Claws

Claws are the little pointy things on the end of an animal's feet. They are sharpened extensions of a toe or finger nail and are found on many species of the animal kingdom. Nearly all felines, canines and many reptiles have some form of claw. Birds also have claws, but they are generally referred to as talons.

Some crustaceans also have a form of claw, but these are different from mammalian claws. Crabs, lobsters, scorpions and many species of insect have claws that are called pincers.

In speculative fiction, there are many characters who have claws, either naturally grown or manufactured, as part of their offensive/defensive capabilities. Claws are ideal for cutting and rending soft objects such as flesh, cloth and vegetable matter.

Claws play a major role in the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series. The character of Freddy Krueger, who was a human child murderer from Springwood, Ohio, in the 1960s, crafted a set of steel razor knives, which were sewn into the weave of a leather glove. This became Freddy's signature weapon. Even after he died and became a demonic entity that haunted people in their dreams, he continued to use this claw hand to slash, stab and rake his victims. He would sometimes clack two of the blades together like a scissor, creating a metallic slicing sound to unnerve his prey.

In Freddy vs. Jason, Freddy tried using his claws to kill a teenager named Blake Mueller, but at this point in time, Freddy did not have enough power to exert his influence in dreams. Once he gained his power back, he used his claws in a pitched battle against Jason Voorhees, stabbing him numerous times, and creating slash marks across his hockey mask. He later used his claws to attack a woman named Lori Campbell, creating slices across her chest. After Lori succeeded in pulling Freddy into the real world, he fought with Jason Voorhees a second time. Jason succeeded in severing Freddy's arm and then used the arm to impale Freddy in the back with his own claws.