It's been over 25 years since Hocus Pocus was released, giving audiences one of the most influential family Halloween films to date. It developed such a cult following that a much-anticipated sequel is in the works.

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The original films centers on Max Dennison and his sister Dani, who are new to the town of Salem. They go on a wild ride on Halloween night after they accidentally bring back the bewitching Sanderson sisters from the dead. What transpires is a high-stakes battle against time. Although the Sanderson sisters are the antagonists in the movie, they have some very likable qualities about them. And they're not the only ones.

Ernie ("Ice")

ice in hocus pocus

That's right, Ernie (aka "Ice") is less likable than the Sanderson sisters. Standing alongside his buddy Jay, he's the high school bully who thinks he owns Salem. He's so full of himself that he came up with his own nickname and begged Jay to call him Ice instead of Ernie.

At the beginning of the film, Ernie took Max's sneakers while he was on his way home from work. Even worse, Ernie also called the Sanderson sisters ugly. Even though he's young and may grow out of his bullying ways, he has zero likability. Ernie may as well be one of the worst bullies in movie history.

Jay

Jay in Hocus Pocus

Jay is almost as bad as Ice, but there's a softness about him that separates him from his cohort. Ice is the brains of the operation and Jay appears to follow blindly while laughing at nonsense. He joined Ice in stealing Max's shoes from him and he also bullied kids in to giving him their candy.

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Jay has a lot of growing up to do. After the Sanderson sisters abducted the bullies and locked them, Jay apologized profusely, proving he learned a lesson of a lifetime. But did he grow? Maybe viewers will find out in the rumored sequel.

Winifred Sanderson

winifred about to sing i put a spell on you - hocus pocus

Hocus Pocus may be spooky movie but it's a Halloween movie the entire family can enjoy. Winifred is leader of her pack and sets the tone for her own family. Without Winifred, Mary and Sarah would be totally lost. Winifred is the one with a spellbook and the one that's able to shock and move people. She knows what she wants and knows exactly what she has to do to get it done.

But as reckless and witchy as Winifred is, she's still oddly likable. She's the evilest character in the movie and yet fans can't help but secretly support her. Even though she's a witch that's been dead for 300 years, she's hilariously relatable and just wants to be young and live forever. Is that so wrong?

Mary Sanderson

mary sanderson - hocus pocus feature image

Mary's look is so iconic that online shops are selling masks that have her face on it! Like Winifred, Mary is an antagonist who is on the hunt for children. Her power is the ability to smell children even if she can't see them. It was thanks to her nose that the sisters were able to get Emily Binx and Dani Dennison, and figure out that Halloween night was all about children dressing in costumes.

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However, no matter how badly Mary wanted to hunt children she wasn't as bad as Winifred. She was goofy and loopy but at the same time, there was a maternal instinct with Mary that made her likable. She catered to Winifred and formed a calming circle when she was stressed. She also coddled her when she thought they were about to die before finding the book again. It's Mary's fun personality and warmth that gives her an edge over her leader sister.

Billy Butcherson

Billy Butcherson rises from the grave in Hocus Pocus

Good ol' Billy Butcherson was Winifred's ex-boyfriend and Sarah's ex-lover. He's also been dead for over 300 years and only came back after Winifred cast a spell on him.

Billy appeared intimidating at first. He was practically a skeleton in dated clothes and messy hair. His mouth was also stitched shut, which seemed painful since he was trying to speak. He chased the three kids around the graveyard and locked Max in a headlock to grab his pocket knife. After he cut his mouth open, he was able to explain that he wasn't chasing the kids, he was just looking for help so he could speak again. He ended up protecting Dani from the Sanderson sisters, which proved his loyalty. Time will tell if Billy shows up in the second movie.

Max Dennison

Max in Hocus Pocus

To be frank, Allison, Dani, and Max wouldn't be in the situation they were in if it weren't for the latter. He was the one who made Allison show them the Sanderson house and he was the virgin who lit the black flame candle. If he didn't pull those suave moves to impress Allison, the Sanderson sisters would have stayed dead.

Nevertheless, this doesn't make Max a bad person. He's was naïve and trying to impress the girl he liked. With Hocus Pocus being a family-friendly Halloween movie, there's only so much darkness that can be shown. Max messed up, but he was likable for viewers because he was relatable. People always do silly things for love.

Sarah Sanderson

sarah in hocus pocus feature image

Sarah is far more likable than Winifred and Mary because she's never really paying attention. As Winifred said, she's consistently dancing in the background "idiotically" and bouncing to the beat of her own drum.

It's inspiring, really. Truth be told, it doesn't seem like Sarah has a bad bone in her body; she just did what her sisters told her to. Besides sucking the soul from Emily Binx, the only real bad thing she did was split up the brother and sister duo, Max and Dani.

Dani Dennison

dani in hocus pocus

What's not to like about Dani? She's young, curious, enthusiastic, and she's far braver than Max is. Max appears to be having a harder time getting used to Salem but Dani already has friends and is transitioning nicely. She wants more than anything to go trick-or-treating with her brother but becomes excited at the opportunity to see the Sanderson home.

As the only kid in the main cast, Dani makes Hocus Pocus the perfect movie for all ages. Her bravery and kindness make her as likable as they come.

Allison

Allison getting Max's number in Hocus Pocus

Allison and Dani are alike in the way that they're both interested in Halloween, the Sanderson sisters, and adventure. Allison doesn't just roll over and go home after the Sanderson sisters come back from the dead; she uses her knowledge of Salem and the witches to defeat them. Sadly, she shouldn't have ever opened the book after they escaped from the sisters, but that doesn't make her less likable. Allison is the cool high schooler '90s kids all wish they were.

Thackery Binx

Thackery Binx on his sister's grave in Hocus Pocus

The most likable character in the entire movie is Thackery Binx. Although he's just a cat, he's a cat with a dark past and deep history. He's been silenced to a life of kitty-hood for over 300 years after he tried saving his younger sister. Not being able to do so haunted him and was something he had to live with forever.

Had it not been for Thackery, who knows if Max, Dani, and Allison would have made it out alive. He's the one who told the kids what they needed to do and to hide in the graveyard because it's sacred ground. Thackery isn't likable just because he was a cat — he was a hero!

NEXT: Hocus Pocus: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Thackery Binx