Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 20th Century to present

Geographic Range: Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Diet: Unknown

Horde: North American

By night, Walking Sam roams the Black Hills of South Dakota. This seven foot tall figure targets the desperate and hopeless, whispering to them in an attempt to make their sorrows even worse. Known for targeting young people and teenagers in particular, he is the embodiment of depression and often torments indigenous communities. We have heard some reports that he collects the souls of the dead so when he meets the living, he is keen to hurry them along to the afterlife in order to claim their soul.

The figure is incredibly tall and slender and is often seen wearing a broad-brimmed hat. Some have described him as having striking eyes and no mouth. It is believed that he lives in Wind Cave National Park by day but stalks local towns and villages by night. We have not heard of any way to combat his misery so we recommend always travelling this area in groups or pairs and certainly don’t go out at night if you’re feeling melancholic.