| This article is about the character from the film, the Headless Horseman. For the character of the same name from the series, see the Headless Horseman. |
- "The Horseman was a Hessian mercenary, sent to these shores by German princes to keep Americans under the yoke of England. But unlike his compatriots, who came for money, the Horseman came for love of carnage. When battle was joined, there you'd find him. He rode a giant black steed named Daredevil. He was infamous for riding his horse hard into battle, chopping off heads at full gallop. He had filed his teeth down to sharp points, to add to the ferocity of his appearance. This butcher didn't finally reach his end until the winter of '79. Not far from here, in our western woods. They chopped off his head with his own sword."
- —The horseman's description told to Ichabod Crane.[src]
The Headless Horseman was a Hessian mercenary who was sent by the German princes to brutally attack American soldiers. His steed was named Daredevil and he would chop the heads off of his victims. He met his end in late 1779 and was beheaded, just as he had done so with his victims. 20 years later, Lady Mary Van Tassel had claimed his head from the grave and after some magic, she raised him from the grave with the power to control him and do her bidding. Ichabod Crane came to the rescue and reclaimed the head of the horseman and delivered it back to him. The horseman then killed Mary and returned to Hell.
History[]
Early Life[]
Back from the Dead[]
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Ghost Physiology: Once the horseman had risen from the dead, he was granted various physical attributes which enabled him to carry out his master's bidding.
- Enhanced durability: The horseman was immensely durable, capable of withstanding multiple blows from muskets. He is also immune to the effects of fire and explosions, as shown when Ichabod Crane left him to burn inside a windmill, which later exploded.
Weaknesses[]
- Obedience: Once he was brought back from the dead, Mary Van Tassel used the horseman's head to control the horseman in order to force him to do her bidding. Once he reclaimed his skull, free of her control of his actions and allowing him to return to the grave, though not before murdering Mary Van Tassel for enslaving him in the first place.
- Holy buildings: The horseman is unable to enter holy buildings such as churches and their fences without getting burned. Though this is only an inconvenience for the horseman, as he utilized a fence post with rope and propelled it through the church window and impaled Baltus Van Tassel and dragged him out of the building.
Equipment[]
- "The wound was cauterized, as though the blade were red-hot. And yet, no blistering, no scorched flesh. The Devil's fire."
- —The residents of Sleepy Hollow regarding the horseman's sword.[src]
- Daredevil: The horseman's steed which he had in life and also in death. He used Daredevil to charge at his victims and take their heads as trophies.
- Sword: His sword was special, as it cauterized the wounds of its victims if they managed to survive, that is. One of the residents compared the sword's heat to the Devil's fire.
- Axes: The horseman also occasionally used a pair of axes.