Contents
Description
Default form of the Crimson Wanderer
Crimson Wanderer is a mysterious warrior of unrivaled strength and skill, feared for his deadly power, but also seen as a hero by many. He's widely consider as one of the most dangerous humanoid entity in The Backrooms that raked the highest kill count ever recorded.
There's conflicting accounts regarding the appearance of the Crimson Wanderer, suggesting that different individuals perceived them differently. Initially, this is thought to be caused by an illusion, but further evidence proved that the Crimson Wanderer has actually multiple forms. He's not to be considered as a shapeshifter, and his transformation is apparently part of his power. See the next section for the details of his forms.
The default form of the Crimson Wanderer is an over 2 meters tall knight in a fantastic metal armor, complete with an old, worn-out red cape. He carried a claymore that he kept on his back, but he often drags it across the floor, causing a loud, scratching noises as a while he approach his target. Considering his heavy movement, it's estimated that his weight, complete with his armor and weapon, is about half a metric ton.
Currently, it's uncertain how the Crimson Wanderer looks like under the armor. A popular theory said that the Crimson Wanderer is nothing but a sentient armor, so there's no body inside. This theory is unlikely to be true, considering the evidence that the Crimson Wanderer does bleed whenever they got hurt. Many believed that the entity was once an ordinary wanderer, but somehow got corrupted, cursed, consumed by his own power, or by some other malevolent forces. Even then, his semblance of humanity and personality still remained. Most common belief identity him as one of the fallen dragon slayer from Level 1275 or an agent affiliated by the Eye of Argos, considering his behaviors.
Behaviors
Combat form of the Crimson Wanderer
The Crimson Wanderer is a highly infamous entity despite the fact that there's only one Crimson Wanderer in the entirety of the Backrooms. This is mostly due to his extremely violent tendency to hunt and slaughter monsters across the Backrooms. Due to this, many classified him under the same category as Counter Entities, but he's certainly not one of them, as they're hostile against each other. However, he does not blindly attacks, and not every entities shown hostility against him. The Crimson Wanderer would often kill other wanderers too, but only if he ever deemed them to cross the line. Many found it surprising that he's able to communicate, even expressing semblance of humanity with an actual personality, as he possessed a clear, keen judgement and ideals. Many attempted to communicate with the Crimson Wanderer, but he would rarely talk, and even if he does, his demeanor is a cold, stoic, cynical individual. However, he shows a great deal of empathy as he's protective toward the weak and the innocent. Because of this, many nicknamed him as the "Antihero of the Backrooms", to his disdain.
On his default form, the Crimson Wanderer is a rather calm and collected, even level-minded individual, that would only attack if provoked, or when he deemed violence as necessary. When he get hurt, or entering a combat with a powerful opponent, then he will transform to a more intimidating form where his armor and weapons darkens and twisted into a more demonic, monstrous design. It's advised not to communicate and stay at a safe distance from the Crimson Wanderer during this phase, as he become much more violent, aggressive, brutal and barbaric.
True form of the Crimson Wanderer
On an extremely rare circumstance that the Crimson Wanderer would show his true form; either if he get beaten hard enough that his armor broken, or when he faced an especially evil individual, as he only use this for those he deemed deserved the worst of suffering. In this form, the Crimson Wanderer is an entity of chaos without a defined physical shape, described as a "living shadow" by those who witnessed his cruelty. Contrary to his previous forms, he's the most calm during this form, with little to no aggression. This eerie, serene demeanor only add to the intimidation factor, as he tend to float toward his target, taking his time to terrorize, tormenting them as they either helplessly fighting back or trying to escape. Due to this, then it's theorized that the true nature of the Crimson Wanderer is an entity of nightmare, symbolizing the devil judging the wicked. However, this theory is widely disregarded by those with some more positive opinion of the entity, believing that he's an agent of justice instead.
The Crimson Wanderer would prioritize the safety of the innocent and would always aid the weak in need, unless in his true form, where he would avoid and ignore anyone but his target. When asked why, he said that he didn't want to accidentally hurt any innocent bystander, implying that even in his nightmare form, he still retained enough humanity and capable of empathy.
Biology & Capabilities
Not much known about the Crimson Wanderer, other than what so far gathered from surviving observations. Apparently, the nature of the Crimson Wanderer shifts between forms, most likely due to the power of the transformation. There's two theories of the transformation; ascending to higher state by harnessing a certain power, or unleashing the true nature that he suppressed. The first theory said that the Crimson Wanderer is once an ordinary wanderer, but gradually losing humanity, corrupted and cursed by his power. The second theory suggest that the Crimson Wanderer is actually a nightmarish monster, such as a demon, but desperately suppressing their malevolent nature, implying that he wish to be human, or at least behaving as a civilized entity.
Overall, the analysis of the Crimson Wanderer's body and power will be divided based on his forms.
Default Form
- Strength: Able to punch through walls and many other objects rather easily.
- Durability: His armor seems to be as strong as a modern main battle tank.
- Mobility: Tend to be slower than an average human, but can run faster than a cheetah.
- Abilities: The Crimson Wanderer seems able to regenerate his body and his tools if they ever get damaged. However, the Crimson Wanderer does not seems to be immortal, as he shows a sign of survival instinct, suggesting that he could still die, or perhaps, he was once a mortal.
Combat Form
- Strength: Smashing through vehicles and buildings with little to no effort.
- Durability: Surviving heavy explosives and barely get damaged.
- Mobility: Much faster than in default form, with highest observable speed around supersonic level.
- Abilities: The Crimson Wanderer generate a fiery aura during this form, with increasing heat and brightness depend on its energy level. His aura is apparently a projection of his power, that he can fire off as a blast or beam to destroy his targets. Overall power varies between average explosives, to something that can destroy a whole town. His aura may grow and reshape to various forms, and most commonly, a spiritual avatar of himself wielding various of weapons. Multiple eyewitnesses insist that "he's using Susanoo from Naruto" due to their similar visual and capabilities.
True Form
- Strength: Incomprehensible due to his chaotic, nightmarish existence.
- Durability: It is uncertain on what could damage him on this state.
- Mobility: Very slow, but often seems appearing and disappearing from one place to another.
- Abilities: The Crimson Wanderer is considered an entity of nightmare on this phase. His nature is a mystery that not many dare to observe, but he doesn't seems to be omnipresent nor omniscience, let alone omnipotent. Currently, our understanding to his capabilities on this form is close to nothing, but his existence seems to corrupt or disturb anything around him, such as causing lamps and other electronics to flickers or even dies. Living beings expressed discomfort, intense fear, dread and despair around him. Many entities of entities of the Backrooms would avoid or even becoming terrified when he entered this form, even though most are already afraid by his previous forms. He rarely ever use this form, there's many limitations, requirements, or consequences of unleashing this form. The most commonly accepted theory is that, using this form for too long would slowly erode his humanity, turning him to mindless, heartless monster.
Relation to Entities
In general, the Crimson Wanderer treated every beings like a warrior would be, and does not seek needless bloodshed, but would not hesitate to attack and fight whenever he deemed necessary. Due to this, it's uncertain on which entities are friendly or hostile against him. Here are the analysis of his behavior toward other entities, based on our current knowledge.
- Facelings: Rarely ever shown hostility against each other. Most of Facelings are somewhat afraid of the Crimson Wanderer, but some expressed respect or even admiration toward him. There's a theory that the Crimson Wanderer never kill any Facelings, but would punish those who misbehave, especially their hostile variants.
- Hounds: Every Hounds are afraid of the Crimson Wanderer and would always run or hide from him. It is uncertain whether the Crimson Wanderer would attack the Hounds or not, but he has saved many wanderers from the Hounds.
- Smilers: The Crimson Wanderer disliked them, and the Smilers are afraid of him. There's a theory that the Crimson Wanderer is one among few entities that can eliminate the Smilers, either with his aura or his nightmare form.
- Deathmoths: He consider them as nothing but wild animals, so he would just avoid or shoo them.
- Skin-Stealers: The Crimson Wanderer viewed them as a parasite, cowardly liars, and even traitors that need to be exterminated, and thus, he's always hostile to them and would always kill them. It's uncertain why he could always see through their guise, but because of this, the Skin-Stealers are extremely afraid around him. If you see someone getting paranoid, anxious, even agitated around the Crimson Wanderer, then there's a good chance that they're a Skin-Stealer. He displayed the same behavior to the Stalkers.
- Lighters: So far, the Lighters are the only one that would ALWAYS push the Crimson Wanderer to his combat mode. However, this does not meant that the Lighters stood a chance against him to begin with. Instead, he need to use his aura to handle them. Eyewitness said that his aura would "devour" them like a flame consuming another flame.
- Counter Entities: The Crimson Wanderer tend to be in conflict with them, but he does not seek conflict with them. On most case, it's them that attacked him first. Which is a shame, because the Crimson Wanderer shows respect to them, even if they keeps trying to attack him.
- Corrupt: One of very few entities that befriended by the Crimson Wanderer, as both of them are social entities capable of judgement, and would only hunt terrible peoples.
- Fencer: Theorized to be his sparring buddies.
- Jerry: Ask the Crimson Wanderer about Jerry, and he would usually laugh it off.
- The Keymaster: There are some claims of them interacting, possibly even working together. Both of them refuse to elaborate on what relation or business that they have with each other.
- Partygoers: The Crimson Wanderer has a unique approach toward Partygoers. He does not hate them as much as the Skin-Crawlers, but he hunt them even more fiercely, as he consider them as the "most dangerous and deadly disease" in the Backrooms.
Other entities that the Crimson Wanderer would immediately try to destroy are: Clumps, Rabids, Windows, Dead Hands, Death Ostriches, Death Rats, Toxin Spitters, Insanities, Scratcher, Clawlings, Mannequins, and many more.
Out of any entities, the residence of Level 1275 has the most complex and unpredictable interaction with him. Both of dragons and other beings here behaved as if he belongs there, but many of them are unusually hostile toward him. Apparently, this is not due to his nature, but his personal relations with them. This is why there's many theories that he's one of the dragon slayers that was then corrupted or cursed. Even then, both the Crimson Wanderer and the denizen of the level still treated each other with some knightly courtesy, like how warriors should be.
Further research would be added later.