Top 20 Greatest Horror Movie Characters of All Time
Horror movie characters are definitely an eclectic bunch! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the most memorable characters within the vast horror movie landscape. We will be going into a few spoilers.
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00:00It's alive! It's alive! It's alive! It's alive! It's alive!
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down the most memorable characters within the
00:10vast horror movie landscape. We will be going into a few spoilers.
00:15All that detail just from memory, sir?
00:17Memory, Agent Starling, is what I have instead of a view.
00:2220. Pennywise – IT Franchise
00:26Pennywise?
00:27Yes, me George.
00:30Georgie, meet Pennywise.
00:33Every generation, it seems, has an IT. For older horror fans, it's Tim Curry's portrayal
00:39of Pennywise in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's novel. Modern audiences, meanwhile,
00:44have been thrilled by Bill Skarsgård's embodiment of this evil entity that takes the shape of a
00:50creepy, malevolent clown. They're both great, with CGI and practical makeup effects utilized
00:56to induce the proper atmosphere behind the performances.
00:59Do you have Prince Albert in a can? You do? Well, you better let the poor guy out!
01:06Pennywise seems to be eternal, an interdimensional force of evil that preys on fear and stops at
01:13nothing to ensure total nightmare fuel for anybody that gazes upon that scary face.
01:20You'll float down here. We'll float down here. Yes, we do.
01:2419. Sidney Prescott – Scream Franchise
01:32Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can't act,
01:35who's always running up the stairs when she should be going out the front door. It's insulting.
01:38The slasher movie genre possesses a long history of memorable final girls,
01:42smart and capable female protagonists that make it to the end and defeat the killer.
01:47Sidney Prescott from the Scream films embodied that archetype for the modern era,
01:52and was also able to buck the puritanical shackles that formerly held down many final
01:57girls. Prescott is in charge for her sexuality, and the final girl status bestowed upon her
02:03isn't dependent upon any virginal status. Instead, it's Prescott's resourcefulness,
02:08strength, and determination that makes her the bane of just about
02:12anyone who dares to take on the mantle of Ghostface.
02:16I'm an innocent victim. You're a psychotic.
02:20Yeah, well, shh.
02:2218. R.J. McCready – The Thing
02:26We're gonna draw a little bit of everybody's blood.
02:32Because we're gonna find out who's the Thing.
02:34John Carpenter's reimagining of 1951's The Thing from Another World and its 1938
02:40source novel, Who Goes There?, possessed a very memorable ensemble cast,
02:44including Wilford Brimley and Keith David. It's Kurt Russell's performance as R.J. McCready
02:50that anchors the whole film together, however. He's a de facto leader who takes it upon himself
02:55to uncover what the Thing is, and who's next upon its assimilation checklist.
03:00I thought you'd feel that way, Gary. You were the only one that could've got to that blood.
03:04We'll do you last.
03:06Russell's gruff demeanor and steadiness under pressure is a rock for the audience,
03:11as things gradually become more dangerous and chaotic. Meanwhile, the film's final shot is
03:16a beautifully ambiguous coda to all of the drippy mayhem that we've experienced up until that point.
03:23Why don't we just wait here for a little while?
03:3017. Chris Washington – Get Out
03:33Why's he dressed like that? It's not that, it's everything.
03:36He came to the party with a white woman like 30 years older than him.
03:39Jordan Peele's Get Out may not have reinvented the wheel when it was released back in 2017,
03:44but it certainly slapped a fresh coat of paint upon horror cinema's established body-snatcher
03:50tropes. The film also possessed a likable protagonist in the form of Daniel Kaluuya's
03:54Chris Washington, an everyman sort of character that's about to enter the fight of his life.
04:00So, is it true?
04:05Is it better?
04:07Wow!
04:08Washington remains optimistic in the face of some very awkward and strange situations,
04:13and he's also resourceful enough to emerge out on the other side
04:16after being betrayed by his girlfriend Rose Armitage. Kaluuya's facial expressions,
04:21in particular, sell his character's desperation at points,
04:24underlying the emotional resonance behind Get Out and its narrative.
04:31I don't know, I just thought that if I did, make it real.
04:3816. Leatherface – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Franchise
04:44There are few fictional horror tales as scary as reality, and it was the story of a real-life
04:59killer, Ed Gein, that inspired the creation of Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
05:04Franchise. The character has progressed a bit throughout the series' lengthy run,
05:08with his iconic debut in Tobey Hooper's 1974 masterpiece
05:12setting the stage for the Sawyer family and their bloody legacy.
05:22Future installments saw Leatherface adopt tones that could vary from sympathetic to comedic,
05:27although this hulking meat-cutter was usually established as a victim of abuse
05:31from his overbearing family. Leatherface's status as a horror icon remains assured through it all.
05:37A harrowing character whose dedication to the blade underlines one enduring sentiment – the
05:42Saw is family. 15. Annie Graham – Hereditary
05:58The cultural landscape of horror has shifted over the last decade or so,
06:10with more and more prestige actors dipping their toes into the mayhem. This has given
06:14the genre an air of respectability, heretofore unseen during its lifetime, an existence that's
06:20primarily been defined by lucrative slasher sleaze, grindhouse exploitation, and cult cinema fandom.
06:28Tony Collette's portrayal of Annie Graham in Hereditary was a great example of this coming
06:37of age, an actor that lent her enviable talents to Ari Aster's update of well-worn possession
06:43tropes. Collette sells the feelings of grief and trauma that threaten to break through the
06:48surface of Graham's composed veneer. Meanwhile, the climax of Hereditary goes for broke as Graham's
06:54possession is complete, and total chaos erupts. 14. Father Damien Karras – The Exorcist Franchise
07:08It speaks volumes to the enduring spirit – pun intended – of The Exorcist that this horror
07:25classic remains so scary, despite its thematic elements being endlessly parodied over the years.
07:31We've all seen other demonic possession movies that adapt the movements and cadence of Jason
07:36Miller's performance as Father Damien Karras. Yet the original Exorcist remains so mesmerizing
07:46and compelling thanks to the humanity Miller brings to his performance. Karras is a man with
07:51a crisis of faith, as well as overarching stresses and anxieties over the death of his mother. The
07:56demon Pazuzu seeks to exploit this at every turn, yet we the audience marvel as Karras retains
08:03control – and even sacrifices himself – so that young Reagan McNeill may escape from the demon's
08:08clutches. 13. Charles Lee Ray – A.K.A. Chucky – Child's Play Franchise
08:20We may not actually see much of Brad Dourif's performance as a cult-obsessed serial killer
08:37Charles Lee Ray in Child's Play. This antagonist, after all, is shot by Chicago detective Mike
08:43Norris, and perishes shortly after transferring his spirit into a children's doll. That said,
08:48Chucky the killer doll probably wouldn't be the horror icon he is today without Dourif's
08:53inimitable talent as a character actor. His vocal mannerisms, profanity, and affinity for long-form
09:03ranting-slash-raving is perfect for Chucky's unconquerable anger and evil. Elsewhere,
09:08the first film in particular actually does a great job in leaving room for doubt as to whether or not
09:14Ray's voodoo spell was successful in the first place. It's classic stuff.
09:2512. Sam Quint – Jaws There are few genre fans out there
09:38that would argue against Steven Spielberg's Jaws as being the perfect summer movie.
09:43The film's legacy isn't just that of a blockbuster, however, since the adaptation
09:47of Peter Benchley's novel also possesses so many likable and interesting characters.
09:52Roy Scheider brought warmth and pathos to his portrayal of Amity Island's police chief
09:56Martin Brody. Meanwhile, Robert Shaw's Sam Quint is a grizzled and irascible man who
10:02takes to task the capture of a giant killer shark. Shaw's speech about the USS Indianapolis
10:08is one of those movie monologues that grabs you by the throat and never lets go.
10:12It's this emotional connection that makes his death at the movie's climax
10:16all the more difficult to watch.
10:2811. John Kramer – Jigsaw The early millennium wasn't exactly fertile
10:41ground for a new horror franchise icon to emerge. This makes the rise of John Kramer,
10:46aka Jigsaw, all the more impressive. It was the first Saw film from 2004 that signified the rise
10:53of a new horror subgenre. Yet Tobin Bell's performance as a cancer-riddled serial killer
10:59provided a face to the carnage, as well as a perverse sense of morality.
11:12His Jigsaw inserts methods for his victims to potentially escape their deadly predicaments.
11:17This is providing, of course, that they retain what Jigsaw refers to as the survival instinct.
11:23The Jigsaw piece I cut from my subjects was only ever meant to be a symbol that that subject was
11:29missing something. A vital piece of the human puzzle. The survival instinct.
11:3510. Ashley Ash Williams – Evil Dead Franchise
11:49It's a question that's commonly asked about well-known, established movie heroes.
11:53Do you think character X could have been played by anyone other than actor A? And sometimes the
11:58answer is yes. But that's definitely not the case when it comes to Ashley Ash Williams of
12:03the Evil Dead franchise. That's because Bruce Campbell has embodied the role since 1981,
12:09reinventing a one-time horror protagonist into a ass-kicking, quip-spewing slayer of the deadites.
12:15Campbell's done great work in other films as well as on TV, usually in a supporting capacity. However,
12:29the humour and charm he brings to Ash is something that we'll probably never see again in our lifetimes.
12:409. Carrie White – Carrie
12:46White The character of Carrie White has been
12:48portrayed by a number of actors after Sissy Spacek put her stamp on the role. Brian De Palma's 1976
12:55adaptation of Stephen King's novel cast a wide shadow, however. It's Spacek who's primarily
13:01attached to the role today, and with good reason, thanks to the performance's doe-eyed innocence
13:06and innate likeability that makes what happens to Carrie all the more tragic.
13:16It speaks volumes as the quality of Carrie that we routinely hope things are going to turn out
13:21differently for its lead, even though we know full well the horrors that are about to unfold.
13:25Carrie White may burn in hell, but her cinematic legacy will live on forever.
13:388. Michael Myers – Halloween Franchise
13:45This all-time slasher classic possesses a wonderful push and pull between its
13:55protagonist and antagonist. We have, on one hand, perhaps the greatest final girl of the
14:00entire horror medium, Laurie Strode. Then, in the other corner, we have the boogeyman,
14:04Michael Myers himself, a towering icon.
14:15We admit that it does hurt the character slightly that there's no one actor in particular that's
14:21known for portraying Myers. This comes down to the many people that have either donned the mask
14:26or held the knife over the years. That said, Myers' relentless methodology and apparent
14:31immortality make him tons of fun to watch, while the mystery of his youth is something
14:35that's been explored in sequels, requels, and reboots. And it never gets old.
14:417. Jack Torrance – The Shining
15:04Stephen King notoriously disliked director Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his novel,
15:09The Shining. King's frustration was so strong, in fact, that he helmed his own version for
15:14television back in 1997. It was actor Stephen Webber that portrayed the doomed Jack Torrance
15:20in that film, with a script that made the character's descent into madness and possession
15:24more doomed and tragic. Kubrick's version, for its part, hung its hat upon a definitive
15:29performance from Jack Nicholson, one that eschews likability in favor of menace and
15:38a barely-there fuse for potential violence. Both performances are good, but it's the atmosphere
15:43and impenetrable darkness of Kubrick's vision that remains the shining to which
15:48everyone turns when they want a good fright. 6. Freddy Krueger – A Nightmare on Elm Street
16:05It's a classic schoolyard debate, a who-you-got scenario with only one winner. Were you a Freddy
16:20kind of person? Or did your heart belong to Mrs. Voorhees' baby boy? On one hand, it seems perverse
16:26for unrepentant slasher villains like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees to retain such a
16:31prestigious place within the pop culture zeitgeist. Krueger in particular was a killer
16:42who escaped justice, only to be immolated by an angry local mob. Why, then, did his character
16:48host chat lines, release a record album, and get to spout off one-liners quicker than you can say
16:53Nightmare? It was the 80s doesn't really cut it as an answer. Perhaps we must simply realize that
16:58they both morbidly captured our imaginations. 5. Frankenstein's Monster – Various
17:22The Universal Studios depiction of Frankenstein's Monster may be the most iconic one today,
17:26but the first filmed version of Mary Shelley's classic novel actually dated back to one produced
17:31by Thomas Edison back in 1910. The monster has taken on many different cinematic looks since
17:37then, from Boris Karloff in the aforementioned Universal Picture to Sir Christopher Lee for
17:42Hammer Films. We just love this character. We also love to interpret the motivations for his
17:47creation as well, with some critics claiming the monster is a metaphor from everything from race
17:52to wealth disparagement. At its core, however, Frankenstein's Monster is a tragic being that
17:57didn't ask for life, is rejected by a bride, and, to paraphrase his own words, belongs dead.
18:104. Ellen Ripley – Alien Franchise
18:13Though she was a tough female badass before that cinematic archetype was codified,
18:24a trailblazer for representation in horror and science fiction who only needs to be known by
18:29one name – Ripley. Sure, it's Ellen Ripley if we're being formal, but this heroine of
18:35the Alien franchise is basically a household name at this point in horror history.
18:43It also speaks highly of Sigourney Weaver's performance in the role that the character's
18:56gender is never brought into question when it comes to capability. Ripley's opinions and actions
19:00are respected by her peers, and her judgment is sound. The screenplay, from Dan O'Bannon,
19:05should be commended for writing Ripley so well that the character's natural leadership qualities
19:10simply rise to the forefront, making her a true hero.
19:223. Hannibal Lecter – Varius
19:28The character creation from author Thomas Harris has perhaps had the best luck when it comes to
19:32on-screen performances. Hannibal Lecter basically has a perfect score of portrayals, from Brian
19:38Cox in 1986's Manhunter to Sir Anthony Hopkins' bravura performances in both Red Dragon and The
19:44Silence of the Lambs. Meanwhile, both Mads Mikkelsen and Gaspard Ulliel put more modern
19:58spins on Lecter's character, further enriching him for fans of Harris's source material.
20:02It all comes down to The Silence of the Lambs for many horror fans, however,
20:06thanks not only to Hopkins' work but also his chemistry with co-star Jodie Foster as FBI agent
20:12Clarice Starling. 2. Norman Bates – Psycho Franchise
20:31We've mentioned throughout this list the existence of certain tragic backstories for some of our
20:35favourite horror villains. There is, however, perhaps no performance more palpably tragic
20:40than that of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. The actor legitimately sells the internal struggle
20:46and ultimate frustration of simply not being able to control his actions.
20:57This is showcased particularly well in the underrated Psycho sequels, where Perkins
21:02questions what is normal within himself, and if he can ever truly change. Meanwhile,
21:07that performance in Alfred Hitchcock's original Psycho is one for the ages,
21:11a chilling reminder from one of horror's true golden age classics.
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21:31occasional videos or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
21:36and switch on notifications. 1. Count Dracula – Darius
21:44This Lord of the Vampires is another horror movie character with a rich history,
21:48one that dates all the way back to the silent era. Count Orlok, from 1922's Nosferatu,
21:54serves as a captivating debut example of the character's appearance on film,
21:58while Bela Lugosi's codified Count Dracula, black-and-white style, for Universal Studios
22:04back in 1931. Meanwhile, Sir Christopher Lee served as perhaps the definitive version of the
22:09bloodsucker during his tenure at Hammer Films, delivering a stately yet menacing Dracula for
22:15the Technicolor generation. More actors stepped into the Count's shoes to wondrous effect,
22:26from Jack Palance in Frank Langella to Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula.
22:31All of them remind us of one thing – how much we love this stuff.
22:44Who's your all-time favourite horror icon? Let us know in the comments.
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