Welcome to the second edition of Characterize That, where we personify armies based on different topics. In this edition, we will characterize seven recently active armies and see which Halloween icons fit them best!
Designed by Master DS
It’s Halloween… or by the time you read this, Halloween would’ve passed… But regardless, Halloween icons are an interesting topic to tackle in this edition of Characterize That. This is especially true given the lack of “evil” tendencies among most armies. This list includes only the most notable Halloween characters, and none of them are Casper the Ghost. Club Penguin Armies selected seven armies from the past two weeks’ Top Tens. These were the Rebel Penguin Federation, the Aliens, the Help Force, the Dark Warriors, the Fire Vikings, the Shadow Legionnaires, and the Scarlet Republic. Let us now characterize these armies as such spooky beings!
I. Rebel Penguin Federation – Invisible Man
Dr. Jack Griffin, AKA the Invisible Man, and the Halloween equivalent of the Rebel Penguin Federation
The Rebel Penguin Federation is one of the strongest armies out there and deadly to face. They formed from a split in another infamous army, the Underground Mafia Army, and have been feared ever since. Facing them today is foolish for most armies. However, one notable fact about RPF over the past couple of years has been their relative reclusiveness from the rest of the community. While they participate willingly in tournaments and other community events, alongside strong alliances, they rarely interact with most of the community. At least, they don’t provide as much of a footprint in the army community as the Army of Club Penguin does. However, their size is always on everyone’s minds. Even during the war of The White Order against RPF, RPF still won single-handedly.
While this doesn’t align perfectly, it fits well with the character of the Invisible Man from H. G. Wells’s book. The Invisible Man is feared for his ability to come out of nowhere, remaining unseen while still affecting everyone around him. RPF similarly maintains a relatively low profile compared to its actual strength and influence within the community. They may not always be the loudest or most visible army, but their reputation and size are enough to make their presence known. Like the Invisible Man, RPF can remain largely out of sight while still being a force that other armies have to account for.
II. Aliens – The Thing
The Thing, dressed up as a human, but really an Alien in disguise
The Aliens are, rather fittingly, represented by an actual alien: the Thing. The Thing is an extraterrestrial organism that can perfectly copy the appearance and behavior of other living beings. This allows it to infiltrate groups undetected. This makes it particularly fitting for the Aliens, especially given their success in rogue events on Club Penguin Journey. Here, copying the appearance of other penguins or having other penguins copy their appearance has been a part of their strategy. The connection is almost too perfect to ignore. The Thing is literally an alien that disguises itself as others, while the Aliens have demonstrated that same ability to blend into their surroundings and take on different appearances during these events. While the Thing’s intentions are far more sinister, the resemblance is unmistakable—an alien that excels at becoming something else.
III. Dark Warriors – Michael Myers
Michael Myers, a good representation of the Dark Warriors’ persistence
The Dark Warriors have developed a reputation for being one of the most persistent armies in the community. Even after setbacks, they have repeatedly shown the ability to recover and keep fighting. Their war against the Templars in September 2026 is a particularly good example. The Templars initially took territory from the Dark Warriors and even established Thermal as their capital. However, the war ultimately ended in a Dark Warriors victory. Rather than letting these setbacks end their campaign, they kept fighting until they regained the upper hand. This persistence also shows in their activity throughout 2026. Dark Warriors remained among the community’s major armies and reached higher Top Ten rankings multiple times, along with the top ranking in OG Club Penguin armies on numerous occasions.
That is why Dark Warriors make for an appropriate image of Michael Myers from the Halloween series. Michael Myers isn’t scary because he moves fast or because of his complexity; he is scary because he keeps coming back. He might get knocked down, escape, or be believed defeated. However, he comes back into the picture and goes after them again. The same characteristic appears in Dark Warriors throughout their history. You might defeat them by knocking them down for a while, but that doesn’t necessarily end the fight.
IV. Help Force – Ghostface
The pioneer of the modern “slasher” genre of horror
A year into the transition from OG Club Penguin to private servers, namely Club Penguin Online, Help Force originally found success as a stamp-hunting group before becoming an army. Soon after establishing themselves as an army, HF saw a major rise in power. They became a mainstay major army and proved their strength in both tournaments and wars, including winning Legends Cup XIII in 2024. As time marched forward, however, the helpers gradually fell in relevance. They still held on to their major status by a hair, but their power dropped significantly. The army that once pioneered community engagement and CPPS recruiting found itself overtaken by armies that adapted their methods and applied them better.
Similarly, Scream‘s Ghostface killer pioneered the modern slasher-horror genre. While not the first masked killer, Ghostface broke many common horror tropes, spouting corny one-liners and campy but simple kills. Ghostface dominated the early 2000s, with most slasher films at the time failing to compete with the newly established icon. However, today, the Scream films have fallen further from relevance. They are holding on just enough for more films, but none have the staying power of the slashers around them. Ghostface’s most relevance comes from the Scary Movie series, where his character is parodied and has nothing to do with his horror roots. Both Help Force and Ghostface have clung to life, but their staying power has undeniably fallen.
V. Fire Vikings – Jason Voorhees
Jason Voorhees is known for surviving whatever is thrown at him, similar to the Fire Vikings.
The Fire Vikings may be one of the easiest armies to compare to a horror character because their greatest defining trait is their ability to survive. Since their creation, the army has gone through multiple generations, closures, leadership changes, and periods of inactivity. Yet they have repeatedly found a way to return. Their third generation began in early 2026 after another closure. Despite the difficulties that followed, Fire Vikings continued participating in the community and remained active enough to place among the Top Ten throughout portions of the year. Their resilience has become almost as much a part of their identity as the army itself.
For that reason, Fire Vikings are best exemplified by Jason Voorhees in the film Friday the 13th. Jason has one outstanding quality: he cannot seem to die. No matter how hard his adversaries think they have killed him, Jason always manages to come back somehow. This is how Fire Vikings have gone throughout their history, too. The army may fold, struggle, or face internal problems, but in time, another batch resurrects the name. The comparison here isn’t necessarily about Fire Vikings being the toughest army. It is about their ability to survive situations that could have ended another army.
VI. Shadow Legionnaires – Predator
The aggressive and territorial Predator, akin to the Shadow Legionnaire’s thirst for more.
The Shadow Legionnaires have developed a reputation for being one of the more aggressive territorial forces in the army community. Rather than simply maintaining a small collection of territories, they have repeatedly attempted to expand their presence across the map. During 2026, they became involved in several conflicts and built a substantial empire, controlling more territories than any other army on the map. This factoid remains true, with the legion gaining another territory during its current war against the Fire Vikings before the FV invasion of Glaciar. Their war against the Masked Bandits in September was particularly significant. The resulting peace treaty gave Shadow Legionnaires control of many of these territories. They have therefore become an increasingly noticeable presence on the CPA map.
This makes Shadow Legionaries a natural comparison to the Predator. Unlike many traditional horror villains, the Predator is not simply an unstoppable creature that attacks everything around it. It is a hunter. It enters unfamiliar territory, searches for targets, stalks them, and attempts to claim its victory as a trophy. Shadow Legionaries have demonstrated a similar relationship with the army map. They have repeatedly entered contested territory, targeted other armies’ land, and expanded their own holdings. The Predator is also dangerous because it can appear suddenly and operate effectively in hostile environments. This makes it difficult for its targets to know where it will strike next. In the same way, Shadow Legionaries have become an army that other forces on the map have increasingly had to watch. They do not simply occupy the map; they hunt across it.
VII. Scarlet Republic – Leatherface
The controversial face of “grindhouse” horror
Since opening in January 2025, the Scarlet Republic has faced significant controversy. From the mysterious RPF war just a month after its creation to the ACP war a year later, this small-medium found itself targeted by many major armies. Despite this, SR remained a beloved S/M and showed how dominant it could be throughout much of 2025. SR leader Ghostt even won Best S/M Leader that year. However, this power was short-lived, as the army struggled to maintain revivals for more than a few months. Its most recent revival shut down after just a month, making a return unlikely despite its remaining supporters.
This makes Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a good comparison. The film drew criticism for its graphic content, yet it developed a cult following that allowed it to persist. Leatherface eventually became the face of “grindhouse” horror, but controversy and declining appeal caused the series to lose relevance. While Leatherface has not returned to the big screen in over four years, his image remains with the cult following that originally supported him. Much like SR, Leatherface remains recognizable despite falling far from his former prominence.
The authors did not reach out to any of the leaders of the armies listed in this post because of the gruesome nature of these characters. Additionally, there was limited time between writing, deciding on each character choice, and the date this post was scheduled for. However, these choices make enough sense to justify them, despite the psychotic nature of the characters barely reflecting the individual armies. Perhaps, though, if a person worthy of being a serial killer managed to become leader in any of these armies, the army could be turned towards such a fate… What do you think of these choices? Are these characters well placed amongst the above armies, or would you have associated different characters with them?
Pranav
Senior Reporter
Ellie
Reporter
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Club Penguin Politician and S/M Advocate