Chucky: Who Is Damballa & How Does His Voodoo Work?

In the first "Child's Play" movie, viewers learn that the iconic killer Chucky doll (voiced by Brad Dourif) is the assumed form of a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray (played by Dourif). Just prior to his death, Ray conducts a ritual that begins with the chant, "Ade due Damballa. Give me the power, I beg of you." Later additions to the franchise's canon, like an amulet called the Heart of Damballa in "Bride of Chucky," evoke the name Damballa as well.

While details remain vague even in the franchise's present-day incarnation as the "Chucky" TV show, it's clear that Damballa is a powerful voodoo god. When Ray first transfers his soul into a doll and in all subsequent rituals evoking the deity's name, dark storm clouds appear overhead, clouds which seem to represent Damballa.

This name and the stormy atmosphere appear to be necessary for a voodoo ritual's success, indicating, then, that Damballa is the source of voodoo magic throughout the "Child's Play" franchise. Damballa's powers are almost exclusively used to transfer souls to new bodies, though they're presumably not limited to just this type of ritual given the general lack of rules binding voodoo magic in the franchise's mythology.

In an interview with Slash Film, "Child's Play" creator, screenwriter, and "Chucky" showrunner Don Mancini confirmed that the addition of voodoo to the original film's screenplay wasn't necessarily to his liking. Nevertheless, voodoo magic has become a staple of the franchise. "Plenty of people seem to like it. It's also just very useful, which is why [director] Tom Holland used it in the first movie," Mancini said. "It can just be a useful catch-all to make the supernatural happen in a simple way."

First and foremost, then, voodoo exists in "Child's Play" to justify supernatural goings-on and isn't necessarily bound by strict, codified rules. This looseness is best exemplified by a book titled "Voodoo for Dummies" that teaches legitimate voodoo magic in multiple "Child's Play" entries. Based on a number of consistent factors throughout the franchise, however, voodoo spells do seem to require enough time to finish the "Ade due Damballa" chant. Spells can be broken, then, if their target escapes or someone hinders their user before the chant is completed. Certain spells, meanwhile, necessitate additional requirements. In "Chucky" Season 1, notably, a spell Chucky intends to cast allowing his soul to inhabit 72 separate vessels requires convincing a child to commit murder.

The existence of the lengthy "Voodoo for Dummies" implies that Damballa's powers extend beyond just transferring souls, but given Mancini's love/hate relationship with voodoo, this may well remain the predominant use of Damballa's magic as "Chucky" continues.