History Main / ThemeSerialKiller

* The Trinity Killer from {{Dexter}}, who kills people in ways that mimics how his sister, mother and father died, although it turns out [[spoiler:that [[NonIndicativeName his nickname is non-indicative. He actually kills in fours, starting every cycle with kidnapping and killing a boy, who is supposed to represent himself]].

* The [[{{Dexter}} Trinity Killer]].

* In AgathaChristie's ''AndThenThereWereNone'', the deaths were patterned after the "Ten Little Indians" rhyme.

* In ''Literature/{{The Name of the Rose}}'', the killings follow symbolism from the Book of Revelations. [[spoiler:A subversion, however, as it turns out this pattern is a total coincidence.]]

* C J Sansom's ''Revelation'' uses imagery from the Book of Revelation for his killer's inspiration.

** The Doomsday Killer kills his victims based on his interpretation of the Book of Revelations. He believes that if he can complete the sequence on a certain day, he will bring on Apocalypse.

* The killer in ''The Bone Collector'' bases his murders on turn-of-the-century crime novels.
* C J Sansom's Revelation uses imagery from the Book of Revelation for his killer's inspiration.

* {{CSI NY}} had Shane Casey, who targted victims involved in his brother's conviction, and dressed them in cryptic t-shirts. (also a Poetic Serial Killer)
* {{CSI}}'s Paul Millander, who chose victims based on their birthdays. Grissom was to be his last victim at one point.

* {{CSI NY}} had the compass killer, who left behind compasses at his scenes, and Shane Casey, who targted victims involved in his brother's conviction, and dressed them in cryptic t-shirts. (also a Poetic Serial Killer)

* In ''{{The Name of the Rose}}'', the killings follow symbolism from the Book of Revelations. [[spoiler:A subversion, however, as it turns out this pattern is a total coincidence.]]

* There was an episode of ''{{Bones}}'' where the killer based his killings on those in Bones' recent book, but the manner of the killings was different each time. [[spoiler: It turned out it was a Strangers on a Train Plot.]]

* {{CSI NY}} had the compass killer, who left behind compasses at his scenes, and Shane Casey, who targed victims involved in his brother's conviction, and dressed them in cryptic t-shirts.

* In ''Theatre of Blood'', VincentPrice (playing a {{Shakespeare}}an actor) kills theatre critics in the manner of various deaths from Shakespeare's plays.

* Plenty of ''{{Millennium}}'' episodes revolve around this type of killer.

But for some, this just isn't dramatic enough. No, he has to pattern his kills after a famous set, like the seven deadly sins, or a work of fiction. The killer will choose victims who match up with the set and/or he will kill them in manners befitting the set. Note the killer will avoid repeating methods of murder: each death will represent, in some way, another portion of the set or story.

* SinCity has Kevin who eats his victims and mounts their heads on walls, believing he is being touched by God while doing it. Then there is the Yellow Bastard who is a pedophile that likes to hear his victims scream before slicing them up. There is also a cowboy who cuts up prostitutes in a short story. The dad in ''Daddy's Little Girl'' probably counts as a serial killer as well since he [[spoiler: enjoys watching his daughter lure men to her bedroom so he can kill them himself and then sleep with said daughter.]] Yeah, this comic isn't exactly kid-friendly.

* SinCity has Kevin who eats his victims and mounts their head son walls, believing he is being touched by God while doing it. Then there is the Yellow Bastard who is a pedophile that likes to hear his victims scream before slicing them up. There is also a cowboy who cuts up prostitutes in a short story. The dad in ''Daddy's Little Girl'' probably counts as a serial killer as well since he [[spoiler: enjoys watching his daughter lure men to her bedroom so he can kill them himself and then sleep with said daughter.]] Yeah, this comic isn't exactly kid-friendly.

* Seriously? No mention of the [[{{Dexter}} Trinity Killer]] yet?

* In ''TheExecutioner'' by Jay Bennett (no relation to [[TheExecutioner the serial]]), four drunken youths are in a car crash, which kills one of them. A mysterious killer enacts his revenge by plotting the murder of the three survivors, the first one by fire, the second one by water, and the third by earth.

* Issue #14 of Neil Gaiman's TheSandman featured a convention of Serial Killers. While a variety of serial killer stereotypes were explored, one in particular fits this trope. At one point, two serial killers (one calling himself "Fuck You!" and the other calling himself The Connoisseur, are comparing victim counts, and when Fuck You laughs at The Connoisseur "score" (he's only killed five people, as compared to Fuck You's 130+), The Connoisseur admits that he has very refined tastes when it comes to victims.

-->"I'm not a butcher, I'm not a Yid,/
-->"Nor yet a foreign skipper./
-->"I am your own lighthearted fiend,/

* The Phoenix, the villain of ''In Memoriam'' [[spoiler:murders members of a religious catholic sect in specific locations visited by a murdered philosopher, arranging their corpses in ways corresponding to the philosopher's theories.]] He then uses the victims as puzzles to lead the player towards finding him.

* One of the earliest (if not the first) examples in English literature is S.S. Van Dyne's ''The Bishop Murder Case'', where the killer murders his victims based on classic nursery rhymes.
* In ''The Dante Club'' by Matthew Pearl, the killer mimics the punishments of sinners in Dante's ''Inferno'' in post-Civil War Boston.

* In ''The Executioner'' by Jay Bennett (no relation to [[TheExecutioner the serial]]), four drunken youths are in a car crash, which kills one of them. A mysterious killer enacts his revenge by plotting the murder of the three survivors, the first one by fire, the second one by water, and the third by earth.