The “Wilhelm Scream” is famous among Hollywood sound effects technicians. It’s a screechy, somewhat feminine death-cry, and it’s been repeatedly featured in movies since the 1950s. It was (somewhat inaccurately, but who cares) named after a minor character, one Private Wilhelm, in an early film. If you’re so inclined, you can listen to it here.
It seems that this fatal but girly screech has become something of a joke among game developers over the years. It’s now appeared in dozens of video games, including several famous (or infamous) MMOs. Notably on the list are Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Hellgate: London. Also notable was the fact that practically every Star Wars game ever made has featured the Wilhelm Scream, with the notable exception being Star Wars: Galaxies.
You can view the entire bemusing list of video games containing the Wilhelm Scream right here. A cinematic history of the scream, in which it is repeated over and over and over, can be found below. 
?
~~~
If you enjoyed this post, visit our illustrious Wandering Goblin main page. There’s lots more tomfoolery just like this. 
