Is there a difference between rage killers and serial killers? Rage killers may make list of those who have wrong them in the pass so they see to it to kill them because of that. With your serial killers there signs from the things they do that are to easy to follow from when they are kids to teenagers. Are some serial killers mistaken for rage killers?

Rage killers and serial killers have similarities but they also have differences.

A serial killer could also be classified as a rage killer but not vice versa. This is because serial killers have multiple victims but a rage killer might not. One example of a rage killer is Adam Emery; he had an impulse to go after the person he blamed for wrecking his car. He endangered himself in the process but that didn't matter because he wanted blood; though we may never know why, perhaps he had uncontrollable impulses that weren't discussed in the segment. Another example of a rage killer would be Richard Bockledge.

However, serial killers could have a rage-type of trigger that impulses the drive to commit their sadistic deeds.

There's also something called "spree killers." The difference in them and serial killers is they usually don't select specific victims, but rather look for targets of opportunity. They also commit their crimes in multiple locations over a short period of time (say a guy on the interstate stopping every so often and killing a random person). The UM episode about the I-70 killer is the perfect example. He was traveling on an interstate, going into random shops, and killing the clerks. Textbook spree killer.

There's also "rampage killers." These are people like the recent Colorado "Batman killer" or the Columbine shooters (a workplace shooter is another good example of a rampage killer). They go on a rampage, commit mass murder at a single location, and go out in a "blaze of glory" so to speak.

There's also "thrill killers." They are similar to serial killers except they don't do it for any sexual gratification or fetish. Like spree killers, they usually select random victims. The main difference with them and spree killers, is a thrill killer might kill only once (but can strike more than once). They also don't necessarily travel around. Leopold and Loeb are good examples of thrill killers-- they killed because they wanted to toy with the police and derived excitement from their "game."

Jack the Ripper might be considered both a thrill killer and a serial killer. He kind of fits the bill for both.