Some entities crawl. Some vanish. But the Hopping Phantom of Prague does something even stranger.
It jumps.
This dark, cloaked figure was first reported in 1930s Prague, terrifying late-night travelers with its unnatural movements. Witnesses say it doesn’t walk or run like a normal person. Instead, it leaps—so high it seems to defy gravity.
And here’s the unsettling part—it didn’t stay in Prague.
In the decades since, reports of the same leaping figure have surfaced in U.S. cities, usually in old districts or abandoned areas. The sightings are rare, but those who have seen it never forget.
The First Sightings: Prague, 1930s
The first recorded encounters with the Hopping Phantom happened in the streets of old Prague.
Late at night, people began reporting a dark figure in a long cloak that would appear suddenly out of nowhere. It never spoke. It never ran.
Instead, it would launch itself into the air with impossible speed, vanishing over rooftops before anyone could get a good look.
The sightings caused such a stir that newspapers at the time even reported on it, dubbing it the “Hopping Devil.” Some believed it was a demon, a ghost, or something worse.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.
But that wasn’t the end.
The Phantom Crosses the Ocean
For years, the legend stayed in Europe. Then, in the 1980s, reports of a strangely familiar figure began surfacing in the United States.
A man walking alone in New Orleans one night claimed he was being followed by someone in a dark cloak. When he picked up his pace, the figure suddenly leapt over a fence—at least fifteen feet high—before disappearing into an alleyway.
In Chicago, a woman swore she saw a hooded figure leap across an entire street, vanishing into an old churchyard.
Even in New York, a group of night workers near an abandoned building saw a figure in black perched on the rooftop. Before they could react, it sprang into the air and vanished.
Every account is the same. A cloaked figure, a faceless presence, an unnatural leap into the darkness.
What Is the Hopping Phantom?
No one knows for sure, but theories range from the paranormal to the bizarre.
A Demon or Spirit
The way the Phantom moves—silently, impossibly fast, vanishing without a trace—makes some believe it’s not human at all. Certain old European legends speak of shadowy spirits that appear in cities, wandering the streets at night. Some believe the Phantom is one of these, following people, waiting for something.
A Time Traveler or Interdimensional Being
A few theorists believe the Phantom’s abilities—gravity-defying leaps, appearing in different locations across the world—suggest something beyond normal physics. Could it be a time traveler or an entity from another dimension, slipping in and out of reality?
A Flesh-and-Blood Being With Inhuman Abilities
Another theory suggests that the Hopping Phantom is real—but not a ghost. If that’s true, the real question is what it is and what it wants.
Does it choose its victims at random? Or is there a reason it follows some people and ignores others?
The Unanswered Question
Unlike most urban legends, the Hopping Phantom never makes a sound. No growl, no whisper, no footsteps. Just a sudden movement, a shadow in the dark, and an impossible leap into the night.
And those who have seen it all say the same thing:
They never saw its face.
And they never, ever want to.