Jack Skellington VS Krampus is a What-If? Death Battle by DBDoctor13. It features Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas fighting against Krampus from the 2015 titular horror movie in a battle between two darkly-comedic holiday icons.
Description: The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town faces off against The Shadow of Saint Nicholas!
IN LOVING MEMORY OF KEN PAGE
(January 20th, 1954 – September 30th, 2024)
REST EASY, MR. OOGIE BOOGIE MAN.
INTRODUCTION[]
(Music: Wiz & Boomstick- Brandon Yates)
Wiz: Jack Skellington; Halloween Town’s Master of Fright.
Boomstick: Krampus; the Shadow of Saint Nicholas.
Wiz: Halloween and Christmas. Two beloved holidays by many people around the world. Though the traditions are always different, these two exist to enforce the mood and rules set forth by their respective holidays.
Boomstick: But which of these two icons will live to see next year, and which will miss their cutoff date when next season rolls around? He’s Wiz, and I’m Boomstick!
Wiz: And it’s our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skill to find out who would win a Death Battle!
No animal nor man can scream like Jack Skellington can in DEATH BATTLE![]
Wiz: ‘Twas a long time ago. Longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps you’ve only heard in your dreams. For the story that you are about to be told, took place in the holiday worlds of old.
Boomstick: Now, you’ve probably wondered where Holidays come from. If not, I’d say it’s time you begun.
Wiz: This is the story of Halloween Town; a world dedicated to giving everyone one good scare each Halloween. The patron saint of this world is a living skeleton named Jack. Jack Skellington. Though his history is a little shrouded in mystery, he was once friends with a living burlap sack known as Oogie Boogie. The two would have a friendly rivalry until the previous Pumpkin King Edgar announced his retirement. Both Jack and Oogie were nominated to compete in a series of competitions to decide who would replace Edgar and become the new Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.
Boomstick: Except Edgar was secretly grooming Oogie so he could use him as a puppet to maintain control of Halloween Town. But even with Edgar helping Oogie play dirty, Jack still won fair-and-square becoming Halloween Town’s new King. And so Jack would keep trying to top himself year-after-year to make each Halloween better than the previous one. And given what he’s able to do, I’d say he did a pretty good freaking job.
Wiz: Despite being a literal skeleton, Jack is surprisingly strong and athletic. He’s able to whip enemies around with very little struggle. He can also jump to very tall heights, even while carrying around a sack full of toys or Sally and Santa Clause themselves! He should also scale to Halloween Town’s werewolf who was strong enough to smash through walls!
Boomstick: Speaking of taking it like a champ, he’s also stupidly durable. The dude once survived getting blown-up by an anti-tank rocket and fell thousands of feet to the ground. AND WASN’T EVEN THAT BADLY SINGED! God, Will E. Coyote must be jealous right now. Though it’s not surprising when he’s able to light his whole body on fire, or electrocute himself! If anything, electricity simply heals him. Even being hit with acid just turns his body into a puddle-like blob that can reform whenever he wants. I only know of one kind of acid that does that, and it ain’t legal.
Wiz: Speaking of electricity, it does make sense for Jack to be incredibly fast given the lack of flesh on his body isn’t weighing him down. He’s dodged spinning blades and gunshots, but more impressively, he once dodged a bolt of lightning shot at him. By our best guesstimate, in order to react to and dodge the blast in time, Jack would need to be moving at 0.001 seconds, or 1 millisecond in order to dodge the blast! He’s even quick enough to pull Santa and Sally out of a death trap and swap places with their position without making a sound.
Boomstick: Unfortunately, Jack eventually grew weary of doing the same old schtick every Halloween. A part of him wanted to experience something different. Something new. Something borrowed. Something… Tim Burton-y.
Wiz: So after a literal sleepwalk of contemplation, Jack stumbled across multiple holiday doors and discovered the magical world of Christmas Town. He tried to bring Christmas to Halloween and improve upon it, before eventually realizing that he was just fine as The Pumpkin King.
Boomstick: Probably because he was handing shrunken heads and killer toys to kids. But after this life-changing experience, Jack began making new discoveries to help him on his way. Such as the Soul Robber which acts like Kratos’ blades of Exile without the stabby bits. Still, Jack can use this to stretch out and grab or beat the shit out of whatever he wants. Or he can turn the end into a morning star, a blade, a hook, a hand, a spear head, and anything he wants. It can also break stone and heavy machinery. Even damaging… GHOOOOOSSSSTTTSSSS!!!!
Wiz: He has a bat boomerang strong enough to flip switches, but strangely doesn’t return to him. He’s also acquired giant pumpkin bombs that explode with a force powerful enough to destroy walls and tomb stones! And as mentioned, when he went out as Santa, he acquired some rather… unconventional gifts. Like a vampire teddy bear with sharp teeth that can fly, a wooden duck with sharp teeth that could chase people on wheels, a jack-in-the-box with a jack-o-lantern head that chases people, bat ornaments that swarm people, a giant snake large enough to swallow a whole Christmas Tree and a person, and a wreath that can come to life and ensnare people.
Boomstick: But later Jack got the good violent toys. The kind that will poke your eye out. Like the Re-Possession; another jack-in-the-box that surprises enemies, making them forget why they are upset and can force beings out of possessed objects. There’s the Scared Stiff; a bigger jack-in-the-box that stuns enemies for a few seconds. The Cold Front is a stack of pumpkins covered in snow that unleashes a freezing cold blast that can stop enemies and encase them in ice. And lastly is the Pumpkin Shield. Jack can hold it above his head as it pops open; enveloping it in a light that temporarily boosts his defense. If that’s not enough, even his clothes are deadly! Like the scarecrow Pumpkin King outfit which Jack can use to shoot fire from his hands and mouth. Or shoot fire up from the ground at his enemies! Or turn into living flame and shoot his way through obstacles like a bat out of hell. Uh, that is skeleton.
Wiz: And his Santa Claus suit allows him to summon meteor-sized chunks of hail from the sky to crush his opponents below.
Boomstick: And that’s just his arsenal. We’ve talked about his resistance to missiles, electricity, and acid, but that was just scratching the surface of his powers. Being a skeleton, Jack can remove various bones of his body without feeling pain! And as this is a musical movie, Jack’s such a good dancer and singer that sometimes he summons his own backup dancers and his dancing can allow him to summon musical notes that are powerful enough to destroy a giant ten-story-tall Oogie Boogie.
Wiz: So with all of that, Jack accomplished a lot as the Pumpkin King. He defeated Oogie Boogie twice, saved Halloween Town from all sorts of monsters, and restored Christmas on two different occasions. But Jack is not perfect. Despite being intelligent enough to understand complex formulas, Jack can also be a little too naive and good-hearted. Such as when the military tried shooting him down for ruining Christmas which led Jack to believe they were shooting off fireworks in celebration of a job well done.
Boomstick: Still, Jack managed to put wrong the mistakes he made and learned from his experiences. Eventually shacking up with Bride-Of-Frankenstein-Moira Rose and having kids. Despite him not having a-
Wiz: Moving on, despite the trouble Jack caused Santa that one Christmas, Santa eventually came around to seeing Jack as a good person and one year decided to drop in on Halloween Town. There he found Jack and Sally with four or five skeleton children at hand, playing strange little tunes in their xylophone band.
Boomstick: So Santa asked old Jack, “Do you remember the night when the sky was so dark and the moon shone so bright? When a million small children pretending to sleep nearly didn’t have Christmas at all, so to speak? And would, if you could, turn that mighty clock back to that long, fateful night, now, think carefully, Jack; would you do the whole thing over again? Knowing what you know now, knowing what you knew then?”
Wiz: And Jack smiled like the old Pumpkin King that Santa knew. Then turned and asked softly of him, “Wouldn’t you?”
(JACK SKELLINGTON: How dare you treat my friends so SHAMEFULLY! [Pulls out Oogie’s thread, exposing the bugs beneath his burlap.])
Krampus is coming to DEATH BATTLE![]
Wiz: Christmas; a time of celebration with family and friends. To partake in the gift of giving for others, or being there when one needs comfort in the cold season. But it’s also the time of Santa Claus and the reminder of being nice and keeping the belief in Santa or Christmas Miracles alive.
Boomstick: But for Max Engel, his 2015 family Christmas proved to be one of the most dysfunctional family get-togethers ever committed to film. He felt his family had become so shitty that it caused him to loose his faith in Santa and rip up his Christmas letter to the big red guy. But rather than getting coal for Christmas, Max received an even bigger December Downer. Krampus; the shadow of Saint Nicholas.
Wiz: Existing sometime after the 16th Century, Krampus exists as a Central and Eastern Alpine extension to Santa’s role. Where Santa will bring presents to good boys and girls, Krampus will punish the wicked through either swatting them with leaves, or carrying them to the underworld.
Boomstick: JESUS CHRIST! THAT IS FUCKED UP RIGHT THERE!!! But in order to keep himself as an imposing figure, Krampus adjusted to the times throughout the years. Helped by his dark elves and metal-as-hell flying demon goats, Krampus carries a number of wicked tools that he uses to punish all the naughty ones. Like a beast that hides in the snow and can thrash grown men around by the leg, biting through flesh and cloth while surviving over several gunshots. Or some evil toys. Hmm… sounds familiar…
Wiz: Some of these toys include a giant clown jack-in-the-box that can swallow people whole and spit them out several dozen feet away. There’s a tree topper cherub with sharp claws, sharp teeth, and a long tongue which can fly and strangle grown adults. Teddy Klaue is a teddy bear with sharp teeth and claws that can survive getting stabbed in the eye. Tik Tok…
Boomstick: THE APP?!
Wiz: …is a wind-up robot with a pair of scissors for one hand, and a metal claw for another. And his nutcrackers are strong enough to bite fingers off, bone and all. He also has demonic gingerbread men who are strong enough to utilize nail guns… but can easily be set on fire. Or eaten. Though Krampus does not simply rely on his minions for help. He’s quick enough to keep up with Max’s sister Beth Engel by jumping from rooftop-to-rooftop. Upon landing on each roof, the impact was enough to shake the houses. Krampus also seems to have some form of teleportation, as he disappeared in seven seconds after being spotted by Max. The Shadow of Saint Nicholas also seemed to be able to pull most of the Engel family via pulling them along on chains, smashing through glass windows, squeezing through a chimney before cracking it apart, and even breaking a ceiling in a mall. By our calculations, Krampus would need to hit with a force of 50-100 Pounds to break through.
Boomstick: And of course, Krampus has his own dark magic, able to tear open a hole in the ground straight to hell, or putting someone in a magic liquid to have a Christmas Carol-like experience. He can even summon large weather blizzards and flash-freeze a man instantly.
Wiz: So it comes as no surprise that Krampus has become a symbol of horror to fear around the Holidays. He’s bested multiple opponents, survived numerous shots, and has never missed one person on the naughty list.
Boomstick: And by the time Max figured out his own rejection of Santa and the holidays had brought Krampy here, the Christmas Demon had taken his family to hell. Max confronted Krampus and made a bargain; take him and return his family. And what happened then? Well in Death Battle we say… that Krampus’ small heart became even dickier that day.
Wiz: Krampus carelessly tossed Max’s cousin into hell before preparing to toss Max in as well. Max’s final words being that he wanted Christmas to be as it used to. Krampus threw Max in and the young Engel boy woke up… to find everything was fine. His family was alive, nobody remembering what had happened the previous night.
Boomstick: Like the literal hangover from hell.
Wiz: But Max received one last gift from an unknown source; a bell that read ‘Gruss Vom Krampus’ or ‘Greetings from Krampus.’ The family looked confused as though remembering a story told long ago. As the camera pulled back to reveal them being watched from within a snow globe. Krampus keeping an eye on them to ensure that they never forget the Christmas spirit again. OR ELSE.
Boomstick: So remember to be good and kind instead of treating other people like shit. BECAUSE KRAMPUS WILL COME FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT. And chances are if you continue to act like a jerk, you aren’t living to see next Christmas.
(Krampus crawls out of the Fireplace to see Omi Engel. He reaches one of his claws out as if to touch her cheek before his tongue emerges from behind his mask.)
DEATH BATTLE![]
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all.
Boomstick: It’s time for a DEATH BATTTTLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
PRE-FIGHT[]
(Music: A Chilling Fright – Brandon Yates)
The Christmas Town door in Halloween Town opens revealing a long claw pushing the wooden tree door open. From within emerges Krampus. He hears something in the distance and begins to walk over to investigate. In the town square, we see the Citizens of Halloween Town celebrating Halloween and laughing with each other; showing off strange and unusual Halloween items. On the stage, The Mayor of Halloween Town takes a podium.
THE MAYOR: This year’s Halloween was just as terrible as the last, I’m pleased to say! All thanks to our Pumpkin King; JACK SKELLINGTON!
Jack Skellington appears in a burst of smoke as everyone applauds.
JACK SKELLINGTON: Thank you! Thank you! This Halloween was just as horrible. I’d like to thank-
He pauses, spotting Krampus approaching.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Pleased): SANDY!!!
Jack does a dramatic leap off the stage and walks right up to Krampus, shaking his hand. He gasps when he sees the claws.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Impressed): My goodness! You’ve come in costume! And a terrific one I might add! Did you make it yourself? What brings you to our fair town?
Krampus tilts his head from side-to-side wondering what the hell is wrong with Jack’s cheery demeanor. Regardless, he opens up his bag and various demonic symbols of Christmas spill out and start attacking the citizens of Halloween Town who all run in panic and fear.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Horrified): Sandy, what are you doing?! We’re supposed to scare each other, not attack each other!!!
Krampus throws a large chain at Jack who manages to dodge as he makes a motion with his arm, bringing out the Soul Robber.
JACK SKELLINGTON: I don’t know what’s wrong with you Sandy, but I hope I can beat it out of you without hurting you too bad. Please forgive me.
FIGHT![]
Krampus throws his chain again which Jack counters with the Soul Robber. Krampus then stomps his hoof hard on the ground causing it to split as the gateway to the underworld begins to open. The Mayor, while being attacked by the demonic cherub, takes a second to scream in horror.
THE MAYOR (Panicked Cry): JACK!!! We have to fix this before my next campaign!
He shrieks like a little girl as the cherub claws on the opposite side of his face. Krampus attempts to freeze Jack only for the Pumpkin King to cartwheel back. Krampus vanishes and appears behind Jack, ready to strike only for Jack to block with the Pumpkin Shield. With his other hand, Jack uses the Soul Robber to strike Krampus in the chest.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Pleading): Please, Sandy! Stop this insanity!
Krampus simply roars in Jack’s face, swiping the skeleton away like a gnat. Jack hits the far end of a wall. Krampus stomps forward only for Jack to notice a familiar bag of toys of his own. Grinning, Jack manages to dodge Krampus at the last second, causing the Christmas Demon to slam into the wall. Jack then lets loose his own scary toys which start successfully fighting back against Krampus’ minions. We see the Giant Snake starting to devour Der Klown, the living Wreath using its vines to rip the cherub in half, and the Toy Duck and Vampire eating the Gingerbread Men. The citizens of Halloween Town cheer for their Patron Saint as Krampus growls in anger. Jack then changes into his Pumpkin King outfit and begins to burn Krampus. The Christmas demon howls in pain as his costume is reduced to ash as we see the exposed figure from behind, much to the shock of everyone.
JACK SKELLINGTON: You’re not Sandy! What have you done with him, you monster?!
Krampus ignores Jack’s demand, swatting him away like he was nothing once more and sending Jack towards Spiral Hill. Krampus soon lands and begins smashing Jack’s body against the hill with his hoof repeatedly. Each strike brings the hill down further and further to the ground. Finally, Krampus lifts Jack over his head and stomps once more, opening another portal to the underworld. However, Jack softly begins singing.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): What have you done? What have you done? How could you… be so blind? All is lost. At this time… spoiled all. Spoiled all. Everything’s… going all wrong. What have you done? What have you done? Throw me in the deep pit, in a million years they’ll find me, only dust. And plaque. That reads ‘Here Lies Poor, Old Jack!’
Krampus grins, but we see Jack’s expression soon change.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): But I never thought you capable of this madness. Ever. And you could never understand. Well, how could you? That all we ever want, is to bring out something fun. But because of you it turns out like a dud.
Jack then stands up, his feet slamming into Krampus’ eyes.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): Well, what the heck?! We went and did our best! And by GOD we really tasted something swell! THAT’S RIGHT!
Krampus attempts to grab Jack who leaps into the graveyard and transforms into his Santa Suit.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): And for a moment, why, we even touched the sky! And at least we left some stories we can tell, we did!
Jack unleashes his Cold Front to freeze Krampus entirely.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): And I; JACK! THE PUMPKIN KING! THAT’S RIGHT!!! I AM THE PUMPKIN KING!!! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Jack begins bringing down meteor-sized hail, striking Krampus right where he stands, while doing elaborate spins and poses, building up his musical note energy.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): And I just can’t wait until next Halloween! ‘Cause I got some great ideas that will really make people scream!
Jack turns back to normal and throws pumpkin bombs at Krampus, hitting him dead-center once more as the skeleton continues his dance and song.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): AND BY GOD!!! I’VE REALLY GOT TO GIVE IT ALL MY MIGHT!!!
Jack unleashes his final musical energy wave on Krampus, blowing a hole straight through the Christmas Demon’s chest.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Singing): That’s why now, we have to end this fight.
Finishing his musical attack, Jack looks solemnly over the body of Krampus. He then hears a familiar voice.
SANTA (O.S.): JACK!
Jack turns to see the real Saint Nicholas himself, running up.
JACK SKELLINGTON: Forgive me, Mr. Claus. I don’t know who this person was, but he was attacking my friends…
SANTA: Well, I can’t say I approve of your methods, Jack. But this individual was causing more trouble than you can imagine, so I thank you for stopping him. But obviously it takes more than one good deed to show a change of heart.
JACK SKELLINGTON (Glumly): I know.
Santa gives Jack an empathetic look to prop the Halloween Town’s King back up.
SANTA: Listen; you still have time, Jack. Make the most you have out of the time between now and Christmas. Not because it’s what we do, but because speaking from experience, it feels good to spread joy and share memories with family and friends. You do that, and I’ll make sure you’re on the nice list.
JACK SKELLINGTON: Are you sure there’s still time?
Santa smiles.
SANTA: Of course, Jack. Time is all we have where we are.
Jack looks around seeing snow fall as he gasps with wonder. He hears Santa flying off as he sees Saint Nick riding his sleigh.
SANTA: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
JACK SKELLINGTON: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Jack is about to walk off, when he notices Sally kneeling in the snow, inspecting it in her palm.
JACK SKELLINGTON: Hello, Sally.
Sally gasps looking back at the Pumpkin King.
SALLY: Oh, Jack. I suppose you want to get back to Halloween Town to help with rebuilding.
JACK SKELLINGTON: Actually, I was thinking we could do it… together.
Sally smiles and takes Jack’s hands. The two embrace as we pull back to see Zero watching in the distance. Zero flies into the night leaving behind a glowing star.
K.O.[]
Announcer: K.O.!
RESULTS[]
Boomstick: Oh my god.
Wiz: I know, that was….
Boomstick: BEST. CHRISTMAS. SLASH. HALLOWEEN. EVER!!!!
Wiz: Okay, calm down! Jack and Krampus was an interesting matchup with an even more surprising result.
Boomstick: Krampus teleporting was a neat trick, but he disappeared within seven seconds. Meanwhile, Jack was able to react-to-and-dodge lightning in less than a millisecond, meaning he’d be just as quick to react the second Krampus appeared elsewhere.
Wiz: Both had evil toys, but Jack had more variety with his stun jack-in-the-boxes and jack-o-lanterns, while Krampus’ toys were simply used for hacking, slashing, swallowing, and choking. Which also brings us to our most important categories; experience and power.
Boomstick: While Krampus might be a bit older than Jack, he’s spent his time mainly besting naughty humans. Meanwhile, Jack has been dealing with supernatural threats for quite some time. Krampus never had to deal with anything like that because he was always top dog where he was.
Wiz: Krampus did have a considerable strength advantage over Jack at first. Had he been fast enough, it’s possible he could’ve found a way to bury the Pumpkin King six feet under.
Boomstick: Unfortunately, none of Krampus’ strength feats came close to Jack surviving an anti-tank rocket. Krampus’ best bet was to literally send Jack to hell, but again, that would require Krampus to catch and pin him down first. And with Jack’s strength and speed, there was NO way that was going to happen easily. But on the flip-side, Krampus had no defense against being frozen instantly himself, lit on fire that was hot enough to burn spirits, or killer musical notes! God, I should’ve paid more attention in music class.
Wiz: Krampus was indeed a ferocious opponent who would give most the fight of their lives. But against Jack Skellington’s supernatural experience, wider arsenal, and lightning-fast speed, it was only a matter of time before The Pumpkin King made this Krampus’ first and last visit to Halloween Town.
Boomstick: Man, Krampus should’ve really boned up for this fight!
Wiz: The Winner is Jack Skellington.
TRIVIA[]
The connection between Jack Skellington and Krampus is that they both come from dark comedies that combine Christmas and Horror. Both are rooted in folklore and supernatural themes. They are also considered important pillar stones of their holidays and serve as an extension of the holidays themselves.