October is a time for screams and thrills and what better way to immerse yourself in this spooky season than by watching some cult classic Halloween films? One thing all of these horror movies have in common is an iconic villain – somebody you wouldn’t want to face alone. From Pennywise to Michael Myers, I’m going to break down my top 8 horror movie villains for you.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!
8. Pennywise
Don’t be fooled by his colorful face makeup and his big red nose, Pennywise is a villain from It. Pennywise the Dancing Clown, or It, is a supernatural alien creature that preys on human flesh every 27 years. Pennywise shapeshifts into it’s victim’s worse fear before devouring them, otherwise it usually takes on the “Pennywise” persona – due to a general fear of clowns.
Pennywise first appears in the 1986 novel, It, by Stephen King and later in a 1990 BC miniseries. Recently, Pennywise appeared in the 2017 film where he murders poor little Georgie meanwhile a group of seven kids, “The Losers’ Club”, investigates and discovers that Pennywise isn’t human. In the following 2019 sequel, 27 years later, the same kids that are now adults must band together to put an end to Pennywise once and for all.
7. Annabelle
She’s no regular doll, Annabelle is an antagonist in the Conjuring universe. She is a powerful demon possessing an old Raggedy-Ann doll that she uses to torment and bring harm to her victims. Annabelle is an actual haunted doll in real life that is currently locked tightly in a glass case in an occult museum of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a married couple who were famous paranormal investigators in the 1900’s.
Annabelle first appears in the Conjuring movies, and then as the main antagonist in her own movies, Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, and Annabelle Comes Home. She also appears in The Curse of La Llorona.
6. Jigsaw
Famous for his horrific, death scenarios, Jigsaw is the villain from Saw. John Kramer is a fictional villain nicknamed the “Jigsaw Killer”, ironically enough he doesn’t actually kill anyone – rather he puts his victims in a life-or-death situation, offering them at least one logical way to survive.
If you’ve seen any of the Saw films, you’ll know not many of his victims stay calm enough to puzzle their way out of his horrific scenarios and find themselves at death’s door. Jigsaw appears in all of the Saw movies, except for the 2021 movie, Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Each film showcases a new crew of victims that must survive life-threatening puzzles or die trying.
5. Art the Clown
Watch out for a demonic killer black and white clown on Halloween night, Art the Clown is the villain from Terrifier. Art the Clown is a fictional demonic killer that enjoys torturing people for his own amusement. If you’re not a fan of gory movies, I would steer clear of this franchise. Art the Clown appears on Halloween nights to torture his victims.
Art the Clown first appeared in the 2008 short film, The 9th Circle. He later appears in Terrifier, Terrifier 2, and Terrifier 3, where he is the main antagonist that tortures and kills his terrified victims. Art the Clown also appears in All Hallows Eve, a series of shorts.
4. Ghost Face
Be wary of mysterious phone calls and make sure your house is locked, Ghost Face is the villain from Scream. Ghost Face is unique in the sense that it’s fictional persona and not just one singular person donning the killer mask. Throughout the Scream franchise, multiple people adopt the Ghost Face identity in order to carry out their murder spree. The main weapon Ghostface uses is a large hunting knife.
Ghostface first appears in the 1996 film, Scream, where it stalks and gives threatening phone calls to Sidney Prescott and kills teenagers and Sidney’s friends one by one. Ghostface continues in the subsequent five films and TV show, although each time it’s a new killer donning the frightening black and white mask.
3. Freddy Krueger
You wouldn’t want to find him in your dreams, Freddy Kreuger is the villain from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Frederick Charles Krueger is a fictional serial killer famously known to murder people in their dreams who live on Elm Street in Springwood as long as there’s enough fear of him. Freddy inflicts damage on his victims in their dreams that affects them in the real world – killing them. His main weapon is his clawed glove, but he also harms his victim’s in their dreams by torturing them with their fears.
Freddy Krueger first appears in the 1984 film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, where teenagers of Springwood that live on Elm Street meet their demise by Freddy Krueger, who kills them in their dreams which results in them dying in reality. Freddy Krueger continues appearing in the next eight films and TV series of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.
2. Jason Voorhees
Think twice before camping at Camp Crystal Lake, Jason is the villain from, Friday the 13. Jason Voorhees, the villain who dons the hockey mask, with the exception of the first movie, is a fictional serial killer who murders teenagers at summer camp. Jason wields his iconic machete to slash through his victims in most of his films.
“Jason” first appeared in the 1980 horror film, Friday the 13th, where summer camp consolers meet their brutal deaths at the hands of Jason. Jason appears in all 12 movies from the Friday the 13th franchise, including Freddy vs Jason.
1. Michael Myers
The silent but deadly stalker, Michael is the villain from Halloween. Michael Myers, known as the symbol of evil, is a fictional serial killer who stalks the streets, murdering anyone he comes across. With his signature chef’s knife in hand, Michael Myers is known as Halloween’s iconic slasher.
Michael Myers first appears in the 1978 horror film, Halloween, where after 15 years after murdering his sister on Halloween night, Michael escapes out of a mental hospital and makes his way back to Haddonfield, to stalk Laurie Strode and murder anyone who gets in his way. Michael appears in all 13 movies from the Halloween franchise, including the recent trilogy: Halloween, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends.
Final Thoughts…
I think I speak for everyone when I say that although it’s fun watching horror movies, I’m much happier on my couch versus being one of the characters in the movies. I couldn’t even imagine having to face one of these horror villains head on. I hope everyone stays safe and have a Happy Halloween!
Thanks as always for reading my blog,
Jessica Mohan
Works Cited:
https://stephenking.fandom.com/wiki/It_(Creature)#Timeline_(2017_film)
https://movie-villains.fandom.com/wiki/Annabelle_the_Doll
https://horror.fandom.com/wiki/Jigsaw_(character)
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Jigsaw
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Art_the_Clown
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Ghostface_(Scream)
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Jason_Voorhees_(original)
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