Horror movies are nothing without their main characters and villains. Some of the most iconic names of cinemas have come from horror movies. Since the late 1800’s/Early 1900’s, horror films have introduced us to some scary and intense characters that come out at night. Some of these characters have either become legendary icons of horror films while others are founding fathers of the genre. Some of the most well known horror movie characters have been in our dreams and nightmares for many years and it seems like they are getting scarier and scarier each decade. We are inching closer to the ending of these horror top 10’s so with this in mind it is time to countdown my favorite horror movie characters. The horror movie characters on this list have either caused me nightmares over the years or were big influences in my life. I have been watching horror movies since I was a kid and I was introduced to many creatures, monsters and ghouls during my childhood. These horror movie characters have also become some of my favorite movie characters of all time, but that’s a list for another day. Until then comment below your favorite horror movie character of all time and let’s countdown the characters that brought me nightmares and list my Top 10 Horror Movie Characters of All Time.
My Top 10 Horror Movie Characters of All Time
10. Jigsaw/John Kramer (Saw franchise) – The Saw franchise is known for its horrifying traps, torture porn scenes and the loveable Billy the puppet. But without a doubt there would be no Saw franchise without its lead antagonist John Kramer, better known as Jigsaw. The Jigsaw killer made his debut in Saw and later found his way in every film in the franchise even though the character was killed in the 3rd film. The character played a big role with the next 5 films and had an influence on the future antagonists in the films. The character was brought to life by Tobin Bell who as not well known in the film industry but once Saw came out it changed his life forever as he became well known soon after as “the bad guy in the Saw films”. John Kramer was a civil engineer who was dying from a frontal lobe tumor that had developed from colon cancer. The reason why he became this villain is pretty dark as soon after he learned that he was dying he tried to attempt suicide and from there he found a new appreciation for life and he dedicated the rest of his life to inspiring others to appreciate life by testing them with traps to see if they have what it takes to live. The Jigsaw killer would leave either cut off skin from his victims and make it look like a jigsaw piece or he would find a new victim by leaving them a voice recorded tape that will lead them to their tests. Other times he records his puppet Billy and tells the next victim their tasks to help them survive. His traps are actually poetic as it like figuring out a rhyme with what he says in his recordings so you need to make sure you pay attention to the details. I honestly love John Kramer as while he may seem like a bad guy he actually is trying to help his victims see life how he sees it and wants them to appreciate what they have in their life. Then again what normal person will do that but also put these victims through hell with these killing traps. Regardless the Saw franchise would be nothing without Jigsaw and he has made a huge impact in the horror industry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCiEN9LyPuA
9. Captain Spaulding (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devils Rejects, 3 From Hell) – Many of you might not know this but I am a huge fan of the Rob Zombie trilogy and my favorite one of the three films is The Devil’s Rejects. But my love for the film came at first from Captain Spaulding as he has a look of terror with his clown makeup and then there are those eyes that stare you down if you piss him off. He is not the scariest character of the bunch on this list but he is by far the loudest mouthed character on this list. Everything that comes out of his mouth is either foul language or something fucked up and I love every minute of it. Captain Spaulding was played perfectly and phenomenally by the late great Sid Haig. The character’s name actually came from the Marx Brother’s film Animal Crackers and most of the character’s names in the Rob Zombie Trilogy have their names from Marx Brother’s films. Sid Haig brought this character to life in the most perfect way as this character became his most well known character he ever played in his long acting career. Now while he is known as a murderous clown, he is also the patriarch of the Firefly family as he is the father of Baby Firefly, but also in a way the leader of the bunch. Now even though the films that Captain Spaulding is in are cult classics, his character is known as a modern icon of horror and Sid Haig has become a horror icon because of his performance as the character. I love Captain Spaulding because he gives no fucks about what people think of him. He is a clown that you should be afraid of and while he isn’t the scariest looking clown I for one would not want to be on his bad side. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N9Fzv7bYCM&t=4s
8. Michael Myers (Halloween franchise) – I know this is freaking low for the King of Horror and the most well known horror icon but personally for me he is kind of tied with a couple of horror characters so let’s just say it’s a three way tie for 6. Michael Myers has been haunting our lives since 1978 and he is probably the most beloved Horror character of all time. Many people have put on the mask and played Michael Myers but only one man had made the character the icon and that man is Nick Castle. Nick Castle only played the role one time in the 1978 film but he also had a cameo in the 2018 film where he put on the mask one more time. Castle made the character who he is and all he did was just walk, turn, slash a couple of people and walk mysteriously some more. His Michael has never been outdone and for great reason; no other person has been able to show how mysterious Michael is and no one to this day is mentioned as much as Castle is when it comes to bringing the character to life. That’s the beauty of this character, he has no motive really as all he does is just kill and every time you think he has died he magically comes back to life. In just one film Castle brought all of this into this character and he gave the best performance of the bunch of people that got to don the Michael Myers mask. I remember as a kid being haunted by this horror icon because he had lifeless eyes and just his presence in the film is scary enough to put fear in a child’s brain. I grew up finally and became a big fan of the Halloween franchise and of Michael Myers and even one day when I was a teen dressed up as him on Halloween. I guess you can say I got rid of that fear and tried becoming the slasher for one night. All jokes aside it would be horrible to not include this icon and without a doubt wherever he is placed on any list just know he is the King of Horror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrG6nGxUHgw
7. Pennywise (IT) – I love Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise in Stephen King’s It but the 2017 version of the character is a lot more better in my opinion. Bill Skarsgard’s performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown is one of the best performances of the decade. He showed the true horror of this villain and he took this character to new heights with his originality of the character. Pennywise can take many forms including your biggest fears, hence why throughout the film when Pennywise is first haunting you instead of seeing the clown first you see a different entity, you see your fear and once he gets you in a triggering fear he forms into the clown and begins to torture you more. That’s the beauty of the character in general. Now while the original 1990 made for television film made Pennywise look scary and innocent at the same time, the 2017 film straight up makes him a scary clown that can form into anything. Now it also helps that each time Pennywise is on screen he has a look on his face that is just plain creepy. It makes the Joker seem like a saint and Joker is a person in clown makeup, Pennywise on the other hand is a life form that eats on your fears and uses the clown getup as a way to lure children. It Chapter 2 also showed the many forms Pennywise could become and it’s just as scary. I love the character’s detailed look and the fact that Bill Skarsgard adds a small touch with his eyes makes me love this version of the character even more. The character is an internet meme at this point and it’s crazy to think the film came out over 3 years ago and it still is highly praised. At this point the film and Pennywise are horror icons and there is no clown that scares me more and had me on the edge of my seat like Pennywise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukGceRFa1fI
6. Norman Bates (Psycho) – There is three characters that come to mind when it comes to creating my Babyface character, one is coming up on this list, but the other two are Joker and Norman Bates. Norman Bates has been in the horror world since 1959 when the thriller novel Psycho came out into the world. One year later the film of the same name came out and the world was introduced once again to Norman Bates. We have seen many people play the role as the 1998 remake we saw Vince Vaughn attempt to perform as Norman Bates and then 15 years later Freddie Highmore took on the role in the A&E series Bates Motel but no man has brought fame and righteousness into the character like Anthony Perkins did in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Norman Bates is not a human being, or in a term that doesn’t sound problematic, he has no soul and he is literally a monster that wears a human costume. The character has many issues that make him become this monster as he had severe emotional abuse as a child; we learn this in the novel and the film, he staged a murder suicide making it seem like his own mother killed the people in the motel, but he has dissociative identity disorder, better known as multi-personality disorder, as he dressed up like his mother when he murdered the people in the motel. In a way Norman Bates is like Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, one minute he is a normal person but he becomes this monster that will try and kill you. Norman Bates said it best himself, we all go a little mad sometimes and boy was he not kidding as Norman throughout the film seems normal but he is 100% into madness. I love that the character after every viewing seems so creepy and scary at the same time even though he seems normal and innocent. That’s the point of the whole film as it wants you to believe that Norman Bates wouldn’t hurt a fly but in actuality he would. I love this character because of the mystery that surrounds him and his characteristics and mannerisms throughout the film make him so enjoyable to watch. I guess I can say I can be a little mad sometime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv88ASiLmgk
5. Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street franchise) – We all have the fear of dying in our sleep but what if that fear became a reality and you actually were killed in your dreams. A Nightmare on Elm Street played with this idea and created a character that gave us all nightmares for decades. His name is Freddy Krueger and he is coming for you. Better lock your doors and never sleep again because it will be your end if he gets into your dreams. Freddy Krueger has become a horror movie icon since 1984 as the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has become one of the most beloved horror franchises of all time. Now Freddy is a scary badass motherfucker but he is actually scarier when you learn of his back story. Fred Krueger was a child murderer that was burned to death by his victim’s parents after he evaded prison. Originally Wes Craven wanted to make Freddy a child molester but thankfully that idea was dropped……until the 2010 remake made Freddy a child molester that was a gardener at a local preschool. So that happened….and that’s why nobody talks about that film. Anyway the scariest part of Freddy is not the fact that he killed kids in real life before he killed kids in their sleep, it’s the fact that his character is based off of real events where multiple people died in their sleep while having nightmares. So yeah that happened too…*gulp*. So the character is immortal in your dreams pretty much as he is a powerful force that is hard to stop. He also has such an iconic look with the red and green stripped sweatshirt, a brown fedora and the metal claw leather glove. I don’t know about you but that is the most badass look ever in horror movies. Freddy too can become anything he wants but why do that when he literally can scare the shit out of these teens as himself because let’s face it he doesn’t need your fears to scare you like Pennywise, all he needs is to haunt your dreams as himself and slice you up, that’s it. Like I said before Freddy is a badass motherfucker, excuse my potty mouth. Plus thank you Robert Englund for putting on such an amazing performance as Freddy and for doing it for over 20 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcrTqof683A
4. Beetlejuice (Beetlejuce) – Many people might consider this film not a horror but the Saturn award for best Horror film will shut you up for that thought as Beetlejuice is a horror film. The character of Beetlejuice is one of the most amazing characters ever created in cinema history as unlike the killers, creatures and monsters in this list, Beetlejuice is a guy who wants to just cause chaos and maybe kill someone once in a blue moon. In actuality he is a trickster and a mischievous ghost that can be very rude, perverted, crazy and of course fun. Michael Keaton had created a performance like no other in this role and it’s crazy to think that the main star of his own film is only in the film for about 17 minutes in a 92 minute long film. And were also talking about outperforming some great talents including Wionna Ryder, Catherine O’ Hara, Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin. Yeah Michael Keaton ran laps around 4 great actors, and yet he was in 1/5 of the film. Let’s not forget to talk about his look I mean he looks disgusting in most scenes but then he puts on this beautiful Black and White striped pants and jacket and yet he stills seems gross lol, but I still love it. I mean were talking about a malicious guy who attended Julliard, is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, traveled quite extensively, lived through the Black Plague (and had a pretty good time during that), and has seen "The Exorcist" about 167 times and it keeps getting funnier every single time he's seen it, not to mention the fact they're talking about a dead guy. I mean you want to hate him for all the horrible things he does but fuck he is such an awesome character that I can never hate him. I can’t go one year without watching Beetlejuice because the film is so amazing and the main antagonist of the same name just makes the movie even better. Like without him there is no movie, like literally there is no movie without the character. Is he better than all the other characters on this list, no, but I love him too much. He is my favorite kid friendly horror villain and he is probably the only movie character I would hang out with on a daily basis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQddP3QQAW0
3. Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise) – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre films are no doubt one of the most gruesome films in horror history and the main antagonist of the film has been killing young adults for almost 50 years. Leatherface has a complicated back story as it has changed in multiple films depicting the character, but moral of the story is he is a chainsaw wielding mass murderer that is mentally unstable and lives with a cannibalistic family. This character is a very scary one but it’s the fact that the character and the film is based off of true events that make it scarier. Both the film and Leatherface is based off of the murders of Ed Gein, a man who murdered multiple people, cut their faces and used them as masks, but also using bones and skin as trophies and around the household. Now after reading that you think okay this film is fucked up and you are right. Bubba Sawyer is a very unique horror character. He seems like he is a very bad person by killing people with a chainsaw and using their faces as masks on his own face but also being a part of a fucked up family that are cannibals, but in general he has empathy from many people that have watched the films. While Leatherface may be a chainsaw wielding giant, many people see him as a “big baby” that has to kill because of his family life. That could be the case but let’s be for real, he is a monster. Now I love this character because there is still some mystery in his back story as while there have been films that talked about his back story there still is a possibility of a hidden back story of the character that we might soon learn one day. I love Leatherface because he looks threatening and he is bad ass. Gunner Hansen brought this character to life and many other actors have tried to recreate what Hansen put out there but none can take the mantle from the legend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUTQUJir14
2. Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th franchise) – While the many characters on the list are badass and scary you defiantly don’t want to be around this man, especially if it’s Friday the 13th or if you are hanging around a campsite. Jason Voorhees is the most well know horror character in pop culture as while Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger are pretty well known; people always mistake them for that Friday the 13th guy. I mean after all Jason Voorhees is the only horror character to have a novel, comic book and multiple video games about him so yeah I can consider him the biggest horror character in pop culture. Jason has been slashing people since Friday the 13th part 2 as he was only a side character in the first film with him showing up in multiple scenes as the child that drowned in Camp Crystal Lake. Jason’s mother, Pamela Voorhees, was the main villain of the 1st ever Friday the 13th film but ever since part 2 Jason has been the main antagonist and he has been wielding many weapons but his most well known is his machete. Not only that but Jason wouldn’t be complete without his hockey mask as the hockey mask came into the character’s attire in the 3rd Friday the 13th film. Now while Jason is one popular character, his sequels don’t seem to be as popular and loved like he is. I mean the franchises track record isn’t horrible but I mean once he went into space for Jason X then you know the people making films for this character ran out of ideas. Either way it doesn’t matter how terrible the films were because Jason showed how badass of a character he is and had some very badass kills. Jason Voorhees is a pop culture phenomenon as he has been featured in multiple shows including Family Guy, Robot Chicken and he even was a guest in multiple talk shows, what horror villain can say that they were on a talk show. Jason might not mouth a single word in his 40 years of killing camp counselors, young adults and assholes, but he sure doesn’t need to when he is either slicing you up with a machete, breaking your bones with his super strength or throwing you around like you are a baseball. Jason Voorhees is one badass horror character that we all celebrate on Friday the 13th every year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_yAzDnA_s
1. Chucky (Child’s Play franchise) – There’s no horror movie character as unique as Charles Lee Ray, better known as Chucky. Chucky has been haunting kids nightmares since the late 1980’s and he has found his way into 8 feature films including a 2019 remake and coming soon he will be featured in his very own television series. Charles Lee Ray transfers his soul to a Good Guy doll using a voodoo ritual and from there we have the serial killing doll named Chucky. And you thought toys coming to life in Toy Story would be scary well trust me Chucky coming to life is much worse. Now for me I remember being afraid of Chucky. I was 8 and my parents took me to the movie theater and there was a movie poster cardboard cutout of Chucky and I was afraid. I never heard of Chucky prior to this so my first glimpse of him was for a poster of Seed of Chucky and for years I feared him until I was 14. Now he is my favorite horror movie character of all time and not only that but he is my son. I adopted Chucky from Spencer’s in 2018 and since then he has been my child, watching me sleep at night being a creepy little fuck. I love the character because he looks creepy in general as the Good Guy doll looks very creepy and that’s without a serial killer possessing it. Now the puppetry and animatronic effects used for the character in the films are amazing and are another reason why I love the character so much. However Chucky is nothing without his voice and iconic laugh as Brad Dourif brought this character to life with his amazing voice performances in all the film of the original franchise. I mean were talking about a rude talking, vulgar speaking and knife wielding killer doll for crying out loud, like out of all the horror figures in cinema history, this one literally will give you nightmares and trigger you at any age. Like there are grown adults who fear the doll. There have been many scary dolls that have come out from the horror world before and after Chucky, but no one is as iconic as the Good Guy doll. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKSd3QtQPlo
Honorable Mentions:
Ghostface (Scream franchise) – While the character has been different people under the mask including Shaggy and Emma Roberts, I love the character as a whole as the character re-invented who a serial killer is in horror movies and it helps that Scary Movie really outdid itself by parodying the character, making it another huge reason why I love the character. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Ejl4eeFXM
Frankenstein’s Monster – There has been no other horror icon as popular and beloved like Frankenstein’s monster. The character has seen its fair share of pop culture references in films and shows and he is one true classic horror icon that many people love today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nur4g4r1LN4
Shaun (Shaun of the Dead) – I mean the man is legit a lazy guy who hates his job and would rather stay home and hangout with his best friend, MEEEEEE! But he also needs to fight zombies in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpCe36t6oC4
Tallahassee (Zombieland) – Back in late 2012/2013 finding a Twinkie was hard a Hostess shutdown. Tallahassee knows that feeling after all it was his mission to find one Twinkie during a Zombie apocolapyse. Other than that characteristic, Tallahassee is a badass that has many weapons and loves riding trucks with Dale Earnhardt’s number 3 spray painted on the door. Also he is a big Bill Murray fan lol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz2_sA1RxJY
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