If we take a look at the history of movies, while there are a number of things that can make a movie iconic, nothing catapults it to greatness like a deranged villain who loves to dip their toes in the black hole of neverending wickedness. One look at famous films like Star Wars, The Dark Knight, or Die Hard is enough to establish that a legendary villain can truly elevate a franchise and make a movie incredibly entertaining.
Horror movies are, undoubtedly, prolific when it comes to movie villains and include some of the most iconic unhinged characters playing the living embodiment of evil. But there is no competing against the devils that slasher movies — a subset of the horror movies genre — have blessed cinema with. Many slasher movies consist of some of the finest villains of all time, who have aided in spawning one sequel after another.
So, how about getting re-acquainted with some of the best slasher movie villains, and ranking them based on how iconic they are?
10. Norman Bates
While probably not popular in today’s age, Norman Bates, the main antagonist of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic, Psycho, is one of the most iconic slasher film villains of all time. Played by Anthony Perkins in the film as well as the many sequels that followed, Norman Bates’ story started with him killing his mother and then petrifying the corpse, which he then dressed up in her clothes. Whether it was the trauma of losing his mother or his actions, Norman suffered from multiple personality disorder. Whenever he starts getting attracted to a woman, the persona of “Mother” takes over him and he ends up committing murder, thus making Marion Crane one of his many victims in the first film.
Even if you don’t know Norman Bates by name you will surely recognize the shower murder scene from the film, as it has been parodied into oblivion. But it is also just one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time. However, while the scene in itself is memorable, he barely is. Without the help of the recent Bates Motel series, Bates may have fallen into obscurity but the shower scene keeps him iconic at the tenth spot on this list.
9. Candyman
The primary villain of Clive Barker’s classic, Candyman, is definitely one of the most iconic slasher movie villains of all time. Played by Tony Todd in the 1992 film, Candyman has one of the most interesting origin stories on this list. Candyman was originally the son of a slave in the 1800s who was killed after falling in love with a white woman. He was an artist when he was alive, and before he died they cut off his hand, so when he appeared as a ghost or apparition, he had a hook for a hand.
To summon the Candyman in the series one would need to say his name five times while standing in front of a mirror. He would then appear and kill his victims with his hook. Unlike the story of the unhinged Norman Bates above, the legend of Candyman is very popular, which automatically earns the character the ninth spot on this list.
8. Pinhead
Taking the eighth spot on this list is the creepy otherworldly villain, Pinhead. Pinhead first appeared in another Clive Barker adaption, Hellraiser. Released in 1987, it was directed and written by Barker himself. Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley, was one of a few Cenobites in the film but was easily the most iconic of the bunch. The Cenobites come from Hell and they use their abilities and chains to perform sadomasochistic acts on their victims before killing them or dragging them to hell.
There are a few things that make a slasher movie villain legendary, and tearing somebody’s skin off with chains definitely falls under that category. Pinhead’s iconic look certainly contributes to his whole terrify-you-to-death aura — he has pins protruding from the pale skin of his head and face, which is sliced up like a cube of cheese, while his dark eyes are enough to petrify our very souls.
Though Pinhead is, without doubt, a worthy villain, his reputation has taken a hit after a new film in the series was recently released, wherein the character’s appearance has been significantly altered and those changes do not sit well with his fans.
7. Chucky
The little doll with an evil soul is easily one of the most iconic slasher movie villains of all time, earning the seventh spot on this list. Chucky was voiced by Brad Dourif in the 1988 film Child’s Play, directed by Tom Holland, as well as in its sequels, including the 2021 series Chucky. The story behind the doll is about a serial killer named Charles Lee Ray who was about to be caught by the police so he transferred his soul into a doll. The doll was then picked up by a little boy named Andy and the rest is history as fans of the demonic Chucky are well aware of the murderous rampage that ensued.
His design and creepy personality are what make Chuck truly memorable. His movies, especially after Child’s Play, like Bride of Chucky and Curse of Chucky, gave the doll a weird edge that only a few on this list share. But that also tends to work against how iconic he is as a slasher villain, taking on more of a comedic role than a straight slasher villain.
6. Jigsaw
Do you want to play a game? Who is the sixth most iconic slasher villain of all time? It’s Jigsaw, the main villain of the Saw franchise, of course. Even though John Kramer aka Jigsaw, played by Tobin Bell, dies fairly early in the franchise, his presence is still felt throughout most, if not all, of the entries. First appearing in the 2004 film Saw, Jigsaw’s appearances are usually accompanied by his puppet while he puts his victims through horrible ordeals to make them stronger and to ensure that they learn to appreciate life.
Truly the most righteous of all of the villains on this list, John Kramer devised his murderous traps after witnessing the ugliness of the world — he received his brain tumor diagnosis, which was soon followed by his pregnant wife losing her baby due to a drug addict robbing her rehab facility. So, he used the traps to ensure that the people who survived could value their lives. While he doesn’t possess paranormal powers like many other names on this list, slicing the throat of Detective Tapp (Danny Glover) easily without remorse makes him a slasher villain worthy of being remembered.
5. Leatherface
First appearing in Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface takes the fifth spot on this list. The chainsaw-wielding maniac was played by Gunnar Hansen in the original film, and while some of his movies, like his most recent outing, have not been the best slasher flicks, his scary mask, overall look, and chainsaw remain as unforgettable as ever. The character was loosely based on the real-life serial killer Ed Gein, which actually inspired the idea for a mask made from human skin.
But even though Leatherface is easily one of the most iconic slasher villains, especially his chainsaw which ranks as one of the top movie murder weapons of all time, he sits at number five as he does not have the “star power” that the villains above him have. After all, he is just a crazy country recluse with a chainsaw!
4. Ghostface
Taking the fourth spot is Ghostface the villain of the Scream franchise. Unlike all of our other picks on this list, Ghostface is not a single individual — the mask has been worn by multiple people. In the original Scream, which was directed by the late Wes Craven and released in 1996, the Ghostface outfit was worn by Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard). In the films that followed a new face would hide themselves and their nefarious motives behind the mask.
There have only been five Scream films so far, with a sixth slated to release in 2023. But throughout those films, the Ghostface killer managed to accumulate one of the highest kill counts on this list.
3. Freddy Krueger
Everyone’s favorite creepy dream invader deserves the third spot on this list. Played by Robert Englund in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Freddy Krueger’s scarred face and gloves with knives attached to them are enough to make him one of the most iconic villains. But it his dark history that earns him the extra brownie points.
His backstory is one of the craziest and scariest stories on this list because before he could enter people’s dreams and kill his helpless victims, he was a serial killer who murdered children. Soon parents of the local school burned him alive because he managed to avoid going to prison for his crimes on a technicality. But nothing could stop Springwood Slasher as he attained the power to creep into the dreams of the very individuals whose parents burned him to death.
2. Jason Vorhees
Even though most of the films in the Friday the 13th franchise are pretty average, Jason Vorhees is still the second most iconic slasher movie villain out there. Jason Vorhees became a murdering madman after he drowned in Camp Crystal Lake by a group of bullies. Though he survived, he took Norman Bates’ obsession with his mother to a whole new level by going on mass killing sprees after he witnessed her death.
Jason and his iconic mask would have made it to the top rank on this list if some of the films had not depicted his not-so-scary side where he is seen going to Manhattan, battling Freddy Krueger, and going to space.
1. Michael Myers
Michael Myers, also known as the Shape, is the primary antagonist of the Halloween franchise and often chases after his final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). He first appeared in the 1978 film Halloween directed by John Carpenter. Myers spent 15 years in an asylum after murdering his sister but one day he escapes and the first thing on his to-do list is to kill everyone in his family.
Though some of the films in the franchise have failed to impress, Myers retains his status as an iconic villain. His popularity has the franchise still going strong with Halloween Ends set to finally kill the towering knife-wielding creep for good. But as with all the other entries in his franchise, it would not surprise anyone if he did end up coming back. After all, the Shape is unstoppable.
There you have it, the most iconic slasher movie villains throughout the history of cinema. While there are the likes of Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs or Patrick Bateman from American Psycho who are considered slasher villains but don’t exactly fit the list. But given the pace at which the horror genre is churning unforgettable villains, the names on this list will end up with more contenders in no time!
