Haunted

The Haunted are zombie-like creatures that appear in the survival-horror game The Evil Within. They are the most common enemies in the game.

The Haunted are the remnants of human beings that have become trapped in Ruvik's mental realm through the STEM system. Corrupted by Ruvik's twisted mind, these people have been reduced to mere shells of humanity, appearing in various stages of disfigurement and acting upon Ruvik's own malevolent emotions.

Appearance
The Haunted bear various grotesque appearances such as mutilated or rotting flesh, nails pierced through their bodies and having barbed wires wrapped around them. Some of them also have white glowing eyes.

In The Consequence DLC, some Haunted may have glowing tissue throughout their bodies, which indicates that they turn into a Cadaver when killed. This tissue, normally white or yellow, turns bright red when the Haunted is aware of the player's presence, similar to Shade's spotlight.

Behaviour
The Haunted, although savage and brutal, have been shown to have some degree of intelligence. They know how to use a multitude of weapons from melee weapons to firearms. Some Haunted will also attack in groups and work together in an attempt to kill the player. They are also able to create and set up various traps. They also have some similarities to zombies, as they possess no self-preservative instincts and have a strong appetite for human flesh. They are regularly seen feeding on dead humans throughout the game.

Some Haunted are also able to talk. This is shown with Valerio Jimenez, muttering as if he was working with a patient as he was dissecting and possibly eating a dead body. Later on, a pair of Haunted were dragging humans (one of them being Joseph) and beheading them with a guillotine. There is also a Haunted behind the hospice that is carrying a woman over to a burning pile of bodies with wooden stakes protruding from it. If he isn't shot quickly, he will throw her into a flaming spike, killing her instantly. This implies that they torture and kill simply for the enjoyment of it.

The Haunted seem to have a fascination with mannequins. They are seen to be preoccupied with them throughout the game. This is a possible indication that the Haunted are aware of their horrific disfigurements, and view mannequins as reflections of their former appearance before Ruvik transformed them.