised to find the maiden there. Then, the maiden reveals herself to be a great forest fairy, who came to punish the boy's crimes, by sealing him in the unknown, and tormented by the souls of his victims before sealing him in a lantern.
But, the fairy did not expect how devious he is. He was transformed into the Beast, and he tricked others into the lantern, using their souls to prolong his life and the lantern. That's pretty much the story, as the ending shows how Wirt and Greg are on their way to the forest, hinting the beginning of Over the Garden Wall.
Heinous standards[]
Not a problem, since the story depicts as the only truly heinous character. He tricked many people to lost in the forest eventually dying. As the above image detailed, the souls of his victims were in agony and trapped in the unknown. He also leaves his mother to (presumed) death, and beheaded an animal.
Mitigating factors[]
Pretty much no, if you read the story. He is just a monster who did everything for fun, not caring any lives lost, only himself. His torture by his victims were definitely not sympathetic as he deserves it.
Verdict[]
It is a yes to me.