If I kill someone in self-defense, is the person my victim? Or is there another word?
Slain attacker?
They’re the victim of your actions. I don’t think “victim” implies any particular moral righteousness.
Agreed. A person who dies in an accident is an accident victim. Killing a person is not necessarily the same as murdering a person.
DRT comes to mind. Dead Right There. I’m thinking it can be nouned without much effort.
Neutralized Aggressor?
Latin had a word for it, according to some online sources: forbatudus. I don’t see it in my Latin dictionary, though.
If you killed them in self-defense, then you killed your assailant.
In martial arts the neutral term “opponent” is generally used to identify an opposing combatant. In police jargon the term “suspect” or “perpetrator” is generally applied, even if the person in question was not charged with any specific criminal act at the time the engagement occurred.
I would not use the term “victim” in regard to someone you defended yourself against in any context, and especially not one that may be later read in court.
Stranger
“Lawful prey.”
Attacker or assailant. If this happened in your house, he could also be called an intruder.
Assailant, aggressor or decedent is what I’ve seen in police reports.
“The deceased”.
“former perp”