In Ethan Hawke's latest movie The Black Phone, a small suburban town is battling mysterious child abductions. Hawke's portrayal as The Grabber in The Black Phone is disturbing and unnerving for audiences, and a horror character that stands out as well-written and well-acted is unforgettable in the eyes of the viewer. The Grabber joins a long list of memorable slasher movie characters that linger in the audience's mind long after the credits roll.
With that in mind, fans at Ranker have voted to determine the best characters in slasher movies. The results are fairly unsurprising, consisting almost entirely of popular villains, but also they include the most recognizable final girl of any horror franchise. Whether killer or hero, these characters are impressive in power and reputation, leaving lasting impressions on horror fans.
Laurie Strode
The Halloween franchise wouldn’t be the same without the ultimate final girl, Laurie Strode. Though there are significant continuity errors within the franchise, Laurie has appeared or been mentioned in almost every movie. She has also been immortalized in the popular online video game Dead By Daylight.
With each movie, audiences watch as Laurie becomes more confident and capable of standing up to Michael Myers. She is the only non-villain that broke the top ten, and for a good reason. Jamie Lee Curtis is likable and manages to bring a standout character to life. Her portrayal is emotional, and viewers can feel the terror she experiences as she is hunted by Michael, as well as feel the rage as she does the hunting.
Pinhead
Pinhead stands out in the Hellraiser series as an intelligent, articulate demon. He was once a human who transformed into a demon devoted to sadomasochism. He does not kill for the sake of killing, and he only speaks when it’s necessary. The creation of his character was influenced by Count Dracula, according to Clive Barker.
Extremely powerful, Pinhead has supernatural abilities. He can summon objects out of thin air and even summons chains to mutilate his victims. He is impenetrable by bullets and must be summoned to Earth from Hell by the Lamont Configuration. Pinhead’s appearance rivals other slasher characters, and he stands out because instead of being covered by a mask, nails stick out of his ghostly white, hairless face. Pinhead is a truly memorable, unique character.
Pennywise
Pennywise from Stephen King’s It has been instilling fear in audiences for decades. Whether portrayed by Tim Curry or Bill Skarsgård, the red-nosed clown is terrifying and uncomfortable to watch. It is best watched alone, as Pennywise’s unnerving smile and evil eyes will send chills down any viewer’s spine.
Capable of shapeshifting and manipulating reality, Pennywise can control any victim by reading memories and emotions. He is an unmatched force within the small town of Derry, where he prefers to feast on children instead of adults because they are easier to scare and manipulate. The terror is real, as no one knows when he will appear, and reality cannot be trusted.
Leatherface
Leatherface is the ruthless killer in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. He wears masks made of human skin and slaughters his victims like they're cattle instead of people. Unlike other killers, he shows more emotion than murderous rage. Despite being terrifying himself, he also appears to be intimidated by his own family.
Also, unlike other slasher flicks, Leatherface doesn’t meander after his victims. He sprints. In the fantastic final scene of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, he can be seen running after a woman, waving his chainsaw in the air. Leatherface is brutal and merciless toward his victims, opting to use any weapon including meat hooks and sledgehammers. Trespassers do not stand a chance against Leatherface.
Ghostface
The Scream franchise finds a killer in Ghostface. Though the person wearing the mask changes with each film, the costume does not, as Ghostface uses a simple Halloween mask and a voice changer to become a menacing adversary. Scream follows a group of friends just trying to survive as they are eliminated one by one.
Determining the face behind the mask is what makes Ghostface terrifying. It could be anyone with a motive, and the main characters have no idea who they can trust. Audiences never know when the masked individual will pop out from a closet or be standing behind a front door, making Ghostface an unsettling antagonist. Eleven characters have donned tackled the murderous role of Ghostface thus far.
Norman Bates
As the proprietor of the Bates Motel in the Psycho franchise, Norman Bates has dissociative identity disorder, and one of his alternate personalities comes in the form of his abusive mother. He hallucinates his mother and argues with that side of his personality regularly. Dressing in his mother’s clothes, he assumes her personality to kill his victims.
Norman has an innocent look to him, so motel guests would never guess his internal conflict. He comes off as a little stand-offish and timid, when in reality he cannot stop killing motel guests that go snooping around. There is a calmness to his personality as Norman that contrasts with his mother’s rage as Norma. He’s the total opposite of a traditional slasher villain which makes him more menacing and frightening.
Hannibal Lecter
Often referred to as Hannibal the cannibal for consuming his victims, Hannibal Lecter is an uncharacteristic killer in the Hannibal franchise. He is a charismatic genius who killed people who were rude to him. If someone shows respect, he shows it back. However, he is manipulative and intentionally misleads the police when he is first arrested to confuse them.
Hannibal is a sadistic man. He has high standards, and those that do not meet those standards become dinner. He is not a traditional serial killer who stabs his victims and walks away, and this makes him more threatening. Hannibal goes out of his way to prepare a feast from his victims, and this untraditional action makes his behavior purely disgusting and uncomfortable.
Freddy Krueger
Freddy Krueger is the villain from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. He appears in the dreams of his victims, terrorizing them as they sleep. If he kills them in the dream, they die in reality. He is known for his striped sweater, burned face, hat, and his glove with knives for fingers.
Though some of Freddy’s goofier dialogue has aged poorly, he is an intimidating and disturbing character. A powerful force, he is only vulnerable if his victim manages to pull him out of the dream and into reality. The victims are powerless against him. The only way a victim can avoid him entirely is if they stay awake. There is no running from sleep when it’s a basic human necessity, making Freddy Krueger a truly terrifying adversary.
Jason Voorhees
Whether stalking counselors at Camp Crystal Lake or murdering in space, Jason Voorhees has evolved throughout the Friday the 13th franchise. With the addition of the famous hockey mask, the ability to regenerate, and superhuman strength, Jason has become a formidable force with each new movie.
Some versions of Jason are scarier than others, but each one is memorable. Rarely speaking or making sounds, his reasons for killing range from his mother to the counselors who let him drown. There is a supernatural aspect to the franchise that Jason is undead and does not have the limitations of a human. It is near impossible to stop him, which became an important storyline for Freddy vs. Jason when he is up against Freddy Krueger.
Michael Myers
As the mass murderer in the Halloween franchise, Michael Myers is a brooding force to be reckoned with as he goes from stalking babysitters to the entire town of Haddonfield over the course of eleven movies. Despite continuity errors, Michael is the man who won’t die. Whether he is lit on fire or shot five times, he always survives.
Michael has the ability to catch up to his victims despite his slow pace. He never speaks or makes a sound aside from the occasional grunt while trying to stab someone. No matter the backstory he is given, he remains mysterious and the background music when he appears on screen adds to his intensity. Michael Myers is the ultimate slasher.